As Kana made her way back to the dormitory, she spotted Boris and Suri waiting beneath the tree near the narrow street. Boris held a large basket, the unmistakable scent of meat wafting from it—likely another one of Suri’s impulse buys.

  “I saw what happened,” Suri said quietly. Her sharp eyes narrowed with concern. “Are you alright?”

  Kana gave a slight nod. “Then I don’t need to explain.”

  She paused before asking, “Should we let Leo join our party?”

  “There’s no harm to us,” Suri replied, glancing sideways. “And you’ll benefit from it. Besides…” Her voice dropped. “That Pit guy. He’s still trying to find us. Quiet. Too quiet. For a man who’s trying to find us.”

  Suri continued, “I’m sure he knows someone’s watching him. He’s planning something—I just haven’t figured out what yet.”

  Boris shrugged, his clothes thin and patched, wearing his old villager clothes. “Then use the Duke. Same way he’s using you. You overthink everything, Kana.”

  Kana sighed. Boris was right. Was she stressing herself too much? “Alright. Since no one’s against it… we’ll have Leo join us in the next dungeon raid.”

  “He might die,” Boris added, more matter-of-fact than concerned.

  She knew. Leo might be well-trained, but he was likely still level one. High base stats were good but it wouldn’t be a comparison to a higher level like them.

  Power leveling.

  Carrying a low level individual to farm by quickly killing low level monsters. More monsters, the betters.

  The idea surfaced from somewhere deep—perhaps instinct, perhaps memory. She didn’t question it.

  “We’ll go for a low to low-mid level dungeon,” Kana decided. “Or… maybe carry him through a low-high level one.”

  Boris grinned. “Now you’re thinking. Think the Duke can bribe the guards for us?”

  ….

  Kana hadn’t done much physically, yet she felt drained. The weight of the morning lingered like a shadow. She glanced over and saw Suri at her desk, writing a letter—its recipient already obvious.

  Saltrain Village.

  “Did you already tell Asha and Opel we’ll only be doing weekend raids from now on?”

  Suri nodded without looking up. “We visited them earlier. Explained everything.”

  She reached into her bag, pulled out a small pouch of coin, and tossed it lightly toward Kana.

  Kana caught their first payment as a Dungeon Scrapper and slipped it straight into her [Inventory].

  “Are there any low-mid to high-level dungeons nearby?” she asked.

  Suri shook her head. “None. The last one’s still regenerating.”

  Kana opened her [Inventory] and pulled out a worn map. She walked over to Suri’s desk and rolled it open, pressing the corners flat.

  “There’s one here.” She pointed to a marked area in the western region. “A low-mid or low-high level dungeon. It’s outside the border though… I don’t know if it’s already been claimed.”

  Suri studied it for a moment, then cast [Illusion Call]. A small black owl shimmered into existence and darted through the open window.

  “What if,” Suri suggested, “We registered him as Dungeon Scrappers at the same time?”

  Kana shook her head firmly. “No. Leo should not know about any of that. About our ties to the underground district.”

  Suri leaned back in her chair, letting the candlelight catch her eyes. “You really think he’d care?”

  Kana folded the map. “He doesn’t need to. It’s not about trust. It’s about what he shouldn’t be part of.”

  Kana was worried.

  Leo was still at a low level. If the people who had hired them had another agenda—something hidden, something darker—then even she, Boris or Suri might not be able to protect him. And if something happened to Leo, the deal with the Duke would mean nothing. Worse, it might turn the Duke into an enemy. And that would surely affect her plans.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Too many unknowns. Too many risks.

  She turned to Suri and handed her a sealed message. “Send this to the Duke,” Kana said. “Use your illusion.”

  Suri nodded, curious but didn’t question her.

  “It has to be delivered by one of your illusions,” Kana added. “Let them know we’re not desperate. They need to see that we’re capable. That we can see them anytime we want.”

  …..

  The first day of the week arrived.

  Wor-en walked into the Copper Classroom that morning, sticking to the posted schedule. As expected, the room buzzed with energy—students laughing, chatting, and doing some new magic tricks. Almost no one noticed his entrance.

  He cleared his throat and strode to the professor’s desk. That got their attention.

  “I have good news and bad news,” he said.

  The class quieted instantly, curiosity shifting the mood.

  “The bad news is... you’ll be taking a new required class. Every single one of you. No exceptions.”

  A collective groan rolled through the room.

  “And the good news?” Toby asked.

  Wor-en’s tone remained steady. “You’ll gain valuable experience. It will improve your skill set—practical skills you won’t get inside a classroom.”

  He paused, letting the anticipation build.

  “The new class is simply called The North.”

  A murmur of confusion spread.

  “You’ll be grouped into teams—ten members per group. Each team must cover all basic roles: at least one tank, one melee damage dealer, one ranged damage dealer, one support type, and one class capable of scouting.”

  He glanced around, scanning the students.

  “The Copper Class only has eight students. If you plan to stick together, you’ll need to recruit two more. First-years only. If you have friends from other classes, now’s the time to ask. Things are going to get chaotic.”

  He paced in front of the desk.

  “You’ll need to submit your group list by the fifth day of this week. After that, we’ll begin two months of training and simulation—four days each week.”

  “And then?” Roy asked, cautious.

  Wor-en looked him in the eye. “Then, you’ll head to the North. For real. After two months. Every team will be deployed to eliminate monsters from a Dungeon Overflow.”

  That sent a chill through the classroom. Everyone knew. Knew how dangerous the north was.

  “Wait—seriously?” Rin asked, her voice uneasy. “We’re going there?”

  “Yes,” Wor-en said simply. “But you won’t be alone. Each group will be assigned one professor and at least one or two Silver Class adventurers for support and protection. They will watch you and intervene if only needed.”

  A few students visibly relaxed at that. Silver Class adventurers were nothing to scoff at—skilled, seasoned, and battle-hardened.

  Still, silence lingered.

  Roy this time stood. “Isn’t this too sudden? This wasn’t part of the original curriculum. Some parents might refuse.”

  Wor-en nodded. “It is sudden. But this directive is already approved by the principal. And the King himself.”

  He let that settle.

  “If you still don’t wish to participate, you’ll need to drop this class. We’ll send letters to your families explaining everything. But the choice will be yours.”

  He turned toward Kana.

  “You have until the fifth day to give me your final group list,” he said. “Kana, as the class president, makes sure everyone is accounted for and properly grouped.”

  Kana gave a small nod. “Understood.”

  ….

  Wor-en quickly left after his sudden announcement, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

  Almost immediately, the students gathered around Kana.

  “It must be why there were so many people moving around a few nights ago,” Kana said, putting the pieces together.

  Suri nodded. “Yeah. I already checked with my illusions. This situation is more serious than I thought.”

  They all glanced at the still-open door. Outside, students were already gathering in clusters, voices rising with urgency. Many were scouting for party members, trying to complete their roles—especially hunting for a healer-type support.

  “Are we seriously getting deployed to an actual battlefield?” Rin asked, her voice laced with concern.

  “Looks like it,” Suri replied. “Professor Wor-en wasn’t joking around.”

  Kana looked at the group. “Is anyone here planning to join a different group?”

  “Why would we?” Toby said.

  What the trio didn’t know was that rumors had already begun to spread. Even Adam had been mentioned. Whispers claimed their abilities far outclassed what was expected for Copper Class students. A few professors had praised them openly, and some students who’d sparred with them had spoken of one-sided defeats.

  No one answered Kana’s question.

  She took the silence as agreement. “Alright. I’ll take that we are going there in one group.”

  She pulled out a notebook and began writing. “I’ll list down your name, class, and role. Check it later to confirm.”

  Toby leaned forward, curious. “You already know what our roles are?”

  Kana hesitated, realizing she’d spoken too naturally. “It’s… kind of obvious? I mean, based on your class.”

  Right.

  She caught herself and quickly corrected, “—I mean, I’ve observed all of you long enough. It’s not hard to figure out your class type.”