Random Encounter (2)
The long, drawn-out midterms had finally reached their last day. The protagonist always comes last, after all. The Academy's midterms had saved the most important test for the very end: the dungeon practical exam.
The test itself wasn't anything special. We already risked our lives during regular practicals, so adding extra stakes on top of that was kind of hilarious. That's why the exam content was simple. While carrying a recording magic tool, we had to clear one floor above the highest layer our party had previously reached.
If a party cleared the fourth floor, they had to tackle the fifth. If they cleared the fifth, they moved on to the sixth. The distinctions students commonly used—like "early fifth floor" or "fifth floor boss"—meant nothing here. The only thing that mattered was whether you'd cleared the boss of the previous floor.
What was important wasn't succeeding in the clear itself. The exam evaluated how a party handled enemies that were equal to or stronger than themselves. Failing the clear was fine. If a cool, objective judgment determined that fighting would be a loss, retreating could actually earn a higher score. Sure, winning a fight would score higher than retreating, but there was no need to risk your life in a precarious battle.
Beyond that, the test was meticulously designed. Even party members who contributed little in direct combat could earn points for handling perimeter security or post-battle cleanup.
"Huh? But wouldn't that cause problems?" Claire asked after listening to my explanation, tilting her head in confusion.
"Information about the floor above should be easy to get, right? From senior students or something. Wouldn't it be okay to go in knowing the strategy ahead of time?"
"No. It's actually the opposite," Theo answered.
"Being able to gather information beforehand isn't the issue. The problem is not gathering it even though you can. If you don't even bother with basic intel gathering in a place where you could die? Any good evaluation is already out the window."
"Ah! I see."
Theo was right. To add a bit more, the dungeon's layout changed periodically anyway. Strategy information was limited to things like what kinds of monsters appeared or the boss's identity. And most importantly, just knowing didn't guarantee proper execution, so there was no problem with the test. This wasn't a turn-based game, after all.
You couldn't calmly think, 'The enemy will use their ultimate in three turns, so I'll apply stun or sleep in two.' How well you applied your knowledge in practice was also part of the evaluation.
"It's time. Any students arriving after this will be penalized," Professor Ines said, looking up from the clock she'd been watching quietly.
The previously somewhat noisy classroom fell silent in an instant as everyone waited for her next words.
"I already explained the exam content yesterday, so I won't repeat it. The party member responsible for the rear in each group, come forward and receive the recording magic tool."
In our party, the mage Theo handled the rear. He stepped forward and received the tool from Professor Ines.
"Each of you, check that your magic tool is functioning properly. We won't provide replacements after the exam begins."
The recording magic tool looked like a disposable film camera. It had an excellent design where you could tell at a glance which button activated it. I clicked it a few times to confirm it worked. Good. No issues.
I waited for Professor Ines's next instructions.
"You'll enter the dungeon in the order I call you. Party B-1, step forward!"
There were no subtly worried comments like "Did you pack everything you need?" or "Are you sure that equipment is okay?" Since this was an exam, Professor Ines's attitude had grown a bit stricter. Still, she gave one final piece of advice.
"Remember that returning safely, even if you're being overly cautious, will earn a higher evaluation than suffering serious injuries from overexerting yourselves. ...Begin!"
With a flash from the teleportation circle, Party B-1 vanished into the dungeon. Our party was B-3. We were two turns away.
Just to avoid any misunderstanding, our party's actual name wasn't B-3. It was just a number assigned for the exam.
"Party B-3, step forward!"
Ah. Our turn. I did one last check to make sure the recording magic tool was properly hanging around Theo's neck, then stepped onto the teleportation circle.
Our party consisted of me, Theo, and Claire. Three people total. Unfortunately, Faye hadn't officially joined our party yet, so she had to take the exam with her original noble young lady group.
It was a shame. Having Faye around made things incredibly easy. Still, the Academy Dungeon's difficulty level should be manageable somehow.
"Party B-3. Your previous final clear was the fifth floor boss. Today's exam is the sixth floor. Any objections?"
"None."
"Transport in three seconds. Prepare yourselves."
One, two, three. Hop!
🏛 Type: Jungle Theme
⚔ Difficulty: Mid-Intermediate
📍 Floor: 6
💀 Boss: Unknown
The sixth floor of the Academy Dungeon. The monsters that appeared were baby crocodiles, rock-throwing monkeys, and various other miscellaneous types. The dungeon's theme was jungle. In the swamp areas, baby crocodiles would target your ankles, and once you entered the dense forest, rock-throwing monkeys would hurl stones at you from above.
"Which way should we go?"
"The forest."
"The forest, please."
Theo and Claire answered without a moment's hesitation.
"Baby crocodiles hide in the swamps and ambush you. One slip and you're bitten."
"The rock-throwing monkeys are better by comparison. After they throw the stones in their hands, they come down to attack directly."
"Right. Then, up we go."
Thud! I kicked off the ground and leaped onto a nearby tree branch. Then I jumped again. With a loud crack, the thick branch I'd been standing on snapped mercilessly. A truly sad demonstration of Newton's third law.
I repeated the process several times until I reached the top of the tree.
"Hmm. Let's see..."
I scanned the surroundings from atop the tree, scouting the area. This was only possible because the sixth floor's theme was jungle. In previous layers that were caves, or in the labyrinths that had appeared on test questions, this kind of reconnaissance would have been impossible. But since this was a jungle, I had to make use of every available method.
After locating our destination, I came back down. Tap, tap-tap. I kicked off the side of the tree to reduce my speed as I landed. I skipped the cool superhero landing... because that really hurts your knees.
"To get through the forest, we need to head that way. But there's one problem."
"A problem? What is it?"
"The area that looks like it has the boss is near the swamps. If we go through the forest, we'll have to take a bit of a detour."
"Ugh."
"Aah..."
Theo and Claire sighed at the same time. Even if they were better than the baby crocodiles, rock-throwing monkeys weren't exactly welcome opponents either. On top of that, the dungeon's jungle theme meant the air was humid and damp. It was clearly an environment they didn't want to linger in.
At least it was a dungeon and not a real jungle. That was a relief. Dungeons didn't have insects living in them. There were monsters that looked like bugs, but real insects couldn't survive inside dungeons. It was truly a blessing. Really.
We offered our thanks for this small mercy amid misfortune and headed into the forest.
......
- Screech! Eek!
A small sound reached my ears as we walked through the forest. The moment I heard it, I shouted to Claire.
"Claire! Above us!"
"Yes!"
- Clang!
A stone the size of a child's fist flew toward the shield Claire had instantly raised. Even a small rock became incredibly threatening when dropped from high in a tree with the full force of gravity behind it.
That surprise attack was followed by about ten more stones raining down in quick succession.
"Master Theo, please stay behind me!"
Claire hid Theo behind her armored back and moved her shield to block the falling stones. Not many attacks actually hit the shield. At most four or five. That was thanks to the monkeys' rather poor throwing accuracy.
- Eek! Eeeeek! Eek-eek-eek!!
When their thrown stones failed to cause any damage, the rock-throwing monkeys started chattering noisily. I couldn't understand a word, but their irritation came through loud and clear.
Having become nothing more than regular monkeys now, the rock-throwing monkeys apparently weren't satisfied with just venting their frustration from the trees. They came down from the branches to attack us directly.
Rock-throwing monkeys were still proper sixth-floor monsters. If those sharp claws got you, tearing through human flesh would be easy. If they got you, that is.
If they came down to us, it was actually good for our side.
"Claire, take the left! I'll handle the right!"
"Yes! Understood!"
We split up to block the monkeys charging from both sides. Behind us came the sound of Theo chanting his magic.
"Hah!"
- Thump!
Claire's shield charge slammed into the face of the lead rock-throwing monkey. Its already ugly face became even uglier, losing any possibility of getting worse. My spinning kick landed on the next monkey.
- Eek?!
I couldn't knock it out of the fight in one hit like Claire had. Still, I managed to drag another monkey down with it, sending both tumbling across the ground.
There weren't many intact rock-throwing monkeys left now. Just then, Theo finished his chant, and his magic tore apart several more. Cleaning up the remaining monkeys was quick work.
Good, good. Things were going smoothly. If nothing else happened, this midterm exam would be an easy win!