In just a few days, Ace and the rest of the class would finally have the opportunity to train in real combat within one of the Sacred Dungeons located near the kingdom. These dungeons are filled with dangerous enemies and valuable treasures, making them the perfect training ground for aspiring heroes. However, there are sections of the dungeon that are sealed off by powerful barriers that can only be opened by summoned heroes.

On their last training day, Ace and Razor fought against each other once more in a spar.

"I wish we had more time, I still have more to teach you."

"Can't we continue after the dungeon?"

"We can't postpone your forced duties for the upcoming war, can't we? That bastard king wants to rush you guys to be the core unit." Razor answered while pointing a wooden dagger directly at Ace.

"Do you know when we're dispatched?"

"No, I'm not participating. I'm just a hired trainer, not some enlisted soldier." Razor spun the wooden dagger around his wrist, taking a stance. "Let's continue this talk after the spar shall we?"

Ace stepped back taking a stance waiting for whether or not he should make a move against the defensive trainer. Razor hasn't been holding back ever since Ace's improvement taking this spar seriously as a way to both improve Ace's and his own experience in fighting.

"Bring it." Ace said, his eyes glinting with focus.

He took on a defensive stance deciding whether or not he should begin the first move noticing that Razor is waiting on his very movements. They both circled each other waiting for either one to attack.

"If you're not gonna attack. Then I will!"

The two fighters sprang into action, clashing their weapons together with a loud clang. Ace lunged forward, trying to catch Razor off guard, but the experienced fighter easily sidestepped the attack and countered with a swift strike of his own.

Razor charged in attempting to aim for the vital points of Ace's body. Although they are using wooden weaponry Razor wants to ensure that he's giving the real-life experience of being in a life-or-death situation approaching as if he wants to kill him for Ace to get the most out of this training session.

Thud Thud Thud!

The sounds of the wood clash towards each other with both sides giving in all they've got to try to be on the offensive. Razor lashing out quick thrusts and Ace parrying each blow.

[Utility Art: Overdrive]

[Utility Art: Overdrive]

As both of them activated their utility arts, they increased their attack rates and tried to break each other's defences. Razor took his chance, winding up a devastating windmill kick amid his assault, but Ace saw it coming, blocking the kick with both of his arms.

'Tsk..! He's still holding back and still beating me at this level.'

Ace started to struggle, noticing that his guard was slowly breaking if he kept being on the defensive, deciding to change his approach to Razor's assault.

[Offensive Art: Quick Strike]

Ace copied Aria's art, the same one she used on him when they first duelled, aiming towards Razor's chest, but he wasn't going to land it so easily. Razor stepped back, barely dodging the thrust from the wooden dagger. He grabbed Ace's arm within the moment he leaned back, throwing one of his daggers into the air, attempting to pull Ace towards him for a vital blow to his training gear.

The moment Ace was pulled in, he pulled off a roundhouse kick onto Razor, who blocked it with his arm, letting go of Ace at that moment and quickly pulled back into a safe distance. The dagger that was in the air eventually dropped to the ground as soon as they both distanced themselves away from each other.

"Nice move." Razor smiled.

That was only one of the few ways Razor could end this fight. With Ace on guard, there was no telling what he was going to do as a counter-attack; he had learned Razor's tactics and strategies on how to fight an enemy head-on.

Ace took this opportunity to be on the offensive this time, with Razor only having one weapon instead of his usual two. Ace desperately attacked, waiting for his trainer to eventually let down his guard. However, this was just what Razor wanted, attempting to punch Ace with his free hand, causing him to instinctively dodge, luring him into a trap.

"Urk...!"

Razor kicked Ace into a bad spot, causing him to fly a few spaces back. But once again, Razor was one step ahead, throwing the wooden dagger and successfully landing it onto Ace's training gear as the piece of wood bumped off, landing on the ground.

"If this was a real battle, you would've lost," Razor said to Ace, who was still recovering from the kick.

"I still can't beat you... and you still held back on me too."

"I have more experience, so what did you expect? Not like you're going to beat me with your low level." Razor fired.

"Guess I have a long way to go." Ace said, taking off his training gear.

This time, Ace lasted a bit longer with Razor in a fight, but he still needs more experience if he wants to be as strong, if not stronger than Razor himself.

"If we have time before the war, I'll hold one final lesson. I'll pass on a secret technique of mine once your level is a little higher. You only just learn the basics at your current strength."

"To think this isn't enough." Ace breathed out a tired sigh.

"You'll get there. Come on, let's go for lunch. Tomorrow is the big day for you after all. Hurry up, and pack up. I still haven't shown you the pub yet, have I?" Razor said as he threw his wooden daggers back in the weapon rack.

"Not yet." Ace replied.

The two of them stepped out of the training building, with Ace following closely behind Razor. They made their way into the lower districts, where the atmosphere was much more lively and vibrant. This was Ace's first time in this part of the city, and he was amazed by the sights and sounds around him.

Adventurers of all shapes and sizes filled the streets, talking excitedly about their latest quests and feats. They pass on their stories to whoever wanted to listen in.

They continued walking, they heard a commotion coming from the direction of the pub they were headed towards. A large crowd had formed a circle, all focused on several children with animalistic features - racoon ears and various animal tails. The children were dirty and skinny, looking so malnourished that the first impression that came to Ace's mind was "half-dead."

What all of the children had in common was the metal collar around their necks, which looked uncomfortable to wear. It seemed as if the tightness of the metallic rings could slowly choke someone to death.

"Well, I didn't expect this..." Ace commented on the situation.

"It's quite common. It's not a sight I'd enjoy here." Razor replied.

Ace turned his head towards the direction of the children, who could do nothing but bear the pain of the prejudice and physical abuse that the crowd was giving them. The main attraction was the slave master, who held an enchanted magical whip. The moment he swung his leathery weapon, the child would scream and the crowd would cheer.

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"Give them a good whip!"

"Your people shouldn't have killed the prince!!!"

"Monster bastards!"

"That's what you get for being A demi-human! TAKE THAT!"

The crowd gave an encore clapping for the slave master to continue his abuse some of these people threw small rocks which didn't do much as they had their backs to the crowd. All Ace can do is silently watch although he knew this is wrong back in his world he understands that this must be a common occurrence due to the number of people in this crowd. If such a group is for the abuse of these people then a good percentage of this kingdom's society finds an abusive event normal towards this outside group.

Cries and screams could be heard from the children as the marks of red turned into erupting blood cells flowing out. As he watched this unfold, Ace became increasingly disgusted by the act. But before he could step in to stop the continuous whipping, Razor flicked a rock onto the slave master's eye with precision. The rock flew at such high speed that it blinded the man's right eye. The small rock was only one centimetre in diameter, causing the man to bawl out in pain as he desperately needed medical attention.

The cheers and encores of the crowd suddenly stopped as they wondered who would do such a thing. They pointed fingers, lashing out at anyone who could have thrown the rock that blinded the slave master. They were determined to hunt down the person who had ruined their entertainment of watching the suffering children.

"OK GET OUT OF HERE YOU LOT! YOU'RE CAUSING ENOUGH RUCKUS IN FRONT OF THIS GUILD!"

An armoured man shouted he opened up the guild doors angrily before screaming at the crowd. The sight of the individual's intimidating aura causes the crowd to disperse slowly as they went off to do their own business. Razor let out a smirk watching the group of people run away as they couldn't group themselves up with an adventurer.

"Haha, I know that guy, he can't enjoy a drink with this commotion" Razor chuckled. "Well, let's go inside."

The moment when everyone left the children ran away disappearing from the attention of the crowd with the slave master still wriggling in pain with his eye and everyone ignoring him.

"Try to not be in the way next time," Razor said to him belittling him as he struggled to stand up. Ace knew that Razor intentionally blinded him understanding that there was no need to go so far just to enter the building.

Ace's eyes were fixed on the children who managed to escape from the situation. He couldn't stop wondering if there was something he could do to help them. Razor eventually placed his hand on his shoulder, breaking Ace's thoughts.

"There's nothing we can do for them, it's just the way this kingdom is." He said in a dull tone.

"I suppose you're right," Ace replied. He had his issues to worry about. His primary focus was to help his classmates escape from this world. Once they were back home, he could forget about all the problems in this world.

They entered the pub, and the first thing Ace noticed was the notice board on the wall, filled with papers that seemed to be quests. People were grabbing these papers and showing them to the receptionist along with small metal plates.

"So is this where you were hired for the quest to train me?" Ace asked, looking at the board.

"Yep, you want to see my badge? Its the highest here." Razor boasted.

"I already know how strong you are you don't have to prove it."

"Well, eventually I'll say the same thing to you, come on let's get you a drink."

Ace followed Razor up to the second floor, where there were several tables filled with people enjoying their drinks and food. The floor was filled with the sound of laughter and lively chatter from the service girls.

Razor led Ace to a table near the corner, away from the rowdy adventurers. When the serving lady came to the table, Razor raised two fingers and said. "Two chef's specials with a glass of mead each."

"I'm underage to drink," Ace said.

"Huh? What do you mean? You're old enough to drink in this world. Don't worry it's nothing too strong." Razor replied waving his arm back in forth in a carefree manner.

The serving girl came back with their meals and drinks, Razor paid the girl giving extra as a tip for the service. The girl held a pleasant smile bowing her head in Razor's direction. She quickly tended to the other tables as soon as she had finished serving the duo.

Since it was Ace's first time drinking alcohol, he was interested in the appearance and thickness of his mead. The drink had a honey-like colour and was thick and heavy. It had a syrup-like texture that tasted sweet and went well with the food they were eating.

"Pretty good, right?" Razor asked.

"Yeah, it's good," Ace replied as he quickly ate his food in a mannerly way. His plate was almost empty, as was his drink.

"You can go for seconds if you want. It's on me, anyway. And if you want something different, the menu board is there," Razor said, gesturing to the board on the wall.

Without hesitation, Ace ordered a second helping of food and drink, which Razor once again paid for and tipped a different serving girl for.

"You're pretty rich to tip a whole silver, yet when Olivia took us to that restaurant, you seemed annoyed about paying for everyone," Ace commented.

"Yeah, well, money isn't a problem, but Olivia always has a habit of dragging me into her expenses," Razor said, clenching his drink as he talked about Olivia. His grip loosened as he took another drink. "I guess I'm just one of the few people she has left after losing so many others."

"Is the dungeon really that dangerous? The king said it was a way to train us and find treasures, right?" Ace asked.

"Well, I've only explored one outside of this kingdom. I was stopped by some sort of symbol on a barrier that blocked my way. I'm assuming it gets dangerous after that barrier. That means there must be something good beyond it if they're blocking access like that," Razor replied, recalling hearing about the deaths of the Heroes and a friend of his, David, who was Olivia's fiancé. Unlike Ace, he didn't have strong ties to the Heroes, but he was shocked to hear about David's death.

"All the king got was that fancy sword in exchange for several lives being lost," Razor continued.

"A golem, right? I'll keep that in mind. Not like we're going to be going to floor 75 if we're going to be in the war very soon." Ace replied.

"If it overpowered the King and David, it's no wonder the Heroes couldn't survive. There must have been something good beyond that room," Razor said.

Ace thought deeply about the dangers and potential rewards that lay ahead. If there were powerful treasures specifically for summoned Heroes like him, it could greatly increase his class's chances of survival in the war.

"You seem calm about being in a war, my students kept rambling on about killing, well... they're dead now but I still kind of carry some guilt when it comes to them maybe I should've pushed them harder as I did with you and yet look at you I sense no fear or hesitation when it comes to you."

Ace was surprised that Razor even harboured feelings of guilt towards his former students. Despite his appearance, Ace was beginning to learn more and more about how soft Razor could be towards people he knew. He had assumed that Razor wouldn't care about anyone, but in this case, it was the opposite of what Ace had thought.

"I've hunted animals before with Freya, so I know what it's like to take another life," Ace answered him.

"You're already a step ahead of everyone then. Although, I'm curious about your determination when it came to asking me for information. You didn't look like the type to be desperate for trivial information," Razor said, resting his chin on his palms. "As a rogue, you're interested in various things about people. I've never seen you determined for information like that. Training is one thing because I know you're selfless, but the way you asked Olivia and me questions, it looked like it was for personal gain. Care to explain? If you're uncomfortable, I won't mention it again."

Ace was surprised when Razor asked him something personal. It didn't bother him, but it came out of nowhere, so he decided to answer anyway.

"The person I'm looking for is probably dead. But since I'm here, I can't help but try to find out what happened to her. After hearing that the previous heroes died, I should probably just assume she's dead too," Ace answered.

"Ah, so you're looking for someone. Hm... During that time, there were several other groups of heroes who were teleported to other kingdoms. I shouldn't get your hopes up, though, because I heard that many of them died during the last major battle," Razor said.

"Figures," Ace said coldly.

He had already decided to give up on his search. He knew that the person he was looking for was dead, but he couldn't let go of her until he knew for sure what had happened.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I shouldn't have asked in the first place. Curiosity got the best of me," Razor said.

"No, it's fine. I shouldn't dwell on something pointless. What's important is getting my class back home safely. Their desire to leave this world is more important than my problems," Ace replied.

"Well, if you want, I could try asking the former trainers, but there's only a small chance of that being helpful. Out of the former trainers, half of them are dead because of the war, and two of the ones I knew died in the dungeon. It looks like you won't let go of this until you know the result," Razor said, easily reading Ace's expressions and the context of his words.

"Nah, don't bother. Like I said, my class takes priority. It's best to worry about them, than to worry about a dead person, but thanks for the offer." Ace said.

"Suit yourself. Today was the last day of our training until we can get another lesson in, but I'll still see you around. If you need me again, I'm usually at this table around this time on every odd day. That is, if I'm not on a mission. Otherwise, you can just ask Olivia to take you to my place." Razor said.

"You're a bit too helpful, despite your appearance," Ace said, feeling a little sceptical of Razor's actions.

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I'm just a simple guy living in an unfair kingdom. I've done a lot to survive." Razor held a carefree shrug "But you'll probably pay me back in some way if I treat you like this anyway." He smirked.

"Oh, so that's the case. I'm an investment am I?"

"Ah, you read me. I need a bit of money to live a bit more luxirous you see."

"Sure, I'll be sure to pay you back in some way. If I managed to survive that is."

"Don't doubt yourself. I know you can do it."

"If you say so." Ace held a faint smile taking a sip from his drink.