Once Monday's history classes ended, Professor Hector finally decided to talk about this month's test. The first test of the second semester of Year 2 in the Academy was a rather rough one.
"Anyways, as many of you already know, the next test is conquering a C Rank Dungeon, it has to at least be C- Rank." Said Hector. "It is about damn time you kids show us you're actually competent, especially when D Rank and below Dungeons are cake walks even normal Adventurers can complete."
"E-Eh? C- Rank at the very minimum?!"
"Well, we've not been training for nothing…"
"Did Blake knew about this test?"
"If it wasn't for his training… We might have had even less chances of completing the test…"
Several students seemed surprised, but they weren't completely afraid like other times. In fact, they seemed relieved they have been training this entire time, and that I've helped them grow so much.
"You'll have the rest of this month to complete a C- Rank Dungeon at the very least. You'll be free to rent a Dungeon within this category as you'll be given priority." Hector said. "Take it easy, you can take a whole month to complete them, so you should be capable of doing the bare minimum and advance slowly day by day. Make sure to manage your funds properly as well, that's all.
Those that cannot get at least a 60 in the test, will be expelled."
His merciless glare the moment he said "you will be expelled" quickly sent chills down the spine of mostly everybody except my own party, which had grown rather fearless. Sadly for them, this time we don't get to merge Parties, so it'll be all up to them.
Like that, once the classes were over, we decided to gather as a whole class within the cafeteria, sitting around a gigantic table, the leaders of each Party started discussing what to do, they all seemed worried.
"B-Blake, what do we do?!" Monica cried. "I-I don't think I am ready yet! I-I'll die in a C Rank Dungeon! T-There's no way! Even the strongest knights that served me died once a C Rank Dungeon subjugation began in my duchy…"
Monica's family was a prestigious family of the Silvertide Kingdom, whose half of its territory has been invaded by Demons, the other half, composed of her family and others, are constantly fighting the demon invasions, dungeons have also popped everywhere due to the miasma. She probably has a few traumas of these wars and experiences.
Probably many people close to her has died in these wars against the invading demons and the rampaging monsters emerging from the newborn dungeons in the contaminated and once fertile lands.
"Calm down, Monica. I have not trained you nor your party to heart that type of response." I sighed. "I would recommend everyone to just go to the easier, and smaller C- Rank Dungeons, as there's 5 C Ranked Dungeons in the city's outskirts, from C- to C++, three of them are C- Rank, so it should be doable if you take turns.
Remember that once cleared, dungeons have a cooldown time of three to five days."
Dungeons work interestingly, once completely cleared of monsters and the boss, they'll go into a cooldown, where absolutely nothing will happen inside, until three to five days pass by, after this time, the dungeon will slowly regain its monsters and boss monster within 24 hours.
Of course, there are ways to destroy dungeons by shattering their dungeon cores, but the dungeons here are kept safe by Dungeon Masters and magicians that have taken control over the dungeon's structures to keep people safe.
"I-If you say so…" Monica sighed. "I do feel much stronger than before… And the equipment you made for me is really good as well…"
"Indeed." Ash nodded. "We should be more confident at the very least of completing C- Rank Dungeons. Also we've all received new gear thanks to Blake!"
I had mostly just reforged their gear using materials I had to spare in my inventory, and asked a lot of Gold Coins in return, they all come from relatively rich families, so nobody was unable to pay these prices, and my gear is also relatively better than most things they sell in the city that aren't super high grade.
"Hah~ Monica stop being such a wimp!" Catherine said. "C- Rank Dungeons should be the norm for us, we've come from a year earlier than you yet you're acting like a scaredy cat!"
"S-Scaredy Cat?!" Monica cried. "I-I am not that! I just… My older brother…"
"Older brother?" Asked Erika sitting at my side.
Monica sighed, her eyes seemed to be resisting the urge to cry as she recalled some memories she didn't wanted to recall at all.
"My older brother… He died in a C Rank Dungeon." Sighed Monica.
"Eh?!" Catherine and Rose reacted almost the same, gasping in surprise.
"Oh my, that sounds rather sad…" Eduard said. I don't know if he was being ironic or not.
"O-Oh, so that's why…" Elizabeth sighed. "I'm sorry for your loss, Monica."
"I-I'm so sorry too!" Alberta tried to comfort her as well.
"D-Don't worry, that was… years back, when I had yet to enter the Academy." Monica sighed. "I… I've always strived to be strong like big brother, and that's one of the reasons I entered this academy, even when I had a very sheltered life… If it wasn't for my spirits and curse magic, I wouldn't had gotten this far already, and now that we need more than just that I was… nervous."
"I see." I nodded. "Well, for your brother, you should complete a C Rank Dungeon as well then." I smiled.
"Yeah…" Monica nodded, giving me a slight smile.
"So, tell me a bit more about that." I said. "You live in Silvertide, right?"
"My family lives at the corner of Silvertide." Monica nodded. "Before the Demon Invasion, it was seen as a rather undesirable zone, but once half of the kingdom was invaded by the Demons..."