Chương 8: First Adventure in the Dungeon

The Dungeon, also known as Orario's Great Labyrinth, had a pyramid-like structure. The farther down one went, the larger each floor became. Even the gods did not know exactly how deep it reached. Past the fiftieth floor, every floor of the Deep Floors was said to be as vast as a small world. A thousand years ago, an enormous cavern opened in the ancient earth. Countless monsters poured out of it and ravaged the surface world. The entire world fell into an age of darkness.

The people of the lower world were unable to resist, and extinction drew near. Moved by mercy, the gods sent spirits, beings said to be closest to divinity, and elves, the beloved children of magic, to help human heroes fight the monsters in desperate battles. That age was written in blood and legend. After a cruel struggle, the monsters were finally driven back into the cavern, and victory was won.

The legends of heroes forged in blood and fire and the myths of gods descending to save the world were still sung in fairy tales and heroic epics. The great god Ouranos was the first god to descend from Tenkai. He granted Falna to the people of the lower world and led the heroes who received it in their counterattack against the monsters. In the end, together with those human heroes, he built Babel over the entrance to the Dungeon.

To this day, Ouranos sat eternally upon a throne in a mysterious underground chamber somewhere in Orario, suppressing the Dungeon's exit so monsters would not surge onto the surface again. In the present age, the gods saw how colorful and emotional mortal lives on the surface could be. One after another, they sealed their divine power and descended in search of a different kind of life. To imitate Ouranos, the gods granted Falna to the people below.

Those who received Falna became the children and family of their gods, and in the Dungeon, they continued heroic epics and recreated legendary feats. Over a thousand years, a great city gradually formed around Babel because of the gods' descent. Many races lived together, joined different Familias under the blessings of different gods, met companions, and lived lives of adventure, trade, entertainment, conflict, and ambition....

"Now I am alone. Guild rules say adventurers are not allowed to steal another person's prey." Cael gripped his sword and took a nervous breath. The farther he went after entering the Dungeon, the fewer adventurers he saw. It felt like sinking into an abyss. The Dungeon was simply too large, even on the first floor. Besides, many adventurers were Lv. 2 or above, so they would not remain in the Upper Floors for long. He recalled the rookie adventurer handbook Eina had given him.

The Upper Floors, meaning floors one through twelve, were also called the Cave Labyrinth. They were made up of narrow passages, tangled forks, and cave chambers of different sizes. There was no water here and no edible food. If someone got lost, they could only remain trapped, fight monsters again and again, and eventually die. Fortunately, the Upper Floors had already been fully explored. They also did not change terrain the way the Middle Floors could. The worst scenarios were unlikely to happen here.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Before the seventh floor, most monsters were small or mid-sized. A coordinated team of ordinary people could even clear some areas with enough caution. From the seventh floor onward, however, the monster spawn rate and monster strength rose sharply, and large clusters of monsters called Monster Parties could appear. If a team without Falna ran into something like that, they would not be able to clear it.

They could easily be wiped out. Cael walked through a narrow cave passage. All he could see was the tunnel extending ahead into the dim distance. The stone walls gave off a faint glow, enough to reveal the path, but the light was still gloomy. The pressure of the cramped, enclosed cave constantly scraped against his nerves. Anyone with claustrophobia would have fainted here long ago.

"On the first floor, there should only be goblins, red-eyed rabbits, and Dungeon Lizards. Ordinary adults with kitchen knives could kill them, and their spawn rate is low." Cael forced himself to speak, trying to keep the closed-in fear from overwhelming him. The fact that his sword hand was trembling was undeniable. Before his words had fully faded, a cracking sound rang out ahead. Crack. Crack. The stone floor in front of him split open. Two deformed green heads pushed up broken rock.

The monsters were only about a meter tall, with heads and bodies badly out of proportion. Green-skinned humanoids crawled out, hunched and ugly. Their red eyes locked onto the human invading the labyrinth. They opened mouths full of sharp teeth, which clicked together as if made only to tear flesh. Already? Cael's nerves went taut at once. His body went rigid. The moment he met those red eyes, cold malice and killing intent surged over him, and his mind went blank. Kii, kii!

The instant the monsters crawled free, they screeched and lunged toward him. They were not fast, only about as quick as human children, but if one bit him, it would tear away a chunk of flesh. Cael's sword hand shook. His body refused to obey as the monsters rushed in. A bone-deep chill climbed from the soles of his feet to the top of his skull, and sweat soaked his clothes. Move. Move. Move. He had thought that the moment he saw monsters, he would rush forward and cut them down like a protagonist.

Reality was different. When an ordinary person faced monsters for the first time, fear could seize everything. His body, Skills, thoughts, and Magic all felt frozen in ice. His heartbeat pounded like a frantic drum. At the last instant, when a goblin sprang toward his face with its fanged mouth open, his disobedient body finally exploded into motion. In endless fear, Cael shouted and swung the sword with both hands. A white flash crossed his vision. The feeling in his hands was like cutting through butter.

The goblin's twisted head and short arms separated instantly. With a dull pop, its body turned to black ash and vanished. A purple Magic Stone the size of a peanut dropped beside his foot.

"Hah... Hah..." Cael came back to himself and sucked in air. Battle instinct. That had to be battle instinct, the effect of Heracles's Bravery. Kii, kii! Before he could calm down, the remaining goblin lunged at him. It did not retreat because its companion had died. Monsters were born to kill all life on the surface.

"There is nothing to be afraid of. If I swing the sword and hit them, they disappear." After killing the first goblin, most of the fear in his heart vanished. He gripped the sword in both hands, took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, and forced his still-shaking legs to charge toward the goblin. They were slower than humans. As long as he avoided the moment they leapt, he could kill them during the opening afterward. Cael swung at the leaping goblin as fast as he could. Several white flashes cut through the air.

That same butter-smooth feeling reached his hands, accompanied by the humming vibration of the blade. Pop. Pop. Pop. In just two seconds, the remaining goblin turned to black ash. Another peanut-sized purple Magic Stone dropped to the floor.

"Heh. Pathetic. It was my first time, but I still looked that awful. There will not be a next time." Cael sat down as if all the strength had drained out of him and laughed at himself. Once he crossed the first step, the rest was no longer such a big deal. He wiped away the sweat. There was no fear left in his heart now. A firm light appeared in his star-bright eyes. Clear Sword Mind greatly strengthened the sharpness of any sword he held. Even stone should offer almost no resistance.

Bravery doubled his Basic Abilities while acting alone and raised his battle instinct. Indomitable increased his attack power in proportion to his injuries and could trigger several passive effects. Within the first three floors, the monsters should be the ones afraid of him.