They Called Me Trash? Now I'll Hack Their World-Chapter 70: Briefing

Chapter 70: Briefing
The mission hall felt hollow.
The notice boards that usually overflowed with missions now stood sparse, only a handful of low-rank requests still pinned up
I pushed through the heavy wooden doors.
My footsteps echoed against the stone floor.
The administrator sat at her usual desk near the back, sorting through papers with mechanical efficiency.
She looked up as I approached.
"Jin Raith?" she asked, though her tone suggested she already knew.
"Yeah."
She set down her pen and reached beneath the desk, producing a sealed envelope.
She slid it across the polished wood toward me.
"Your solo practical briefing," she said, her voice professional but not unkind.
"You’re to to Instructor Aldwin in the evaluation chamber. Third floor, east wing."
I took the envelope.
"When?"
"Now."
I nodded, not trusting myself to respond, and turned toward the stairs.
I found the evaluation chamber at the end of the corridor. The door stood open, revealing the space beyond.
The room was massive.
Instructor Aldwin stood in the center of it all, arms crossed over his broad chest, his expression carved from granite.
Beside him stood Professor Thorne, looking as severe as ever in his instructor’s robes.
And next to Thorne stood a woman I didn’t recognize. She was older, maybe late fifties, with short iron-gray hair cut in a practical style. Her face was all hard angles and sharp edges, her eyes the color of winter ice.
I stopped a few meters away.
Aldwin’s gaze swept over me.
After a moment, he nodded. "Jin Raith. You understand why you’re here?"
I nodded.
He gestured toward the envelope still clutched in my hand. "Open it."
I broke the wax seal and pulled out a single sheet of parchment.
The text was printed in formal script.
SOLO PRACTICAL EXAMINATION
Candidate: Jin Raith
Current Rank: 447
Objective: Dungeon Clearance
Location: Blackwood
,
Eastern Forest
Task: Navigate the dungeon, eliminate all hostile entities, and retrieve the core stone located in the boss chamber.
Time Limit: 6 Hours
Failure Conditions:
I
ncapacitation Voluntary retreat from dungeon Failure to retrieve core stone within time limit
Notes:
This is a solo examination. No assistance from other students, instructors, or external parties is permitted. Standard Academy emergency beacon will be provided. Personal weapons allowed.
I read it twice, making sure I understood every word.
A dungeon.
I looked up from the parchment. "The Blackwood."
"Yes," Aldwin said, watching me carefully. "A low-tier dungeon discovered three weeks ago in the eastern forest. Recently surveyed but not yet fully cleared by Academy personnel. It’s
e
stimated to be E-rank
.
"
T
hen the gray-haired woman spoke, her tone clipped and professional.
"It’s nothing beyond a capable first-year combat student’s abilities
.
"
Aldwin stepped forward
.
"You’ll depart at dawn next week. A transport will take you to the dungeon entrance
,
approximately two hours’ travel. The six-hour limit begins the moment you cross the threshold, not when you leave the Academy."
"So really eight hours total," I said.
"Don’t waste time celebrating your math skills," the gray-haired woman said dryly. "You’ll need every minute."
Aldwin studied me for a moment. "Any other questions, Raith?"
I had plenty. What was the dungeon layout? Were there traps? Environmental hazards?
But I knew they wouldn’t answer. That was part of the test
.
"No, sir," I said.
"Good." He pulled a red crystal from his pocket, holding it up to the light. It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
"Emergency beacon. Crush it if you need immediate extraction."
He tossed the crystal to me. I caught it carefully, feeling the warmth radiating from its core.
"Activation constitutes automatic failure," the gray-haired woman said, her voice sharp.
"Use it only if you’re certain you’ll die otherwise. There are no second chances after that, Raith. You use the beacon, you fail. You fail, you repeat the year. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
"One more thing," the gray-haired woman said, producing a small leather-bound journal from her cloak. She handed it to me.
"Document your progress. Combat encounters, trap locations, notable features. This will be reviewed as part of your evaluation."
I took the journal, feeling its weight.
Silence settled over the evaluation chamber, broken only by the faint hum of enchanted lanterns overhead.
Aldwin’s voice cut through it, carrying a note of finality. "You’re dismissed, Raith."
I tucked the examination paper into my jacket, securing the pouch and crystal to my belt. The journal went into my inside pocket, pressing against my ribs like a second heartbeat.
I made it halfway back to the dormitories before Kyle intercepted me.
"Jin! How’d it go? What’s the exam?"
"Dungeon clearance."
His eyes widened. "Solo?"
"Yeah."
"That’s," He stopped, processing. "That’s insane. When?"
"Next week."
Kyle’s tension eased slightly, though he still looked concerned. "Okay."
Then he grimaced. "Great. You get the fun stuff."
"Apparently."
We walked in silence for a moment, then Kyle glanced at me. "You gonna be ready? I mean, your arm—"
"Will be fine by then."
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push.
When we reached the dorm, Kyle grabbed his training gear. "I’m heading to the grounds. You coming?"
"No. I’ve got something else to do."
"Library?"
"Maybe."
He grinned. "Emma’s rubbing off on you."
"Shut up."
"Just saying." He slung his bag over his shoulder. "Alright, I’ll see you later. Don’t study yourself to death."
"No promises."
He snorted. "Yeah, that’s what I figured." He waved over his shoulder. "See you later."
The door closed behind him.
I stood there for a moment, then sat down on my bed.
One week.
Might as well see where I’m at.
I pulled up my status window.
[STATUS]
Name: Jin Raith
Age: 17
Class: Debugger
Level: 11
EXP: 320/1200
Rank: F
MC (Mana Capacity): 38/50
HP: 245/245
MP: 82/82
STR: 15
VIT: 12
AGI: 13
INT: 62
WIS: 39
LUK: 16
Sats Points: 10
Skills:
Poison Resistance (65%)
Social Engineering
Alchemy (Basic)
Unorthodox Fang (Proficiency: 27%)
Debug Vision.
...
I stared at the numbers.
One week to prepare for a dungeon.
With these stats.
I closed the window and leaned back against the wall.
Better make it count.