I couldn’t relax on the way back. I already suffered a surprise attack, so the chances of another one shouldn’t be zero. The whole trip I was scanning the surroundings with my senses, doing everything possible to avoid leaving any blind spots as the carriage moved forward.

  Finally, once I entered the academy grounds I was able to calm down a little, though I stayed alert to any strange movements or signs of an attack. I wouldn’t like to get trapped again—if my opponent is skilled enough, they could finish me off inside an isolation barrier no matter where we are.

  My first idea was to go find Brendu, but I discarded the thought almost immediately. I don’t want to bother her, and it’s better to speak with the strongest person I’ve ever met. The walk to Susan’s house was mentally exhausting; I tend to draw a lot of attention normally, and now I’m extremely sensitive to people’s gazes. I can’t help overthinking or suspecting some of the students.

  When I arrive, I’m welcomed by the head butler. He makes me wait in the sitting room and goes to fetch the obsidian-rank mage. My body relaxes as much as possible inside this house; all the accumulated stress begins to dissipate little by little.

  “Did something happen? Your visits never bring good news.” Susan speaks as soon as she enters the room.

  “That offends me a lot—I’m a lucky charm. But yes, something bad just happened.” Susan frowns at my words and sits quickly. Before I can speak, she lifts a hand to stop me.

  “It can wait a few seconds. Alfu is bringing a calming tea. Your Imra is a bit unstable.” We wait for the infusion; I take the first sip and feel my mind clear a little after that first taste.

  I explain the whole situation to her—how I was taken by surprise at the riverside, every detail about the mage, and how he killed himself to keep me from extracting information. I’m still a little angry about that—what a damned coward.

  “This is quite serious. He attacked you because he saw you alone, which means they’ve been waiting for you or following you for some time, and simply today they had the opportunity to act.” Susan cracks her fingers as she speaks. “They must have felt confident due to your rank. If they get another chance later, they won’t be so lenient.” Her serious tone makes me understand the weight of my situation.

  “I won’t restrict my movements over something that might never happen. If they keep sending people, I’ll keep killing them.” Now calmer, I can think more clearly. It’s almost impossible to dispatch someone at diamond or obsidian rank—using someone that strong isn’t worth it for this, and most of them are well-known.

  I’ll die for sure against a diamond rank, but Susan would find out who is behind this and wouldn’t let it go unpunished… though the chance of something like that happening is almost zero.

  A small smile forms on her lips. “I would’ve hit you if you cowered over something like this. I can imagine your thoughts, and I agree with you—it’s nearly impossible for them to send or hire someone above ruby rank, and if they keep sending people, eventually you’ll manage to catch one.” Her smile widens; I can see the malice on her face.

  “When that happens, that person or group will be finished.” Susan will not let this pass. “Count on it—they’ll wish they had died long before.” Her Imra is a bit restless—so slight that if she weren’t right in front of me, I wouldn’t have noticed. Susan must be very worried for me.

  “Don’t worry too much. I’ll avoid leaving the academy unless it’s absolutely necessary. I spend most of my time here anyway, and trust me a little more—I’m quite strong.” I wink at my teacher.

  “You’re like a plant to me—I could kill you as many times as I want before you even react.” I feel a slight current flick my forehead; I didn’t notice when the spell was built or thrown. “But you’re right—you are strong. And you’ve earned your reward.” I think about it, confused. Several seconds pass before I reach one conclusion as I see her smile.

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  “Seriously? I can? When will I be able to do it?” My negative thoughts and low mood shot upward instantly—joy erupted like a volcano.

  “The last day of next week everything will be ready. If you’re going to throw yourself into more danger, I should at least help you get stronger somehow.” Susan looks just as happy as I am.

  “I thought it would take longer. What happened? How did a spot open for me so soon?” I understood it could take many months to enter the list.

  “Your performance in the last dungeon caused all of this. Everyone on the council agreed to support your growth—they’ve all seen your potential, and they’re jealous of me.” Susan lets out a soft laugh behind her hand. “At first they hesitated—I pushed hard. This can also be considered part of your reward.” I almost jump on one leg from happiness.

  My performance has already brought me many good rewards—not only the prizes from clearing the corrupted villain’s dungeon. The council gave me an exorbitant amount of money and high-quality rewards inside my dimensional bracelet. This reward is the cherry on top.

  I can challenge this city’s Hero Dungeon!

  “Any recommendations for the rewards? And I’d also like to know a bit about the trial or some information.” I trust my talent, and I can clear it, but information always helps.

  “The dungeon has ten floors—it’s one of the best on the entire continent. It’s the reason we founded the city in this place; we couldn’t leave such a treasure to just anyone.” I had read a bit about that—the Hero Dungeon of Skyblue City is among the best.

  “The floors are sequential—each time the monsters grow in number, strength, and strategy. Everything depends on your performance on each floor. The environment varies—some get prairies, others mountaintops, dense forests, lakesides, or completely white snowy plains. It all depends on luck.” A very peculiar dungeon indeed.

  “The monsters are also random. After all these years, there’s no clear pattern—it depends on your luck. Only a few things are fixed—some rules: the monster type does not change during the trial, and you can encounter improved versions of the same monster as you clear floors.” Susan touches her chin, thinking.

  “From floor six onward, the rewards are enough to give a major boost. I imagine you won’t be satisfied with just that.” Susan knows me very well.

  “Of course not—I’ll clear that dungeon no matter the cost. I’ll grow stronger by fighting, and even stronger once I receive the rewards.” I’m not giving up after learning I’ll get something good. If I do something, I aim for the best.

  We both laugh, and Susan continues. “I don’t know what your rewards will be—they vary depending on the person and performance. A specialized item like your swords isn’t a bad option; maybe another skill slot, a fusion of skills, or some related Law. All are good rewards. You’ll have enough time to think about it then.” Truly, there are always good choices—it’s never easy to decide.

  “Keep something in mind—by clearing all floors, the rewards are the pinnacle of what this dungeon can give you. If they offer something consumable, it’s not a bad idea—most likely it will have no side effects.” I nod lightly. I understand her words—they won’t offer anything that could harm me.

  We talk for several more hours—there were a few things we needed to catch up on. Talking with Susan is always relaxing; I must remind myself to visit her more often in the future.

  We finalize the last details of my upcoming run in the Hero Dungeon, and it’s time to go home—both of us need to prepare for another week full of work. Seven days! Seven very long days.

  Receiving this good news completely changed my mood—I threw a bit of dirt over the afternoon’s incident. The lights looked brighter, people seemed more trustworthy, even the noisy classmates sounded like birds singing.

  When I get home, I find Brendu. I tell her everything. “So, next week I’ll be able to enter the Hero Dungeon.” I end my story.

  “I’m happy for you—you deserve it. You’ve been working so hard for so many years.” She hugs me tightly.

  “One more thing—I was attacked this afternoon.” I delivered the bad news after the good, hoping it would soften her anger. I was wrong.

  Her face shifted from confusion to realization and finally to pure fury. Her Imra is out of control. For a moment, I considered running or teleporting away.

  “Tell me everything. Don’t leave out a single detail. And why are you only telling me this now?” Her eyes reflect pure rage—she’s furious to the limit.

  I explain everything that happened—from the moment we separated until the assassin blew himself up like a firework.

  “That damned bastard, pathetic idiot—I hope he’s burning in his own flames wherever he is.” Brendu was muttering curses the entire time.

  “You’re a magnet for trouble.” She looks deeply worried; her anger faded after several minutes. “I’m glad you’re okay—I don’t know how I’d react if something happened to you.” She grabs my arm tightly—her grip could break it.

  “It makes me happy to see your worry.” I kiss the princess on the forehead. “That’s why I’m getting stronger—to avoid worrying the people who love me and whom I love.” They are the reason I strive. Seeing Brendu like this brought me back to reality—I was in real danger today.