Despite being a rank D dungeon, that does not mean it was small.

All the dungeons are divided into floors, and each floor has an entrance and an exit. The interior and the size of the floors depend on the type and class of the dungeon.

The maximum number of floors a dungeon can have depended on its rank. D-rank dungeons have a maximum of 20 floors, C-class dungeons have a maximum of 40 floors, and so on. There are only three discovered dungeons in the world that are over 100 floors, and only one is in the central continent.

The dungeon they are currently in has reached its peak of growth, making it 20 floors. The further your party advances, the higher the concentration of chaotic mana, and the stronger the monsters they encounter.

Every twenty floors, a guardian blocks the passage to the lower levels, and only by defeating it can you continue advancing. Also, guardians are usually equipped with powerful weapons to make them more intimidating than other monsters, so whoever defeats them can get them as rewards.

When Zack read this, he couldn't help but think about the dungeons in video games where, for defeating a slime, you can receive experience, money, and equipment. In video games, you don't question where these things come from, but this is real life.

Where is the guardian supposed to get the equipment from it? Does he have a factory at the back of the dungeon?

Also, in some dungeons, the enemies are armed. Where they g-?

"Zack, wake up!"

Zack was interrupted from his thoughts, alarmed to hear his name.

Kenzo and Ryu were facing two mutated foxes. Ryu was holding up well, but Kendo was having trouble. At his feet was a third fox, dead.

Although his first fight with the monsters in the dungeon went well, not all of them were like this.

After the first intersection, the road forked several times, forcing them to choose which direction to take.

After facing several more rodents, Zack noticed that they were getting bigger, the deeper they were in the dungeon, the stronger they were. Still, they aren't something that posed an actual problem.

Zack finished the spell he was preparing, and a small flame appeared in the fur of the fox facing Ryu. Taking advantage of the surprise element, Ryu attacked the fox and impaled it on his sword. Once the animal was found dead, Zack and Ryu helped Kenzo finish their fight.

Ryu and Kenzo were panting strongly, while Zack's forehead was also dripping with sweat.

After a moment of rest, Ryu approached Zack angrily:

"What's wrong with you?! For a while, you have been completely distracted. Do you think this is a game?"

"It wasn't Zack's fault, I was the one who was paralyzed and didn't know how to get rid of that fox on my own" Kendo intervened quickly before the argument got worse.

"Shut up! I wasn't talking to you. I don't know what Zack was thinking, but getting distracted while we're fighting for our lives is unacceptable!!!”

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Zack remained silent. It was true. Zack had his head elsewhere. On multiple occasions, he tried to focus, but his thoughts wandered again. Maybe it was nerves. Zack didn't know for sure, but he did know that a situation like that must not happen again. Ryu is right this is not a game.

Before the argument could escalate further, Zack stepped forward.

"I´m sorry. You're right. I was distracted. It won't happen again"

Ryu and Kendo fell silent and looked at Zack, looking almost... surprised. As if they didn't think it was possible for Zack to apologize.

“Tch. Don't let it happen again. Let's get going. We don't have all day."

Before Zack could ask why they were looking at him that way, Ryu finished speaking and started walking toward the depths of the dungeon.

Zack and Kenzo followed quickly so as not to get separated. The last thing they needed is for one of them to get lost in this maze.

…

While Zack and his companions were exploring the dungeon, the rest of the groups were doing the same.

Ironically, the group that Zack refused to join did progress the most. After all, the three of them were friends before they were summoned, and they had been training together for weeks, so they knew each other's abilities and limits.

The other groups had to adapt to the presence of a new member with whom they had not formed a team until now, so it is normal for there to be friction.

Of course, exceptions exist.

In the central tunnel, the largest and with the highest concentration of chaotic mana, the voices of people who entered it can be heard.

“HAHAHA! This is so easy!” Tatsu said as he sliced a monster in two with his sword. The monster looked like some kind of were-deer. Mortally wounded, the deer fell to the ground, where there were already several others sharing its fate.

“Stop playing, and let's hurry up. I want to get out of this place as soon as possible” Seto replied as he launched a fireball at one of the few monsters left standing.

"Be quiet! You can't even imagine what that jerk of an instructor forces me to do every day” Tatsu said, not caring that the guard´s captain was behind them, watching their battles.

Lorelei let out a small laugh upon hearing Tatsu's complaint.

"Do you have another opinion?" Tatsumaki asked in a threatening tone. Even so, Lorelei wasn't intimidated at all.

"Ha. As if you were actually training. I have seen your training. Half the time, you spend it trying to get out of it. Even the soldiers training on the other side of the castle can hear your instructor's shouts” Lorelei said, not caring about the anger on Tatsu's face.

"You guys have it easy" Seto replied, interrupting what Tatsu was going to say.

“At least you guys train for real” Seto said as he launched another fireball “I spend every day locked in a room with a handful of dusty books. And as if that weren't enough, I'm constantly being watched by that old wizard” Seto made a disgusted face when he spoke about this.

“Ugh. It's like being in school again"

"Ha. That's nothing. That priest makes me get up every day before sunrise to pray. The worst thing is that I am always surrounded by…”

Hearing the words of the heroes, the leader of the guards frowned. At his age, almost nothing can provoke him, but the contempt the heroes are showing toward their respective instructors is enough to make him want to beat them for real.

The royal guard´s captain, the most powerful magician in the kingdom, and the pontiff of a religion.

Each of the heroes is being trained by one of the strongest and most influential people in the kingdom. Many would kill for that luck. And these brats can't stop whining like kids about a little hard work.

If he could learn under any of them, he would quit his job and worship them as a teacher at the first opportunity.

"Enough. We're not done yet,” said Yamato, who had been quiet throughout the entire conversation.

Hearing Yamato's words, the others fell silent. Even Tatsu remained silent, though he didn't seem very convinced.

If there's one thing they've learned from their stay here, it's that they're not the same. From the moment they got their classes, their position in the group changed irretrievably.

Nobody wants to go against that. Wendy is the best example.

The guard leader's gaze changed upon hearing Yamato's words. Unlike his companions, the hero's attitude has been extremely exceptional. All his teachers are satisfied with his progress and his behavior is excellent. From his point of view, even without his class, Yamato meets all the requirements of a hero.

While everyone was getting rid of the remaining monsters, none of them noticed how a shadow was sliding down the walls, heading to the place where they were advancing little by little.