Chapter 491: Two Paths to the Core [ 2 ]

So there’s a hidden entrance somewhere in this initial region.

Sage glanced around the enormous chamber, examining the numerous corridors and ancient statues.

Unfortunately, the System hadn’t provided its exact location.

"Guildmaster?"

Sage turned to find Iris watching him.

"You’ve been staring at that pool for a while," she observed. "Did you notice something unusual?"

"Only that it looks suspiciously inviting," Sage replied smoothly. "And whenever something looks inviting inside a dungeon, I assume it’s planning to kill me."

Iris smiled faintly. "That’s a reasonable assumption."

"More importantly," Sage continued, gesturing toward the surrounding corridors, "you mentioned that the mana currents were behaving strangely. Could there be passages here that aren’t immediately visible?"

Iris considered the question. "It’s possible. Some ancient formations can conceal chambers or redirect mana to disguise their presence."

Rowan looked up from his map. "Hidden passages wouldn’t be unusual in ruins this old. But we’d need some indication of where to search."

"Then perhaps we should pay closer attention to anything that doesn’t belong," Sage suggested. "Unusual carvings, inconsistent stonework, mana currents leading nowhere. That sort of thing."

Leon glanced toward him. "Are you suggesting there might be another route through the dungeon?"

"I’m suggesting that whoever built this place clearly enjoyed making things unnecessarily complicated," Sage answered, spreading his hands. "With so many passages, it would be foolish to assume the obvious routes are the only ones."

Rowan nodded thoughtfully. "That’s worth investigating."

Satisfied, Sage returned his attention to the chamber.

He couldn’t simply announce that a hidden teleportation entrance existed. Doing so would raise questions he had no intention of answering.

But if Rowan and Iris discovered something unusual through their own investigations, the situation would be considerably easier to explain.

Before they could begin searching, however, Leon suddenly raised his hand.

"Something’s coming," he warned.

The others immediately fell silent.

From one of the northern corridors came a low scraping sound, followed by the unmistakable clicking of claws against stone.

Rowan moved closer to the passage and examined the ground. "The same tracks we saw earlier. Whatever made them is approaching."

A moment later, three creatures emerged from the darkness.

They resembled enormous wolves, although their bodies were covered in rough gray scales rather than fur. Their shoulders stood nearly as high as an adult man’s chest, and their jaws were lined with long, uneven fangs.

Pale blue light flickered beneath the scales around their necks.

The largest creature lowered its head and released a guttural growl.

Mina’s eyes immediately brightened.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, drawing her sword. "Uncle Sage, can I fight them?"

Sage sighed. "I suppose asking you to behave peacefully would be pointless."

"Completely pointless!" Mina answered cheerfully.

"At least you’re honest."

Leon studied the creatures before lowering his sword slightly. "They’re dangerous, but nothing we can’t handle. Mina, take the one on the left. Lucan, watch the right. I’ll deal with the largest."

The creatures attacked almost immediately.

The largest lunged toward Leon, its claws tearing shallow grooves into the stone floor.

Leon stepped aside with practiced ease and brought his sword across its shoulder, opening a deep wound that sent the creature crashing into a nearby pillar.

Mina met the second monster head-on.

Golden mana erupted around her sword as she slipped beneath its snapping jaws and struck its foreleg.

The creature stumbled, allowing her to deliver another powerful slash across its chest.

Meanwhile, Lucan intercepted the third creature before it could reach Iris and Rowan.

He blocked its initial attack and forced it backward, giving Iris enough time to send a surge of water across the stone floor.

The sudden current disrupted the monster’s footing.

Lucan immediately exploited the opening, driving his weapon into its exposed side.

The battle ended less than a minute later.

Leon dispatched the largest creature with a decisive strike, while Mina finished her opponent after avoiding another desperate lunge.

Sage hadn’t needed to intervene.

"Well done," he remarked, examining the fallen monsters. "Although I was hoping our first encounter would involve something slightly less enthusiastic about eating us."

Mina proudly rested her sword against her shoulder. "See? They weren’t that dangerous!"

"That’s because Captain Leon was here," Sage replied. "I’d prefer you remember that before challenging every monster we encounter."

Leon wiped his blade clean before examining the creature he had defeated. "These aren’t particularly strong compared to what we might encounter deeper inside. But their presence confirms that even the initial region isn’t safe."

Rowan crouched beside one of the bodies. "They’ve been moving between several corridors. There may be more nearby."

"Then let’s not linger," Sage decided.

The group resumed investigating the chamber.

Rowan completed his initial map, identifying several passages that appeared to lead deeper into the dungeon.

Iris continued studying the mana currents, occasionally moving between pillars to compare their patterns.

After some time, she stopped beside one of the western corridors.

"Guildmaster, there’s something strange here," Iris announced.

Sage approached immediately. "Strange in a dangerous way or strange in an interesting way?"

"I’m not certain yet," Iris admitted. "The mana flowing through this corridor doesn’t match the others. Most of the currents are moving deeper into the dungeon, but this one seems to disappear into the surrounding stone."

Rowan joined them and examined the passage.

"The stonework is different too," he observed. "These blocks are fitted much more precisely than those in the other corridors."

Sage looked between them.

Now that’s promising.

Leon approached the entrance and examined the darkness beyond. "Could it be another chamber?"

"Possibly," Iris replied. "But if there’s a concealed formation, I’ll need to examine it more closely."

"Then that’s where we’ll start," Sage decided.

-----

Outside Greyfen, the number of visitors continued increasing.

Several independent Warriors had already entered the dungeon through its main entrance, while others remained near the ruins discussing the extraordinary manifestation.

Hektor watched the growing activity with mounting concern, knowing that his employers would soon expect a detailed report.

The representatives of House Velmhurst were equally dissatisfied.

Their leader had attempted to establish authority over the entrance, only to discover that the Adventurer Guild had already entered without seeking his permission.

More troubling was the presence of Captain Leon Drakar.

Interfering with the Guild now carried risks that a minor noble House could scarcely afford.

And as additional groups approached Greyfen, the question of who would ultimately control the dungeon became increasingly urgent.

Deep underground, Sage stood before the unusual western corridor, watching as Rowan and Iris began examining its walls.

He knew the competition outside would only grow fiercer.

Every passing hour gave another noble House or mercenary organization time to organize an expedition.

But unlike those rivals, Sage possessed one crucial advantage.

He knew that conquering Greyfen’s hundreds of floors wasn’t necessary to claim it.

Somewhere within the initial region was a concealed teleportation entrance leading to five special trials and the Dungeon Core Guardian.

If they could find it, they might secure the dungeon before their competitors even understood what they were searching for.

There was only one problem.

The System had revealed that the hidden entrance existed.

It hadn’t told him where to find it.