Setting Traps

Stab.

Ethan stabbed the shovel in the ground and threw the dirt aside.

Stab.

Ethan again did the same thing and threw the dirt aside. He did it for two more times and depth of the burrow seems enough to him so he put the shovel aside and sits down. He sets the mana bombs he bought out from the academy shop and cover it with dirt he dug and even the ground to hide the mark.

"Can you do it faster?!"

There was a girl lying on a beach chair with a beach umbrella giving her shade. She also had a glass of margarita in her hand with lazy and annoyed look.

"I would be happy if you help."

"Do you want a fragile lady like me to do such heavy work for you?"

Ethan gritted his teeth. Alice and Ethan had come to certain dungeon that she believes to be the test site. Surprisingly, Guards didn't stop them. It means test had already started with announcement.

Alice had practiced a movement art that seems to be able to hide her presence fairly in the same rank. He also had no trouble as Ethan had finally mastered the first aspect of his Movement Art. He can now pretty much move undetected to anyone above his rank but he can't get too close to them. Alice seems to believe that it's her who had protected him till here but… he doesn't want to break her heart.

Ethan had set up around 63 mana bombs under the ground until now. I-Link also provide dungeon maps. Alice had marked a place here and told him that students will rest here once during their expedition. What she want is simple… she just want to explode their asses from below! Ethan reminds himself not to mess with her again.

Ethan was still digging the ground diligently and setting up the mana bombs. She told him to set up around 70 mana bombs underground. He occasionally sneaks glances at her relaxed and horizontal figure lying over the chair. He was able to appreciate her body proportion in more detailing from his angle. He can understand why Lucas wet his pants in night over her.

!

She turns around and Ethan looked away. He speeds up the process of digging and start hiding bombs underground. He can't help but wonder why she didn't talk about the summer vacation with him. He thought she might ask him what he was doing there or being paranoid about him stalking her but she didn't even opened her mouth.

"…?"

Ethan noticed footsteps that seem to be advancing toward him. Alice was walking toward him and she had packed all her belonging inside her storage. Seriously, why is she even carrying it in first place? Does she really that desperate to maintain her nonchalant personality?

"…Stop!"

Ethan was just stabbing the ground with shovel when he heard her voice. He turned to look at her who was standing just a meter away from him with a frown. Ethan raised his eyebrow at her.

"…You're digging the same place…"

Ethan turned to look at the ground and back off slightly. If he had hit, the bombs inside it would have explode. What a blunder, he wouldn't die but it would have hurt like a hell!

"…Where is your mind?"

"…I am f-fine. I was just thinking about some stuff."

"It's enough, let's go. We also had two more dungeons to cover."

"…It's only been 67, didn't you told me to put 70 of it?"

"I change my mind…"

She turned around and left toward the direction of portal. Ethan stomp at the ground few times and left. Mana Bombs are detonating type. It will need to be activated it remotely.

Both of them left the dungeon. It was quite a surprise but they were travelling by the trains. Ethan looked at her sitting beside him by two persons worth space. She looks so unnatural sitting crossed and relaxed like she owns the train. He just looked outside and tried to strike a conversation with her.

"…Why didn't you say anything about that restaurant incident?"

"…There is nothing to talk about it. You and that idiot were there by coincidence. It was all but a bad luck. If you're worried about me being angry over it then you can relax. I have already forgotten about it."

Ethan turned silent. He was hoping to talk with her by extending this topic but she literally shut him up in a single breath. He was unable to think of a single reply. He choose to ask her something else.

"…Why did you ask me to come with you?"

"I only chose who is best for the job…"

"I am best for digging around…?"

"You can say that…"

Ethan gives her a weird look. He is pretty sure he had many more talent like an extreme seducer, a ranger, a scary information extractor, a plumber, a compounder, a dentist but she just chose a digger. He remembers how her father called him a coal digger. It seems it's a family thing.

"…Is there any specific reason why you chose me?"

"Hmm… If I gave you a gun with loaded bullet and told you to fire it on your head, you will do it without any hesitation…"

"What's up with that scary metaphor?! And wouldn't that make me stupid?"

"No…"

"Why…?"

She turned to look at him in his eyes and said.

"…Because you already knew about the bullet…"

Ethan turned silent as he found himself unable to respond to her reasoning. He had hard time understanding what she is trying to say or maybe… just maybe… he doesn't want to understand it.

Both of them left for another dungeon and again, no guards stop them as it is natural. He remembers when he went to F-Rank how the same guard made such a fuss. Is there any difference between him and her? …Agh…Probably a lot…

Dungeon was nothing special, it was same old forest, that mostly low-rank dungeon had as their background but not all forest are some are marshy field, some will be thick and long trees with no grass, some with herbaceous plants and no trees or like this one with large grasses and low number of trees.

Alice takes the lead while Ethan follows silently. It's not a place to have a conversation at all. If they messed up here, they might provoke an E-Rank monster that will rip them apart with a great pleasure.

Fortunately, it doesn't seem like they had done anything like that yet. Ethan spots some bears-like around. The monster seems ferocious, savage and bigger than ordinary bears.

E-Rank Dungeons contain single boss monsters, 10-15 elite monsters, 70-90 mob ones, 200s of F-Rank and 500s of G-Rank. Ethan thought that academy will give dungeons with weak monster in E-Rank but it seems they don't like the happiness of their students… well, who will? As we do nothing but extracted resources from them…

They finally stop below a large cliff. His neck hurts as he tried to look up the whole cliff. He turned to look at Alice who was looking at him and signals him with her chin to climb up. Ethan looked at her and shrugs his head in skepticism.

"…Go and climb up."

"…Why?"

"…We will bring this whole thing down."

"…Are you crazy?! Many students will die!"

Ethan looked at her with bewildered and slightly detests expression. It might even lead to death of some students. Does she really not understand that?

"Do you really think if they were in our place, they would care?"

"No, they might not… but so what?"

She looked away from him with annoyance. She muttered.

"Now I need to explain it to him… No one is dying here. There is a strong defense mage and tankers among class B. They would be fine…"

"…Can you assure me that there will be no death?"

"…"

"…Guess that already."

"Are you going to do it or not?"

She asked him with a stern look. Ethan is not going to give him just because of her stare. It's another thing that he almost wants to give in.

"…I won't. I wouldn't help you in killing someone who did no harm to me."

"…Stop shouting death this…death that. If you don't want to help then fine, I can do it on my own."

Alice didn't even look at him and starts climbing the cliff. She had enough already. She knows he was weak but didn't think he was also stupid. If anyone dies, it only means they are weak. He can't even understand something so simple!

Alice climbs the cliff and Ethan didn't say anything and sat on a stone close to him. It's not like he can do anything about her. If he tried to fight her, she might kill him and feed his corpse to these bears. He doesn't really know what to do here. If only, people can understand each other so easily.

"…Hee…"

A chuckle escaped his lips. He had a feeling that she might be thinking the same. Ethan looked up at the Alice who was diligently climbing the cliffs. He looked at her skirts which flapped by winds. He clicked his tongue with annoyed look. She was wearing shorts inside her skirts. She is uselessly prepared. Her skirt surprisingly hides her shorts perfectly. He didn't even notice it until now.

He wonders what fun it is to watch girls' panties inside their skirt. He never saw one but will is it really fun? Shouldn't people should be more practical, like seeing them naked? Adam straight-up fell in love just because he sneaks a glance of Lily's panties. Is it same for all guys? Lucas fell for every beautiful ones, so he is out of consideration.

…

Alice keep glancing down as she climb up. This guy! He really is not going to come, isn't he? She sighed and climb up. She didn't think he will be against her idea like that. She thought he was a pushover but it seems like he know how to take his stand when it necessary.

Alice pull a rock and throws it down over him. It hits his head. She hurriedly look up and starts climbing. Ethan looked up and just fell into profound subject of theory of panties. It might not be about panties or whether they see it or not, it's more about if she is hiding or not. If she is not hiding then there is really no meaning in peeking it.

Alice looks down again and threw the rock at his head.

Hit.

Alice did it again.

Hit.

"I swear I am going to climb up if you threw down anything again!"

She looked down and noticed that he was looking at her with his head looking above with frustration. A wave of satisfaction hits her and she giggled as she climbs up. His frustrated expression was quite satisfying. She wants to do it again but she is already halfway to the peak. Dungeon is a dangerous place she need to take care of her business quickly and leave.

She hang on the edge of the cliff and looked above. There was no monster so she climbs and picks up the shovel to start digging the ground. She actually choose this place because they will be going through this spot during their expedition and falling the cliff will save lots of mana bombs. She can use it for more plans later.

There will be no F-Rank mana bombs for week now. Students will avoid E-Rank as it might lead to death of other students and it is also cost 100 SP that is not something students will spend easily. She cuts off their supplies so that they won't be able to do the same things to her class. It works both ways as it not only gave her an advantage, it also cause disadvantage to other classes.

…

Her ears caught some noise and she looks at the sources which bushes on the other side of cliff. Her expression soften slightly, it seems he didn't know how to climb and was giving her excuses before. It's good since she only did third part of digging. He can finish the rest for her.

Her expression harden when she notice it's not him. It's a bear and E-Rank one at that! She threw the shovel and withdraw her bow. She put her fingers over the bowstring and wait for him to charge toward her.