Chapter 5: Challenge Our First Intermediate Dungeon: <Hill Dinosaur Dungeon>!
The day after we talked about <Eden>’s future goals and our new members.
Today is Sunday.
Yesterday, Rika and Kalua finally reached Job Lv 40, and their third skill trees were unlocked. Fantastic!
We stayed in the guild room late into the night, teaching them the strongest techniques.
Usually, those two are pretty serious-faced, but yesterday they were practically squirming with excitement. They must’ve been dying to test out their new skills.
I get it. Every one of the vanguard members has been there.
As for the five new recruits that Ester and I have been training, I could see clear improvement just from my guidance. They made way more progress than I expected in a single day.
Hmm… the 【Hero】 job doesn’t have a skill that boosts other people’s proficiency… does it?
More likely, they just absorbed efficient tactics and proper methods by watching us. Seeing high-level play is the best training — even if you can’t keep up, getting dragged along raises your level too. It felt like the guidance was paying off, so I’ll keep training them when time permits.
Also, Cheria and Shizu show talent for command, so I’ll start teaching them some strategy little by little.
That said, everyone except Celestan still isn’t used to boss monsters. Their skill usage and rotations are clumsy; they need way more training in the Training Grounds before anything else.
So here’s the plan for today:
"Lulu, Cheria, Shizu, Pamela, you’ll be practicing skills in the training ground. I wrote down the basics of skill rotations for each of you. Read this later and drill it."
We laid out the plan during our morning guild meeting. Since we discussed most of it yesterday, no one had any objections.
I handed out detailed notes, a custom-made skill guide tailored for each Job.
I’ve already drilled them on the fundamentals, so these notes should be enough for now. I want them to think about their Job themselves — review, learn, improve on their own.
"Celestan, you’ve got plans today, right?"
"Yes. I’d like to request a free activity for today."
"Got it. But even though your positioning is solid, you still need to improve your skill rotation. Practice when you have time. Here, the 【Butler】 job's guide."
"Understood. Thank you very much, Lord Zephyrus."
Celestian is great at dodging attacks, and his movement is currently flawless. He's also good at providing support. However, the only issue is that his skill usage is a bit one-note, and there's room for improvement in how he uses and efficiently utilizes his skills. Well. I’m sure he’ll master it quickly.
"Next, Rika and Kalua."
"We’ll be testing the new third-tier skills we unlocked yesterday. We’ll start in the training ground or shallow dungeon floors."
"You two okay on your own?"
"Mm. We’ll be fine. If not, we’ll switch to a Beginner Mid-tier dungeon."
"Alright. If that's your plan. Also, here are notes on third-tier skill rotations. Once you finish testing things out, start working on the rotation."
"Thanks. Much appreciated."
Looks like those two are working together today. They get along surprisingly well, or maybe it’s because Rika really loves cat ears and tails? Her gaze keeps drifting toward Kalua… But hey, cat ears are cute. Totally understandable.
It seems the two of them intend to first practice on the shallow floors of a Beginner Upper-tier Dungeon, but with their Job Levels now exceeding 40, the small fry monsters there are no threat to them, so they should be fine.
"Now then, the five of us vanguard members who are left, I’m thinking we should take the initiative and challenge an Intermediate Low-tier Dungeon."
"An Intermediate Dungeon! Sounds great, let’s go!"
"Wait, Zephyrus. Weren’t we saying that it would be difficult with just the five of us, so we should hold off on Intermediate Dungeons for now and focus on raising the other members?"
Lana leapt to her feet with sparkling eyes at my announcement, while Sierra raised a reasonable objection.
"Yeah. It’s not that there aren’t any dungeons we can clear with just us. It’s just that aside from the one we’re going to now, the other Intermediate Dungeons are still a bit too much. Even if we’ve been able to clear the Dungeons we’ve tackled so far, if we ride that momentum and try doing the same with the others, we’d get burned badly. That’s why I’ve been putting restrictions in place. The one we’ll challenge this time, well, the monsters are genuinely strong, but atmosphere-wise it isn’t very different from the Beginner-level dungeons up until now."
It’s essentially like an extension of Beginner-level Dungeon. The monsters that appear are among the strongest in the Intermediate Low-tier Dungeon, though. Among <DanKatsu> players, this place was even called <The Serious Intermediate Low-tier Dungeon>. They’re strong but not troublesome.
Most other Intermediate Low-tier Dungeons have nasty monsters or annoying traps, so ideally, we’d want a scout-type job who can detect or disarm traps before entering. Honestly, if we challenged those with our current lineup, Hanna would probably end up incapacitated.
As I answered Sierra, I cast a glance toward Lana.
Besides, there is someone here who would absolutely get hooked the moment she sets foot into an Intermediate Low-tier Dungeon.
Seeing that, Sierra also seemed to understand. She must have realized the restrictions were in place because we’d be in trouble if Lana started insisting we go challenge other dungeons again.
Also, in Intermediate Low-tier Dungeons, Jobs can level all the way up to Lv 65.
Once someone starts diving into an Intermediate Low-tier Dungeon, it’s common for them to lose all restraint and keep going until they hit the Lv cap. That's why I intentionally stopped at the Beginner Upper-tier cap of Lv 50.
But now that Rika and Kalua are capable of challenging Intermediate Low-tier Dungeons, I think it’s about time to release those restrictions. The new members still need practice, but in terms of proficiency — player skill — Rika and Kalua are extremely capable.
"Well, in any case, we can’t advance if the guild doesn’t keep in step together."
"You’re right. Understood. I have no objections to attempting an Intermediate Low-tier Dungeon."
"I feel the same as Miss Sierra. Intermediate Low-tier Dungeon, huh? I’m excited."
"I have no issue with it either."
Since Hanna and Ester also had no complaints, we decided that today, for the first time in a while, the original five — me, Hanna, Lana, Ester, and Sierra — would challenge an Intermediate Low-tier Dungeon.
Maybe because it’s been so long since going on an adventure, Lana’s smiling like the sun. Blinding levels of excitement, and she asks full of anticipation:
"So, which Dungeon are we going to!? There are tons of Intermediate Dungeons, right?!"
"Yeah. The one we’ll be heading to is said to have relatively few traps in exchange for powerful monsters—<Hill Dinosaur Dungeon>."
A dungeon where dinosaurs roam the place — it’s also known as <Jurassic Park>.
"So this is the <ChuukaDan>? It doesn’t look that different from a <ShouDan>."
"Right. The entrances to the Intermediate Dungeons — the Dungeon Gates — are separated into three ranks corresponding to their tiers. This place, with ten gates all marked for Intermediate Low-tier Dungeons, is called <Dungeon Gate: Intermediate Low-tier Transmission> — commonly abbreviated as <ChuuDan>."
Lana looked puzzled at the building that looked exactly like the <ShouDan>, so I explained.
Well, since it’s a game, if the buildings looked too different, it would confuse players, so the same structure is used. The only differences are the color scheme and a giant nameplate. This one reads: <Dungeon Gate: Intermediate Low-tier Transmission>.
Incidentally, the <ShouDan> also has a proper nameplate reading <Dungeon Gate: Beginner Transmission>.
After finishing our morning meeting, our party disbanded on the spot and came straight here to the <ChuuDan>.
Everyone’s equipment and items were in perfect order. We had plenty of consumables, since Hanna had enthusiastically gone on a production spree.
"I can’t wait! Let’s head in right away!"
Lana, brimming with excitement, led the way into the building, and the rest of us followed after her.
"Oh? First-year party, huh? Wait, could you be from the guild <Eden>?"
"That’s right! And who might you be?"
As we entered the building, Lana, at the front, was stopped by a man in work clothes.
The man looked over us with a surprised expression, but upon hearing Lana’s response, he suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
"Ah, I see! Hahaha! So you’ve already made it this far! I’m Zezeelson, the person in charge of explaining this <ChuuDan>."
Apparently, he was a staff member managing this <ChuuDan>.
Now that I think about it, there were people like him in the game, too. Each Dungeon Gate had personnel stationed to provide information about the dungeon inside — its traits, monster types, and recommended jobs for tackling it.
Technically, there had been one assigned to the Beginner-level dungeon, too, but I guess we never crossed paths. Not that we’d have had anything to ask — I already knew everything anyway.
"Never thought a first-year party would make it here so soon. You’re the rising stars, huh? If there’s anything you want to know about the Intermediate Low-tier Dungeons, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll answer whatever I can."
"Really? We were actually thinking of going to the <Hill Dinosaur Dungeon>. What kind of place is it?"
Hey, Lana, that was supposed to be my line to explain!
"The <Jurapa>, huh? Not bad at all, choosing that one first. Not many students go there since the monsters are strong, but there are almost no traps. So if you’ve got the strength for it, it’s one of the best places to start. It’s especially good if you’ve got a 【Muscle Warrior】 in the party."
Yeah, no thanks. We’re fine without a 【Muscle Warrior】.
By the way, <Jurapa> is short for <Jurassic Park>, the nickname of the <Hill Dinosaur Dungeon>. Around this dungeon gate (the ChuuDan), that abbreviation is common knowledge.
"We don’t need a 【Muscle Warrior】, but I’ll take your advice. Thanks, um… Zelsohn?"
"Hahaha! Yeah, Zezeelson is a bit of a mouthful. Call me whatever you like."
Good thing he was the easygoing type. He didn’t even flinch at Lana’s mispronunciation — just laughed it off. A true adult.
After asking him about the kinds of monsters that appear inside, we were ready to set off.
"Do your best, first-years! I’ll be cheering for you!"
"Of course! I won’t lose to anyone!"
Fueled by Zezeelson’s encouragement, Lana was practically on fire.
Watching her from the side, I turned to Sierra and spoke quietly.
"Glad that guy was nice. If you ever need to know something about a dungeon and I’m not around, you can ask someone like him."
"Yes, but… I’d rather learn about dungeons from you."
"Huh? R-really?"
"Yes. So don’t look so down, okay?"
"O-oh… yeah."
She ended up cheering me up instead. For a moment, my heart skipped a beat.
Was I actually sulking just now? …Maybe I was.
Thanks to Sierra’s gentle words, my motivation rose just a little higher.
"But this place feels kind of strange, doesn’t it? It’s built exactly like the <ShouDan>, and yet… the atmosphere feels a little more tense. Also, we’re definitely drawing a lot of attention."
Following Sierra’s gaze, I could see several upperclassmen around us — mostly second-year male students, by the looks of it.
Given that they were here, most of them were probably from E-rank guilds.
Being caught up to by first-years must make them pretty anxious inside. Let’s see what they’re saying — I’ll tune in for a moment.
"Eek! F-first-years! First-years actually made it up here!"
"Calm down. It’s not confirmed we’ll be overtaken yet. Stay calm."
"W-wait… am I really about to get surpassed by students who’ve only been here a month…?"
"Nooo! I don’t wanna get overtaken by first-years!"
"Please, just give me one more year! By then, I’ll be D-rank toooo!"
"No, that’s the guild <Eden>. Even as D-rankers, we’d still be behind them."
"Eeekkk! Why wasn’t I born a year later!? If I had been, maybe I could’ve gotten a high-ranking job too…!"
Hmm. That’s… what you’d call mild pandemonium.
They were wailing their hearts out.
Well, I suppose that’s understandable. Thanks to the information I leaked, this year’s first-years supposedly have a high-ranking job acquisition rate exceeding 30%.
In terms of numbers, that means around 2,000 students have already unlocked high-ranking jobs.
No wonder the second-years are terrified — a huge wave of talented underclassmen is catching up fast. A year from now, the balance of power might be completely flipped, with today’s second-years being looked down upon as inferior.
A year later, they’d be the "upperclassmen weaker than their juniors." That would wreak havoc on their future job prospects.
In short, the second-years are in a very precarious position… though to be fair, the ones truly in danger are just those who’ve been slacking off. The diligent ones, with a year’s worth of advantage, should still be fine. Those second-years in E-rank guilds, though — yeah, they probably haven’t been working hard enough.
It’s none of my business, but still… I can only say, hang in there, guys. Don’t hold it against me.
I stopped eavesdropping and, together with the fired-up Lana and the others, passed through the gate of our target dungeon.
"This is the <Hill Dinosaur Dungeon>! …Huh? It’s… kinda more normal than I imagined."
"Agreed. I was expecting something more like… a jungle."
Hanna was the first to share her impression after looking around, and Lana nodded in agreement.
Well, it’s a hilly grassland, after all.
Despite the nickname ‘Jurassic Park’, nothing resembles a dense jungle here.
That said, when you’re up against large-type monsters, an open field like this actually makes things easier.
Once everyone had gotten used to the scenery of the dungeon, I called out to them.
"Alright then, shall we get moving?"
"Zephyrus, could I ask for a detailed explanation about this dungeon? Specifically, the differences between Intermediate and Beginner Dungeons? Is that okay?"
Sierra probably asked because every time we’d reached a new stage, I’d given a full briefing. It seems she was wondering if I wasn’t going to do it this time.
Being asked that by Sierra, especially right after what just happened, caught me a little off guard.
"Y-yeah, good point. Let’s talk while we walk. Intermediate Dungeons are roughly twice as large and complex per floor compared to Beginner ones, so explaining as we explore will be more efficient."
"Alright. I’ll be counting on you, then."
Everyone was used to dungeon exploration by now, so multitasking, walking, and listening wouldn’t be an issue. When I made the suggestion, Sierra nodded with a calm smile.
…What’s this feeling? I don’t know why, but I’m kinda happy that she wants to hear my explanation.
Anyway, I began a light lecture about the key differences between Intermediate and Beginner Dungeons.
"The biggest difference, I'd say, is that monsters here start using active skills a lot more often."
"Eh? Monsters can use skills?"
"Yeah. Even in Beginner Dungeons, you’d occasionally run into monsters that used skills or magic, but from here on out, that’s going to be much more common."
I explained the finer details to Hanna, who was walking behind me.
Skills and magic, as everyone here has already experienced firsthand, are incredibly powerful and versatile. And the further we go, the more monsters we’ll face that can use them freely.
That’s actually the main reason why each dungeon has its own difficulty quirks and affinities.
"As for why I chose this dungeon, the <Hill Dinosaur Dungeon>, is because the monsters here are mostly physical types. They rarely use magic or skills. There also aren’t many traps in the field, so we can tackle this place with a mindset similar to the Beginner Dungeons."
"I see. But Mr. Zezeelson did mention that the monsters here are strong, didn’t he?"
"Yeah, he’s right about that. Unlike other Intermediate Low-tier Dungeons, the monsters here have way higher stats. You could call it a ‘stat-specialized dungeon.’ In exchange, there are very few skills, magic attacks, or traps, like I said before. So, if you want to conquer the <Hill Dinosaur Dungeon>, you’ll need solid stats to keep up."
I answered Sierra’s question while also pointing out the important details.
The monsters in this dungeon are basically muscle-heads, high in raw strength and endurance. Since most of us are in high-ranking jobs, our stats are more than enough. That means this dungeon is actually well-suited to our party’s strengths.
Plus, this dungeon is rich in materials. It’s known for yielding tons of alchemy and potion ingredients through gathering, which I’m personally looking forward to.
My trusty <Gentle Shovel> is still going strong, too. Thanks to the <Triple Skill Enhancement Orb> we got from the <Cactus Cowboy>, its 『Gathering』 skill is now Level 6.
Originally, the <Gentle Shovel>’s 『Gathering』 skill was only Level 3 — good enough for Beginner Upper-tier Dungeons, but the <Gentle Gathering Series> has that really handy 『Double Yield』 skill. When I consulted the guild, everyone agreed unanimously that upgrading that series should be our top priority.
With 『Gathering Lv.6』, it’s now usable all the way up to the Intermediate Upper-tier Dungeons.
So yeah, I plan to keep gathering like crazy from here on out.
"Ah! Monster sighted! Everyone, prepare for battles! 『Blessing of Protection』!"
Oh, first encounter already. Spotter: Lana. Still no idea how she always manages to notice monsters faster than me, even though I’ve got 『Intuition』 skill. They’re still pretty far away, too.
Anyway, since monsters here have high STR, I’d already asked Lana to handle defensive buffs like 『Protection』. Once we got close enough, the monsters noticed us and started charging in.
"They’re fast! They’re almost here— 『Guard Stance』!"
The monsters were raptor-type creatures called <Tortors>. They're slim, bipedal, and quick.
Three of them in total. Their speed was no joke; even though they’d been distant when Lana spotted them, they’d closed the gap by the time we’d finished setting up.
"I’ll cover us, 『Fireball』! 『Flare Lance』!"
"GYAAH!"
Hanna’s weapon today was a <Manalite Staff>, loaded with a <Flame Rod Magic Orb>, by the looks of it.
Her spells pinned down two of the <Tortors> that were charging straight at us, diverting them while letting a single one through.
"GYAAH!"
"!"
One <Tortor> leapt at Sierra, slamming hard against her large kite shield.
But Sierra barely flinched.
"They’re definitely strong… but this much is no problem."
As expected of Sierra, dependable as ever.
Well, even if they’ve got high stats, these are still upper-floor monsters. Sierra is more than capable of handling them.
With smooth movements, Sierra sidestepped the next pounce, countered, and knocked the <Tortor> flat on its back. It was down in seconds.
"『Precious Thrust』!"
"GYIH!?"
"Muu. It’s a bit tougher than expected."
Ester’s spear strike landed true, dealing heavy damage, but unlike the usual small fry, this one didn’t go down in a single hit. Ester frowned slightly at that.
"Ester, mix in some normal attacks between your skills. These things have high endurance. If you spam skills too much, you’ll burn through your MP fast."
"Understood!"
With that, Ester and I finished off the first <Tortor> in no time, then moved in to support Sierra, who was handling the remaining two.
Not long after, the party scored its first victory in the <Hill Dinosaur Dungeon>.
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