The Survival of an Inferior

Author's Note: I didn't even realise I wrote brother "Sam" in the previous chapters. It has now been fixed, Samuel's subordinates do not know his identity yet. Sorry for the confusion. 

Jon and I venture across the terrain until we arrive at a fort atop a mountain. Behind us are large bags of food and water. 

"Arsto...why are we here?"  

"To borrow their dungeon for training."

Jon raises his brow. "Dungeon?"

A military fort was built atop a mountain to scout approaching enemies if there ever will be. Unbeknownst to the majority, the fort was built to conceal the Dungeon of Fame, a living dungeon built by an ancient mage. Within the dungeon are statues of people who made a great impact on the world regardless of good or evil. Only the higher-ups know this fact. 

A large rectangular wall prevents entry into the area. 

"Even so...how are we going to sneak in especially with all this luggage?" 

I point at the front door. Jon stares at me in disbelief, waiting for the joke. It never came. 

"Trust me,"  I say. 

...

Jon sighs and nods. 

We approach near the front gate. I check the small pocket watch in my coat and wait until the needle hits "17". Two guards are stationed at the gate, yawning. 

"So...how is it going?"  I mumble. 

"So, how is it going?"  one of the guards asks the other. 

"His next line will be 'bad, it's boring here and I barely got any sleep last night.'" I mumble. 

"Bad, it's boring here and I couldn't sleep last night."  the second guard answers the first. 

"Yeah...me too." 

A knock came from within and the guards open the door. Another soldier walks out. 

One of the two guards goes to take a break and leaves the door with just one guard. 

*Yawnn* 

As the final guard leans against the wall, his eyelid oscillates up and down, trying to keep himself awake. 

However, he succumbs to fatigue and goes into a light snore. 

I gesture for Jon to follow and we silently walk to the door before I strike the guard, knocking him out. 

*Eeeee* 

The door creaks when we push it open. 

Within the walls are barracks, a courtyard for training, and a large building. Not many soldiers on duty can be seen because it is not a time of conflict. 

Keeping to the wall and running across the parameter, Jon follows me until we reach the tallest building. 

Behind the building is another door. We enter and see a long corridor. I've memorized the entire layout and lax patrol a few years ago. Due to the time lag from the shift change, now is the best time to roam the building. 

I run after the stairs and Jon follows. We descend until we reach the lowest basement where a few knights patrol the corridor. 

We hide behind the corner as one knight walks into view. When close enough, I jump out and clutch his neck around my arms to choke him unconscious. Jon helps me pull the knight into a room and we move. 

We enter a room in the middle of the hallway. At first, it looks like a typical office with nothing amiss. 

My hand reach the side of the bookshelf and pulls the bookshelf out, revealing a small space behind. Jon climbs through and I follow. 

"Won't we get in trouble?" Jon asks. 

"Don't worry, once we enter the dungeon, no one else can. By the time we are out, something will happen and they won't be here to punish us." 

Jon has many questions but decides to stay quiet. 

At the end of the hole, Jon punches the countless dust and reveals a small space with only a door. 

I get out of the hole and brush the dust off my coat. "There it is."

I grab Jon and go ahead to push the door open. A mysterious force sucks us in. 

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Entering the Dungeon of Fame... 

Tip: 

...

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Be Careful, Samuel. 

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Error... 

*@# ×'¢°¢ 

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"Ugh..." Jon grasps his head and looks around. 

A tall jade ceiling erects above us. At the side are massive metal pillars supporting the mysterious temple. Ferocious imposing figures line both sides with the one in the middle of the room being the biggest.

"Arsto...where are we?"

...

"Arsto?" Jon says and turns to me. 

"Ah! We are...in the Dungeon of Fame. This place records both dead heroes and villains that made history." I say. 

What the hell was that tip? The system glitched again. Although in messy fonts of zigzag corruption, I barely manage to make out the last sentence. 

...

What is happening? 

...Let's focus. 

"Does it feel cold?"  I ask. 

"Slightly."

I show Jon my visible breath when I talk. It's really cold for me despite the layers of jacket I'm wearing. His ability provided resistance to the cold. 

"This is a phenomenon that occurs when a large concentration of mana is in the atmosphere. In short, this place is filled to the brim with mana. I want you to train here." 

Jon widens his eye. "Ah... I appreciate the concern but even with this amount, I don't think I can effectively absorb them. I have a curse that...rejects mana."

"I'm not asking you to absorb it. Besides, I think your 'curse' is an innate ability."

"P-Pardon?" 

Jon seems rather surprised.

"Try repelling the mana in this room." 

Jon gulps and puts out his hand. Closing his eyes, his thoughts explode with the desire to push mana away. Suddenly, the cold in the air subsides. 

"What?"  he opened his eyes to find chunks of blue forming a barrier around him. "H-How...it's an ability?!"  

"It wasn't obvious outside because of mana density but now you know what I mean," I say. 

"How did you know?" Jon exclaims. 

"It was a guess. I've met people with similar situations. Anyways, for the next few months, focus your training on controlling that ability. You can become the bane of magicians." 

Jon glances at his palm. A newfound hope emerges amid the dark, sending a smile to his face. "Thank you." 

I nod and leave him alone, walking across the temple. 

In reality, we only have at least one month to prepare before Haren strikes. Fortunately, time in this dungeon moves three times slower so we have three months for preparation; Alas, the time constraint is the biggest enemy in this shitty game. 

"Hah..."

I should start my training...