We gathered at the grand courtyard and followed Teacher Song Si-yeol toward the back garden of the Academy.
In the back garden, there was an iron structure that did not match the architectural style of the Academy building.
Teacher Song Si-yeol manipulated the control panel located in front of the structure.
Soon, the iron structure unfolded like a crouching bird spreading its wings.
“This, this is…”
“Who would’ve thought the Academy had something like this!”
It was a gate emitting a blue aura.
Teacher Song Si-yeol guided the students through it.
“Alright, settle down. This gate serves as the entrance to the Dungeon used by the Academy’s training sessions. You may freely enter for training after school until 9 PM. Make sure to use it often.”
The students lined up and entered the gate.
Inside the gate, a vast forest stretched out.
A field-type dungeon.
Most dungeons were so large they seemed endless, with many having unclear completion conditions.
————-<Dungeon Entrance>————-
[You have entered ‘Gigantic Forest.’]
—————————————–
For ten years, the Academy had been using this dungeon as a practical training ground.
Near the gate, the Academy set up a base camp, complete with necessary facilities like restrooms and shelters, all protected by a defensive wall.
Teacher Song Si-yeol led the students to an open space nearby, where the A class students were already gathered to receive instructions.
“Alright, at the edge of this open area, you’ll find various weapons like swords, spears, and bows arranged for you. Pick one weapon of your choice now. You’ll be able to change weapons for some time, so just choose what appeals to you for now.”
True to his word, the open area was stocked with a wide variety of weapons.
Though they showed signs of use, with dull edges and worn handles, they were still serviceable.
I picked a spear in relatively good condition.
While daggers felt most familiar, I hesitated to choose one for fear of revealing my habits, reminiscent of the ‘Dark Knight.’ If I were too similar, I might eventually be found out.
Moreover, the spear had the highest value. Whether facing humans or monsters, the long reach of the spear provided a significant advantage.
I joined the lineup with the selected spear when, suddenly, Park Hayeon of Class A met my gaze. She looked startled and quickly turned her head.
“What is it?”
She had been watching me since earlier.
Once all the B class students gathered, Teacher Song Si-yeol let out a sigh before beginning his explanation.
“For the next three days, you will have the time to find a weapon that suits you best. In your respective groups, you’ll hunt monsters with the weapons you have chosen. That’s all.”
The students looked flustered.
“Teacher, how exactly are we supposed to hunt monsters?”
Teacher Song Si-yeol sighed deeply in response.
“Although we call them monsters, only harmless creatures like horned rabbits and slimes exist in this area.”
Now Yang Min-seo raised her hand.
“Are there any guns available?”
“That was bound to come up sooner or later… How troublesome.”
The teacher clearly found it irritating, but continued:
“Academy does not offer a gun curriculum due to their high cost. Although, if you have the resources, you might find it worthwhile.”
“I see.”
Yang Min-seo regretfully hugged the bow she had initially brought along.
The gun, humanity’s greatest weapon, was regrettably inefficient in this post-status-screen world where monsters poured out of gates. Low-tier mobs could still be handled by firearms, but as strong as orcs, their mana-infused skin shields prevented regular bullets from dealing significant damage. Firing expensive missiles worth tens of billions was economically infeasible. Thus, the use of Awakened Ones became the norm.
Advanced research eventually produced mana-infused bullets, but at 500,000 won each, they remained a luxury for the wealthy.
Recalling something suddenly, the teacher said,
“Oh, almost forgot! Group leaders, step forward to receive your navigation device. Once inside the dense forest, you may lose your way, so you’ll need the navigator to find the way back to base camp.”
These navigators, using ancient artifact technology rather than GPS systems, resembled smartphones.
“How could he almost forget something so crucial?”
The Academy was a tough place for students. Releasing children into such a dangerous forest every year, there were reportedly many missing cases.
However, considering that the precursor to the Hero Academy was the Hunter Academy, this wasn’t entirely surprising.
The reason students couldn’t argue with the dangerous nature of this practice lay in the privilege of entering the dungeon itself. For an Awakened One to increase their rank, there was no faster way than running dungeons. However, the majority of dungeons were monopolized by guilds and management teams.
With the resurgence of gates, things will likely change.
“Alright, get going. Return by 12:30 PM with your quarry. In case of any emergency, press the SOS button on your navigator to summon help.”
With that, we entered the vast forest after a quick preparation. Towering trees that seemed to reach the sky surrounded us, looking eerie.
The inner areas were quite dark due to the dense canopy, blocking the sunlight. Despite my familiarity from games, I couldn’t shake off an impending feeling of fear.
The sensation of being a stranger in a place so far removed from Earth created a chilling sense of isolation. If anyone lost the navigator in here, they may never return.
Unbeknownst to me, a creeping sense of insignificance washed over me, raising the hairs on my neck.
Ji Soyeon, armed with a dagger, spoke hesitantly.
“Perhaps we shouldn’t venture too far?”
Oh Haena mocked her response, sneering.
“Ha. We’ve only walked 300 meters.”
Suddenly, we heard a rustling sound from the northwest grass.
I gestured to Yang Min-seo, knowing her skills were the best to identify potential ambushes. Even if enemies weren’t clear to her, they would be categorized in her vision as ‘bush’, ‘bush’, ‘horned rabbit’, ‘bush’.
“It’s a horned rabbit. Can we take it?”
A horned rabbit, as the name suggested, was an E-rank monster resembling a rabbit with horns. When cornered, it could leap forward with its horns, sometimes injuring people.
Although Yang Min-seo had her bow ready, I assumed from past habits that she used to handle guns, making her effectiveness questionable. Ji Soyeon held a dagger, and Oh Haena had a shortsword. Given the agility of the horned rabbit to flee at the slightest sound, it would be challenging for them.
It seemed the task fell to me.
“I’ll throw the spear. Haena, assist by creating wind toward the horned rabbit to improve the timing.”
“What makes you think you’re in a position to order me around? A D-rank like you.”
I silently caught Yang Min-seo’s attention, and she gave a subtle cue to Oh Haena.
“Hmph. This time only.”
Oh Haena finally gave in.
‘She keeps provoking.’
It was slightly irritating.
While I hadn’t specifically trained in spear-throwing, with B-rank strength and agility, it felt doable. The enhancement in my physical abilities seemed to have improved along with my stats.
With a backward pull of the spear, I released it toward the direction of the horned rabbit.
The spear cut through the air, emitting a final cry.
“Kiik.”
We rushed toward the bush and found the horned rabbit with the spear piercing its body. Even in this state, as a monster, it was still alive, twitching its legs.
A red gem floated above, but I ignored it. The unique trait of the ‘Dark Knight,’ burning monsters to ash with blue flames, prevented any connection to Shinoda being revealed.
“Amazing.”
Yang Min-seo was impressed.
I casually dismissed it, having already accomplished C-rank solo dungeon runs. Catching a horned rabbit was hardly something to boast about.
Suddenly, a scream nearby startled us.
“Kyaah!”
“Ah!”
It sounded like a boy and a girl, likely from another group.
“What was that?”
Murmuring to myself, I headed toward the noise. However, Yang Min-seo quickly intervened.
“Hold on! Do you even know what kind of danger might be lurking? We should inform the teacher first.”
“Then press the SOS button. I’m going to help anyway.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
Supported by Ji Soyeon and Oh Haena, Yang Min-seo added her voice.
“Listen to Min-seo. It’s a dungeon; a D-rank like you shouldn’t be so reckless.”
“I-I think we should stay. It might be dangerous…”
I felt no significant danger given my own stats, but I couldn’t reveal that. Even without equipment, my strength and agility were at B-rank. In a pinch, I could use the Dragon Sword and aim for an A-rank boost.
I feigned righteousness.
“Still, I’ll go. With telekinesis, I might give injured classmates a chance to escape. Besides, if we skip helping due to danger, why did we come to the Hero Academy?”
“…”
A brief silence followed. Yang Min-seo eventually sighed, raising her hands in resignation.
“Fine. Let’s go check, but if it gets dangerous, we retreat immediately.”
“No need for all of you to take the risk. You can press the SOS button and wait here…”
“There’s no way we’re leaving you. We’re a team.”
Oh Haena reluctantly agreed with Yang Min-seo’s decision, while Ji Soyeon, with a fearful expression, hesitated and whispered anxiously.
“Ah… It’s not a good idea…”
