The Hidden Dungeon in the North Forest
A Dungeon is a special location that manifests in this mana-filled world. No one knows exactly when, where, or how they appear. Recently, scholars have been circulating the hypothesis that dungeons tend to form in areas where mana is densely concentrated. That is the setting from the original work.
Long ago, a great sage from some kingdom left his homeland and settled on a remote island, where he founded Oasis Academy. Naturally, this gathering place for the world's strongest talents has an exceptionally high mana density. As a result, the massive island housing the academy is riddled with countless dungeons.
The destination today is a hidden dungeon located on a mountain within the North Forest. The North Forest is only a thirty-minute walk away, though climbing the mountain itself will be rather taxing. The mountain is larger than it appears.
It would be ideal to tackle this after the protagonist has grown stronger, but with several events scheduled to trigger once his suspension is lifted, there is no choice but to move now.
"I should stop by the shop first."
....
After gathering the money the original Vern had possessed, I stepped out onto the street. It was the weekend following the entrance ceremony—a perfect time for students to enjoy their own schedules. Some would be maintaining their gear, others like Elisha would be practicing magic from dawn, and still others would be playing with newly made friends.
Of course, I had to head for the dungeon. I needed to grow stronger before my suspension ended if I wanted any hope of surviving the events ahead.
One might worry that I am stealing the protagonist's hidden pieces. But it is fine. Thanks to his traits, it will not affect him. Besides, there is a reason he is the protagonist. Missing a few hidden pieces will not hinder his growth. I am the one who cannot afford to be slow.
The shopping district outside the dormitory was bustling with people. It was not even lunchtime, yet the streets were packed. Before long, I arrived at the shop and stepped inside, checking the number of coins I carried. The interior was far larger than it had appeared in the game, and I was genuinely surprised by its size.
What I needed were a sword and some basic tools for surviving in the forest. Using flame magic in the woods risked setting the trees ablaze, and with my current mana capacity, I could not afford to cast spells recklessly anyway.
I had roughly 600,000 coins—equivalent to about 600,000 won in Korean currency. Coins are the academy's own currency, usable only on this island.
"As the son of a noble house, I will receive regular allowances, but I cannot spend all 600,000 coins."
After all, I planned to leave the family as soon as possible. Once I was out, I would have to earn my own money. That meant covering tuition, dormitory fees, food, textbooks—every living expense—on my own.
"Let's start with a sword and a knife."
I began examining the weapons on display. The cheapest swords started at 100,000 coins, while the most expensive reached 3,000,000. Since I would be hunting monsters, I picked up a 200,000-coin longsword that had offered good value in the game. It was lighter than its size suggested. I could not swing it inside the shop, but it felt solid enough.
Next came the knife. Even though I intended to return quickly, I would be spending at least one night in the forest, so a survival knife was essential. While my suspension did not prohibit leaving the premises, venturing outside the academy was another matter entirely. Out there, I could not rely on the academy's protection. Besides, a suspended student wandering about would only draw unwanted attention. It would be wiser to finish this quickly and return to training in the dormitory.
Yesterday I had not noticed, but today, while walking along the streets, the truth became clear. Everyone who recognized me reacted with a startled "Hiek!" or outright fled. In any case, I purchased the sword, knife, a few small items, and a backpack to carry them all. Today's total came to roughly 450,000 coins.
The dormitory fee was paid semiannually, so that was fine. Tuition would be settled before the break as well. The only remaining concern was food expenses. 150,000 coins would be tight, but selling whatever materials I obtained from the dungeon should cover the difference.
After finishing my purchases, I returned to the dormitory, finished my preparations, and headed for the northern gate of the academy. Oasis Academy had been built on a remote island, with the academy itself situated along the southern edge. Surrounding it was a barrier personally erected by the Great Sage a hundred years ago—a barrier that had never once been breached. Still, in case of emergencies, both the academy and the surrounding city were enclosed by massive walls. In essence, Oasis Academy was a colossal academy city.
There were four gates—east, west, south, and north. Upon reaching the northern edge of the city, I stood before the gate and stared blankly. I was awestruck. Up close, it was truly enormous and imposing. But I had no time to linger in admiration. The walk here had already consumed far too much time.
Along the way I had encountered ordinary students and disciplinary committee members alike. Most of them muttered things like "Ack, that's Vern Flame—don't make eye contact" or "Vern Flame is under suspension; he should be quietly reflecting in the dormitory." Yet when they saw me simply standing there listening, they only sighed and said, "Just don't cause trouble and come back after a short walk," without actually stopping me. Still, the encounters had delayed me considerably, so I needed to hurry.
"Time to head out."
....
Even with a body that possessed mana, my physical stamina was abysmal, so the journey took far longer than expected. In the game, travel time had been negligible, so I had assumed I would arrive quickly. I was wrong. While the minimap and terrain roughly matched, the actual distances were different. Perhaps that was only natural in a world that truly existed.
After walking for some time, the forest came into view. Beyond it rose a great mountain, and seeing it with my own eyes made me realize just how different reality was from the game.
"It really is huge."
Even from a distance, the mountain's size was obvious. The thought of having to climb it during practical training later made me feel slightly dizzy.
Dragging my exhausted body into the forest, I was greeted by cool shade that blocked the sunlight. I set my bag down beneath a tree and collapsed onto the ground. While resting to recover my stamina, a refreshing breeze swept through the forest and wrapped around me. The wind was cool, yet it carried an oddly desolate chill.
Monsters did inhabit this forest, but none were particularly strong—only 8th Grade down to 6th Grade at most. Once my stamina had recovered somewhat, I entered the forest proper. My destination was the enormous willow tree at the forest's center. A small hollow existed near its roots, and that was where the hidden dungeon lay.
Inside the hidden dungeon were Ents. Ents were fairy-like beings that protected the trees of the forest, though their appearance resembled humans. Their size, however, was nothing like a human's—smaller ones stood around one meter tall, while larger specimens could exceed ten meters. Normally they would not attack unless provoked, but inside a dungeon they would strike first regardless, making them somewhat dangerous.
Although Ents were 7th Grade monsters, they were extremely vulnerable to fire because of their connection to trees. Moreover, the Ents found in this hidden dungeon were mostly between one and three meters tall, so they posed relatively little threat. Fortunately, since Vern specialized in flame magic as a swordsman, he was effectively their natural enemy.
As I continued deeper into the forest, the sky grew too dark to proceed further. I decided to camp here for the night. I chose a spot near the roots of a tree that offered a small amount of space. Camping in another world felt oddly romantic.
I left my belongings beneath the tree and gathered several pieces of fallen wood from the surroundings. They would make excellent kindling. Using the knife I had bought, I shaved the outer layers into sawdust, then struck the knife repeatedly against a smooth stone I found nearby until, at last, I managed to produce a spark.
I could not afford to lose momentum here. I transferred the ember onto the pile of branches I had prepared earlier. Blowing gently with my mouth, I watched the flames spread. With that, a makeshift campfire was complete.
"A bit crude, but... not bad."
One might wonder why I did not simply use magic, but my mana reserves were pitifully small, and I still lacked proper control over flame intensity. Doing it by hand, even if slower, was safer.
Seated before the modest fire, I tore into the cheap jerky I had purchased at the shop. Given the price, I had not expected much flavor, but this was pushing it. Still, my luck seemed decent. I had ventured fairly deep into the forest without encountering a single monster. Even the squirrels that had appeared frequently in the game were nowhere to be seen.
After finishing the bland, tough jerky, I cleaned up and prepared to sleep—when a sudden unease crept over me.
"Something feels wrong."
The instincts of someone who possessed mana were quite sharp. I had walked this far into the forest without meeting anything? That could not be right. Something was off.
As if on cue, a faint rustling sound began to emanate from the nearby bushes. I rose carefully, gripping the longsword beside me.
"Come on, then."
My first battle since arriving in this world had begun.