A Stroll Through the Western Forest
We strolled leisurely through the West Forest.
“Um, i-is this the right path, Senpai...?”
“It is. So quit worrying and follow me.”
I slashed through the underbrush with my dagger, pushing deeper into the forest, while Millije trailed blankly behind me.
“Fascinating, isn't it?”
“Y-yes? Oh, yeah. I've only ever seen the West Forest from afar—never actually come inside...”
“Hm.”
Yeah, that made sense. The forest's entrance was home to harmless critters like rabbits and raccoons, but venture deeper and you'd run into real monsters—goblins, slimes. You had to watch your step. Push all the way to the end, and even orcs lurked there.
Like any field, the deeper you went, the tougher the monsters got. It wasn't some low-level playground.
And then...
“Ah! Senpai!”
The first fearsome monster we encountered was... a rabbit.
“Hm.”
“It's so cute!”
Millije took an immediate liking to it. The white rabbit with red eyes perked up its ears and stared at us.
“C-can I pet it?”
“Carefully.”
Millije crept closer, reaching out a hand—and right then...
“Ah...”
“It's gone.”
The rabbit hopped away in a flash, only to be skewered mid-leap by a sword that shot out from the bushes. It died instantly.
“Ah...!”
A girl from the Knight Department in a blue gym uniform stepped out casually, gave us a quick nod, slung the dead rabbit over her shoulder, sheathed her sword, and headed off elsewhere.
“...What was that?”
“Who knows—could be homework, or dinner. Looks like we herded it right into her path, so she was saying thanks.”
“R-right...”
A bit farther in...
“If we miss it, no dinner tonight!”
“Quietly become my meal!”
“...They look seriously tough.”
“Small, strong, and agile to boot. This way, Millije.”
We veered away from the spot where Knight Department students, eyes bloodshot from chasing rabbits and raccoons, were dashing about. We pressed on through the woods.
“...This place gives me the creeps.”
“This is the 'mid-entry' zone. We took a shortcut. Keep quiet—no noise from here on. Goblins start showing up.”
“Eek...!”
At the word “goblin,” Millije grabbed my sleeve. I silently cleared branches with my dagger and delved deeper.
Off in the distance, I spotted a party of Knight Department students heading inward. I silently wished them luck.
It should be around here.
Pushing through a thicket, we emerged into an open space amid the trees—a rocky outcrop that screamed “something's hidden here” with its deliberate arrangement.
“Here we are.”
“Here...?”
“Step back. Low Tier Fire Elemental Magic: Fireball. Low Tier Wind Elemental Magic: Wind Blade.”
Red heat shimmered from my outstretched hand. Wind swirled around it in that instant.
Two compatible spells!
Combining automatically!
My golden hair fluttered, my robe over my uniform whipping in the fierce wind as the two spells merged before my eyes.
“Low Tier Fire-Wind Elemental Magic: Fire Blade.”
—BOOM!
Blazing flames rode the slashing winds in every direction. The firepower dwarfed a plain Wind Blade, slamming into the rocks and exploding. Shrapnel flew everywhere.
“Kyaa?”
“Don't move. Low Tier Wind Elemental Magic: Wind Blade.”
I pulled Millije into my arm and unleashed Wind Blades all around, shattering the outcrop into pebbles. Blue orbs materialized near me, spewing razor winds. A rain of sand-grain stones poured down.
My increased mana made it smoother than last time—and way more effective.
Elemental Synergy Magic proficiency increased!
Synergy effect: Massive proficiency gain for each spell!
Good. A true veteran squeezes profit and efficiency out of anywhere.
“Senpai, look—something's there!”
The rocks that had hidden the entrance had crumbled, revealing a door.
“Let's go. That noise probably pulled every monster's aggro.”
“S-Senpai, what is this place...?”
I opened the door and stepped inside. A stone passage stretched ahead—not a natural cave. Dim, but magical stones embedded regularly in the ceiling provided enough light.
“...Is this a dungeon?”
“Something like it.”
We descended a long staircase underground into a vast cavern. At its center stood a lone well. We stopped before it.
“Hmm, a well? How's there just a random well down here...?”
“Millije.”
The beige-haired girl turned at my call.
“Yes, Senpai?”
“You can't use magic right now. That's certain?”
“Yes, definitely.”
Her issue was straightforward: no magic. Fix that, and I could mold her into a top-tier spirit summoner. That's why I'd carved out this weekend—solve it fast.
Get it done this week, and next week she'd learn low-tier spells and grow even more. Trauma had to be overcome.
But that wasn't easy.
However.
This was Salenium Academy. Even if the game had become reality, its framework remained.
“Trauma is just a status ailment.”
“Huh?”
“Status ailments—like poison. But those are external. Trauma's purely mental—nerves frayed, that sort of thing.”
Trauma. Some characters were built around it. Like Sufle, the Magic Department first-year from “Hearty National Stew Party,” dubbed the “Witch of Ice and Snow.”
This dungeon was made for her. Erhan and Sufle explored the West Forest together, found it... and clearing her trauma let them form a party. A sub-quest, probably.
“This well reflects your memories.”
“Huh?”
Gaze into it, and your deepest fear manifests from the well to attack us.”
“Th-that sounds dangerous!”
I shook my head at Millije's words.
“It's just an illusion. And you can resist it with your own will.”
Millije's Will... yeah, 5. High Will meant stable affection, resistance to mental debuffs. Low Will? Miss a day of managing it, and you'd get “Why didn't you come see me?”—terrifying stuff. Worse? I didn't even want to remember.
“But it hits your mind directly, not your body.”
“Th-then...”
“However.”
Millije fell silent, like she'd swallowed honey.
“Pass this trial, and I guarantee it—that pathetic trauma tormenting you? Gone for good.”
She clenched her fists at my words.
“Want to try?”
“Yes, please.”
That's the spirit.
“Then gaze into the well.”
Millije stepped forward, glanced back.
“S-Senpai.”
“What?”
“If you stay there, you'll get hurt too...”
“I'm here to help. But I won't attack.”
“Huh?”
“I'll only support you. You handle the main role—don't forget that.”
“...Got it.”
She nodded, face resolute, and peered into the well.
And then...
“Kyaaah!”
Millije stumbled back, falling on her butt. A familiar arm flopped out from the well—navy fur, claws long enough to rake the ground.
Another arm followed. Then a third.
A massive maw appeared between them, three red-glowing eyes fixed on us.
“S-Senpai...”
A giant wolf. A Lycanslope, spines bristling, crawled out—bigger and fiercer than the one from days ago. Four arms, three heads.
No such freak existed in Salenium Academy. It was Millije's fear and imagination fused into a monster.
—GRRAAAAAH!
Its roar shook the cavern. Millije froze in terror, staring up blankly—not even thinking to run.
Naturally, it lunged for her first.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Tch.
“I told you. Low Tier Wind Elemental Magic: Wind Blade.”
Two blue orbs formed near me, unleashing slicing winds. I seized Millije's robe and yanked her back.
“Get it together. What good are you just standing there like an idiot?”
“A-ah, yes! Sorry!”
She scrambled back. The monster turned to me, six pupils blazing red, drool dripping.
“Pleased to meet you, fake. Last time, neither of us could go all out—lives on the line. Right?”
I reversed my grip on the dagger, rolling my shoulders. Our eyes met... for barely a second.
—GRRRAH!
It roared and swung an arm at blinding speed.
“Form changed, but patterns stay the same, huh.”
The attack sequence was identical. Parry, dodge, parry, dodge. With feather-light footwork, I evaded every blow.
It raged harder, swinging viciously.
“Hah.”
Knowing it was fake made it laughable. Fear a mere “beast” or “monster”? No veteran worth their salt did that.
All monsters were just “entities” to a vet—extensions of the grind, walking loot boxes.
Flick the dagger tip to deflect its claws. Use its momentum against it. Spin to dodge the overhead smash, thrust with the reverse grip, then kick back.
—GRRAAAAAH!
Furious, it charged. Predictably, none of its attacks touched me. Duck the throat slash, slide back from the low sweeps. Use the dust cloud from its ground pound as cover, catch my breath, read the next flurry, evade.
I didn't attack. I only blocked.
“S-Senpai!”
Eight arms arced perfectly over my head. Reverse grip again—flick through the claws, weave into the attack's arc to slip past.
Against wide swings, diving in first was safer than bailing out.
I regripped the dagger normally. But held position. Demo over.
“Your turn now, Millije.”
I turned to her.
“Face your fear.”