The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: The Dungeon Competition

The students had been gathered inside the enormous stone hall for some time by the time the person in charge finally stepped forward.

The hall was large enough to accommodate all six teams without making the students feel crowded, with six different groups standing separately beneath the banners representing their respective academies.

Our team wore the academy’s blue uniform.

The other five teams stood nearby, each wearing a different style of uniform, with their colors and insignias making it immediately obvious which kingdom or institution they represented.

I quietly looked over them.

So there really are six teams.

Even without knowing their individual abilities, the difference in atmosphere between the groups was already noticeable.

Some students were casually talking among themselves, while others stood quietly with their weapons already prepared, occasionally glancing toward the other teams as though trying to determine who would become their biggest competition.

It wasn’t difficult to understand why.

This wasn’t simply an academy practical.

With students from different kingdoms participating, nobody wanted to be the team that embarrassed their own academy.

The man standing before us raised his hand, and the conversations throughout the hall gradually disappeared.

"Everyone, listen carefully."

His voice carried easily across the entire hall.

"You have all been selected to participate in this year’s Gerel Practical Examination. From this moment onward, the six teams will be treated equally, regardless of which academy or kingdom you represent."

Several students straightened.

"The examination will take place inside the dungeon located beneath the eastern training grounds."

Behind him, a large magical projection appeared.

It displayed a rough map of the dungeon, although most of it was covered in darkness.

"The dungeon consists of multiple floors, but its complete depth has never been confirmed. Your objective is to explore as deeply as possible while collecting monster cores from the creatures you defeat."

A few students exchanged glances.

"The number of monster cores you obtain will contribute significantly to your final score. However, depth will also be taken into consideration. Reaching a deeper floor will naturally carry greater value than simply remaining near the entrance and defeating weak monsters."

That makes sense.

If they only judged the number of cores, the safest strategy would be to remain on the upper floors and repeatedly hunt weaker monsters.

That wouldn’t tell them anything about a student’s ability to survive in an unfamiliar environment.

I looked toward the projection again.

The deeper portions weren’t even properly mapped.

So there are areas that haven’t been explored recently.

That makes things more interesting.

The examiner continued.

"You are not permitted to interfere with another team’s progress. Stealing monster cores, deliberately obstructing another team, or attacking another participant will result in immediate disqualification."

He paused before continuing.

"However, encountering another team inside the dungeon is not prohibited. If you encounter one another, you are expected to maintain discipline and continue your own exploration."

Several students nodded.

"Your team will be evaluated based on three primary factors."

Three symbols appeared in the air.

"First, the number of monster cores collected. Second, the deepest floor reached by your team. Third, your overall condition upon returning."

So they aren’t simply measuring strength.

They’re also checking whether we can actually manage our resources.

That was probably the most important part of the examination.

Anyone could rush into a dungeon while relying on overwhelming strength.

The difficult part was knowing when to fight, when to retreat, and how much energy to preserve for the journey back.

The examiner then raised his hand again, causing another image to appear.

"Your rewards have already been announced. The winning team will receive a gold medal, three hundred gold coins, and the right to select from several weapons and magical items prepared for this year’s examination."

The atmosphere immediately changed.

Even the students who had been standing casually became noticeably more attentive.

Three hundred gold coins was already a considerable reward.

The weapons and magical items were probably even more valuable depending on what had been prepared.

The examiner smiled faintly when he noticed their reactions.

"Of course, none of those rewards will matter if you fail to return."

The room became quiet again.

"The dungeon is still a dangerous place. The monsters inside are not training dummies, and the deeper you go, the greater the risk becomes. If your team determines that continuing is no longer possible, you may withdraw at any time."

That part was obvious.

Still, hearing it directly from the person responsible for the examination made the situation feel somewhat different.

We’re being given freedom to decide how far we want to go.

In other words, the academy isn’t expecting us to clear the dungeon.

They’re expecting us to judge our own limits.

I glanced toward the other teams.

Some looked excited.

Some looked nervous.

And a few were already staring at the other participants as though the competition had begun before anyone had even entered the dungeon.

I couldn’t help but find that amusing.

Everyone came here wanting to win.

But the dungeon doesn’t care who wins.

It only cares whether you can survive.

The examiner finally lowered his hand.

"The entrance will open shortly. Once your team is called, proceed to the designated waiting area and prepare to enter."

He looked across all six teams.

"Your examination begins the moment you step inside."

The large doors at the far end of the hall slowly opened.

A cold breeze passed through the hall, carrying with it the faint smell of stone and something far less pleasant.

The students began moving toward the entrance.

Our group followed along with the others.

I adjusted my uniform and looked toward the dark passage beyond the doors.

Well...

Let’s see how deep this dungeon actually goes.

The six teams eventually reached the entrance of the dungeon, where several instructors and royal knights were waiting beside the enormous stone gate.

The entrance was much larger than I had expected, with thick stone walls extending around the opening and several magical lamps embedded into the surrounding structure. Beyond the gate was a descending passage that disappeared into darkness, and even from where we stood, a faint cold breeze was coming from within.

The first team was called forward.

"Team One, prepare to enter."

The students stepped forward without hesitation and disappeared through the entrance one after another. The instructors waited until the last member had entered before turning their attention toward the next team.

The same process continued for the following groups.

Some students looked confident, while others were clearly trying to hide their nervousness, although there was no reason to blame them for it. Whatever they had been told about the dungeon beforehand, there was still a considerable difference between hearing about a dangerous place and actually standing in front of its entrance.

Eventually, the instructor looked toward our group.

"Team Six, prepare to enter."

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere around us became slightly more serious.

Princess Lyra stepped forward first, followed by the other senior students.

"Let’s keep our formation simple once we enter. There is no need to rush ahead simply because this is a competition."

Her voice was calm, but there was enough authority behind it that everyone naturally paid attention.

That makes more sense.

She’s the fifth princess, a third-year student, and one of the strongest members of our team. Even if she weren’t a princess, her seniority alone would make her the more appropriate person to organize the group.

The fourth-year students positioned themselves toward the front and middle of the formation, while the younger students followed according to their assigned positions.

Charlie glanced at me before we started moving.

I simply nodded.

Then our group passed through the gate.

The moment we entered the dungeon, the atmosphere changed.

The sounds from outside became distant almost immediately, replaced by the quiet echo of our footsteps against the stone floor.

The passage ahead descended gradually into the earth, illuminated by magical lamps placed along the walls at regular intervals. Unlike the entrance, however, the deeper portions of the passage were considerably darker, with the light becoming weaker the farther it extended.

I quietly looked around as I walked.

The walls were old.

There were scratches scattered across several sections of stone, and some areas had clearly been damaged by previous battles. It wasn’t difficult to imagine how many adventurers and students had passed through this place over the years.

But despite its age, the dungeon itself felt strangely quiet.

Too quiet, perhaps.

I wasn’t particularly worried.

If anything, I was curious.

The instructors had described this as a practical examination, but the moment we entered, it stopped feeling like one.

The dungeon didn’t care about our rankings, our families, or which kingdom we represented.

If something strong enough appeared, we’d have to deal with it regardless.

After several minutes of walking, the narrow passage finally opened into a large underground chamber.

Several corridors extended from the chamber, each leading into darkness.

Princess Lyra stopped near the center and looked around carefully.

"This should be the first section of the dungeon."

She turned toward the others.

"Stay within sight of one another. We don’t know whether the monsters on this floor behave differently from the information provided by the academy."

The others nodded.

I remained quiet while looking toward the corridors.

There were no monsters immediately visible.

But then—

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