Chapter 6: Dungeon Diving

I dragged myself to the entrance checkpoint in my sparkling new armour and the sight of a fog gate soured my mood. It seemed like it needed a certain item to open it, which I lacked, so I walked up the booth at the side. Because of my position, light from the only ray of sun reflected off me and blinded the employee behind the desk.

"I'd like to enter the dungeon." I said.

The employee squinted their eyes and spoke monotonously as if they had recited the same like thousands of times, "You do realise the gate has an automatic card scanning system, right?"

"I don't have one."

"Then get your familia to register you and get an adventurer's card."

"I don't have one."

They sent an exasperated stare my way before grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen.

"Since you don't possess a Falna and think you're some kind of exception to needing one, you will need to fill in this form," The employee slotted the items over to me through a cutout in the glass, "Just write your name, and agree to the conditions above. After that, sign the form and you will be granted entry."

"I don't have one."

The man's eyes widened.

"...You're kidding right?"

"Of course."

I scribbled the words 'Kidding Right' into the name section and scanned the terms and conditions. It said stuff about how by entering the dungeon without a falna, I was aware of the risks and dangers associated with it and I'm responsible for anything that happens to myself.

"Here," I handed over the sheet of paper. "Now can I enter?"

"Do you really want to do this?" The employee stood up, "Without the blessing of a god you won't get any stronger, but the monsters will. You're gonna find yourself cornered and unable to do anything about it. I strongly urge you to reconsider this."

"My decision remains unchanged. Please let me pass."

"By the gods, first that kid came running out covered in blood and babbling like a madman and now your going to commit suicide. Just go."

The employee pulled a lever without even glancing at my paper and the fog gate dissapated, allowing me to enter.

A crowded spiral staircase greeted my gaze. By the looks of it, most people were returning from a long day of dungeon diving. Some had hearty expression as if they had just won at life itself and carried brimming sacks of magic stones while the lonesome others wore traumatised faces of dread and suffering like the world had come crashing down. A foul and heavy metallic scent exuded from them.

I pushed through the flow of people and descended into the uncertainity of the first floor. The area was wide, and the walls were light blue and didn't seem too dangerous. I could have gone lower, but gauging the danger of the dungeon came first. I didn't have infinite lives anymore.

Though, I was perhaps being a bit too cautious since the only enemies down here were little mutts or those disgusting goblins from beforehand which my blade cut down with ease.

"I overestimated this place." I sighed, collecting the monster crystals and depositing them into a sack. It turns out those things the goblins at the village dropped had an economic value that the villagers never mentioned.

I no longer felt bad about taking their money and leaving.

Floors two to four were the same, with the exception of lounges of dungeon lizards ambushing me from around the corners. They gave me a bit more trouble than the others and if I didn't have this pristine blade which somehow retained all its strength from Lodran, I'd have to stop here.

Then the fifth floor shook things up. The walls turned brown and expanded in both width and height. For unknown reasons, the centre of my chest felt too warm aswell even though the temperature of the dungeon hadn't changed.

The strength of the monsters also increased, it was like I was fighting a completely different creature at some points. They moved faster, swung faster, hit harder, and were a lot smarter in terms of combat intelligence.

"Graah!" A goblin riding a lizard charged me with a spear at full speed.

I rolled under and allowed them to overshoot me. Then, I curved my blade upwards, slicing the stomach of the lizard and spilling its foul entrails onto the ground in a steaming stew of bodily fluids.

The goblin flew off and smashed face first into the wall, sending teeth and blood splattering onto it. Discombobulated by the impact, it struggled to even stand, so I put it out of its misery by decapitating it.

Once I collected their stones along with their souls, I took a brief break since a party was already ahead of me and were most likely locked into combat. However, they were too quiet for a party of five people, silent as a matter of fact.

Alarm bells went off in my mind, something was very wrong.

I swigged a drink from my water and turned the corner in a hurry.

Then I was met with a gruesome sight.

I saw a man who had his face caved in by blunt-force trauma. One of his eyes were mushed beyond being recognisable and the other dangled from side to side like a sickening pendulum. Blood dripped in constant intervals and painted the floor red while his fingers still twitched.

Down the hall was the rest of his party, who had also suffered a similar fate.

Whatever did this must have used a hefty club or hammer complimented by its strength since it dented or outright destroyed their armour.

"H-help..." A feeble voice called.

I glanced over and saw a blonde woman sitting up against a wall. Her legs were chunky pancakes of blood, bone and other organic matter. A crimson lake had formed beneath her; she had already lost too much blood and was beyond saving.

"What did this to you?"

"D-d-dark goblin... big hammer."

Just as she said those words, something roared from down the hall.

"R-run..."