Chapter 384
Jane spoke.
"Get ready. We'll drop in according to order."
"......Excuse me?"
Dungeon entry was nothing short of perilous. They had to throw themselves into the heart of an erupting volcano, with only their bodies, and land precisely into that black portal.
A single misstep would mean diving straight into magma, melting to the bone.
As the startled students hesitated, Jane said,
"What did you think a dungeon entry was? It's not something you can just walk into easily."
She turned her head and gave a signal.
"Please, Professor Walter."
"Yes."
Walter stepped forward once more. His dry lips parted, releasing a voice like a hot wind.
"Chasseur."
The blood-flow magic net hovering above the students' heads now extended down into the volcano, laying itself like a cushion.
It blocked the erupting heat of the volcano entirely.
'Whoa!'
'He's blocking a volcano with that magic?!'
This was Keyzen's haematology professor. It was a level that couldn’t possibly be thought of as magic made from human blood.
"Alright, we'll move quickly in order."
The students hesitated, trying to yield the lead to someone else. Though the eruption had subsided a bit, it was still terrifying.
"I'm going!"
Among them, a brave male student stepped forward, launched himself onto the darkness, and jumped cleanly. Midair, he twirled his body, looked back at the other students, and shouted loudly.
"See you later—if we survive!"
With his arms raised in triumph, his body entered the portal precisely. Cheers and gasps erupted from the crowd. Jane nodded approvingly.
"Well done. Next."
The students' eyes gradually regained composure.
The volcano was scary, but compared to all the experience and hardships they'd gone through, it wasn’t that big a deal. Once someone took the first step, students began leaping into the portal one after another.
"I’ll be back."
In Team 7, Simon was the first to go. Dick grinned and gave Simon a high five.
"Let’s meet again in the second year! Buddy!"
Maelyn reached out her hand.
"I won’t lose this time. I’m aiming to graduate top of the class, so you better do your best too."
He shared a light hug with Kamibarez as well.
"Please come back safe, Simon!"
Energized by the three, Simon strode forward. He saw the teaching assistants blocking incoming debris with black magic.
"Simon."
Simon halted in his tracks. Professor Bahil of Katarology was waving at him with a grin.
"Ah, Professor Bahil!"
"Have a good trip. And, you haven’t forgotten what I told you, have you?"
Simon nodded.
"I’ll reserve Compellonia until the very end, and only use it as a last resort."
Bahil smiled at Simon's cleverness in recalling it word for word.
"Excellent."
Passing Bahil, Simon lined up with the students preparing for volcano diving. One by one, they jumped down, and it was soon Simon's turn.
"Are you prepared for the exam?"
Jane, who had been sending students down without emotion, spoke to Simon directly.
Simon grinned and replied,
"Yes! I'm in perfect condition!"
"......Come back safely."
"Thank you!"
Simon turned back and looked at his teammates approaching the line.
"I’m going ahead!"
He waved to them and jumped without hesitation. In the air, he spun to straighten his posture, and the pitch-black portal came into view before him.
'Alright.'
As Simon descended straight toward the dungeon portal—
Pwoooooooosh!
Suddenly, magma the size of a mountain surged up, piercing through the blood net.
‘!’
There was no time to draw a magic circle. Simon immediately opened his palm to ready for magical combat.
<Spuma> <Paralyze>
But the black magic of Professors Jane and Bahil shot down like lightning, trapping and subduing the magma. Meanwhile, Simon successfully entered the dungeon.
‘That was close.’
The moment he passed through the portal, darkness swallowed his vision. He was speeding through a narrow tunnel like a rat hole.
This strange sensation of spatial movement.
It was nothing like teleportation magic. It truly felt like being sucked into another world.
'Ah!'
At last, Simon saw the end. Exiting the long tunnel of darkness, he entered a dazzling world of light.
'So this is the dungeon!'
All around him was high sky.
He could feel a different kind of gentle gravity wrapping around him, unlike that of the continent.
As Simon slowly descended, his vision flickered.
"......."
His senses returned, and his eyes opened.
Swaaa—
A cool breeze rustled the grass.
The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was the passage from where he had just entered the dungeon. The portal floated high in the sky above.
Around the portal were several satellites, large and small, reminiscent of moons, and countless stars sparkled in the night sky.
'Made it down without injury.'
Feeling a bit dizzy, Simon held his forehead and sat up.
Though commonly called a dungeon, in truth, it was more like a mini-dimension.
He looked around.
"Wow......."
It was the most breathtaking nightscape he'd ever seen in his life.
The plants glowed with fluorescent light. Even the rocks and stones scattered by the roadside emitted light.
All those dazzling colors, all different in hue and size, mixed together to create a true festival of lights.
It was enchanting.
For a moment, he even thought it wouldn't be so bad to be trapped here and live watching just this view.
‘Mmm, snap out of it.’
He had dropped into a perilous dungeon. He couldn’t afford to be entranced by the scenery forever. He sprang to his feet.
'What should I do first?'
The goal of a dungeon was always the same.
To kill the ‘Dungeon Master’, also known as the boss monster.
The basic principle of dungeon exploration was to collect various clues, and then combine those clues to estimate the location of the Dungeon Master.
However, Jane had said that this dungeon was as large as the territory of an entire kingdom.
It was going to take time.
With 647 necromancers deployed all at once, the dungeon would eventually be cleared, but no one could say how long it would take.
A long campaign ahead. First, food gathering comes first.
Simon currently had only two days’ worth of food kits provided by Keyzen, and an artifact that could generate drinkable water.
Students weren’t allowed to smuggle in food. Before entering the dungeon, they were subjected to a thorough subspace inspection by Keyzen. When Simon heard that even subspace radar would be activated, he was terrified.
Simon possessed an enormous hidden subspace embedded in his body. Feer had advised him that if he brought too many Ancient Undead, the radar might detect subspace anomalies. So he only brought the most essential, Feer himself.
‘No matter how quickly we clear this, it’ll take at least a week. It’s a long-distance marathon. Food will be the biggest problem.’
Simon decided to scout the surroundings.
If he met other students, he would cooperate, but he doubted he’d run into anyone on this vast land.
‘I’ll investigate everything, assuming I’m on my own.’
* * *
At the same time, in the grand auditorium on Roke Island.
"Thank you all for waiting!"
As the audience sat, the host in flamboyant attire stood at the podium, holding a sound amplification crystal and shouted,
"Welcome, parents and esteemed guests, to the Keyzen Advancement Exam and 5th BMAT Observation Event! I’m your commentator for this exam broadcast, Conrad Hayabon!"
As the host bowed politely, the audience responded with applause.
"Yes, yes, welcome! Hahaha! It was unfortunate that the 4th BMAT suddenly turned into an ‘After School BMAT’ and the broadcast got canceled, but I’m grateful we were able to hold this final event!"
Though it was an advancement exam, it was officially the 5th BMAT, allowing parents and guests to observe and watch a broadcast of the exam.
The host, holding a script, continued.
"As many of you parents may know, this is such a large-scale test that changes are frequent. The broadcast will run for a maximum of two weeks, ten hours a day. Keyzen will provide all accommodations and meals, but please refrain from entering restricted areas on the island and maintain order. Thank you."
After rattling off the safety notices, the host quickly flipped his cue card.
"Also, since the dungeon is a space separate from the continent, live broadcast is not possible! We ask for your understanding. The footage sent to the school is recorded by observers floating above the dungeon, and those recordings are retrieved and then aired. There may be a delay between the students’ activities and what you see! Now then! Let me introduce the professor who will assist me with commentary for this exam!"
A crucial moment.
The host nervously flipped the cue card containing the professor’s name.
‘Please don’t let it be Professor Belya! Not Professor Jane either!’
Step, step, step.
Footsteps echoed up to the stage. The host, upon seeing her face, briefly despaired.
‘No way, is it Professor Belya?!’
For a moment, he thought so, but on closer inspection, the facial features were subtly different. And she wasn’t dressed in that intense, oppressive outfit either.
Her hair was tied back, her height was tall and statuesque, and her body was solid, with bronzed, muscular definition.
Finally checking the professor list again, the host broke into a bright smile and shouted,
"Let me introduce! The legend of Magical Combat, who took down the great disaster-class Kundar Hydra with her bare hands! Ranked top in class satisfaction for five consecutive years! Currently teaching Magical Combat to first-years—Professor Hongpeng Tun Sokum Marlat!"
Clap clap clap clap clap!
Many parents clapped warmly, having already heard of Hongpeng’s name. The exotic-looking Hongpeng smiled brightly and bowed.
"Nice to meet you, parents and Keyzen affiliates! I am Cult Leader Hongpeng!"
The host flinched at the words.
"C-Cult Leader?"
"Yes! Cult Leader!"
"Ah! You meant professor, not... ahahaha! The continental pronunciation can be tricky, indeed! Anyway, we look forward to your insightful commentary!"
"Yes, Presenter!"
Though she was smiling, the host’s pupils were trembling.
‘Looks like I got someone odd again. Are there no normal professors in Keyzen?’
"Now! We’ve just received word that the observers have returned, and the footage is being prepared for broadcast. But before that, Professor Hongpeng! Could you explain the advancement exam being held in this dungeon?"
She nodded and grabbed the sound amplification crystal.
"For necromancers, dungeon conquest is an unavoidable trial. A place where danger and rewards coexist!"
"I-Is that so! Have you personally been in a dungeon before, Professor?"
"Of course! Many times. I was once in a dungeon for over five months. Almost starved to death. Ah! One of our Keyzen cult leaders is currently inside the dungeon too. It’s Cult Leader Sillage!"
Though flustered at first, the host was gradually adjusting to Hongpeng’s speech style. He found himself charmed by her lively personality and warm smile.
"Ahem, then, Professor! Could you briefly explain this particular dungeon?"
"Sure."
She signaled to the assistants, and a large map of the dungeon unfolded.
"Our Keyzen operatives have already mapped the dungeon. As you can see, no matter where the students landed, it’s possible to reach the Dungeon Master."
"Ohh, I see! Then what would you say is the most important thing for students trying to clear the dungeon?"
"Inquisitiveness."
She spread out her palm.
"You must not overlook even the smallest thing! Only by questioning and analyzing everything will you gain the clues needed to reach the Dungeon Master!"
"I-I see! Ah, perfect timing! We’ve just received the first observer recording! Let’s take a look together!"
* * *
Day 1 of the Dungeon.
Simon was searching everywhere for anything edible.
His main focus was the plants within this dungeon.
Especially fruits growing on trees, they were an important food source that could be obtained with minimal risk.
"But this…"
Simon stared at a fallen fruit, deep in thought.
"It won’t break."
The fruit’s skin was as hard as a mineral. No—rather than being like a mineral, the outer shell actually was made of mineral.
A substance probably unique to this dungeon.
Even the plants’ fluorescent glow came from the light-emitting properties of this mineral.
Tree roots, leaves—everything was covered in this mineral-like substance. Some were flexible and could bend well, while others were simply as strong as steel.
‘But seriously, why is this so tough?’
Neither Simon’s magical combat, nor Overlord’s tentacle blades could crack or cut the mineral.
Simon rubbed his forehead and fell deep into thought.
Thud! Thud!
"?!"
Simon jumped and turned around in surprise.
There had been no warning, but suddenly heavy footsteps burst forth.
With a rustle, trees parted, revealing a large monster with a glimmering, mineral-covered shell on its back, just like the surrounding trees.
It looked strong. A monster with no known threat level, as it didn’t exist on the continent. Simon had no way of gauging its strength without fighting it.
‘First battle since entering the dungeon.’
The monster was glaring at Simon, snorting aggressively. A deep hostility toward outsiders was palpable.
‘I wonder what kind of clue it holds?’
Simon and the monster charged at each other at the same time.
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters