Experiencing firsthand just how psychologically taxing absolute silence could be, Suzune-chan and I breathed heavily for a while, slowly catching our breath and steadying our nerves. Mika-chan and Saori-chan worriedly patted our shoulders in a steady rhythm, helping the suffocating fear and anxiety gradually fade until our scrambled thoughts finally settled.
Letting out a collective deep sigh, Suzune-chan and I returned to how we had felt before closing our eyes.
"A truly quiet place is... terrifying, isn't it?"
"We only closed our eyes and stayed quiet, yet... it was so scary."
"Yeah, well, I guess so. Living a normal everyday life, you almost never run into an environment with this little sound."
Shoulders trembling slightly, Suzune-chan and I voiced our impressions of what we had just gone through.
Hearing our remarks, not only our seniors but Mika-chan and Saori-chan offered wry smiles.
"These dungeon walls seem to have a special property—their sound absorption is exceptionally high. That's why, if you keep quiet and there aren't any other explorer parties nearby, the space becomes almost completely silent."
"Explorers use background noise as a countermeasure—frequent conversation, music players, and the like to generate sound. Being too noisy is bad, but being too quiet also takes a toll on your mind."
"Back in the early days, people didn't understand that very well. Apparently, there were explorer parties that lost their minds... fell into panic states while conducting silent enemy searches to stay alert for monster ambushes."
Our seniors shared some rather chilling history. It was true—if we had stayed in that space without knowing any better, falling into a panic state would have been very likely. Kokonoe-senpai had forcefully snapped us out of it with a kashiwade clap just now, but the thought of having no one there to pull us back gave me chills.
"That's right, which is why whenever we explore, we keep music playing softly enough that it doesn't interfere with our enemy search."
"You might think keeping up a conversation within the party would be enough, but never letting topics run dry throughout an entire dungeon dive is pretty tough, too."
"If the conversation dies down out of nowhere and that soundless void creeps back in, it's awful for your mental state."
"They sell sturdy, compact portable speakers at the Association shop, so you should check them out sometime. They're explorer-spec and easy to use, so if your budget allows, it's best to have one."
Mika-chan and Saori-chan took out the compact portable speakers they kept as a countermeasure against the soundless void—hanging from the sides of their backpacks by retractable carabiners—to show us. They were rugged, fist-sized circular speakers, featuring a front-facing grille and large control switches on the back.
Since they weren't playing any sound right now, had they deliberately kept them off just to create that silence earlier?
"These aren't playing anything right now. Did you turn them off on purpose?"
"Yeah. Onii-chan and the others told us not to use them because they wanted you two to experience that."
I didn't think we could be blamed for instinctively shooting accusing glares at Kokonoe-senpai and the others.
The seniors offered slightly sheepish smiles, though none of them looked truly remorseful.
"Normally, we start playing them shortly after stepping out of the traveling queue. It's proper etiquette not to use them while moving in the queue or at the staircase plaza. People have different musical tastes, and some want to concentrate in silence."
"That's... well, true."
"It'd be rough if someone blasted a genre you couldn't stand at full volume, after all."
Saori-chan's explanation made complete sense to Suzune-chan and me; it was obvious why such manners existed.
If a cacophony of different genres had been blaring at maximum volume in that crowded traveling queue earlier, it would have been mentally draining in a completely different way, so I definitely wouldn't want that either.
"Well, there used to be people like that back in the day."
"They couldn't stand the glares from everyone around them, so they naturally vanished, right?"
"Yes. But on the other hand, every once in a while, an explorer party will emerge from the depths of a passageway blasting heavy metal. That was truly shocking—or rather, utterly baffling. Their equipment was, how should I put it... unique, to say the least."
Yukino-senpai seemed to recall a particularly bizarre party, resting a hand against her forehead with a sigh as if nursing a headache. Kokonoe-senpai and Hirose-senpai stared off into the distance as well, reminiscing, leaving me intensely curious about just what kind of party it had been.
Not that I had the slightest desire to actually run into them, though.
"Well, for today, as long as you understand what kind of environment the dungeon has, that's good enough."
Yes!
Scanning their surroundings, Kokonoe-senpai told Suzune-chan and me to focus first on getting used to the dungeon's unique conditions.
Indeed, if we didn't adapt to the environment before fighting monsters, just walking around would wear us out.
"Shall we continue exploring, then? We probably won't encounter any monsters for a little while, so we'll teach you two how to walk in the dungeon as we move along."
Yes!
And so, with Kokonoe-senpai and the others teaching us proper conduct and precautions to take inside the dungeon, Suzune-chan and I pressed deeper into the dungeon in search of monsters.
Just walking in a dungeon required learning and adapting to so much—it really was hard work.
Passing by other explorer parties from time to time, we advanced further in. Though the strange way sound traveled felt unnatural at first, as time went on, we gradually grew accustomed to it.
Moreover, Kokonoe-senpai was playing music through his speaker, so even when our conversation paused, we weren't left in absolute silence, which helped immensely. Incidentally, the track playing was a soothing classical piece.
"When using speakers in a party, make sure to decide beforehand who will carry it and from where it'll play. If you don't pinpoint the sound's direction in advance, you might miss the noise of approaching monsters."
"So if a sound comes from a direction other than the speaker, that means it's an approaching monster or another explorer party, right?"
"Exactly. It takes a little getting used to, but it'll become second nature as you explore dungeons."
Understood.
Just as Kokonoe-senpai pointed out, if everyone played music from their speakers however they pleased, we might miss the subtle sounds we couldn't afford to overlook.
I doubted anyone would do that, but the fact that he gave us this warning meant there must have been people who actually did.
"Hm?"
Acting as the vanguard, Mika-chan and Saori-chan suddenly halted, their vigilance sharpening as if they had noticed something.
Fixing sharp gazes down the dimly lit corridor ahead, they tightened their grips on their weapons.
"What's wrong, Mika-chan, Saori-chan? Stopping all of a sudden..."
"Shh, quiet... There's one."
Without looking away from the corridor ahead, Mika-chan and Saori-chan held their arms out horizontally, signaling Suzune-chan and me to halt as we stood bewildered by the sudden change in atmosphere.
"There's one? Ah—! Could it be, a monster?!"
"Yes, so keep your voice down. The count is... one. We're not inside its enemy search range yet, but don't let your guard down. If we advance just a little further, it will definitely notice us and attack."
"Y-Yeah."
When Mika informed us that a monster was close by, Suzune-chan and I wore expressions mixed with surprise and a hint of fear, our grips tightening around our weapons.
The moment had finally arrived.
"So, what should we do, Onii-chan? Should we let the two of them fight right away? Or should we fight it first to show them what battling a monster looks like?"
Keeping her watch on the corridor without glancing back, Mika-chan checked with Kokonoe-senpai and the others regarding our next move.
"To be completely safe, showing them a fight firsthand might be best. What do you think, Yuji?"
"Yeah, if we're prioritizing safety, showing them once is the right call. Searching for another one is a bit of a hassle, but seeing an example makes it easier to picture how to fight yourself. What about you, Hiiragi-san?"
"I think going without a demonstration is fine too, you know? Considering the training those two have done so far, as long as they stay calm, they can definitely defeat it. Factoring in that there will be monsters they'll have to deal with on first sight, gaining that experience here wouldn't be bad either, don't you think?"
Kokonoe-senpai and Hirose-senpai were in favor of a demonstration, while Yukino-senpai appeared to be against it. If we planned to continue as explorers, there would definitely be situations where we'd have to handle something on first sight despite having prior knowledge, just as Yukino-senpai said, so her opinion wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Besides, with a full backup system in place right now, testing our adaptability during a first encounter might be a good opportunity. Still, for our very first exploration, was this really the stage to test whether we could take down a monster entirely on our own?
"...I understand your point, Hiiragi-san, but that's probably something to tackle in the next stage. It's their first time seeing a monster, so I think showing an example first is best."
Scratching his cheek with a fingertip, Kokonoe-senpai began persuading Yukino-senpai.
I knew it—that really was something for the next step.
"Well, that's where we stand, but what do you two think? We're leaning toward showing you an example before the main event, but do you want to give it a try right away like Hiiragi-san said?"
"Um, yes. If possible, rather than jumping straight into the main event, we'd like to see an example first."
"Me too..."
While continuing to persuade Yukino-senpai, Kokonoe-senpai turned to Suzune-chan and me with a slightly troubled expression to ask our opinion.
Naturally, our answer was unanimously to observe first.
"I see. Then we'll show you an example first, so picture how you would move if you were the one fighting. As long as you have a solid image in mind, you'll be able to move reasonably well even if you're nervous."
Once it was settled that they would demonstrate combat first, Suzune-chan and I let out a soft sigh of relief, hardened our expressions, and directed resolute gazes at Kokonoe-senpai and the others. We were nervous, but we would be fine—this was what we had come here for!
Then, Kokonoe-senpai issued instructions to Mika-chan, who maintained her forward watch.
"Mika, can you take it?"
"Yeah, no problem."
"All right, you're up. Remember, this is strictly to show beginners an example of monster combat. Keep a wide safety margin and take it down with clean, easy-to-follow movements."
"Roger that. Clean and safe, right?"
Responding casually, Mika-chan showed no signs of nervousness as she stepped forward at a deliberate pace toward the depths of the corridor where the monster waited.
Then, after advancing about ten paces, she crossed the monster's alert line.
"Guooh."
Emerging from the darkness deeper down the corridor, a single monster stepped forward at a leisurely pace, letting out a low growl. That creature, directing unmistakable hostility toward us... was an enemy.
And our opponent was a quadrupedal, canine-like beast covered in black fur that Suzune-chan and I recognized from our study materials—a hound dog.
!
Upon clearly sighting the hound dog, tension shot through Suzune-chan and me.
It was our first time having such raw hostility and malice directed straight at us. Even though the direct target was not us, but Mika-chan confronting it, we couldn't help but freeze in place.
"Calm down, you two. It's natural to be startled since this is your first time seeing a monster in the flesh, but no matter the situation, keep a cool head at all times. It's essential to calmly observe the opponent's behavior and continuously think about how it will move next."
Y-Yes!
Seeing that Suzune-chan and I wore overwhelmed expressions at our first sight of a live hound dog, Kokonoe-senpai spoke to us in a calm voice, breaking our paralysis.
He then offered advice on the mindset required when confronting monsters in a dungeon.
"Also, while being startled is normal, try not to let it show on your face. If the opponent... the prey, realizes you're frightened, the monster will become emboldened and attack."
"Eek, ah, yes."
"S-Sorry."
At Kokonoe-senpai's point, Suzune-chan and I placed our hands on our cheeks, lightly massaging our stiff expressions. Come to think of it, I had heard that even wild animals prioritized attacking people who fled or cowered, so it wouldn't be surprising if monsters shared a similar instinct.
Wait, did I sense an unspoken urge to chime in coming from the seniors?
"The hound dog is about to enter Mika's range, so watch closely without blinking. In the next fight, it'll be your turn. Watch while thinking about when to move to avoid its attacks, and when to move to land your own... Understood?"
Yes.
Keeping our eyes fixed on Mika-chan and the hound dog to continue our observation, Suzune-chan and I drew a sharp breath, nodded firmly, and answered Kokonoe-senpai in clear voices.
Meanwhile, the distance between Mika-chan and the hound dog steadily closed, the tension between the two mounting to the point where combat could erupt at any second.
...
Suzune-chan's and my tension and anticipation soared whether we wanted them to or not.
And finally...
Having grown somewhat accustomed to the unique environment, the battle was about to begin...