The Academy Geniuses I Raised and Dressed

Standing outside the dorm entrance felt like sitting on a bed of nails.

Every student that walked by stared at me.

“Isn’t that him? The silver-haired first-year who cleared out all the monsters in Seawater Cavern during their first field practice?”

“Yeah, I think that’s him. What’s he doing here?”

It sounded like the rumors about what happened in the dungeon had already started to spread.

I decided that once Lumina came down, the first thing I’d do was exchange contact info with her.

“Um… h-hi…”

I turned at the soft voice and saw Lumina standing there with her cheeks slightly flushed.

“W-why were you looking for me…?”

I opened my mouth to respond but glanced around first.

A lot of eyes were on us. It wasn’t just curious glances anymore—students were literally stopping in their tracks to watch me and Lumina.

“It’s kind of awkward to talk here. Let’s head to the garden.”

“Ah, yeah. That… sounds good to me too…”

Lumina quickly nodded and agreed.

We walked down the path between the dorms and the gym.

Thankfully, no one followed us to eavesdrop.

“You saw the notice, right?”

I asked. Lumina nodded.

“We couldn’t even clear the dungeon with the whole class, and now they expect us to clear it in pairs? That’s an assignment meant to make us fail…”

“It’s not.”

Lumina’s eyes widened when I disagreed.

“The first floor of the Path of Crimson Flames is laid out in a straight line, so you won’t waste any time wandering around. It’s also easy to run if anything goes wrong. And more importantly, the monsters that spawn there are much lower level than the ones in Seawater Cavern. So no, it’s not an unreasonable assignment.”

Lumina’s mouth fell open.

“How do you know all that? You sound like someone who’s been there multiple times.”

“I just researched the dungeon ahead of time. That’s all.”

I spoke like it was no big deal.

“That’s amazing… I should’ve done some research too…”

It wasn’t amazing.

I’d just played the game so much that the knowledge had been hardwired into my brain.

“But it’s not all easy. As the name suggests, fire-type monsters appear there—and some of them can be real headaches. Besides, you think that jerk Jeong Jooil would ever give us something easy?”

“Pfft.” Lumina let out a short laugh, “Yeah. You’re right.”

“That’s why I figured I needed to secure a good partner ahead of time if I wanted to pass. Lumina, pair up with me.”

Lumina stopped walking.

“W-w-with me? Why would you want to team up with someone like me?”

There it was—textbook Lumina. The first thing she asked was why anyone would choose her.

“You think that’s weird?”

I asked casually.

“N-no, I mean…”

She looked down, fidgeting awkwardly before speaking again.

“I’m too weak to even fight properly… and I don’t have any special abilities either… I’m nothing like you…”

Hmm. So even without protagonist status, I still can't break through?

I hesitated.

This didn’t happen in the game.

When the protagonist invited her to team up, Lumina always hesitated a little, then said yes.

Still, the two-person team requirement is too good of an opportunity to pass up.

That’s why I rushed over the moment I saw the notice—even though I hadn’t laid the groundwork yet.

First, I need to shift her mindset. Otherwise, we’ll get nowhere.

With that in mind, I looked straight at her and asked,

“Do you not want to team up with me?”

Her eyes went wide in shock, and she immediately waved her hands in panic.

“No! That’s not it! I just… I don’t understand why you’d ask me when there are stronger people around…”

“There’s no one in our class stronger than you, Lumina.”

“…Huh?”

She stared at me, eyes wide, as if she was trying to process what I’d just said.

“Come with me. This isn’t flattery. I’ll show you in the dungeon tomorrow that I meant what I said.”

“…”

I waited patiently for her answer.

Finally, Lumina opened her mouth.

“…Okay.”

“Great. Thanks for saying yes. Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I started to head back to the dorm, but then paused.

“Oh right—Lumina.”

“Yeah?”

“Can I get your number?”

I nearly forgot.

“Ah, y-yeah…”

We touched our smartwatches together and exchanged contact info.

“…It’s my first time.”

“Hm?”

“N-nothing! I’ll be going now!”

Lumina hurried off toward the girls' dorm.

“…She must have more saved numbers than Nam Yein does. No way she doesn’t…”

I made my way back to the boys’ dorm with slow, relaxed steps.

The Next Morning

There were still about 15 minutes left before the meeting time, but the front gate was already crowded with the rest of Class B.

The school bus had already been pulled out in front of the gate.

No wonder no one asked about the missing weapons.

I looked at the mobile weapon storage container stationed near the gate.

The trash-tier weapons we used yesterday had all been standard-issue from the school.

Of course, the stuff sitting in front of me right now was just garbage.

“Can I pick anything from here?”

I asked the staff member standing beside the container.

“Of course. But just one per person.”

Stingy.

Even if they handed out a hundred of these junk weapons, it’d be fine. I’d just dismantle them all for Crafting EXP.

I scanned the selection, then picked up a bundle of throwing knives—thirty in total.

I didn’t grab them to throw at monsters.

In the game, you could dismantle them in groups of five. And even then, they yielded the same amount of materials as dismantling all thirty at once.

That made them six times more efficient than grabbing a sword, spear, or bow.

“Don’t forget your potions!”

Another staff member pointed to a table covered in bottles.

“Two per person!”

I walked over and picked up a vial filled with red liquid. My Craftsman ability activated and brought up its status window.

[Inferior HP Potion]

HP Recovery: +30

Figures. Even the potions are bottom-tier.

Still, considering my max HP was 15, it was basically a lifeline.

I placed both potions into the backpack strapped around my waist.

I could’ve converted them into icons like my other material items, but I chose not to.

If someone saw me doing that, they’d swarm me with questions—asking how I did it and begging for tips.

Better to keep my ability hidden.

The more people know about your powers, the more likely they’ll figure out your weaknesses.

Even if there weren’t any enemies here in the Gwangcheon scenario yet, it was good to start building this habit early.

That’s when I spotted Lumina approaching from inside the gate.

She was smiling as she walked over, but then suddenly looked down and turned away.

Huh? What’s up with that? Did I do something wrong?

I was momentarily confused—until I realized the reason for her behavior.

Everyone around us was staring at me and Lumina.

“Why would he team up with her?”

“Isn’t Lumina, like… not that strong?”

“I heard her stamina aptitude is only D-rank.”

“Unless they’re dating or something, there’s no reason for this.”

“Maybe Lumina threw herself at Yein after seeing his ability yesterday.”

I can hear every word, you idiots. If you’re going to talk behind someone’s back, at least lower your voice.

I frowned.

Knowing Lumina, she wouldn’t have told anyone we teamed up. Someone must’ve seen us together at the dorm and guessed.

That guess wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t like the way they were reacting.

I straightened my posture and walked confidently over to her.

“Hey, Lumina. You’re here.”

“Ah, uh, um…”

“Thanks again for agreeing to my request yesterday.”

I raised my voice on purpose.

“With your ability, today’s assignment will be a breeze.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

“Wait, Yein asked her to team up?”

“Does that mean she has some crazy ability we don’t know about?”

“I-I guess? I mean, if the guy who soloed the dungeon went out of his way to ask her…”

People started whispering. Just like I planned, the mood was shifting.

But the person at the center of it all—Lumina—was frozen like a statue, looking completely lost.

At 8:35, Jeong Jooil appeared at the gate.

“The monsters on the first floor of the Path of Crimson Flames are about five levels lower on average than the ones in Seawater Cavern. In other words, if you’re a properly trained Hunter trainee, this assignment is more than doable—even in pairs.”

Lumina glanced at me. She was probably thinking, You were right.

“If you can’t complete even this supplemental assignment, then consider that you have no talent for this path at all. Awakening your mana doesn’t guarantee you’ll become a Hunter.”

Wow. What an inspiring way to start the day.

As expected, the students around us were all listening to Jeong Jooil with faces like they’d just bitten into something rotten.

“Alright, everyone get on the bus.”

I naturally headed toward the same seat from last time with Lumina.

“……”

Lumina sat staring at her knees, her face tense with anxiety.

Don’t tell me she actually took what Jeong Jooil said to heart?

To ease her nerves, I decided to strike up a conversation.

“Do you remember what I said yesterday?”

“Y-yeah?”

I lowered my voice and spoke quietly.

“That you’re the strongest in our class.”

Lumina nodded slightly.

“Just like I promised, I’ll prove in today’s dungeon that I meant it. Look forward to it.”

At the word “look forward,” her expression darkened for a brief moment.

That self-deprecation and constant doubt... she really is a Gwangcheon student through and through.

Gwangcheon was the darkest of the six academies you could choose from in Latessai.

Its setting, its story, and even the students attending it—it was all bleak.

And the storyline is riddled with branching points meant to drag players into that darkness.

Out of four playthroughs of the Gwangcheon scenario, I’d fallen into that trap three times.

But this time, my life is on the line. I have to avoid it.

I looked at Lumina, still staring down at her knees.

I need to make her my ally—and start reworking her from the ground up.

About ten minutes later.

We got off the bus as instructed by Jeong Jooil.

“Ugh, it’s so hot…”

“Why does it feel like summer only exists here?”

The students were trying to shield their faces from the oppressive heat with their hands.

I raised my own hand to block the sweltering air pressing down on me.

In front of us hovered a massive circular portal, surrounded by blazing flames.

“Those who already have a partner, line up in front of the portal. The rest of you pathetic ones who haven’t found a team—come stand over here.”

Most of the class stood in front of the portal.

Jeong Jooil took the four students who hadn’t formed teams and grouped them based on the order they arrived, then placed them at the end of the line.

“Time will start the moment everyone has entered. Unlike open-access dungeons, this one is an instance-type that only opens for the Hunters who enter together. That means outside rescue is impossible. If you decide it’s impossible to clear or you value your life, run straight back to the entrance.”

Logically, this made no sense. What kind of teacher sends brand-new Hunter trainees into a dungeon where rescue isn’t even possible?

But in Gwangcheon Academy, it did make sense.

Students who lacked the ability to enter any other academy.

Students who, due to circumstances or past issues, couldn’t get into proper schools.

Gwangcheon was the final refuge that accepted even them as Hunter trainees.

In exchange, students at Gwangcheon had to sign a waiver that said: “All events that occur within the dungeon are the individual’s responsibility. Gwangcheon Academy holds no liability.”

They were essentially thrown off a cliff and expected to crawl their way back up—then used as dogs by the school. That was Gwangcheon.

And the school itself is run by that company. Says it all, really.

The conglomerate Forward.

One of the major antagonistic forces in the main Latessai storyline.

Their philosophy was simple: a student’s life is worth less than a single drop item from a dungeon.

I scrunched my nose in disgust.

“Ugh…”

I noticed Lumina trembling beside me.

“Then let’s begin.”

The students began entering the portal in pairs, holding hands as they stepped in.

The line moved quickly, and soon it was our turn.

“Let’s go.”

I held my hand out to Lumina.

With stiff movements, she took it.

Whoa, that’s cold.

Her hand was icy, like I’d grabbed a block of ice.

I held onto her hand and walked straight into the blazing portal.

In an instant, our surroundings changed.

A long, narrow path stretched out ahead of us.

It was about eight meters wide, with cliffs on either side. Below, molten lava bubbled and churned.

If hell existed, this had to be it.

The inside of the dungeon felt even hotter than the area around the portal.

“Phew… it’s really hot in here, huh?”

I let go of her hand as I spoke. But Lumina didn’t respond.

When I turned around, I saw her frozen in place, staring down at the floor. Behind her, the blue portal shimmered faintly.

“Lumina.”

“……”

“Lumina!”

“Hyah!!”

She flinched and jumped at the sound of my raised voice.

“Here, take these for now.”

I handed her five of the lowest-grade Spike Bombs I’d brought.

“W-what are these?”

“This is how I took down the monsters yesterday.”

“Huh? It wasn’t your ability?”

“Well, it is an ability, in a way. I’ll explain more later. For now, let’s get moving. We’re on a time limit.”

“Ah, right!”

At the mention of a time limit, she quickly took the bombs.

About thirty seconds after we started down the narrow path—

From both sides of the cliffs, flame-covered humanoid figures began crawling up.

Fire-element monsters. Flame Men.

“Ah…”

Seeing Lumina instinctively step back, I grabbed her arm.

“Don’t run.”

“B-but…”

I materialized a bomb I’d already been holding in icon form and placed it in her hand.

“Throw it on the count of three.”

I stepped behind her and pulled her arm back, holding onto her hand.

“One, two, three!”

As I shouted, I let go of her hand.

“U-uh, take this!!”

With her eyes squeezed shut, Lumina hurled the Spike Bomb at the Flame Men.

“Get down and open your eyes!”

“Okay!”

I pressed down on her shoulder to duck and made her watch the scene unfold.

BOOM!

The Spike Bomb, powered by a magic stone, exploded in a brilliant blue flash, tearing through the bodies of the Flame Men.

Lumina’s mouth dropped open.

All six monsters lost their flames, their charred forms crumbling to ash and drifting away.

“See? Total wipeout.”

I said casually. Lumina nodded with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

“Don’t be afraid. If you get scared first, you won’t be able to defeat anything—even if it’s weak.”

I bent my knees and held out my hand to her.

“Let’s keep going.”

“O-okay.”

I pulled her to her feet and we continued forward.

I’ll need something stronger next.

This first wave had just been a warm-up—to give Lumina a little boost of courage and confidence.

To reveal her true potential, we’d need enemies more powerful than these small fry.

(End of Chapter)