The classroom was unusually loud.
Everyone was talking about the same thing.
The academy had announced its first official expedition.
Kaien sat at his desk, listening to the conversations around him.
"Apparently it's a C-Rank dungeon."
"I heard it's supposed to be a training expedition."
"Training? People still get hurt in C-Rank dungeons."
"That's why we're going in teams."
Kaien rested his chin on his hand.
An expedition.
That wasn't supposed to happen yet.
At least, not this one.
He remembered the original story.
The first major academy expedition had been one of the events that brought the main cast together.
Ren.
Aria.
Kai.
Reina.
And Mira.
Kaien glanced across the classroom.
Mira was already talking excitedly with another student.
Kaien smiled.
So this was finally happening.
The main cast was starting to gather.
The classroom door opened.
Their instructor stepped inside.
The room immediately quieted.
"Everyone, listen."
A holographic map appeared above the desk.
The image showed a forested area outside Seoul.
"This weekend, the academy will be conducting a supervised dungeon expedition."
The room erupted.
"Seriously?"
"Already?"
"What's the dungeon rank?"
The instructor raised a hand.
"Enough."
The room quieted.
"It's a C-Rank dungeon. You will be divided into teams according to your combat abilities."
Kaien's eyes narrowed.
C-Rank.
Manageable.
But he knew better than most that dungeon ranks weren't guarantees.
The instructor continued.
"You will be working alongside other first-year students."
A boy near the front raised his hand.
"What happens if something goes wrong?"
The instructor looked at him.
"Then you follow the emergency protocol."
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The boy nodded.
Kaien recognized him.
Ren Arakawa.
Even sitting still, Ren had a noticeable energy to him.
His dark hair was slightly messy, and his expression was open and straightforward. He wasn't the strongest student in the room.
But he had that same stubborn determination Kaien remembered from the comic.
The kind that made Ren charge forward before thinking things through.
Kaien couldn't help smiling.
So that's him.
The protagonist.
Ren suddenly looked over.
Their eyes met.
Ren smiled.
Kaien nodded.
Then Ren turned back toward the instructor.
Kaien leaned back.
"That was easier than expected."
"What's easier?"
Kaien looked beside him.
Mira.
"Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You were staring at Ren."
"I recognized him."
"From where?"
Kaien paused.
"...He's hard to miss."
Mira glanced toward Ren.
"True."
During the break, Kaien finally met him properly.
Ren walked over.
"Hey."
Kaien looked up.
"Hey."
"I'm Ren."
"I know."
Ren blinked.
"You know me?"
Kaien realized his mistake.
"I mean..."
He pointed toward the classroom.
"Your name was announced."
Ren laughed.
"Right."
He extended his hand.
"Kaien, right?"
Kaien shook it.
"Yeah."
Ren smiled.
"You're the guy with the gun."
"That's me."
"That's pretty cool."
"Thanks."
Ren looked toward Kaien's braids.
"Your hair's cool too."
Kaien touched one of them.
"...Thanks."
Before they could continue, another voice interrupted.
"Ren."
A girl approached.
Kaien immediately recognized her.
Aria Valen.
She was elegant even in the academy uniform.
Her long, carefully maintained hair framed a refined face, while her confident eyes gave the impression that she was always analyzing the people around her.
She carried herself with the composure of someone raised in a powerful awakened family.
She looked at Kaien.
Then at Ren.
"You've already made another friend?"
Ren smiled.
"Yeah."
Aria gave Kaien a polite nod.
"Aria Valen."
"Kaien Arclight."
"I've heard of you."
Kaien raised an eyebrow.
"Already?"
"You ranked unusually high during the entrance examination."
Kaien shrugged.
"I did alright."
Aria studied him for another second.
Then smiled faintly.
"Modest."
Kaien wasn't sure if that was praise.
Before he could answer—
"REN!"
A boy came running toward them.
He nearly crashed into Ren.
"You're leaving me behind already?"
Ren laughed.
"Kai, relax."
Kai Moriyama.
Kaien recognized him immediately.
The best friend.
The comic had shown him as the guy who kept Ren grounded.
Funny.
Loyal.
Sometimes insecure.
But always there when Ren needed him.
Kai looked at Kaien.
"Who's this?"
"Kaien."
Kai stared at his height.
Then his hair.
Then the gun case.
"...You look like you could accidentally block the hallway."
Kaien stared at him.
Ren burst out laughing.
Kai realized what he'd said.
"I meant that positively."
Kaien smiled.
"Sure."
Kai grinned.
"I think we'll get along."
Kaien nodded.
"Maybe."
Then another presence approached.
A girl with a serious expression.
Reina Kisaragi.
Her posture was perfect.
Her uniform was immaculate.
Even the way she stood made it obvious she had been trained from a young age.
She looked at Ren.
"You've been assigned to my team."
Ren blinked.
"Already?"
Reina nodded.
Then her eyes moved to Kaien.
"You."
Kaien pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"I saw your entrance examination."
Kaien sighed.
"Everyone saw that?"
"You used your weapon extremely efficiently."
Her expression remained serious.
"I want to see if it was skill or luck."
Kaien stared at her.
"...Was that a challenge?"
"Yes."
Kai whispered to Ren.
"She's doing it again."
Ren whispered back.
"I know."
Kaien smiled slightly.
"Maybe after the expedition."
Reina nodded.
"Good."
She walked away.
Kaien watched her leave.
"...She's intense."
Kai nodded.
"Welcome to the academy."
By the end of the day, Kaien had somehow ended up standing with the entire main cast.
Ren.
Aria.
Kai.
Reina.
Mira.
The five of them were talking about the expedition.
Kaien stood slightly apart.
He knew these people.
He had watched them grow.
He knew the things they would eventually accomplish.
But they didn't know him.
To them, he was just Kaien.
A tall first-year with strange hair, a firearm, and a tendency to keep to himself.
And Kaien preferred it that way.
Mira suddenly looked at him.
"Sheep."
Kaien sighed.
"What?"
"You're coming with us."
"Where?"
"The expedition."
"I figured."
She smiled.
"Good."
Ren looked between them.
"Why do you call him sheep?"
Mira pointed at Kaien's hair.
"Look at him."
Ren stared.
Kaien's afro and two small braids did give him a strange resemblance to a fluffy sheep.
Ren tried not to laugh.
Failed.
Kaien sighed.
"Fantastic."
Kai started laughing too.
Aria covered a small smile.
Even Reina's expression softened.
Kaien looked around.
"...This is how the nickname spreads, isn't it?"
Mira smiled.
"Exactly."
That night, Kaien returned to his dorm.
He opened the system.
[Level Milestone Approaching]
Kaien's eyes widened.
"So it's finally happening."
He had been waiting for this.
Milestones were different from normal leveling.
They were challenges.
Tests.
Sometimes simple.
Sometimes absurd.
Sometimes dangerous.
He waited.
A new notification appeared.
[Special Milestone Quest Available]
Kaien stared.
Then opened it.
[Milestone Quest]
[Objective: Survive the upcoming academy expedition.]
Kaien blinked.
"...That's it?"
Another line appeared.
[Hidden Requirement: Protect your assigned team.]
Kaien's expression changed.
"Ah."
That made more sense.
The system wasn't asking him to simply survive.
It wanted him to become responsible for others.
Kaien looked at the expedition information.
Then at his weapon.
He smiled.
"Alright."
The expedition was going to be interesting.