Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Fighting the Fear Chapter 98: Fighting the Fear I still couldn’t get used to these insects.

The bugs in this dungeon were massive and far more terrifying than anything on Earth.

I tried to stay calm, but deep inside, my phobia remained.

“HAHAHAHA!

You’re so pathetic, Nao!

I thought you weren’t afraid of anything, but insects?

I can’t stop laughing!” That damn system, Envi, kept laughing in my head.

I scolded him mentally for focusing on ridiculing me instead of analyzing the dungeon floor like he was supposed to.

While I was still shaken, Julius took over command of the dungeon exploration.

The team fought through the swarms of insects, struggling with every encounter.

I have to overcome this fear!

Come on, Nao, you can do this!

I tried to encourage myself.

But suddenly, an old memory resurfaced-when did I start fearing insects in the first place?

…

Back when I was still on Earth, at the age of ten, in my fifth year of elementary school, my home life was in shambles.

My parents constantly fought.

My father was rarely home and was eventually caught cheating.

At that time, my mother wasn’t as strong as she is now.

She was emotionally devastated and ended up neglecting her three children-Nana, Naki, and me-for days.

She rarely cleaned the house, allowing trash to pile up in the kitchen.

She still did her daily job and cooked meals for us, but she barely spoke and left the house a mess.

Nana, Naki, and I were deeply worried about her.

When we asked if she was okay, she only smiled without saying a word.

A month passed, and our home became overrun with insects-cockroaches crawling everywhere.

Every day, we lived in fear, flinching at the sight of them.

To me, those insects were horrifying-disgusting, smelly, little monsters.

One day, my mom made karaage, and we all sat down to eat together.

But then, we screamed in unison because there were cockroaches inside the karaage.

Reflexively, we spat everything out and burst into tears.

Mom, realizing the situation, immediately apologized.

Nana and Naki were shaken but eventually calmed down.

But I…

I passed out.

I came down with a high fever, likely from the shock and from having eaten something so unhygienic.

After receiving treatment at the hospital and returning home, Mom knelt before us, sobbing as she apologized.

We hugged her tightly, crying together.

She promised to clean the house every day and cook proper meals for us.

We told her it wasn’t her fault and that we’d help her clean the house.

From that day on, our home returned to normal.

But ever since then, I developed an extreme phobia of insects-especially when they swarmed in large numbers.

…

Back in the dungeon, I tried to conquer my fear by activating [Eclipse Eye], visualizing the insects not as creatures but as mere clusters of magic.

Slowly, my nausea faded, and I could finally focus on exterminating them.

However, Envi suddenly warned me.

“These insects release deadly toxins when killed.” Immediately, I ordered my team to stop attacking recklessly-otherwise, we’d be engulfed in poisonous fumes.

I saw that some of the team members had been infected by the poison because they had previously defeated the insects without being burned.

They looked weak and coughed up blood.

I quickly took back command from Julius.

Seeing me return to my senses, he looked relieved.

I then instructed Leopold to use his fire-enhanced sword techniques.

Envi had analyzed that these cursed bugs had a weakness to fire.

No wonder Cain’s team cleared this floor so easily…

they all specialize in fire magic.

Thinking quickly, I organized a battle formation.

“Leopold, burn them all with your skills!” Leopold activated his skill [Flamemore Swordsmanship: Second Form, Comet!], unleashing a slash that burned like a falling comet, scorching the swarming insects.

Taking a deep breath, I deliberately let myself get hit by Leopold’s flames, activating [Resonance] to absorb his fire magic and convert it into my own.

The heat surged through my body, turning into raw energy.

Without hesitation, I retaliated with [Resonance: Karyuu no Issen], unleashing a fiery slash shaped like a dragon.

The blazing serpent coiled around us, incinerating every insect that dared to come close.

But fire alone wasn’t enough.

“Lyra!

Drench them!” I commanded.

Lyra raised her staff, chanting quickly before releasing a torrent of water, drenching the remaining swarms.

Without missing a beat, I turned to Termina.

“Now, Termina-lightning arrow!” Termina nocked an arrow, her fingertips crackling with energy as she infused it with lightning magic.

The moment she released it, the electrified projectile shot through the soaked insects, causing a chain reaction of deadly currents that electrocuted them in an instant.

This method was overwhelmingly effective.

We continued using the same strategy, steadily advancing as we cleared each floor until we reached the 25th floor.

Upon arrival, we decided to take a much-needed break.

The air here was thick with humidity, and the cavern was lined with eerie bioluminescent fungi, casting a dim glow over the battlefield.

Piles of insect corpses littered the ground, their charred remains still releasing faint wisps of smoke.

Our group found an open clearing near a cluster of glowing rocks and gathered there to recover.

“Lyra, Amelia, tend to those who were poisoned,” I instructed.

Lyra immediately activated [Support Magic: Toxic Cure], sending a soft, golden light over the poisoned members.

The magic cleansed their bodies, neutralizing weaker toxins, though it had limited effectiveness against higher-tier poisons.

Meanwhile, Amelia stepped forward, her hands glowing with a divine aura.

She murmured an incantation, releasing [Divine Magic: Blessing], which not only removed any lingering poison but also granted a protective buff against future contamination.

Thanks to both of them, the affected team members quickly recovered.

I smiled at them.

“Good work, Lyra, Amelia.

Your roles are crucial in keeping us alive.

Make sure to conserve your stamina-I’ll protect you both.” Lyra blushed slightly, giving me a bright smile.

“Understood, Naoki-sama!

I’m glad I could be of help!” Amelia chuckled softly, folding her arms.

“Fufu~ so you do worry about me, huh, Naoki?” I let out a sigh, looking at her seriously.

“Amelia, you didn’t have to come with us.

This is an official graduation exam for the Braveheart Knight Academy, but you’re only here as an observer from the kingdom.

You have no obligation to take part in the actual battles.” Amelia’s smile softened.

“That’s true… but even though I’m just an observer, I already see everyone here as my comrades.

I want to protect them… and I want to protect you too, Naoki.

Is that… not allowed?” She looked away shyly.

For a brief moment, she looked absolutely adorable.

I scratched the back of my head.

“It’s not about permission.

You’re a princess of the kingdom, Amelia.

But more importantly, I know that you’ve already received intelligence reports that demons might appear in this dungeon.” I met her gaze, my voice firm.

“When that time comes… I will need your help.” Hearing my words, Amelia blinked before nodding, her expression determined.

“That’s right.

And when that moment comes, I’ll lend you my power, Naoki.

So… protect me when that happens, okay?” She gave me a playful smile.

“Of course.

I’ll protect you, and you’ll protect me.

Same goes for you, Lyra-I’ll keep you and everyone else safe,” I said as I gently patted their heads.

Their faces turned slightly red, but neither of them pulled away.

After finishing my conversation with them, I turned my attention to Marius.

He was still visibly shaken from the never-ending waves of giant insects.

He slumped onto a nearby rock, letting out a deep sigh.

“Damn…

I thought I’d seen the worst of it, but this dungeon just keeps throwing nightmares at us!” I chuckled at his misery.

“You’ll get used to it.” After we had finished tending to the injured and restoring our strength, I stood up, scanning our group.

Everyone looked exhausted, but their resolve remained firm.

I took a deep breath before announcing, “We’ll rest for a few more hours.

After that, we push forward.

Our next destination-the 30th floor.” No one objected.

We all knew there was no turning back.

The deeper we went, the more dangerous the trials ahead would become.

With renewed determination, we gathered our supplies, adjusted our gear, and steeled ourselves for what lay ahead in the dungeon’s depths.

…

The air here was thick and suffocating, carrying a foul stench that made it difficult to breathe.

We pressed forward cautiously, covering our noses with cloth to filter out the worst of it.

Sensing the danger, Lyra activated [Support Magic: Negative Status Protection], enhancing the team’s resistance against all negative effects, including poison.

As we carefully navigated the dark, cavernous passageways, a terrible sight awaited us.

At the far end of the chamber, we spotted a massive insect-like creature-a mini boss.

But before we could analyze it, a pair of screams echoed through the dungeon.

“No way…!

This can’t be happening!” Luna cried out in horror.

“That’s Class 3-C… and 3-B!” Termina gasped, her face pale.

Luna, as the class leader of 3-C, and Termina, the leader of 3-B, recognized the fallen students immediately.

Their bodies were sprawled across the cavern floor, their limbs twitching as thick foam dripped from their mouths.

The poison had already taken hold.

“We have to save them, Naoki!” Luna shouted, already sprinting toward them.

“Yes!

We can’t just leave them like this!” Termina followed, desperation in her voice.

But before they could reach the fallen students, Julius and I grabbed their arms, stopping them in their tracks.

“Wait!” I said firmly.

Luna and Termina turned to us, confusion and frustration on their faces.

“Don’t rush in recklessly,” I warned.

“Look at the situation carefully.

That mini boss is waiting for us to take the bait.

If we rush in blindly, it’ll strike the moment we let our guard down.” Julius nodded in agreement, his sharp eyes scanning the enemy.

“We need a plan.

Rushing in will only get us killed.” Taking a deep breath, Julius formulated a strategy.

“Naoki, Leopold, Marius, and I will take on that monster.

Meanwhile, Amelia, Lyra, Luna, and Termina-you focus on treating the poisoned students and keeping them safe.

We’ll hold off the boss while you work.” I nodded.

“That’s our best option.” Reluctantly, Luna and Termina agreed, though worry still lingered in their eyes.

Now that our roles were decided, I turned my attention to analyzing the mini boss.

— Venomous Tyrant (Level 55) A massive insect king, its body a grotesque fusion of a scorpion and a longhorn beetle.

Its dark green exoskeleton gleamed with toxic purple markings, and its razor-sharp claws looked strong enough to tear through steel.

— “Watch out for its tail!” I called out.

“It can release a deadly poison mist!” Julius, Leopold, Marius, and I charged forward, unleashing our strongest attacks.

The battle had begun!

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