Dungeon Subjugation - Part 2
The 3rd squad’s formation was built around Kang Hana in the rear as the main damage dealer. Yu Dasom handled frontline healing, supported by one auxiliary healer in the backline. The remaining five weapon and martial arts students took responsibility for the vanguard.
The 1st and 2nd squads each had a Platinum-rank student from either the weapon or martial arts track. In those groups, the Platinum could command from the front. Here in the 3rd squad, however, Kang Hana was the only Platinum. That left me standing in the vanguard instead of the rear where auxiliary types usually belonged. In the current situation, I was essentially the Platinum stand-in, so this was the correct position.
Splash—!
“Ugh. It really is a swamp.”
“Good thing I deliberately wore my worst clothes.”
“There aren’t any leeches, right?”
“Now that you mention it, I heard there are monsters that look like leeches.”
The moment we stepped inside the dungeon, what greeted us wasn’t monsters but the wet squelch of puddles, sticky mud, and clumps of reeds growing here and there. The classic swamp environment made even me let out a groan of complaint, just like the students.
‘So this is why clans avoid these dungeons.’
It was only a C-rank dungeon. There were no particularly valuable items or byproducts to be gained. At best you’d pick up some miscellaneous junk, and even that could be found in easier dungeons. Given how unpleasant the environment was, it was the type of place clans wanted to avoid most. That was why national ability users were in charge of clearing it now. And even they were short on numbers, which was why they’d requested support from the Academy.
“Everyone, stay alert. We’re inside a dungeon. Focus. Focus.”
My quiet warning made the students close their mouths. No matter how easy the dungeon was, casualties could still occur. The opponents we would soon face were monsters that saw humans as nothing but food. Not even the slightest carelessness was permitted. Not if you wanted to live.
“Lizardmen approaching from the front.”
The Gold-rank male student at the far right end of the line called out while giving the stop signal. Right after, the entire 3rd squad confirmed a group of Lizardmen closing in on our formation.
“Twelve of them! They all look like warriors. No archers or shamans in sight!”
Kang Hana was the first to assess the enemy’s scale. She wasn’t just acting as a damage dealer—she was also serving as the squad’s lighthouse. This was exactly why people said you could trust a Platinum rank.
“I won’t drag this out. Just do what you’ve always done. As long as you don’t make mistakes, we’ll be fine.”
At my words the students nodded and each began preparing for battle.
Kee—! Kirik—!
The Lizardmen must have spotted us too, because they began approaching slowly.
“Magic casting complete! I’m starting, Examiner!”
The signal that battle had begun came from Kang Hana’s spell.
“Ice Piercing!”
With a sharp cry, translucent ice spikes flew toward the Lizardmen. Their speed was so fast that blocking or dodging was impossible from the start.
Thud—!
One Lizardman died without even being able to scream. The one right behind it must have taken heavy damage as well; it thrashed around but couldn’t stand back up.
‘As expected of Kang Hana. As expected of Platinum. Her magic is impressive, but her combat sense is even better.’
Mages sometimes made a common mistake. They’d get too excited, see too many monsters closing in, and thoughtlessly unload wide-area magic right from the start. The reason it was a mistake was simple: mana would run out quickly that way. Constantly spamming area-of-effect spells also ruined your allies’ field of vision. In the worst case, you might miss the monsters’ movements entirely. Even more seriously, your own formation could get caught in the blast.
In that regard, Kang Hana was perfect. She used single-target magic to cleanly eliminate one enemy while causing zero friendly damage. At the same time, she conserved as much mana as possible in case of emergencies. As a Platinum she could have wiped them all out if she wanted. Instead, she deliberately yielded combat experience to the students, keeping herself ready to cast at any moment.
‘That’s why she’s in Lee Hyunwoo’s party. It’s not for nothing.’
I gave her a small smile, then threw myself into the fight.
Dungeon subjugation wasn’t a game. You had to solve it step by step. A swing from an ally’s weapon, a stray punch, or incoming magic could all injure you. You had to move like precise interlocking gears, not in a sloppy free-for-all.
Kyaek—! Grrk—!
The instant they clashed with the students, the Lizardmen were literally swept away like leaves. They held a slight numerical advantage, but every student here was Gold rank or higher. Even by dungeon standards, they were strong enough to handle up to B-rank. It would have been strange if they were losing.
‘Looks like I don’t have anything to do here.’
That was fortunate. Using the Gatekeeper trait in this situation would have been extremely awkward. At this rate, the only thing left for me to do was evaluate each student individually. Which was, after all, what the supervising professor was supposed to do anyway.
“Another group of Lizardmen approaching from the rear!”
Hmm. A wave on the very first battle. The environment and everything else made it clear once again just how annoying this place was.
The first battle ended. To get straight to the point, my worries had been unfounded. I’d been concerned the students might get too excited or too nervous and make mistakes. That they might move more than necessary and waste stamina, for example.
But the students had sliced through the monsters with surprising calm. They never broke formation, never wasted mana on excessive skill use, and no one was injured by stray attacks. A clean, perfect battle. A flawless victory with zero casualties. The start was very good.
‘At this rate I don’t even need to step in. If I do, I’ll just be stealing their experience.’
Kang Hana seemed to share my thoughts. In the following battles she held back on her magic as much as possible, only stepping forward when it was truly necessary. She was clearly trying to conserve mana while giving the Gold-ranks even more combat experience.
“Examiner, this looks like the driest ground. The elevation is a little higher than the rest, too.”
“It does. All right, everyone. Let’s rest for ten minutes, then move again.”
After two more battles, we finally took a short break. No students were showing signs of physical exhaustion yet. Everyone looked fine. Still, it was best to rest whenever the opportunity presented itself.
“They’re doing well, aren’t they?”
When I glanced over, Kang Hana was holding out a water bottle. I answered with a “They are,” took the bottle, and drank a sip.
“Thanks. I haven’t really done anything, though.”
“You fought the lizards at the beginning. After that you stepped back a little, but that’s because you’re conserving stamina and mana for emergencies, just like me, right?”
I hadn’t exactly been trying to conserve anything, but if she wanted to see it that way, I wasn’t going to complain. Instead of answering I simply took another drink. Kang Hana smiled.
“The professors stayed far back and only watched. You’re different, Examiner.”
She was right about that. There was no reason for a professor to insert themselves among the students. External support was ultimately an extension of the lesson. The students had to overcome the challenges themselves. Combat, judgment—everything should be left to them. That was what was best for their growth.
“I guess being in charge of only Bronze and Silver ranks for so long has made me overly worried.”
“Mm. That makes sense. But don’t worry. They’ll all do just fine.”
After our brief conversation, I gave the signal to move out again. We had encountered quite a few Lizardman groups, so it was about time for the boss to appear. A dungeon could only be cleared by defeating the boss monster inside it. You could either advance slowly, clean up the surroundings, and then take down the boss, or ignore the small fry and rush straight for the boss for a quick clear. Most strategies fell into one of those two categories.
The 3rd squad had chosen the former.
‘Right now we’re not just thinking about clearing it.’
That was exactly why we had entered the safest dungeon available. To experience as many different environments as possible, to spend more time inside, and to shed as much of the remaining tension and fear as we could. Even if something unexpected happened, they needed to develop the mindset to respond appropriately.
“Lizardman group spotted ahead. Five of them. Likely a scouting party.”
Once again, the student at the front quickly relayed the enemy information. A scouting party should be easy to eliminate. The students knew that too.
“Wait.”
But I stopped their advance.
“Examiner?”
The moment I saw the Lizardmen in the distance, a strange sense of unease had come over me.
“Student Kang Hana. Magic first.”
Despite the sudden order, Kang Hana obediently followed.
“Ice Piercing.”
An ice spike shot from her fingertips, cutting through the air. Just like before, a C-rank monster like a Lizardman should have been unable to react and died instantly. Even if it did react, it would already be too late and should have taken a fatal wound.
Kirik—!
“…Huh?”
But the Lizardman reacted properly to Kang Hana’s magic. It hadn’t completely avoided injury, but instead of having its torso pierced, only its arm had been severed.
Kyaa—!
The creatures that had spotted the students began rushing across the swamp toward us. And the closer they got, the thicker the ominous feeling grew.
“What the—why are they so fast!”
“Are those even Lizardmen?!”
A Lizardman that had closed the distance swung its spear. One of the students took the hit, let out a grunt, and staggered. He hadn’t let his guard down. His skill wasn’t bad. He wasn’t tired. He had been fighting the Lizardmen perfectly until now. Yet that same student was sent reeling backward in a single blow.
‘Fuck. No way. It can’t be… that was supposed to start in the second semester.’
An incident that had been mentioned near the end of the vacation episode. An omen of the coming disaster. But according to my memory, it wasn’t supposed to happen until after the break. So I had thought we still had time. I had thought we would be fine for now.
‘I was too complacent. I should have kept that possibility open the entire time.’
If I were to summarize the current situation, it would be this: it wasn’t only the ability users who grew stronger with time.