Treasure Dungeon
[ Adventurer Quest: Labyrinth Supply, Accepted ]
[ Adventurer Quest: Labyrinth Supply
Difficulty: D+
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> Labyrinth Mushroom 0/20
> D-grade Monster Core 0/7
> Brown Labyrinth Vine 0/5
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Time Limit: 7 Days
Reward: 3 Gold Coins. ]
After we revisited the guild and I accepted the mission, we departed for the labyrinth. The road to the labyrinth wasn't rough, and we managed it easily. Along the way, I got to know the party members even more. They talked about their past adventures, and I could sense the closeness in their talks.
Apparently, their tank got damaged on a mission and couldn't move, so they originally planned to leave without an additional member until I showed up.
The gray-haired guy, Max, was a B-grade Sword-Archer, specialized in short-distance fighting, and unlike Mark, he seemed quite powerful and dependable.
Leon, the youngest one in the team, unlike his bright attire, was a C-grade thief. He specialized in lock-picking and stealth, which was a good asset to a party.
And lastly, Lyra, a C-grade Magician with a specialty in Wind Magic. She was a quiet girl who mostly hid under her hat while holding her staff to support her walking. She seemed to be a little shy with strangers, which was strange since I was two grades lower than her.
Talking with them was a delight on the boring road to the dungeon.
"…- What about you, Action?" said Max.
"About what?" I said in confusion.
I couldn't hear what he was talking about since I was spacing out in a sea of thoughts.
"We teamed up because we found that we were better off with each other. I'm pretty sure with your qualities, such as being proficient in alchemy and swordsmanship, you would be easily scouted for a team. I want to know why you are adventuring alone. I know you just asked for a party to meet the requirement to enter the labyrinth."
"Well, traveling alone is better for me. There are many opportunities that could vanish if someone intervenes, and I don't want that. I'm quite competitive."
This was a true fact. I remember in my past life, I once tried a shooter game just for fun, but my friend who was better at it, due to playing it before, killed me easily. I turned furious and learned every possible way of utilizing a gun and many gun-based strategies for months just to win over him… and I did.
"If you say so," he said in disappointment. I believed he was hoping for me to join their team since an [Alchemist] adventurer was rare, as most of them were trapped in their labs making healing potions.
"Oh, I guess we reached our destination," said Max.
In front of us was a not-so-secure bridge over the river, and there was a guard waiting at the end of the bridge. We crossed the bridge easily and confronted him. He had the job of preventing the unpermitted from entering the dungeon and checking the dungeon frequently to see if anything bad would happen.
After the guard, we moved towards the entrance of the Labyrinth Dungeon that resembled a cave entrance. At the very end of the cave, there was a wall of magical words and a circle, a less advanced version I saw at the entrance of Balthazar Dungeon.
[ Cautious: C-grade Dungeon ]
"Everyone ready?" said Max, while holding on to his crossbow.
[ Do you wish to teleport to "Balthazar Remnant"? Yes/No ]
Everyone nodded in agreement, and we stepped onto the magic circle at the end of the cave and teleported away inside a closed area. The room we were teleported into was a white room with only one exit that was protected by an invisible mana barrier. The exit in front of us was a long hallway of torches and uneven tiles, which represented the labyrinth.
"Alright. Prepare to enter the dungeon. After we step our foot outside of the safe zone, we won't come back," said Max.
Safe Zones were areas created by the guild to prevent the death of adventurers inside a big dungeon. The type of Safe Zone depended on the dungeon's difficulty and terrain, and only some of the dungeons under the guild's name had them.
We entered the dungeon right after the preparation. Max and Leon stayed at the front, and I stayed with Lyra.
Leon was on the lookout for traps, while Max and Lyra used their senses and magic to navigate the labyrinth. Slowly but surely, we were taking turns and avoiding as many traps as we could, and it took us no time to meet our first monsters.
"Monster incoming," said Max.
The monster in front of us had a unique humanoid form with the characteristics of a lizard. He was holding a spear and had a long tail that could inflict damage if used properly. These creatures were called Kobolds.
[ Max Joyan Used "Sharp Shooting" Skill ]
Suddenly, Max pulled out his crossbow and shot the Kobold. The Kobold then fell to his death with an arrow on his forehead.
"From now on, we will meet a lot of monsters, in packs or not. We need to be ready," said Max with a serious face.
After that encounter with the Kobold, we moved on and encountered some more. The traps began to get harder to notice, and the number of monsters increased. Thankfully, the team could manage it, and I didn't need to work a lot.
"Oh, I found some mushrooms here," said Lyra.
"Give it to me," said Leon.
The good thing about the Adventurer Quest was that it could be done in a group, so I didn't need to work for the quest to be finished, but that didn't mean that I couldn't gain the reward, since it would be managed by the team leader, Max.
'It's about time,' I thought.
Clearing this labyrinth wasn't my original goal for entering it, since I could easily clear it by doing some [Save & Reset]. The reason I entered this labyrinth was to get into the Second Key Dungeon that I planned to enter.
"Hey Action, what are you doing?" said Max, anxiously.
I stepped forward and walked in front of everyone. I didn't listen to Max and didn't react to it.
"N-no don't go. I haven't disarmed any traps in front," said Leon.
"I know. Don't worry," I said confidently.
Nothing is random… that was what I always said when it was something regarding the dungeon. No matter the complexity or the materials used inside the dungeon, a dungeon always follows a rule… a pattern. And as long as you know the pattern, you know the dungeon.
This wasn't the first time I entered this dungeon, but I hadn't entered it enough to make me confident of entering it alone. But after Leon disarmed the traps, I recognized the pattern.
A tile to the left, below the torch, was a trap, like the one at the foremost corner.
"I want you guys to know it before I do it. Reach the end before a day, and we will meet," I said.
"What are you sayin-!" said Max.
Click, EEeEErr THUD-! I stepped on the tiles that were made for blocking the path. I dashed forward before the door closed down, and then I detached from the team.
[ Cautious: Double Dungeon ERROR incoming ]
[ Cautious: C-grade Treasure Dungeon ]