Teacher’s Meeting Room...

The room was dimly lit, casting long shadows across the walls and giving off the unsettling impression that something secretive or rather, sinister was taking place within it.

And for most of the individuals within the school, this held some truth.

"Today marks the first early session of Practical Dungeon Diving for the students, and I trust that all preparations were completed and thoroughly tested yesterday," said Yelena, the Head of the Foundation Division, as her sharp gaze swept across every teacher seated in the room.

Her eyes lingered briefly on one particular empty seat.

At that moment, the door creaked open, and a man wearing spectacles with long, slightly disheveled hair entered, breathing heavily as though he had rushed his way here.

"How pathetic, Stein. Even for an important meeting like this, you still manage to arrive late," Johnson remarked with open disdain.

"Come on, Johnson, it’s not like he did it on purpose," another teacher interjected.

"That’s the so called genius of our Foundation Division, so you’d better watch your tone, Johnson."

"Oh, so now you’re all ganging up on me? This is clearly Stein’s fault."

The room quickly descended into argument.

The noise continued for a few minutes before Yelena raised her hand, and although she had not yet used magic, the authority in her presence alone was enough to quiet the room.

"Stein, you had better have a valid reason for this," she said calmly.

Johnson, who was known for favoring nobles and looking down on others, especially commoners, cast a sharp glance at Stein.

Since Stein hailed from another country and lacked noble background, Johnson’s attitude toward him had always been particularly harsh.

However, Stein had undeniably earned his place in the academy through sheer genius and innovation.

From Yelena’s perspective, however, fairness had to be maintained, and she could not allow personal biases to influence her judgment regardless of Stein’s talents.

Yet Stein appeared strangely absent, as though he had not been listening to the conversation at all.

"Stein," Yelena called again, this time subtly infusing her voice with mana.

The sudden pressure snapped Stein out of his daze, and he responded hurriedly.

"I–I believe I’ve made a breakthrough in my latest research!"

His words instantly silenced the room, replacing irritation with surprise.

Stein was not just any teacher; he was one of the academy’s most respected researchers, and even the Empire held his work in high regard.

"What is it? Speak quickly," Johnson said, his tone shifting shamelessly as his interest became obvious.

Though he resented Stein’s brilliance, he secretly wished to exploit it for his own gain.

"Johnson, do you have no shame?"

"I heard thick skin is fashionable these days."

"Quiet down."

Stein adjusted his glasses slightly before speaking again, his tone slow.

"If I had to describe it, I would say it is the result of my dedication... and my obsession. While there is still room for refinement, once I decide to achieve something, I simply... do it."

A few teachers exchanged peculiar glances.

This, after all, was one of Stein’s defining traits.

He was undeniably brilliant... and sometimes narcissistic.

"Just listen to him."

"This is exactly why I don’t like him."

"If you’re weak, just become strong! What kind of logic is that?"

"If I think I’m homeless, I’ll just bu—"

Before the sentence could be completed, Yelena cast a silence spell, instantly suppressing all sound within the room.

The sudden quiet was absolute.

"I will acknowledge your merit and grant you leave for today," she said calmly.

"This meeting concerns only the early scheduling of Practical Dungeon Diving due to the Headmaster’s orders. You may go."

Stein bowed slightly thanking her before leaving the room without further delay.

His work of attending this meeting was done.

Once he was gone, Yelena lifted the silence spell, and sound returned to normal.

"Johnson, you will take charge of Stein’s batch," she said without hesitation.

"But why me?!" Johnson protested, clearly displeased.

"Because I said so," Yelena replied flatly.

With that, the meeting resumed.

***

It was early morning when all the students from Class A-1 to A-5 were assembled, dressed in their designated combat outfits for the day’s Practical Dungeon Diving session.

"This outfit is surprisingly comfortable, and the material feels quite unique as well," Caelum muttered as he examined the red-and-white attire.

It fit surprisingly well around his body, yet remained flexible, almost elastic in nature, allowing for unrestricted movement.

’If this were a real dungeon, they would have at least given us darker outfits,’ he thought.

In an actual combat scenario, practicality and concealment would matter far more, but then again, no sane person would send children into real dungeons.

At least, the Zenith Empire didn’t operate that way.

These were artificial dungeons, carefully constructed and controlled by the academy itself, so there was little chance of anything truly dangerous occurring.

"Paul, why do you have matching glasses?" Caelum asked, noticing that Paul was now wearing a pair of goggle-like lenses secured with a head strap, clearly designed to stay in place even during combat.

Paul adjusted them slightly, clearly pleased with himself and smirked as if waiting for that question.

But before he could respond, someone else cut in.

"I wonder if there will be Yetis or something. We used to fight them before I came to the Empire," Bonjour said, his tone carrying a hint of excitement.

"Alright, juniors, form a straight line. The teachers have arrived," Ethan called out from the front.

Today, he was acting in his role as a senior overseeing the PDD activities of his juniors.

At the same time, he himself would also enter the dungeon as a precautionary measure, something he was 100% certain would become necessary.

Normally, this duty was considered a low-credit task for Senior Division students, since accidents were rare within such a heavily controlled environment.

Even so, the academy maintained strict protocols regarding the Foundation Division, assigning both an instructor as overseer and an assistant student to accompany each group inside the dungeon.

From a distance, Teacher Dorian and several other instructors approached, their presence immediately commanding attention.

The atmosphere shifted.

It was finally time for their first Practical Dungeon Diving experience.