Chapter 473: The Dungeon That Hasn’t Been Born

The Stormcrown Basilisk was finally dead, but northern Greyfen would carry the scars of their battle for years.

The ridge where the Commander Beast had established its territory had disappeared beneath an enormous crater, and hundreds of ancient trees lay scattered across the surrounding wilderness.

Rivers of molten stone were gradually cooling inside the trenches left by Sage’s Fire Magic, while the remains of shattered Earth Magic formations rose from the devastated landscape like broken fortifications.

More than fifty 4th Order Elite Beasts had participated in the battle, and although some had escaped into the forest, enough corpses remained to make the scale of the confrontation unmistakable.

Sage stood near the Basilisk’s enormous body, studying the ruined crystalline crown while the others recovered.

Beneath his feet, however, he could still feel the faint movement of mana flowing toward something much deeper underground.

Mina was sitting against a fallen tree with her shield resting across her knees.

The golden mana that had surrounded her during the battle had disappeared, leaving her looking like an exhausted eleven-year-old rather than the terrifying Knight who had smashed through several Elite Beasts.

Lucan sat nearby, examining the damage to his sword, while Rowan inspected the Basilisk’s remains for valuable materials. Iris had already recovered enough to begin studying the unusual crystals growing through its scales.

"Uncle Sage, are we finished?" Mina asked, rubbing her aching shoulder before looking toward the ruined battlefield. "Because I don’t think my arms want to fight another fifty monsters today."

Sage approached her with a faint smile. "You’ve done enough fighting for one expedition, Mina. Although I would appreciate it if you stopped trying to punch creatures that weigh several dozen times more than you."

Mina looked genuinely puzzled by the complaint. "But it worked, Uncle Sage. Besides, you were throwing suns at the Basilisk. I think my punches were considerably less dangerous."

Lucan lowered his damaged sword and gave Sage an exhausted look. "Unfortunately, Guildmaster, she has a point. I watched you erase an entire ridge, and somehow you’re concerned about her punching things."

Rowan finished examining one of the Basilisk’s broken horns before joining them.

"We should collect what we can carry and leave the rest marked for a proper recovery expedition," he advised, holding up a crystalline fragment. "A Commander Beast’s materials are worth a fortune, but transporting a carcass this size through Greyfen isn’t practical without preparation."

Sage accepted the fragment and examined the storm mana lingering inside it. The Guild could certainly make use of the Basilisk’s materials, and his System Storage offered an easier solution than hiring an enormous transport caravan.

He decided to recover the carcass privately once the others had moved away. For now, something considerably more valuable demanded his attention.

"Iris, have you noticed any changes in the mana since the Basilisk died?" Sage asked, turning toward the silver-haired Mage.

Iris stood and brushed dust from her sleeves. "The storm mana surrounding this territory is already dispersing, but the underground currents haven’t changed. Whatever is forming beneath Greyfen is continuing exactly as before."

Sage nodded thoughtfully. "Then we need to return to the ruins. I want another look at the formation before we head back to the Capital."

The return journey through Greyfen was considerably quieter than their advance.

Without the Stormcrown Basilisk dominating the northern territory, the remaining Magic Beasts had begun scattering, although Rowan warned that the forest wouldn’t recover immediately.

Entire territories had been abandoned, feeding grounds destroyed and migration routes disrupted. Killing one Commander Beast couldn’t undo weeks of displacement.

The smaller settlements along Greyfen’s southern boundary would continue experiencing attacks until the surviving creatures established new territories, and the Guild would need to prepare missions specifically to protect those settlements.

By late afternoon, they reached the ancient ruins again. Iris guided them through the damaged entrance and reinforced several unstable passages with Earth Magic, enormous brown Magic Circles appearing whenever she encountered a section that threatened to collapse.

Their earlier battles had damaged portions of the underground structure, but the route to the chamber overlooking the forming dungeon remained accessible.

Once they arrived, Sage approached the fractured floor where he had first witnessed the impossible phenomenon beneath Greyfen.

"Iris, I want you to examine the mana while I use my Eyes," Sage instructed, stopping beside the opening. "Try to determine whether the rate of absorption has changed since yesterday. Rowan, keep watch over the passages. We don’t know whether anything else has settled beneath these ruins."

Iris immediately retrieved her measuring instruments. "I’ll compare the current flow against my earlier readings. If the concentration has increased consistently, I might be able to estimate how quickly the formation is progressing."

Rowan nodded and moved toward the corridor with his sword drawn. Lucan accompanied him despite his injuries, while Mina remained beside Sage. Once everyone was positioned, Sage closed his eyes and directed mana toward his Aetheric Insight Eyes.

When he opened them, the underground world appeared in extraordinary detail. Vast mana veins stretched across miles of wilderness, converging beneath Greyfen like rivers flowing toward an invisible sea.

Their currents were stronger than before, and the unnatural structure at their destination had become noticeably more defined.

Sage concentrated until his vision penetrated the surrounding stone and reached the distorted space buried far beneath the ruins.

What he discovered made his expression change.

The dungeon was growing.

Yesterday, its internal boundaries had appeared unstable, with incomplete chambers repeatedly forming and dissolving. Now several of those chambers had retained their shapes.

Corridors connected them through stretches of distorted space, while enormous quantities of mana gathered around their boundaries.

The physical distance occupied by the formation remained relatively small, yet the space developing within it was expanding far beyond what the surrounding earth should have permitted.

Sage pushed his perception deeper. He could distinguish the beginnings of multiple interconnected regions, although their structures remained incomplete.

Some appeared as enormous empty chambers, while others contained complicated formations of condensed mana that he couldn’t identify. He searched for an entrance but found nothing connecting the developing dungeon to the ordinary world.

Then his Eyes revealed something else.

The mana surrounding the outer boundary was beginning to stabilize. Its currents followed increasingly regular patterns, and each completed cycle strengthened the structure.

Sage studied those cycles carefully, comparing their progress with the rate at which the unfinished boundaries were becoming permanent.

He couldn’t determine an exact manifestation date, but the changes were consistent enough to suggest a rough window.

Twenty to thirty days.

Perhaps sooner if the mana absorption accelerated.

Sage finally withdrew his perception, blinking several times as the ordinary chamber returned around him. Iris immediately approached, holding a crystal disk whose engraved runes continued glowing faintly.

"Guildmaster, the absorption rate has increased," Iris reported, her excitement evident despite the exhaustion on her face. "Not dramatically, but enough that I can measure the difference. The mana isn’t simply disappearing underground anymore. Its movement is becoming increasingly regular. Did you see anything different?"

Sage looked toward the fractured floor before answering. "The internal structure is stabilizing. Some of the chambers that were incomplete yesterday have finished forming, and the surrounding space is becoming more consistent. If the process continues at this rate, I estimate the dungeon could manifest within twenty to thirty days."

Iris stared at him, momentarily forgetting the measuring disk in her hand. "Twenty to thirty days? Guildmaster, do you understand how extraordinary that is? Kingdoms normally begin investigating after an entrance appears. Even the greatest Mage organizations can’t reliably predict the exact location of a dungeon before manifestation."

Lucan returned from the corridor just in time to hear her explanation.

His expression became serious as he considered what Sage had discovered. "A new dungeon this close to the Royal Capital would attract practically every major organization in the Kingdom. Knight Orders, Mage organizations, noble Houses, merchant consortiums and mercenary companies would all want access."

Rowan joined them and glanced toward the opening. "And thousands of Warriors would follow. Dunmere would become the closest settlement to something that could completely change its future."

Mina looked between them before asking, "Does that mean the Guild can take the dungeon before everyone else arrives?"

Sage considered her question carefully. "It means we have time to prepare before everyone else discovers it. Controlling the surrounding land is another matter. We’ll need to establish who holds authority over Greyfen, whether the Crown has existing claims and what rights the Guild can legally secure."

Lucan folded his arms, his noble upbringing suddenly becoming useful in a different way. "Then you shouldn’t announce anything until you’ve examined the land records. If a noble House discovers what you’re investigating, they’ll start purchasing rights and gathering support before you can act."

"Which means we should move quickly," Iris added, her expression becoming thoughtful. "I also want to study the formation while it’s still developing. Once the dungeon manifests, we may never have another opportunity to observe this stage."

Sage nodded. The advantages were becoming clearer with every passing moment.

A dungeon could provide the Guild with a continuous supply of missions, monster materials, rare resources and opportunities for Adventurers to advance their Ranks.

If the Kingdom Headquarters became the principal organization managing expeditions into a newly manifested dungeon, thousands of Warriors would have a reason to register with the Guild.

More importantly, this discovery offered something money alone couldn’t purchase.

Prestige.

The Adventurer Guild was still a newcomer in the Royal Capital. Its facilities were impressive, its auction had attracted attention and its membership was growing, but many established organizations continued treating it as an ambitious outsider.

A successful dungeon expedition could demonstrate what the Guild was actually capable of accomplishing.

Sage turned toward his companions. "Until we’ve returned to Headquarters and decided how to proceed, nobody outside this group learns what we’ve discovered. Rowan, I want a complete record of everything we’ve encountered in Greyfen, including the migration routes and the Basilisk’s territory. Iris, preserve your measurements and begin organizing your findings. I’ll decide who receives the information once we’re back."

Rowan nodded. "I’ll also mark safe approaches and possible locations for temporary camps. If we’re bringing Adventurers here later, we’ll need reliable routes before the forest becomes crowded."

Iris carefully stored her crystal disk. "I’ll prepare a separate report on the mana formation. There are several things I want to investigate before manifestation, particularly whether the surrounding veins will return to their natural courses afterward."

Lucan glanced toward Sage with a faint smile. "And I suppose you’ll need someone who understands how noble Houses operate when you start examining land claims. Fortunately, Guildmaster, you happen to know an exceptionally handsome member of House Auremont."

Mina rolled her eyes at him. "You were doing so well until you started talking about yourself again."

Lucan placed a hand against his chest, pretending to be wounded. "Mina, after everything we’ve survived together, I expected considerably more appreciation."

Sage laughed before looking at all four of them. Greyfen had changed more than their understanding of the forest. Mina had demonstrated strength that defied her age and Rank.

Lucan had proven himself dependable when lives were at stake.

Rowan had guided them through dangers that raw power alone couldn’t overcome, while Iris had repeatedly demonstrated why a knowledgeable Mage was indispensable during an expedition.

They had arrived as individuals.

They were returning as companions who understood how to rely on one another.

Sage was beginning to see the foundation of something the Guild would eventually need on a much larger scale.

He took one final look at the fractured floor before turning toward the passage leading back to the surface.

The dungeon beneath Greyfen had no entrance, no publicly recognized location and no established claimants. The Royal Capital continued its daily affairs without knowing that an extraordinary opportunity was developing within travelling distance of its walls.

The noble Houses didn’t know.

The Knight Orders didn’t know.

The mercenary companies didn’t know.

But the Adventurer Guild knew.

And when that dungeon finally opened, Sage intended to make certain the Guild was already waiting at its entrance.