LHAHS Chapter 365
The moment "Hero Dungeon exploration" was mentioned, the first-years couldn't contain their excitement.
"Wow! We're already doing field training in the first semester!"
"And did Professor Harrid just say Hero Dungeon exploration?"
"Does that mean we can get raid rewards?"
"This is amazing!"
The first-years buzzed with excitement, but the second-years found it odd.
Asking them to raid a Hero Dungeon? That was impossible.
Hero Dungeons were anomalies created by a rampaging Hero Record, forming an unstable Hero World. The moment one was discovered, it was immediately raided by the hero academies, leaving very few unclaimed.
The idea that both first- and second-years would explore a Hero Dungeon together was unheard of. There were dungeons that required hundreds of people to clear, but those tended to be far beyond what first- and second-year students could handle.
While the second-years were filled with questions, some first-years also sensed something strange.
One of them, Chloe's mentee, Betty Marste, raised a hand. She was ranked second in the magic department, just behind Juen.
"Professor Harrid! I have a question!"
"What is it, Betty Marste?"
"When you say Hero Dungeon exploration, what exactly does that entail? I can't imagine all the second-years and first-years raiding a Hero Dungeon together."
Her clear and precise question made the excited first-years pause. Now that they thought about it, she was right.
All eyes turned to Harrid.
"Not a bad question, Betty Marste. You earn five points."
He approved of her ability to analyze the situation calmly instead of blindly getting caught up in excitement.
"It's disappointing that most of you didn't even think about this and just assumed we'd be raiding a Hero Dungeon."
His icy words made the first-years shrink.
After letting the silence linger, Harrid finally spoke.
"This mission isn't about raiding a Hero Dungeon—it's about finding one."
Duran raised a hand.
"Speak, Duran Moira."
"Is this a commissioned mission?"
"No."
"Then… does that mean there's a faction actively concealing the existence of a Hero Dungeon?"
"Correct."
The first-years gasped, murmuring among themselves.
Juen, standing at the front because of Carl, tilted her head in confusion and whispered, "Why didn't Duran get any points?"
Carl, still hunched over with his forehead against the wall, muttered, "Come on, that's the kind of question first-years are supposed to be asking. If a second-year asked that and expected points, they should be embarrassed."
Juen narrowed her eyes. "Then shouldn't you be answering questions? The professors like it when students ask."
Carl scoffed. "Why would I bother catching Professor Harrid's attention for something that won't even earn points?"
"You only answer for points, huh, Carl Thomas?" A cold voice sounded above him.
"Hiik?!" Carl shrieked.
Harrid's eyes gleamed with menace as he turned to Juen. "Juen Torvina."
"Yes, Professor Harrid!"
"It must be uncomfortable standing there. Sit on that fool."
"Yes, sir!" Without hesitation, Juen plopped onto Carl's back.
"Ughhh!"
"See? I'm as light as a feather." She grinned.
"Like hell you are!"
Offended, Juen bounced up and down. Carl's screams grew louder.
Harrid, unconcerned, strode to the front. "Hero Dungeons are highly dangerous phenomena."
The students fell silent.
"They are unstable Hero Worlds created by rampant Hero Records. Escaping from one mid-raid is impossible. If a raid fails, death is inevitable. Many of your predecessors have lost their lives that way."
The first-years stiffened.
Harrid's voice turned cold. "Those of you who were giddy about raid rewards, get your priorities straight. If you're going to go through school with such a naive mindset and end up dying like an idiot, just quit Lumene now."
Most of the first-years hung their heads.
Once students reached their second year, they began taking real missions. For second-years, most were relatively safe. But starting in third year, the danger level increased significantly, and some missions involved getting caught in Hero Dungeons.
Even at Lumene, there were specialized teams formed solely for Hero Dungeon raids. Yet, even the best among them often died in those dungeons.
Every year, hero academy students across the continent lost their lives failing Hero Dungeon raids. It was not something to take lightly.
As the weight of Harrid's words sank in, Mel took over. "The danger of Hero Dungeons isn't just the high mortality rate during raids. As you all know, if a Hero Dungeon is left unchecked for too long, it begins encroaching upon reality."
Though Mel was normally cheerful and kind, today, her tone was solemn.
Hero Record chronicled the trials and tribulations of heroes. Only the most perilous dangers—the kind that truly tested a hero—were deemed as trials.
Leaving a Hero Dungeon unchecked meant that the catastrophic crises once overcome by past heroes could reappear in reality.
And yet, when Hero Dungeons were discovered, many nations actively concealed them.
The reason was simple: Once a Hero Dungeon was cleared, its Hero Record was claimed by a hero academy.
For human heroes, the record went to Lumene.
For elves, Seiren.
For beastkin, Azonia.
For dwarves, Damien.
And for dragons, Dragonia.
Three thousand years ago, the Heroes of Dawn had forged the Great Renewal Pact, which decreed that hero academies and Dragonia would manage Hero Records but never monopolize them. They would be used only for nurturing heroes to protect the world.
Without this agreement, the world would have long since fallen into chaos, as Hero Records contained enough power to grant dominion over entire nations.
Thus, Hero Dungeons held the potential to completely reshape global power structures. A nation that successfully obtained a powerful raid reward could transform overnight from a minor state into a superpower. An individual who seized such power could rise to absolute authority.
As a result, many factions sought to hoard and hide Hero Dungeons for their own gain.
History was filled with examples of countries falling and past calamities resurfacing because of such greed. And yet, those mistakes kept repeating.
"It's our duty as a hero academy to stop that from happening," Mel said.
Celia raised a hand. "Are we certain that a Hero Dungeon is being concealed?"
"We can't be sure," Mel admitted. "But we do know that a series of suspicious anomalies have been occurring in that country."
She smiled faintly.
"Your mission is to go to that nation, uncover the concealed Hero Dungeon, and report it to Lumene."
The students' eyes widened.
"Which country is it?" Celia asked.
Harrid, expressionless, replied, "Aleham, in the central part of the southern continent."
Aleham was a nation located in the middle of the vast desert in the southern continent.
Its history spanned 2,000 years. It had once been a powerful country, ruling over vast lands in the south.
However, it had since declined and was now one of the poorest nations in the region. Most of its expansive territory was barren desert, making it largely uninhabitable, and its population was small.
"A country with a 2,000-year history, but it fell into decline 500 years ago and became incredibly poor," Chloe said.
"You sure know a lot about it," Carl remarked in admiration.
Chloe smiled. "I read about it in a book once."
The books Chloe read weren't just grimoires. By nature, she had an insatiable thirst for knowledge.
"Aleham has three unique characteristics," she continued. "First, its territory includes the Monster Forest."
"The Monster Forest… now that brings back memories," Chelsea said with a small smile.
For Leo, Celia, Chelsea, Abad, and the other second-year students from the western continent, the Monster Forest had been the site of their entrance exam.
"I heard Senior Leo was already making waves during the entrance exam," Juen said, eyes sparkling. "What was it like?"
"What do you mean, what was it like? It was amazing!" Chelsea crossed her arms and smirked. "Abad and Celia had to work together just to take down a monster, but Leo blocked it alone without even using aura!"
"Without using aura?" Luke's eyes widened.
Sitting beside Celia, Aina's gaze flickered.
Martina, Celia's other mentee, nodded in admiration. "I've heard a lot about the young master's performance from Lady Celia as well. I'd love to hear the full story sometime."
"I'll tell you later. For now, let's focus on the meeting," Leo said.
The students refocused on Chloe. They were currently in a private study room attached to the central library, a soundproofed space designed for group studies and important discussions.
In the room were second-years Leo, Chloe, Celia, Chelsea, and Carl, along with their mentees—Luke, Betty, Aina, Martina, and Juen. Ten people in total.
After class, they had gathered for a meal, and at Leo's suggestion, they decided to discuss the upcoming field training.
"The second unique characteristic is that no heroes have emerged from Aleham for 500 years."
Heroes were extremely rare. Even if someone graduated from a hero academy, it didn't mean they would become a hero. There were years when an entire class would fail to leave their names in the Hero Record.
It was only because the Hero Record had accumulated countless names over time that it seemed like there were many heroes. In reality, they were exceptionally rare.
However, what was unusual about Aleham wasn't simply the lack of heroes.
"Not even a single Lumene applicant has come from there in the past 500 years."
Not even a hero cadet had emerged.
As everyone muttered in disbelief, Chloe moved on. "The third unique characteristic, is that Aleham is the birthplace of Rodia, the Dawn Dragon."
Three thousand years ago, as the Dragon Queen, Rodia had played a role similar to Lysinas, the Wise Queen 5,000 years prior.
Just as Lysinas had gathered the Heroes of Dawn to combat the return of calamities, Rodia had led the world's response to another great crisis.
"That's everything I know," Chloe said.
Leo rested his chin on his hand. "Is there anything particularly special about its connection to Rodia?"
"Not really. Ah, though there's a legend that Rodia left behind a secret library."
"Hmm." Leo narrowed his eyes.
I really hope that fellow didn't leave behind something bizarre like Lysinas did…
Having already dealt with that in Seiren, Leo wasn't about to let his guard down.
At that moment, Carl let out a chuckle. "I know something about Aleham too."
All eyes turned to him.
"What is it?" Chloe asked, intrigued.
Carl grinned. "Aleham is also known as the Land of Pleasure."