In a hidden alley of the Imperial Capital Labyrinth, three knights wearing standard imperial armor leaned against the wall, chatting out of sheer boredom.
They were guards responsible for watching the outer perimeter of the labyrinth. The tedious watch duty had inevitably caused their vigilance to slip, prompting them to start conversing.
“Honestly, with those Demon King Cult guys causing trouble all over the place, the imperial capital seems a bit chaotic lately.”
One of the younger knights yawned, thumping his spear against the ground.
“Under these circumstances, is there really any point in having us stay here to guard this completely empty labyrinth?”
“I agree,” another knight chimed in, reaching up to rub his aching shoulder. “No one has set foot in here for decades. Who would run into a place like this for no reason? They might as well reassign us to the city to clean out those Demon King Cult lunatics first.”
Hearing their complaints, the third knight shook his head and spoke up.
“You don't need to worry about what's happening in the capital. Ever since the Demon King Cult started stirring up trouble a while back, a mysterious swordswoman has appeared. They say she doesn't even show her face, wiping out the cultists using nothing but her sword aura.”
The other two knights exchanged glances, skepticism written all over their faces.
“Really? How come I haven't heard about this?”
“Are you sure someone isn't just exaggerating?”
The third knight fell silent for a moment, then lowered his voice.
“My family lives in the East District. A few days ago, the Demon King Cult set fire to their street. They thought they were dead for sure, but then a sword aura descended from the sky, slaying those arsonist cultists on the spot. My parents and sister saw it with their own eyes. That Shadow Swordswoman they talk about really does exist.”
At these words, the expressions of the other two knights instantly changed.
Their doubts vanished, replaced by a mixture of relief and lingering fear.
“So that's what happened... When did such a powerful and... kind expert arrive in the capital?”
“Who knows? But at least it's a good thing for us. With her around, those cultists probably won't dare to act too recklessly.”
Scritch-scratch.
As they were talking, they suddenly heard a faint sound from the shadows behind them, like something brushing against the wall, making a very soft scraping noise.
“Who's there?!”
The three knights reacted almost simultaneously.
The mana within them surged instantly, and they drew their swords at the exact same moment.
Standing back-to-back, they formed a simple defensive formation, their sharp gazes sweeping over the surrounding shadows.
But no one answered.
The alley was now dreadfully quiet.
“...”
The three exchanged looks. Maintaining their alert stances, they raised their swords and slowly walked toward the source of the sound.
One of them slipped his other hand toward the small bell at his waist. At the slightest sign of trouble, he would immediately ring it to summon nearby comrades for backup.
But just as their nerves were stretched to their absolute limit—
“Meow~”
A black cat strolled out slowly from behind the corner.
It had a coat of glossy, pitch-black fur and a pair of amber eyes that stood out vividly in the dim light.
It glanced at the three knights, then nonchalantly licked its paw.
The three knights breathed a collective sigh of relief and sheathed their swords.
“Phew... I thought it was some suspicious intruder. Turns out it's just a cat.”
The young knight patted his chest, his tone carrying a trace of relief as if he had just survived a disaster.
“I wonder where this stray came from, wandering all the way down here.”
The other knight shook his head and crouched down, reaching out to coax the cat over. “Come here, little guy—”
But the black cat merely spared him a glance before turning around and leisurely stepping back into the shadows of the corner, vanishing from sight.
“Forget it, it's just a cat. Leave it be.”
The third knight waved his hand, and the three returned to their posts, picking up their previous conversation.
Meanwhile, pressed flat against the wall in the shadows behind them, Greg held his breath, slowly letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
That was close. I almost got discovered because of a careless mistake.
Although his current strength was far greater than when he first transmigrated, if they had sounded the alarm, just shaking them off would have cost him a significant amount of time and mana.
And time was the one thing he lacked most right now.
He looked down at Nightmare, who was crouching by his feet.
The latter was staring up at him with a look that clearly said, Without me, this family would have fallen apart long ago.
Nightmare slipped back into Greg's shadow, her tone carrying a hint of smugness and teasing. “Hmph, well? My reflexes were pretty fast this time, weren't they?”
For once, Greg didn't snap back. Instead, he honestly admitted, “...I really have you to thank this time.”
Nightmare fell silent for a moment, seemingly unaccustomed to him being so cooperative. Then, with a playful, mischievous tone, she teased, “Oh? Why are you being so obedient today? Have you finally realized my greatness?”
“You're just a Hajimi. Don't push your luck.”
Greg rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch upward slightly.
He pulled himself together and focused his attention on the task at hand.
He had to meet up with Allie as soon as possible, clear three layers of the dungeon he had never set foot in before in one go, and then rush back to the surface to prepare his plan to rescue Wendy.
Greg's decision to clear the dungeon first rather than immediately planning Wendy's rescue wasn't because her safety wasn't a high priority in his mind. Rather, it was the absolute optimal move under the current circumstances.
To crash the execution grounds, Allie's strength was absolutely necessary.
However, Allie had likely already entered the dungeon according to the blueprints he had given her. Since he couldn't contact her through normal means, he had to make the trip himself to meet up with her.
This also presented the perfect opportunity to clear the dungeon with Allie. If he didn't do it now, even if he successfully rescued Wendy, the final defense would immediately follow. From the final defense until the official end of the Five Academy Tournament, he wouldn't have another window of time like this to clear the dungeon.
In that case, even if he saved Wendy and met the Headmistress's conditions, it would all be meaningless. If he didn't clear the dungeon in time, he would die once the events of Act Three concluded.
Furthermore, because Allie had disrupted several of the Demon King Cult's operations earlier, the labyrinth's security was much tighter than it had been in the original game.
If he were to sneak back in next time and get spotted, he might not have enough stamina left to clear three dungeon layers in one go.
Therefore, for Greg, this was his one and only chance to reach a perfect ending.
He had to seize it.
“I just hope Allie is keeping her promise and waiting for me at the dungeon entrance.”
Greg took a deep breath. Guided by the memory of the blueprints in his mind, he continued to navigate the hidden passages behind the walls, heading toward the dungeon buried deep within the labyrinth.
Rate on N.U.
