The Heroine Stole My Regression

18 – Mock Dungeon (2)

“Starting with the First Seed student, we will proceed one by one from number 1 to 8. Afterward, we will proceed in reverse order from student number 8 back to 1. Each student will choose their team members a total of three times.”

The instructor’s explanation continued.

“Yu Hana, please feel free to make your selection. Both Class A and Class B are acceptable.”

At the instructor’s words, Yu Hana slowly raised her head and began to survey the students.

With each passing of her gaze across each individual, students subtly shrunk into themselves.

Yu Hana possessed a naturally cold and sharp demeanor. Only when she smiled did that sharpness diminish somewhat, but with her face devoid of any such mirth, it caused those who looked upon her to feel a strange pressure.

She casually pointed her finger at someone.

A female student of moderate, upper-middle standing.

The student who was pointed out rose from her seat with a frozen expression and approached Yu Hana.

Next was Yohan’s turn.

His choice was a Class B male student, Jang Hoyeon.

Someone he often associated with and a student who boasted outstanding physicality.

‘Nothing particularly special, huh?’

I thought idly, watching the next selection.

As each Seed continued their selections in turn without any extraordinary variables, the expressions on the students’ faces grew increasingly tense.

“Ha Sion, want to team up?”

Then, someone gazed off into the distance and chose Ha Sion.

It was Han Iri, Ranked 13th.

At his words, Ha Sion, who had been selected, widened his eyes as if flustered.

She seemed utterly lost, then, without rising from her seat, cautiously inquired of the instructor,

“Um… Instructor, is it perhaps possible to decline the selection?”

The instructor nodded in reply.

“Of course. Choosing to observe is also a student’s prerogative.”

Hasion bowed her head apologetically, offering Han Iri a small smile.

“Sorry, I just wanted to get the lay of the land today.”

Han Iri stared blankly at her, then nodded, seemingly trying to project an air of coolness.

“Oh, oh! It’s alright!”

‘She got properly rejected.’

It was a dismissal that even onlookers felt sorry about.

So, Sion is popular, huh.

“Then, Joo Han-gang, out here, quick.”

Han Iri hastily chose another subject, wrapping up the situation.

The subject he picked was Joo Han-gang, ranked 36th. Joo Han-gang had been looking at me consistently ever since the seed nominations ended.

Almost as if he believed the eighth seed should have been his.

My turn was slowly drawing near.

Two out of the three members were decided. I had already finished thinking about who to pick.

“Next, Jung Hae-in student.”

At the instructor’s call, I slowly rose from my seat.

Feeling everyone’s gaze focus on me, I stepped forward.

“Sung Si-woo.”

The plan of who to pick had already been set.

I opened my mouth without hesitation.

My choice was Sung Si-woo.

Seeing how he acts, being quiet, it seems his personality has died down a little lately. He keeps carrying his sword around though…

Well, he needs experience as a team for now, so I brought him.

Besides, today’s mock dungeon practice won’t just be about dungeon conquering anyway.

However, Sung Si-woo, whom I had nominated, didn’t even get up from his seat, instead turning his head towards the instructor.

“I decline.”

This b*stard?

So, this is how it feels to be rejected by a guy.

A feeling I truly never wanted to experience again.

“Jung Hae-in, please choose another student.”

The instructor spoke with a calm detachment.

I sighed, and thought of the second person on my list.

“Kim Dae-hyun.”

-Kim Dae-hyun?

-Who is that?

Whispers rippled through the ranks.

Until now, all the selected students had been in the top 100, but Kim Dae-hyun was ranked somewhere in the 500s.

Even *he* seemed surprised to be chosen.

Kim Dae-hyun…he hadn’t been bad during the last unit training. Not just ‘good for his rank’ either.

Back then, I’d more or less acted as the team’s head, issuing orders, and he had moved perfectly, trusting in my directions.

My judgment was that he was an underrated student, considering his ranking.

Kim Dae-hyun stood beside me, murmuring softly.

“Thanks, Hae-in…”

I didn’t reply, just gave his shoulder two light pats.

But after being turned down by the person I’d initially planned for, deciding who to pick next was proving difficult.

My gaze drifted naturally, sweeping across the training grounds, until a particular figure caught my eye.

‘Si-on?’

She was looking at me.

The same girl who had refused Han Iri’s nomination earlier was now staring intently, directly at me.

‘Ah, whatever.’

I just said her name with a sort of reckless abandon.

“Ha Si-on, are you interested?”

I’d already been rejected once, how much worse could it be if it happened again?

The atmosphere in the room froze, instantly.

Han Iri watched her with an expression of disbelief.

The truth was, Si-on was such an overpowered choice that I’d dismissed her from the beginning.

After all, she and I had trained together for quite some time under the guidance of the instructor.

‘Five years? Six?’

Even counting by years alone, that much time must have passed.

Under the gaze of everyone, she slowly rose from her seat.

“Not Ha-Shion.”

And then, she walked towards me.

“Shion. You must call me Shion.”

Thankfully, I was spared the catastrophe of being rejected twice in a row.

Shion settled next to me, offering a gentle smile.

A renewed murmur spread through the classroom.

“Are you alright with this?”

I asked Shion.

Han Iri was staring at me and Shion with a bewildered expression.

“It’s just… I felt I needed to go this far for them to understand… anything.”

She lightly shrugged, as if it were nothing of consequence.

“…I get the gist.”

I let out a small sigh, nodding my head.

Now I saw it – it seemed there had been a one-sided infatuation from one side.

Shion, seemingly unconcerned by the atmosphere, calmly turned her head.

With that cycle complete, only one more person needed to be chosen.

I asked my teammates for recommendations, but there were no particular suggestions.

If there’s no grand ambition, picking a familiar face is probably best.

“Yoon Sanghyeok.”

At that, Yoon Sanghyeok practically leapt from the waiting area, shouting.

“Nice!!”

Nice…?

He came bursting forth as if he’d been waiting for it.

Blindsided by the unexpected reaction, I was momentarily stunned.

Yoon Sanghyeok bounded in front of me, declaring his bold ambition.

“I’ll work hard!”

He wasn’t usually this kind of character.

There was something exaggerated in his demeanor.

I looked at him, a question etched on my face.

Yun Sang-hyuk, in response, scratched his head, a sheepish grin spreading.

“Well… our last unit results were… unbelievable.”

“I really felt bad back then!”

Only then did I nod in understanding.

It seemed the unit lesson results were announced while I was in the hospital.

I turned to Kim Dae-hyun beside me, asking,

“You too?”

He nodded almost imperceptibly, scratching his head.

“Yeah… they called out names one by one and showed us, and I did well.”

So that’s why he was so thrilled.

But a sudden curiosity dawned on me.

Judging by the reactions of Joo Han-gang and several other students earlier, they clearly questioned my selection as a Seed despite having no rank.

Among the students, ‘no rank’ usually meant someone with connections to high-ranking figures had been parachuted in.

So, in other words, they still didn’t know who I really was.

Kim Dae-hyun seemed cautious, so he probably hadn’t given it much thought.

But Yun Sang-hyuk and Lee Sang-bong…

‘Hmm….’

I figured they would definitely spread rumors.

I turned my gaze towards him.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re surprisingly tight-lipped, aren’t you?”

Yun Sang-hyuk shrugged, a playful smile dancing on his lips.

“Why would I spread something like that?”

Was he more discreet than I thought?

Perhaps I had misjudged him based on appearances…

“If you become famous, there’ll be no place for me.”

“?”

“Gotta get my spoon in while you’re still on the rise.”

He clenched a fist and looked at me.

“So, thank you for allowing it!”

I sighed, shaking my head.

“You’ve got…quite the friend.”

Sion murmured from beside me, a hint of bitterness in his smile.

“Tell me about it.”

-WHOOSH-!!

With the team assignments complete, the enormous device at the front of the training ground sprung to life.

Giant metal panels interlocked and began to rotate, soon revealing a portal shimmering with blue light.

It felt similar to the ‘Tomb of Iano’ I’d seen before. Exquisitely crafted.

“From this moment, the eight teams will enter the dungeon and begin their exploration.”

The instructor’s voice echoed through the training ground.

“The practice will conclude when you clear the dungeon and acquire rewards, become incapacitated, or when the allotted time expires.”

Students gathered, one by one, towards their respective teams.

The eight teams stood before the portal, and the mechanism beneath their feet activated, initiating the countdown.

The moment seemed fraught with tension.

The students’ expressions were stiff.

But then, the instructor drew our attention, stepping forward.

“Before we begin, let’s consider a hypothetical.”

The instructor’s voice was calm, but carried a strangely unsettling resonance.

“Let’s say you’ve officially acquired exploration rights, received permission, and entered the dungeon.”

-10

-9

-8

She continued speaking, slowly walking towards us.

“However, during your exploration, you encounter another team inside…?”

-7

-6

-5

“If such a circumstance should arise, I vow it.”

-3

-2

-1

Her voice lowered, just a touch.

“They will, without question, be your enemies.”

-0

“They might be Minds, or perhaps grave robbers. Or even fugitives, hidden away from their wanted posters.”

The corner of her mouth slowly curved upwards.

-Reconstruction Complete.

“So, if by some chance you encounter another team within today’s mock dungeon…”

-Initiating Entrance.

“I wish you victory, in the fight against your foes.”

No sooner had the words left her lips, than a blue portal blazed to life, transporting the personnel.