Chapter 255: The Good Life on Campus
Leon Vardenburg wrote on the blackboard, and the students in the classroom began to study the contents.
He was detailing which levels and stats corresponded to exploring certain floors of the Dungeon.
Because the students in the Academy District lacked sufficient experience, and because the instructors prioritized their safety, the guidelines here were much stricter than the recommendations the Guild gave to adventurers.
For example, the Academy only advised Level 1 beginners to go as deep as the 5th Floor. High-tier Level 1s were only permitted to explore up to the 9th Floor.
Starting from the 10th Floor, a full party of Level 2s was mandatory, and even then, they could only explore down to the 15th Floor.
In contrast, the Guild's standards were as follows:
Beginner Level 1 adventurers were recommended to clear floors one through seven.
Floors eight to ten were recommended for those with stats ranging from E to C. Reaching the 13th Floor required a minimum of Level 2.
Furthermore, the Guild designated the 24th Floor as the absolute limit for Level 2 adventurers. In other words, for anyone not yet Level 3, attempting the 24th Floor would cause their mortality rate to skyrocket.
Comparing the two, Liam Moon could see just how protective Leon and the Academy were of their students.
It made sense, though. The students here were critically short on practical experience. They excelled at studying and raising their stats, but they knew little about life-or-death combat. The mark of a true adventurer was the ability to face the unknown, master it, and convert it into their own strength.
Leon waited at the lectern for a moment, making sure the students had finished reading the board before speaking again.
"During the internship, there will generally be instructors stationed on each floor. However, there's still a chance that a teacher might not be able to provide support in time. So, all of you must be careful when exploring the Dungeon."
The students glanced at one another. None of them were over eighteen; they were all still teenagers. This would be their first real combat experience, a venture into the unknown, and they were filled with anticipation.
The special internship was scheduled to begin in three days. Liam planned to use that time to strengthen himself as much as possible.
"The Dungeon can be unpredictable," Leon continued. "And aside from fighting monsters, you might also get into disputes with other adventurers. A surprise attack could put you in a life-or-death crisis."
The classroom fell completely silent. When it came to matters that could lead to death, not a single student dared to be careless.
"While you have all participated in field surveys and combat missions, and many of you are already Level 2, you cannot afford to be arrogant and assume the Dungeon is nothing special. If an accident does happen, the only thing I'll be able to do is collect your bodies."
So, the students here have hunted monsters before, Liam thought. That must be how they reached Level 2.
Stats could be raised through training, but leveling up required the completion of a great feat. That was why breaking one's limits in actual combat was the easiest path to advancing.
Leon then went over the detailed schedule and regulations for the Dungeon internship, and Liam listened intently.
"Now, since we have a new classmate joining us, let's hear his opinion, shall we?" Leon announced, turning to him. "Gieg, after hearing what I've said about the Dungeon, what are your thoughts? Voicing your perspective is crucial here at the Academy. It doesn't matter if you're right or wrong; what's important is identifying problems and finding the answers, either by yourself or with others."
Liam stood up. "An adventurer shouldn't take unnecessary risks, especially a new one. The mark of a mature adventurer lies in their ability to turn the unknown into the known, and then transform that knowledge into their own strength. That said, an adventurer will eventually have to stake their life on a true adventure. They will have to fight in desperate situations with no hope of survival. They either die, or they break through."
The other students stared at Liam, stunned. They never expected him to say something so profound.
"I have witnessed the horrific sight of adventurers being slaughtered by monsters en masse," Liam continued. "So when you explore the Dungeon, you must be cautious, and then be cautious again. An adventurer will one day face that ultimate risk, but that day shouldn't come because of poor planning. That's just throwing your life away."
The students' eyes were instinctively drawn to the prosthetic that was Liam's left arm. They all felt that he must have endured a profound, life-altering crisis. No one dared to pry into his past; instead, they were all deeply shaken by the future he had described.
Nina Tulle was the first to applaud, and the other students followed suit.
Liam's words were harsher and more visceral than their teacher's. He had exposed a bloody truth that the Academy had never spoken of. The life of an adventurer was a dance on the edge of a blade, a constant taunt at the brink of death, a series of breakthroughs and promotions achieved amidst countless dangers. They were chased by the Grim Reaper's scythe, constantly facing immense pressure and fatigue, surviving against all odds through endless unforeseen events.
"It looks like Gieg has been through a lot."
"Is it just me, or am I the only one who's totally clueless? How embarrassing."
"No matter how dangerous it is, I'll become strong!"
The students whispered among themselves. Some of the bolder ones stared intently at Liam, as if they could figure out who he was just by looking at him long enough.
Leon waved his hand for silence. He looked at Liam. "Gieg, your words were very insightful. It seems you're quite familiar with the life of an adventurer."
Liam nodded. "I have fought monsters myself and have been around the adventurer lifestyle."
Though he was telling the truth, his words took on a different meaning in the ears of his classmates. To them, it sounded like their new classmate, Gieg, had hunted monsters even before receiving a god's Falna. He might have even teamed up with adventurers to take down hordes of them.
In an instant, the Combat Division students' impression of Liam changed from a legendarily handsome dark elf to a powerhouse who had slain monsters without the benefit of a Falna.
Leon gestured for Liam to sit down, then continued his lecture. "In the Dungeon, caution is the best way to preserve your own life. Never take risks lightly and never misjudge the right time to retreat. That mindset is vital."
Liam added a silent amendment in his own mind. When he first started adventuring, his primary goal was to level up his Sword Soul Template. He used monster hunting as the main way to raise the template's level and his own stats. Even then, he never actively sought out fights with overwhelmingly powerful monsters. He only pushed himself so hard because his template allowed him to grow stronger right there in the Dungeon.
Without that advantage, he would have been far more cautious. He would have only pushed his limits when it was time to level up and achieve a breakthrough.
He wanted to get stronger, not get himself killed. A methodical, step-by-step conquest of the Dungeon was essential.
Leon glanced at his pocket watch. "That's about all the time we have. Nina, could you give Gieg a tour of the campus later?"
"Okay," she agreed.
"Gieg, remember to come back to this classroom after school to meet with me!"
"Yes, sir!"
It seemed Leon had more to discuss with him later.
After class, Leon left the room.
Liam scanned the students around him, wondering how many he might be able to recruit. In any case, building a good relationship with them couldn't hurt. The students didn't leave right away, likely having another class soon.
Taking advantage of the break, a group of them crowded around Liam's desk, their eyes filled with curiosity.
"Hey, what were you doing before you came here?" one asked.
"I was practicing my swordsmanship in Belra City."
"What about your level?"
"Level 1. I didn't receive a Falna until just before I arrived at the Academy. I've killed monsters, but it was just a fluke."
The students looked at him differently now. "You hunted monsters without a Falna? Isn't that insanely impressive?"
"Seriously! Even the weakest monster is stronger than a normal person, right?"
"What's so impressive about it?" a gruff voice interjected from a few feet away. "Look at him, he fought a monster and lost an arm for it. Hunting monsters without a Falna is just asking to die."
The voice belonged to a short, stout dwarf with a rose crest on his chest.
Nina shot to her feet, glaring at him. "Iglin! It's incredibly rude to mock someone's body!"
Iglin crossed his arms. "The internship is about to start, and he's still only Level 1. And he's so scrawny. I just hope he doesn't drag us all down."
For a handsome boy with a full beard, he had a sharp tongue and a short stature. Liam had never seen someone whose words and race were so at odds. It was certainly an eye-opener.
Liam sized Iglin up. "Your name is Iglin, right? If your strength doesn't transcend the mundane, you're going to suffer for that attitude someday. Right now in Orario, there are multiple Level 6s and even a Level 7. Can you imagine the consequences of being that rude to one of them?"
"Hmph! I can't be bothered with you."
Iglin's response clearly lacked confidence. He stormed out of the classroom like a defeated soldier.
Liam paid him no more mind and turned to Nina. "Are you free now?"
"I am! Let's go!" she said with a smile.
The two of them left the classroom and began to walk along the outdoor corridors.
"The Academy District is huge. How about we just tour the Academy Layer today?" Nina suggested.
Liam nodded.
The entire structure of the Academy District resembled an Eastern sundial, but with two pairs of wings extending from its back. A sundial was essentially a disc with a gnomon, like a stick, protruding from it. The angle of the sundial relative to the ground varied by location, and time was told by observing the position of the gnomon's shadow on the calibrated disc.
According to Nina's explanation, the Academy was divided into three layers. From top to bottom, they were the Academy Layer, the Residential Layer, and the Control Layer.
This structure of three massive stacked discs was supported by large magic stone devices in the lowest layer, similar to the buoyancy generators used for the elevators in the Babel Tower. The Control Layer also housed the ship's core engine room and the "Research Labs." The middle layer was the residential area for teachers and students, which was self-explanatory.
Liam couldn't help but have a thought. The lighting conditions in the middle layer were obviously not as good as the top. If they had designed the top layer to be a bit more compact, they probably could have fit the dorms up there as well.
He guessed, however, that placing the residential area in the middle was a safety measure. With the resting quarters in the center of the structure, any external enemy would have to break through the top layer first. Furthermore, he had seen a facility that looked like a colosseum earlier. They likely conducted combat tests there, and having dorms on the same level would certainly be a safety hazard.
He also suspected that, in addition to its detection barriers, the entire Academy District was protected by a defensive barrier that was only activated in emergencies due to its high energy consumption.
"The final layer is the Academy Layer," Nina explained. "It's made up of many school buildings, training grounds, and other educational facilities. Including the crew who pilot the ship, the total population on board is over ten thousand people."
If not for comfort considerations, Liam thought, the ship could easily house over fifty or even a hundred thousand people. The idea of the population density increasing five- or ten-fold gave him a headache. He remembered his old school days, when a single classroom could be packed with over seventy students. The classroom they were just in could probably fit another two hundred people.
"If you ever want some fresh air, the park at the stern of the ship is pretty nice."
As Liam and Nina continued their tour, three demi-human girls walked over.
"Nina, is that your boyfriend? He's so handsome!"
"He's not my boyfriend!" Nina's face instantly turned red as she frantically tried to explain the situation to her friends.
After saying goodbye to the girls, Liam and Nina arrived at a particular street. As mentioned before, the Academy's diameter was over a thousand meters, making the Academy Layer alone incredibly spacious. The street they were on now had a distinct commercial atmosphere; in fact, the entire street was lined with shops.
"Are all these shopkeepers students?" Liam asked.
"That's right. Students in the Business Division can open a shop here after earning enough credits and obtaining a license."
"What about students who aren't in the Business Division?"
"They can too, as long as they can guarantee it won't affect their studies. They just have to pass an assessment to get a business license."
It was clear the Academy didn't follow a rigid, old-fashioned teaching model. It had a flexible and progressive educational philosophy. Unlike learning purely from books, this kind of simulation was far more beneficial for students to live independently after leaving the Academy. The Combat Division's internship was to venture into the Dungeon, the Business Division's was to run a shop here; perhaps the other divisions had similar practical applications.
"Because the number of shops is limited, new students usually start by working for their upperclassmen until a spot opens up," Nina added. "The shops are also ranked by their sales, and the gods offer prizes as encouragement."
Since it was still class time, not many shops on the street were open. However, Liam spotted a very familiar-looking stall.
Potato Puffs!
"Gieg, this is a rare chance. We have to try some!" Nina urged.
Liam nodded, surprised to find Potato Puffs being sold even in the Academy District. Then he realized it made sense. Potato Puffs were just fried potatoes, and potatoes were a fairly common food in this world. It was a hot-selling product that was both filling and affordable.
Liam picked up the parchment menu and was stunned by the vast number of unfamiliar names. How could there be so many flavors of Potato Puffs?
"I'll have the Numbing Pepper flavor," Liam said.
Nina took a deep breath. "I'll have the Chocolate-Crisp Shell with a Milk Caramel Drizzle…"
They were ordering Potato Puffs, so why was the menu name so long?
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