I finished checking in at the booth in front of the four entrance gates and took our numbered ticket. We were number 74. Currently, group 69 was undergoing their session, so we had a five-group wait ahead of us.
Even though it was just past noon on a Saturday, nearly seventy groups of explorers had already made an attempt today. However...
"Out of nearly seventy attempts, only two groups have cleared it... huh?"
"That puts the pass rate at roughly three percent," Yuji noted.
On the electronic display board above the booth where the staff member waited, a screen titled "Today's Beginner Zone Status" listed the number of teams that had attempted the course, the number of successful clears, the number of failures, and the number of teams sent for retraining. As I watched, the count for those sent for retraining ticked upward.
Apparently, group 69 had just been relegated to the retraining list.
"That makes fifty-eight groups for retraining... is that really acceptable? That’s over eighty percent," I said.
"Well, if it’s mostly inexperienced novices challenging the course, I suppose those numbers are to be expected," Yuji replied.
"You think so?"
Yuji and I casually discussed the rather dismal state of affairs while looking at the display. Most of the people using the Beginner Zone were likely fresh high schoolers who had only just become explorers, much like Mika and her friend, but the situation still seemed dire. If their trap-handling skills were this poor, they wouldn’t last long in a real dungeon. We discussed the matter as if it were someone else's problem entirely.
While Yuji and I talked with such detachment, Mika and Saori-chan were staring at the board with mounting dread.
"Whoa... only two groups passed all day."
"Hey, Mika-chan, do you think we can actually pass...?"
"I want to say we'll be fine! But when I think about what happened the last time we were here... you know?"
"...Yeah, I know."
Recalling their previous ordeal in the Experience Zone, the two let out discouraged sighs and slumped their shoulders. They had certainly gone through the wringer back then. Yuji and I had undergone a grueling amount of anti-trap training at Genya-san’s place, but Mika and Saori-chan only had their previous visit here and their licensing exam to draw on. It was only natural for them to lack confidence.
Seeing the girls so dejected, Hiiragi-san spoke up in a gentle tone.
"Don't get so discouraged before the training even begins, you two. It’ll be okay; we’re going in right there with you."
"Yukino-san..."
"We’ve undergone a great deal of trap-handling training since we were last here, you know," Hiiragi-san said, offering a confident smile. "We can clear this even while we're supporting the two of you."
Normally, such a statement might come off as overconfidence or a mere bluff to boost morale. But in Hiiragi-san’s case, it was a genuine reflection of confidence backed by hard-earned experience.
Well, after surviving that training, I couldn't blame her...
"Besides, this isn't a dungeon teeming with monsters; it's a facility designed to hone your ability to handle traps. Challenge yourselves without fear of failure. You'll gain far more by failing and constantly analyzing why it happened than you would by clearing it easily," she added.
"Yes!" the girls replied in unison.
Hearing her words, Mika and Saori-chan still looked a bit anxious, but they at least showed the determination to face the challenge head-on. As they say, failure is the mother of success. To succeed, one must first experience failure. The accumulation of knowledge gained from analyzing mistakes is what we call "know-how." While there are certainly times when failure isn't an option, this was fortunately a Dungeon Association training facility where lives weren't on the line. It was much better to accumulate that experience and know-how here than to make a fatal mistake in a real dungeon.
Yuji and I had failed countless times during Genya-san’s training. We had likely been paying the price for relying too heavily on skills to clear dungeons in the past, leaving our fundamental abilities hopelessly underdeveloped. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with using a skill as part of your power, neglecting to grow your raw strength was a mistake. Convenient skills are only truly useful when built upon a solid foundation.
We waited for fifteen minutes, watching as every group ahead of us was sent for retraining. Finally, our turn arrived. Seeing the constant stream of failures had pushed Mika and Saori-chan’s nerves to the breaking point; their faces were practically frozen in place.
The three of us let out wry smiles at the sight of them and tried to talk them down.
"Whoa, easy there. Why are you both so nervous already? We haven't even started yet," I said.
"Ah... right..."
Their responses were as stiff as their expressions. Seriously, they were wound way too tight.
"Mika-chan, Saori-chan. If you're that tense, you’re going to trip and hurt yourselves before you even see a trap. Take a deep breath and settle down," Yuji advised.
"Ssss... haaa. Ssss... haaa."
Following Yuji's lead, the two closed their eyes and took deep, exaggerated breaths. After about ten repetitions, I could finally see the excess tension draining from their limbs.
"Being too lax is out of the question, but being too tense is just as bad," Hiiragi-san noted. "There, just like that. Maintaining concentration while keeping a moderate amount of tension is an essential skill in dungeon exploration. You won't master it immediately, but try to remain conscious of that state."
"...Yes," they replied.
They were still a bit strained, but it was an improvement. Maintaining the perfect level of tension was a difficult balance to strike. It was a skill we had only acquired after Genya-san’s training, where we had to handle traps while simultaneously fending off ambushes. From our perspective, Mika and Saori-chan were already starting to tense up again. Maintaining that "sweet spot" of focus really only comes with experience.
As if waiting for the girls to regain some measure of composure, the staff member at the booth called our number.
"Ticket number 74. Thank you for waiting. Please proceed to entrance gate number three."
"Alright, let's go."
"Yeah."
"Right."
"Okay."
"Yes."
I handed our ticket to the staff member at the gate, who asked if it was our first time in the Beginner Zone. When I confirmed it was, the Staff-san gave us a brief rundown of the course.
"In this Beginner Zone training course, you must clear rooms containing a total of ten traps."
"Ten, huh?"
"Yes. The course can be navigated either clockwise or counter-clockwise. You may choose either, though for training purposes, we recommend alternating between the two."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense."
If you always go the same way, you eventually clear it through muscle memory rather than actual skill. To truly improve trap-handling abilities, alternating directions was the better approach.
"There is also a time limit for the Beginner Zone course," the Staff-san continued.
"A time limit?"
"Yes. You have fifteen minutes to exit the course."
Fifteen minutes... that meant clearing each room in an average of ninety seconds. We’d have to keep a steady pace if we wanted to finish in time.
"To clear the Beginner Zone, you must successfully disarm or bypass seven out of the ten traps within that time limit."
"Seven out of ten..."
Disarming seven traps under such a tight clock seemed like a tall order for inexperienced beginners. It was no wonder the failure rate was so high.
"Lastly, please be aware that if you trigger six or more traps—over half the total—you will be barred from attempting the Beginner Zone again until you clear the designated training equipment in the Experience Zone. We will monitor your progress via surveillance cameras. Your results will be displayed by the red and blue lamps near the exit of each room. Blue indicates success, and red indicates failure. Please check the lamps before moving to the next room."
"Understood."
For now, the priority was avoiding that retraining penalty.
Once the Staff-san saw we were ready, he opened the entrance gate and asked for our final choice.
"Will you be taking the clockwise or counter-clockwise course? The traps are identical regardless of the direction."
"Let’s see... we'll go counter-clockwise."
I didn't have a specific reason; I just felt like turning left.
"Counter-clockwise it is. Please proceed to the red door on the right. The timer will start the moment you enter, so please ensure you are fully prepared before stepping through. The remaining time will be displayed on electronic boards in each room for your reference."
"Got it."
"Then, I wish you all the best of luck."
Staff-san bowed politely as we passed through the gate. I wondered exactly what kind of traps were waiting for us.
Beyond the gate, we found two more doors—one red and one blue—with an electronic display above them showing the fifteen-minute countdown.
We exchanged glances, and after a silent signal, Yuji, Hiiragi-san, and I nudged Mika and Saori-chan toward the red door while we stepped behind them. The girls looked back at us, their expressions shifting from tension to pure confusion.
"Eh? We're going in first?"
"Yeah. At least for the first five rooms," I replied. "We want to avoid retraining, so the three of us will lead for the second half, but for the first five, we want to see what you two can do on your own."
"Umm..."
"Think of it this way: even if you two trigger every single trap in the first half, we'll still have a chance to pull it back in the second half," I added.
"I get what you're saying, but I'm not sure I like it," Mika said, puffing out her cheeks and glaring at me. "You’re basically saying you expect us to fail every single one, aren't you?"
Saori-chan didn't glare, but she looked equally disgruntled.
I mean, can you blame me? I didn't think amateurs with zero experience could realistically clear this on their first try.
"Now, now, you two. Don't take it that way," Yuji said, stepping in to mediate. "Daiki isn't trying to be mean. This is your first real challenge, so he's just being cautious. It would be a huge pain if we all had to go back to the Experience Zone for retraining, right?"
"Ugh..."
Mika let out a dissatisfied groan. She understood the logic, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Saori-chan seemed to feel the same way, though she was quicker to accept it.
"Mika-chan, Saori-chan," Hiiragi-san added. "I know you're unhappy with the suggestion, but we need to see your raw abilities. If we don't see how you handle things naturally, we won't know what we need to teach you."
"Yukino-san..."
"Please? For us?"
At Hiiragi-san’s request, Mika and Saori-chan looked at each other. After a shared sigh, they finally gave in.
"Fine. We'll lead for the first half, Daiki. Right, Saori-chan?"
"Right. I don't know how well we'll do, but we'll give it our all."
"Thanks, both of you. Sorry for how I phrased it," I said with a slight bow.
"It's okay. Thinking about it, you're right," Mika admitted. "There's no point in training if we're just following you guys around the whole time."
"Yes," Saori-chan agreed. "I’m still a bit annoyed that you think we’ll hit every trap, but this is our first time. I suppose your concern is only natural, Daiki."
Fortunately, they seemed to have cheered up. More importantly, the banter had done its job; the crushing anxiety that had gripped them earlier had eased, and they looked far less stiff.
"Now that that's settled, shall we get started?"
"Yeah. Even if the timer hasn't started yet, there are other groups waiting behind us. We shouldn't dawdle at the starting line," Yuji said.
"He's right. If we stay here much longer, the staff will probably tell us to get moving. Mika-chan, Saori-chan, you're on point," Hiiragi-san encouraged.
"Got it! Leave it to us!"
"Yes, we'll do our best!"
Energized by Hiiragi-san’s support, the two walked briskly to the red door. Mika reached out for the lever-style handle, and then—
"Ow!"
"Eh?! W-What happened, Mika-chan?!"
The moment she touched the handle, Mika jerked her hand back and began shaking it frantically. Saori-chan rushed to her side, panic written all over her face.
"When I touched the handle... it shocked me!" Mika cried, still nursing her hand.
"A shock? You mean like static electricity?" Saori-chan asked.
I watched Mika wince as she nursed her fingers.
Ah, she'd fallen for it before even stepping through the door...