Chapter 18: Mock Dungeon (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 18: Mock Dungeon (2)
“Starting with the first seed, students 1 through 8 will each pick one person in order. After the first round, the order will reverse, starting from student 8 and going back down to 1. Each student will select a total of three teammates.”
The instructor continued to explain.
“Yu Hana, you may begin. You can choose from either Class A or Class B.”
At the instructor’s words, Yu Hana slowly lifted her head and began to survey the students.
Each time her gaze passed over another student, they would shrink back slightly.
Yu Hana had a naturally cold and sharp aura. A smile would soften her features, but her current expression, devoid of any warmth, exerted a strange pressure on anyone she looked at.
She nonchalantly pointed at someone.
A female student, ranked somewhere in the upper-middle tier.
The chosen student, her face frozen, rose from her seat and walked toward Yu Hana.
Next was Yohan’s turn.
He chose Jang Hoyeon, a male student from Class B.
Someone he often hung out with, a student known for his impressive physique.
Nothing out of the ordinary, huh.
I thought to myself, watching the next pick unfold.
As each seed made their choice in turn, with no real surprises, the tension on the students' faces visibly mounted.
“Ha Sion, want to team up?”
Just then, someone picked Ha Sion, his eyes staring off into the distance.
It was Han Iri, ranked 13th.
At his words, Ha Sion’s eyes widened in surprise.
She seemed at a loss. Without rising from her seat, she cautiously asked the instructor a question.
“Um… Instructor, is it possible to decline the offer?”
The instructor nodded and answered.
“Of course. Choosing to simply observe is also your prerogative.”
Sion bowed her head apologetically and gave Han Iri a small, sheepish smile.
“Sorry, I just wanted to watch and get the lay of the land today.”
Han Iri stared at her blankly for a moment, then nodded, trying his best to look cool about it.
“Oh, uh! It’s fine!”
Man, he got shot down hard.
It was the kind of rejection that made you feel bad for the guy.
So Sion’s popular.
“Alright then, Joo Han-kang, get up here.”
Han Iri quickly picked someone else to end the awkward situation.
He picked Joo Han-kang, ranked 36th. Joo Han-kang had been staring at me ever since the seeds were announced.
As if he thought he should have been the eighth seed.
My turn was coming up.
I’d already decided on two of my three picks.
“Next, Jung Hae-in.”
At the instructor’s call, I slowly rose from my seat.
Feeling everyone’s gaze focused on me, I stepped forward.
“Seong Si-woo.”
I already had a plan for who to pick.
I spoke without hesitation.
My choice was Seong Si-woo.
He’s been quiet lately, his usual fire seemingly extinguished. He still carries his sword around, though…
Well, he needs team experience, so I picked him.
Besides, today’s mock dungeon exercise wouldn’t just be a simple dungeon crawl.
But Seong Si-woo, the one I’d just named, didn’t even stand up. Instead, he turned to the instructor.
“I refuse.”
This bastard?
So this is what it feels like to get shot down by a guy.
It was a feeling I never wanted to experience again.
“Jung Hae-in, please select another student,” the instructor said calmly.
I sighed and thought of my second choice.
“Kim Dae-hyun.”
-Kim Dae-hyun?
-Who’s that?
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
All the students chosen so far had been from the top 100, but Kim Dae-hyun was ranked somewhere in the 500s.
Even he looked surprised to have been chosen.
Kim Dae-hyun hadn’t been bad during the last Unit Activity Class. It wasn’t just that he was good for his rank, either.
I’d been giving orders as if I were the team leader, and he’d followed my instructions with complete trust, moving flawlessly.
My assessment was that he was severely underrated for his rank.
Kim Dae-hyun stood next to me and muttered quietly.
“Thanks, Hae-in…”
I patted his shoulder twice without a word.
But since my first choice had rejected me, I had to take a moment to think about who to pick next.
As my gaze naturally swept across the training ground, one person caught my eye.
Sion?
She was looking at me.
The same girl who’d just turned down Han Iri was now staring right at me.
Ah, what the hell.
Figuring I had nothing to lose, I pointed to her.
“Ha Sion, you interested?”
I’ve been shot down once, what’s a second time?
The room’s atmosphere instantly froze.
Han Iri stared at her, a look of disbelief on his face.
To be honest, I’d ruled out picking Sion from the start. She was just too overpowered.
We’d trained together for a long time under the Old Man’s tutelage.
Five years? Six?
It must have been at least that long, just counting the years.
Under everyone’s gaze, she slowly rose from her seat.
“Not Ha Sion.”
And then she walked toward me.
“Sion. You should call me Sion.”
Thankfully, I was spared the disaster of being shot down twice in a row.
Sion took a spot next to me and smiled gently.
Murmurs spread through the classroom again.
“You sure about this?” I asked Sion.
Han Iri was staring at me and Sion with a dumbfounded expression.
“I figured I had to do something this drastic… for him to finally get the hint.”
She shrugged her shoulders lightly as if it were no big deal.
“…I think I get the picture.”
I let out a small sigh and nodded.
So it was a one-sided crush, then.
Sion seemed unbothered by the atmosphere, calmly turning her head away.
The draft snaked back around one more time, and all I had left was my final pick.
I asked my new teammates for suggestions, but they didn’t have any.
When in doubt, it’s best to just pick a familiar face.
“Yoon Sang-hyeok.”
At that, Yoon Sang-hyeok shot up from the waiting area and shouted.
“Nice!!”
Nice…?
He sprang up as if he’d been waiting for his name to be called.
His unexpected reaction left me momentarily stunned.
Yoon Sang-hyeok ran up to me and made a bold declaration.
“I’ll work hard!”
That’s not how he usually acts.
His reaction felt over-the-top.
I looked at him with a puzzled expression.
At that, Yoon Sang-hyeok scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
.
“Well… our scores from the last unit activity were insane…”
“I was really sorry back then!”
That’s when I finally understood. I nodded.
So the scores for the unit activity must have been announced while I was in the hospital.
I turned to Kim Dae-hyun, who was standing beside me.
“You too?”
He gave a slight nod, scratching his head.
“Yeah… they called us up one by one to show us our scores. They were good.”
So that’s why they’re so excited.
But a question suddenly came to mind.
Judging by the reactions of Joo Han-kang and the others, it was obvious they were questioning how an unranked student like me was chosen as a seed.
Among the students, being ‘unranked’ was usually code for getting in through connections—a ‘parachute admission’ from some high-ranking official.
In other words, they still didn’t know who I really was.
Kim Dae-hyun seemed like a cautious type, so I wasn’t worried about him.
But Yoon Sang-hyeok and Lee Sang-bong…
Hmm…
I was sure they would spread rumors.
I turned my gaze towards him.
“By the way.”
“Hm?”
“You’re surprisingly tight-lipped, huh?”
Yoon Sang-hyeok shrugged his shoulders with a playful smile on his lips.
“Why would I go around spreading rumors about that?”
Was he better at keeping secrets than I thought?
I guess I misjudged him based on appearances…
“If you get too famous, there won’t be any room for me.”
“?”
“Gotta ride your coattails at least one more time before you get any more famous.”
He clenched his fist and looked at me.
“So, thank you for letting me on board!”
I sighed and shook my head.
“You’ve got some… interesting friends, huh?” Sion remarked from my side, a faint, wry smile on her face.
“Tell me about it.”
-RUUUMBLE-!!
Once the team formation was complete, the giant device located at the front of the training ground began to operate.
Huge metal panels interlocked and began to rotate, soon revealing a portal shimmering with blue light.
It looked similar to the portal to ‘Iano’s Tomb’ I’d seen before. Incredibly intricate.
“The eight teams will now enter the dungeon and begin.”
The instructor’s voice echoed throughout the training ground.
“This exercise will conclude when you either clear the dungeon and claim its rewards, are rendered combat-incapable, or run out of the allotted time.”
The students began to gather with their respective teams.
Eight teams stood before the portal. A mechanism beneath their feet activated, and a countdown began.
It was a tense moment.
The students’ faces were stiff with tension.
But at that moment, the instructor drew our attention and took a step forward.
“Before you begin, let’s consider a hypothetical situation.”
The instructor’s voice was calm, yet it held a strangely chilling undertone.
“Let’s say you’ve officially acquired the rights to a dungeon or received a permit for exploration, and you’ve entered.”
-10
-9
-8
She slowly walked towards us and continued speaking.
“But what if, in the middle of your expedition, you encounter another team inside?”
-7
-6
-5
“If such a situation arises, I can assure you.”
-3
-2
-1
Her voice lowered slightly.
“They are, without a doubt, your enemies.”
-0
“They could be Mines, or perhaps illegal prospectors. Or even wanted criminals hiding from the law.”
The corners of her mouth slowly rose.
-Replication complete.
“So, if by some chance you encounter another team in today’s mock dungeon.”
-Commencing entry.
“I wish you victory in your fight against the enemy.”
Before her words had even finished, the blue portal flared with an intense light, transporting everyone away.