Dungeon

"No problem. Save them up for a month, then report them all to me at once." Caroso took the note and glanced over it.

All the prices looked reasonable. She had not deliberately picked the most expensive options for Caroso, either.

After spending a short time together, she had already realized that Caroso was a rather practical person.

Seeing the note put Caroso at ease.

[Hell, how many kickbacks did she rake in from this?]

[Market price is market price—she'd definitely get it cheaper when buying!]

[In the story, she was a real hand at haggling.]

Caroso did not pay much attention to what the comments said. She had earned that money through her own abilities, and he did not mind.

"Then please enjoy your meal, you two. I'll wait outside." Krumen gave a respectful bow before leaving the infirmary.

Once Krumen had gone out, the two began eating together.

Nimel found the atmosphere a little awkward and could not help bringing up a topic. "The Vice Principal went too far back then. It was clearly my assessment, yet he still attacked Brother..."

"That was to force out your potential," Caroso said. "He was right. You're not strong enough, and you get distracted in battle. My previous guidance was not good enough."

Caroso was not someone who liked shifting blame. Whenever there was a problem, he would first reflect on his own mistakes.

"Brother already did well enough. I'm the one who failed to live up to expectations..." Nimel lowered her head.

"Let's work hard together," Caroso said. "The road ahead is still long."

"Mm." Nimel gave a soft murmur.

After dinner, the two returned to their respective dormitories. Caroso called Rayne and Elena over to his room.

"Caroso, congratulations. You're famous again."

The moment he opened the door, Rayne's sunny smile greeted him.

"Hehe, Brother Caroso, you're all better!" Elena, hiding behind Rayne, greeted Caroso as well.

"Elena wanted to take care of you, but classes are important too," Rayne said. "I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind." Caroso let the two inside. "What happened afterward?"

As he spoke, Caroso sat down on the sofa, and the other two took seats as well.

"You were carried out by the Dean and the Vice Principal," Rayne said. "For this assessment, you received an S++ rating, while Nimel received an A+."

"S++, huh." Hearing the highest possible rating, Caroso was not excited. It was as if it were only natural.

Nimel... She must have received bonus points afterward. Otherwise, for getting distracted on the battlefield alone, Caroso would have given her a B at most.

"Yeah, Brother Caroso, you were amazing!" Elena said excitedly. "An S++ rating is extremely rare even throughout history."

"This continent does not have only one higher academy." Caroso shook his head, not treating it as anything special. "What happened after that?"

"After that, the Dean analyzed the strengths and weaknesses in our battles for us." Rayne sighed. "Card makers are not a profession that needs to fight on the front lines, but the unique nature of card makers makes them coveted by every major power. Rather than relying on others, we need a certain ability to protect ourselves too."

"Hm, nothing else special?" Caroso said. "I thought the first lesson would involve more than just an assessment."

"Hehe, there really was!" Elena's eyes lit up. "We're card makers, after all. Besides combat, our card-making abilities are assessed too."

"Here, I brought you your placement test paper."

Elena had been carrying a small bag when she came in, but Caroso had not paid it any mind. It was perfectly normal for a lady to carry a handbag.

Soon, she pulled several test papers from it and handed them to Caroso. "I looked over these questions. They're all really obscure, and everyone's questions are different."

"That's a special trait of S Class. Since every previous S Class has had very few students, the teachers tailor the test questions specifically for us," Rayne said. "These questions incorporate our entrance exam results."

"Mm." Caroso glanced over the questions and frowned slightly. Many of them were extremely obscure; even he could not guarantee that he could answer every single one correctly.

Still, pressure created motivation. Caroso liked Bai's teaching style very much.

"Also, we have to create an original card." Elena pouted. "We're assigned in pairs, but only Brother Caroso has to work alone. That's just too unfair."

"An original card?" Caroso did not mind. Original cards tested one's creativity.

"Emergency announcement! Emergency announcement! A dungeon entrance has appeared! A dungeon entrance has appeared!"

"This is a third-tier dungeon. All third-tier students wishing to challenge the dungeon, please gather at the training ground. The basic rules will be announced in three hours. Those who already understand the rules need not gather and may register tomorrow morning at eight. Registration closes tomorrow at noon."

It was the broadcast announcement, repeated three times in all.

"A dungeon?" Elena looked rather uninterested. "Come to think of it, places where dungeon entrances can appear are either academies or military garrisons. There's no real sense of danger."

"And it's dangerous too. Usually, only people short on money participate, since dungeon rewards are quite generous." Rayne yawned.

"Mm. You two should head back first. I'm going into the dungeon to take a look." Caroso stood up.

"Huh?" Elena's eyes widened. "Brother Caroso, you're joking, right? Even low-tier dungeons have around a thirty percent casualty rate."

"That's right, Caroso. There's no need for you to take such a risk," Rayne hurriedly said.

"Kolia never fears any challenge."

After Rayne and Elena left, Caroso turned his gaze to the comments.

He had thought the comments would say it was dangerous and urge him not to go. Instead...

[Holy crap, it's finally starting!]

[The dungeon, hahahahaha...]

[The strategy team is in position!]

[No dungeon can escape those few standard patterns. A higher difficulty is nothing special.]

[Fuck, if we don't get Boss Caro an S++ rating, I'll eat shit and kill myself!]

[Damn it, where's the deck suited for dungeons?]

[Boss Caro's current deck is more than enough. Don't forget, he held back during his previous assessment.]

[Boss Caro, there's still time. Make two Communication Cards.]

"Communication Cards?" Caroso froze for a moment. "You can communicate inside a dungeon?"

[Yes. Call Nimel over first—we'll put together a dungeon strategy guide for you.]

[Just go to the workshop. These aren't hard to make.]

"Okay." Caroso agreed. He used the magic stone to call Nimel, and the two of them went to Caroso's laboratory together.

"Brother, is this about going into the dungeon together?"

Caroso could see her hands trembling slightly.

But Caroso did not soften.

If she wanted to grow, this dungeon was a road she had to walk.

Only by going through battles where life and death truly hung in the balance could one become genuinely strong.

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