Acquired the EX-class attribute ‘Transcendence Copy’

11 – Hidden Area

How do I clear Chapter 1 with SSS Rank?

It is impossible to simply defeat field monsters and farm medals. The rank that can be raised in this way is limited to the SS rank.

If you clear Chapter 1 with an SS rank, you will enter the academy with the second rank. Admission to the second seat is not bad for an early start because you receive a salty reward.

However, the difference in compensation between the senior and second seats is quite large. It’s only one rank difference, but this difference becomes even more prominent as you go into the late game. That’s why clearing chapter 1 with SSS rank is a very important factor for future progress.

There are many puzzle elements in the legend route. There are two main types of puzzles. There are puzzles that must be solved to advance the story, and puzzles that have nothing to do with story progress, but must be solved to raise the clear rank.

To clear Chapter 1 with SSS Rank, you must solve hidden puzzles. And the clue to the puzzle is in the medals that come out when you hunt monsters.

“Yes. Take a good look at this medal. This… “

I showed Sarah the medallion I just got.

It is a round medal that is small enough to hold with one hand. One side of the medal was plain and undecorated, and the other side had a few small grooves.

“Part of the map is clear.”

“A map?”

At my words, Sara tilted her head and expressed her doubts. But as if she realized something in less than a second, she took the medal she had won out of her pocket and began examining it.

As expected, Sarah Leoris.

This character is clever enough to be called a genius countless times in the game. With just one small keyword, she immediately grasped what I was trying to say.

“Each medal has a different groove.”

The groove on the medal was part of the map. If you look at it separately, you don’t see that fact very well. However, when we put several medals together, we could see very clearly what the medals were trying to show us.

Sarah and I laid out the medals we farmed on the floor. We have 6 medals in total. Although the number is small, there was no major problem in completing the map. Because the map was so simple, the holes in it could be filled in with reasoning.

‘I finished it much quicker than I thought because I didn’t have the same medal pieces.’

The completed dungeon map was pointing to a point with a dot.

“To the left of the part where the gorge narrows abruptly, like the neck of a gourd. This looks like where the medal map is pointing. It must be the ‘hidden area’ of the dungeon.”

Hidden area.

Literally a hidden place in a dungeon.

The Hidden Area is a very special area within a dungeon, sometimes called a dungeon within a dungeon. Inaccessible unless you meet special conditions or find a hidden passage, this secret location has as much fun as its secrecy.

The characteristics of having a unique gimmick or the level of monsters appearing are very high. And as much as it has such characteristics, the items farmed in the hidden area boast excellent performance.

In order to achieve a top score in the Academy Entrance Examination, you must approach the Hidden Area through the Medal Map and hunt monsters there.

“This… How did you know?”

Sarah asked, looking back at the medallion and at me. Sarah’s eyes, round and raised, contained complex emotions. Surprise, resentment, and a bit of jealousy.

It’s a look like ‘How could I not notice!?’ Jin’s cousin in the game also made a similar expression.

To be honest, I should say, ‘Because he’s a deceased person!’

From noble mtl dot com

However, in order to live comfortably in the world, a certain amount of guidance is necessary.

“I was lucky.”

“Were you lucky enough to notice this?”

“I did have a hint. Did the test supervisor tell you? This dungeon is a dungeon that tests our strength and wisdom. Even if you say that strength is proved by hunting monsters, isn’t wisdom a bit out of the blue?”

“Ah… So, I guess I thought there was some element that I had to use my head for.”

Sarah opened her mouth with a big laugh.

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s not luck.”

“hahahaha. Does that happen?”

Anyway, since I found the way to the Hidden Area, I just need to move on. Sara said as she picked up the medallions scattered on her floor.

“Hmmm! You are credited with finding the map, but you also used five of my medals.”

“Yes.”

“That, so… Wouldn’t I be qualified to go to that hidden area… I think.”

The urge to hug her shook her head as she watched Sarah, her hand on her waist, continuing her words with the shy voice of her courage. She was the part where her sincerity was revealed.

Ordinary people would of course visit the Hidden Area without mentioning qualifications like that. A guy with a conscience might claim, ‘I spent more of my medals, so I can go alone!’

However, she dutifully acknowledged my credit and tried to get my permission. That one small action well explained the personality of the character Sarah Leoris.

“Of course. Without Sara-sama’s help, discovering the Hidden Area would have been impossible.”

A small carrot thrown at Sarah here.

Praise given after ‘intentional ignoring’ has far more power than normal praise. A key technique for attacking Sarah is the right mix of ignorance and praise.

“Whoops~! That’s right! It would have been very difficult without my help. It’s a bit hard to say with my own mouth, but it’s not easy to see a wizard like him.”

It’s like saying everything with your own mouth.

With just one compliment, it seems that the huge castle called Sara collapsed with a ‘thud!’. It took only a moment for the cool-chic concept, which had been well maintained until now, to distort. Actually, Sara herself doesn’t seem to be aware of it.

“Then let’s go! To the hidden area!”

Cried Sarah, stretching out her hand vigorously. I think my affinity for Sara has gone up by about 20.

—

Sarah couldn’t help but admit it.

John Baker is a man of great intuition. And his intuition may surpass himself.

The attack skills he displayed were mediocre. He seemed to have a good grip on the basics, but that was all. It may be said that future growth is expected, but it is not a skill that exerts tremendous power right away.

However, his real value was not in those skills. He grasped the characteristics of the Mini Wyvern with only a brief observation and hunted the Wyvern using tactics perfectly suited to it. He used 120% of his limited resources to produce the best results.

It wasn’t just limited to hunting wyverns.

I realized the essence of the entrance exam and figured out the hidden element in the medal. It was something Sarah herself hadn’t even noticed. John drew bold results with very minute traces that he doubted could even be called clues.

Genius.

To Sara, who has seen many geniuses as a daughter of the Leoris family, John was a completely different type of genius that did not exist in her database.

He doesn’t boast of overwhelming force in his field of expertise, nor does he have a full combat power that surprises everyone, but he has a bizarrely great talent for seeing the essence of things and phenomena.

It feels like you have the answers to the world. If such a genius awakens properly, how strong will it be?

Sara suddenly remembered what her father had said.

-Sarah. Go to the academy You’ll get a clue to break down the wall that blocks you.

The words that she thought were her father’s stupid nonsense now pierced Sara’s mind.

The wall that prevented him from rising to a higher level was large and thick. I don’t know where to start touching it or how to break it.

But Sarah’s instincts speak. In order to jump over this obstacle, you need a moment of inspiration, not magical knowledge.

John Baker.

Maybe that boy will bring you new inspiration. It was an unfounded idea, but it was a thought that was strangely certain.

“Here it is.”

The two found a passage to the hidden area of the gorge. It is a passage that is hidden by rubble and trees, so you can never find it if you look closely.

The aisle was not long. After passing through the cave-like passage, a lofty cliff greeted the two.

The knife wind that flows down the cliff brushes my face. The environment is similar, but the atmosphere itself is different from the previous canyon.

I saw a large nest on top of the cliff. It looked like a bird’s nest, but what was inside was not a bird. Sara strengthened her eyesight with magic and inspected the nest closely.

“It’s a chimera.”

The monster sleeping soundly in the nest was a chimera. It was a typical chimera with the face of a lion, wings of an eagle, the body of a horse and the tail of a snake. Like a mini wyvern, it was obvious that it was an artificial monster created for testing at the academy.

The Chimera’s aura was incomparable to that of the Mini Wyvern. Its size is almost twice that of a mini wyvern. It was clear that physical defense and magic resistance would be higher.

“John. You discovered this place, so you choose. Who will hunt first?”

There is only one chimera. However, there are two people.

There is a way to catch them together, but they are two people competing for the top spot. Cooperation was not an option.

“Can I hunt first?”

“Of course.”

Despite the risk of losing the chief, Sara nodded happily.

For two reasons. One is because it was John who discovered this place, and the other is because it is estimated that that Chimera is much stronger than John.

‘Unlike the Mini Wyvern earlier, I didn’t have a chance to observe the opponent.’

That’s why there won’t be a picture of hunting Chimera as easily as before. And, if John fails in hunting the Chimera and he himself succeeds….

‘I’m sure you admire me!?’

I already pictured John clapping his hands with his eyes wide open. The plan is perfect.

“Okay, let’s get started.”

John walked slowly toward the chimera nest. Chimera, who had been sleeping peacefully, suddenly opened her eyes. He seemed to be aware of the intruder’s presence.

Kyao!

A powerful howl that is different from the cute roar of a mini wyvern.

With a bit of exaggeration, a majestic cry that sounds like thunder shakes the surroundings. John’s shoulders trembled slightly.

‘As expected, I don’t think my stats are that high.’

Sarah concentrated. In case John was in danger, he intended to use his hand. If he gets kicked out of the dungeon, he won’t be able to see his performance.

John smiled relaxedly as he watched the chimera scatter its terrifying eyes toward him.

Chimera.

It’s strong, but it’s not a difficult opponent at all. Only if you know the strategy.

Kiririt—!

The Chimera spread its eagle wings and took flight.