Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Ally (3)
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I stared quietly at the monitor.
The intruders had ultimately chosen to move forward.
After that, it was exactly the same as with Julius.
All their possessions confiscated by the Student Council President... and now they were holding their breath silently inside a classroom.
Honestly, I thought they'd get wiped out in the hallway?
But that Denrid guy?
This world had a place like an academy, similar to a modern school.
Whether he was a graduate or just sharp, the presumed mage had evacuated his party into a classroom the moment the bell rang.
It was Gabi.
"Hm."
What can I say—the real threat was that Max guy.
The one with the hulking, uneven build and a vicious face. Yeah, like that bandit-looking bastard.
But Denrid the mage seemed even more dangerous than Max.
My dungeon was weak to brainy types rather than muscleheads, I guess.
Well, I couldn't just noob-smash them like Yuben.
For one, Max was a powerful guard attached to them.
I couldn't recklessly let them into Zone 2.
My life was just one.
For now, I planned to trust my minions and traps as much as possible.
Anyway, Denrid was busily scribbling something inside the classroom.
He was screenshotting the screen to post on the gallery.
Intruders had shown up—you had to write a live update.
As a Dungeon Gallery user, I couldn't resist the temptation of a bleg cheat key.
Check this out
Newbie dude!
Yeah??
How's the situation right now??
Take a look at this
【Dreamland Zone 2 Exploration Log - 1】
【Author – Denrid】
Refer to former Baron Jericho Yuben's guide for entrance details.
Board the machine device and you'll spawn directly into Zone 2 first.
Presumed there's another machine in Zone 2 as well.
Zone 2 resembles an academy...
It's enormously vast, with up to 80 floors and staircases to ascend.
Exploring a single floor seems to take about an hour?
Various rooms branch off like tree limbs from a central straight corridor.
The largest spaces are presumed to be classrooms.
Not sure why—probably some have different names.
The faceless girl mentioned a staff room.
You inevitably meet the faceless girl upon entering Zone 2.
Even if you don't want to, you will. She seems to know our position.
The moment you encounter the faceless girl, she demands all possessions.
If you stall without handing them over, she breaks your arm.
Didn't confirm personally, but refusing might get you killed.
You can recover your items.
After class ends, go to the 'staff room' to retrieve them.
Problem is, she takes all food and water too.
No obvious resupply methods in Zone 2.
Key is finding the staff room fast. Hard to last three days without water.
And most importantly, watch the time.
When the song starts, drop everything and enter a classroom immediately.
Means class is beginning.
Class lasts 40 minutes total.
Everything outside classrooms gets consumed by darkness.
Tested by extending torn cloth into the pitch-black hallway—vanished without trace.
After class, 10-minute break.
Free exploration possible during that time.
Haven't encountered other minions yet.
Nor the faceless girl again.
Exploration Summary:
1. Hand over possessions to the faceless girl obediently.
2. Distinguish class time from breaks and head to classrooms.
3. Find the staff room as quickly as possible.
Oh... Thought Yuben was a brainy one last time... Another strategist appears?? Bolting straight to the classroom shows good instincts too??
But that guy's got one fatal flaw.
Personally rank him below the lord lololol
What is it??
Now you're making me curious??
Lacks the scumbag power to sacrifice anyone for his goals, right?
Agreed
Well, it was still just the beginning.
Let's watch slowly.
Dreamland Zone 2.
Class 1-32.
Max's party was catching their breath in a classroom, avoiding the pitch-black hallway.
Their presence here meant they'd boarded the elevator at the entrance.
"What are you writing so intently?"
"Logging what we've figured out so far."
"Where'd you get the notepad and pen?"
"In the desk drawer. There were some weird books too. Luca, how's your arm?"
"Mine didn't have any?"
Max ultimately couldn't use his escape scroll.
To him, seizing a magic stone with his own power and proving himself right to Sinclair was of utmost importance.
Besides, the scroll itself wouldn't vanish.
If they found the staff room, they could retrieve it anytime.
Dreamland was brutal but fair.
If they followed the patterns shown so far, a path forward surely existed.
"Well, as long as I don't move, it's fine... Hurts, but bearable."
The issue was Luca's injury.
She'd been hit by the faceless girl.
Quite horrifically too.
They'd fashioned a splint from a snapped mop handle and torn cloth.
Fortunately not life-threatening, but it would hinder future exploration.
'A healing potion would be nice...'
Not just the scroll—
Being unable to use any possessions was a huge setback.
"Tch, healing magic's a no-go, huh?"
"What am I, a dark mage? How could I use it...?"
Max crossed his arms and checked his watch.
10:10
20 minutes until resuming exploration.
They were on floor 1 now.
This academy went up to 80 floors and was quite expansive.
'Splitting up to search would be more efficient.'
Max felt his mouth go dry.
Thirst was already setting in.
Should've chugged water before boarding the machine.
Regrets were pointless.
Focus on the future—the bright one where they kill the Dungeon Master and claim the magic stone.
"Everyone gather up. Need to discuss future exploration."
The topic Max raised was search method.
Stick together or split up—the party had to decide.
"Sticking together boosts safety but slows exploration. Splitting speeds it up but drops safety. Might miss info too. Denrid, before that—how many can you link with comm magic max?"
"Regrettably, one person's my limit."
Max thought.
If someone split off alone and died, he'd have zero grasp on why or what rule killed them.
"Split into pairs. I'll take Luca exploring. Link comms between us for real-time updates."
"Then Jack and I will pair up."
The compromise worked.
Everyone agreed.
Denrid brought a floor 1 map.
Crude shape only—embarrassing to call a map.
Denrid circled their current classroom.
Then split the map precisely in half.
Left as A Zone, right as B Zone.
"Let's do it like this. Max and Luca take A, Jack and I take B. We'll survey like this until something notable turns up."
Everyone nodded.
Exploration continued that way.
In classrooms during class.
Hallways during breaks.
12:10
『♪─♪─♪』
『——─♪——♪』
『——… … ….』
Floor 1 exploration complete.
No gains.
"On to floor 2."
"Everyone checked thoroughly, right?"
"Marked the classroom just in case. Don't worry."
"Mm."
The party headed to floor 2.
And Max asked Denrid.
"Anything notable? Like you said on comms, nothing on me and Luca's side."
"Jack's more fun than expected. Never dreamed the slum knife-fighter kept quiet from shyness, not stoicism."
"Don't spread rumors."
"That's notable enough."
Max checked his watch.
12:19
"Stick together this break. Not much time left... Plus, mid-check talk."
"Sounds good. How's Luca's arm?"
"Hurts."
The party entered a classroom.
Honestly, no real mid-check topics.
Zero info found.
So they chatted idly.
From past tales to trivial gossip.
But.
12:25
15 minutes passed, yet no melody, no darkening hallway.
"Weird. Wait a sec."
Max pulled a stick from a locker.
Opened the door and swung it into the hall—no disappearance.
Tried cloth too—same result.
"Definitely over 10 minutes... Strange."
"Ah!"
Denrid clapped as if it just hit him.
"Thinking about it, there's lunch time."
"Lunch time?"
"Ahem. Only academy alum here is me..."
Denrid was the party's sole academy vet.
Had to briefly explain lunch to the uneducated crew.
"Even studying kids gotta eat. Our academy gave an hour for meals—usually called lunch time."
"An hour for food? Five minutes suffices."
"Sitting studying at a desk is the hardest."
"Agreed. So you're saying lunch time now? Free exploration like breaks?"
Denrid nodded.
"Still, just in case... Prep to duck into a classroom anytime. At least hallways won't darken while music plays."
The party nodded.
No reason to stay put.
Exploration resumed.
During lunch, they cleared floors 2 and 3.
No staff room or notables, but solid progress.
Now floor 4 loomed.
13:00
『♪─♪─♪』
『——─♪——♪』
『——… … ….』
Before the music.
Max and Luca were already in a classroom.
"Wish lunch was longer. Shame."
Max didn't reply.
He wasn't one for chit-chat anyway.
And hardly close to Luca.
"So why'd you split from Sinclair? Thought Blessed party was fixed."
"......"
"Not prying—just your face looks stuffy. Spilling woes lightens the load. Won't see each other post-clear anyway. Whatever you're comfy with."
Max touched his crumpled face.
Then spoke to Luca in an irritated tone.
"Don't get too cheeky."
"...What?"
"Being in the same dungeon doesn't make us equals..."
Dr-r-rk—
The classroom door slid open.
Silence fell instantly.
Not from the tense exchange just now.
Max's face stiffened.
Luca's too.
Thud. Thud.
Thud. Thud.
From the impenetrable darkness.
Something casually entered the classroom.
It resembled a human.
But faceless like a girl, with eight arms.
In a sharp suit, it stood at the blackboard and spoke brightly to the two.
"Quiet down, everyone! Quiet! Bell's rung—why the chatter? Teacher's here, so take your seats."
Max took a deep breath.
Quietly reported the situation via comms.
"Notable spotted. Minion encounter in 3-300 classroom. Faceless like the gir—"
"Max."
Max flinched.
How does it know my name?
The self-proclaimed teacher.
Approached Max steadily.
"Max."
"......"
Max was an ally.
Core raider in high-difficulty dungeons, battle-hardened countless times.
Normally, he'd smash the fearless encroacher right then.
Swordless, he could rip a troll's head off in one go.
But why wouldn't his body move?
Perhaps instinct knew.
"Max. Teacher's calling you."
The being before him.
Defied all Max's common sense.
Yuben's guide noted:
A dungeon needing no sword or magic.
Perhaps one rendering Max's lifelong training useless.
"Can't you hear me? Think I'm a joke? My class boring? Pointless? My words wrong? I study my life away, give my all as teacher for you lot! But you kids just complain! Report me nonstop! 'My life, butt out'—you that insolent too?"
Max swallowed hard.
Shook his head against his will.
"Warning."
With that—crunch!
Max's right arm snapped instantly.
-Right Arm
Snapped instantly
-Max? Max?
Couldn't respond to Denrid's comms.
Swallowing pain and screams, silently enduring—Max's only option.
Denrid had said.
Cranky academy profs often tell unfocused students to get out.
Gazes naturally fixed on the darkness-shrouded hallway.