The area with the school building was separated by a partition. Inside, the grounds were quite spacious, about the size of a single sports field, and within it stood a concrete structure.
Upon entering the building, a staircase leading down to the basement immediately came into view. It gave the impression that there were multiple layers of security set up outside the dungeon just in case.
“Before we enter the dungeon, I’d like to give a brief explanation,” said Renjou-sensei, who was in charge of the dungeon practicals. He had mixed gray hair but appeared to be in his thirties. Though dressed in a suit, he had a sword at his waist.
It was as expected; it indicated that monsters would appear inside the dungeon, and the teacher needed to be prepared for rescue operations.
“The stairs you are about to descend do not always lead to the same place. There is a periodic ‘Phase Shift’ that changes where you will be transported. As long as everyone enters before this cycle changes, the entire class will be transported to the same location.”
“U-uh, Sensei, I’ve never experienced a Phase Shift before…”
“That’s quite normal. However, in dungeons, it’s an everyday occurrence. There have been no reports of being transported inside walls. Since the establishment of this academy, there have been no deaths due to dungeon exploration, but there have been injuries.”
The sudden pressure made the classmates tense up.
I would have been just as scared if I hadn’t experienced dungeons in another world as ‘Beck.’ Knowing that dungeons are inherently dangerous allowed me to brace myself.
Still, dungeons offer a lot, and they attract people. Just like my party in ‘Beck’ sought honor by vanquishing beasts from the abyss.
“If things get dangerous, use the ‘Escape Scroll.’ This will forfeit any harvest inside the dungeon but will allow you to exit to the outside. It will automatically activate if a team member is deemed to be in danger, so you can’t refuse to use it.”
“Sensei, what happens if you drop it?”
“Just don’t drop it. There have been cases where students lost their scrolls, but we managed to rescue them. If it comes to that, staying enrolled in the academy could become difficult, mainly because it would worry your parents.”
“Wow, I see. Thanks for the info.”
Kayama, who asked the question, looked over here with a smirk—but such behavior, like taking someone else’s scroll, would be a serious problem.
(It looks like his hostility has increased since yesterday… He must have seen me walking to school with Nanami-san. And it probably bothers him that I interrupted his recruitment attempt…)
I thought students were scarier than monsters earlier, but if it leads to actual harm, it’s no laughing matter. I need to be cautious with my classmates as well—though it might be needless worry, it’s better than being caught off guard.
“You’ll be working to achieve one of two objectives. One, defeat at least one monster. Two, find one of these ‘Magic Stones.’ The more you accomplish, the higher your evaluation points. There are additional goals in the dungeon, but you don’t need to think about those just yet.”
“So we just need to achieve our goals and then exit?”
“Exactly. If you find a magic circle like this, standing on it will teleport you to the surface. There’s plenty of time, but you don’t need to use the full buffer time.”
“Will you be entering the dungeon with us?”
“Two of the homeroom teachers will enter the dungeon, but it is larger than you might imagine. The chances of encountering us during patrol are low, but it’s good to at least greet us if you do… Also, this is important…”
The teacher operated a tablet and showed us the shapes of the magic circles. One was for teleportation, and the other was different.
“This is a summoning magic circle. It’s a trap, so don’t step on it. Those with high confidence might try it, but it’s not recommended on the first day of practicals… That’s all for now.”
The class buzzed as everyone began to descend the stairs one by one—vanishing into the darkness, presumably to be transported.
