Chapter 9

Morning.

I woke up in a dungeon with just a mattress spread out in a vast space. After having breakfast in the castle’s dining hall, I opened the door to the advanced class just as the lecture was about to start.

...Oh, the shape is a bit different.

The interior was a familiar stone room, but there were no pillars.

It was a large, square stone room.

Inside, Dante and the other students of the advanced class had already gathered.

"Good morning, Chrono. I’m about to start the lecture, so please come over here."

"Ah, got it."

At Dante’s words, I joined the group of students standing in the class. Then, Sophia came over and bowed.

"Good morning, Chrono. You were just in time."

"I got a bit carried away looking around the castle."

The castle is huge. I had been exploring it since morning, thinking about my daily routine from now on.

The castle had a laundry shop, a large bath, a library with many books, and was quite well-equipped.

"You won’t need to go to town; everything you need seems to be here."

"Yes, it’s really amazing, this castle."

Indeed, creating such an environment must have cost a fortune, I thought, recalling the activities of the super-advanced class.

"Now, pay attention. Today’s lecture is about combat in the dungeon."

Professor Dante began his lecture.

"Normally, this combat lecture involves sparring inside the dungeon. However, this time, it’s been judged to be dangerous for various reasons. As a result, you’ll be fighting monsters I’ve created."

The moment those words were spoken, everyone in the class looked at me.

...Hey, I haven’t caused any bloody fights or dangerous incidents.

I don’t deserve to be looked at like that. What’s going on?

"Well, Chrono’s strength became quite famous yesterday."

"I didn’t try to become famous..."

"Quiet. The upcoming lecture will be similar to a sparring match, so it should be fine. ...So, I’ll create a monster now. Watch this; it’s a good example. Demons can create living beings using the dungeon’s materials."

Professor Dante said this and touched the ground while we watched. Then,

"Come forth, great demonic wolf. *Summon Dungeon Wolf*"

The moment he whispered, the ground glowed red.

Then, a large wolf with pure white fur emerged from the ground.

"Wow..."

It was over three meters long.

The class was amazed by its size.

"Creating living beings from the dungeon’s materials is the technique known as monster creation. Sometimes it’s called summoning or summoning magic, but we’ll leave that aside for today—let’s start the combat lecture."

Dante placed his hand on the wolf’s body and looked at us seriously.

"Yesterday, you faced a pillar, but today you’ll face a moving target. The infirmary is open, so feel free to go all out. Give it one good hit and make this demonic wolf docile. Of course, it’s fine if you knock it out."

The wolf, with bloodshot eyes, was breathing heavily.

It seemed quite eager to fight.

"Alright, Cordy from the dragon race. Go ahead."

"Alright, I’ll go first!"

In response to Dante’s words, the dragon man stepped forward and ran towards the wolf, his fists ready. However,

"Ugh!"

The moment he entered the wolf’s range, its front paw struck the dragon man.

He was slammed into the wall from the side.

"Ouch..."

But, as expected of a sturdy dragon man.

Even though he left a dent in the wall, he seemed to be just in pain and quickly recovered.

"Breaking through with brute strength alone will be difficult. Use the power to control the dungeon. Demons can utilize everything within the dungeon. The fundamental power called magic lies there."

"Got it!"

In response to Professor Dante’s words, the dragon man ran towards the wolf again.

Naturally, the wolf attacked. However, this time the dragon man moved further.

"---Rock, bind to my fist! *Rock Coat*!"

The moment he completed the spell, rocks from the dungeon attached to his fist.

He then punched the wolf’s front paw with his rock-coated fist. The result was,

"Ugh...!"

The dragon man was blown away again, but he managed to deflect the wolf’s front paw.

The wolf’s front paw was slightly cut and bleeding, likely due to the impact with the rock fist.

"Good job, Cordy. Using such a method is also a valid choice."

"Got it..."

The dragon man, who had been blown away, staggered back to us.

He clearly looked pale, but he seemed to be okay.

"---Next, Sophia."

Sophia, who was called next, looked at Dante with a worried expression.

"Um, Professor Dante, the wolf is injured. Is it okay to attack it?"

"Hmm, worrying about the monster shows that you’re very kind. That’s a good trait, but there’s no need to worry. Look."

Following Dante’s gaze to the wolf’s leg, the bleeding had already stopped and healed.

Not a single drop of blood remained.

"Is it... healing?"

"Yes, monsters in the dungeon sometimes have powerful regenerative abilities. For example, this demonic wolf can regenerate even if its leg is blown off in a few minutes. So, don’t let your guard down based on appearances."

"Understood."

"---Let’s continue the lecture!"

In this manner, each student in the class took turns hitting the wolf.

As expected of the advanced class students, they all used the dungeon’s power effectively.

They fired air bullets, created stone spears from the ground, and did all sorts of things.

...This is useful. But...

Most of them were either deflected by the wolf’s paws, bitten, or stepped on.

Although the attacks were controlled, there were still quite a few rough moments.

They all received the judgment of landing a hit but were in pretty bad shape.

"Ha ha ha!!"

On the other hand, the wolf was still full of energy, energetically throwing the students around. It seemed to be getting faster, more energetic, and more powerful.

The rumors about the advanced class being tough were true, I thought as I watched.

"Last, Chrono!"

It was my turn.

This is the first time I’ve faced a moving target since living in the countryside. I stepped forward.

...All I need to do is land one hit.

I pondered what to do. I’m not good at this kind of duel.

Moreover, I’m not used to the power to control the dungeon or magic, which makes it hard to handle.

I tried various things in my own dungeon yesterday, but it didn’t feel right.

Since it’s a lecture, I should use the power I’m not used to, but I don’t want to fail and get hit by this wolf.

Even if I’ll be healed, I’m not good with pain, and I don’t want to end up like my classmates groaning in the back.

...I’ll try my usual method for now. I can experiment with the dungeon’s power later.

One hit should be enough. With that in mind, I approached the wolf.

"---!"

Seeing my movement, the wolf pounced.

It bared its fangs and tried to bite me. So,

"Here goes...!"

Before it could bite me, I grabbed the wolf’s neck and jumped.

Using the neck as a pivot, I landed on its back.

Of course, I knew it would try to buck me off, so,

"Relax...!"

I wrapped my arms around it and squeezed tightly.

The neck was tough, but my arms managed to dig in. Then,

"...!"

The wolf rolled its eyes and collapsed.

I managed to knock it out.

"Phew, it’s a good thing the method for wild dogs worked."

I patted my chest and got off the wolf’s back. Professor Dante ran over.

"Wh-What did you just do, Chrono?"

"I just jumped on it and choked it. It seemed like a living thing, so I tried what I used to do with wild dogs in the countryside, and it worked out well."

"Ah, yes. That was a wonderful move. I didn’t expect you to handle it without using the dungeon’s power..."

"No, it was just a coincidence."

If it had no pulse or wasn’t breathing, I would have had to create a pit trap or crush it between walls, or maybe just hit it with a stick.

The wolf’s neck was thin, which helped. I managed to knock it out just by choking it, which was lucky.

...I should practice the dungeon’s power.

With that thought, I returned to my classmates.

"Hey, welcome back, Chrono..."

"...I’m glad it wasn’t a real combat match."

Everyone was looking at me with the same expression.

Even though they all managed to handle it, why am I the only one getting this look?

Feeling a bit odd, I tilted my head, and Sophia ran over, her cheeks sweating.

"Chrono, you handled it so well with your bare hands... Weren’t you scared to jump on it?"

"Eh? Well, I’ve faced wild dogs a few times in the countryside. I can handle it to some extent."

"Um, wild dogs aren’t usually this big, right?"

"Hmm? I think they’re about this size."

"Your perception of wild dogs seems a bit off..."

While talking about this, I learned about traps and monsters in the dungeon during the advanced class lecture.

Thanks to everyone’s support, we’ve reached the top of the genre!

Thank you so much for your support.

Your bookmarks and reviews are a great encouragement!

Thank you very much, and I look forward to your continued support.