Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Final Exam Begin!

Dungeon Raid!

Chapter 95: Final Exam Begin!

Dungeon Raid!

Nao’s POV After I accepted Cain’s challenge and had that heartfelt talk with Freya, five months have passed.

Surprisingly, my life at the academy has been relatively peaceful during this time.

Normally, I’d be dealing with troublesome situations like conflicts with other students, attacks from monsters, or even demons.

But lately, everything has been quiet.

Too quiet.

A part of me couldn’t shake the feeling that this was merely the calm before the storm.

Still, I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on training with Marius, Julius, Lyra, Amelia, Luna, and Termina.

As third-year students, we needed to work together to prepare for the upcoming graduation exams.

To that end, I urged everyone to strengthen themselves through guild hunting missions and class-assigned quests.

We spent countless days hunting monsters in various parts of the kingdom.

I managed to reach level 70, though my progress had slowed significantly.

Envi reassured me that it was normal; the higher one’s level, the more experience points were needed for growth.

As for my teammates, they had all made remarkable progress.

Lyra, Luna, and Marius had each reached level 60, while Amelia and Termina were at level 61, and Julius at level 62.

Their abilities had improved so much that they now rivaled A-rank knights.

With their current strength, I was confident that we were ready to tackle a dungeon raid.

Victory felt within our grasp!

During these months, Freya kept in touch with us, though her interactions were limited.

Occasionally, I would meet her in the training grounds late at night, when she was free from Cain’s watchful eyes.

We would sit side by side, sharing quiet conversations.

Freya often wrote letters to Lyra, and when I could, I would sneak Lyra along to meet her.

The joy on their faces when they reunited, even briefly, was worth the risk.

One quiet evening, after a long day of training, I found myself sitting under the faint glow of the academy’s lanterns.

Freya was beside me, her gaze fixed on the horizon where the training grounds met the forest.

It was one of those rare moments when we could talk without worrying about Cain’s interference.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Freya?” I asked, breaking the silence.

“I know Cain can be… difficult.” Freya let out a soft, bitter laugh.

“Difficult is putting it lightly.

But I’ll endure it.

For now.” She turned to me, her eyes reflecting a mix of resolve and exhaustion.

“I have to.

If I can master Flamemore Swordsmanship, I’ll be stronger-and one step closer to standing on my own.” I nodded, impressed by her determination.

“You’ve always been strong, Freya.

I’ve seen it.

But… you don’t have to face everything alone.

We’re here for you.” Her expression softened, and for a moment, the weight on her shoulders seemed to lighten.

“Thank you, Naoki.

That means more to me than you know.” The sound of footsteps broke our quiet conversation.

I tensed, instinctively reaching for my sword, until I saw who it was.

It’s Kael.

“Relax, I’m not here to cause trouble,” he said, raising his hands as if surrendering.

His usual smirk was replaced by an unreadable expression.

“You’re lucky Cain doesn’t know about these little meetings.” I stood, ready to defend myself if necessary.

“And why doesn’t he?” Kael chuckled, leaning against a nearby post.

“Because I’m not interested in playing big bro Cain’s games.

I’ve seen enough of his nonsense to know when to stay out of it.

Besides…” He glanced at Freya, then back at me.

“You two are fighting for something real.

I can respect that.” Freya tilted her head, studying him.

“Why are you telling us this, Kael?

You’ve never exactly been on our side before.” “Maybe I’ve grown tired of pretending,” he admitted with a shrug.

“Or maybe I just want to see big bro Cain taken down a peg or two.

Either way, I’ll keep this between us.” There was a moment of silence, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze.

Kael pushed himself off the post and started walking away, pausing just long enough to glance back.

“Good luck, Naoki.

You’ll need it.” After he disappeared into the shadows, Freya looked at me, her expression a mixture of surprise and doubt.

“Do you think we can trust him?” I hesitated, then shook my head.

“No.

But if he’s not going to stand in our way, I’ll take it.

We don’t need his trust-we just need him to stay out of this.” Freya smiled faintly, the tension easing from her shoulders.

“Fair enough.” In that moment, I realized how much these secret meetings meant-not just to Freya, but to me as well.

No matter what lay ahead, I’d do everything in my power to protect her.

…

Finally, the day of the graduation exam arrived.

Professor Alden, along with the other professors, announced the final test for third-year students: a dungeon conquest with a scoring system.

Exam Points: -Defeat the dungeon boss = 1,000,000 points -Reach dungeon floor 60 = 400,000 points -Reach dungeon floor 50 = 300,000 points -Reach dungeon floor 40 = 200,000 points -Reach dungeon floor 30 = 100,000 points -Defeat 30 monsters = 100,000 points The passing requirement was for each student to achieve at least 200,000 points.

Unlike previous years, this year’s exam allowed students to form teams of up to four members.

The team with the highest score would be rewarded with an epic-tier item and an invitation to the royal palace.

These prizes often became stepping stones for students to rise as heroes or commanders in the kingdom’s army.

I formed a team with Lyra, Amelia, Marius, and Luna.

Julius, on the other hand, teamed up with Termina and Leopold.

To maximize efficiency, I split our team into two groups, but we agreed to reunite for the final battle against the dungeon boss.

I was genuinely grateful to Leopold for agreeing to help us.

He mentioned that Cain hadn’t invited him to join his team, so he felt no obligation to side with him.

As for Cain, he had already formed a team consisting of himself, Freya, and Kael.

He appeared as confident as ever, but Freya stood beside him looking drained, while Kael’s worried expression was impossible to miss.

It was obvious that Cain had coerced them into joining him.

Arsene, the head of Braveheart Knight Academy, explained the details of the dungeon.

Located on the northern outskirts of the capital, it was a dungeon that had appeared a year ago but remained unconquered.

To complicate matters, the boss was estimated to be between levels 50 and 60, marking it as a Rank-A dungeon.

The dungeon was known as The Cursed Tower, a massive clock tower that materialized in the forest only at night.

Its interior was filled with rusted gears and haunted by creatures cursed by time.

Although it is a tower, we did not climb it, but went down to the downstaris.

This is a unique dungeon, each floor presented unique challenges, and the deeper we go down, the slower time seemed to move.

The tower’s puzzles and the time distortion had stalled its conquest ever since its appearance.

Cain and several professors, including Professor Alden, would act as supervisors for the raid.

They would intervene if students were in danger.

However, Cain had been granted a special position: he could form a team with the students and assist them in defeating the dungeon boss.

This arrangement was Cain’s personal request to Arsene, who had approved it.

When I confronted Arsene about this, she revealed a grim reality.

Recent intelligence from the frontlines suggested that the Doomspire demons were planning another infiltration of the Braveheart Kingdom.

Although there had been no sign of demonic activity for the past five months, the professors suspected the demons were plotting a dungeon break-a catastrophic event where dungeon monsters spill into the human realm.

The kingdom theorized that the demons were deliberately hindering attempts to conquer the dungeon, buying time to prepare for their attack.

Cain’s inclusion in the raid was a precautionary measure, as his strength would be invaluable against any demons that might appear.

Even though I understood Arsene’s reasoning, it infuriated me.

Cain was exploiting the situation to challenge me, using Freya as a pawn.

With one week left until the raid, the academy entered the “Preparation Phase.” Teams spent this time finalizing strategies and gathering supplies, fully aware of the dangers ahead.

Many students had lost their lives or vanished in past dungeon conquests, and the stakes couldn’t have been higher.

Determined to succeed, I called a meeting with my team to outline our strategy for conquering the dungeon and defeating its boss.

“Are you serious, Naoki?

You really think we can pull this off?” Julius asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

I nodded firmly.

“Yes, we can.

If we stick to the plan and work together, we’ll not only pass the exam-we’ll win.

Trust me on this.” Slowly but surely, their skepticism melted away, replaced by determination.

The week flew by in a blur of relentless training.

We stocked up on potions, weapons, and supplies, and prepared ourselves mentally and physically for the challenge ahead.

My resolve hardened with each passing day.

I refused to lose to Cain.

…

When the day of the exam finally arrived, all the third-year students of Braveheart Knight Academy gathered their armor and weapons before setting out for The Cursed Tower.

By the time we arrived, everyone stood before the dungeon’s ominous entrance, the air buzzing with tension and determination.

My team-composed of Lyra, Amelia, Marius, Luna, and myself-grouped up with Julius’s team, which included him, Termina, and Leopold.

We were sticking to the plan: work together from start to finish.

Our goal was clear-reach the final floor and defeat the dungeon boss.

Above us, Arsene hovered in the sky, her robes billowing with the power of her magic.

She and a portion of the professors remained stationed outside the dungeon, likely as a defensive line in case of a dungeon break.

Meanwhile, other professors-masters of magic and swordsmanship-entered the dungeon alongside the students, ready to step in if an emergency arose.

It was a sound strategy, one that reflected Arsene’s meticulous planning.

“Brave knight candidates of the Braveheart Kingdom,” Arsene’s voice rang out with commanding authority, silencing the murmurs of the crowd, “let us begin the graduation exam.

May you all return safely and triumphantly.” “The conquest of The Cursed Tower begins now!” Her declaration marked the starting line.

With hearts ablaze and adrenaline surging, we charged into the dungeon, the echoes of our footsteps resonating through the forest.

It had begun.

This was my chance to beat Cain, to prove myself, and to conquer the daunting challenge ahead.

More importantly, it was my chance to complete a critical portion of my main quest-graduating from this academy-so I could save my sister’s life.

Just wait.

I’ll crush that damn dungeon boss and come out victorious!

CREATORS’ THOUGHTS NAVIRUNAVIII Thank you DaoistjMFLrs, you giving me 3 Golden Ticket.

You make my day, i really appreciate it 🙂