"I Was Reincarnated Into Another World So I Want to Teach Them a Lesson in the Dungeon." ~I May Have Been Expelled as a C-Rank Sorcerer, but Since It Seems Everyone Wants My Cheat Skill, I Think I'll Teach Them a Lesson~ - Chapter 2

That time.

Just a little before I met Strega.

Before I realized I had a cheat…

◆ ◆ ◆

It looked as if the entrance of a castle had been cut out and transported without damage, but it wasn’t some avant-garde art; it was a gate that functioned as the very portal to hell.

This was located in the courtyard of the Magic Association’s grand stone building, erected with abundant tax funds, standing quietly without being exposed to the citizens of the royal capital.

When I first visited the mansion, an elderly sorcerer who worked there (he introduced himself as Caron) referred to the gate as the “Necronomicon” and described it in a way that was contrary to my imagination.

When Caron touched the gate, it began to pulse as if it were an organ performing vital functions in real time. Upon closer inspection, the gate seemed to be crafted from stitched-together faces of demons with ogre-like expressions.

“The Magic Association analyzes the magic contained within this ‘Necronomicon’ daily. It’s something like a parting gift from the demon race that once rampaged through this land,” he said.

According to Caron, who served both as a gatekeeper and a magic analyst, it was like a magical tome created by the fallen demon race; complex, cursed with indecipherable spells, an unknown legacy.

Even the greatest sorcerers, revered as sages, could not destroy it with their magic, nor could the strongest warriors, famous for their might, shatter this negative legacy.

“If you surpass me, there is a city of sorrow,

If you surpass me, there is eternal suffering,

If you surpass me, there is a people doomed to annihilation.”

From this epic that Caron recited, it wasn’t hard to imagine the hell that awaited beyond this gate—a place where people doomed to annihilation, who had amassed an abundance of sorrow and suffering, and the fallen demon race lay in wait.

“The Dungeon Necronomicon is still growing to this day.”

A living dungeon that continues to grow and expand indefinitely.

A demon realm that could be called a lost paradise created by the fallen demon race.

Now, I am about to cross to the other side.

To the Dungeon Necronomicon…

◆ ◆ ◆

Due to its unique nature, the Dungeon Necronomicon is only to be explored by specialists like us, who have been entrusted by the Magic Association.

After all, there was no point for the Magic Association if those who weren’t dedicated to swordsmanship, archery, or magic ventured in—a natural measure.

It wasn’t a job where you could effectively use your spare time like a part-time or a temporary job to earn a salary.

In other words, without exclusive operational qualifications or exclusive title qualifications, entering the dungeon as I am today would be prohibited.

We explore with the qualifications given to us and exterminate the demons that infest the dungeon according to our assigned roles.

The Association continued to search for concrete clues to the eradication of the Necronomicon based on these results.

A very simple system.

Therefore, I utilized my skills as a sorcerer and joined one of the investigation teams entrusted by the Magic Association, the Ryner Investigation Team.

The Ryner Investigation Team was a well-known party, adopting a rank system from S at the highest to C at the lowest, a gathering of provisional A-rank warriors.

So, am I considered an A-rank talent? Not exactly.

To outsiders, I was perceived as the C-rank that I am.

The reason lies in the inner workings of the Ryner Investigation Team, which had a system that allowed C-ranks like us to join.

“What is a dungeon—

Newbie, try to answer.”

“A dungeon’s gate does not reveal which area it leads to until you pass through!”

“Good, next!”

“If you defeat the area boss demon, it has been confirmed that you can annihilate that area at the current point in time!”

“Good, next!”

“The dungeon resets every week! However, the revival reset of an area that has already been annihilated has not been confirmed!”

“Good, next!”

“Each individual is temporarily granted a unique skill that only works in the current area—

However, the effects obtained are random with each area, and you cannot carry them over to the next!”

“Good, last one!”

“Um… um…”

“If you don’t defeat the area boss or get forcibly ejected by the week’s reset, it’s impossible to exit the dungeon midway. Can’t you even remember that?”

“I’m sorry…”

As you can see, even today, the Ryner Investigation Team spares no effort in hazing the newbies.

“Ryner, it can’t be helped, right? Most of them are nothing but C-rank weaklings.”

“That’s right. It’s not worth getting mad at weaklings who don’t even understand the basic structure of a dungeon.”

“Listen, you weaklings, we could expel you at any time, got it?”

The investigation team was led by the swordsman Ryner Bernstein and composed of provisional A-rank members, including the female sorcerer Caroline Märkl and the archer Edgar Lubroff.

Below that, the majority were a disorganized group, far from A-rank, including me.

“Look, you guys are just cannon fodder for unique skills. No one else would hire weaklings like you.”

Ryner was right; we were nothing more than fodder for the unique skills.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Therefore, as someone who drew the “Trap Detection” unique skill, I was relegated to only being an attendant who was on guard for traps, with no role in combat.

Those who were deemed even less useful than me, with their worthless skills, became porters, carrying bags packed with a week’s worth of provisions and supplies.

“Hey Soma, stop dawdling and move on.”

Soma. That was my name in this other world.

“Sorry, sorry!”

“You know we only have a week to defeat the area boss. You understand that, right? Not like that newbie over there.”

“Really, Soma, you never grow. That magic wand of yours is just for show, right? Fufufu.”