When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar scenery.

“This looks just like the place when I got the golden Cube…”

A cube-shaped room about 50 meters across.

The walls were made of artificial stone panels.

And there was a door in front of me.

It wasn’t too big and had no decorations.

It was about 2 or 3 meters tall, quite modest compared to doors such as the boss rooms.

“A promotion exam… If I take it literally, does it mean my job will be promoted? They said it was a knight promotion exam since I have the Emblem of the Knight… But what is a knight in the first place? I’m jobless, aren’t I?”

I changed my clothes and prepared since I had no other way to return. I packed my bag and reached to open the door in front of me.

『Confirming knight’s emblem… Individual name: Amachi Kai. No occupation… Initiating novice knight exam.』

“Novice knight… If I clear it, will I go from jobless to a knight?”

The usual announcement suddenly echoed in my brain.

It seemed that I would indeed be granted a job if I cleared this dungeon.

I absolutely wanted to clear it, or rather, I couldn’t go home anyway.

Would some special exam start because I had the Emblem of the Knight?

Having lost my way out, I tightly gripped the golden tag attached to my chest and opened the door.

There was a similar square room with four massive pillars, and one…

“Armor?”

It was about the size of an adult man, wore a full plate of recognizably medieval armor, and held a silver shield.

It walked from one end of the room to the other and back in a regular pattern.

Was it a monster? It didn’t seem to have any will of its own.

“It doesn’t seem to have noticed me yet… Do I have to defeat that? How strong is it, I wonder…”

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Name: Shield User

Magic Power: 200

Skill: Provocation

Attack Power: Reflection rate▶25%=50

Defense Power: Reflection rate▶50%=100

Agility: Reflection rate▶25%=50

Intelligence: Reflection rate▶25%=50

Equipment

・Iron Shield=Defense+50

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

“It’s pretty strong. A shield user… But I’m still stronger, and it can’t attack, can it? Provocation… This is a skill that gathers the agro of monsters, right?”

Provocation, a skill used by high-level clearers, can gather agro from monsters.

The fact that it had this skill meant that it was literally a vanguard job.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Thinking it wouldn’t help to worry, I moved stealthily from the shield user’s line of sight to behind a pillar.

I should be out of sight behind the pillar, and as the full plate armor turned to walk to the other side, I struck from behind.

In an instant, it turned to face me, raising its shield to resist.

Our weapons clashed, creating a dull sound as metal met metal.

However, my weight and posture were advantageous.

If my status was also advantageous, I could overpower it with sheer force.

“Ahhhhhh!!!”

Without any particular technique, I used brute force, with an attack power of 96 + 120.

The nearly doubled difference in values was strikingly apparent as I pushed aside and sent the shield flying.

The iron shield danced in the air, and I thrust my sword into the now-defenseless full plate armor.

My sword penetrated the iron armor, producing the unique sound of metal scraping against metal, and pierced the shield user’s chest.

“Phew… Did I use too much brute force… Oh, the next door opened.”

The defeated shield user vanished like smoke, and the door behind it opened with a rumbling sound.

I guess this room is cleared, but it was surprisingly easy even though it had the highest stats of any enemy I’ve faced so far.

I peeked into the next room through the door.

It was an entirely identical room with four pillars arranged regularly.

In front of the next door, I could see something wearing a robe about 50 meters ahead.

A mage? What stood there was something wearing a full-body robe but seemingly empty inside.

I squint and check its status.

My eyes can display the status if I can see it, even from a distance.

However, it doesn’t work for TVs or video, so I have to see it directly with my eyes.

Moreover, I can read it even from a distance where I shouldn’t be able to read the characters.

Rather than being able to read it, it might be more accurate to say that I can understand it, but I somehow just know.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Name: Mage

Magic Power: 200

Attack Power: Reflection rate▶25%=50

Defense Power: Reflection rate▶25%=50

Agility: Reflection rate▶25%=50

Intelligence: Reflection rate▶50%=100

Equipment

・Witch’s Robe=Intelligence+50

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

“A mage, huh… They must have an extreme focus on intelligence. I wonder if they’re incredibly smart.”

If my earlier analysis is correct, they should have several times my intelligence.

I cautiously enter the room, thinking they might be plotting something extraordinary.

The moment I enter:

“!? Is this a fireball!? That’s not the size of a ball!”

The mage creates a huge ball of fire in midair.

They throw it at me, and I immediately run to a nearby pillar to dodge.

The fireball, larger than myself, slams into the wall, charring the stone.

The temperature in the room rises in an instant, and I feel like I could get burned just from the hot air.

“Indeed, a mage… Could it be that intelligence is the power of magic?”

Watching the mage raise another fireball, I think to myself.

Despite having an intelligence of 150, their magic seems rather one-dimensional and I don’t sense any particular intelligence in it.

I can’t rule out the possibility of a strategy, but they’re simply launching fireballs at me repeatedly.

All of them just scorch the pillar I’m hiding behind.

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5.”

I count the seconds while hiding behind the wall.

I notice that the mage’s fireballs come at me roughly every five seconds.

So, in between that interval…

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5… Now’s the time!”

At that timing, I move to another pillar further in and hide again.

It was easy to deal with, as the mage was simply launching magic at regular intervals making me recall the game “Red Light/Green Light”.

“Alright… I can get closer and defeat them next time!”

At that timing, I jump right in front of the mage.

With my current power as a lower C-Rank, I can cover this distance in just a few seconds.

I raise my sword.

The mage tries to create a fireball in surprise, but there’s no way they can make it in time. They fall, unable to resist, as I slash through their robe.

Just like before, the mage’s robe turns into smoke and disappears as if its contents are gone.

“Phew, alright. The door’s open. If the enemies are at this level, I might be able to clear it pretty easily…”

I poke my head through the door and check the situation inside.

“…Pitch black?”

But the room is pitch black.

There’s no light source, and it’s as quiet and dark as a rural night.

“…I can’t see.”

I cautiously entered the room.

I thought maybe the light would turn on when I entered, but that wasn’t the case.

The door slams shut behind me, cutting off my escape route.

“…I can’t see the enemy… But the door is closed… What should I─!?”

As I pondered what to do, I felt something move in the corner of my vision.

Yet, there was no sound.

The room itself was as quiet and dim as the night.

I draw my sword and stay on guard.

Straining my ears, focusing, relying only on my hearing, I stay alert.

I can sense that something is after my life.

I desperately try to see something with my eyes.

Then, in the corner of my vision, I spot something and swing my sword at it.

The resulting clash is between my sword and a dagger, but there is no sound.

“What!?”

It was a strange discomfort, where there should have been sound, but there was none.

Yet, there were intense sword clashes scattering sparks.

Finally visible when it came right in front of me was a small figure cloaked in a black robe, swinging a dagger.

The relentless onslaught pressed on, trying to claim my life.

I managed to fend off the flurry of dagger strikes with my familiar longsword, but the discomfort prevented my body from moving as I intended.

Moreover, my visibility was poor.

“Damn it… take this!”

I swung my sword forcefully, sending the small figure flying.

I took a moment to regain some distance and squinted my eyes, then the status appeared.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Name: Assassin

Magic Power: 200

Attack Power: Reflection rate▶50%=100

Defense Power: Reflection rate▶25%=50

Agility: Reflection rate▶25%=50

Intelligence: Reflection rate▶25%=50

Equipment

・Assassin’s Short Sword: Agility+50

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

“An assassin… silent… let me check the details…”

I examine the skill details.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Type: Skill

Title: Silent

Attainment Difficulty: B

Effect：While active, all surrounding emitted sounds are silenced.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

“So this is the source of the discomfort… complete darkness and silence. What a terrible combination.”

It was an assassin.

Their attacks were strong, swift, and approached without making a sound.

The unmistakable assassin ran around in the darkness, aiming for my life.

“Phew… I see… but I’m glad.”

I grip my sword with both hands and hold it in the centerline.

I calm my heart and concentrate.

My life is in danger, but it’s strange that I feel so calm.

Maybe after that day, when I was prepared to throw everything away and literally risked my life, I gained resistance to the primal fear of death.

If it was the old me, I would have been trembling and holding my head in fear.

But now, I can fight.

It wasn’t about my status but my heart.

“Haah!”

With synchronized breath, I strike a powerful downward blow.

The white sword cuts through the darkness, and at its tip, the small black figure breathes their last.

“…The compatibility was bad for you. Your status is fully visible even in the darkness.”

Even in this darkness, my divine eyes display the status.

Then I quickly knew they were there.

The little person disappears in a puff of smoke, and the room lights up, confirming my victory.

“Phew… I’m glad. If I didn’t have these eyes, it could have been really dangerous… I’ll take a short break before moving on.”

I look at the next door.

I’m getting a bit tired, so I take out some bread and water from the bag I brought and have a meal.

I wasn’t very hungry since I just woke up, but my stomach seems to have awakened after the intense battle.

I gulp down the bread and water and take a 30-minute break.

I switch gears and get back into battle mode.

“Alright, let’s go.”

I’ve been in this dungeon for almost an hour, including the break.

I wonder how long it will go on as I peek into the next room.

The structure of the room hasn’t changed.

The room is well lit and easy to see.

However, it was clearly different from what I had encountered so far.

That’s because…

“Are you serious…”

A shield user, a mage, and an assassin were waiting for me, all three of them.