latelenovela Chapter 94 Choice
Chapter 94 Choice
The terrain of this instance begins as a cave, with a structure similar to the maze we explored last time.
Unlike a maze, the terrain of this instance changes. Since this is a man-made instance, this practical course involves adapting to different scenarios.
If you ask management why they set up such a test, the answer is simple: "We can never know what kind of copies will appear in the future. Rather than knowing nothing, it's better to be prepared in advance."
The eight members of the team entered the cave, each remaining vigilant. The formation was classic: the warriors led the way, the mages and support characters stood in the middle, and we rangers brought up the rear.
The guy named Leon kept glancing at me, clearly annoyed by my initial attitude. His eyes were full of superiority and contempt.
'His muscles are underdeveloped, and he shows signs of overuse of potions. He takes supplements primarily to stay in the academy and meet external expectations. His clothes are clean and tidy, indicating he cares about his appearance, suggesting he goes home weekly. Judging from his equipment, he appears to come from a middle-class family, possibly the child of a low-to-mid-ranking guild member.'
I finished the analysis in a few seconds and turned my attention forward. Since he wasn't an important character, his ranking wasn't high, and he wasn't a key figure in the game, there was no need to waste any more time.
We reached a fork in the road, and the group paused briefly as everyone began to assess their options.
The four roads branched off, each seemingly hinting at a different challenge or surprise. This was to be expected, as each road had its own level of difficulty. However, one road was significantly easier than the others, and with my keen eye, I easily identified it.
Thanks to [Shadow], my eyes are completely unaffected by darkness.
After analyzing these options, I turned to Irina. Although she didn't speak, her eyes were full of expectation. It seemed she wanted to see if I had the judgment and decisiveness to guide us in the right direction.
She had a hopeful look in her eyes, but she didn't say anything. Since she didn't want to communicate, I didn't intend to speak either.
"Leon, what do you think?" Byron walked up to us and asked his ranger. Because rangers usually have excellent perception, they are often assigned to reconnaissance missions.
"I do not know."
However, not every ranger can see clearly in this place like I can. And my training in the Forest of Time has made my personal skills exceptionally good.
“I understand.” Byron nodded, then turned to Irina. “Do you have any ideas, Irina? If you have any suggestions, we can follow your lead.”
When he said this, he was implicitly implying that Irina was the leader and would take responsibility.
Although her gaze remained fixed on me, and she still seemed to be expecting me, I remained silent until she asked me directly.
The stare between Irina and me lasted for a few seconds, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense. I could sense her agitation, but I remained steadfast, refusing to yield to her unspoken expectations.
I know she wants me to take the lead, but her arrogance makes me not want to.
Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and broke the silence, her tone more angry than I had expected. "What do you think? Can your eyes see in the dark, or is it only effective on women?"
Her words were sarcastic, clearly referring to the rumors about me. Apparently, she had heard some of them, since someone said I went to brothels in my spare time.
Clearly, she was very unhappy with me and didn't like being ignored, but the world doesn't operate according to one's emotions.
“If you don’t have the ability to think for yourself, then I don’t recommend you be a leader.” I have no intention of backing down. I’m fed up that we’re back to square one just because of a trivial rumor.
Byron seemed to sense the tension, and he gave me a distinctly cold laugh.
"What can you expect from a last-place guy? Trash is trash."
Byron skillfully tried to belittle me and curry favor with Irina. He took the opportunity to denigrate my abilities, using the label of "last place" to highlight his own superiority.
"If you don't know yet, I have a good option here."
Irina was caught in this battle of pride, hesitating for a moment. She looked at me, then at Byron. I could see she was torn between believing me or following Byron, but her pride wouldn't allow her to do so.
This is your last chance.
I watched her, awaiting her decision. Would she choose her dignity, or the easy path?
This is a pivotal moment for me in deciding how I will view her in the future.
“We’ll listen to you,” she said, her voice tinged with frustration. “Lead the way.”
Ultimately, she chose the wrong path.
Without hesitation, Byron straightened his back and confidently chose the path on the right. "Trust me, Irina, I have a feeling about this path. Everyone, follow me."
'You wasted your chance; don't come begging to me later.'
And so we began our journey again, and I could see the smug smile on Byron's face, as if he had done something extraordinary.
'They actually chose the most difficult path; indeed, we can't leave the decision to a supporting character.'
I shook my head, said nothing, and followed the group down. Anyway, with my current abilities, I could handle the monsters in this place, although it would be somewhat difficult.
We were walking on the right side of the road, and Byron kept trying to make a good impression on Irina. He kept recounting his past achievements and experiences, each story an attempt to attract her attention and admiration.
However, Irina had no interest in this; her mind was still focused on the current task.
There were lizard-like monsters along the way; they were slippery, but not difficult to deal with. And since they were low-level monsters, the eight-person team didn't encounter much trouble. I didn't even have to lift a finger.
Since Byron and his team wanted to make a good impression on Irina, they were mostly the ones handling these minor troubles.
However, as we continued onward, the oppressive atmosphere of the dungeon grew stronger, and the atmosphere became even heavier each time we encountered a monster.
Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
The walls seemed to close in on us, and a heavy silence enveloped the group. The occasional dripping of water echoed in the air, amplifying the tension with an eerie atmosphere.
This is not just a psychological change; the oxygen and magical atmosphere around us have also changed.
'Fire-attribute environment.'
Thanks to my enhanced magical sensitivity, I can sense the different magic around me more clearly.
Byron also began to feel uneasy, but he tried to maintain a confident demeanor.
His exaggerated story lost its luster, and the bluff gradually faded with each step deeper into the dungeon.
Irina remained silent, clearly sensing the intense magic ahead as well.
With my eyesight, I saw a red glow spreading ahead.
'The first formidable enemy has arrived.'
Since the monster we encountered was lizard-like and the environment was fire-based, even without seeing the monster directly, I could guess what kind of monster was ahead.
'Lava Dragon Lizard.'
It is a low-level, fourth-tier monster, but quite powerful. It is very likely the key to triggering the change in atmosphere within the artificial instance.
Atmosphere changes are random phenomena that occur within instances, altering the instance's landscape. This mechanism is controlled by the instance administrator and is only present in manually created instances.
Even though these changes should be random, considering the time we've traveled, we can deduce that the atmosphere of the instance will change after we defeat this monster, which is the fundamental reason for this test.
“This feeling…” Irina muttered to herself, sounding somewhat annoyed. As a fire mage, she must have realized that she was in an environment filled with fire magic.
Most people might think that when the environment matches the attributes a mage possesses, it will be advantageous for them, but this is not the case.
The monsters here evolve based on this magic, which means they possess resistance to it.
For example, the Time Guardian is not greatly affected by time-related skills because it evolved from that kind of magic itself.
This rule is one of the most common in dungeons, and it applies to monsters with high defense. If the monster itself is offensive, it's not so difficult to deal with, but it's hard to find monsters with low defense.
Of course, I could easily notify the team now, but why would I do that?
I've given her so many chances, but she's refused. I don't want to waste my time and effort. Every time I try, it all turns out to be in vain.
As we moved forward, the air grew increasingly hot, and the intense smell of fire indicated that we were approaching the Lava Dragon Lizard. I continued to observe silently, letting the tension in the group escalate.
Irina's annoyance was obvious, but I still refrained from interfering. As a mage specializing in fire magic, she had a high resistance to fire and therefore didn't sweat like the others.
"It's fucking hot!"
Byron's squad members were also sweating, losing a lot of water.
'They've even started showing signs of dehydration.'
"Damn, why is it so hot?"
"Everyone, calm down."
Seeing the team's condition, Byron tried to take a leadership role to mask his unease.
He kept glancing at Irina, watching her reaction. Since he was the one who brought us here, he naturally knew he was responsible for what happened next. I saw his face turn pale when he saw Irina's angry expression.
Where is this place?
Finally, we arrived at the lava dragon's habitat.
Upon entering a large room, a wave of intense heat hit us.
"Prepare for battle."