Dungeon Practical Training

"Huff... huff... I finally found you, Miss Celestia..."

I'd been lounging on the café rooftop for a bit, got bored, and came down to the café proper. Ordered a coffee and some delicious chocolate cake, and was munching away when Professor Amelia showed up.

She plopped right down in the seat across from me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠without a word.

"Why are you following me?"

"I had something to say, but you kept running off, so I had to chase you."

"Does it have to be said?"

"It's not a bad deal for you either, Miss Celestia. Just hear me out."

In the end, I got caught by the hag professor. Those eyes of hers had a glint of madness—I could tell if I bolted, she'd keep hounding me. So I figured I'd listen just this once.

"If it's that important, I'll hear you out."

"First off, the reason I sought you out, Miss Celestia, is because of that incident with Milon. I claimed back then it was justified self-defense on your part."

I closed my eyes. As she spoke, her muscles twitched ever so slightly. I knew that reaction. It was the same as Cedric's when he lied.

Not the unconscious slips, but deliberate lies pushed through a shred of conscience and guilt, overriding the fear of getting caught. The subtle muscle vibrations, the tremor, that telltale breathing—it was all there.

Got it. So the professor had actually argued I was guilty.

"What do you want, then?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, Miss Celestia. I'm not here for compensation over defending you. I just... have some information that could help both of us."

With that, she slid a document across the table. It detailed an artifact.

"They say you pried off Milon's necklace after laying him and those second-years flat in the magic lab. Needed money, right?"

"You saw that, huh. Professors must all have sharp deduction skills."

"That's not much of a deduction. Anyway, let me tell you about this artifact. I'd like you to retrieve it for me. As you know, professors can't just sit in on another professor's class without a hassle."

"Go on."

"It's the first-year general class survival combat training. Next week's lesson is dungeon practice. And this artifact is supposedly left in the dungeon they'll be using. I'd like you, as a special class student, to fetch it for research purposes... Ah, of course, the reward will be ample. More valuable than Milon's necklace, even."

She pointed to the illustration on the document as she spoke. The artifact looked roundish, adorned with all sorts of ornaments—a vintage, ornate piece. The hag professor wanted that relic. I wanted cash. Deal struck.

"Understood, hag professor."

"Hag...?"

"You give me that, I bring it back. Right?"

"Quick on the uptake. I like that."

"Stick to the point from now on, hag professor. 'Bring this back for cash.' Why drag it out?"

"...Yes, well... I'll keep it concise next time, Miss."

"Good."

I shoveled the last of my coffee and chocolate cake into my mouth and stood up.

A new subquest popped up. Artifact retrieval. Pretty sweet pay for grabbing one item. Not a bad gig.

In the original novel Stareye Sword, one of the major early episodes was the "Dungeon Practical." Naturally, being a key event, all sorts of incidents and accidents erupt during the "Dungeon Practical."

Steamy scenes with the heroine harem around the protagonist, his heroic moments, and the pathetic downfall of early antagonist Milon—it was a fan-service packed episode.

"As you all know, dungeon practice is an extremely dangerous class where real injuries or even deaths can occur. Of course, there hasn't been a single casualty since the incident eleven years ago, but don't get complacent. Dungeons are full of variables."

This was the survival combat training class for the "Fire and Sword" track students in the general class. Needless to say, "Pen and Paper" track kids training to be administrative nobles weren't even allowed to participate. Pretty hardcore stuff.

"By the way, Celi. What are you doing here?"

"Can't I be here, Mari?"

"No, it's not that... You're in the special class, right?"

Right. I was an outsider with zero reason to join this class. But I'd submitted the official participation paperwork, and as per special class privileges, got approved without issue. So for this hour, I was just another regular student learning from the prof.

"It looked fun, so I decided to join."

Mariella nodded at my explanation, but her confused expression lingered.

"Oh, Mariella, you're here? You said wait a sec, and you were just over here?"

And sure enough, Glan and Yuria showed up. They'd apparently spotted our chat from afar.

Yuria met my eyes and gave a small nod. "You're... Celestia?"

"Pleased to meet you, Glan."

"What are you doing here?"

"Well..."

I hated repeating myself... Not that there was time anyway.

"Students! You've had plenty of prep time. Line up in front of me!"

The professor—bald, with a scary scowl—lined everyone up.

Mariella, Yuria, and Glan moved fast, like fresh recruits at attention. I took my time. No rush.

"As I explained before, safety first. Never forget this class is about survival. If you're injured or in an emergency, activate the magic tome we handed out beforehand. If that's too hard, shout for help—nearby students and TAs will assist."

He looked like a brutal yakuza, but he worried about the students more than anyone. Overkill, if you ask me. Kids grow by getting roughed up anyway.

"Alright, Group 1 enters first, slowly."

Apparently, groups were pre-assigned before class started.

The dungeon was in the academy's back mountain—the only one inside the capital. Dungeons suck in mana from surrounding soil or siphon it bit by bit from nearby lifeforms to spawn traps and monsters for self-defense.

Most look like ordinary basements from outside, but inside? A whole different world. Per Stareye Sword, like a brand-new mini-world. Nothing like Japanese TRPGs, apparently.

"Group 1 enters, Group 2 follows in one minute. Group 3 one minute after that. Up to Group 14. Next, Group 2!"

Groups started filing in from 1. Protagonist crew—Mariella, Yuria, Glan in Group 3—went in soon after. I was dead last. No pre-set group for me; as a special class outlier, no need.

Three per group, 14 groups total—all vanished into the entrance. One minute later, the prof and I brought up the rear.

"Celestia, was it?"

"Yes, sir."

"I was surprised a special class student wanted in on our lesson. Hope you enjoy it."

"Of course. I'm quite looking forward to it."

The prof skipped all the safety briefings for me. Just told me to have fun and headed in first.

Perfect. Showtime...

Descending the dungeon stairs, you hit the first door—signaling Underground Level 1.

Opening it revealed not the dim basement I'd half-expected, but a lavish, endless luxury hotel lobby. Corridors branched off the hall, lined with infinite rooms.

Each floor has its own clear condition. Meet it, and you teleport to the next...

That's how it went in the novel. Figuring out the clear condition was key to conquering any dungeon. No one knew why they worked that way—just that dungeons were sustained by a conscious "dungeon core." And I knew most of this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dungeon's secrets already.

Because I know the clear conditions.

I pulled out the document the hag prof gave me and checked the target item.

750 gold? Roughly 75 million won back home. Currency values differ across worlds, so not a perfect conversion, but still. Handing over a 75-million-won item and pocketing even 30%? Jackpot.

"Time to head to the next floor..."

Level 1's clear condition? Rest.

Of course, "rest" wasn't easy. Dungeons don't give you breathing room.

Glan's crew probably barricaded a room with furniture, the three of them hunkering down...

Should I hitch a ride...?

For a sec, I considered tagging along with Glan's group—same room, easy clear. But a quick scan? No sign of them. Easier to blaze my own trail.

Shing—

I drew the Black Demon Sword first. Then, strolling the corridor, I smashed every painting and statue in sight.

Dungeon monster spawns? From those artworks. Monsters leap from paintings; statues animate like gargoyles. Pre-smash 'em all, and rest time's yours.

Good enough. Like Glan's team in the novel, I claimed a room, barricaded the door with furniture, and flopped crookedly on the floor.

"Yawn~ Boring. Level 1 sucks..."

I muttered to myself. Lucky I'd packed manga. About an hour later, a white magic circle glowed underfoot. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Light erupted, vision went black.