I'm being Mistaken for The Mastermind

Chapter 24

Thorough preparation is essential for conquering a dungeon.

Internal maps, party members, potions, necessary equipment, and so on.

It is common sense that just preparing takes at least a week.

Safety first—Evan always made sure to go through the process.

It was the same when clearing games, so how would it be in reality?

It was supposed to be like that.......

"This is the place."

Evan raised his head with a reluctant feeling.

The forest had grown dark as the sun set.

A steep cliff.

A single stone door stood desolately.

"This is the Ancient Dungeon."

The entrance to the Ancient Dungeon.

The location for this conquest.

'To come to a place like this without any preparation.'

Lee Hanol, you've really become a true manly man, huh?

'No, but do these guys have no fear?'

Evan looked at his companions.

Lapis and Super, the Sins of the Future, and Arthur, the Knight of the Full Moon.

A rather unfamiliar combination.

He could understand why they were fearless.

They had never, since birth, experienced a lack of talent.

Their skills were top-notch.

Lapis was growing day by day, and Arthur had regained his Aura.

If we only consider their prime, they were as strong as 'Integrity,' who ruled the kingdom of knights.

Even now, there wouldn't be much lacking.

Only about half of their prime capabilities.

Even with that, they had wiped out all the heretics.

'Oh! Just thinking about it gives me chills.'

For now, they were reliable allies.

That was truly fortunate.

Evan scanned near the door.

It didn't seem like a lie that heretics frequently came and went, as the entrance was well-maintained.

There were also several traps nearby to ward off beasts.

However.

'Why, of all things, would they use such torches?'

It seemed they had no sense of aesthetics.

Purple flames.

They looked ominous to anyone who saw them.

'......Should we not go inside?'

Evan seriously considered it.

Should they turn back even now?

"Wow, this is so amazing."

Lapis poked at the purple torch.

The purple torch didn't react.

"Can I roast fruit on it?"

"No. You'll get hurt."

"Do you think she'll get hurt?"

Super pointed at Lapis in disbelief.

Lapis was covered in blood.

It wasn't her own blood.

It was evidence of the monsters she had slaughtered on the way.

Even though they were intermediate-level monsters.

She had played with them and discarded them when she got bored.

A predator.

Despite her young age, Lapis was already becoming complete.

Hmm.

It was a good thing I had already built up some debt with her.

Otherwise, it could have been a disaster.

Honestly, she's scary.

To the point of being thankful she's not an enemy.

He didn't show it outwardly.

"Lapis. Please hold back a little."

"Alright......."

Evan skillfully calmed Lapis.

Then turned his head toward Arthur.

"Have you ever been to this dungeon?"

"No."

Arthur shook his head.

"I usually killed them before they could even hide."

......That's a bit scary.

He wouldn't kill them here just because things went wrong, right?

No way!

Arthur was a knight of integrity.

Once he owed someone, he wouldn't harm them no matter what.

Unless they tried to kill him or touched his sister, of course.

Would Evan be crazy enough to do that?

Of course, he intended to leave him alone quietly.

Because his life was precious.

"What about you, Young Master?"

"This is my first time in a dungeon as well."

"Stay close behind me so it won't be dangerous."

Sreung.

Arthur drew his sword.

Fwoosh!

A silver Aura blazed along Arthur's blade.

The Aura shone like mercury.

It flared up and swung down like a bolt of lightning.

Rumble!

The door was cut cleanly.

I unconsciously stared at the Holy Knight's brute method.

'There's a button right next to it.'

......Do Holy Knights open doors like this these days?

"Follow me."

Arthur strode in confidently.

No, to be precise, he was about to stride in.

"Wait a moment."

"?"

Evan stopped Arthur.

The Ancient Dungeon.

The minimum difficulty level is at least intermediate-high.

It is by no means an easy difficulty.

Moreover, it's a place used as a base by the Heretics.

Isn't it obvious that it would be full of traps?

There was even a chance I could get separated from Arthur by mistake.

That must never happen.

Not because I'm scared, but just in case.

[Synthesis]

Thud!

Evan tapped the ground with his staff.

Mana spread out, and the soil clumped together.

A basic elemental golem.

It was molded into the shape of a small dog.

Mini Golem Dog.

It was a golem that could be used for reconnaissance.

"Charge."

Yip!

The Golem Dog, barking like a real dog, entered the dungeon.

Crash!

A mace fell from the ceiling and crushed the Golem Dog.

"......."

"......."

'Oh, damn, that scared me.'

Startled, Evan calmed his heart.

Why is it so vicious?

Meanwhile, Arthur was silent for a moment.

It seemed he hadn't anticipated such a trap.

They say if your body is strong, your mind suffers, but isn't this too much?

Tap tap!

Clicking his tongue, Evan tapped the ground again with his staff.

The Golem Dog was instantly restored and re-entered.

This time, the trap didn't react.

Still, he didn't let his guard down.

After waiting a bit, it entered again.

Crash!

This time, the trap was triggered.

How much time had passed until now?

'About 2 minutes?'

A 5-minute cooldown.

This was generally the cooldown time for traps installed in high-level dungeons.

'......High-level? This is a bit scary.'

Would it hurt if it were easier?

Still, it didn't feel right to back down here.

The sparkling eyes of Lapis and Super.

To retreat here?

It would scratch a man's confidence.

'Y-yeah. I'm a manly man.'

Retreating would deal a blow to my confidence.

At least I should come out with one or two decent artifacts.

Ah, of course, I planned to make Arthur do it.

"This should be enough confirmation."

Evan turned to Arthur.

"Let's proceed."

"......Did you already know and confirm the traps?"

"It was an obvious thought. There's no way there wouldn't be traps."

Arthur had a look of incomprehension.

But he didn't argue further.

"Let's proceed."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"......Understood."

Arthur quietly nodded.

***

The dungeon exploration went smoothly.

The basics of exploration lie in gathering information.

In that aspect, Evan was meticulous to a terrifying degree.

- Entry.

- Re-entry.

- Deploying multiple units.

- Confirming reactions only for objects above a certain height.

Like an alchemist conducting an experiment, he thoroughly identified and analyzed.

There was no emotion in his eyes.

As if this was nothing at all.

'Impressive.'

Arthur was in awe.

There are broadly two types of skilled individuals.

One relies solely on innate talent.

The other meticulously analyzes and seeks efficiency, accumulating effort over time.

'Thorough analysis and efficiency. The most troublesome type to face as an enemy.'

Evan belonged to the latter category.

Does that mean he lacked talent?

Not at all.

'He seems to have an abundance of talent too.'

The skills of an alchemist weren't categorized in a fixed way.

However, one could roughly guess.

The speed of synthesis and the grade of potions that could be created served as a measure.

Evan's synthesis speed.

It was far faster than that of an alchemist affiliated with the Alchemists' Tower that I had seen before.

'Is he someone who possesses both talent and effort?'

It was understandable why his skills were so exceptional at such a young age.

To reach that level in just a year.

Even Arthur, a genius among geniuses, had never seen such speed.

Yes.

This could be attributed to talent.

However.

'He's too skilled.'

Evan had said this was his first time in the Ancient Dungeon.

Even so, he was excessively proficient.

The awkwardness one would expect from a beginner?

There was none at all.

On the contrary, Arthur seemed more like a beginner.

-Step back. That's a trap.

-What?

-The pattern on the floor. It's a trace of a trap installation. It's a pattern only they can distinguish.

Evan was a veteran.

Having cleared dungeons like this several times, it was only natural.

Arthur, unaware of this, sprouted a different misunderstanding.

'Could it be that he's been gaining experience from the past?'

To prepare for dungeon raids?

That's too far-fetched.

Evan is the son of a duke.

Moreover, the second son.

Of course, he would take care of his own body.

Even if not him personally, the family itself would.

Would they ever let such a precious talent go to waste?

'Then, could it be to prepare for this kind of work?'

That's too much conjecture.

Alchemist.

Isn't that a support-type profession rather than a combat-oriented one?

Even thoroughness has its limits.

Or perhaps...

'What if he had targeted this dungeon from the beginning?'

Chills!

Arthur's entire body shivered.

If that were the case, it made sense.

He had meticulously prepared, aiming solely for this dungeon.

It was sufficiently reasonable.

'Was even approaching me all part of this?'

Arthur was famous as the nightmare of heretics.

Evan must have known this.

Wasn't he someone who even knew about his plans?

If all of this was for that purpose...

'...That's terrifying.'

Arthur stared at Evan's back.

Just how far had he planned everything?

What was he aiming for?

Though he had a guess.

'...That rumor might be true.'

Resurrecting the Dead.

Alchemy's taboo.

A taboo that defied divine law, reviving the soul and body of the dead.

If he was gathering research materials to perform the taboo and, in the process, wiping out heretics?

'What kind of materials are here...'

-Grrrrrr!

It was then.

Crack!

The small golem leading the way was crushed.

Evan slowly raised his head.

A wide cavern they had arrived in before they knew it.

It seemed to be a place mainly used for prayers.

A structure encircling the statue at the center.

However, it was not ordinary.

-...Intruders, are you?

A statue whose face was unrecognizable.

A black creature coiled around the statue, wagging its tail as it glared at Evan's party.

A pitch-black snake.

On its back were bat-like wings, and two arms that shouldn't exist awkwardly protruded.

"...Chimera."

Arthur muttered the name of the creature.

Chimera.

An artificial lifeform created by combining two or more creatures.

The chimera, the black snake, gleamed with red eyes.

-Disbelievers who do not believe in God. For what purpose have you visited this place?

Arthur's instincts sounded the alarm.

'It's dangerous.'

Chimeras were famous just by their existence.

Even the known chimeras were like that.

The front was a lion, the back a snake, and the middle a goat burning fiercely with wicked knowledge.

A famous chimera.

The chimera hunted by the Knight King, Geonbaek, who currently leads the Knight Kingdom.

It was said that it couldn't be defeated head-on and was captured using wisdom.

If that chimera was on the same level as this one?

It was impossible for Arthur, who had only regained half of his prime skills, to hunt it.

He couldn't even predict what kind of power it was hiding.

'...It seems it has just finished feasting.'

Corpses filled the cavern.

All of them wearing black robes, still in praying postures.

Strangely, only their necks were severed.

As if that snake had eaten only their heads.

It seemed full.

It didn't attack immediately.

'I'll end it in one blow.'

Swoosh-

It was the moment Arthur reached for the sword's hilt.

"That snake. It's a chimera that parasitizes shadows."

Super spoke up.

"Aura, holy power, mana, none of them work. It can only be killed by another shadow creature. Instead, its durability is weak enough to die in one blow."

"How do you know that?"

"I have my ways."

Super arrogantly tilted his head back.

Arthur frowned.

What kind of nonsense was this in a battle situation?

"Whether it works or not, you only know by cutting it. Step back-"

"If it parasitizes shadows, does anything work?"

Evan spoke up.

He stared at Super with his usual emotionless eyes.

"Even if it's an inanimate object like a weapon?"

"...It should work. But, do you have something like that?"

"Yes. Fortunately."

He does?

Something like that?

When Super and Arthur were puzzled.

- "Answer, unbelievers!"

The enraged black snake charged, scattering its crimson glowing eyes.

- "How dare you visit the sacred nest where this noble life was born!!!"

Kyaaahhhhh!

The black snake opened its mouth as if to swallow everything.

In an instant, its body and mouth grew so large that it filled the cavity.

At that moment, when Arthur was about to swing his sword.

Evan spoke first.

"Number 2."

Squirm!

The shadow underfoot wriggled.

"Stop it."

Crunch!

At that moment, a liquid monster-like form of a golem sprang from Evan's shadow.

Number 2 struck the charging black snake from below.

The black snake spurted as if it were bleeding.

Before it could resist further, it grabbed its face with both hands and violently tore it apart.

Shreeeek!

The black snake, ripped like paper, fell to the ground with a thud!

"......."

Number 2 disappeared into the shadow as if nothing had happened.

Arthur fiddled with the hilt of his sword, his hands slick with cold sweat.

'A golem that resides in the shadow...? Is such a thing even possible? To have been pre-made and carried around?'

Step.

Super moved.

He squatted in front of the corpse.

"...Foolish and pitiful thing."

Super's small hand, stained black, stroked the split head.

"Return, my sibling."

Swoosh.

The black snake was absorbed like ink dropped into water.

The black snake vanished in an instant.

Arthur looked back at Evan.

Evan's face was completely unperturbed.

As if he had anticipated this from the beginning.

'Carrying a golem that resides in the shadow, and also traveling with such a bizarre kid...'

Was everything part of the plan?

Meanwhile, Evan stared at Super.

He screamed internally.

His face cramping.

'What is he doing??!?!'

Why is he absorbing the black snake?!

Are you a chimera?!?!