Leading a group.
If you just heard that word, you might think of a school teacher.
Or perhaps a guide or interpreter when going abroad?
An unusual form of leadership would be guiding people through harsh environments like the Amazon or Antarctica.
The commonality among those who lead is the need to guide unfamiliar individuals and help them understand the environment.
However, leading someone to the place we are about to go would be unprecedented.
At least, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a profession that leads people into Dungeons.
“Alright, from here on out is the Dungeon. Is everyone ready?”
It’s a lead to a place like that.
The atmosphere naturally becomes tense.
The grand finale of the second-term Newcomer Training has a tense atmosphere, a stark contrast to the relaxed mood at the beginning.
In my time, we finished by fighting Dungeon monsters in a simulated space, but the situation and environment are quite different now compared to last year.
Actual combat.
This is what we will be doing this time.
Training versus actual combat, the atmosphere changes so much just with the words. The members who were smiling at each other before we started, but as they watched their companions enter the Dungeon one by one, their smiles disappeared from their faces.
Even if safety is secured, one step inside and it’s a battlefield.
And beyond the Gate lies an unknown world.
Anyone would be nervous, I think. I believe it’s amazing that they aren’t voicing their anxieties.
Finally, it was our turn, and I tried to ask with a smile, but the only replies I heard were:
“Yes! I’m alright!”
“No problem.”
Only Amelia and Katsu, who were experienced in going to Dungeons and responsible for the rear, responded. Even the feisty Bart and Suya only nodded slightly, a little tense.
Well, I thought it was understandable since it’s the first time and I was about to convince myself.
“Yes, no problem.”
“I’m fine!”
There was an exception here. Ishan, standing with an imposing presence. He seemed relaxed, not tense at all, and stood there as if he were the epitome of the word “prepared.” Impressed by that, I happened to look next to me.
There was a woman whose eyes were fixated on money. What can I say, it was like seeing someone whose greed surpassed their nervousness. Just as there are maniacs who stare with bloodshot eyes at the thrill of the hunt, there are people who challenge Dungeons with eyes full of avarice. In a way, I was impressed, though for a different reason than Ishan, perhaps seeing it as a pure desire.
I stopped Katagiri, who started breathing strangely as if anticipating the profit, and explained how to open the Gate before entering.
“Well, welcome to the Dungeon.”
I felt the usual change into my Magic Body and looked back to show them the world that unfolded beyond the Gate. Even Ishan and Katagiri couldn’t hide their surprise. It’s no wonder; even if it’s a large building, anyone would be surprised to see such a vast wilderness spread out before them. It’s reality, not some video. When a vast canyon unfolds before your eyes, even the most insensitive person would let out an emotion or two. And, perhaps fortunately, those emotions caused the tension to disappear from everyone’s faces. Exclamations of “Wow,” “It’s beautiful,” echoed around. Heads moved busily, looking right, left, down, and up. As excitement spread through everyone, I heard a familiar cry in my ears.
“Ah, everyone, sorry to interrupt your awe, but we have guests.”
I can project my voice without shouting. Benny, Bart, Suya, Haruna, Ishan, Katagiri, and all the other Dungeon Testers had almost forgotten they were in a Dungeon. To bring their minds back, I told them the precautions upon entering the Dungeon.
“We should greet them soon.”
With the sound of feet kicking off the rock walls of the canyon, a high-pitched cry echoed throughout the surroundings, and most of the Dungeon Testers looked around in confusion. Only a few could react as an enemy. Even those who could react wouldn’t be in time for this.
“It goes like this?”
With a “slash,” I cut down a small bipedal dragon, like a Velociraptor, that leaped at me without me turning around. Its body and head were separated with a gasp, and the sight of it instantly turning into mana, accompanied by a brief shriek, told the newcomers that it was a Monster.
“I apologize for dampening your excitement, but this is already a Dungeon. The only safe zone is one you secure yourself. This is enemy territory, and we are invading it. I believe this lead is to instill that mindset. I will provide support, but everyone must take this seriously.”
Although it was a warning that sounded like a threat, their expressions changed completely once they understood it was reality. Trying to recall even a little of what they learned in training, each group activated their roles and, though not swiftly, somehow managed to cope.
“Alright, it seems everyone is ready. However, from next time, please ensure you are prepared before or immediately after entering the Dungeon.” Their efforts were endearing and commendable, but not quite enough. So, I immediately corrected what could be corrected. To convey our experience, I signaled to Amelia and Katsu, who already had the Ore Tree I had just cut down, and they were ready for combat.
“Today, we’re only planning to explore the vicinity of the entrance, but don’t let your guard down. From experience, this Dungeon is more bloodthirsty than others.” The first one was a foolish dragon that rushed ahead. The newcomers, trying to gauge the meaning of my words, looked at each other but hadn’t fully grasped it yet. Ishan and Haruna, who had some practical experience, immediately reacted to the posture of myself, Amelia, and Katsu.
“Even near the entrance, it’s like this.” A rumbling sound, like the earth groaning, finally made the newcomers understand what was happening. “We’re going to receive quite a welcome.” Some turned pale, some covered their mouths and backed away, some forced themselves to be brave and drew their swords, and some broke out in a cold sweat.
“Now, newcomers, do your best to survive. You won’t die here, but you will experience pain as if you were going to die, so be prepared.” I’ve heard that lions throw their cubs into the valley and only raise those who climb back up, but is this perhaps part of that? I began walking towards the dragons that attacked in a swarm, slowly stirring up dust plumes. Hearing the newcomers exclaim “Impossible” or “Are they stupid?” would likely be normal. Ah, their words were entirely sensible and ordinary.
“Ah, and as a parting gift, I’ll leave you with these words.” However, I will say them. “I recommend distinguishing between common sense and what’s possible as soon as possible.” If you think something is impossible because of common sense. “Otherwise, you won’t become strong here.” You won’t be able to cut down a swarm of dragons like this. A single stroke. Even if they are low-class, dragons are dragons. Their vitality is incomparably high compared to ordinary creatures. Cutting down not one, but multiple, with a single stroke. My body, originally strengthened and trained with Magic Crests, was further enhanced by the dragon’s blood. It cut through them as if they were tofu, with almost no resistance, and a single stroke was enough to end it.
“Now, everyone, let’s try to do our best without being bound by common sense?” I said, looking back with the Ore Tree slung over my shoulder, having cut down the dragons as if they were nothing. Amelia, who was clapping with a smile, contrasted with the newcomers, whose mouths twitched as they nodded. I tried to convey lessons through my actions, following Instructor Kio’s example, but it seemed to have failed. Realizing I had failed, I scratched my nose with my left hand, the one not holding the Ore Tree, and pondered for a few seconds. This time, a dragon’s roar echoed from above. Looking up, I saw dragon-like shapes circling – not aircraft. At that size, it’s probably a wyvern.
“Shall we go for that first?” Moreover, I felt it wouldn’t be right as a leader to do nothing, so I gently pointed upwards and asked if they wanted to challenge it.
“Impossible!” Katagiri energetically raised his right hand in refusal, and the newcomers agreed.
“That thing, if sold, has materials that fetch around 500,000, you know?”
“…I want it, but it’s impossible!!” And though Katagiri was greedy, he hadn’t abandoned all discernment to the point of recklessly challenging it. Impressed by that, I pondered what to do. Although I volunteered to lead, the Dragon King’s Dungeon generally consists of either individual large monsters or hunting in packs. The wyvern flying alone is, in a sense, the smallest. anything smaller would require thinning the pack. In that case, the strategy would revolve around me. If they are to conquer the Dungeon from now on, that would be problematic.
“Well, it’ll work out somehow.” While there are times when pondering is necessary, standing still won’t get us anywhere.
“Alright, Ishan, first.” “Yes.” Then, let’s go with a “play it by ear” approach.
“Can you do it?” “Do you mean can you fight?” “Yeah, you look the most calm and have the widest field of vision. You should get used to fighting, but everyone is confused at first. Can you serve as a role model for the newcomers?” “…” Even if it goes well in training, it doesn’t always go well in practice. Even something that can be done easily can cause a person’s performance to drop if they are made to feel like they might fail. That’s why a success story is needed, where someone else managed to do it. I want to entrust that to Ishan. Ishan, who was entrusted with such expectations, looked at me intently, then turned to face Benny and the other newcomers. All of them were overwhelmed by the air of battle that had erupted in just a few minutes, and tension was evident on all their faces. They would probably do it if told, but there was an element of anxiety, of not knowing if they could. Ishan, seeming to notice that, closed his eyes once and took a deep breath.
“I will do it.” “Good.” And the color that appeared as he opened his eyes was one of resolve. I felt relieved by that emotion and lightly patted his back. “Don’t worry, you can do it. Relax and go for it.” “!” “Yes.” Even with resolve, one still feels nervous. I could feel the tension in his back as he braced himself. “I’ll drive off the enemies around here. Even if a strong foe comes, I’ll be your wall. So, you fight without worrying about my back, and focus on the front.” I smiled at him, hoping to ease some of that tension, and he responded with a relieved smile. “That’s good,” I nodded and told them, who were still tense, to watch.
“You all, proceed while keeping watch on your surroundings. Take your time. Don’t be caught off guard by enemies!” Faint replies came back to those words, and we finally proceeded deeper into the Dungeon. Some looked back as the Gate grew farther away, confirming their direction. Judging from their appearance and equipment, they were mapping it out. Unlike the first-term students, I thought it was nice that they had a balanced mix of professions. We advanced at a pace considerably slower than “Moonlit Perch.”
“Jiro-san, stop.” “Which direction?” After about ten minutes of progress, Amelia requested a halt. Her voice, which had been cheerful moments before, had turned serious, and tension immediately spread throughout the surroundings. Knowing her hearing, I was used to it and asked for the direction. “There’s a pack in the three o’clock direction, and heavy footsteps in the eleven o’clock direction. Which one?” The Gate is still close. So, it’s probably not an exceptionally strong individual. We can cover its flank in case of an emergency.
“Ishan, which one?” “Am I the one to decide?” So, I entrusted him with the choice. “In real situations, you’ll be the one to decide your path when you enter a Dungeon. Let’s cultivate your judgment here.” The information was only Amelia’s auditory input. A large individual or a small pack. With only these two choices, I wondered what kind of decision Ishan would make.
“…I’ll go with the pack.” “Understood. Amelia, can you continue while keeping watch for any others?” “OK! No problem! Leave it to me!” I was looking forward to it, but the time he spent agonizing was shorter than expected. Did he judge that agonizing for a long time in the Dungeon was dangerous, or was there another reason? All I can say is that there was no hesitation in his voice. And at the place we arrived, guided by his decision and Amelia’s directions, were…
“Hey, what is that?” “I don’t know.” “It’s a Dragon, a Dragon.” “There are a lot of them.” The pack of dragons that had initially attacked by surprise from the cliff above resided there. This area seemed to be their territory, as several nests were visible. The problem was their number. Was the first one a scout? There were not ten or twenty, but a whole pack. For me, it would be no problem, but it’s too much for the newcomers.
“There’s a big one, maybe the pack leader. That one looks like a Blood.” “They haven’t noticed us yet, you know?” With a pack numbering over a hundred, Amelia’s expression conveyed “impossible.” Leaving Katsu as a bodyguard, Ishan and I had come to scout and this was the result. Accepting their words that we should honestly retreat, I quietly looked at Ishan, who had made the decision this time. “…” With his eyes wide open at the scene, he looked as if he thought his judgment was wrong, and I scratched my head. “Ishan, don’t be too hard on yourself. It might have been a judgment error to encounter an opponent with such overwhelming strength, but it was the result of choosing from the limited information. Cases like this happen often.” “Yes.” He replied honestly, but failing on the first try would be quite a shock. It would be good if he could accept it, but accepting it also takes experience. I didn’t have time to ponder what to do. If we kept peeking like this, we’d eventually be discovered.
“We’re retreating. I’ll cover the rear.” Understanding that I wasn’t as agile as usual, I tried to leave the scene, but “An explosion sound!? Damn it, we’ve been discovered?” “This is bad! With that explosion sound, the pack below has noticed us too!” From the direction where the newcomers were waiting, an unexpected explosion sound came. And, judging by the scattered explosion sounds, it was clear that combat had already begun. With a single curse, we immediately left the scene and ran to regroup.
A word for today: When doing something different, be aware that things will not go as usual. Thank you for your continued comments and error corrections. If you find it interesting, please leave your comments, ratings, and bookmarks. *The first volume of the book is published by Hayakawa Bunko JA. It was released on October 18, 2018. The e-book version was also released on October 31 of the same year. The second volume was released on December 19. The third volume was released on February 20, 2019. The content has been revised and expanded from the version posted on Shosetsuka ni Narou, with additional interlude chapters included. Please check out the new releases too!! The comic adaptation is serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.” We hope you enjoy that as well. We look forward to your continued support of this work.
