At this moment, Mizuno and the other male trainers who'd just arrived back at the dormitory still had no idea that their hidden dorm's location was spreading wildly on the Tracen Uma forums.
Everyone strolled leisurely along the clean, quiet stone-paved road, fully enjoying the rare peace and tranquility isolated from the outside world.
Just as Mizuno yawned sleepily, about to return to his room for a well-deserved rest, someone abruptly tapped his shoulder.
Mizuno quickly turned his head and saw a veteran trainer sitting in an electric wheelchair behind him.
"Hey buddy, care to join us for a drink?" the veteran trainer invited warmly.
"Huh? Me?" Mizuno pointed at himself, unable to believe the invitation.
He was sure he'd never met this senpai before—so why the sudden invite to drink?
He was also vaguely puzzled about how this veteran managed to tap his shoulder despite sitting in a wheelchair significantly lower than Mizuno's height.
"Yeah, you." The veteran trainer eyed Mizuno up and down, finally stopping at Mizuno's perfectly healthy legs.
"You look unfamiliar, young man. New trainer?"
"Yes," Mizuno nodded.
"Weird…" The veteran trainer stared suspiciously at Mizuno. "I know every single new trainer. Why don't I recognize you?"
"Uh… Maybe because I'm a bit of a loner. I mostly stay in my room, don't socialize much, so it's normal we've never met," Mizuno explained awkwardly.
"Oh, I see." The veteran trainer nodded understandingly at first, then suddenly narrowed his eyes sharply, fixing Mizuno with a hostile stare.
"If you're really a new trainer, you should already know better than to steal a spot on the first bus from a veteran, right…?"
"Earlier, I personally saw you yank Trainer Matsushita off the bus and take his seat…"
"Trainer Matsushita is in for a rough night now…"
"Uh… I'm really sorry about that…" Mizuno scratched his head embarrassedly. "But today, there was an Uma following me, so I had no choice…"
Thinking back to Air Groove quietly tailing him and silently staring earlier, Mizuno shuddered involuntarily.
"Ohh~ so that's how it is…" Hearing Mizuno's explanation, the veteran trainer's expression instantly relaxed.
A trainer already targeted by an Uma in his rookie period? No wonder he risked snatching a seat from veterans.
"Well, in that case, it's understandable! I totally get it!" The veteran trainer chuckled, patting Mizuno's arm amicably, completely changing his attitude.
"Allow me to introduce myself—I'm Yamamoto Sennin, a veteran trainer here."
"Mizuno Sora."
"Mizuno, my boy, how about joining us for a drink now?" Yamamoto eagerly offered again.
"…" Mizuno hesitated, feeling somewhat reluctant.
He had a severe mental trauma related to drinking alcohol, vowing never to touch another drop for the rest of his life.
Yet, unwilling to sour relations with a veteran trainer, Mizuno found himself in a dilemma.
Seeing Mizuno's hesitation, Yamamoto warmly grabbed his hand, smiling encouragingly.
"Come on, it's our longstanding dormitory tradition. Every trainer who successfully grabs a seat on the first bus must celebrate together with a toast to our victory in the fierce bus-seat battles!"
"But, I really don't drink…" Mizuno explained weakly.
"No worries, no worries~" Yamamoto waved dismissively.
"You don't need to drink alcohol. Juice, milk, whatever else you want is fine—the point is joining us and enjoying the atmosphere!"
"Really?" Mizuno's eyes brightened immediately.
As long as no one forced him to drink alcohol, everything else was totally acceptable!
"All right then, I'll join!" Mizuno nodded firmly.
"That's the spirit!" Yamamoto's smile widened happily. Steering his electric wheelchair, he led the way energetically. "I'm already eager to start drinking with everyone!"
"Mm." Mizuno politely responded, following Yamamoto into the izakaya.
They quickly found an empty table and sat down.
"So, Mizuno, what'll you drink?" Yamamoto asked.
"Hmm… Milk, I guess," Mizuno answered cautiously.
"Owner! Bring us a bucket of milk!" Yamamoto called out cheerfully.
"Coming right up!" The izakaya owner replied loudly, hauling out an enormous bucket filled with an astonishing 100 liters of milk.
"Huh?!" Mizuno was dumbstruck.
He'd only intended to sip a little milk for the sake of appearances—why had a gigantic bucket suddenly appeared?!
"No worries, it's on me!" Yamamoto grandly patted Mizuno's shoulder again. "Just take whatever you can't finish back to your room."
"Well… thank you, senpai…" Mizuno politely thanked him, slightly dazed.
"No big deal, no big deal~" Yamamoto waved nonchalantly, then lifted his glass of alcohol high, shouting loudly:
"For today's victory! Cheers~!"
"Cheers~!" echoed the other trainers enthusiastically.
The izakaya overflowed with joyous laughter and carefree camaraderie.
...
About twenty minutes later…
Most of the trainers inside the izakaya were already thoroughly drunk, sprawled out carelessly all over the floor.
Although a few still maintained a shred of consciousness, given their reckless drinking, rock-paper-scissors stripping matches, and carefree laughter, passing out was just a matter of time.
"…" Sitting quietly in a corner, Mizuno gently held his glass of milk, gazing warmly at the men around him freely expressing themselves. His lips curled up in genuine contentment.
No overwhelming work, no constant fear of Uma ambushes—only pure happiness, shared openly among friends. A paradise like this was precisely the kind of life Mizuno had always wished for!
At that moment, a slightly handsome trainer, clearly intoxicated, shakily climbed up from the floor and staggered toward the izakaya's exit, seemingly planning to head back to his room to sleep it off.
But his unsteady gait was so wobbly it made one worry he might collapse at any moment.
"Trainer Ume Kawachi, you're drunk again. Aren't you worried something might happen to you?" Even though Yamamoto Sennin's head was spinning slightly himself, he still voiced concern.
"Hm?" The trainer named Ume Kawachi glanced back at Yamamoto, his expression immediately shifting to one of disdain.
"What's there to worry about…hic!… anyway… there aren't any Uma here…hic!"
"Besides, don't you know who I am by now…?"
"I'm the living legend of the… hic! …boys' dormitory…!"
Having mumbled this incoherently, Ume Kawachi ignored Yamamoto completely, pushed aside the curtain at the doorway, and stumbled drunkenly out of the izakaya.
"Hahaha… good point." Yamamoto awkwardly scratched his head and went back to drinking.
"Oh?" Overhearing their conversation, Mizuno instantly became curious.
What exactly did "the living legend of the boys' dormitory" mean?
"Senpai, who was that trainer you just spoke with?" Mizuno asked with great interest.
"That guy…" Yamamoto gazed dramatically toward the direction Ume Kawachi had exited, his expression suddenly growing passionate.
"He is a true legend here in the boys' dorm!"
With another hearty gulp of alcohol, Yamamoto began to recount the tale enthusiastically:
"Even though he's already reached veteran trainer status, he's not confined to a wheelchair! His legs might have minor problems, but they're healthy enough that he doesn't even need crutches…"
"Ever since Tracen Academy was founded, our secret boys' dormitory has been exposed four separate times, each resulting in ruthless Uma invasions—we call these the 'Four Great Uma Sieges.'"
"Every Uma siege plunged our dorm into utter chaos and despair…"
"Trainer Ume Kawachi experienced both the third and fourth Uma sieges. Even when the dormitory was completely overwhelmed by Uma, he managed to escape unscathed from each of those living hells, never once getting caught!"
"You must realize, the odds of a veteran trainer successfully escaping an Uma siege are about one-in-a-thousand, yet Trainer Ume Kawachi survived two sieges consecutively!"
BANG!
Yamamoto dramatically slapped the table, then pointed straight at Mizuno, challenging him fiercely: "Now tell me, isn't he truly legendary?!"
"Holy shit! He's amazing!" Mizuno's heart raced after hearing this incredible tale.
Escaping unscathed twice, each with a one-in-a-thousand survival rate? Such feats surpassed mere legend…
He was practically a god—a god of escaping!
Even though today was Mizuno's first time meeting Ume Kawachi, and his first impression had been that of a drunken slob…
None of that stopped Mizuno from instantly elevating Ume Kawachi to become his second idol.
Incidentally, Mizuno's first idol was still the renowned "Basement Bro," the legendary trainer who authored books such as [Getting Started as a Trainer! (Basement Ending)], and [Training Equipment: From Building Treadmills to Building Children's Toys].
"All right, I've decided." Mizuno quietly resolved in his heart.
He absolutely had to build a good relationship with Trainer Ume Kawachi! Properly learning his escape techniques could definitely prove invaluable in the future!
"Senpai, please tell me more about Trainer Ume Kawachi's legendary deeds!" Mizuno eagerly begged Yamamoto, hungry for more stories about this escape artist.
"Haha, of course, no problem!"
...
Meanwhile…
After stumbling out of the izakaya, Ume Kawachi drunkenly made his way back toward his dorm.
But because he'd consumed far too much alcohol, his mind was muddled, his sense of direction completely warped. Though he consciously intended to return to his room, he somehow ended up somewhere entirely different.
"Hm?" Raising his head in confusion, Ume Kawachi found himself standing directly in front of the tunnel entrance.
At this moment, the dark, ominous tunnel opening seemed to yawn before him, like a monstrous mouth eager to devour any foolish prey who dared approach.
"Ah, forget it…" Ume Kawachi scratched his head awkwardly, deciding instead to return to the izakaya and ask someone for help getting back to his dorm.
But he hadn't walked far before something abruptly tackled him from behind, slamming him hard onto the ground.
"Huh?" At first, Ume Kawachi thought he'd simply lost his footing in his drunkenness.
Yet, just as he tried to stand up again, he suddenly realized something was pressing heavily on his stomach, pinning him down, making movement impossible.
"My dearest~♡"
"!!!" Hearing that terrifyingly familiar voice, Ume Kawachi instantly sobered up by ninety percent.
He immediately glanced downward, horrified to see a twin-braided Uma now straddling him, staring at him lovingly with heart-filled eyes…
"!!!" Ume Kawachi's eyes widened in pure terror.
His very own Uma?! How did she find him here?!
No, more importantly—how on earth did she discover the secret location of the boys' dormitory?!
"Ehehehe~ Darling, you can't run away this time, you know~" The twin-braided Uma giggled happily, grabbing Ume Kawachi's tie and pulling him even closer.
Yet, this wasn't even the most despair-inducing part of the situation…
What truly drove him into utter hopelessness was what he saw next—more and more Uma continuously emerging from the pitch-black tunnel behind them.
One Uma… Two Uma… Three Uma…
Ten… Twenty… Fifty!!
Countless Uma poured forth, crossing the boundary line of the tunnel and stepping confidently onto the hidden grounds of the boys' dormitory!
In each Uma's gaze shone the overwhelming intensity of desire and affection. They could hardly contain their excitement, eager to rush forward and thoroughly plunder their beloved trainers' "savings."
Practically every Uma assigned to intermediate or higher male trainers had arrived, even including several Uma who clearly belonged to newly recruited rookie trainers!
"Guh—!!" With his mouth about to be sealed off completely by his own beloved Uma, Ume Kawachi could only tilt his head toward the heavens and let out a final, heart-rending cry of absolute despair:
"UUUUUUUUUUUUMAAAAA—MUSUUUUUUUUME—!!"