First Dungeon: Gnawing Burrow
Once their identities were confirmed, Cairn and Kaia were personally escorted to the entrance of the Gnawing Burrow by Captain Luciano.
As could be expected from a Dungeon located in a major city, the entrance to the Gnawing Burrow was cordoned off, surrounded by a 300m wide exclusion zone, magically reinforced stone walls, and six towers capped off by vibrant blue crystals. It looked like a maximum security prison from the outside, but rather than holding prisoners, the Knights and Mages stationed in the area were there to keep people out and monsters in.
Entering the cube-shaped building at the center of the exclusion zone, Cairn and Kaia got their first look at the Gnawing Burrow directly. As the name implied, it was basically just a large hole located beneath a grass-covered mound. However, unlike a typical burrow, the entrance and the tunnel beyond were composed of a blue-grey, semi-translucent material comparable to quartz. Beneath that, resembling the traces of a circuit board, tiny blue, green, and pink lines could be seen periodically glowing as Mana flowed through the Dungeon's walls, floors, and ceiling.
"I'll ask one final time," said Captain Luciano. "Are you absolutely certain you want to enter on your own? Even if Naked Horned Rats are among the weakest monsters found in Dungeons, their bites are venomous, and they can pose a serious threat in large groups."
"Your concern is appreciated but unnecessary," replied Cairn. "Rather, until our preliminary investigation is complete, we would appreciate it if you and your men stayed out of the Dungeon. The last thing we want is another 'misunderstanding' to occur."
"I understand..." replied Captain Luciano, his expression and tone making it clear he wasn't happy about the situation. However, as proud as he was of his position as a Knight Captain, his standing was nothing compared to the Status of a Bishop. He could file a complaint, but unless he wanted to invite scrutiny onto himself, he could only grit his teeth and order his men to stand down as Cairn and Kaia 'swaggered' into the Dungeon under his management...
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"It's surprisingly spacious," remarked Cairn, staring at the faintly glowing ceiling more than five meters overhead. The entrance to the Dungeon was barely large enough for them to slide down, but the moment they reached the bottom of a fifteen-meter incline, it opened up into what could best be described as an ancient underground waterway. It had stone channels that appeared to be manufactured with tools, but instead of directing the flow of water in straight lines and around sharp angles, everything had an 'organic' feel to it.
"This type of structure is fairly common among Dungeons this size," said Kaia. "When you move into Dungeons of greater difficulty, it's said to be like entering a completely different world. For example, according to one of the books I read, the Dungeon beneath the Palace of Runegraad is said to be a vast grassland encircled by mountains. It even has what looks like a sky, but if you try to move beyond the surrounding mountains, you'll find it's a facade of Ceocite, emulating the sky outside."
"Sounds pretty interesting," replied Cairn. "If we get the opportunity, we should check out. But, first things first..."
"We need to become stronger..." appended Kaia, taking the initiative to position herself in front of Cairn with her shield raised and an arrow-like javelin at the ready. They weren't under attack, but a few meters from their position, a large, hairless rodent was staring at them while nibbling on what looked like a piece of Dungeon. It had pale, grey-blue skin, a pair of barbed tails, and large incisors, but its most prominent features were the glowing, quartz-like crystals protruding from most of its body and the large, spear-like horn protruding from its head.
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Name: Gardakhan
Species: Naked Horned Rat
Gender: Male
Age: 0(29 Days)
Title: Disease Carrier(Increases Chance of Inflicting Status Ailments)
Class: Scavenger
[Attributes]
Level: 4/14[Scavenger(4)]
HP: 355/411
MP: 85/92
Str: 10
Agi: 25
Vit: 35
Int: 18
Dex: 28
Cha: 3
Talent(s): [Disease Resistance(4/14)], [Mineral Eater(4/14)], [Sharp Hearing(14/20)], [Carrier(12/20)], [Venomous Saliva(6/19)], [Weak Eyesight(18/19)]
Skill(s): [Bite(5/10)], [Horn Attack(4/10)], [Defensive Curl(3/10)], [Scratch(3/10)]
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While Cairn was observing the Naked Horned Rat's Status, Kaia promptly pounced forward, spanning nearly fifteen meters in a single bound to stab the nearly blind rodent directly in its neck. It startled and tried to curl into a ball at the last moment, but Kaia's customized javelins were assembled from materials harvested from C-Rank Monsters. They weren't enchanted and had mediocre Durability, but their P.Atk was between 250~290, more than seven times Cairn's [Shadowsilk Queen's Stinger]. As a result, even with [Defensive Curl] increasing its P.Def by 30%, the Naked Horned Rat was invariably one-shot by Kaia's swift and incredibly precise spear strike.
As the Naked Horned Rat burst into bluish-white light, a smile developed across Cairn's face as a familiar *ding* sounded in his ears, accompanied by a notification informing him he had acquired 18 Experience. It wasn't much, but knowing he and Kaia could share Experience was an important discovery.
Seeing the same notification, Kaia angled her head slightly to the side and asked, "Experience? Is this what we need to increase our Levels...?"
"That's right," replied Cairn. "Try thinking or saying Open Status Window and then focus on your Level. You should see two values. The first is your current Experience, and the second is the amount you need to reach the next Level. Right now, you're at 34,219 out of 36,666 Experience. So if we kill around a hundred Naked Horned Rats as strong as the last one, you'll reach Level 12."
"That's quite a lot..." muttered Kaia, her attention primarily focused on the transparent blue window that had materialized before her. She didn't fully understand what each value meant, but seeing her capabilities quantified was both fascinating and...disconcerting.
"My Strength is much lower than my other stats..." noted Kaia, a slightly pouty expression marring her face. She believed she was fairly strong for her age, so the sight of her meager 19 Strength bothered her.
"It's higher than mine," replied Cairn. "Also, the Neophyte Class primarily boosts Vitality, Intelligence, and Charisma. If it really bothers you, you can always transition to a Class that promotes Strength once you reach Level 20."
Seemingly realizing something, Kaia looked to Cairn and asked, "Is that the requirement for acquiring a new Class? You just need to reach Level 20?"
"Different Classes have different requirements," replied Cairn. "But yeah, generally speaking, you need to reach the Level Cap of your current Class to transition to another. What Classes are available after that depends on your stats, mastery of certain Abilities, and many other conditions. Like, if you want to obtain the Epic Class, Dragon Knight, you need to be a Knight who has defeated a mature Dragon in single combat."
Staring at Cairn in disbelief, Kaia opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to speak. It was common for people to train and study diligently in preparation for their Coming of Age Ceremony, but most fell into despair when they placed their hand upon the sphere that would determine their future and found their choices lacking or nonexistent. Now, rather than a lack of talent, it turned out the only thing preventing people from pursuing their chosen path was their Level...
Regaining her senses, Kaia's expression became gravely serious as she said, "We need to inform the Church about this. If people knew the only thing preventing them from pursuing their dreams was their Level, they would work harder and be more courageous."
"I don't mind publicizing this information, but I doubt things will play out as you imagine," contended Cairn. "It's already well-known that you can become stronger by delving into Dungeons and defeating monsters, but most people would rather live comfortable, safe, and easy lives. The only thing that can change that is desperation."
Unsheathing his nearly pitch-black blade, Cairn stepped past Kaia with the intent of repelling the group of Naked Horned Rats that had appeared deeper in the Dungeon, charging at them from around forty meters away. He was tempted to argue that the people in power would never allow the peasantry to become a threat to them, but as there were many disparities between his present and past world, he decided not to be too pessimistic. Restia seemed to be a fairly responsible Goddess, so until the world gave him a reason to hate it, he wouldn't decry it too much.
Seeing Cairn move to meet the dozen or so Naked Horned Rats without fear, Kaia decided to forgo charging into them, asking, "Do you need my help?"
"The strongest in the group is only Level 5, so I should be fine," replied Cairn. "Just keep a close eye so I don't get surrounded. And if any break off from the main group, feel free to take them out."
"Understood," replied Kaia, compressing her hind legs in the prelude to a pouncing strike while Cairn moved forward a few meters with his sword at the ready. Swords weren't particularly suited to dealing with small, nimble targets, but as the [Shadowsilk Queen's Stinger] was practically a feather in his hand, he was fairly confident it would suffice.
Undaunted by Cairn's size, the Naked Horned Rat at the front of the pack lunged forward, sending chills up his spine as it was aimed directly at his crotch. Fortunately, the grotesque rodent's velocity was only around that of a professionally pitched softball. It was also much larger, so Cairn had no trouble batting it away from him, sending it crashing into the wall and decreasing its health by 257.
("Tough little bastards...") thought Cairn, reversing the direction of his swing to slice a second rat across the face. This time, his attack dealt even less damage because the edge of his blade came into contact with the rat's horn, fracturing it into hundreds of pieces but only decreasing the rat's health by 93.
Catching another rat by the throat, Cairn attempted to use the horn on its head to impale another. The rat in his grasp thrashed wildly, but thanks to the [Shadowsilk Skin] covering his upper body and even his fingers like a second skin, Cairn didn't have to worry too much about the feral creature scratching or stabbing his forearm with its barbed tails. The problem was that the rats had an average of 25 Agility, making them slightly faster than him without the benefits of his Shadowsilk Set.
Discarding any semblance of technique, Cairn swept his sword from side to side while backing away. The previously large cave now felt incredibly small, but thanks to Kaia's quick action, he managed to avoid a situation where he was backed up against a wall by a bunch of rats.
Demonstrating the difference between a skilled Level 11 and an out-of-practice Level 1, Kaia used [Shield Bash] to generate a shockwave that scattered and confused most of the rats. In the same series of motions, she stabbed one through the eye before leaping back to create distance and ensure she wasn't in the way of Cairn swinging his sword.
("I really need to Level up...") thought Cairn, feeling slightly annoyed that he needed a girl nearly half his age to watch over him. He was thankful for her presence, but as outdated as the concept had become in his previous world, he believed it was the duty of men to safeguard women. Thus, with the conviction of reaching Level 10 as soon as possible, Cairn stabbed his sword into the eye of a horned rat, counting down the number he needed to slay before reaching Level 2...
("25...24...23...")
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(A/N: Our boy needs to pump those numbers...!)