Goblin's lair

On my way to the dungeon, I exchanged the gold in my storage ring for money and purchased low-tier healing potions, stamina potions, poisons, and a set of chained daggers.

I didn't need to buy a sword, as Dracula had given me a growth-type black sword, Nebula. Currently, it was an F-rank sword to match my strength.

Later, I arrived at the dungeon's location and saw a huge blue vortex guarded by two guards. After verifying my ID, they allowed me to enter the dungeon gate.

"Why does he want to die by entering it solo?"

"Just do your job. Don't question him. Let him do what he wants. Besides, he gave us money, so no one can enter until he is present in the dungeon."

I entered the blue vortex, my head started spinning as I watched the whole space around me distorted, and finally, after a while, I reached the dungeon.

'Blurgh.' I vomited due to the dizziness caused by spatial travel. 'Ah, it's like I'm on a voyage in the middle of an ocean.' I chugged a stamina potion to negate the effects.

In front of me was a massive cave entrance, enveloped in an eerie blue glow. The torches hanging on either side of the walls illuminated the entrance, revealing weapons and bones scattered around. The walls of the cave seemed to pulsate with a faint, ominous energy.

'Woah, is this how dungeons are supposed to be? Looks like a cave. Maybe I've been transported to their lair. Torches have been attached at the ends of walls, casting long, flickering shadows. Not that I require any of it because of my night vision.'

As I ventured deeper, the quietness of the environment heightened the suspense. The echoing of my footsteps in the cave created an eerie symphony, amplifying the tension in the air. The silence was occasionally broken by distant, echoing sounds, perhaps the subtle shuffling of unseen creatures.

'The environment is suspiciously quiet for a dungeon.' I enhanced my hearing to detect any presence around me. I was able to sense an enemy in a range of 100 meters.

I could hear the sounds of 4 goblins at a range of 80 meters. Their footsteps echoed in the cave, accompanied by occasional guttural grunts. 'Now, how should I hunt them? Each one of them may have physical strength equal to or worse than mine.' I contemplated in my mind and devised a plan.

I got close to them and waited for them to spread out a bit. I threw a stone at the opposite direction. As they turned around, I took out the lights using my chained daggers and waited in the darkness, continuing the use of chained hammers to injure them, not to kill them. I had to make them feel despair. The goblins were panicking, hearing their fellow kin screaming in pain.

The cave echoed with the chaos of the encounter. After continually taking injuries, the goblins went berserk, attacking anything and everything. The sounds of clashes and the screams of the goblins reverberated through the cavernous space.

'That was a good plan. Now time to see how their bodies actually work.' I took the dagger and tore open their bodies to understand their physique.

'They are as human as they can be, but one key difference is the lack of sentient consciousness in them, due to the presence of the E-rank mana core. Maybe as the rank increases, they become more sentient beings. I should probably do experiments on these cores to extract and utilize mana from these, rather than selling them.'

Silence settled back over the dungeon. Contemplating my next steps, I marveled at my ability to hear sounds up to 100 meters—a skill that would prove crucial in the depths of this dungeon.

I continued my exploration, hunting around 20 goblins using the previous strategy. I was relatively unharmed, but fatigue was present in my eyes. Deciding to take a break, I exited the dungeon, handing another bag of gold to the guards.

I came out of the dungeon and handed out another bag of gold to the guards and asked them to book the dungeon for myself.

The guards agreed with me, but the guild wouldn't want a person/party to hold a dungeon for a long time without hunting monsters. So I had to hurry and clear the dungeon as soon as possible.

It was morning, and as an adult vampire, I preferred to wear a hoodie, a black one with a bat symbol in its back.

I went back home and laid myself on my bed and fell asleep.

After a while, someone came to my room. Evangeline sat beside me and placed her hand on my puffy cheeks and squeezed them hard.

I sheepishly said, "Sister, five more minutes."

Evangeline replied, "Hmph, you always say that. Come now, wake up. Today, dad said that important guests are going to visit the mansion."

I grumbled, "I don't want to come. Let me sleep in my bed."

Evangeline retorted, "Why are you so lazy, my cute chubby Oreo?" She grazed my hair. "Dad specifically asked for you to be present, so get ready immediately."

I protested, "But..."

Evangeline warned

, "No buts, or I'm not going to talk to you. Get ready and come to the mansion gate to greet the guests."

I sighed, "Just when I get to have rest. Huh, now who might this special guest be?" I didn't change my clothes and strode forward with my hoodie.

Adam asked sternly, looking at Evangelin, "Why is your brother not here yet?"

Evangeline spoke with a sense of fear in her eyes, "I woke him up. He will be here at any moment."

Adam snorted, "I don't know how I gave birth to an imbecile like him."

Evangeline didn't like the way his father and the maids treated her brother but couldn't say anything against them, as Orion had asked her that he didn't give a damn about what others think about him.

Just then, I entered beside my sister and maintained a calm demeanor, looking at my father in the eyes.

Adam was angered by my outfit. "Didn't I say not to wear that kind of crappy dress in front of me? It doesn't suit a noble family. I informed your sister that important guests are coming to visit us."

I stood my ground with cold eyes and said, "And how many times should I tell you, father, that I don't give a damn about what others—"

Just then, a huge grand chariot came towards the gate.

Seeing the flag on the chariot with the symbol of the human continent, my mind was furious for some reason...

--To be continued