noffsinger Chapter 61, First Move
Chapter 61, First Move
"Please regroup with your group. You are now entering the dungeon."
As the instructor's voice rang out, each student gradually gathered with their assigned group. I was no exception, as participation in this practical training was mandatory.
Although poor grades will not result in disciplinary action, if students are absent from actual training without a reason, things could escalate to a very serious level, which is not the outcome I want at the moment.
Anyway, as I walked slowly, I soon noticed the girl with amber eyes and red hair looking at me with an annoyed expression. Her attitude didn't change at all.
'Irina is still the same.'
The other two were there too. Nora was looking at me with an awkward expression, clearly wanting to talk to me. She wasn't the kind of girl who could easily ignore others.
George, as usual, looked intimidatingly large, but his expression betrayed him; he seemed somewhat shy.
'That's the kind of person he is,' I reminded myself again.
As if she had seized the opportunity, Irina finally couldn't hold back and let out a cold snort. "It's that invisible man again."
Her dismissive tone was reminiscent of our first meeting, and her attitude was clearly unyielding. George looked uncomfortable beside her, while Nora's expression was a mixture of unease and pity.
“Is that so?” I replied in a nonchalant tone.
My indifference to her hostility might confuse Irina, but it's better to ignore it than let her attitude affect me.
"Tsk." She flicked her tongue and turned her attention to the boy she wanted to get his attention.
Who he is is obvious and needs no explanation.
The atmosphere became a little awkward. I could tell that Nora and George both wanted to speak, but Irina's critical behavior and her shifting attention to others made them hesitate.
After a while, our numbers were finally announced.
"Squad 13, enter!" the instructor called out, and our group entered the dungeon. Since this was the academy's simulated dungeon, the discomfort of teleportation was slightly reduced.
As soon as we entered the dungeon, the atmosphere changed drastically. The surrounding light dimmed, and a dark shadow seemed to envelop us. This was in stark contrast to the classroom environment we had just been in.
'Sure enough, there's a reason they set the conditions for reaching the finish line. There are definitely many traps ahead,' I concluded to myself.
This event wasn't shown in detail in the game because there wasn't much to show, but real life is obviously different from the game.
“I’ll lead the way,” Irina said with an impatient expression. She seemed to dislike the dark, and flickering flames ignited in her hands.
The firelight cast dancing shadows on the walls, revealing the outline of the passage ahead. As the leader of the squad, she appeared more focused and determined than ever before, her fire magic shining like a beacon in the darkness.
But looking at her like that, I knew that what she did was something anyone could do, and that mentors must have specific methods in place to deal with this situation.
'Taking action before conducting a comprehensive assessment and planning. Indeed, this girl lacks the qualities of a leader.'
Swoosh
Just as I was thinking this, suddenly, the flames weakened due to the air currents.
No, it's more accurate to say that its change is described by another word. Its light has dimmed, but the heat emanating from the flame remains.
'This must be the environment of a dungeon,' I concluded. Dungeons are special environments where unimaginable things can happen. This phenomenon is actually quite normal.
"What's wrong?" Irina asked, bewildered. Clearly, she hadn't expected her flames to weaken. "What happened?"
She tried to summon more flames to illuminate the surroundings, but I could see a thin film enveloping us.
'Does it react to light and exist around it?' I wondered, trying to understand its nature.
"Tsk." She clicked her tongue softly, staring at her own flames.
“Does anyone know what’s going on?” she asked, turning to Nora and George.
"I do not know."
"I don't know either," the two replied quickly.
"Sigh..." I saw Irina sigh, her gaze fixed on the road ahead, completely ignoring me.
If you don't want an answer, then so be it.
“Then we can only move forward blindly, we can’t waste any more time. Watch your step,” she replied, starting to walk down the corridor, her nerves on edge. The atmosphere became tense; after all, darkness enveloped the surroundings, and nothing could be seen.
At least, that's how it is for them. Because of my nature, I can easily see anything happening around me. They are all better adapted to the dark. This is my territory.
Furthermore, the flames Irina lit had already shown us the way before darkness fell, so they should also know the way ahead, at least up to some point.
'I understand the purpose of this test now.'
For hunters, perception and environmental awareness are just as important as combat skills. Countless situations can arise within dungeons, making quick thinking and action crucial.
This dungeon test was precisely to examine these skills. When darkness falls, the first thing humans think of is to illuminate their surroundings to activate their vision.
However, by incorporating elements of darkness and light, instructors can test students' intermittent vision.
'After walking for a while, Irina's flames might illuminate the surroundings for a second, but the veil of darkness that follows would follow the light.'
That's a great idea for testing students; typical of the college.
Led by Irina, our group continued along the dark corridor, the atmosphere tense and cautious. I lagged slightly behind, but with my keen senses, I could detect danger in the darkness.
There was a trap ahead, but luckily, none of the three of them triggered it. It was right in my position, so I slightly shifted my body to avoid it. I didn't know what it was, nor was I interested in finding out.
"what!"
Just then, a sudden, sharp sound interrupted my thoughts. Irina's painful scream mingled with the crackling of electricity. I immediately turned to look at her and saw her convulsing, clutching her feet tightly.
'Electric shock trap.' I silently memorized it. I could see she was in pain, but if someone didn't want to cooperate with me, I wasn't going to help. I was just an observer in their world.
'Cause and effect,' I thought.
"Irina!" George saw Irina was injured and immediately jumped over to help. This was normal; after all, he was usually the one who took the fall.
But this triggered another trap. A net fell from above, ensnaring him and lifting him off the ground.
Then, due to George's large size, he fell to the ground and triggered another, more distant trap.
swish swish
This time, I could see and feel a rain of arrows shooting toward our faces.
clang clang clang
"Hey!" Nora called out, her voice filled with concern, as she skillfully parried the arrow with her sword.
It was dark, but Nora seemed to have gotten used to it. She glanced at me. It was a pleading look, but I just stood there watching her.
Even if she is afraid of Irina, if you don't fight against injustice because you are afraid of the strong, and ignore your values, then you are selfish.
If you are selfish, you have no right to demand that others do things your way, because they can also be selfish and do whatever they want.
This isn't me blaming her. This is just the truth.
As Nora approached the two men, she first went to George, cut the net with her sword, and bandaged his foot.
By this time, Irina had taken care of herself. Apart from occasional twitches, the trap's effect seemed to have worn off.
However, it was clear that due to Irina's misjudgment and arrogance, she charged forward alone as the leader, causing chaos in the three-person formation.
'This is a bit awkward.' Considering these people will become the best hunters in the future, they still have a long way to go. But it can't be said that they haven't made progress.
Their dynamics are changing, adapting to the immediate challenges they face. This is not only a test of their combat effectiveness, but also a test of their ability to work as a team under pressure.
“George, go ahead.” Irina realized her mistake, glanced at George, and placed him in front. “I’ll try to solve the darkness problem; Nora will protect me.”
Swoosh
However, before they could regroup, a monster leaped out of the darkness.
And its target is me.
"Tsk."
I clicked my tongue and quickly picked up the bow and drew the bowstring taut.
Swoosh
As I released my magic-infused arrow, it pierced the monster's neck with pinpoint accuracy, knocking it to the ground.
'Now that I've been exposed, I'm not going to pretend anymore.'
swish swish
I quickly launched three mana-infused arrows at the flying monster.
Dong dong dong
The three arrows made a crisp sound, and all of them hit their targets accurately, causing the monster to fall to the ground.
"what?"
George and Nora both looked at me in surprise. Even Irina let out a slight gasp of surprise.
It's normal that they probably didn't notice the monsters. If it weren't for my excellent eyesight in the dark, I wouldn't have been able to sense them either.
The atmosphere became tense after the confrontation with the monster. Irina, George, and Nora stood in a semi-circle, their eyes fixed on me. Clearly, my sudden display of power had caught them off guard.
“Ha, you have a good eye.” Irina raised an eyebrow, a hint of arrogance in her tone. “Can you explain why you didn’t tell us you could see in the dark?”
I could tell she was angry; it seemed her pride had been hurt.
'I think it's time to teach her a lesson and establish a hierarchy for future events. Otherwise, it's too much of a hassle.'
With this thought in mind, I raised my head and replied:
Nobody asked.