So far, the rift strategy had been going pretty smoothly.
Because every time, the strongest Student Council President, Alkiné, was right by my side.
But this time, she wasn’t here.
Sure, we had the human radar, Grain, and the Princess, who’s grown so strong it’s hard to even gauge her power now… but sadly, I couldn’t feel at ease.
Was it because Seria was still below par? No, the opposite.
She was too outstanding, and that was the problem.
“I really didn’t think I’d be this much of a hindrance. I’m really sorry…”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Rudion, stop pretending you’re okay when you’re clearly not.”
“You got me.”
The moment we entered the rift, Seria tried to deploy magic circles around us, just like when we fought the Demon Race at the Royal Palace.
Of course, doing that would’ve let us handle any situation quickly… but sadly, it wasn’t possible.
“Ugh.”
As soon as Seria’s magic spread, Grain’s complexion quickly worsened.
It seemed Seria’s enhanced magic was putting a huge strain on her due to her unique traits.
For someone who could easily withstand Student Council-level magic to struggle like this… What on earth happened?
Whatever it was, Seria’s active role was clearly sealed.
I really didn’t see this coming. How could things get so tangled up?
Thanks to that, Seria was now solely focused on supporting Grain.
“But are you really okay? Your complexion still looks bad.”
“I’m fine. If anything, I’m sorry. I’m just getting in the way again.”
“It’s fine. Rudion’s here, so I don’t need to step up.”
Seria said that while looking at me.
No, no. I’m a helpless lamb who desperately needs your help.
Please, carry me on your back.
“Right?”
“Uh, yeah. Sure.”
But there was no way I could say that.
No choice. We’ll just have to make the most of Grain’s excellent abilities.
That was the plan from the start anyway.
But is Seria really okay with this?
“Seria.”
“Yes?”
“Uh, so… are you really okay with this?”
“With what?”
“You came all the way into the rift but can’t do anything.”
“Ah… It’s fine. I didn’t really want to show off or anything.”
Then why were you so down when you thought you couldn’t come into the rift?
“It’s obvious I wanted to come with Rudion. Can’t you read the room?”
“…Right. Got it.”
“Still, thanks for worrying about me.”
I’m not even surprised anymore. When she hits me with a straight shot like that, how am I supposed to react?
I have no idea where I am.
“Hey. It’s great that you’re getting along, but can you save the lovey-dovey stuff for when you’re alone?”
Grain seemed a bit overwhelmed by Seria’s sudden display of affection, so I subtly shifted the conversation to her.
“I’ll keep it under control. By the way, senior, you already know where the others went, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then let’s head in a different direction.”
“…You’re not joining them?”
Joining them? Is there really a need for that?
It’s much better for us to move ahead of them rather than tagging along. Being one step ahead and quickly clearing the rift will be more advantageous for securing safety than just reacting to variables that arise from following them.
That was the judgment I made based on that line of thinking.
[This feature is currently locked.]
[Unlock condition: Contribute to clearing 5 rifts with a contribution rate of 40% or higher (2/5)]
It’s not like I’m doing this just to unlock the inventory conditions. No, not at all.
Even if it were, it’s not something I took lightly. There’s a solid basis for this decision.
Me, an experienced player, getting help from Grain, the exploration cheat character? This is going to make clearing the rift faster than any other method. I haven’t even tried it yet, but I was sure of it.
Well… this plan was possible because Grain already knew about the time I took down a demon. Unlike other Student Council members, Grain trusts me a bit more.
“Mr. Grain, just do as Rudion says.”
“No, but still…”
“We just need to trust and follow Rudion. Got it?”
“…Fine. Alright. But can you stop smiling at me like that? It’s kind of scary.”
So, Seria… please stop brainwashing Grain with your infinite trust in me. I appreciate it, but Grain’s giving me that “What on earth did you do to this kid?” look.
I really didn’t do anything. It’s just that Seria trusts me way too much.
I guess I have to repay that trust, right? Man… this is a heavy responsibility.
“I’ll take a quick look around.”
To repay that trust, I needed to first get a grasp of the map. I couldn’t start clearing the rift without knowing what the map was like.
I calmed down a bit from the excitement of unlocking the inventory and cautiously scouted the area, staying alert.
A vast orange plain with unnaturally placed bone fragments and black-leafed ancient trees scattered around.
Even though I only saw it briefly, it was completely different from what I knew.
I figured out the map in an instant.
Of course, if you look at them separately, they were all familiar things.
The orange plains. Bone fragments. Black-leaved ancient trees. These were objects that actually existed within the rift.
But they were supposed to exist separately across three different maps. They shouldn’t have been all gathered in one place like this.
They said it was a synthesized rift, but it looks like the maps really got mixed up.
After realizing that and feeling overwhelmed, Grain suddenly dropped a bombshell.
“It’s pretty big, huh?”
“Well… rifts are all like that, I guess.”
“But this one’s probably bigger. My guess is, the internal size is about three times that of a normal rift.”
“Wow, they really went all out.”
Three times? So it’s literally the size of three rifts combined.
If we wander around cluelessly, even exploring will be a pain, let alone clearing it.
‘At this rate, even memorizing the entire map won’t mean much…’
It seemed like trying to breeze through this wasn’t going to work.
I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t just coast through, and Grain seemed to notice, casually asking,
“Want to give up on splitting up and just team up now?”
“…Are you provoking me right now?”
“No… why would I provoke you over this? I’m just saying, let’s not waste energy and help each other out.”
This guy keeps hitting the pride of an experienced player.
“I’ll decline. We’ll move separately.”
“…Seria. Is he always this stubborn? Can you try to convince him?”
“Sorry, Grain. No one can stop Rudion when he’s like that. But isn’t it cool? The way he’s so focused on achieving something?”
“…You two are driving me crazy. I shouldn’t have come along.”
Of course, I’m not going to back down from a challenge like this.
I might not be able to breeze through, but it’s not like I can’t handle it.
Isn’t it the job of an experienced player to tackle new content head-on?
A new rift? Bring it on. My competitive spirit is surging.
And now I even have Grain by my side. To lose the first clear in a situation like this…
‘My pride as an experienced player won’t allow it.’
I’m absolutely going to hyper-carry this rift and unlock the inventory feature.
“Senior, can you come over here for a second?”
For that, I’ll owe you a favor, Senior Grain.
“…You really can’t stop him, can you?”
“I could force him if I really tried… but Rudion’s so motivated right now, how could I tell him to stop? Just give up and go along with it.”
“Fine… you too.”
“It was his side… It’s my fault for following him for no reason. It’s my fault.”
After a brief conversation with Seria, she let out a deep sigh and walked over to me.
Alright, it’s strategy time.
///
Going outside the Rift to heal an injured person is incredibly inefficient. You have to retrace your steps all the way back and then come back the same way again.
And the farther you’ve traveled, the more glaring this inefficiency becomes.
“Is this the right path?”
“Probably.”
“Probably? Double-check it.”
No matter how well you memorize the path, walking through unfamiliar scenery for hours is bound to get confusing. That’s why, even though we’re following the recorded exploration route, these disputes keep happening.
Of course, it’s also a problem because someone else is filling in for Grain’s role.
And at this moment, Alkiné, who was watching over them from a “protective” standpoint, couldn’t help but feel a sense of frustration.
‘…No. Stop. You know what happened last time you thought like that.’
In the past, she would’ve just let it slide. But ever since experiencing that smooth, exhilarating strategy with Rudion, she keeps recalling the thrill and liberation she felt back then.
Even Grain’s injury earlier was all because of that.
The frustrations she thought she had swallowed were unknowingly piling up inside her, and at some point, she ended up acting outside the bounds of her “protective” role.
A simple impulse to cut down the enemy right in front of her.
Because of that one impulse, she failed to protect Grain, who was out of sight, and almost pushed her to her death.
‘I have to protect everyone.’
Although she had said out loud last time, “I wish someone would help me,” she knew deep down that was impossible.
Here, she was the absolute strongest. She was the only one who could protect everyone.
‘Stop overthinking. This is what I’ve always done.’
She convinced herself with these thoughts and finally spoke up.
“In the Rift, one wrong judgment can put everyone in danger, so be careful.”
…Was that a warning to the people in front of her, or a self-reproach?
“Yes, Chairwoman!”
“Sorry! We’ll be more careful! Oh, and… now that I look again, this is the right path!”
“Alright, let’s go.”
Unable to figure it out, she swallowed her frustration once more.
