[Kim Ho: (polite cat emoji)]

[Kim Ho: A brief announcement.]

[Seo Ye-in: ?]

[Kim Ho: Due to unavoidable circumstances,]

[Kim Ho: this week’s raid battle will be carried out]

[Kim Ho: with a separate party.]

[Seo Ye-in: No]

[Seo Ye-in: (strong objection! cat emoji)]

[Kim Ho: I’ve already asked Hyeonwoo-Somi,]

[Kim Ho: so I wish you a smooth clear.]

[Kim Ho: (farewell cat emoji)]

[Seo Ye-in: No]

[Seo Ye-in: Come back]

[Seo Ye-in: (wistful cat emoji)]

Leaving her in the hands of the sword-wielding couple didn’t make me feel especially at ease, but right now the Sub Quest had to come first.

When it came to world peace, small sacrifices were unavoidable.

Soon, I took Hong Yeonhwa and Song Cheonhye to a quiet place.

The point was to exchange opinions in advance, hold a briefing, and decide our roles ahead of time.

I handed each of them a few sheets of paper.

“Read these.”

The walkthrough for the dungeon we were about to enter.

As Hong Yeonhwa and Song Cheonhye read through it carefully, a strange light flickered in their eyes.

Then they asked almost at the same time.

“We’re really going in with just three people...... right?”

“Isn’t this a six-person dungeon?”

I answered in a tone that said this was only natural.

“That’s right. Three people clearing a six-person dungeon.”

“Do we really need to go that far?”

“There’s no need.”

More precisely, there was only a need for me.

One of the Challenge conditions was clearing a dungeon for 4 people or more.

The reason I picked a six-person dungeon was simple: higher difficulty, which meant stronger rewards.

Then why didn’t I choose one for seven or more?

Because once that happens, the roles sometimes split into four or more parts.

And when you start running short on hands, you have to bring one more person.

Not just any extra person, either, but a skilled mage.

So this was the compromise at the very limit of what we could actually manage.

Still, explaining all that directly and asking them for help would, on a scale from best to worst, be about a middle-grade strategy.

Things like this would probably come up again in the future, and I couldn’t keep appealing to sentiment every time.

The best strategy is making them want it themselves.

All I had to do was motivate them.

So I put on an extra weighty air and began.

“Our group took first place on last year’s final exam, didn’t it?”

“We did.”

“And you both must’ve wrapped up last week’s placement test pretty well too.”

“Yes, aside from losing to you.......”

“I think it’s certain now.”

“......?”

“That we’re at the very top of the year.”

“......!”

Song Cheonhye and Hong Yeonhwa both looked like exclamation marks had popped up over their heads.

And I continued.

“Of course, there are still people who won’t 인정 that. At least not yet.”

“Everyone can have different opinions.”

“But what if we had undeniable proof?”

For example, replays.

If we recorded ourselves clearing dungeons more easily than the other Top Rank students, under conditions that were even harsher than theirs—

And if several records like that piled up—

There’d be much less room left for argument.

At that, Hong Yeonhwa didn’t hesitate long before answering.

“I want to try.”

They’d been competing nonstop with other promising students ever since first year.

And the more firmly they secured their position, the more the status of the Ruby Mage Tower would rise as well. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Then they’d be able to save face in front of their older sister too.

Song Cheonhye seemed to be thinking along similar lines, but instead of agreeing right away, she shot me a suspicious look.

“This is strange. You were never the type to care that much about grades.”

“I’ve got my own reasons. Is that a problem?”

“......No. I don’t mind.”

Even if our inner motives were different, the goal was the same.

I smoothly slipped in the other conditions too.

“If we’re doing it anyway, let’s try a time attack too. Clear it within ten minutes.”

“Understood.”

Naturally, Song Cheonhye and Hong Yeonhwa ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) accepted that readily as well.

After that, I kept talking with the two of them about the walkthrough, making sure they fully understood every detail.

Then, after taking some final time to prepare, we headed for the dungeon building.

The moment we stepped onto the underground floor, the cold, damp air unique to caverns greeted us.

So did the circular staircase I was already used to by now.

It stretched endlessly downward, far beyond the reach of sight.

This brings back memories of the first time I came down here.

The very first dungeon I cleared after entering the world of the game had been No. 388, Feathered Serpent Altar.

Because it had been an unauthorized raid, I’d had to walk all the way down to Floor D and then climb all the way back up.

And while doing that, I’d had to run around constantly, dodging the eyes of the Discipline Committee.

That’s all in the past now.

At least up to D-rank, I had proper access authority now.

We were able to reach Floor D just by changing elevators a few times, and after walking a short distance, we arrived at our destination.

[No.307] [Rabbit Center]

I stared at the dungeon entrance for a few seconds, then turned back to my party members.

“You’re ready, right?”

“Yes, we’re ready.”

“The replay?”

“Here.”

Hong Yeonhwa held up a crystal orb.

The moment we entered, the ten-minute countdown would begin, so we had taken it out in advance.

“Good. Let’s go in.”

I nodded and stepped forward, and the other two followed behind me.

For a moment, my vision went dark, then brightened again, and a building appeared in front of us.

Two pointed ears jutted from the top, making it unmistakably a rabbit’s head.

Just like the dungeon’s name—Rabbit Center.

We started walking toward it.

Before long, we spotted a cluster of rabbits gathered a short distance away.

Naturally, they weren’t ordinary rabbits. To begin with, they were about the size of large dogs, and each was dressed differently.

A lab coat, jeans and a hoodie, a tracksuit like the one our school principal wore.......

Among them was one that looked extremely familiar.

A clean suit. A large pocket watch in hand.

Clock Rabbit.

It had been the hidden boss in No. 336 [Rabbit Room] and No. 207 [Rabbit Tower].

In this dungeon, it only made a brief appearance, without any particular hidden piece attached.

A moment later, it recognized me too and jumped in shock.

“Kyukyut, you!”

We’d built up no small amount of friendship across those two dungeons, so of course it was glad to see me.

I waved cheerfully and spoke its old nickname for the first time in a while.

“Tosik! How long has it been!”

“SKREEEEEE—! I told you not to call me that!”

Tosik screamed in outrage.

In response, I let disappointment flood my face and sighed.

“Tosik, you hated the nickname I gave you as a token of friendship that much? That’s too bad, but it can’t be helped. I guess we’ll just have to deepen our friendship all over again.”

“Y-You......!”

Its body trembled with anger, but it still backed away from me.

Then one of the rabbits in a lab coat, who had been watching, asked,

“Kyuit, why are you so afraid? It’s just a human.”

“Kyukyut, that’s only because you know nothing. That one is no ordinary wicked bastard.”

“What did he do to you?”

“He tied a rope around my neck and threw me.”

At that, all the rabbits in the area stared at me in shock.

Even Song Cheonhye and Hong Yeonhwa did.

This is unfair.

Seo Ye-in had been the one who put on the leash. I had only done the throwing.

So I spoke with a gentle smile.

“Haha....... Mr. Rabbit, I think you may be reacting a little too sensitively. It was just a joke, wasn’t it?”

“SKREEEEEE—!”

The rabbits flew into a rage.

Among them, the one in the lab coat actually looked even angrier than Tosik.

It glared at me and said,

“Kyukyut, then I suppose I’ll have to teach you. If you dare to put a leash on us, you’ll pay dearly for it.”

“Kyuit, you’d better be careful. He’s wicked to the core, but he’s also that strong.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. You stand back.”

“Understood. I’ll pray for your fortune.”

Tosik fled the scene as if escaping.

Then the lab-coat rabbit raised one hand over its head and shouted,

“Kyuit! Brothers!”

The other rabbits raised a hand over their heads too.

Their cries varied—“Kyuyut!” “Kiiik!” and so on.

The next moment, huge masses of machinery appeared in midair and dropped to the ground.

THUD!

Each one had its own cockpit, and the rabbits moved with perfect discipline, diving inside.

WHIRRR—!

Then the machine masses floated up into the air, gathered into one place, fused together, and unfolded with clanking mechanical sounds.

What ended up standing on two legs before us was a robot several times taller than we were.

The so-called Combined Tosik Robot.

Tosik himself wasn’t here anymore, but the name sounded right enough.

Just from one look, it was obvious the rabbit in the lab coat was their leader.

It was staring down at us from the robot’s head section.

“Kyukyut, insolent humans, I’ll give you one first and last chance to surrender.”

“And if we refuse?”

THUD!

The Combined Tosik Robot stepped half a step forward.

“I will trample you.”

“Quite spirited. But you know what happens if you can’t trample us, right?”

“......Kyuit?”

“You become Research Tosik.”

“......!”

Its face filled with fury.

Then the Combined Tosik Robot began moving in earnest.

It drew back a fist behind its shoulder, then thrust it straight at me.

WHOOM—!

As I watched the huge mass of metal rushing closer by the second, I thought,

Two [Amplification] uses should be enough.

If I raised my specs too much, my own performance would stand out too much.

My real goal from the start was the Sub Quest, so it made more sense to hand the spotlight to Song Cheonhye and Hong Yeonhwa.

[‘Octopus Arms’ will be used.]

[‘Amplification’ will be used.]

[‘Wind Force’ rank will increase. (A+→S+)]

[‘Ice Wall’ rank will increase. (B→S)]

I wrapped wind around one hand, then thrust it forward toward the robot’s incoming fist.

The result of that collision was the exact opposite of what it looked like it should have been.

BOOM!

The fist was blown backward in an instant.

The Combined Tosik Robot lost its balance and staggered.

Hong Yeonhwa and Song Cheonhye didn’t miss the opening and began chanting their magic.

A pillar of flame erupted beneath the robot’s feet, and a thick bolt of lightning slammed down.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK—!

RUMBLE, CRACK!

“Kyuu, kyukyut!”

“Kiiik!?”

All the rabbits looked badly flustered, but even so, they did their best to stabilize the combined robot.

But did they really think we’d just stand there and watch that happen?

BOOM!

FWOOOOSH,

I kept firing off Wind Force from all angles, wrecking its balance, while my party members hammered it with combined attacks.

The battle had barely even started, yet the robot was already nearly scrap metal.

Even so, Research Tosik still wore a composed smile around its mouth.

“Kyuit! You thought you had us, didn’t you? But it’s all wasted effort!”

The rabbit-head building behind it suddenly filled with bright light, then shot a pillar of light high into the sky.

WHOOM—!

The next moment, that beam crashed down onto the Combined Tosik Robot, and the thing that had practically become a pile of junk was repaired in an instant.

The rabbits all started talking as if they had already won.

“Kyuit! Break it as much as you want!”

“We’ll just repair it again!”

“Kyukyut! We are invincible!”

Then they took their stance as if preparing for round two.

I calmly nodded.

“I see.”

Then I turned in a smooth motion with the others and started running toward the rabbit-head building.

“Then we just have to destroy that first.”

“Kyuit?! Stop—!”

The Combined Tosik Robot hurried after us.