Chapter 109 First Dungeon Run
Erend suddenly felt anxiety coming to him. This is a Dungeon.
Based on his experience playing video games in the past, a Dungeon is a den of monsters and traps.
The probability that you will die the first time you enter a Dungeon is very high. But, what if he died in this place?
[ "If you die in this place, then you will only restart from the entrance." ]
Tut who knew about his concern answered. Erend was honestly relieved to hear Tut's answer.
"Oh, I see," Erend said. "I'm not really going to die here. That's a good thing."
[ "Yes. We made some adjustments because before, it seemed The Dungeon World's difficulty was too high." ]
Erend frowned. "You're just making adjustments now?"
[ "Yes." ]
"Then, what happened to the people who entered here before the adjustment?"
[ "Well, they are failed. Forever." ]
Erend's eyes widened at Tut's answer. "They just died?!"
[ "Yes." ]
"That means I'm quite lucky to be in here now after the adjustment." Erend heaved a sigh of relief. "I also feel sorry for those who entered before me."
Tut gave no further answer. Erend didn't know if it was because he felt guilty or just couldn't answer. Or because he couldn't answer because he felt guilty.
"Anyway, I'm going in. I chose Dungeon Level 1," Erend said.
[ Dungeon Level 1 has been selected! ]
Then a door appeared from the gray underground. The door rose and dismantled the ground as if he had been buried there for a long time and waited for his time to rise.
The door had a gray tint like two slabs of iron that had just been put together into a double door without being polished.
[ Please open the door to enter Dungeon Level 1. ]
Erend walked towards the gray door and pushed it open. A moment later the door opened into a dark corridor. But not without any source of light at all.
When Erend went inside, he saw several torches lining the walls.
The torches created a dull orange glow. Enough to illuminate this corridor but not enough to make it bright.
"Well, at least that's enough for now."
Erend continued his steps into this corridor. At the end of the corridor was an equally dim hall.
The corridor was lit only by the torches attached to the wall. Erend had a bad feeling when he saw the hall.
Like gazing into a cave filled with snakes. Even though the snake wasn't visible, you could hear the hissing sound and the skulls lining the cave door.
There's something there. Erend knows that. And going in there unprepared is stupid.
[ Skill activated: Dragon Eyes (Lv.1) ]
Erend's eyes turned yellow. His pupils became vertical like those of a beast.
With that skill, he could see into the dark hall more clearly.
Erend stepped slowly and peeked around to look around. Trying to find out what's really in this hall. Without him realizing it, one of his feet had stepped into the hall.
[ The monsters in this hall have noticed your presence! ]
As soon as the notification appeared, Erend was immediately shocked.
'Damn! I don't even know what I'm getting into yet!'
Erend didn't have time to curse any longer because suddenly three big dogs lunged at him.
Luckily, Erend still activated [Dragon Eyes] so he could clearly see their arrival.
[ Skill activated: Dragon Scale (Lv.1) ]
Erend's body began to be covered in red and black scales. The three dogs attacked him simultaneously. Landing bites and scratches.
But all of that didn't work in front of [Dragon Scale]. Erend didn't even feel the attacks.
Erend smiled, feeling delighted. At this rate, he might be able to overcome them easily.
Erend started to counterattack. He grabbed one of the dogs and slammed it against the wall.
*GRAAKKK!*
There was the sound of something snapping from the dog. But even so, it still rose again.
When it got up, Erend noticed that its head was bent in a strange direction. The neck must have been broken but the dog was still standing.
So Erend concluded the way to kill them might be to destroy their bodies.
[ Skill activated: Dragon Claw (Lv.1) ]
Claws immediately appeared from Erend's fingers. Without wasting any more time he immediately stabbed his claws at the two dogs that were biting his legs at the same time.
*CRAAT!*
*CRAAT!*
Erend's claws pierced their necks. Blood gushed out onto the dark stone floor and reflected the dull light of the torches.
There was a sound as the dogs died. Then their bodies fell motionless.
[ 10 Exp has been received! ]
[ 10 Exp has been received! ]
Erend tossed the two dogs and focused on the dog whose neck had been broken.
Before the dog ran towards him, Erend had already run to it. The dog met the same ending as its two friends.
*CRAAT!*
Erend's claws pierced through the neck and killed the dog instantly.
[ 10 Exp has been received! ]
Erend was quite happy now. One dog is worth 10 Exp. It meant that if he killed ten dogs he would gain 100 Exp which was enough to Level Up.
Erend who felt a passion burning in his heart immediately ran into the hall to face the dogs that came at him again.
~~~
A few minutes after Aurdis finished talking to Erend and returned to her room, a knock at the door startled Aurdis.
Elis was still fast asleep next to her without realizing anything.
The Elf princess immediately wiped her tears. Make sure that no traces of sadness may be left on his face.
Once Aurdis was satisfied, she headed towards the door.
Aurdis did not know who was knocking on her door at this late night. When her hand almost touched the doorknob, Aurdis stopped.
'Isn't this suspicious?'
Aurdis decided to be careful and installed protection magic for herself before opening the door.
But when the door was opened, its just Saeldir standing in front of her. Aurdis breathed a sigh of relief.
Saelidir, on the other hand, frowned slightly when he saw Aurdis appear. He sensed the presence of protective magic around Aurdis.
"(You installed protective magic?)" Saeldir asked.
"(Yes,)" Aurdis answered his question in her usual tone. "(You're knocking on my door so late. Obviously I'd be suspicious.)"
Saeldir nodded. "(That's good. We do have to be careful these days.)"
"(So, what do you want to say?)" Aurdis asked.
"(Let us go to the Magic shield core room,)"
Saeldir said.
Aurdis immediately gave a nod of agreement because Saeldir would say something important.
The important thing was none other than what he had discovered with Erend earlier.
~~~
The hall was suddenly filled with the carcasses of dogs in a torn state.
Erend's body was now covered with blood from them.
[You Leveled Up! ]
But it's all worth it because Erend has Level Up again.
Usually, he needed to wait a day for the Daily Quest to appear. But now he could Level Up in less than an hour.
Erend had already killed ten dogs in this hall. But now the dogs are not spawning anymore.
Then, a door at the other end of the hall opened. Erend headed towards the door feeling that it was his next destination.
'I have to hurry before my MP runs out,' Erend thought.
He still had to worry about his MP because he didn't know when this Dungeon would end.
[ "This dungeon resets after three days. So you don't have to finish it now." ]
Tut's voice echoing inside his head gave Erend relief.
"So I can come back here without starting over if my MP runs out?"
[ "Yes." ]
"But, if I've cleared Dungeon Level 1 and unlocked Level 2, do I have to restart from Level 1 again after three days?" Erend asked.
[ "The Dungeon that you have unlocked will remain open. After unlocking a Level, you can choose to enter any available Level directly without starting over." ] Tut explained.
Erend nodded his head in understanding.
Erend pushed the door open and then continued on his way. Once again he encountered a dark hall. Erend now no longer hesitated to enter the hall.
[ The monsters in this hall have noticed your presence! ]
As soon as the notification appeared, the monsters in the hall immediately rushed toward Erend.
They were a bunch of spiders the same size as the previous dog.
Erend grimaced in disgust at their fast-moving feet and made a disturbing rustling sound on the stone floor.
'I don't want to be near them!'
[ Skill activated: Fire Breath (Lv.1) ]
Erend opened his mouth and spit fire at the spiders.
The sound of screeches as their bodies burned by the flames filled the hall.
Erend tried to ignore the screech full of pain and the smell of scorched spiders.
He kept spitting out the fire while turning to make sure it hit all the spiders.
After about a minute of spitting fire non-stop until his jaw ached, Erend deactivated his skill.
[ 10 Exp has been received! ]
[ 10 Exp has been received! ]
[ 10 Exp has been received! ]
...
Erend gains a lot of experience easily. Just by spitting fire, he had already cleared this hall.
[ You Level Up! ]
Erend smiled happily and headed for another door.
~~~