The day had finally come for the Dungeon Survival to begin.
The top-rank and upper-rank class students, who were scheduled to go first, gathered early in the morning at the southern pier.
“Training on an uninhabited island… it kind of makes my heart race.”
“Don’t get your hopes up. We have to stay inside the dungeon for three days and two nights.”
“If we give up in the middle, don’t we get to stay outside the dungeon?”
Since this was the first time they were doing training off-campus, most of the students looked excited.
“Everyone, line up!”
“Board the ship in an orderly fashion!”
The assistants from the Biological Department loaded the students onto the ship.
After a few hours of sailing, they would arrive at the uninhabited island where the training dungeon, “Catacomb,” was located.
“Hm, they all look so cheerful. I guess we’ll have to really work them hard!”
“Take it easy, muscle-head. Safety comes first.”
The ones exchanging words as they watched the students were Professors Murselt and Sylvia, who were in charge of this practical evaluation.
They were colleagues from the Biological Department, teaching “Enhancement Biomagic” and “Healing Biomagic” respectively, but the two didn’t get along very well.
“Hmph, that’s just like you, Professor Sylvia, not believing in the power of the body. The students will overcome all difficulties with enhancement magic!”
“When they’re in danger, it’s healing magic that ensures their survival. Not that a muscle-head like you would understand.”
The two had been classmates during their student days and were once rumored to be a couple… but due to differing magical philosophies, they became bitter rivals.
This kind of falling out was common in the mage community.
“Professors… can you two give it a rest already?”
Klein, who had been watching from the side, let out a sigh.
Though the practical evaluation was being led by the Bio-Magic Department, Klein, who belonged to the Lore Department and oversaw dungeon-related matters, was also tagging along.
“Let’s all hope this wraps up safely and without incident.”
“Haha. Don’t worry, Klein.”
Murselt clapped Klein on the back with a massive hand.
“Not once in Dungeon Survival history has there been a serious injury or fatality! Relax!”
“Alright, alright, now stop hitting my back!”
Klein let out a yell at the powerful backslap.
Caw, caw.
I looked up at an unknown bird flying over the ship and enjoyed the ocean breeze.
The first time I boarded a ship, I wasn’t allowed outside, but this ship to the uninhabited island let us come out to enjoy the sea.
A blue ocean… it’s nice.
I’d been to the beach plenty of times before, but it felt refreshing to be completely surrounded by water like this.
It seemed like lying down for a nap right here would feel amazing.
“Blaaargh!”
But my peace was suddenly broken by the sound of someone retching.
“H-Helios! Are you okay?!”
“Stop yelling… My head’s pounding… urgh!”
“I didn’t know you were the type to get seasick.”
Curious, I approached and saw Helios leaning over the edge of the ship, retching.
Charlotte stood nearby with her arms crossed, and an unfamiliar girl was walking back and forth nervously beside him, watching with concern.
“Helios, you’re seasick?”
“E-Eriol? What are you doing here… urgh!”
As Helios threw up into the ocean, the birds swarmed in, thinking it was food.
It wasn’t a pleasant sight.
“Hold still for a moment.”
I constructed a spell in my mind.
It wasn’t something we learned in class, but a healing spell I picked up while flipping through textbooks.
“It’s a healing spell that eases dizziness. You should feel a bit better.”
“Urgh… ugh…”
Helios slumped weakly against the railing.
He must have felt less dizzy, but the seasickness had clearly drained him.
“Didn’t he say he was confident in his survival skills…? Doesn’t look like it.”
“Getting seasick and exploring a dungeon are two different things… damn it.”
Staggering, Helios got up.
“I-I’ll go lie down inside for a bit.”
“Yeah, get some rest.”
“……”
Helios glanced at me briefly before heading into the cabin.
“A little thank you wouldn’t hurt. He’s got way too much pride,” Charlotte muttered, arms still crossed, clearly annoyed by his attitude.
“Charlotte, you’re on a team with Helios, right?”
“Y-Yeah,” she said, stammering a bit as she nodded.
“Along with Ingrid here.”
“Ah, hello!”
The girl with the silver bob cut gave a deep bow.
“I’m Ingrid Wiesbaden! I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr Eriol! It’s great to meet you!”
“Just call me Eriol, no need for the ‘Mr.’”
“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m just not used to addressing people so casually…”
She seemed even more formal than Senia.
“I’ve been watching your achievements ever since you entered the academy and took first place every time! To be honest… I’m a fan!”
“O-oh, really?”
“Yes!”
Rather than flattered, I felt more confused.
I never imagined someone would call themselves my fan.
“My grades are usually a bit unbalanced… so I’ve always admired how you excel across all fields!”
“I see…”
“Eriol, don’t take her too literally. This one placed eighth on the last midterms and ranks within the top ten overall.”
Charlotte let out a sigh as she spoke.
“She’s no slouch in practice either. Don’t underestimate her.”
“C-Charlotte, there’s no need to say that to Eriol…”
“Anyway, you’d better not let your guard down too much.”
With that, Charlotte raised her finger confidently.
“This time, our team is going to take first place in the Dungeon Survival. We’re not going to lose to your team.”
“…”
It had been a while since I’d seen Charlotte act so competitive.
But unlike during the rookie tournament, it didn’t feel hostile.
More like pure fighting spirit, in a good way.
“Alright, let’s both do our best.”
There wasn’t going to be any direct fighting between teams anyway, so a healthy rivalry would be good.
When I nodded with a smile, Charlotte unexpectedly blushed.
“W-What’s with that reaction? At least be a little more…”
“What?”
“N-Nothing.”
She quickly turned her head with a huff.
“I’m tired too, so I’m going to rest inside. See you later, Eriol.”
“Yeah, rest well.”
“Hmph…”
Charlotte walked off, visibly annoyed about something.
As I watched her go, Ingrid spoke up in a cautious voice.
“You really are something, Eriol. To stand so confidently even in front of Charlotte… If it were me, I’d be shaking in my boots.”
“I didn’t think she was all that scary though?”
“N-no, of course not.”
Maybe she was just a naturally timid person.
“Um… actually, there was something I wanted to ask you.”
“Me? What is it?”
“I heard you’re pretty good at reading ancient spell languages. Is that true?”
“Well… I didn’t learn it formally, but I can read it fairly well.”
Even without official training, I was capable of deciphering things like Ancient Formula Language Level 3.
It seemed that being exposed to so much magical material at the academy had awakened my spiritual aptitude for reading.
“The truth is, the Wiesbaden family—my family—specializes in studying ancient texts and ruins. I came to the academy to study that field.”
“Oh, so you’re aiming for the Transcendental Department?”
“Yes, well…”
Ingrid trailed off slightly.
“So the thing is… I’d like to do a bit of exploration in the Catacomb aside from the survival portion.”
“Didn’t the academy already finish exploring the Catacomb?”
“They cleared out the monsters and traps, yes, but they didn’t examine everything inside.”
“Hmm…”
“The Catacomb is an underground tomb built by an ancient, wicked religion. There are supposed to be a lot of strange murals inside… I’d like to see them while I have the chance.”
“I get what you’re saying.”
I realized what Ingrid was trying to ask.
“You want me to let you know if I find any murals with ancient writing on them, right?”
“Y-Yes!”
“If I come across anything special, I’ll let you know. Might not be until after the competition ends though.”
“T-That’s perfectly fine! Thank you so much!”
Ingrid smiled and bowed deeply.
So deeply, I worried her head might fall off.
‘But still…’
An ancient wicked religion, huh?
I felt like I’d heard something like that before somewhere…
The students were led by professors and teaching assistants from the academy during the Dungeon Survival, but there were other adults present as well.
Namely, the sailors who operated the ships between islands.
They were to remain on standby near the uninhabited island throughout the survival, in case of emergency.
“Captain, it’s time for shift change. You can take a break now.”
“Alright, first mate.”
The captain stretched lightly as he stood from the bridge.
Then he patted the first mate’s shoulder.
“For the Red Moon.”
“For the Red Moon.”
They whispered something no one else could hear.
And with that, the captain left the bridge, relieved by the first mate.
“Thank you all for coming all the way here by ship!”
Even without using amplification magic, Professor Murselt’s voice echoed across the island.
“This uninhabited island’s ancient ruin—the Catacomb—has been remodeled by our academy into a training dungeon! There are no dangerous monsters, and no lethal traps either!”
Students stationed throughout the island listened intently, tense expressions on their faces.
There were over 30 entrances into the Catacomb, and each team was assigned a different one.
“But don’t think it’s going to be easy! If you let your guard down, you’ll be crawling out on the back of a teaching assistant! Treat this like a real dungeon!”
The students had been provided with half a day’s worth of food and water.
Anything more would have to be obtained inside the dungeon.
“Defeating the training monsters or disarming traps inside will automatically earn you points! There are also many ways to get bonus points, so do your best! Understood?!”
“Yes…!”
“Good!”
Murselt responded with a booming voice that reverberated across the island.
“Then let the Dungeon Survival begin! See you all in good health three days from now!”
Rumble!
The 30-plus entrances opened all at once, and the students began entering the Catacomb.
The Dungeon Survival had begun.
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