Chương 81: (B2) Chapter 8 - Challenge dungeon

The wind whipped past Ethan as the ship tore through the air in a blur. Despite the vessel's size and sheer speed, it didn't actually take many people to keep the thing operational. Ethan had never personally controlled one before, though he understood the basics behind how they functioned. Ships like these had originally been monopolized almost immediately after humanity reached the second level.

Every floating island with a city—or town, depending on size—had docks lined with waiting vessels ready for anyone strong enough or rich enough to claim them. Naturally, the larger guilds had snatched up most of them within weeks, and what followed had been exactly what Ethan expected. They had taken control of the entire level. Now things were more organized. A guild known as the Gliders acted as intermediaries between ship owners and customers, essentially building an entire business around transport.

If someone owned a flying ship but didn't want to personally manage voyages, the Gliders handled it for a cut of the profits. It was honestly a smart system. Simple and efficient. Profitable for everyone involved. Ethan wasn't actually sure who owned the ship he currently stood on. It might have belonged to the Broken Dawns. It might not. Either way, one thing was certain. It was fast. The vessel surged through the sky, rising and falling with the air currents beneath it.

Several passengers nearby clung tightly to the railings whenever the ship suddenly dipped before catching itself again. Ethan simply relied on [Steadfast], the skill anchoring him effortlessly while others stumbled around him. For a while he just stood there and watched the world pass below. It was refreshing. The sunlight here was far gentler compared to the brutal desert heat of the first level, and thanks to the seams in his armor, cool air slipped through and left behind a crispness Ethan genuinely enjoyed.

He hadn't realized how much he missed standard weather. Which made it mildly disappointing when another floating island slowly came into view ahead of them. The ship was heading directly toward it. Ethan straightened slightly. He hadn't personally run this dungeon before, which left him genuinely curious about what it had to offer, even if Tomas had given him a quick rundown. Dungeons were equal parts danger and reward, and more than anything else, they perfectly represented what the second level was about.

They existed to grow people stronger while simultaneously introducing humanity to the wider horrors of the multiverse. Danger. Fear. Near death. And if all of that somehow wasn't enough motivation, then the rewards at the end usually were. Ethan was exactly the kind of person dungeons appealed to. He wanted to strip them dry. Pillage every reward they had to offer. And this would be the first step toward doing exactly that.

The ship began slowing, sails lowering as crew members hurried around the deck securing ropes and preparing for docking. Ethan pushed himself away from the railing and headed toward the exit, ready to disembark. As relaxing as the trip had been, he was eager to finally get moving again. He hadn't accomplished much over the last few days since arriving on the second level. It had been nice to breathe for a moment. To think. To plan. But that was enough of that. Now Ethan wanted power. Real progress.

He needed to start catching up to humanity's true elites before the gap became difficult to close. The ship finally docked, and one of the crew shouted for passengers to disembark once the boarding plank lowered into place. Ethan stepped off the vessel and onto solid ground. For a brief moment his body still felt like it was swaying slightly, though he wasn't entirely sure if that was from the voyage itself or because the island beneath him genuinely shifted with the wind. This island was much smaller than Nexus.

He looked around as the other passengers began heading up the cobbled road leading away from the docks. Compared to Nexus, the place was barely developed. A few scattered shops sat near the port, but beyond that most of Ethan's view was consumed by dense forestry. The road itself disappeared into the trees entirely, accompanied only by a small wooden sign pointing forward with the town's name carved into it. Ethan read it as he walked. Then snorted.

"Fitting." The town was called Conevill. Whether the name had come from the system or humanity, Ethan had no idea. Nor did he particularly care. As long as the place had somewhere reasonably priced to sleep and was close to the dungeon entrance, that was good enough for him. The walk ended up taking longer than Ethan expected. The island itself must have been fairly large despite only housing a single settlement.

Tomas had already explained that the town existed almost entirely to support the dungeon and those attempting it. Unlike Nexus, which housed multiple dungeons, this place revolved entirely around one. And not just any dungeon. A challenge dungeon. The moment Tomas had listed it among the available options, Ethan had immediately chosen it. Challenge dungeons were by far the most lucrative.

Rewards accumulated across multiple challenges before being tallied at the end, meaning the better you performed, the greater the payout became. The last of the pine trees finally gave way, revealing the town ahead. Ethan slowed slightly as he took it in. Everything was timber. Every building looked almost identical in structure, differentiated only by the signs hanging above entrances identifying whether the place sold food, gear, or something else entirely.

The town itself appeared to consist of a single long street with scattered homes branching off around it. Ethan couldn't immediately spot the dungeon entrance, so he headed toward the local tavern first. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. The wooden door creaked open as he stepped inside. Ethan let [Keen Sense] spread naturally through the room, gathering details without effort.

The tavern was fairly busy, packed with adventurers either eating, drinking, or discussing dungeon runs. Most wore practical combat gear and several displayed guild insignias openly. The majority belonged to the Broken Dawns. Ethan walked toward the bar where a younger man stood waiting idly for customers. The bartender looked Ethan up and down briefly before speaking.

"Let me guess," he sighed.

"You're looking for the dungeon?" Ethan paused. Nice. Straight to the point.

"Sure am," Ethan replied.

"You able to point me in the right direction?" The man tossed a towel over his shoulder with an exhausted look.

"Edge of town. Just keep walking, you won't miss it." He shook his head slightly.

"I keep telling them we need a bloody sign."

"Thanks, lad." Ethan glanced around briefly.

"You don't happen to do rooms too, do you?" The bartender nodded once.

"Normally, yeah. But we're full up at the moment. Try the armorers down the street. They've got a few spare rooms for overflow when the town gets busy."

"Appreciate it." Ethan turned and headed back outside. He could sort accommodation later. Worst case scenario, he slept under a tree. Wouldn't be the first time. He continued up the street, passing groups either heading toward the dungeon or returning from it looking exhausted. Some were battered enough Ethan suspected they were done for the day entirely and likely heading back toward the docks. It didn't take much longer before he finally reached his destination. Unfortunately, there was a line.

Ethan took his place behind a group of four and waited patiently. Thankfully it moved fairly quickly, and within only a few short minutes he found himself at the front. Two guards wearing Broken Dawns insignias stood beside the entrance. One held out a hand.

"Name and ticket." Ethan reached for his necklace instinctively and pictured the ticket stored within it. With a mental tug, the item materialized into his hand before he passed it over. The guard raised an eyebrow slightly at the storage item, but Ethan merely shrugged. The man inspected the ticket once before looking back up, eyes widening faintly.

"You're good to go. Just you, sir?" Ethan snorted quietly as he took another look at the guard. Young. Strong too, at least from what Ethan could tell. Impressive.

"Just me," Ethan replied.

"Thanks." The guard stepped aside, finally revealing the dungeon entrance properly. Ethan stopped for a moment to examine it. It had been a long time since he had entered a proper dungeon. The rift looked like reality itself had been torn open. Jagged cracks zigzagged through the air as though some massive claw had ripped straight through the world itself. Dense mana rolled out from the opening in suffocating waves, oppressive enough that weaker individuals visibly struggled standing near it.

Ethan calmly coated himself in aura, shielding his body from the pressure before stepping closer.

"Good luck," the guard offered. Ethan reached out. His hand passed straight through the tear. He took one final breath, then stepped fully inside. You have entered Pine Challenge Dungeon. To clear the dungeon, participants will need to pass each level. You may exit after any one level is completed. All rewards will be distributed at the end of your delve. Good luck! The world around Ethan revealed itself.

One moment he had been standing on a floating island filled with pine trees and the next he was standing in an arena. It was packed. People stood up shouting in all sorts of different languages. Ethan looked around, noticing all the different races. There were giant orcs shouting at gnomes, even elves sitting delicately on the surrounding chairs. And plenty more, though Ethan stopped looking when the announcer's voice rang out through the crowd, bringing the noise down to manageable levels and addressing Ethan.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we have a new challenger. Let's see here, a level twenty-seven human, interesting, interesting. What do we think? Should we start him with a Goblin?" the announcer asked, his voice carrying through the crowd in a loud, obnoxious manner. Ethan looked around, trying to pinpoint the man, but had no luck. The crowd itself began to boo, their chatter growing louder until the announcer broke out in a laugh.

"I guess that's a no. Of course. Of course. What was I thinking? No, this human deserves something else, something far more interesting. What say you everyone? Should we start him with a Lyra Claw?" Ethan circled, looking around at the crowd as they began to cheer. He pulled his sword from its sheath, the metallic sound music to his ears. He threw the blade high, it slipping from the sheath as he caught the raw blade itself and pulled it over his body, before catching the hilt in his hand.

A smile crept onto his face as the crowd's roar became louder and louder. Feet slamming and noise bouncing through the stadium like a living beast. He felt for his mana, it rested in his core, waiting to be used. He felt for his aura, it encompassed his entire body, riling to the tune of the crowd. A beast in its own right, waiting to be unleashed on any unsuspecting prey. His heart began to race and he looked out at the crowd one more time. He knew these people weren't real.

That they were the product of the system. A mirage. But none of that mattered right now, not as his fighting spirit ignited and the caged door at the end of the arena opened. From the shadows a large paw descended, slamming into the ground like a drum of war. Ethan brought his sword in front of himself, just as the announcer called out once more.

"Would you look at that. Let's see what that big stick can do. Good luck human! Now go make me moneyyyy!!" Answering his call was a deafening roar. It shook the ground, causing dust to rise into the air as large claws descended and the beast emerged.