Episode 3 – The Failure
Humanity has lived alongside dungeons since ancient times.
No one knows when these dungeons appeared or for what purpose they exist. The only thing known for certain is that dungeons produce monsters from their floors, walls, and ceilings. And instead of a heart, monsters possess a special core inside them called a Calvaon. Some monsters also carry Hihiirokane within their bodies.
There were even scholars who claimed that dungeons are alive. One paper proposed that the dungeon functions like a kind of queen bee, producing monsters for some unknown reason.
But the truth remains a mystery.
In fact, the interior of the dungeons is still largely unexplained.
However, one thing can be said for sure: without the dungeons, humanity would never have advanced this far.
The materials granted by the dungeons—starting with Calvaon—have given immeasurable benefits to mankind. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they pushed civilization forward by at least a thousand years.
Some scholars even claimed that the dungeons evolved humanity.
According to one such scholar, the dungeons are filled with some substance related to human growth—what he called dark matter—and that this dark matter is what drives human evolution.
But no one knows what dark matter actually is, nor has it ever been observed.
Still, when people dive into the dungeon, they sometimes manifest unusual abilities.
People called these abilities One-Off Abilities.
“…And so,” the lecturer continued, “the One-Off Abilities possessed by the world’s famous adventurers tend to be rather unique.”
Nada was currently attending a lecture in a classroom packed with several hundred students.
It was still morning, and from his window-side seat, warm sunlight streamed over him.
The elderly man standing before the large blackboard spoke in a loud voice, explaining the One-Off Abilities indispensable to an adventurer’s knowledge.
Adventurers often just called them “abilities.”
“In particular, the late Mr. Grande—who was often referred to as a hero—was said to possess a special ability known as the ‘Seven-Star Sword’…”
The teacher went on, but Nada wasn’t really listening.
His eyelids, defeated by gravity, hung half-open.
A One-Off Ability was a new power obtained by delving into the dungeon. There were no signs or premonitions before acquiring one, but most people gained their ability one or two years after entering the dungeon.
They were said to be the greatest weapon allowing insignificant humans to fight fearsome monsters, and could at times demonstrate tremendous power.
However, one could not choose what ability they received. Abilities varied wildly from person to person.
There were abilities that created swords, abilities that stored objects, abilities that shrank or lightened things, and abilities that drastically boosted physical capabilities. Some abilities were activated only when the user wore specific pieces of equipment.
People often described them as reflecting a person’s innate aptitude.
Abilities that made dungeon exploration easier pushed humanity’s adventuring culture forward by leaps and bounds.
“I believe you all know your own abilities,” the teacher continued, “but they can sometimes undergo dramatic changes in form. A good example would be Ms. Mana, who is widely known today as the Sword Saint. Her ability originally manifested as a gauntlet covering her wrist to her elbow. However, it later transformed into a full suit of armor, and she now stands as a first-rate adventurer. The prevailing theory is that repeatedly entering the dungeon causes dark matter to accumulate densely within the body, triggering further evolution. Additionally…”
But none of this mattered much to Nada.
He was only attending this lecture because it gave him course credit.
Now in his fifth year as a student, Nada had yet to manifest a single ability.
Before considering whether abilities could evolve or whether they were useful in dungeon exploration, Nada didn’t have an ability at all.
“You may simply lack the aptitude for a One-Off Ability,” a long-time researcher of the subject had once told him.
It wasn’t particularly rare.
While eighty percent of students possessed an ability, the remaining twenty percent did not. Nada belonged to that not-so-rare minority.
And simply lacking an ability didn’t lower an adventurer’s evaluation.
A capable ability could certainly raise one’s standing, but plenty of people had useless abilities—or none at all—so there was almost no discrimination based on that alone.
“…Alright, that wraps up today’s lecture. In the next class, we’ll go over effective ways to use abilities.”
While Nada wasn’t paying much attention, the chime rang to signal the end of class.
Once the lecture ended, he packed his pens, notebooks, and textbooks into the leather messenger bag hooked to the side of his desk, then headed toward another classroom.
Another lecture awaited him.
This one resembled a church more than a classroom.
Leaving the main school building, Nada walked to a special classroom located a little way out. The structure emphasized vertical space centered around a dome, built from stacked white bricks.
Nada stepped inside.
Sunlight shone through the stained glass, making it glow brilliantly, and countless grand paintings adorned the high ceiling. Only a few dozen seats were available, and Nada took one of them.
A few minutes later, a man in a black tunic and a hat entered, carrying a thick tome in his hands.
“Now then, let us begin with a moment of silent prayer to the gods.”
This lecture always began with the students standing to offer silent prayer.
Nada followed suit, then sat down again.
“Let us begin today’s lesson. If I recall correctly… yes—today is about the Fire God, Kagutsuchi.”
From there, the teacher began explaining the recorded myths surrounding Kagutsuchi.
In this country, the mainstream belief is the worship of the Twelve Gods.
Over ninety percent of the population are followers, and churches like this one can be found everywhere.
According to one theologian, it is said that the gods have existed since the time when dungeons first appeared. In the past, many adventurers would pray to the gods for safety before entering the dungeon.
The Twelve Gods hold enormous influence in this nation. The high priests of each sect—such as the Kagutsuchi Order—are said to possess authority equal to that of a king.
Many stories about the gods exist, but their actual forms have long since vanished. There are records of them manifesting in the physical world in ancient times, but such occurrences haven’t happened for several centuries.
Even so, their power remains.
That power is—the Gift.
“…Furthermore, the Gift bestowed upon humans by Kagutsuchi is known as the Blessing of Fire. Those who receive this blessing can create fire. I believe there were a few in this class as well? Yes, you may lower your hands. Good. Please listen carefully: those granted a portion of Lord Kagutsuchi’s power can use it in many ways. For example, you gain high resistance to fire or can generate flame projectiles. Such techniques are known as divine arts—something I’m sure you’re all familiar with.”
The remaining twenty percent of adventurers who do not possess One-Off Abilities receive Gifts from the gods.
It is said these blessings have existed since the age of the dungeons, and they have long been a powerful support to adventurers.
Like abilities, Gifts are usually received a year or two after someone begins delving into the dungeon, when the voice of a god reaches them. If no Gift is granted within that period, one is considered to have no affinity.
Though One-Off Abilities have become far more influential in modern times, Gifts are still powerful. Unlike abilities—which are practically a gamble—the power of a Gift is stable and reliable, varying according to faith and affinity. It’s commonly said that every party should have at least one Gift-bearer.
Those who possess both an Ability and a Gift are extremely rare—roughly one in a hundred adventurers—and are often treated as elites.
Ironically, Nada was also a rarity.
Because he had neither.
The theology teacher had once told him, “If your compatibility were good, a Gift would be bestowed naturally. If it is not, then you simply lack affinity.”
Such people exist in roughly the same proportion as the elites. Rare, but not nonexistent. However, most of them recognize their lack of talent early on and give up being adventurers. Nada belonged to the few who still hadn’t quit.
Thus, among the students, Nada was someone who truly deserved to be called a failure.
He was often called a Vinya tree.
Vinya is a plant native to the Kingdom of Paraíso; its young shoots are edible before sprouting above ground. But once it grows, its stalk becomes tough and inedible. Even though the trunk becomes large and thick, it remains too flexible and soft to be useful as construction lumber, making it a complete “good-for-nothing.”
Because Nada was large and well-built, people often compared him to a Vinya tree.
Still, ever since he joined Aghiya about a year ago, people no longer made snide remarks about him openly. There was some jealousy, of course, but there weren’t many students in the academy foolish enough to pick fights with someone as muscular as Nada. After all, One-Off Abilities and Gifts from the gods were difficult to activate outside the dungeon. They could activate, but doing so caused far more fatigue than inside the dungeon, and the effects were drastically weaker. Because of that, very few people used them in normal circumstances.
Even so, a handful still challenged Nada to fights, but when it came to unarmed combat with no weapons involved, Nada usually won.
Because of this kind of life, Nada had very few people he could call friends at the academy.
“…That’s all for today’s lesson.”
While Nada was lost in thought, the theology lecture came to an end.
It was nearly lunchtime.
Nada made his way to the cafeteria inside the academy.
It was a large hall that could easily hold over a hundred people, and there were already scattered groups inside. Most students gathered with those they were close to, or with their party members. Naturally, Nada was alone.
When he reached the cafeteria, his face paled as he checked his wallet.
He was painfully aware that he needed to go into the dungeon soon and earn some money. If he avoided the dungeon today, he might not have enough to cover this month’s living expenses. Yesterday, he had invested a huge amount in repairing and restocking his equipment. Spending over a million in a single day had hurt. Hard.
So, scanning the menu board, he ordered the cheapest thing available: oatmeal.
Nada received a wooden bowl filled with the brown porridge-like meal and sat at the end of a six-person table by himself. Using a wooden spoon, he scooped up a bit of the lightly salted oatmeal and brought it to his mouth. Nada didn’t find the mushy, textureless oatmeal particularly tasty, but it filled his stomach and had plenty of nutrition, so he often ordered it when he was broke.
As he slowly ate and thought about what he should do regarding finding a new party, whispers from the surrounding tables drifted to his ears.
Things like:
“I heard he finally got kicked out of Aghiya.”
“Looks like that Vinya tree finally got thrown out.”
“He’ll probably drop out of the academy soon, right?”
“Honestly, I’m relieved he’s not in Aghiya anymore.”
Nada had always been disliked for being a failure with no Ability or Gift, yet being part of Aghiya—one of the academy’s top-tier parties. Now that he was gone, the accumulated resentment had finally burst out.
But Nada didn’t react to any of the gossip. He simply continued eating his oatmeal in silence.
Once he finished, he brought his tray to the return counter. The stares stung, as usual, but by now Nada was used to it. He didn’t particularly care.
Then he returned to thinking about party prospects.
He considered joining a party run by someone he knew, but unfortunately, he didn’t have many options. Nada barely had any friends in the academy.
So he approached the one friend he thought might actually take him in—
“Sorry. I really would like to have you, but… we don’t have any open slots in our party…”
They turned him down immediately.
Of course, Nada didn’t blame them.
A party wasn’t something one person could maintain. Its strength came from several companions supporting each other. Nada knew that. He didn’t resent his friend for refusing him—but despite that knowledge, a sharp sense of frustration remained.
“Well, can’t be helped.”
And so he made up his mind.
He would enter the dungeon alone.
That was how Nada ended up by himself.
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