Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

Zach chuckled.

"No, not at all. And why would I make excuses? The forest, or rather, the contamination in the forest had been dealt with. I wouldn't mind graduating right now, but I have a feeling you're going to make us deal with the city, too?" Zach half-asked.

"That's right. But what do you mean by dealt with the forest? I assumed you were responsible for that pillar of underworld energy. I would consider that the opposite of having 'dealt with it,'" The principal asked, earnestly confused. Though, rather than being confused, it was more accurate to say that he didn't agree with Zach's assessment.

"Pssh." Zach waved away the principal's concerns. "That's just temporary. I killed whatever was pumping up the underworld energy and then some. It had already started sinking away last night."

Zach wasn't sure if the underworld energy had started retreating or not. But when whatever had been at the bottom hadn't done that thing where it sucked it in a little and then blew out more, the underworld energy hadn't moved at all.

Afterward, when Zach was leaving the contaminated area, it was moving. It was like something had prevented the underworld energy from moving before that. It wasn't much, but it was like the underworld energy had been freed from someone or something's influence.

If he had to guess, Zach would say that it was related to what had been at the bottom of the hole. Something capable of controlling or influencing such a large amount of underworld energy could only be a powerful underworlder. He doubted it was something as powerful as a Named one, though.

But even a powerful underworlder was still part underworld energy. The potion would have killed it.

That had led to his level rocketing all the way to nineteen, the presumed last level before he could summon a third familiar.

Without that powerful underworlder influencing and shooting up more underworld energy to the surface, the underworld energy would naturally flow back to where it belonged. And if it didn't, Zach could use more potions to chase it away now that he had confirmed the effect it had on underworld energy and the environment.

Thus, the forest's contamination was dealt with, or as good as.

The principal furrowed his brow and his head bobbed forward in confusion.

"I am not doubting you, but do you mind explaining how and what you killed?"

"I don't know how, but I dropped an anti-underworld energy potion into this hole that the underworld energy was coming from. Ah, Julius fell into that hole, so I waited a while, but I don't think that changed anything. Then, after a while, that pillar of underworld energy shot up, and when I checked my interface this morning my level had gone up three times or so."

"I see. I guess I'll have you make a complete report of everything."

"Of course."

"Do you know if Julius is alive?"

"No idea."

"But you didn't come here to ask me for help?"

"Would you?"

"You still have that favor I owe you."

"So, if I asked, you would go down to the depths of the Underworld and save Julius if he is alive?" Zach asked with a serious expression.

The principal shrugged.

"If you can do that, why haven't you gone down there and, you know, gotten rid of the Great Ugor since he's a threat to the surface and whatnot?"

"Good question. Why do you think?"

"...Considering the damage the Underworld has done to the surface and how many have died and suffered without the world hearing about it, it would be messed up if you haven't done it because you wanted to use it to train students. Like, really messed up." Zach looked at the principal, silently asking for confirmation or denial.

"That's not it."

"It's not because you're too weak. If you were, you could bring Kami. If you two weren't enough, there's a whole Empire with strong people. My parents, for example."

"Warmer." The principal nodded encouragingly.

Zach frowned and stayed silent while he tried to figure it out. What did the principal mean? In what way was that warmer?

"You can't go down…"

The principal gave a slight nod.

"...Because you can't leave the surface exposed?"

The principal shook his head.

"Hmm."

Zach scratched his cheek and look at the principal with a scrutinizing gaze. His smooth skin made him look young. His long grey hair made him look old. His teasing smile and clear, shimmering eyes made him look like a charmer. Together, his features made him impossible to read, and he looked a little bit like a douche.

"It can't be that it's simply impossible to enter the Underworld."

"Nope." The principal shook his head.

"Do you want me to tell you?" The principal asked. Zach was struggling, and there wasn't really a need to have him get the right answer. The principal just wanted him to use the muscles hiding inside his skull a little.

"Am I going to get it?"

"Probably not." The principal shrugged.

Zach glared at the principal.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. It's because I'm too strong. Me and anyone who can get down to where that bastard is hiding and defeat him and his underlings are too powerful and too famous."

Zach frowned. But the principal continued before he could ask why that was a problem.

"That bastard is cautious. As soon as anyone who can threaten more than one of his Named enters the Underworld, he disappears and just drowns them in underworld energy. If that doesn't work, he throws other things at them. It doesn't stop until they leave the Underworld, no matter how far you go, how long you stay, or how much you destroy."

Zach gave a slow nod of understanding.

"He's also resource-efficient."

"You can call him stingy."

"Right. So, he won't use more resources than needed. That's why a bunch of wet-behind-the-ear students are perfect. Unlike with people like you, he will actually hesitate to go all out when he can try and use a more eff—a stingier method.

"If we survive, perfect training. He will step up the efforts to stop us or get in our way while advancing his plan against the surface.

"Something along those lines, and during our fourth year when we are hopefully strong enough to enter the Underworld without appearing strong enough to threaten the Great Ugor, we can surprise him and kill him."

"That's the plan."

"...It's a shitty ass plan."

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