#925 S-rank Promotion Prelim Exams- Cave Arc

Before even reaching the halfway point, everyone met their untimely demise at Veil’s dungeon.

It all boils down to the haphazard difficulty settings.

Can you really call it a fair test if it’s set up so that no one can clear it?

This realization only deepened my conviction to check out other dungeons as well.

“Junior, wanna come along?”

“Okieee.”

With my child in tow, we temporarily leave the mountain dungeon and find ourselves at a cave next...

Which is Sensei’s cave dungeon.

***

“Ohh, what do we have here...?!”

Upon reaching Sensei’s cave dungeon, an utterly bizarre scene unfolds before us.

Like Veil’s dungeon, this place hosts the much-celebrated S-rank adventurer promotion exams, with numerous adventurers struggling against the odds.

But, in addition to that...

“Go go!”

“You can do it, you can do it!”

A group is spectating and even cheering them on.

What’s this?

They’re teenagers, with faces here and there that seem vaguely familiar...

“Aren’t those the students from the Farm School?”

The institution operated from our farm aims to educate the younger generation, grooming them to be elites who will shoulder the future.

...Well, it might also be heavily tinged with Sensei’s way of killing time.

Ah-

Could this situation somehow be related to Sensei?!

“Hohoho, welcome, Lord Saint.”

Sensei!

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear!

The master of this dungeon!!!

“I thought it would be good for the students to have a chance to observe. Opportunities to see professional adventurers at work up close are rare, after all. I hoped it would serve as a learning experience for them...”

That’s Sensei for you!

Always so passionate about education!

Even in such times, he’s thinking about educating his students!!!

...But is that really so?

“Then, since Lord Saint has graced us with his presence, shall we continue to observe the adventurers’ movements?”

“YES!!!!!”

Such good responses from the students.

And “observe”...? It’s like the adventurers have become part of an exhibit.

“First, let’s focus on the adventurers. When they encounter a monster, they take a step back to watch and wait. This is to assess the opponent’s characteristics and abilities while being wary of traps. Being cautious at all times is the key to surviving to the end.”

“Interesting!”

“Although adventurers might seem to act without thinking, in reality, they are always cautious and cunning. In dangerous places like dungeons, it’s this caution that keeps them alive. Remember, sometimes cowardice can be more valuable than bravery.”

“Yes, Sensei!!!”

Sensei calmly continues his lesson.

Meanwhile, the adventurers, despite being somewhat sidetracked by this, try their best to navigate the dungeon.

“THIS IS MAKING IT...HARD TO FOCUS!!!”

You can read it on their faces.

It’s no wonder it’s awkward for them to be observed every second of every move and have every action explained in detail to the kids.

“Should we put on a bit more of a show? Want to see my finishing move?”

“That would be... a harrowingly enlightening experience for me...”

The adventurers are getting totally distracted!

Hey, enough is enough!

These adventurers are putting their lives on the line for the S-rank promotion exam, so let’s allow them to focus on their battles!

Oh, yeah! Sensei! Should you really be here?!

After all, you’re supposed to be the dungeon’s final boss! Shouldn’t you be waiting stoically in the deepest chamber?!

And then you’re supposed to deliver some ominously cool line like, “Perish within my grasp!”

Not greeting us near the entrance!

...So, Sensei, how about we call it a day with the field trip and wait in the depths like a true final boss?

“Hohohoho... worry not, for I have prepared a stand-in for this significant day.”

A stand-in?

“Today, that one shall be the master of this dungeon. I encourage all adventurers to boldly challenge him and, perhaps, get utterly defeated!”

And with that rallying cry...

“What in the world could stand in for a Lifeless King?”

“Regardless, it feels like we’re the ones who’ll be getting thrashed!”

They’re visibly shaken.

Before that, the concept of receiving encouragement from the final boss in a dungeon was unheard of.

“Isn’t this Lifeless King too friendly?”

“To think such a nice person exists...”

They murmur like so.

But who exactly is standing in for Sensei as the master of the dungeon...?

Even I am bewildered.

Searching through my memories for potential candidates among our residents...

Gobukichi and Orkubo?

No, we saw them on our way here.

While they were diligently tending to the farm work, the honeymoon phase with their wives hadn’t quite worn off yet.

You’d think time would cool things down, but nope, they’re still utterly smitten with each other.

At some point, I did ponder that perhaps this was becoming a bit of an issue and that some strategy might be necessary, but then again, that’s a worry for another day.

If I were to consider other potential candidates for... well, what about the Professor?

Just like Sensei, this Lifeless King, who has somehow become a permanent resident on our farm, is actually a cat.

And if they’re both Lifeless Kings, there should be some synergy, right? Maybe they sought advice from the Sage living far away on Mt. Eternity?

They’re all chums, after all!

As I entertained these thoughts, things progressed rather smoothly.

Unlike Veil, Sensei has set the perfect level of difficulty for today’s S-rank exam, challenging the adventurers enough to keep them moving forward without losing heart.

And then, at the very heart of it all, the stand-in for the final boss finally makes his grand appearance!

His identity is…!

“...Who’s he?”

There’s this complete stranger here.

Seriously, who is this?

He looks like a Lifeless King, but beyond that, I have no clue.

Like many Lifeless Kings, he has a skeletal, rather deathly appearance but is dressed in a noble fashion that gives him a certain dignified air.

But this is the first time I’m seeing him.

It’s not like I had forgotten him, right?

Thanks to the growing number of acquaintances lately, I was caught off-guard by this unexpected who-is-this-person quiz!

However, while I was puzzling over it, the adventurers came up with the answer on their own.

“Ah! Isn’t that the Earl Lifeless King?!”

“The ruthless undead king who haunts the dungeons of the Human Kingdom, hunting down intruders for sport!”

“But I heard he vanished without a trace recently, so why is he here?!”

Huh, he’s a stranger to me.

No harm done if I can’t recognize him, then.

Sensei, who knows everything, nonchalantly addresses the Earl…

“You there, work hard and make the most of this opportunity. I’ve temporarily lifted your seal, so it’s up to you whether you live up to it or waste it.”

“Yessir! I will devote my heart and soul to this task!!!”

Is it just me, or does the Earl seem utterly submissive to Sensei?

What’s going on between them?

“Oh my, how many years has it been? I took my students for a field trip to the outside dungeons, and he was causing so much trouble that I decided to defeat him for the good of the world and humanity.”

“Wait a second?! So, the Earl’s disappearance wasn’t natural, but it was your doing?!” one of the adventurers exclaims.

“Strictly speaking, there’s no way to completely eradicate a Lifeless King, so he was merely sealed away indefinitely. Today, however, we found a role that suits him perfectly, so I’ve temporarily lifted his seal.”

What a casual statement.

“If there’s even a hint of repentance, I might consider lifting the seal permanently and sending you back to your original dungeon. Now, go on and play the final boss to the best of your ability. Be ferocious and terrifying, give the challengers a fright they’ll never forget, but don’t you dare kill anyone. Fight with the delicate caution of handling a puppy, retire them at just the right intensity, and if you could prepare some souvenirs, that’d be even better.”

“Too many requests!!!”

Yet, the Earl, seeing a once-in-a-lifetime chance for release, throws himself into playing the role of the final boss with all his might.

The adventurers, witnessing this...

“To intimidate and boss around the most feared and notorious Lifeless King...?!”

“Could it be that this ‘Sensei’ is the strongest Lifeless King...?!”

“Maybe at least ten times stronger than the Earl...?!”

In the end, the exam at the farm dungeon turned into an event that, rather than focusing on the examinees, immortalized Sensei’s terrifying prowess.