Lecturer Sakamaki stood before the assembled Group B and began his explanation of the Trap Countermeasure Training.
"We will now begin the practical session. The sets before you are recreations of traps confirmed to exist within dungeons. You should have learned their types, functions, and countermeasures during your classroom lectures, so keep those lessons in mind as you attempt to break through."
Lecturer Sakamaki glanced over the students and continued.
"Most of you will dive into dungeons as part of a team. It’s natural to think that if someone in your group is an expert on traps, you can simply leave everything to them. It is true that having a specialist increases the team's overall evasion rate. However, if that person is killed or incapacitated and the rest of you lack the basic knowledge to cope, your entire team will perish in the depths."
A wave of tension washed over the students of Group B, their expressions hardening with gravity.
"It is heartening to see you taking this so seriously....How odd. The students in Group A treated this more like an amusement park attraction."
Whether it was because Lecturer Kamiya’s earlier intimidation was still lingering or some other factor, Sakamaki seemed slightly taken aback by the group's focused reaction.
"Ahem... regardless, this training is designed to provide the minimum experience necessary to protect your lives. Even if this is a simulation, experiencing these scenarios once will drastically improve your chances of reacting correctly in a real dungeon. Keep that in mind. Now, let’s begin. Divide yourselves evenly among the training sets."
Following his instructions, the students quickly split into rows, just as they had for the monster countermeasure training. Once everyone was in place, Sakamaki explained the specifics of the sets.
"The lighting inside has been calibrated to match the dim interior of a dungeon. Watch your footing so you don't trip. A word of advice: once you step inside, close your eyes for about ten seconds. You’ll find it easier to adjust to the dark. The traps themselves are made from soft materials like polyurethane foam to prevent injury, but the mechanics are identical to those found in the field. If you fail to evade a trap, consider yourself appropriately wounded. Additionally, due to the number of participants, there is a time limit. When the buzzer sounds, your session is over. In a real dungeon, you might be forced to retreat while under attack by monsters; if you’re too cautious, you won't make it out. First person in each line, step inside."
As Sakamaki finished, the staff opened the doors and ushered the first wave of students in. About thirty seconds later, screams began to echo from inside the containers. The shouting didn’t stop until the buzzer finally droned. When the students emerged, they looked utterly haggard. Sakamaki gave the signal for the next group to enter. One after another, the trainees were victimized by the trap training sets. The screams were constant, and the faces of those waiting in line grew increasingly pale.
Finally, it was our turn.
"Well... I’m off to meet my maker," Yuji said.
"Uh... good luck?" I offered.
"Be careful," Hiiragi-san added.
Yuji walked toward the screaming container with a look of tragic, terminal resolve.
Dozens of seconds later, his screams joined the chorus. Hiiragi-san and I looked at each other, our own faces losing color as we silently prayed for his soul.
"What kind of traps are in there? To keep people screaming like that..."
"I don't know," Hiiragi-san replied. "They were told exactly what to expect, and they saw what happened to the people before them. They should have been prepared, and yet..."
I had no idea how the sets were constructed, but the carnage was unsettling. The screaming from Yuji's container finally ceased when the buzzer sounded, and the set spat him back out. He waved a weak hand at us, his eyes hollow and his face drained of life.
Honestly, it was a bit much.
"My turn to go to my doom," Hiiragi-san whispered.
"...Yeah."
I didn't know what else to say to her. She had a stiff, cramped smile plastered on her face, and her ponytail was swaying violently—a clear sign of her inner turmoil.
Sure enough, screams began to erupt from her container shortly after she entered. All I could do was offer another silent prayer.
When the buzzer finally released her, Hiiragi-san stumbled out on unsteady legs. She didn't even look at me as she collapsed onto the ground nearby, looking like she’d aged a decade.
"..."
I pressed my palms together in a gesture of mourning. I didn't know what other reaction to have.
And then, finally, it was my turn. The modified dry container loomed before me, looking less like a training tool and more like the final dungeon of a dark RPG.
I wanted a word with the designer.
"Next, please," a staff member urged.
"Right."
I stepped into the "den of demons." It was quite dim inside, so I followed Sakamaki’s advice. I squeezed my eyelids shut, counted to ten, and then opened them.
Lamps no brighter than nightlights were mounted along the stone-textured walls, creating a gloomy atmosphere. It looked like a simple stone corridor, but after hearing all those screams, there was no way I was taking it at face value.
I activated Appraisal Analysis and scanned the interior. My face immediately began to twitch.
"The person who designed this is a psychopath..."
True to Sakamaki’s word, there was nothing that would cause actual physical injury, but the layout was incredibly malicious. Every single trap was rigged to trigger another in a chain reaction.
The most egregious parts were the mock cutting-wires near the start and an electric trap on the exit handle. The wires were set about twenty centimeters off the floor; if you triggered any other trap, they were designed to whip forward from behind to sweep your legs. As for the doorknob at the exit, it was carrying a massive static charge.
This was not "beginner level" by any stretch of the imagination.
"...Here goes."
I steeled myself and took a step. The first trap was a thin wire at ankle height. But it was a double trap—just past the first wire, another one, painted black to blend into the shadows, was waiting. Most students, blinded by nerves and the dim light, would have tripped over the second one while focusing on the first.
"Whoa, easy does it."
Beyond the wires was a section of floor disguised as stone that was actually an air cushion. If I had made a large leap to clear the wires, I would have landed there, lost my balance, and triggered the chain reaction. The safe landing zone between the wire and the cushion was only about thirty centimeters wide. This was purely mean-spirited.
The next trap was a weight sensor on a floor panel colored just differently enough to be suspicious. Triggering it would swing a soft urethane rod at neck height. The sensor covered about a meter of floor, so a standing jump was the obvious solution. However—another double trap. If you jumped too far to clear the sensor, you’d fall into a fifty-centimeter-wide pitfall hidden under a rubber lid.
"The designer's personality is seriously warped!"
I hopped over the sensor, landing precisely in the narrow gap before the pitfall.
Past the pit was a seesaw floor. Unless you walked exactly along the central axis—a darker strip only thirty centimeters wide—the floor would tilt, triggering BB guns in the side walls. Black BBs were already scattered across the floor, evidence of previous failures.
"They really don't want anyone to finish this, do they?"
I shook my head at the absurdity of the "training" and leaped over the pitfall and the seesaw in one go, landing in the safe zone.
There was only one obstacle left before the electric door handle: a wall of infrared sensors. On the ceiling, a row of red lights indicated their presence. Based on the pattern, there were four invisible "walls" spaced a meter apart. To pass, you had to find the fifty-centimeter gaps in each wall without touching the beams.
"..."
I marveled at the designer’s sheer spite. The first gap was in the center, the second on the right, the third on the left, and the fourth had a deceptive gap in the center—but the real path was on the far right. I navigated them all without a hitch.
"A trick right up to the very end."
I muttered a complaint to the absent designer as I reached the goal.
"If I walk out before the buzzer, I’m going to stand out... but..."
I hesitated. Standing out was usually a bad thing, but if I was going to dive into dungeons with Yuji and Hiiragi-san, I needed them to trust me. Establishing a track record of being able to handle traps perfectly now would make them more likely to listen to me in the field.
I weighed "standing out" against "safety in future dungeons."
"Alright, let's go."
Careful not to clip the final sensor, I reached out, depressed the lever-style handle—ignoring the static shock—and pushed the door open.
I was immediately greeted by a wide-eyed staff member. Apparently, clearing the course before the buzzer wasn't in the script. I suppose they didn't think an amateur could navigate that sadistic gauntlet.
"U-Uh, good work?"
"Thanks."
The staff member gave me a look like I was some kind of freak. It was a bit irritating, but I ignored it and headed toward Yuji and Hiiragi-san.
I passed Lecturer Sakamaki on the way. His eyes were wide with shock as I gave him a polite nod and kept walking.
"...You actually cleared it before the time limit?" Yuji asked, sounding dazed.
"Seriously... how?" Hiiragi-san added.
They both looked at me as if I were a rare specimen in a zoo.
"Well, everyone was coming out looking so miserable that I just made sure to observe the interior very carefully before I moved."
"No way. That thing wasn't something you could beat just by being careful," Yuji countered.
"He's right," Hiiragi-san said. "Whoever designed that is a total sadist."
I certainly agreed with her there, but it really was just a matter of using Appraisal Analysis.
"Maybe it just means I have a knack for spotting traps?" I suggested.
"I guess... that's the only explanation?"
"I suppose so..."
They both gave me a weak, hesitant nod. They were clearly too exhausted to think clearly.
Now was the time to seal the deal.
"In that case, why don't you leave the traps to me when we're in a dungeon? I seem to be the best at this of the three of us."
"...Yeah, good point. I mean, Daiki actually beat that nightmare."
"I agree. You've proven you can handle it."
The two of them looked at each other and nodded.
We'll leave it to you.
Perfect. I had their word. I felt a little guilty taking advantage of their trauma, but I really didn't want to deal with them wandering blindly into death traps later.
For the rest of the session, we chatted to the background music of screams coming from the containers. Once everyone was finished, Lecturer Sakamaki led the group through some cool-down stretches and gave a closing speech.
"Well done. That concludes the practical training. If this session made you feel inadequate, I strongly recommend self-discipline—running, weight training—before you attempt a real dungeon. Please, dive safely and avoid injury. Dismissed."
His face was a mask of professional neutrality, but I caught a flicker of pity in his eyes. He could likely guess the fate awaiting many of the people in this room. He must have seen a lot during his time in the Self-Defense Forces.
Finally, he handled the administrative details.
"Your results will be sent by mail. Those who pass should take their notification and ID to the nearest Japan Dungeon Association branch to have their permit issued. This concludes the Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures Issuance Exam. Thank you for your hard work today."
I wondered how many of my classmates would still be alive in a year. As the crowd dispersed—faces and names I didn't know scattering in every direction—the thought weighed heavily on me.
A few days later, the three of us received our notifications from the Japan Dungeon Association.
Permit: Acquired.