episode_0083

In conclusion, forming teams with desired people was successful. All three of my friends and I had excellent grades, so we were able to choose each other as teammates.

Thus, after welcoming the second week of October, we held an orientation in preparation for the field trip.

First-year students gathered in the auditorium, and a familiar instructor stepped forward to the screen.

“Greetings, first-year rookies. I trust you all did your best on the test. Did you enjoy your lunch?”

“Yes!”

“Originally, another teacher was supposed to handle this, but they’re out in the field, so I’ve had to take it on. I trust no one has any objections.”

Frederick sighed softly, picked up the microphone, and spoke again.

“From now on, I will explain the field trip. For the entire month of October, you and your assigned teammates will enter the Chloris Great Forest and undertake several given tasks. The types of tasks are…”

I was listening intently to the explanation when suddenly the instructor pointed at me.

“Now then, what do you think is most important in dungeon exploration? Answer me. You’re the top student, so you should be able to answer this well, right?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to me. I was so nervous. And why did he have to mention I was the top student!

I fumbled for a moment before finally spitting out a single word.

“…Preparation.”

“What kind of preparation?”

“Ah… understanding and grasping information about the enemy?”

I didn’t know what to say, so I just blurted something out, but the instructor nodded as if satisfied.

“Indeed, you’ve got half of it right. What I’m about to explain is precisely that. You need to understand the characteristics of the other-dimensionalized areas within the dungeon and the traits of the demonic beasts you’ll encounter there.”

He slowly explained the dungeon’s characteristics, terrain, and vegetation through a presentation. Up to this point, it was all information I already knew: jungle terrain, divided into several tiers along gentle slopes, mostly low-level demonic beasts but also some mid-level ones, hot…

“Some of you may have already experienced combat, but others may not have. Many things are important in a fight: experience, skill, and strategy. When using them, each person has their own method.”

Slowly, the lights dimmed, and the auditorium grew dark.

“What’s important is how you impose your methods on your enemies and how you avoid getting caught up in theirs. The history of war between humanity and demonic beasts is similar. I’m not a historian, so I can’t explain in detail, but the core of this struggle can be summarized as ‘who imposes their fighting style on the opponent more effectively.’”

The projector turned on, and the screen lit up.

“So, to make you focus and pay attention, we’ll briefly watch footage of the veterans who fought against the demonic beasts during the First Interdimensional Invasion, before you were even born. Watch carefully.”

A warning message appeared before the video began.

I focused, thinking it was a typical military education video, but then a black-and-white video, seemingly old, appeared.

“This is what it was like during the First Interdimensional Invasion War, almost a century ago. Back then, there were no magnetic acceleration cannons, no super-heavy tanks. No hypersonic missiles, no exoskeletons. The alloy equipment and relic weapons you carry now were distant dreams. I heard these stories from the seniors of my seniors.”

Rough, crude black-and-white images depicted soldiers fighting demonic beasts in trenches.

“Some call this era the dawn of Awakened Ones and magic, while others see it as the beginning of the Aether Crisis.”

The instructor cleared his throat, making a hmmm sound.

“I don’t know about all that, but I do know one thing: without the sacrifices of the early Awakened Ones and countless nameless heroes, you and I wouldn’t be here. So don’t just watch it for entertainment; watch it with some respect.”

“What is this, some classic movie?”

“Looks like archival footage.”

As the video began, soldiers in old military uniforms appeared on the black-and-white screen.

Their crude appearance brought a scene from Earth’s history to mind: the end of World War I.

“It was only mentioned in minor details in the game, but it’s real.”

“They said the first invasion was a long time ago, but I didn’t realize it was *that* old!”

“I’m not showing this to you for entertainment. It contains important hints about the dungeon you’ll be visiting. It’s starting now. Focus!”

The blurry focus sharpened, and the video began. The camera showed a dark wave approaching from a distance, beyond the horizon.

Despite the low quality, I quickly realized it was a horde of demonic beasts.

The camera shifted its gaze to a closer view. In front were layers of barbed wire and sharp stakes.

-Rat-a-tat-tat!

Machine guns mounted in the trenches poured out bullets, and soldiers fired their rifles. Even on the blurry screen, the desperate emotions on their faces were vividly palpable.

However, the demonic beasts broke through all attempts and approached the trenches. The soldiers resisted desperately.

“They’re not even Awakened, and they fought like that?”

The scene changed, and a crude-looking tank charged forward. Soldiers holding submachine guns that looked like iron pipes advanced alongside it. As the tank rolled forward, spewing steam, it belched fire, causing demonic beasts to fall or flee.

Soon, the scenes continued to change.

Cavalry charging with long spears rigged with bombs against house-sized demonic beasts.

Tanks firing cannons at octopus-shaped demonic beasts.

Biplanes engaging in aerial combat against giant moth-like flying demonic beasts.

Everything was new to me, watching the video for the first time.

“Ugh, that’s insane. They fought demonic beasts with those kinds of junk weapons?”

“That’s incredible.”

Seeing the old soldiers in the video, I couldn’t help but feel admiration.

It’s a reality that even modern Awakened Ones, with their professional training, can be killed if they let their guard down. Yet, people with no special abilities fought against monsters stronger than humans with antiquated weapons. It truly warrants respect.

The scene changed once more.

An army fighting on a plain was visible. As soldiers fired, a translucent force field made of overlapping hexagonal grids, like tiles, appeared in front of the demonic beasts.

The force field caught the light, sparkling and shimmering with various colors.

The demonic beasts immediately retreated behind the force field, regrouped, and then advanced again. Large and small bullets flying towards the barrier struck it, creating white sparks and bouncing off.

Giant demonic beasts, clad in translucent force fields, continued to advance. Artillery shells rained down, but the force fields bounced them off like rubber balls.

“Isn’t that, that shield?”

“Looks like it.”

The instructor paused the video, then pointed at me again and asked.

“Alright, another question. What is that shield the demonic beasts use, which appeared in the video, called?”

This time, I answered without hesitation. It was something I knew well.

“High-Speed Kinetic Barrier.”

The instructor nodded and turned around.

“Yes, it’s one of the malicious technologies first demonstrated by the demonic beasts, designed to nullify existing military strategies. In the Battle of Novastia, where the High-Speed Kinetic Barrier first appeared, 30,000 soldiers were slaughtered in a single day by demonic beast attacks spearheaded by it. The city was eroded and swallowed, becoming the dungeon it is today.”

He slowly continued his explanation.

“As you’ve all heard, that barrier repels all objects moving above a certain speed. To attack an enemy hidden behind it from a distance without magic, you either have to unleash overwhelming firepower or use low-speed projectiles. If you choose the former, you’d need artillery battalion-level firepower just to penetrate a human-sized barrier. Or you could engage in close combat, but…”

Basically, the bodies of demonic beasts are sturdier than ordinary creatures, almost immune to disease, and can withstand most poisons. On top of that, their entire bodies are covered in Aetheric Protection, which dampens impact and reduces damage from all types of attacks. A single bullet won’t kill them.

Humanity, upon seeing this, must have thought:

‘If one hit doesn’t work, just hit them more, right?’

And just as humanity prepared to unleash barrages of bullets and bombs with all their creativity, the demonic beasts unveiled the High-Speed Kinetic Barrier.

The principle of this barrier, still undetermined, is closer to a filter than a ‘shield.’ The moment it activates, it blocks or repels all fast-moving objects attempting to pass through it without magic. It even blocks high-output lasers and electricity. They say it can even probabilistically deflect magic-infused attacks if their speed is too high. Yet, it allows some necessary air and light to pass through, which makes it seem nothing short of a magical ability.

Because of its performance, humanity desired it, but I heard they could only imperfectly mimic it with magic.

There are a few strategies: aside from the option of unleashing even more insane amounts of firepower, you either have to go behind the barrier and eliminate the user, or penetrate the barrier with a magic-infused attack.

The video continued. Human-sized demonic beasts fired magic bullets or threw fireballs from behind their shields. Soldiers charging with bayonets fixed fell, hit by the attacks. When soldiers who managed to close the distance swung their rifles, the demonic beasts grabbed them and threw them aside.

“That’s ridiculous, isn’t it? It’s totally cheating.”

It felt truly unreasonable just watching it. Powerful monsters, immune to a shot or two from a rifle, unilaterally forced humans into close combat.

To physically pierce Aetheric Protection, it’s best to unleash fast and powerful attacks, but such attacks are blocked by the barrier. Slow attacks capable of passing through the barrier usually struggle to penetrate Aetheric Protection.

Slow-moving grenades or rockets would probably be dodged or intercepted just by sight. Driving a tank to crush them or picking up rocks to smash them would only work in limited situations.

An arrow struck the neck of a demonic beast fighting from behind the barrier, and an explosion occurred. As the camera shifted its view, soldiers with bows and crossbows appeared. Large, round objects were attached to the arrowheads.

“One of the reasons the earliest hunters used bows was precisely the Kinetic Barrier. The barrier blocked speeds equivalent to bullets, but it allowed slower objects like arrows or things thrown by hand to pass through. Based on this observation, people initially shot arrows tipped with potent poison or bombs. There was also the method of throwing grenades inside the barrier.”

Saying that, Frederick took out a small crossbow from his back and unleashed magic. Magic gathered on the arrow, causing it to glow white.

“Of course, after the use of magic became widespread, people began to infuse arrows and crossbow bolts with magic. Like Aetheric Protection, that barrier also cannot block magic-infused attacks. The tradition of hunters using bows and crossbows began precisely from humanity’s struggle to overcome that barrier.”

The magic gathered on the arrow vanished. The auditorium lights came back on, and the instructor began speaking to the students in a booming voice.

“I told you this video contains hints related to the dungeon. What do you think that is?”

Irene raised her hand and answered.

“I believe it’s the Kinetic Barrier.”

“That’s correct. The Chloris Great Forest is home to demonic beasts capable of deploying Kinetic Barriers. And they move intelligently, just like in the video.

Ah, but there’s no need to be afraid. The Chloris Dungeon is a place with low profitability. In other words, the number of demonic beasts is quite small, and they are only weak ones. Most importantly, instructors and hunters are on standby at the site. In an emergency, they are ready to deploy and rescue you within five minutes.”

The instructor, who had been speaking up to this point, gave a wicked smile and looked at the students.

“So, if I see any of you bringing firearms to the field trip, I’ll consider it a sign that you weren’t paying attention during this orientation, and I won’t let it slide. Understand?”

One student raised a hand and asked.

“Instructor-nim! If speed is the problem, why don’t we just use subsonic bullets?”

The instructor glared at the student with a look of pity and snapped.

“Do you think no one has thought of that until now? You’d be better off throwing a bomb, you idiot.”

Frederick clicked his tongue.

I concentrated, listening as the instructor began to explain the dungeon in earnest.

Most of it was basic information: don’t stray off the path, manage your hydration well, stamina management is crucial. Against the barrier, always use magic attacks. Even when using magic, there’s a chance of being deflected when attacking the barrier, so don’t move too fast, and so on…

“See you back here in a week. Dismissed.”

With the team decided, I should prepare for the meantime.

***

The field trip began a week later. I had to train, and there was a lot to check.

“How’s the bag? Is it safe?”

“I checked it today too. No one’s come near it.”

Currently, Violet and her group had entered Novastia Canyon for the last time to test their weapons. To strengthen their power, they needed to operate in bigger waters than this. Aside from difficulty, there were many places where they could earn more money than here.

“There’s no chance it’ll get raided, right?”

“Not at all. The place where that ruin is located requires activating a special gimmick to enter.”

Judging by their reactions, it seemed the dungeon owners didn’t even know it existed. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have remained in the main story.

We looked around.

“I heard about it, but it’s hard to believe this was once a populated city.”

“That’s just how dungeons are, right?”

As the instructor said, Novastia Canyon was once a major city of a nation before the invasion. However, during the war, it was eroded into another dimension and vanished, only to reappear as a dungeon.

It wasn’t just Rustrum; a significant portion of the continents on this planet Trist had already been eroded into other dimensions, vanishing beyond them or becoming dungeons.

If the Federation hadn’t built walls and mobilized armies to halt the demonic beasts’ onslaught, and if the clan hunters hadn’t been dispatched to smash gates and prevent expansion, the world would have already fallen.

Well, I don’t think this world is going to perish immediately. There’s the Scholarship Student, after all, right?

So for now, I should focus on what needs to be done. I need to bring my friends here as soon as possible.

I decided who to give the bag to.

“Let’s give the bag to Daphne!”

“Right, it’ll help with her support abilities. Like carrying lots of medicine…”

We carefully walked through the dungeon, pondering how to formulate our next plan. So busy, so busy.