Chapter 1.1: The Snake and the Boy Rotten to the Core

When asked what humanity’s greatest weapon is, I imagine a variety of candidates come to mind.

Wisdom, a malignancy capable of limitless cruelty even to its own kind, or perhaps a bottomless greed.

But there is something that pushes past all of those to rise to the top.

Resignation and adaptability. At the end of the 21st century, strange “Holes” opened up all over the world.

The inside of a Hole was like what you’d call a dungeon in a video game, and there were even monsters.

At first, humanity tried to seal these dangerous Holes that monsters came out of, but after about a decade, they gave up.

And so, instead of closing the Holes, humanity began to ponder how to live with them.

The metals, medicinal herbs, and various other mysterious materials that could be collected from within the dungeons.

There were benefits to be had, so the Holes shouldn’t be sealed.

‘For the further advancement of humankind.’

With that in mind, three centuries passed while humanity figured out how to coexist with the Holes, and by then, they were no longer a part of the extraordinary.

They turned diving into Holes into a profession called “Adventurer” and even established academies to train them.

Now, a century after the schools were founded, the adventurer profession has become incredibly popular.

Many children, seeking the thrills, fortune, and fame not found in everyday life, aspire to become adventurers.

“Just graduating from an adventurer academy is a benefit in itself. Even when it comes to getting a job in the private sector…!”

This boy, listening to the speech in the corner of the ridiculously large gymnasium, is one of them.

Though his reasons may differ slightly, he is one of the children who aims to be an adventurer.

“It’s a dangerous school, but my aptitude is for the rear guard. I’ll just push all the dangerous stuff onto the front line.”

Contrary to his appearance, which could easily be described as handsome with features as sharp as a razor, his true nature was cowardly, concerned only with appearances and self-preservation. He, too, had weighed the various merits and demerits of graduating from an adventurer academy before enrolling.

“Ahem, and so, to all new students. That concludes my long-winded speech. From this point, you will follow the instructions of your supervising instructors and take an exam for class placement.”

A murmur ripples through the crowd at the words of the handsome, middle-aged man on the stage.

“Alright, listen up! I am the chief examiner. I will now read out the names of each new student. I will follow the name with a letter—A, B, C, D, and so on. Each of you is to go to the teacher holding the placard with your corresponding letter. Let’s begin.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a frumpy female supervisor in a tracksuit and glasses began to recite the names of several hundred students from memory.

Unlike a normal school, not a single person dared to whisper, as everyone knew that the grading had already begun.

“Shion Harukaze, B!”

And with that, the boy’s name was called.

The boy—Shion—moved as instructed to the front of the instructor holding the ‘B’ placard.

“…”

Leaning against a nearby wall, his mouth shut in a firm line and his eyes closed, the sight of Shion was utterly picturesque.

What made him so insufferable was that he was doing it consciously, fully aware of the effect.

How was he being perceived by others at all times? What kind of demeanor would be most effective?

This is how the person known as Shion Harukaze lived his days—constantly thinking about such things.

“Okay, that’s everyone for Group B. Alright everyone, please follow me.”

The students followed the instructor’s back, not quite like a line of ducklings.

They proceeded through the school building for a short while, arriving at a room containing a teleportation device that led into a Hole.

Every destination this device transported them to was a Hole managed by the school.

“Well, I hear you can occasionally get sent to the wrong place… but they say the probability is about the same as being in a plane crash, so it should be fine.”

Shion only ever studied seriously when it came to matters of life and death.

It’s always the ones who think, I’ll be fine, who are in the most danger—in more ways than one.

In fact, the statement itself was practically a death flag.

“We will now announce the first group. Akagi, Aono, Midorikawa, Kuroda, Harukaze.”

Those of you who are perceptive may have already noticed, but one of these is the odd one out.

While his family name contains a color, a look at the introductions to come will make it clear he’s still the odd man out.

“Yo! I’m Ichi Akagi. My position’s vanguard, and my weapon’s an axe.”

The first to speak among the five who had gathered was a boy who looked full of energy.

“I’m Jiro Aono. Mid-guard, and I use a gun. I’d like to have at least two of the remaining three on support, but… well, I’m sure there are no flaws in the teams the teachers put together.”

Next to speak was a cool-headed type wearing glasses.

“I’m Mitsuyo Midorikawa! I’m on the backline, just like you wanted, Aono-kun, and I use healing-type magic.”

A cheerful girl… yes, the type you might imagine captaining the girls’ tennis team, said with a bright smile.

The magic she spoke of was once nothing more than a product of fantasy.

But by beginning to delve into the Holes, humanity underwent a unique evolution, giving birth to the high-end of the human race known as adventurers.

That’s not to say that everyone possesses such qualities, however.

The race of people called adventurers possesses either physical abilities exceeding that of an ordinary person or the mysterious power of magic.

Only the adventurer known as the world’s strongest possesses both—for now.

“I am Shiho Kuroda. Vanguard, my weapon is a spear.”

A girl radiating a slightly world-weary air stated briefly.

“I’m Shion Harukaze. Same as Midorikawa-san, I’m on the backline. I use support-type abilities that boost physical stats.”

A color in their surname, a number in their first name—a common thread among four people who had no other connection.

While he didn’t feel excluded, Shion spat internally, finding this situation irritating in its own way.

“Ahaha! You’re the only one left out!”

The Akagi boy stabbed Shion with a knife of words, though with no actual malice.

“Shut up, you idiot. Just be quiet for a second.”

“How childish… If you’re going to talk about something so immature, please do it later.”

“I agree with her. That said, these groupings are made to be at least minimally functional, so there shouldn’t be a significant problem.”

“Then, then! Why don’t we start by talking a bit about our fighting styles?”

Just as Shion closed his mouth, feigning a mature attitude on the surface, Kuro, Ao, and Midori began speaking as if a dam had broken.

Shion was, once again, the odd one out.

Being this excluded felt somewhat lonely, but in a way, it could be said to foreshadow events to come.

“Oh, good idea! I use my axe for a single, decisive blow—”

“It doesn’t look like we have time to talk. I suppose we’ll just have to do it while we fight.”

Seeing the others around them activating their devices one by one and teleporting away, Aono cut the conversation short.

But from Shion’s perspective, this was the height of foolishness.

There was a time limit inside the dungeon, but nothing had been said about a time limit before going there.

“Hey, you, Ao—!”

“Quiet, Aka. Now then, shall we activate the device? Time is finite. Let’s be smart about this.”

“He’s trying to act cool, but isn’t he just a moron?”

What was the difference between him and a moron, this Shion who said nothing, swept up by the mood of the group?

Leaving his inner thoughts behind, the situation flowed onward, and the teleportation device activated.

All sense of up, down, left, and right vanished. He felt a strange sensation of floating for just an instant before the scenery around him changed from the school building to something unfamiliar.

Most students who enroll in an adventurer academy have some dungeon experience from their elementary or middle school days, but in this particular party, they were the minority.

“Heeh… so this is a dungeon. But, it doesn’t really have that ancient ruin vibe, does it?”

“Yeah. I was imaginin’ somethin’ much darker.”

Just as the two mood-makers of the group said, this place was not what one would typically imagine upon hearing the word “dungeon.”

“Of course it isn’t. ‘Dungeon’ is merely a name attached to the title of ‘Adventurer.'”

To put it in a single phrase, this was a barren wasteland stretching to an unseen horizon.

It was covered by a cloudy sky, with only a few withered trees and nothing else.

Yes, not even the shadow of a monster could be seen.

However,

“…This place is bad. This isn’t right, is it? It’s probably an accident.”

Shion’s vigilance was raised to its absolute maximum.

He was fundamentally conceited, arrogant, and never doubted himself, but a visible anomaly like this was a different story.

“Huh? What are you talking about, Harukaze?”

“It was in the school’s orientation pamphlet, wasn’t it? About our very first adventure.”

Shion began his persuasion, inwardly cursing the boy as a complete moron.

“Harukaze-kun is right. It said, ‘A dungeon that is easy to imagine from games and stories will welcome you all.'”

Kuroda followed up on Shion’s opinion. She, too, had found this situation suspicious.

“Exactly. And how is this anything like that? Didn’t Midorikawa and Akagi just say it themselves? That it’s ‘different from what they imagined.'”

“Hmph, and what if it is? I don’t see any monsters. What’s so ‘bad’ about it?”

“…A visible danger is not a danger at all. That’s what I mean. (Is the blue one an idiot despite looking smart?)”

Small animals are, as a rule, sensitive to mortal danger.

Shion was the same, a coward who feared the loss of his life above all else.

Therefore, his senses were screaming at him that this place was dangerous.

The fact that there were no visible monsters was suspicious in itself.

A true crisis doesn’t lie in wait with its jaws wide open like a beast.

“Got cold feet? It seems I misjudged you. I thought you seemed reasonably sharp.”

“(That’s my line, you piece of shit!) My apologies. But I think it would be best if we waited here for now.”

If it was an accident, the school would take action, though it might not be immediate.

The best course of action would be to wait for a forced teleport.

“You’re kidding! Then you can stay here by yourself. You can’t be an adventurer if you’re afraid for your life. Right, guys?!”

Akagi snorted, turning to the others.

“You’re right. A coward has no place here.”

“I think that’s going a bit too far… but this is an exam, right? In that case, I don’t want to just do nothing.”

Ao and Midori provided covering fire for Aka.

“But it’s dangerous!”

While verbally trying to stop them, Shion was showering them with insults in his mind that he could never say out loud.

It wasn’t that he was worried about the others’ lives—he was trying to stop them because he was scared of being left alone.

He thought only of himself, from beginning to end. That is Shion Harukaze.

“…I agree with Harukaze-kun. If you’re going, go by yourselves.”

She spun the spear, which glowed with a golden light, a full 180 degrees and thrust its tip into the ground.

It was likely Kuroda’s way of showing her intention not to move from this spot.

“(Alright! This is a little better. Okay, the rest of you can go die for all I care, idiots.) Thank you, Kuroda.”

“It’s nothing… I only sided with you because I thought you were right. I don’t need your thanks.”

The girl gave a small smile as she brushed back her long, black hair.

However, there were some who were not pleased by this.

“Ha! Then do what you want. We’re leaving.”

Aka and Ao, looking utterly disappointed, and Midori, looking apologetic, turned their backs on the two and walked away.

The reckless bravery of youth can be a good thing at times, but in this situation, it was anything but.

“Still…”

After about five minutes of silence had passed between the two of them, Kuroda suddenly spoke up.

She spoke to Shion with curiosity in her brown eyes.

“You’re just like you look—sharp and cold as a razor, aren’t you.”

“(What is this bitch talking about?)…”

“You know it’s dangerous, so you issue a warning, but you don’t get any more involved than that, leaving it as their own responsibility.”