Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Where do you think the "Third Squad" will be forced to stop?

Me turning around—

Recalling the "credit requirements" announced by the teacher, state the answer.

"I think it will be the 12th floor."

"Damn it!!"

Iglin's irritated shouts were drowned out by the cries of the whole group of "little devils".

This is the 12th floor of the underground city, shrouded in wisps of white mist.

The "Third Squad," having reached the lowest level of the "upper level," had already been embroiled in countless fierce battles.

"Hurry up and take down that 'dragon'!"

"No... I'm tired."

"Even someone as incredibly strong as me can't fight against so many opponents! Sorry, everyone!"

Iglin and his friends are being attacked by a group of "little devils" when a "small dragon" with a size of more than four meters slowly emerges from the white mist in front of them.

"Roar!!"

The rare upper-level species, the "infant dragon," roared, causing all members of the "Third Squad" and a vast expanse of grassland to tremble simultaneously.

It swung its long tail, covered in hard dragon scales, with force, snapping several dead trees in half at the "Landform"—the area was devastated, and the affected "little devils" screamed in agony. Although the three forwards leaped backward, narrowly dodging the sweeping attack, their movements were clearly sluggish.

"【Swaying Holy Wheel, White Breath, Song of a Hundred Flowers, Pure Hill】-【Magia Chris】."

Pure white petals—or rather, white magical fragments—drifted in the wind and enveloped the vanguards' bodies.

This is Nina's healing magic.

She set up her long cane at the back post, dutifully shielding the three players, but it was all in vain.

Fortunately, after regaining some strength, Eglin and the others managed to escape the dragon's pursuit, but it was clear that they were all quite exhausted.

"...Nina, let's retreat. This battle can't continue..."

"……Um."

After I, who was waiting to provide support, reminded her of this, Nina initially frowned deeply with a pained expression, but quickly regained the expression befitting a squad leader.

"Everyone, retreat! Run all the way to the south chamber we agreed on earlier! Quickly!"

"What!? You're kidding me! I haven't...!"

The dwarf was so angry that he wanted to retort, but in the end he couldn't finish his sentence.

Iglin, who is more responsible than anyone else in his role as a striker, knows this best.

That means if we continue to fight with a forced attitude, there is a high possibility that a "mishap" will occur.

For example, what if another group of monsters bursts out from the depths of the cave—

"Pugu ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh...!"

"Wow! There are so many 'half-orcs'! They're so ugly! I really don't want to fight them!"

"...There's no other way but to make a strategic retreat."

Seeing the four "half-orcs" rapidly approaching as if forming a wall, Chris and Rachel turned and ran away.

"Damn it!" Iglin cursed and followed closely behind.

(I really wish I could use "magic".)

The little devils, orcs, and the dragon leading the charge also began to give chase.

I began to survey my surroundings, estimating the distance between myself and the enemy. To ensure the retreat would go smoothly, I ran while rummaging through my backpack.

Then I left Nina's side and ran alongside Rachel, who was catching up with me.

"Reiki-san! Can you cast 'magic'!?"

"...Currently...I don't have time...to chant."

"I'll help set the trap! Please go to the third dead tree ahead and get ready! Is that alright?"

The dark elf girl glanced at me, who was running with a wry smile, and at the "thing" I was holding in my glove, then whispered:

“…Leave it to me.”

As soon as Leiqi finished answering, she quickened her pace and ran forward.

And following my instructions, he stopped beside the third dead tree and began to chant while kneeling on one knee.

After confirming that everything was alright, I glanced at the monster army approaching from behind, and then threw out the "thing" I had in my glove—the "poison sac of the purple moth".

This is an item I bought from the shop before entering the dungeon. It's also the small bag that Lily often used when we explored the "Upper Level," and what floats out of it is, of course, "Poison Scale Powder."

"Cough cough! Cough cough!?"

"Ptooey!?"

The little devils began to show symptoms of "poisoning," which slowed down the monsters' movement speed.

This alone cannot stop the monster army's pursuit, but it can buy enough time as agreed.

"【Dark Mine】...! Completed."

The magic circle appeared instantly, and Leiqi, who had been touching the ground with one hand, immediately took off running.

I quickly ran forward—pretending to run at full speed at Lv.1—avoiding the dead trees and catching up with Nina and the others.

Not long after, as the "orcs" smashed through the little devils and gave chase—

"【Black Explosion (Bang)】."

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!?"

The "landmine magic" was triggered on the spot with the detonation spell (spell key) spoken by Leiqi, and the "Third Squad" was able to shake off the pursuing monsters without any serious damage.

"You bastard!"

Eglin took off his helmet and slammed it to the ground.

The sound echoed clearly in the silent cave, but no one reprimanded him for his actions.

Everyone, including Nina, was panting heavily.

"This is the fourth time already!? They still haven't managed to defeat that dragon...!"

It has been four days since the special (dungeon) internship began.

After attempting to conquer floors 11 and 12 three times, the "Third Squad" still failed to defeat the baby dragon that met the "credit requirements" specified by the "School District." If they cannot submit the "dropped item" from the monster required for the "credits," they cannot proceed to deeper floors.

The "Third Squad," which had made great strides to reach the 7th floor on the first day, made no further progress here.

"Putting aside that absolute newbie (last place) over there, we're all Lv.2! If the guild's information is accurate, we should be able to easily take down that stinky dragon!"

Perhaps because they couldn't let their guard down even in retreat, "the drastically changed Iglin," who was holding a sledgehammer in one hand, cursed "Damn it!" and expressed all his anger.

"Excluding 'Seventh Squad (Elite Squad),' we were the first to reach the 12th floor...! Why have we been surpassed by other squads now!?"

Regarding this question... the answer is actually very simple.

Because the "Third Squad" failed to achieve teamwork.

Because the "Third Squad" was extremely inefficient in combat.

Even if you follow the proper route and take the shortest path to the 12th floor, the distance is actually much farther than you imagine, considering all the steps you've taken along the way.

If they encounter battles along the way, their physical strength will be consumed even more severely. In addition, the "Third Squad" never cooperates with each other and always relies on their individual strength to break through all floors, which naturally consumes more physical and mental energy than other squads.

The reason why the "Third Squad," whose members were all at Lv.2, could not crush their opponents in the battle against the baby dragon was simply because they lacked follow-up attacks.

(In fact, at Nina's suggestion, this time the strategy was to resupply on the 12th floor before continuing...)

Physical strength can indeed be restored with magic, and mental strength can also be replenished with items.

That being said, the "Young Dragon" is a rare species, with fewer than five individuals in this vast floor. For this reason, it is classified as a formidable enemy (boss) in the "Upper Floor," where there is no floor master, and is not easy to spot.

Furthermore, what would happen if students within the same school district started competing for baby dragons?

The answer is that even with the best of luck, it takes considerable effort to find a baby dragon in this "battle".

So, while they were painstakingly searching for the baby dragon, their stamina, which had been restored through supplies, was exhausted again... just like the current state of the "Third Squad".

Starting from the 10th floor, you may encounter a Monster Party, which increases the number of monsters and the number of battles.

Furthermore, the little devils who follow the young dragon are more troublesome than imagined.

(Nina's "magic" leans towards healing and support, and even if she reaches Lv.2, it's not a good thing for the forwards to go too deep into enemy territory...)

The problem is, without healing and support, the forwards are practically playing with fire for this team. Their mana potions are exhausted, and considering the need for their return journey, they must avoid adding any further burden to Nina.

In short, all sorts of negative factors have accumulated together.

If it were just about breaking through the 12th floor, the "Third Squad" could definitely complete it easily.

However, the difficulty will increase dramatically if you try to defeat the baby dragon under the current conditions.

If it were an experienced adventurer, they might have a way to control their energy consumption, but Iglin and his group had only been in the dungeon for four days, making them complete novices. On the other hand, these students, who were almost able to conquer the "upper level" in just four days, were actually quite excellent... But even someone as strong as Lv.2 would definitely suffer a lot in the dungeon if they didn't master the tricks.

So I tried to convey this meaning tactfully, but all I got in return was an angry rebuke: "Stop spouting hindsight!" I'm sorry...!

"...Let's stop here for today. After all, we've used up all our supplies, and it would be too dangerous to continue."

The 11th floor, where baby dragons and other competitors appear, is a fierce battleground for "conquest".

Therefore, the "Third Squad" came to the 12th floor with the last glimmer of hope. After listening to what Nina had to say, some of them frowned, some fell silent, and some were very frustrated.

Just as no one else raised any further protests, and Nina was preparing to take this reaction as tacit approval—

"...Excuse me, Nina, could you please wait a moment?"

"what?"

I apologized in my heart while interjecting from the side.

"I think the 'Third Squad' should be able to do it."

—Although it was just a gut feeling, I felt that if I didn't seize this moment, I would never have another chance.

Everyone is now exhausted.

Even if it can't be called a "desperate situation", it is already in danger.

If they don't act now, the "Third Squad" may never be able to reinvent itself.

Having already upgraded to Lv.2, Iglin and the others were able to manage to do things to some extent. Because they could always achieve their goals by doing things in a difficult way, they acted recklessly on their own, disregarding the importance of teamwork.

Therefore, once they experience a completely new way of fighting in a situation where they cannot force things to go on, and taste the success and unimaginable results gained through hard work, they will definitely grow and turn what they have learned into their own weapon.

After all, they... are all students from the "school district".

(I believe... this is also "knowledge" and "wisdom".)

If we simply recreate the experience of when Ms. Ryu and I were trapped alone in the "deep layer," and had to use various means and opportunities to force ourselves to become stronger in order to survive, we should be able to get the desired result.

"There are opportunities for growth that can only be gained after overcoming a crisis," I think to some extent now.

That being said, the phrase "should work" is actually the number one dangerous statement in the dungeon...

"With the current roster, this isn't exactly a 'risk'... so it's fine."

After I finished speaking, I smiled, my bangs covering my eyes.

Nina, Iglin, Rachel, and Chris all stared in surprise.

I recalled Miss Eina's words, "Adventurers must not take risks," and I clearly told Nina and the others that this level of risk did not even qualify as "adventure."

Since the "Third Squad" was able to get here on their own.

As long as they work together... they can definitely go further.

I believe that Professor Leon and the others have also realized this, which is why they are so hesitant about whether to disband the team.

"You...you say it'll work...the problem is, how?! We haven't succeeded yet!"

"Well, I've been observing everyone's actions these past few days, and I've come up with an idea that's similar to a 'battle plan'..."

For the past four days, I have stayed at the very back of the group and carefully observed the "Third Squad".

Since I usually play as a forward, and occasionally switch positions with Miss Fate to play center, the perspective of being at the very back of the team is quite novel to me. Because of this, I've come to understand many things.