A Dungeon?

A tall, middle-aged man with short, messy blond hair and purple eyes stood at the window, gazing out as if peering into space, his expression fixed on something peculiar.

"Something happened..." he muttered under his breath.

His voice carried a sense of uncertainty, as if he were not sure about something.

...

Perched atop a house, the anti-bird gazed down at people going about their livelihoods. It was a small creature with sleek wings, a pair of tails forming an arrow at the tip, and a black beak. Its feathers were black at the back, white at the front, and red on its face. Additionally, it possessed a pair of horns on either side of its head and a pair of long black feathers sticking up from the top of its head.

Suddenly, as if on cue, the bird's head turned around 180°. As an anti-magic bird, it was very sensitive to magic, and at that moment, it sensed something peculiar. It stared in that direction for a minute before flapping its wings and flying into the air toward the source of the sensation.

...

An old man with a walking stick could be seen meandering down the forest path ahead. He wore a brown coat, a wide-brimmed hat, and sported a long white beard that reached his chest. A bag on his back held an assortment of carefully collected herbs and plants.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened his back and remarked, "I think that's it for today." With one last glance at the forest, he turned and began to walk back.

Suddenly, a loud rumble filled the air, and the ground shook, causing the old man to stumble. Before him, an immense gate materialized, tall and imposing, along with the emergence of an ancient cave from the ground.

"A dungeon?" the old man murmured to himself, his gaze fixed on the imposing gate.

---

Ryan opened his eyes, observing the dark-purple mana radiating around his body. He didn't know why it appeared or what it was, but it manifested alongside his transmigration to this world, indicating a connection to his soul merging.

The dark purple mana hovered around him, encircling the ethereal blue sword once more. With a bright surge of mana, the blade glowed brilliantly with a purple and blue light.

"[Sword Magic: Quick Slash]!" Ryan exclaimed.

He felt the power coursing through him as he cast the spell, the blade moving with unprecedented speed.

SLASH!

SLASH!

SLASH!

With each slash, the blade quickened, slicing through the air with a hum. Despite the small quantity of purple mana, its impact was incredibly destructive.

When Ryan discovered this mysterious magical energy, he sensed its immense power, though his weak mana limited its duration to just one slash.

Ryan knew he needed to strengthen his mana to harness this power fully. He resolved to focus on honing his sword magic, channeling his mana to increase his speed and power.

In this world, mana naturally replenished itself after exhaustion, its quantity dependent on one's talent and effort to expand their mana pool. While uncertain of his talent, Ryan was determined to give his all to achieve his ambition.

As he continued slashing, his arms grew heavy, and his movements slowed. Despite exhaustion setting in, his determination pushed him onward until, finally, he stopped.

Exhausted, Ryan let out a tired laugh, shaking his head as he watched the ethereal blue sword disintegrate into sparks.

"Well, still slow, but whatever," he muttered under his breath.

Taking a few deep breaths, he steadied his breathing and let out a sigh.

"Is there any other method to increase mana?" Ryan pondered, his determination undiminished despite slow progress. No matter how long it took, he was committed to reaching his goal.

If there had been any alternative that could help, it would have been good.

"Ah... Let's not think about it now. I have my fists to break; what if I don't have talent? I'll just cover it with hard work," Ryan muttered to himself.

Suddenly, an overwhelming urge pulled him in a certain direction, a strange energy emanating from it, he felt as if an invisible hand had grabbed him and pulling him toward it, but at another movement the sensation disappeared completely.

"What happened?"

Ryan looked in the direction that the energy was pulling him when suddenly...

*Growl*

His stomach interrupted, reminding him of his hunger, he hadn't eaten anything for a while now.

"Let's eat something first," Ryan decided, setting aside the mysterious energy for the moment. He resolved to focus on finding food before exploring further.

"Maybe I can think about this energy later," he mused, shrugging and heading back to the village.

---

Arriving back at the house, he quickly took a shower and then made his way towards the kitchen. He opened the pantry and saw that there were a few loaves of bread left. He grabbed one and quickly made himself a sandwich. After a few bites, he finished the sandwich and decided to take a nap. He smiled to himself, feeling content with his day, and soon, he was fast asleep.

Ryan woke up with a start, realizing that it was already noontime. He quickly got out of bed and got dressed, eager to get back to honing his sword magic.

But before that, he grabbed a bag full of herbs that he had collected that morning and came out of the house, walking past a few houses knowingly.

Approaching a wooden house, he called out to the inhabitant, receiving no response. Just as he turned to leave, he spotted an old man, looking hurried and sweaty.

"Hello, old man, are you there?" Ryan greeted.

"Ah, young Ryan," the old man replied, accepting the bag of herbs hurriedly.

"Quick!" the old man urged, putting on his shoes. "I must inform the knight's quarters. A dungeon appeared behind the village!"

Startled, Ryan dropped the bag. "A dungeon? Where?"

"Near the south side," the old man pointed towards the dark forest. "It's been there since morning. We must inform the knights to investigate and prepare. God know what can be inside."

And with that, he dashed out of the house, leaving Ryan standing there in confusion. He quickly ran out of the house, not even stopping to close the door behind him.

But suddenly something clicked in his had. Could it be that the energy he felt and the dungeon were connected?

He couldn't help but think that his soul merged yesterday, and today, he felt an inexplicable attraction towards the same direction where the dungeon had appeared. Could it be connected to him in some way?

And after many moments of contemplation, Ryan decided to check out the dungeon.

The sky was orange as Ryan stepped outside the house, the last rays of the sun lingering in the sky.

He quickly gathered some food and prepared a backpack, as he didn't know how far he may have to go.

And with everything prepared, he dashed into the forest with a determined look.