Within the Amesverta Kingdom, six dungeons have currently been confirmed.

In this world, dungeons are considered trials set forth by the gods.

One defeats powerful monsters in battle and solves the riddles placed within.

By overcoming such trials, it is said that one may obtain gold and silver treasures or immense power.

Incidentally, dungeons are divided into ranks.

There are five: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Special Grade and Unclassified.

They are categorized by difficulty and no one has ever cleared an Unclassified dungeon.

According to one theory, the final trial in such a dungeon requires defeating a god.

There is one within the Amesverta Kingdom as well but entry requires permission from the King.

This time, the dungeon Li and the others are challenging is a Beginner dungeon located on the outskirts of the Royal Capital.

A Beginner dungeon is one that has already been conquered.

In other words, a true dungeon is originally of Intermediate difficulty or higher.

Records state that the dungeon on the outskirts of the Royal Capital was once Advanced.

After all, it was conquered by the Founding King.

From the Advanced rank onward, dungeons are further classified into upper, middle and lower tiers based on the nature of their traps and monsters.

This dungeon, now considered Beginner, is recorded in historical texts as having been in the upper tier of the Advanced rank.

Once a dungeon is conquered, its difficulty drops significantly.

The monsters that appear are weak and there are almost no traps.

Even so, it still produces mineral resources and the like.

The Royal Capital eventually developed around this dungeon but that is another story.

At this reduced difficulty dungeon, Li and the other Academy students receive their training.

Here they learn the fundamentals of dungeon conquest and once they become upperclassmen, those who wish may challenge dungeons throughout the kingdom.

“For now, try conquering it however you like. I won’t interfere.”

After passing through the gate set up at the dungeon entrance, they arrived at a small stone-built plaza.

People could be seen here and there though many were dressed like explorers.

Near the walls was a branch of the Guild where materials produced in the dungeon were purchased.

In the center of the plaza stood something resembling a small stone circle.

“You remember, right? If you step inside that circle, you’ll be randomly transferred to the first floor of the dungeon. The number of people who can enter at once depends on the dungeon and here it’s up to seven.”

While listening to the female instructor Megan, Li’s eyes were fixed on the stone circle.

Right before her eyes, a group of six who appeared to be fellow Academy students vanished.

“Quickly, quickly, let us go!”

Li’s excitement had already shot through the ceiling.

“Still such a child,” the female instructor muttered with a wry smile as she was pulled along into the stone circle.

After a brief sensation of floating, Li and the instructor found themselves transferred to a space surrounded by rock walls.

It was perhaps five meters across.

The walls, ceiling and floor emitted a faint glow so it was not completely dark.

To Li, it felt about as bright as a night light.

She looked around and thought, ‘A room inside the dungeon?’

At that very moment, the female instructor clicked her tongue sharply.

“Jackpot right from the start!? Li-chan, get ready. They’re coming!”

It was what one would call a monster house.

A magic circle appeared on the stone pavement and from it emerged small ogres with purple skin.

They were grotesque at a glance and provoked instinctive disgust.

Upon seeing Li and the instructor, they shrieked in harsh voices that were far from pleasant.

“What? A higher species of goblin?”

The female instructor’s voice wavered in confusion.

“Do them in, Andromeda!”

Before the female instructor could finish speaking, chains shot out from Li’s gauntlets at an unbelievable speed.

“Why is something like this in a begi—”

The instructor could not finish her sentence.

Along with Li’s words, the purple goblins were reduced to a miserable state.

It was like witnessing a small-scale massacre and no words came out.

The female instructor took a deep breath and steadied herself.

Even now, the chains lay coiled upon the dungeon floor.

The magic circle had not yet disappeared.

Any additional purple goblins that were summoned met a gruesome end the moment they appeared.

At this point, even the monsters began to seem pitiable to the female instructor.