As I regained my senses, I urgently surveyed the surroundings.

Where am I?

At least I haven’t been sent to a different dungeon than the Temple of Colhity.

I’ve just been teleported to another part of the same dungeon.

Stay calm. Panicking won’t help anything here.

“What?! What is this?”

‘Hold on a second.’

“Pathetic Prince, don’t start babbling like some amateur. Just stay still.”

When an unexpected situation occurs, the first thing to do is determine your current location.

If I’m in the middle of a monster's path, I’ll end up dead.

The ancient Temple of Colhity requires a well-prepared party of mid-level 30s to clear it properly.

You need at least that much firepower to deal with Minotaurs or heavily armored Orcs.

But what’s our situation right now?

I’m just an 11th-level Paladin, and Arthur is even weaker than I am.

What would happen if we encounter monsters in this state? It’s obvious.

So obvious that it’s terrifyingly easy to imagine.

The vines growing along the cracks in the walls are almost invisible, which means we’re in the deeper levels.

The 6th floor? 7th floor?

The murals on the walls are clear.

So, it’s the 7th floor.

I recall the map of the dungeon’s 7th floor and look around.

Judging by the position of the alleyways and the surrounding terrain…

<Girl!>

The old man’s shout was a warning, so there was no need to hear the rest.

I’ve figured out where we are. Based on the map in my head, I plan an escape route.

The one fortunate thing is that the deep parts of the temple are as confusing as a maze.

Normally, it’s a trick to corner players, but it’s different for me.

For someone like me, who has completely memorized the layout, these maze-like paths are just an easy way to escape.

I lift the dazed Arthur onto my back.

“Lucy Allen?!”

‘I’m sorry! Please understand!’

“Pathetic Prince, if you want to stay alive, just shut up!”

“Behind us!”

‘I know!’

“Do you think I’m as incompetent as you, Pathetic Prince?!”

Following the route in my head, I run desperately, hearing heavy footsteps chasing behind me.

Damn it. How far do I have to run before I lose the aggro?!

After running with all my might, I finally manage to shake off the footsteps. I set Arthur down from my shoulders and catch my breath.

Ugh, I’m really going to die.

How many times have I sprinted at full speed today?

If I had slacked off even a little in my stamina training, I’d be dead by now.

As I finally manage to calm my wildly beating heart, I look up to see Arthur, trying his best to appear composed.

Arthur is probably the most confused right now.

I know that bastard Agra is behind this, but Arthur was just caught up in it.

Despite his confusion, he’s staying silent, likely to avoid increasing the chaos with unnecessary words.

He was like this in the game too; the guy is undeniably competent.

‘If you have any questions, ask.’

“Pathetic Prince, if there’s anything you don’t know, ask. I’ll explain it to you very kindly.”

“...I won’t hesitate, then. Lucy Allen, do you know what situation we’re in right now?”

I gave Arthur the basic rundown.

That we’ve been thrown into another floor of the dungeon.

That to survive, we need to hold out until a rescue team arrives from above.

And that to do so, we’ll need to either keep running or head to a safe zone.

“A difficult situation.”

I didn’t deny Arthur’s words.

This situation was worse than when we were dropped into the alchemist’s domain.

The monsters here are weaker than those, but the ones we faced back then were nearly blind.

They had such clear weaknesses that it was easy to outmaneuver them.

But here, it’s different.

No matter how far we run, there are Orcs who will chase us to the end, and Minotaurs with massive bodies that are disturbingly agile.

If we take one wrong turn during our escape, we’ll be cornered and killed.

So, the best option is to head to a safe zone and hold out until the professors come to rescue us.

We need to move.

‘Grandpa, like last time, please.’

<You’re really going through a lot.>

‘What can I do? I’ve been marked.’

If I want to be safe from this madness, the only way is to become strong enough to crush anyone who tries to mess with me.

Just wait, Agra.

I’m still growing, but soon I’ll be strong enough to laugh off your tricks.

I’ll show you the true skill of a veteran of Soul Academy!

Enjoy yourself while you can, because you’ll be nothing more than a pushover soon!

“What are you going to do?”

As I raised my shield in one hand, Arthur asked.

‘We’re going to the safe zone.’

“Pathetic Prince, you at least know what a safe zone is, right? We’re heading there.”

“Do you even know where the safe zone is?”

Arthur asked.

He noted that during our escape earlier, the dungeon seemed as confusing as a maze.

If we aren’t careful, we might get lost and end up running into monsters and dying.

So, instead of moving recklessly, we should stay in a quiet place and only move when we sense monsters approaching.

It was a rational decision.

If this were a dungeon exam, I’d give him a perfect score.

But this isn’t an exam, and at least for me, it wasn’t the best decision.

‘I know where everything is.’

“Pathetic Prince, just because you’re incompetent doesn’t mean you should see me as the same. I know where everything is in this dungeon.”

“That’s impossible. Isn’t this dungeon new to you as well?”

No, it’s not. I’ve seen it countless times.

If I had to count the number of times I’ve cleared this dungeon, it’d probably be in the thousands.

Maybe even more.

The rewards from the boss, the Fragment of Colhity, were good, so I came here every time.

Even though this is the truth, I doubt Arthur would believe me if I said it.

So, I smiled as reassuringly as possible and spoke.

‘Trust me.’

“Pathetic Prince, don’t trust your pathetic thoughts, trust mine.”

“...Do you have any basis for this?”

‘Yes! I have a blessing!’

“I’m loved by the God of Losers.”

When I said that, Arthur widened his eyes for a moment before letting out a small laugh.

“Fine. I’ll trust you this once.”

•  

Lucy Allen wasn’t lying when she said she was blessed by the gods.

She knew everything about this dungeon, just as she had confidently claimed.

How the dungeon’s paths connected.

Where the monsters would appear and how they would move.

How the traps in the dungeon were set up.

This wasn’t just a matter of knowing how to clear the dungeon.

Her judgment was so accurate that you could believe she designed the dungeon herself.

She said she had a blessing that allowed her to learn everything about the dungeon.

Ha. And I challenged someone like this to a contest of dungeon prowess?

I was foolish. So foolish.

I was walking straight into defeat, yet I was convinced of my victory.

Lucy Allen must have found me ridiculous when I proposed the challenge.

Sigh.

Is she someone with the talent to look down on the world from above?

“Lucy Allen.”

“What?”

Perhaps because we were in the middle of danger, Lucy Allen’s voice was sharper than usual.

“Can I ask why you call me ‘Pathetic Prince’?”

Arthur had heard from Joy that Lucy Allen hadn’t insulted him out of any personal knowledge of his circumstances.

Anyone else would have dismissed it as nonsense, but Lucy Allen had lived her life in isolation due to her arrogant personality.

She had no choice but to be ignorant of the world around her.

Arthur had ignored this fact when he was emotionally charged, but now he realized it might be true.

So he decided to ask.

Why did she call him ‘Pathetic Prince’ without knowing anything about him?

Lucy Allen turned her head and looked at him with a pitying gaze before answering.

“Because you show everyone how pathetic you are.”

“I do?”

“You didn’t know? Hah. You’re so pathetic, I don’t even feel like explaining.”

Showing that I’m pathetic? Me?

There’s no way.

I’ve lived my life trying to avoid pity.

To fulfill my mother’s last wish.

To ensure my deceased mother isn’t dishonored.

I’ve done everything I could to become someone no one could look down on.

And yet, I’ve been showing that I’m pathetic?

“Explain in more detail.”

“Pathetic Prince, don’t rush at me like a dog in heat. Just stay still.”

Despite the insulting words, her tone was serious, so Arthur kept his mouth shut.

He was someone who knew how to suppress his emotions for the sake of the situation at hand.

Following Lucy Allen, Arthur peeked around the corner of the wall and saw the figure blocking the path.

A Minotaur.

Arthur had heard of this monster before.

One of the knights he knew at the royal palace was fond of sharing his exploits, and among his stories was one about a Minotaur.

‘Minotaurs are incredibly strong monsters. They can twist a fully armored soldier with ease and charge with the speed of a bull. On top of that, they possess human intelligence and martial prowess. Their vitality is so remarkable that they won’t die from just any wound.’ ‘Remember this, Prince. A Minotaur can put even a knight in danger. If you ever encounter one, you must flee.’

Arthur still remembered that knight’s story.

While the professors at Soul Academy could easily handle such a monster, neither he nor Lucy Allen could.

If they recklessly attacked, they’d be walking into their deaths.

Yet Lucy Allen showed no sign of moving elsewhere.

Instead, she pulled several potions from her pouch and downed them as if preparing for a fight.

“Lucy Allen, are you planning to fight that thing?”

“Yes. I’m going to smash that bull’s head in.”

“Are you insane?”

That’s suicide.

No matter how skilled Lucy Allen might be for her age, she couldn’t possibly take on that thing.

“What’s wrong, Pathetic Prince? Scared you might wet yourself?”

“This isn’t about fear. This is…”

“We have to take down that bull’s head if we want to get to the safe zone.”

The safe zone.

A cursed space created by Agra, where Armath’s power guarantees safety.

It’s the only place in this dungeon where challengers can rest assured.

Lucy Allen explained that to survive here, they needed to reach it.

And to do that, they had to defeat the Minotaur.

“That’s impossible. It would be safer to keep avoiding monsters like we’ve been doing.”

“Pathetic Prince, do you really think you and I can hold out until the Academy’s lackeys arrive?”

At that moment, Arthur realized.

Lucy Allen couldn’t possibly be unaware of the dangers of this path.

Knowing everything about this dungeon, she must know how dangerous that monster is.

“Is this truly the only way?”

When Lucy Allen nodded, Arthur tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.

Would he have to risk his life?

“Well, if you’re really scared, the cowardly Pathetic Prince can stay back and wet his pants.”

“No. I’ll fight too.”

He couldn’t allow himself to become a man so cowardly that he’d leave everything to a little girl and run away.

He didn’t want to become any more disgraceful than he already was.