Surviving in my Own Unpublished Failed Novel

"Thank you for accommodating us, Vice-Chancellor."

Arche Moon, Russell's and Freya's father said with a bow after confirming the situation and feeling grateful for their children's safety. Aside from it, the students who went missing brought back pieces of information that would certainly be of help to authorities.

"I apologize for the lack of our security. I have no reason to make an excuse."

Vice-Chancellor said apologetically, it's not really because of the Obelisk Academy's capabilities regarding security, but rather of Junain's Blanket that bypassed it, which was provided by Azalea.

"No, no. It's alright..."

Arche Moon looked at Russell for a moment before continuing what he was about to say.

"I'm glad that my son can make social connections in this academy."

He's referring to Russell's classmates or especially, the students he and Freya came back with, and Azalea, the one who claimed to lend the Junain's Blanket.

"If you may excuse us, Vice-Chancellor, as parents, we ought to do our jobs, and our duty calls..."

Vice-Chancellor Dexter smiled at Arche's words because, he, too, has a daughter that would attend the Obelisk Academy next academic year.

"Alright, thank you for your time, and I hope this incident wouldn't happen again."

After some words of concern, the issue has been resolved... at least superficially.

...

"Mom, Dad! Take care, okay!?"

Freya said in a slightly loud voice as she waved her hands goodbye, it's the same for Russell.

Normally, parents were not allowed to enter the Obelisk Academy just because they wanted to see their child, but the issues regarding Russell and the others were totally different.

Arche looked at Russell to which he responded with a nod. Russell understood what his father's thoughts were, it was about Freya.

'We've advanced in ranks for a short period of time, but that's about it...'

Russell thought inwardly, although they received help from their Constellations, they couldn't just become stronger quickly unless they made an effort for it, training themselves and raiding dungeons. The help provided by their Constellations also served as a stepping stone and great leap... at least at this point in time because the moment Close Mystery Towers open, other people, students or not would certainly stumble into mysteries that would help them grow may be stronger than their current them.

'But it's the nature of power that's one of the ultimate deciders in a fight.'

He added in his mind as he saw the disappearing backs of their parents. Then a captivating voice of a woman entered their ears.

"Russell... the Vice-Chancellor has requested a summon for all of you."

...

Inside the Vice-Chancellor's Office, a man in his laboratory coat was standing beside Vice-Chancellor Dexter as he placed a transparent orb atop the side of the desk.

It's the Orb of Truth that has a multipurpose usage such as interviewing the students that admitted to the academy and getting out the truth about criminals that committed heinous crimes.

The Orb of Truth was a Legendary rank artifact that came from the Peak Dungeon Tower called Lair of Allihad, Drake of Truth. It was cleared by the famous guilds roughly a few years ago that took at least 6 months to finish which included the resupplying of resources. It took that long not because the famous players or rankers were weak, but because of the certain conditions that were imposed on them upon raiding the dungeon tower.

Knock-! Knock-!

"Come in."

Azalea peek in a little gap before she signaled the students behind her. After completely opening the white door that creaked slightly, Russell, Freya, Amelie, and Amery entered and took their seats on a couch while they immediately recognized the figure standing beside Vice-Chancellor Dexter. A man with slightly long but not considered short black hair and blackish eyes wearing retro eyeglasses.

'Sir Emmanuel Lyncoster...'

The trio of women also recognized the orb in the table, it's the Orb of Truth they used when getting interviewed for important information regarding their Status Window, it's because that peeking in one's Status Window was against the academy's admittance rules, they were instead asked about the important stat which was called Mana Power and their profession.

"Hmm... I'm sure every one of you knows the figure beside me, and this artifact on my desk.

"It's not that we don't trust our students, but we needed to make sure to confirm everything for a second time under this artifact.

"Remember, the answer that one of you provided will be counted as all of your answers. Alright.

"Then, I'll explain again how this artifact works. This artifact is called the Orb of Truth, the one who will answer the questions will place both their hands on it.

"If the Orb of Truth glowed golden upon answering a question, it means that you are telling the truth.

"If it glowed black, then you are telling a lie, but if it glowed golden tainted with black, it means that you are somehow telling the truth but with a mix of a lie.

"...Alright, who is the one who will answer?"

After looking at each other, Amelie volunteered with enthusiastic behavior.

"Hmm... I see, then Ms. Amelie, will you place your hands on top of it."

After Amelie came forward and place her hands on top of the Orb of Truth, the questioning began.

...

"Did the four of you really sneak out of the Obelisk Academy?"

Although Junain's Blanket could provide such help, the Vice-Chancellor asked such a question as he might think that some other factor must have happened.

Azalea felt somehow curious and yet pressured. After all, if Amelie's words turned out to be a lie, she'd get a penalty for lying because she claimed responsibility for the artifact.

"Yes, Vice-Chancellor."

Woong- Woong-

The Orb of Truth made a woong sound then it glowed golden, causing Azalea's eyes to slightly dilate and her eyebrows pricked up.

'...What? They're clearly lying, though.'

Although she didn't know how these four students disappeared from within the Obelisk premises, she knew based on Russell's request for Junain's Blanket to be used to cover the true method or way how they vanished.

"You're telling the truth, Ms. Amelie.

"Then, how about you... Disciplinary Committee President..."

Azalea's mind turned blank, but Amelie didn't mind it as she realized that even though the answer of one means the answer of them all, it didn't mean that she'd be the only one who would go under such questioning.

Although Azalea's thoughts started to race, she didn't say anything as she placed her hands on top of the Orb of Truth after Amelie released hers.

"Ms. Azalea, are you really the owner of the artifact, Junain's Blanket, that helped them sneak out of the academy?"

If Azalea answered Yes, it wouldn't be true anymore because the System now recognized Russell as the true owner of the artifact, but if she answered No, and the Orb of Truth recognized it as Truth, there'd be a loophole to what she told earlier about being responsible for it.

'I can't just say that I sold it to them because its cost is something these kids wouldn't be able to afford.'

Then at that moment, a System message that only she could see appeared on her side, she quickly skimmed through it, prompting her to look at Russell and the trio of women wearing unknown expressions with disbelief.

'What kind of weird...'

[Freya Moon has requested you to join a Party.]

[Would you accept?] [Yes or No]

It's different from the Star Quest Party that Freya leads because that would make Azalea fall under a Soul Contract which she wouldn't be able to leave.

'I accept.'

She said inwardly, feeling resigned to the peculiar acts of these students.

Then, she read the Party Chat that the System provided if the group of people was at a Party.

It's different from Telepathy that Russell could use with his Chaos Companions. This Party Chat could be operated through one's thoughts.

[Russell Moon: Answer Yes.]

[Amelie Rose Merveil: Heh...]

[Freya Moon: Trust Oppa!]

After a few seconds, she sighed before looking at the Orb of Truth.

"Yes."

Woong- Woong-

The Orb of Truth normally glowed golden, without a mix of a lie.

Azalea flinched slightly with the result, but as an experienced woman in various fields and the mysterious owner of the Thorn of Rose Black Market, she composed herself skillfully.

But her thoughts weren't on the Orb of Truth's result, but rather the four subsequent notifications that sounded in her ears the moment she answered 'Yes.'

[Russell Moon's ###: ??? has ### ### the lie you have just told.]

[Freya Moon's ###: ??? has ### ### the lie you have just told.]

[Amelie Rose Merveil's ###: ??? has ### ### the lie you have just told.]

[Amery Blight's ###: ??? has ### ### the lie you have just told.]

Azalea looked at the four students, sitting idly on a couch in disbelief. It's the first time in her life she encountered something like this...

'As if the System just broke...'

It was what her sights saw, but for Russell and the others, the System message they received looked like this:

[Your Trait: Nihility has completely concealed the lie that Azalea Vermillion has just told.]

...

<I'm glad it worked, how'd you come up with it, Russell?>

Amelie asked via Telepathy using the connection through being a Chaos Companion.

Freya and Amery also heard Amelie's voice in their heads.

<Do you remember what Verg-Or said when we were at the Nether Realm? About the prying abilities of something called Skills with Mirror or Arcana Origin, with our Nihility Trait, it wouldn't be able to pry on us.>

<And I believe those Skills have higher capabilities than this artifact.>

Russell said in a way that he believed that's the case, but he was certain because he knew the existence of the Mirror Dimension and Arcana World, and also the owner of the Eye of the Mirror Reality.

Eye of the Mirror Reality reflects the true nature of things but could be blocked by the Nihility trait according to what Verg-Or said which Russell put his trust because if Verg-Or lied to a Death Executioner, he'd be sent to Nether Torturers and be tormented to eternity especially the Ruler of Death's gaze was cast on the Nether Realm every second.

<I see... I get it now. Sigh... I hope this passes already, I'm hungry.>

Amelie said poignantly.

...

After an unknown period of time of somehow friendly interrogation, Amelie asked with anticipation.

"Vice-Chancellor... Sir Emmanuel, about our discovery of a Micro-Strayed Dungeon that's the first time in the history of humanity, would we become the owner of it?

"You see sirs, we could actually bring that gray rock here, but we left them there and rushed here after we got out of it..."

This time, Sir Emmanuel Lyncoster spoke in a formal tone.

"According to Orion's Law of Players, Article 5, Player's Exploration, the exclusive rights will be transferred to the first discoverer of any kind of Strayed Dungeon and Dungeon Towers. Thus, all of you will be given the rights to it.

"But, as a scholar and researcher, if you wanted to, the Obelisk Organization would like to buy the rights of the Micro-Strayed Dungeon you accidentally stumbled upon."

He said in a way that could somewhat entice the students into selling it, but his thoughts were in a race as various hypotheses became clear to him under the Orb of Truth's earlier response.

'That's why it couldn't be seen. It's so small, like a normal-looking rock. It would be of great help for our research, too!'

Amelie looked at Russell, Freya, and Amelie and they only nodded in response.

"Sir... we have no idea about the transactions between dungeon rights, and its price..."

"500 billion."

Russell, Freya, Amelie, Amery, Azalea, and even Vice-Chancellor Dexter's ears pricked up, seemingly unable to believe the price that Sir Emmanuel offered.

Normally, dungeon rights that cost 500 billion were in the realm of A+ rank, but considering the Monster Core of high quality, equivalent to A rank Boss Monster, it's somewhat reasonable.

"You know that Strayed Dungeons respawn or regenerate after some time..."

"1 trillion."

Russell interjected but restrained himself from laughing.

These offers barely came or happen anymore unless a person was a conglomerate, negotiating rights. Because of the existence of the Orion Obelisk Station (OSS), and the sci-fi-like way of discovering dungeons through Orion Obelisk Humanity Satellite Dungeon Detector (OOHSDD), an unaffiliated player has almost zero percent chance of discovering a dungeon first, but this time, with the unusual existence of a small dungeon that looked like a rock, which the authorities didn't expect, some group of students managed to discover it first out of curiosity, at least that was what other people believed.

Sir Emmanuel and the others looked at Russell with shocked expressions, seemingly feeling absurd with the price that match an S rank dungeon.

"Sir, according to what we've learned from Dungeon Geographical System, the monsters and structure of the dungeon play a very important role in the nature of the dungeon itself. We also learned that the average regeneration of Strayed Dungeon is 4 days minimum, 7 days maximum, and half a month for Dungeon Towers, one month for High Dungeon Towers, and a month and a half for Peak Dungeon Towers regardless of the environment or nature of them.

"This is just my guess, Sir, but I believe the so-called Micro-Strayed Dungeon that we stumbled upon regenerates itself in less than a day."

'Of course, this is not a guess, I designed Micro-Strayed Dungeons with the inspiration of Biology... just like cells and germs rapidly born and spreads, it's the same with Micro-Strayed Dungeons.'

Russell thought inwardly, seemingly wanting to jump with anticipation of money that he momentarily forgot his investment in Crescent Weaponry Company.

Sir Emmanuel Lyncoster chuckled with Russell's claim of dungeon regeneration in less than a day, but with the existence of the newly discovered Micro-Strayed Dungeon, it wasn't an Impossibility.

"Alright, but how did you come to the such hypothesis?"

He asked with anticipation, somewhat feeling elated with possibilities because if the Micro-Strayed Dungeon could really regenerate in less than a day, they'd be able to send affiliated players to raid it at least two or three times a day.

"Because of monsters' names and environment... I believe they were based on Neo-Biology."

Russell said with a smile, as money started to flood his mind.