New Dungeon

Ethan doesn't actually see any drawback by telling her. She doesn't have any friend in the first place. Lucas had given up on her because he told him that he can't handle her. If a person like Lucas gave up on her, then it means it's already tells her tale…

Ethan had actually learnt about runes but he doesn't have anyone to share it with. It's quiet frustrating. If she knows it, he would be able to talk with her and asked her about Runes. He will also need to know more about Runes to progress further…

The more he thought, the more he noticed that there are only benefits with telling her. Another fact that she might be the only girl alive in academy that will talk to him…

"I am…"

She looked at him and nodded. It seems she like the fact that he didn't lied to her. He is slightly nervous at her reaction. He actually had no idea what will happen if she is not how he imagined her to be…

"How is it…?"

"Runes…?"

"Hmm…"

"I think they are fascinating. The more I learn it, the more I understand it and there is also a protean feeling spread inside me…It's like I will be able to do anything as long as I mastered it."

"…Right!"

She whispered in excited voice. She seems like a completely different person than the arrogant, aloof and prideful side. It seems judging people based on their first appearance is not a good decision.

Both of them talked a little long. Ethan had mixed feeling about her. At one time, he liked talking with her and at another time, he was unable to keep up with her. It's like two of us are from totally different world he is still trying his best to not show it …sometimes it better to focus on better part of things than worse.

"…Why did told you me?"

"What…?"

Both of them shut the book already and were more interested in talking with each other. Ethan must admit that hearing her talk about runes had made many things clear to him. There are many things that he just read on surface level had become clearer and more understandable…

"About you being a rune user…"

"…Hmm…Well, you already found out so no use in hiding…"

"No, that's not it… don't you hate me…?"

"Well, I do admit that I still felt hurt whenever I remember how you compare my face to rotten dogs…"

"… No. not that… I am talking about your situation right now… I heard you get bullied and last day you were even attacked by a student… there was even a blood…-"

"-You had a wrong idea about something. You might have ordered them but they are the one who got the gun and fire at me…It will be quite absurd of me to hate you. You don't hate the clouds for rain, do you?"

Ethan told her with a funny smile. Li Lin looked at him. She is feeling weird… She can't explain this… he is right but there is something clearly wrong… she can't put her finger into it but his words felt detached by situation…

"…Li Lin…"

She looked up and Ethan was staring right at her lowered face by lowering his face lower than her. She noticed his eyelashes that are longer than usual and blue pupil that looks so beautiful and captivating that she can't help but wants to stare at it for longer.

!

She backed off with a shriek. His face was too close! She looked at his face again. His face is not actually bad. She doesn't understand much about this topic but she can say that he is not unpleasant to look. She looked him in the eyes. She had decided it…

Ethan flinched and also backed off slightly… He felt that a bad premonition is charging toward him…

"Ethan…"

"…Yes…"

She stands up and raised her head with proud look. She puts her hand above her chest and said with a smile.

"…Become my servant…"

"…"

Ethan looked at her, doing his best to understand her words.

"Did you not hear me?"

"…Are we in play or something?"

"No…I am asking you to become my servant."

Ethan looked at her, trying to understand her again. Did something hit her to brain in span of few seconds…? probably not… Her eyes don't seem to be joking…

"…I think I need time…"

"Sure…Take your time…I will be waiting for you…"

Ethan picked up the book and put it back in the place. Li Lin already told him that there is no record of dark mage he is looking for. He would need to find his answer from elsewhere but escaping this place takes priority for now.

His eyes fell on the glass entrance of library. He took a good look on his face for a moment. Is his face really like a servant? Why the hell every woman he met think about enslaving him at first? He has a feeling that it won't be long before he will be diagnosed of gynophobia.

Ethan went back to his room and start practicing his Art. He is planning to clear his weekly dungeon test tomorrow. He will also check his strength. he wants to see if he became stronger or not in this month?

This Art won't really be helpful to him but end of week is coming. Raven would be calling him soon and he needs to prepare for the job she will give.

His days are going to be busy from the tomorrow.

*

Classes end and Ethan prepared himself to leave for dungeon. He noticed something weird today. The 3rd Rank Leon was looking at him with weird look. It resembles more like hostility. He doesn't even remember talking to him or anything that may happen between me. Don't tell me… He liked a girl and now he suspects that he is after her? Goddamn it! If that is true then he might as well as apologize to him first.

Today... the Dungeon in the question is the Dungeon with a humanoid monster and they are rather notorious for their claws and their exploding stones. He doesn't know what is it but it is rock with exploding properties. They made something similar to bombs with it.

Ethan had learnt about them and surprisingly, they have a village camp like location and there is a special mention in dungeon description to not break them. He had hard time believing that it will be useful in anyway but it's not like he can do anything about it.

He had entered the dungeon and it was located on uphill covered with trees. He went forward and looked down to found the dungeon setting. It was a primitive village like place with huts and fire camp. It was just spread as large as 100m. Ethan looked down and noticed the small monsters standing in a group of three or four.

These monsters are called hinglurs. They have humanoid monsters with mask covering their face till nose leaving the place wide open for mouth with sharp teeth and have brown skin. All monsters live in this place and center hut of the village is held by boss monster that have an actual weapon called club. It seems to be their leader thing. Elite monster lives in his surrounding huts.

Ethan slowly silently tried to make his way to their camp-like village. Ethan stands in front of a barricade. He had no idea what this barricade mean-

!

There are strings with bells! He almost alerted them all! What a sneaky thing to do! Ethan was perplexed by their security system! Just what the hell are they trying to protect so seriously!

Ethan slowly and sneakily passes through wires like a snake. He finally comes out of it and went close to a campfire. He looked at the group of four hinglurs who were growling at each other near the campfire. He wants to believe that this is their form of conversation… Ah, Screw it. Ethan pulls out a suppressor and attacked it to his gun. He reminded himself that he needs to be careful of their claws.

Ethan pulls the gun and aimed at the mask of the one sitting close to the campfire. He shot a bullet which leaves the barrel with squeak sound. It pierced its mask and it falls by its face in the front of campfire. Other Hinglurs were alerted and looked at the lying Hinglurs with wary gaze.

Ethan fired another one at most left Hinglurs and charged toward them. Bullet hit its mask and pierced it. Bullets have no trouble piercing anything below F-Rank. Ethan withdraws a sword that he bought from the academy shop for ripe 20 SPs. Ethan told him to settle with 2SP but the guy in charge threatened to kick him out of academy. Seriously, does he even have such power…? Ethan begrudgingly agreed and bought it. He have only left around 1800SP excluding what Alice gave him.

Ethan slashed at it but monster just fallback and dodges his strike. The remaining one jumped at him and attacks with its claw. Ethan blocked it with sword but still got pushed back and fire two bullets from the gun in other hand while holding it close to his waist.

Both Bullets pierced his chest and it growls in pain. Ethan took this chance to spin around to build up the momentum and slashed his neck. The last one jumped from behind and Danger Sense warns him about it and he side steps at last moment. His heart beat fastened slight with from how closely its attack missed…

Ethan straightened his hand with gun and fire at the back of his head. The bullets pierced his head and he falls by his face to death.

Ethan looked at the gun and notice the amount of time it took him to kill them all. It took around less than half a minute to kill four of them. It was also effective as Ethan almost hadn't use mana at all! He had used five bullets means almost a magazine. Raven had given him twenty magazines of six bullets.

Ethan is sure that he can clear this dungeon in an hour. It will be fastest dungeon clear he had ever done before. Ethan went ahead and looks for other campfire. He spotted another camp around 50m. There were only three of them in total. Ethan shoots one to death.

He pull his arm and his sleeves fell down revealing magazines surrounding his wrist. He drops the magazine inside the gun while reverse gripping his sword and pull one from his wrist by his sword-hand and put it inside the gun. He ejected the bullet shell with the same hand and fire the another one and slashed other to death.

Ethan circles around periphery and kills all the monsters he found. There were total 46 monsters with 3-5 being in one group. He had tried to reduce the amount of bullets he fired and only used bullets to kill 1/3 of a group. He had used up 5 magazine in total but still Ethan didn't feel slightest bit of regret. He had only used around 1/5 of mana. He can still go ahead. He can finally break his own record of clearing time.

Ethan enters the deeper part of village and notices five smaller huts surrounding a bigger hut. Ethan moves and circles around it sneakily but a chime rang out in his ear. He didn't know from where but it seems he had alerted them somehow.

A red rock with lining on its surface gets thrown toward him from above in parabolic motion. Ethan raised his hand and fired at it with gun. Bullet missed it and ball keep moving toward him. He rolled and run away from the position and scribbled red rock falls on the ground and explode.

Boom…

Ethan felt his ear ringing loudly by explosion. What a scary bomb, it even neutralize opponent hearing. Ethan stabs a potion syringe on his neck and move out of his place. He needs to locate these bombers and kill them faster. He wants to clear this dungeon in less than an hour today and he won't let anyone come into his way of goals today!