"What the hell is going on right now?!"
Greg couldn't understand why the second heroine was suddenly in a life-or-death crisis, but he knew one thing: he could not let Silvia die here.
Otherwise, the world line might collapse before he even had a chance to survive long enough to leave this hellhole.
He dove straight into the surging underground river. The icy water enveloped him instantly, but with the help of [Underwater Adaptation LV3], the darkness and the turbulence became familiar territory.
He cut through the current like a fish, chasing after the pink-haired figure that was slowly sinking.
About five meters underwater, he saw the situation clearly.
An octopus-type monster had its tentacles wrapped around Silvia's ankle. She had clearly reached her limit; her consciousness was fading, and her long pink hair drifted loosely in the water.
"So it's a Blackwater Octopus. No wonder it's at the top of the 'must-eat' list for dungeon newbies."
Now that he knew what he was dealing with, Greg moved in quickly. The moment he touched her shoulder, Silvia's eyes fluttered open unconsciously, but her pupils were already out of focus.
"No choice. I have to give her some air."
Greg cupped her face and pressed his lips against hers.
So soft.
That was the first thought that flashed through his mind.
But in the next second, he breathed a mouthful of air into her lungs.
Silvia's body trembled slightly, and her eyes widened in a daze, seemingly unable to comprehend what was happening.
Greg didn't give her time to react. He turned toward the octopus monster and raised his right hand.
[Water Gun].
A jet of compressed water shot from his palm, striking the monster squarely in the head and killing it.
[Experience Gained: 70]
[Bonus Experience Gained: 7]
[Level increased to: LV16]
[Skill Acquired: Tentacle Entanglement LV1]
What kind of garbage skill is Tentacle Entanglement?!
I don't even have tentacles!
He glanced at the notification on his panel, but his attention quickly returned to reality.
After the tentacles released Silvia, Greg immediately took her and... dove deeper toward the riverbed.
The reason was that he saw the Blackwater Octopus had actually dropped a Basic Magic Gem. This was the first time an item had dropped in the few days he'd been surviving in the dungeon!
After picking up the gem, Greg finally surfaced with the now-unconscious Silvia.
"Phew!"
After breaking the surface, Greg took deep breaths of fresh air. As soon as his vision cleared, a high-impact scene slammed into his eyes.
On the bank just a few steps away, a grey-haired girl was shedding the last of her outer robes.
Her pure white underwear clung to the well-proportioned curves of her body, shimmering with a soft, pearly luster under the dim light.
The moisture and heat created a hazy mist, outlining the breathtaking curve of her waist and the long, straight silhouette of her legs.
She was the protagonist of the original work, and the person who had killed him the most times in the game: Victoria.
Water droplets fell from Greg's chin and splashed into the river with a faint "tap." The two stared at each other.
Greg: "Nice body...?"
Victoria: "..."
The atmosphere became incredibly awkward.
However, Greg quickly realized that she might not recognize him right now, as his wet, brilliant blonde hair completely covered his face.
To prevent the protagonist who had killed him the most from creating a brand-new 1,381st death for him, Greg disguised his voice and spoke:
"I'm just a passing river god. Please don't mind me."
With that, he placed the unconscious Silvia on the bank and prepared to dive back into the water to make his escape.
However, a voice from behind made his entire body stiffen.
It was a cold, clear tone:
"Hey, Greg."
Victoria crossed her arms, her grey eyes reflecting no warmth as she looked at the water.
"How long do you plan on acting?"
Victoria didn't understand why this person, who loathed her so much and whom she loathed in return, would take the initiative to save her companion.
But judging by his previous behavior, this man definitely had an ulterior motive!
"Tsk, I guess I was seen through after all."
Seeing this, Greg decided to stop pretending.
He propped himself up on the slippery rocks at the water's edge and nimbly vaulted onto the bank. With his other hand, he swept his soaked blonde hair back, revealing a face that was undeniably handsome even when dripping with water.
"Look, I didn't do anything to you, and I even saved your friend's life."
He shook the water from his hair, his tone laced with helplessness. "Is there really a need for your tone to be so aggressive?"
If they were on the surface, Greg wouldn't dare speak so directly, but this was the dungeon—his home turf.
With all his buffs active, he wouldn't necessarily lose to Victoria if they actually came to blows now.
Most importantly, he wouldn't encounter any of those mysterious and malicious scripted deaths here.
"You didn't do anything to me?"
Victoria let out a cold laugh.
"During the entrance exam, who was it that tampered with the magic tool, trying to get me expelled by making me lose control?"
"On the first day of school, who was it that publicly declared that 'mere commoners aren't worthy of stepping into Glory Cael Magic Academy'?"
She took a step forward, her voice low but every word crystal clear:
"Don't think that just because you were expelled by your family and hid in the dungeon, the things you've done can be wiped clean."
Damn, it looks like the events of the prologue had already happened by the time I transmigrated.
No wonder she's so hostile toward me.
While Greg wasn't afraid of trouble, he didn't want to go looking for it either.
He had finally transmigrated into a fantasy world; he didn't want to end up in a permanent state of hostility with the protagonist because of the stupid things the original owner of this body had done.
He figured that since he had just saved her companion, smoothing things over with her shouldn't be impossible.
Greg thought for a moment and decided to play his cards based on Victoria's identity as a Hero—which only a few people knew—and his own family's history of being Humans who sided with the Demons.
"Have you ever considered..."
Greg looked up, his gaze meeting Victoria's directly. His voice was soft, but it carried a deliberate weight:
"That I actually did all of that on purpose, Hero Victoria?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a panel appeared before Greg's eyes:
[Redemption of the Villainous Noble (Unlocked): Please clear the first floor of the dungeon before the end of the story's first act.]
[Success: Reward—all three talents will be fully upgraded.]
[Failure: Reward—the 1,381st brand-new death CG.]
Greg: ...Wait, didn't I just say 'the kindness of the Dungeon is inexhaustible'?
So... can I just not pay it back?
Rate on N.U.
