Chapter 36

The Dungeon.

Once you set foot inside, it is a place you can never escape until you explore its deep end.

A place where all sorts of monsters and traps are constantly craving the flesh of adventurers who come in search of treasure.

A place where a single mistake can instantly annihilate a character and party that have been nurtured with love for months.

It was to this terrible place, where survivalists and safety-first individuals should never set foot, that we were forced to enter.

It wasn’t because I coveted the wealth or treasures within the dungeon. I already had more money than I knew what to do with, and the ‘artifacts’ that the southern dungeon of the forest region spat out as a clear reward were only needed by characters like barbarians, and were of no use to a mage like me.

‘This is truly awful.’

So, if I were going to carry out a quest related to a dungeon, I wish that the dungeon’s rewards could have helped me improve my stats… While indulging in such futile thoughts, I headed toward the southern end of the forest region.

My slow pace meant we didn’t reach the entrance until nearly evening.

Before venturing into the dungeon, we built a small campfire in front of it to replenish our strength and eat our evening meal.

Around the fire sat Lir, Rex, Trian, and myself.

“Isn’t this…a bit sparse? We could have brought another warrior or two.”

“It’s better to move discreetly with a smaller group.”

If the objective was to eliminate every enemy we encountered and meticulously clear the dungeon’s interior, we would have mobilized a larger force.

However, our sole purpose was to remove the ‘mana mines’ hidden somewhere within the dungeon.

Therefore, to move stealthily and avoid confrontations with any monsters that might still be lurking, we needed to explore with the fewest people possible.

Lir was essential for disabling the mana mines, Trian for guiding us through the dungeon, and Rex for buying the mages time to cast their spells in case of an emergency.

…Come to think of it, I seem to be the only one here who’s truly useless, but let’s just skip over that part.

“Do you think there are any monsters left inside? The forest is so quiet.”

“Absolutely, there are.”

The reason no animals or monsters appear in this forest is because the Mazoku used them as material for their aberrations.

However, Rex and the other soldiers said that they had never seen aberrations in the forest with appearances similar to or with features resembling the monsters in the dungeon.

Therefore, it was more rational not to expect the Mazoku to have thoroughly cleaned out the dungeon’s interior.

“You sound quite certain. General Bin, have you perhaps explored this dungeon before?”

Rex directed the question at me as I sat picking at a piece of hard bread.

During the past two weeks of construction work, a considerable amount of stubble had grown on Rex’s jaw. In an environment where proper washing was difficult, it couldn’t be helped.

“…Yes, well.”

Even if it was a story from beyond the screen… Still, it would be better for the morale of my companions if I pretended to be knowledgeable rather than offering unnecessary details.

“Orphaned at a young age, I hear… They wandered the dungeons, making a living by selling the spoils…”

Lir added, unprompted.

Clearly, it was to explain how I came to possess the ‘Red Crystal,’ the lie about ‘wandering dungeons since I was small’ that I told once upon a time…

But strange details seem to have been added? I don’t recall ever mentioning being orphaned…

…A single word and I’m an orphan?

Well, since I came from the streets, maybe I am an orphan.

Still, it rubs me the wrong way… doesn’t it?

“If it was when you were little…”

“So little you barely remember…”

“Hmm, what a tumultuous childhood.”

“They must not be good memories. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

The Orc and Elf, who had been listening to Lir’s tale, looked at me with pitying eyes.

It stung a bit, being treated like a poor wretch when I hadn’t said a thing myself… but what could I do?

…Where would I even begin to untangle this misunderstanding? It seems a fruitless effort.

I’ll just live as a pitiful orphan.

“Let’s get some rest, we’ll be busy tomorrow. That is that.”

I didn’t bother smoothing over the awkward atmosphere and laid down to sleep. Everyone seemed to know they needed to conserve their strength for the dungeon raid tomorrow, agreeing to my suggestion of an early bedtime.

The campfire quickly died down, but thanks to the humid and sultry air characteristic of the Achilliptus Forest, we wouldn’t have to endure a cold night.

* * *

The entrance to the dungeon looked no different from any other cave from the outside.

And so, every year, travelers, mistaking them for mere caves and seeking shelter from the rain, step inside only to be swallowed whole by dungeons.

To prevent such accidents, it’s crucial to develop the habit of shining a lantern or torch into the depths before entering any cave.

Unlike ordinary caves, which reveal their interiors with light, a dungeon never exposes its inky secrets.

Like now.

“……”

The entrance to this seemingly ordinary cave before us, despite the sunlight, despite the lantern, even despite the torch’s bright flame, reflected only an abyssal blackness, refusing to betray what lay within.

Faced with this bizarre phenomenon that defied the laws of physics, we steeled ourselves.

If I remembered correctly, one needed to be at least level 40 to fully conquer the southern forest dungeon, and around level 50 for a smooth clearing.

So, this dungeon, far beyond my estimated level 30… our goal wasn’t to capture the dungeon boss and ‘clear’ it, but rather to remove the ‘mana mines’.

The dungeon’s internal structure was roughly etched in my memory, and our party had an excellent guide.

We didn’t know how far the demon b*stards had ventured in to plant the mana mines, but it was likely they were clustered not far from the entrance.

“Most likely, the demons who entered this dungeon didn’t wander far before being devoured by the monsters within.”

This dungeon was simply too high a level for common demons.

Furthermore, according to Dajin, the lightning spirit, there were only ‘three’ mana mines inside the dungeon.

With luck, we could finish the job quickly, in less than a day.

Of course, escaping the dungeon unharmed was another matter entirely.

If I were a normal mage, I wouldn’t need to engage in such a dangerous folly to obtain a spirit’s blessing…

“Entering.”

Lost in meaningless regret, Rex, with his massive axe from his back, hefted it in both hands and stepped into the inky blackness.

The sharp sound of the axe’s handle scraping against his steel prosthetic arm rang out.

Rex, with his thicket of a beard, vanished, and then Trian stepped through.

Following them, Lier and I, one after the other, moved into that place, that seeming endless abyss, and swiftly my vision was consumed by a black so absolute.

It was as if all five senses were momentarily paralyzed. Sight, of course, but touch and smell as well, to the point where I even wondered, for a fleeting moment, ‘Am I even breathing properly?’

“……”

How many minutes did we wander in that darkness?

Or perhaps it was only seconds. We emerged from the pitch-black, our sense of time utterly dulled, and each of us looked around, faces blank.

From the outside, it appeared to be nothing more than a small cave, barely a few meters deep. But once inside, the dungeon was a labyrinth, truly immense.

The walls and floor were composed of ancient bricks that current technology couldn’t even properly analyze – when, who, with what materials, were they constructed? The ceiling, too, was covered in murals, their meaning currently lost to us.

We had clearly entered through an entrance, yet behind us was a moss-covered wall, and the only apparent escape from this rectangular room, barely thirty pyeong in size, was a small door before us.

“Now that everyone’s regained their senses, let’s move on.”

The aftereffects of dulled senses faded quickly enough.

Each confirming that their body was otherwise unharmed, we swiftly readied ourselves and slowly approached the only exit, that small door.

This time, Trian took the lead instead of Rex. The archer, with his sharp eyes, was better suited to the front, in case of traps or landmines.

“…Vile.”

The moment the dungeon’s first door opened, we grimaced, hands flying to our noses. The stench of rotting corpses vibrated from all directions.

A giant spider’s corpse, as imposing as Rex himself, greeted us. Its body lay overturned, entrails spilling onto the floor, half of its head simply gone.

“……”

Trian, his face contorted, carefully approached the corpse. He kicked the reeking entrails aside with his foot, revealing the floor, corroded by a venomous substance.

“There was a fight immediately after the first door. A demon who entered this dungeon was injured. Judging by the venomous blood scattered everywhere, they lost a considerable amount of strength.”

With his sharp eyes, the archer quickly assessed the extent of the floor’s corrosion, deducing the size and severity of the demon’s injury upon entering this place.

I, too, slowly scanned the interior. Unlike the first chamber, this one held a door centered in each of its four walls.

Trian, with cautious steps, approached each door in turn, gathering information from beyond by gripping the handle or pressing an ear close. Then, spotting a faint corrosion between the west-facing door and the wall, he indicated the path we should take.

“…No battle transpired here.”

The door opened onto a room mirroring the previous, four doors facing each direction, but absent any sign of conflict. However, trails of corrosion stained the floor. The marks left by the demon’s blood led directly toward the door on the far side.

Trian, just in case, meticulously checked the other doors for any special clues before finally standing before the door marked by the trailing corrosion.

“…Hmm.”

He gripped the handle, yet hesitated.

Did he sense an ill omen?

“Not good. A ‘mana mine’ is planted directly before the door. So close that opening it will trigger the detonation.”

Trian pressed an ear against the dungeon door, eyes closed in concentration, then spoke with a furrowed brow.

“Needlessly thorough, this one. Likely worried that the sounds of battle from the prior room would attract unwanted attention from other monsters.”

“…Troubling.”

Rex, upon hearing Trian’s words, released a sigh of dismay.

If what he said was true, opening the door would instantly trip the mana mine’s sensor. The one standing at the doorway wouldn’t even have a chance to disarm it before being engulfed in the explosion.

And beyond that, the explosion’s echo would undoubtedly summon the dungeon’s denizens.

We were but four. With no idea how many monsters lurked in the vicinity, drawing attention with a massive blast was the worst course of action.

“Let’s backtrack and find another way. Dungeons usually have interconnected chambers; we should find a detour soon enough.”

Trian immediately offered a solution.

We returned to the chamber littered with the giant spider’s organs, faced with the dilemma of choosing between the door on the right wall and the door on the left.

From here on out, it was pure chance. No one could possibly comprehend the structure of a dungeon they’d only just set foot in.

“Let’s take the right door.”

Except for me, that is.

“……Reasoning?”

Trian, with a puzzled look at my firm tone, questioned.

“Instinct.”

I replied, doing my best to appear confident.

After all, I couldn’t exactly explain that I’d entered this dungeon countless times through the screen and had a grasp of its general layout, could I?

“……Well, fair enough.”

Trian didn’t seem particularly disappointed by my answer, as if he hadn’t been expecting much in the first place.

“Trian, which way do you believe is better?”

“There were no gathering any clues. But from neither door could the sounds of monsters be heard, nor did I sense any sign of traps. So, it seems it wouldn’t matter which way we go. At this moment, it appears we must leave it entirely to luck.”

“Then let us trust the General’s instincts for once. As one favored by the spirits, surely you are also favored by the goddess of fortune.”

“……I tend not to believe in gods. But, if not, we simply return the way we came. It doesn’t matter.”

The goddess of fortune.

I couldn’t simply laugh off Rex’s words.

……For the first time since coming into this world, the urge to show someone my stat screen was overwhelming.