The numbers on the electronic board were steadily counting down. We had very little time left, which meant that the three of us handling the second half had to clear the remaining path in a fifth of the time it had taken to reach this point.
"I’m sorry. I took up too much time..."
"I’m so sorry for being a burden..."
Mika and Saori-chan bowed their heads toward us, their faces clouded with guilt.
"It’s fine, don't worry about it. I had a feeling it might turn out like this."
"He’s right. This is your first time attempting a real anti-trap training course; it’s only natural that things wouldn't go smoothly."
"If anything, the fact that you made it this far with three minutes to spare on your very first try is impressive. Even if you triggered every trap, you still found the way through within the time limit."
We all took turns reassuring the dejected girls that the result wasn't actually that bad. In truth, I had planned to swap in earlier if it looked like we were going to run out of time, so getting this far without a mid-room takeover was more than enough.
"But there’s only about three minutes left, right? It’s... it’s impossible."
Mika muttered in a small voice, her spirit broken by the pressure of the clock.
Well, there were only three minutes left. However...
"Don't worry. We’ll make it."
If you had asked the old us if we could pull off a perfect clear in three minutes, we would have said it was impossible. But now? A trap zone of this difficulty was something we could cruise through with time to spare.
Provided I didn't even have to use my skills, of course.
"But, Daiki-san... there’s only three minutes..."
"It’ll be okay, Saori-chan. If you two move exactly as we say, we’ll have plenty of time. Now, since the clock is ticking, let’s pick up the pace."
"...Okay."
Though I spoke with confidence, Mika and Saori-chan looked at me with a mix of apology and skepticism. It really would be fine; we’d find a way.
I caught Yuji’s and Hiiragi-san’s eyes, then reached for the door to the sixth trap room.
"Mika, Saori-chan. I’m taking the lead. Follow me in this order: Mika, Hiiragi-san, Saori-chan, then Yuji. Just step exactly where I step."
"O-Okay."
"Y-Yes."
I told them to mirror my movements, but perhaps haunted by their performance in the first half, their replies were weak and uncertain.
They were so tense that their movements were going to be stiff...
"Relax, don't be so nervous. If it looks like you’re going to make a mistake, Hiiragi-san and Yuji will be right there to catch you. Just follow me and don't worry."
"Yeah, leave it to us."
"Don’t overthink it. As long as you do exactly what the person in front of you does, you’ll be fine."
"O-Okay."
"Y-Yes."
Assured by the promise of backup, the tension finally drained from their bodies. This should work.
"Alright, let’s go."
With that, I pushed the door open.
Before stepping inside, I scanned every inch of the room. The absolute fundamental of trap disposal is thorough observation. This room was styled like a study. Massive bookshelves lined both walls, packed to the ceiling with Western volumes. In the center sat a simple wooden reading chair and a desk with an antique-style lamp.
The setup practically screamed that the bookshelves were a distraction.
"Follow me along the right wall toward the exit. Don't stray from the wall."
"Wait, the wall? Isn't there a gimmick in the bookshelves?"
Mika, following right behind me, sounded puzzled by my choice to hug the wall.
"There’s nothing in the bookshelves. The trap is in the center of the room. If you walk straight toward the exit, you’ll trigger a motion sensor in the middle of the floor."
"...A sensor?"
"Yeah. Look up at the ceiling, directly above that lamp on the desk. There’s a sensor unit built into it."
Mika and Saori-chan looked up. Embedded in the ceiling was a small, black, plastic component about the size of a large coin.
"The sensor’s range is likely limited to the area illuminated by the lamp on the desk. They probably used a bulb color that contrasts with the ceiling lights and a metal lampshade to create a distinct circle on the floor, specifically to telegraph the trap's range to challengers."
I pointed to the warm, bright glow of the lamp, explaining how to avoid the trigger. I didn't know the exact wattage, but the light created a very sharp circular shadow on the floor. Since the desk was pushed toward the left, the left side of the room was a no-go zone.
Listening to my explanation, Mika and Saori-chan looked back and forth between the lamp and the ceiling.
"Come on, we’re burning daylight."
I walked casually but swiftly along the right wall. Mika was a split second slow to react, but Hiiragi-san nudged her along, and she hurried to keep up.
Just stay out of that sensor’s range...
"And we’re through. See, Mika? Saori-chan? That pool of light was definitely the trigger zone."
"...Yeah, it looks like it."
"That’s amazing, Daiki-san! You figured out how it worked just by looking at it for a second..."
"It’s nothing special. You just get used to these things once you’ve seen enough of them."
The two of them looked at me with pure admiration. I couldn't help but let out a wry smile. Compared to the hellish training Genya-san had put me through, the traps here were incredibly forgiving.
If I couldn't spot a trap of this level instantly, I’d probably still be stuck running for my life in those mountains.
"Alright, time is tight, so I’m skipping the explanations from here on out. We’re heading straight for the goal. Stay glued to us."
"Okay!"
"Yes!"
The skepticism was gone. Having seen me dismantle a trap with a single glance, Mika and Saori-chan now looked at me with total confidence.
Having a track record really does wonders for one's credibility.
"Yuji, Hiiragi-san. We’re moving fast. Keep an eye on them."
"You got it."
"Leave it to us."
With their nods of confirmation, I threw open the door to the seventh room.
We practically jogged through the exit gate. I hadn't noticed it when we entered, but the timer propped up near the staff area showed only seven seconds remaining.
Talk about a photo finish.
"Phew... that was a close one."
"Yeah. We were a hair’s breadth away from retraining."
"Hirose-kun, we finished within the time limit and stayed under the failure limit. I don't think retraining was ever actually on the table for us."
While the three of us breathed a sigh of relief, Mika and Saori-chan stared at the timer, chests heaving slightly, as if they were looking at a miracle.
"We really... we actually made it..."
"Yeah. Daiki-san and the others were so sure of themselves, but I honestly thought there was no way we'd make it in time..."
"Me too..."
"..."
Mika and Saori-chan shared a look, fell silent for a moment, and then finally let their honest thoughts slip.
"This... isn't a dream, is it?"
They even lightly pinched their own cheeks. It seemed that despite my display in the study, they hadn't truly believed we could reach the goal in under three minutes. I couldn't blame them, though.
The staff member, who had been busy with a handheld terminal, looked up as we all cleared the gate.
"Good work. Unfortunately, I must mark this attempt as a failure. Although you reached the goal within the time limit, you triggered five traps."
"I see..."
"Yes. It’s a pity, but you will need to attempt the course again."
The staff member delivered the verdict and the reasoning in a flat, clinical tone. Then, they continued.
"How would you like to proceed? Would you like to attempt a retry immediately?"
"We can retry right away?"
"Yes. You’ll need to register at the desk again, but since you didn't hit the failure limit for mandatory retraining in the Experience Zone, you’re free to go again."
So, while the run was technically a failure, we had successfully dodged the retraining penalty.
"We’ll retry, then."
"Understood. Please complete the paperwork at the reception desk."
"Will do."
"Thank you. Also, please present these when you register."
The staff member handed me a small card made of thick cardstock, then distributed identical ones to the rest of the group.
"...What’s this?"
Looking at the card, I saw a triangular stamp in the first slot with "3/5" written inside it.
"Allow me to explain. The triangular mark represents the Beginner Zone. For the Intermediate and Advanced Zones, the symbols change to squares and circles respectively. The first number, three, indicates you entered through Gate 3, and the five represents the number of traps you cleared."
"I see."
So this makeshift stamp card was essentially a report card. It tracked how many attempts it took to clear a zone and how many traps you successfully navigated in a single go.
"When you hand that card in at the desk, you’ll be assigned to one of the three remaining courses in the Beginner Zone."
"Wait, we won't be doing the same course?"
"No. We almost never assign the same course twice in a row. Consecutive attempts at the same course allow challengers to clear it through simple memorization. That would defeat the educational purpose of this facility, so we rotate through four different courses."
"So the traps are actually different in the other three courses?"
"Correct. The Beginner Zone features thirty different types of traps spread across four distinct courses."
Thirty types across four courses... that made sense.
The facility wanted to ensure people didn't just 'game' the system. Unlike a video game, you’re using your actual body, so knowing the patterns doesn't guarantee a clear—but given the physical boosts explorers get from leveling, clearing through pure familiarity would be trivial. The rotation was a clever way to prevent that.
"So, your next attempt will be on Course 1, 2, or 4."
"Got it. Oh, one more thing if you don't mind."
"Yes? What is it?"
"Are there any specific qualifications or requirements to challenge the Intermediate or Advanced Zones?"
I was considering taking Yuji and Hiiragi-san into the Advanced Zone after this, but the staff member's thoroughness made me wonder if there were prerequisites.
However, my suspicion was unfounded.
"There are no specific qualifications required for the Intermediate or Advanced Zones. However, the difficulty of the Advanced Zone is on an entirely different level. We strongly recommend stepping up your anti-trap skills in order, starting from the Beginner Zone. To be perfectly blunt, if you aren't at a level where you can clear all four Beginner courses perfectly with time to spare, the Advanced Zone will be a complete waste of your time."
So we could challenge it right now if we wanted to.
But the fact that the staff member was being so unvarnished with his warning meant the Advanced Zone was likely every bit as brutal as he suggested.
I glanced at Yuji and Hiiragi-san, then gave the staff member a polite nod.
"I see. Thank you for the advice."
"Not at all. I apologize if my wording was a bit forward. That concludes the explanation of the cards. Thank you for using our facility today, and good luck with your future endeavors."
With the explanation finished, we exchanged brief bows and left the area.
Now, what should we do next? Should we go through the Beginner Zone with Mika and Saori again, or should we give the Advanced Zone a shot just to see what we’re up against?