Chapter 7

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Translator: uly

Chapter: 7

Chapter Title: Dungeon Exploration (2)

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The Korea Hero Academy operates much like a prestigious university, offering students the freedom to choose a major that best aligns with their unique talents.

In the outside world, most teenagers don't even have a clue what they're actually good at, but this isn't just any school—this is the Korea Hero Academy.

Even if a few students who lack self-awareness somehow manage to pass the entrance exam by a stroke of divine luck, they are almost immediately weeded out by the curriculum. That is, excluding a few truly unusual exceptions who defy all logic.

“Before we begin our first joint class, we will start by officially selecting your majors.”

The available majors are straightforward but comprehensive.

There are specialized subjects like Magic Theory, Alchemy, Ability Awakening, Advanced Swordsmanship, and several others. The rule is simple: you pick the one that fits your inherent aptitude.

At Seo Woo-ju’s command, the students rose from their chairs, immediately beginning to cluster into small groups to discuss their choices.

“Seo-ha, what path are you going to take?”

“I’m thinking of focusing on close-quarters combat.”

“Close-quarters combat?”

Kim Seo-hyun looked genuinely puzzled by my answer.

“......I’m planning to focus on building up some serious stamina this semester.”

“Ah, I see! So you’re trying to systematically train your weak constitution. Covering weaknesses with your existing strengths is one way to go, but training those weaknesses until they vanish entirely is another incredibly solid method.”

Kim Seo-hyun nodded his head vigorously, looking as if he believed my choice was a stroke of tactical genius.

“Then I assume you’ll be enrolling in 'Understanding of Close-Quarters Combat'?”

“Yeah.”

I answered half-heartedly, already thinking about the next step.

Kim Seo-hyun’s eyes were practically sparkling with excitement. That specific class includes some basic theory, but it’s notorious for being mostly grueling practical training and sparring.

Does this guy really want to spar with me that badly?

“So, is it just me and Seo-hyun for that class then?”

“No, you can count me in as well.”

A new, steady voice suddenly cut into our conversation.

I turned my head to see a guy with a sturdy, athletic build. He had a masculine face and was undeniably handsome in a conventional way.

Park Un-hyuk.

He was the warrior-class student who had passed the entrance exam with a rank right behind Hong Yu-hwa. His specialty is spear handling, and while he often comes off as having a bit of a 'chosen-one' complex, he’s actually a decent guy once you get past his shell.

Of course, the “once you get to know him” part implies that the vast majority of the student body just sees him as a stuck-up prick with an ego the size of a skyscraper.

In the original game's storyline, he’s the rival type who constantly declares he’ll take ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the top spot from Kim Seo-hyun. This time, however, he was latching onto me—perhaps he viewed me as his new primary rival.

‘Nah, probably not.’

Even if he said he’d take the top spot, he never explicitly mentioned my name. Deep down, he likely believes I’m on an entirely different level that he can’t even begin to challenge yet.

I nodded along to their chatter and quickly jotted down a few more classes on my registration form.

Theory of Magic Disruption, Basics of Alchemy, and Understanding of Ancient Languages.

Theory of Magic Disruption was a strategic pick; it was a perfect way for me to rack up easy practical scores using the natural properties of my Reverse Heaven Body.

Basics of Alchemy was just standard potion-making. I didn't expect any trouble there since I already had every single high-tier recipe memorized in my head from my gaming days.

As for Understanding of Ancient Languages? That was a calculated move to get closer to Kim Ara.

“You’re really taking that many classes?”

“Eh, they all seem like easy ones to me.”

None of them overlapped in terms of scheduling, except for Understanding of Close-Quarters Combat, which was the only one demanding enough to potentially interfere with the class’s joint sessions.

“I guess I’ll sign up for Theory of Magic Disruption too, then.”

“There’s no helping it. If you guys are all doing it, this body of mine will tag along just to keep things interesting.”

I stood up and handed my completed registration paper to Seo Woo-ju.

“Hm, Understanding of Close-Quarters Combat?”

Seo Woo-ju glanced at me with a look of genuine curiosity for a moment before nodding his approval.

“Good thinking. You seem perfect in almost every other way, but you’ve clearly been too lax on your physical training. The will to confront and fix that weakness is commendable.”

I honestly have no idea what he’s seen in me to decide that I’m "perfect" everywhere else.

I gave a vague nod and stepped aside. Just then, I spotted Seo Ga-yeon nervously heading toward the instructor’s podium.

“Hm, you’ve picked Understanding of Close-Quarters Combat and Basics of Swordsmanship Using Mana. Diving headfirst into the way of the sword, are you?”

“Y-yes. S-swordsmanship just feels r-right for me.”

“Is that so?”

I paused for a heartbeat, watching her.

Seo Ga-yeon wants to learn swordsmanship, but I know the truth—it’s more of a half-hearted surrender than a choice.

She suffers from a curse that acts as a magical restriction. A demon placed it on her because her latent magical abilities were deemed far too dangerous to their kind.

I thought about her future for a moment.

Seo Ga-yeon's natural talents are nothing short of outstanding. But because of that curse, she flounders and struggles during the early stages, only beginning to shine from the mid-game onward when the seal starts to crack.

“You know, you actually seem much more suited to magic than swordsmanship.”

I said it casually as I passed by her.

I made sure to act as nonchalant as possible, as if I were just commenting on the weather.

“H-huh? M-me? Suited for m-magic?”

“Yeah. I have a feeling you’d probably do very well in that field.”

At my words, several nearby students turned to look at Seo Ga-yeon. She had a slim, delicate build and a perpetually fidgety expression, clearly lacking even an ounce of self-confidence.

The looks in their eyes were easy to read: Who the hell is this girl, and why is someone like Lee Seo-ha paying any attention to her?

“Forget it if the idea doesn't appeal to you.”

I shrugged and headed toward the exit. I just needed to reel her in slowly, one seed of doubt at a time.

Unlike selecting your first weapon, you can technically change your major later in the year. It’s just a tedious, bureaucratic nightmare of a process.

As I headed outside into the fresh air, Kim Seo-hyun and Park Un-hyuk followed closely behind me like a pair of ducklings.

*

“Alright, listen up! It’s time for our very first joint class: dungeon exploration.”

The assembled students looked up at Instructor Seo Woo-ju with eager, hungry expressions.

“I like the faces you’re making. It’s only natural to be excited for your first real taste of the field.”

Instructor Seo Woo-ju grinned, his expression turning dark and predatory.

“Maybe you’re thrilled just to be here at the Korea Hero Academy, the top institution in the world. But you need to understand one thing: this school only cares about 'ability.' We aren't kind enough to drag underperformers along to graduation.”

He was exactly right.

This school evaluates its students purely on 'grades' and performance, with a heart as cold as ice.

Fall behind, and you are simply left behind. Stay at the bottom long enough, and you are expelled without a second thought. There are no appeals and no second chances.

“The Korea Hero Academy is on the front lines of human survival—fighting monsters, slaying demons, and capturing high-tier villains. We have enemies everywhere. One mistake in the field, and you are dead. If you’re lucky, you get a lifelong injury. And the world doesn't care if it wasn't even your mistake.”

The students’ faces grew paler by the second. They are still just kids, after all, and the reality of their chosen profession was finally starting to sink in.

“Anyway, that’s enough of me scaring you. For today’s joint class, we will form temporary teams based on your entrance exam scores. The top-ranking students will serve as team leaders.”

Seo Woo-ju said that while glancing pointedly in my direction.

It figured that the very first person called would be the one at the top of the ranks.

“First team leader: Lee Seo-ha.”

“Yes, Instructor.”

“Your team has been assigned as follows.”

At his words, a glowing blue hologram popped up in the air—a sophisticated product of magitech blending cutting-edge science with raw magic.

“......Whoa.”

I couldn’t help but admire the list. On paper, the team lineup was incredibly solid. Well, minus the couple of ticking time bombs I recognized from the lore, anyway.

“Next team leader: Kim Seo-hyun.”

“Yes!”

“Your team is......”

Time passed as the roster was read out. Twenty teams were formed in total, and once the last name was called, Instructor Seo Woo-ju addressed the group again.

“Head to the dungeon entrance with your respective teams. Follow me.”

Seo Woo-ju moved out with a brisk pace, and we followed him across the sprawling campus.

Waiting outside the main gates were several armored buses.

“We’re taking these to the site.”

We boarded the vehicles, and soon the buses were winding their way through the academy’s vast, high-security grounds.

After ten minutes of driving, we arrived at the mouth of a dark, creepy-looking cave built into the side of a reinforced hill.

An unnatural chill emanated from the cave entrance, making several students shiver.

“This is the artificial dungeon known as 'The Nest.' You’ll be coming here quite often for your practical exams, so I suggest you memorize every inch of it.”

The Nest.

This was the state-of-the-art dungeon that the Korea Hero Academy had created from scratch. This single artificial dungeon was what truly put the school on the world map.

In the original game, the dungeon's layout changes every time you enter, featuring 15 different internal dungeon types that cycle at random.

Of course, I’ve got all 15 of those layouts perfectly memorized.

“Teams will enter one by one, starting from the ones called last. We’ll be working our way from the back of the list to the front.”

That meant our turn—the #1 team—was dead last.

I gathered my teammates over to a quiet spot near the entrance.

“How about we start with some quick introductions?”

Han Woo-sung, who carried a naturally affable and friendly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠vibe, was the first to speak up. Introductions. What a social nightmare.

“Hi everyone! I’m Baek Seol-gi! My specialties are pathfinding and trap disarming, so I’ve got your backs!”

A cute-looking girl with high energy bowed to the group.

“I’m Kim Ara. Sword.”

Kim Ara spoke with a blunt economy of words and pulled a massive, imposing sword out of her subspace storage.

The blade alone was over 2 meters long, with a handle stretching over 70 cm. It wasn't a sword designed for a human—it was a true Giant’s Blade.

“......Isn't that thing heavy?”

“It’s much lighter than it looks. Plus, it has its own dedicated subspace within the hilt, so it’s actually pretty convenient to carry around.”

Kim Ara replied to Han Woo-sung’s question without shifting her gaze.

“I-I’m S-Seo G-Ga-yeon! M-My specialty is the s-sword as well!”

Seo Ga-yeon stammered, her face turning bright red as she spoke.

“I’m Han Woo-sung. This is mine.”

Han Woo-sung offered a sly, confident grin and held up a sturdy, well-crafted buckler shield.

“I’m Lee Seo-ha. It’s nice to meet you all.”

With the introductions out of the way, I sat down on a nearby rock to think.

The balance wasn't bad at all.

We had four warriors and one scout/archer type. It was a high warrior ratio, but that was unavoidable given our ranks.

‘They probably grouped us this way thinking that I’m the primary mage.’

“By the way, do you and Ga-yeon already know each other?”

“Huh? M-Me and Seo-ha?”

Seo Ga-yeon asked, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her voice jumping an octave in her flustered state.

“Well, you did recommend magic to her earlier in the hall. I just thought maybe you two were old friends~.”

Baek Seol-gi drawled with a playful, teasing tone.

Hearing the name Baek Seol-gi—which means 'snow crab'—made me suddenly crave a seafood dinner.

“I just thought she looked like she had a natural talent for it. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It was no big deal.”

I carefully hid my true intentions. Seo Ga-yeon is a mage—a brilliant one. She is an essential puzzle piece for reaching a 'happy ending' in this world.

But there was no need to spell that out to her now. With her crippling lack of self-esteem and her tendency to rely on others, she’d find that kind of direct attention far too burdensome.

“Next team: Park Un-hyuk’s team, step forward!”

Time dragged by slowly. New teams entered the cave every five minutes, but since we were last, there was absolutely nothing for us to do but wait.

“Yawn.”

“......Are you seriously yawning right now?”

Han Woo-sung remarked with an incredulous look as I let out a long, leisurely yawn.

Eh, I couldn't help it.

While the others were visibly intimidated by the dark, ominous cave, I had all 15 potential layouts memorized. There was zero tension for me here.

“Next team: Lee Seo-ha’s team. You’re up!”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Instructor Seo Woo-ju called our name, and I stood up with casual ease.

The eerie, cold feeling from the cave intensified as we neared the entrance. I heard someone in the group gulp nervously. They were scared, and rightfully so.

As soon as we stepped inside, a sharp fork in the path appeared before us.

‘Nice. We got lucky.’

We had hit the specific layout known as the "Speedrun Dungeon."

“A fork in the road already. Which way should we go, leader?”

“Hm.”

I completely ignored both of the obvious paths and walked straight over to the right-hand wall. If my memory was correct, it should be right around here.

I spotted a slightly protruding rock. I tapped it lightly with my knuckles. Thump thump. I could hear a faint whistle of air from behind the stone.

This was the "Break-the-Wall" shortcut. But the rock was incredibly thick—even if Kim Seo-hyun spent an hour hammering at it with his sword, he wouldn't be able to crack it.

I turned and called Kim Ara over.

“Ara. Come here for a second.”

“......Why?”

“I need you to break this wall for us.”

“......Me? You want me to break this?”

“Yeah. Right here.”

“I-I’m really not very good at stuff like this.”

Kim Ara sounded genuinely troubled.

It wasn't that she was actually bad at it—she was just weirded out that I had singled her out for a task involving raw power.

It was a fair reaction.

There are plenty of hot-blooded fools in this academy who would jump at the chance to challenge her if they saw her strength, vastly overestimating their own abilities. If she stands out too much now, her dream of a peaceful, quiet school life will shatter instantly.

I leaned in and whispered quietly to Kim Ara so the others couldn't hear.

—You could probably enjoy the peace you want here for a while, but do you really think the Overlord wouldn't eventually notice where you are?

Her deep purple eyes shook with visible shock as she stared at me, a whirlwind of emotions swirling within them.

How does this guy know about me and the Overlord? Is he testing me? No, he wouldn't have singled out the Overlord by name otherwise.

I could practically see those thoughts racing behind her eyes.

“Break it, and I’ll teach you how to do it. I'll show you how to truly escape from the Overlord’s reach.”

I offered her a faint, knowing smile.