On the day of the entrance test, thanks to the surprisingly swift processing of the academy, Veris was headed straight for the dungeon.
As expected, the interior of the dungeon, which he was experiencing for the first time, was indeed a place where visibility was difficult.
"It feels somehow eerie in here."
"Since visibility is poor, let's proceed calmly."
How long had the nervous-faced freshmen been wandering through the dungeon?
Amidst that tension, Veris was observing the situation from the very back of the group.
In the entrance test that had finally begun, the group assigned to Veris consisted of ten members. Arwen had been assigned to a different group and had already entered the dungeon, so if luck was on their side, they might meet inside. However, that peace was shattered by a dark-haired, blonde man. "By the way, aren't you a swordsman? Why are you hanging back?"
As the freshmen advanced, dealing with the occasional goblins that appeared from the darkness, a voice filled with dissatisfaction flew toward Veris.
Well, it was a group of ten. With no concept of front or rear among the randomly selected freshmen, it was only natural for complaints to arise when Veris, holding a sword, was trailing at the back.
"That's right."
"Then why are you just following behind?"
"Because safety in the rear is important in such a dark space?"
"Just say it. You're acting like a coward."
Even with Veris's explanation met with a cold response, he could only blink in surprise.
What a bunch of foolish kids. The number of monsters Veris had already dealt with from the back was easily in the dozens.
Protecting these innocent chicks running ahead was his job, yet they had the audacity to speak like that.
"I can feel a strong flow of mana up ahead."
For a moment, amidst the commotion, one of the freshmen pointed ahead with a puzzled expression.
A large door stood blocking a space. The mere existence of such a structure within the dungeon was strange, and it seemed the freshmen didn't quite understand what it meant. "Let's go in."
"Isn't it dangerous?"
"What are you talking about? Surely there can't be any danger in the academy's underground dungeon."
Heh.
At the confident words of one freshman, Veris let out a small chuckle.
The man who introduced himself as Golden Taining seemed to primarily use gauntlets, as he was wearing them on his arms.
He was the one who had just scolded Veris, and listening to his words made it clear that he was a perfect example of the saying "ignorance is bliss."
"Are you laughing?"
The problem was that this man had heard Veris's laughter.
"Let's see you outside."
Thinking Veris had mocked him, he shot a cold glare at him. But Veris merely shrugged, and soon the freshmen began exchanging opinions.
"Is it really necessary to take such risks? Our main goal is to meet the instructor waiting inside the dungeon and get our confirmation stamp."
"However, everyone knows the exam criteria. One of the evaluation items is to bring out valuable items from within the dungeon."
"That's true, but…"
"If anyone is scared, you can wait here at the door. I'm going in."
With that, everyone fell silent. It had already been several hours since they entered the dungeon, and they hadn't found a trace of any people, so it was only natural for them to feel anxious.
'What a bunch of immature kids.'
Thinking that, Veris subtly turned his head to look behind the group.
It was an unfathomable darkness. The fact that dozens of monsters were lurking in that darkness, waiting for their chance, was no coincidence.
In that pitch-black darkness, Veris focused on one spot.
It was the presence he had felt since earlier. However, it seemed that no one here had the ability to see through that stealth, as they were innocently moving forward, only looking ahead.
'It doesn't even make sense for the instructor to be waiting inside the dungeon.'
Isn't it a problem that can be solved with just a little thought? To meet the instructor and get a confirmation stamp in this maze-like, complex, and enormous dungeon that wraps around the entire underground of the city?
It would be more realistic to bring back the head of the dungeon boss.
"Are you really planning to go through that door?"
Fortunately, it seemed not everyone in the group was ignorant, as a woman voiced her concern.
She appeared to be from a holy nation, dressed in priestly robes. However, it was a simpler outfit than the priestly robes Veris remembered. Was she of a different rank than Cecilia, whom he had seen in the past?
"How pathetic. Are you scared?"
"That's not the issue…"
"There could be an instructor inside. Am I wrong?"
It seemed that Golden Taining wanted to persuade the group to enter the door with him. However, the amusing part was that gradually all the freshmen began to show their agreement with his opinion.
"I don't think it's an impossible adventure either."
"I agree."
"As I mentioned earlier, the majority are in favor. Those who are scared can wait at the door, but I think that's even more dangerous."
"That's…"
"At this point, I believe you understand my point. This is not a choice."
Could it be that his training was not in martial arts but in rhetoric? He was quite the smooth talker. If only his skills were half as good as his tongue.
After a brief moment, they eventually reached a tentative agreement to enter the door. Of course, it wasn't a result derived from a normal consensus but rather a mix of half-threats, yet Veris didn't pay much attention to that.
'This world operates on strength, after all.'
In times like this, it's a very simple world.
* * *
"This is insane."
A man holding a notebook for recording muttered in disbelief.
He was one of the so-called "instructors" who had been deployed to evaluate the freshmen entering the academy.
The group he was responsible for at this time was not particularly unique. Six melee combatants to take the front, one priest, and three mages.
However, what surprised him was the presence of one particular freshman. The one who had unnecessarily draped himself in a black robe had accurately seen through his stealth.
Thanks to his excellent stealth skills, he had been selected as an instructor for the entrance exam. It was not something that should be detected by a mere freshman, so what was going on…?
Moreover, what was even more astonishing was that even when he directed monsters to ambush the back of the group, that freshman easily dealt with them.
It was truly an out-of-the-norm level of skill. It wasn't hard to understand due to the surname "Vitelbach" written in the evaluation criteria, but it was undeniable that he possessed an extraordinary ability for a freshman.
"What kind of courage did he have to open that door?"
The problem arose just a moment ago.
Thanks to countless explorations of the academy's underground dungeon, the instructor had a rough understanding of the geography. However, the sudden appearance of the "door" was something he had never encountered before.
If they had common sense, they wouldn't have opened a door that had appeared in the dungeon, but the freshmen boldly entered inside.
It was almost an accident that had occurred suddenly. It would have been right to halt the exam for safety. But did a low-ranking instructor like him have such authority?
In the end, the man moved. If the freshmen were to get hurt, he would bear a heavy responsibility. After all, the very premise of the exam, to find the instructor in the dungeon and get a confirmation stamp, was a lie… He could only blame himself for not revealing himself at the right time.
* * *
"Damn it!"
Golden Taining realized the moment he entered the dungeon right after the exam began.
He was supposed to lead them. That was because the group was filled with unreliable individuals.
Just looking at the melee combatants, excluding the priest and mages, made him sigh. Among them, the most bizarre was the swordsman who wore a robe, a lunatic.
That's why Golden Taining had led them into this door for the sake of their exam results. Without even properly understanding what awaited them inside.
"Die!"
─ Crack!
"Gasp, gasp…"
What they encountered inside was not the usual monsters like goblins or kobolds.
The first to greet them was a half-man, half-beast monster known as a Minotaur.
It was a creature that was considered manageable by a skilled knight alone. After a tough battle, they had defeated it through cooperation and had gone deeper.
And that's where the problem arose.
There was not just one but a horde of Minotaurs in that place.
The ensuing battle did not go well. While they had the ability to handle one, it was a different story when they were swarmed.
── Moooo!!
The roar of the monster echoed through the vast chasm like a cow's moo. Just hearing the sound diminished their morale.
The "fear" emitted by a mid-level monster swept over the group of freshmen.
"W-What should we do?"
They had just dealt with two approaching Minotaurs at the front. But the problem was that during that process, two members of the group had been injured and lost consciousness.
To put it simply, they had already lost the ability to continue fighting. One priest in the group was diligently casting recovery spells, but there was no guarantee that there would be no aftereffects.
Swallow.
And Golden Taining understood the situation better than anyone else. He also knew what he had to do.
"W-We need to escape…"
"Stop right there!"
"Are you crazy? Running away during the exam?"
In the end, Golden Taining made a decision.
To flee.
He couldn't let this place become his grave.
Even if he had to roll in a dung heap, it was better to live, so he decided to abandon his group for survival.
─ Moooo!
Boom!
"Gah!"
As the one who had been holding the front line against the beasts fled, the situation began to change rapidly.
Due to the accumulated fatigue from the battle, they had been pushed back consistently. Moreover, with one front-line member gone, it was only natural that some members would allow the monsters to attack.
"We have to retreat! We can't die like this!"
"Where are we supposed to take that herd of cattle? Can we even pass through the door we came in?"
They were already surrounded by numerous monsters. With two members down and one fleeing from a group of ten, how could they break through the encirclement?
The enraged freshmen swung their weapons wildly and cast spells like madmen. But the opponents were monsters with high defense and magic resistance. Their attacks were not easily bringing them down.
"Ugh, these stupid kids."
In the end, as the situation rapidly changed, Veris, who had been deflecting their attacks, had no choice but to move.
─ Moooo?
The monsters could only look at the wave of mana that enveloped them with dumbfounded expressions.
An overwhelming level of magical power that was beyond words. The source of it was a human wearing a hood.
"What are you trying to do?"
"What do you think? I'm going to resolve this crisis."
"This isn't the time for jokes! You've been hiding in the back out of fear, how do you plan to handle this alone?"
─ Swoosh.
"With overwhelming power."
In this darkness, let there be light.
──── Flash!