How To Survive A Calamity

"Anything can happen in a dungeon." I heard Chelsea whisper from my side. She gripped her spear tightly to her chest and shrunk back a little.

Glancing around, even the faces of Don, Trise and even Deandra held unease

Seeing so, i breathed a small sigh of relief.

'As expected, it wasn't just me.'

I thought perhaps Danger sense was giving some kind of vague warning. Since the skill leveled up, i haven't fully realised it's new extent, although every now and then it reacts in turn with my subconscious thoughts and intuition.

So literally, any gut feelings i had wasn't to be taken for granted.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

And right now, my gut was telling me something unbearable.

That this Exercise was going to be a long one.

I restrained a sigh and pushed aside my thoughts for the meantime.

"Then I'll begin announcing the details of the exercise," Wrenna said and continued.

"The goal of this exercise is simply to get accustomed to the travails of a dungeon. Slay as many creatures as you come across for as long as the time duration and gather enough karmic points which will be considered as a part of the criteria of the Exercise. The new bracelets given to all of you at the beginning will serve the purpose of tracking your progress. As for what you choose to do aside from that inside the dungeon is left up to you; you may choose to fight yourselves for even more points, or join forces. Measures have been taken to prevent unforeseen circumstances, like deaths or fatal injuries. You will immediately be teleported out of the dungeon if any dangerous threat to your lives have been detected. The dungeon has already been repeatedly explored and checked countless times before now, as long as you don't go too far, there shall be no unavoidable circumstances. Alas, more details can be found in the manual imprinted in your bracelets. If you feel for any reason whatsoever at all, that you can't continue and wish to withdraw, use the emergency function of the bracelet manually and you will he immediately forfeited outside. At the risk of your own assesment and results, of course."

As soon a sWrenna said so, i quickly summoned up the manual from ky bracelet and scanned through the information containing the details and rules and regulations of the exercise.

There were a lot of things to take in, but some deserved more priority than others.

One of the main points of the exercise is to slay as many monsters as possible and gather enough points. There was no particular clear condition, and the time limit was only five days from now.

I'm guessing the group with the highest cumulative amount of karmic points will be determined as the winner?

Fighting against eachother or other groups is also permitted and encouraged, in the sense that points are even offered.

I glanced at my bracelet.

Measures and functions have been made to prevent prematured death and fatal injuries. The bracelet would respond to any direct threat to the cadet's life amd instantly withdraw them from the dungeon.

In the same manner, we may also wish to forfeit from the exercise.

By the fifth day, the final day of the exercise, all remaining cadets will be forcefully recalled, and their progress will be assessed over consideration of a number of different factors.

Even up until now, they still aren't revealing the criteria of tge exercise or clear conditions.

Sigh.

And...that was mostly it.

But i still had a few reservations. Wasn't letting a group of first year cadets walking around a Dungeon for an entire week too much?

Its like sending them into uncharted territory. Is the Academy that confident in its measures and ability to interfere if something went south?

"Yes, before we begin the exercise, there is someone who wishes to speak briefly to you all." Wrenna's voice cut through the rising chatter and drew the attention of all the cadets, i inclusive.

We stared forward at the platform as Wrenna took a step back.

And then...

-Step -Step -Step.

Someone came into view from the side with paced and measured steps.

My eyes widened as i caught sight of the figure.

It was a handsome young man with falling red hair that reached just below his neck. He had bright orange eyes that were like a mix of gold and red, and a soft and pleasant smile pulled at the corner of his lips.

It was calm smile, one i was familiar with.

Memories of last night began to rush into my head like a tidal wave.

"Isn't that...!"

It was the suspicious lost old man from yesterday!

'So he was caught after all!' i wasn't sure wether to feel for him or not.

As soon as i had that thought, i heard a high pitched scream from next to me and jerked my head sideways.

It was Chelsea.

She was staring at the man with wide eyes and trembling lips. Her cheeks were strangely flushed, and i think she was going into shock.

"Wh-what's up with you?"

"No, what is up with you instead?" The one who responded instead was Trise whi snapped back at me with a red face and a trembling expression like Chelsea.

It wasn't just them either, everyone else around me seemed to be making a fuss for some reason.

"Do you have any idea who that is?"

As a matter of fact i did.

It was the suspicious old man from last night.

I scratched my head.

"Is there something I'm missing?"

Don sighed in irritation.

"You low level-" Your next read is at empire

"Wanna die?"

"That's enough, all of you." Deandra cut into our banter with a sigh.

She glanced back at the red haired man, frowned a little. Deandra turned back to face me amd sighed, then she said, he voice was low:

"That's the vice-head master of the Aegis, the Academy."

It was at that moment...

Two words only came to my mind.

"Fuck me.."