"Greetings, Young Master."
Before Max could even take a seat, everyone stood up and greeted him. Max had already guessed that the members of this party must have all come from the Land of the West and originated from ordinary families.
"There is no need for formal greetings; just address me as Max from here onwards." Max signaled for them to sit down.
Upon seeing this scene, the others at nearby tables frowned. This was because the members of this party were all outcasts within the class. Since these youths originated from normal families and lived normal lives, they were always treated like discarded apples or oranges. Such was the mindset of nobles and wealthy people.
"So, have you guys discussed the plan for tomorrow's expedition?" Max asked as he shoved some food into his mouth.
"We waited for you to join; we can discuss it now," Anne spoke. "We have two Elementalists, one Shield Warrior, one Healer, one Archer, and you."
"It is a well-put-together party," Max stated. "I hope you are all more than capable of handling E-rank dungeon monsters without any issues."
"Do any of you possess ambitions regarding the rankings?" Max asked.
Previously, his aim had been to place at a higher rank so that his name could spread. However, now that he had successfully activated his Skills, he would no longer need to work hard toward that goal, as he would rise no matter what. Yet, for these people who originated from ordinary families and relied on merit, they must possess their own ambitions about placing their names on the ranking list. Doing so would boost their names and capabilities, helping them recruit wealthy family retainers and obtain other opportunities. Thus, Max did not wish to exploit them simply because he was the Heir of a Grand Duke.
"We are all aiming to place within at least the top 50 of the individual rankings," Anne revealed their planning.
Speaking frankly, reaching the top 50 would be highly difficult, even though these people were very talented. There were plenty of others who would compete for the top 50. If Max were to join hands with them, he could definitely place within the top 100 without any difficulties, which had been his original aim before he successfully activated his Skills.
"No problem. As for the loot distribution, everyone should keep their own earnings. In that case, no one will blame others for their failure in the rankings," Max announced.
Although they were going to fight together, whatever a person killed, they possessed the right to own. By handling the distribution this way, the party's bond would not fall apart, preserving their relationship in case they were to join hands again in the future.
"We are okay with that," Anne replied. In fact, they were more than okay with this arrangement.
They had half-expected Max to demand a certain percentage of their earnings, as such arrogance and entitlement were the standard behaviors of noble heirs. However, upon seeing that their ruler's heir was genuinely generous, they were more than happy.
With the discussion concluded, Max said his goodbyes and left the canteen, instructing everyone to gather at their classroom the following morning. He guessed that they might have to travel to another location for this expedition.
Once he reached his dorm room, he did not read anything, going straight to sleep.
The next morning, he woke up early, as the departure time was similarly early. He equipped both his sword and his bow. Since this was his very first Dungeon dive, he wanted to test both of his Class skills to see how they worked against the monsters. Although it had only been two days since he started using his skills and his proficiency had not increased from 2%, he remained confident that he possessed enough strength for E-rank monsters.
Upon arriving at the classroom, he met with his party members, and Anne mentioned that she had already registered the members as well as the team. Max felt pleased that someone else was taking care of the paperwork. Glancing around, Max noticed that everyone in the class had successfully found a team to join. Isabelle had also joined an all-girls party. She wore leather armor, her left hand holding a crystal staff. With her hair tied back into a ponytail, she looked very different and beautiful. He also noticed a few students were missing, guessing they must have joined up with students from other classes whom they had met during their practical lessons.
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At exactly 7 o'clock, Mr. Morrison entered the classroom, providing general instructions, the travel location, and the time it would take to arrive. Once that was concluded, everyone left the classroom and boarded a high-speed alchemy motor vehicle. They needed to travel at least 25 kilometers; with this vehicle, it would take roughly half an hour to reach the Dungeon's location. Max and his party boarded the same vehicle and took their seats as it sped through the busy streets.
"We should aim to hunt Boss Monsters or Mutated Monsters more, since that fetches extra points," a guy named Shaun stated amidst their discussion. He was an Elementalist possessing an Earth Affinity.
Just as he said, a regular monster core provided one point each. However, if it were a Boss or a Mutated monster, they would obtain an extra points, though the difficulty would simultaneously increase. Imagine if the Boss monster was an Acid Slime; it would be very dangerous to hunt. In general, hunting less dangerous monsters would benefit them greatly, but the main purpose of this Dungeon Expedition was to observe how well the students could battle it out, rather than simply seeking an easy path to victory.
Max guessed that students who obtained the highest number of Boss and Mutated monster cores might receive some sort of surprise gift. He could attempt to pursue that instead of merely aiming to place within the top 100. However, the question remained: was he capable of achieving that?
Looking at his party members, who had risen from the bottom of society through sheer talent and hard work to place within the number one Academy in the capital, his thoughts shifted. With their combined strength, he could definitely achieve this unique goal.
"Let us focus on hunting Boss and Mutated monsters," Max suddenly announced. He hoped that with his status, these people would obey whatever he suggested.
"But Young Mas, Oh, Max, the Boss and Mutated monsters will be very few. Searching for those particular monsters would waste a lot of time," the Healer, a chubby girl, stated in a shy voice.
"We will hunt whatever we encounter once we enter the Dungeon, but let us prioritize hunting Boss and Mutated monsters. Let us establish that mindset before we enter," Max declared in a somewhat authoritative tone.
Every party member went silent for a moment as they pondered the possibilities of prioritizing Boss monsters. Their target was to somehow place within the top 50 of the rankings. By achieving that, they could greatly boost their reputations, spreading their names throughout the academy and becoming potential recruitment targets for wealthy families.
Yet now, upon seeing Max suggest a different plan, they doubted whether it would work in favor of their ambitions. However, they were somewhat reluctant to oppose his idea, so they remained entirely silent without offering any verbal agreement or denial.
The vehicle finally arrived. Just as mentioned, it took exactly half an hour; the timing was highly precise. Everyone disembarked from the vehicle and gathered in a single location. Currently, they were situated in the middle of a forest possessing red soil and tall trees.
The first year possessed a total of 355 students across all classes. Placing every single one of them inside a single E-rank Dungeon would be complete overkill. Max did not know what the academy's plan was. Were they going to send everyone into the exact same Dungeon to gauge their competitive nature? After all, when resources were limited and a group of people fought over them, competitiveness arose automatically. Or, did they simply wish to observe the adaptiveness of the parties?
Max stood alongside his group. Numerous teachers had also accompanied them; he could clearly see Mr. Morrison, their classroom teacher, as well as Rossif, Frances, and Duncan. Everyone was present.
He could also notice a few second-year teachers. After waiting for a moment as the students began to murmur, a booming voice echoed across the red soil forest.
"Welcome to your first Dungeon Expedition," a middle-aged man possessing long, unkempt hair stated in a booming voice. He appeared to be in his fifties.
He was the Head of the Practical Training Department. Since he usually taught the third-year students, Max felt slightly surprised that he had also attended the first-year Dungeon Expedition.
"Now, I hope you all know the objective of this Expedition. So, instead of wasting time on that matter, let me tell you a few things before you enter the Dungeon," he announced as his gaze swept over everyone.
"Although this is your first ranking Expedition, I want to emphasize the importance of the Rankings. This ranking will serve as the foundation for your entire three years. Thus, you all must strive for a high ranking with sheer competitiveness."
Just as Max had guessed, everyone would be placed into a single Dungeon to gauge their competitiveness. This was a terrible development for everyone, especially for his part
"There will be many rewards for high-ranking individuals and parties. Titles will also be awarded for individual achievements," the man stated as he concluded his speech.
However, Max focused his concentration entirely upon those last few words. It was "Individual Achievement," rather than "Individual Ranking," which indicated that not only rankings but also specific achievements would be recognized. Max desired those rewards. Ranking achievements were highly famous and regular within the academy; everyone recognized such individuals until they were eventually surpassed by another person.
Yet, obtaining this Individual Achievement would place a person in an odd position, and odd things always became unusually recognizable to people. They would never forget an odd event that had happened to them or that they had witnessed. Thus, Max wanted to be that odd individual so that people would remember him throughout their lives.
"Okay, line up according to your party registration numbers," another teacher from a different class announced.
Max's party stood at the very back, as they had only registered that morning. Did they possess a disadvantage because of entering the dungeon last? Indeed they did, but this was exactly what a person's decisiveness yielded. If they had formed a party quickly, they would have registered earlier, demonstrating how fast their decision-making worked. This served as a kind of training, where quick decision-making in difficult situations could ultimately save one's life.