Chapter 508: A Dungeon That Cannot Be Conquered

Ten days after Greyfen opened to the public, the Adventurer Guild received its first report of an expedition reaching the dungeon’s twelfth floor.

Sage learned about the achievement shortly after breakfast, while reviewing the growing collection of exploration records inside the temporary administrative pavilion.

The report came from the Ironcrest Company, an established mercenary organization whose members had considerable experience exploring dangerous ruins and hunting powerful Magical Beasts.

Unlike the smaller Adventurer parties that had entered Greyfen during its opening days, Ironcrest had dispatched twenty-four Warriors under the command of its veteran captain, Alaric Fenwick, a broad-shouldered swordsman whose reputation had been earned through nearly two decades of dangerous expeditions.

Their exploration had lasted four days.

And according to the report, they had discovered something troubling.

"The difficulty increased considerably after the eighth floor," Garran Holt explained, standing opposite Sage with several documents beneath his arm.

The Head of Mission Administration had traveled from the Royal Capital Headquarters to review the increasingly complicated expedition reports. "The company encountered stronger monsters, more dangerous terrain, and several passages containing magical traps."

Sage examined the documents. "And the twelfth floor?"

Garran’s expression became serious. "They encountered a monster their captain classified as Commander-Class. Fortunately, they withdrew before suffering serious casualties."

Sage leaned back in his chair.

"Only twelve floors, and they’re already encountering Commander-Class monsters?"

"According to their assessment," Garran confirmed. "We’re still waiting for independent verification."

Sage nodded thoughtfully.

The Dungeon Monster Ranking System he’d introduced in the Adventurer Guide Book classified monsters according to their relative danger, but even experienced Warriors could make mistakes when assessing unfamiliar creatures.

Nevertheless, the report was concerning.

Greyfen contained hundreds of floors.

And if the dangers were already escalating this quickly, the deeper regions would be unimaginably dangerous for ordinary Adventurers.

---

By midday, the news had spread throughout the temporary settlement surrounding Greyfen.

Warriors gathered around the public notice boards, discussing the Ironcrest Company’s discoveries and comparing them with earlier reports.

Some were excited.

Others were considerably less enthusiastic.

"Commander-Class monsters on the twelfth floor?" a young swordsman exclaimed, staring at the notice. "Then what in the world is waiting farther down?"

An older mercenary beside him shook his head. "Something you shouldn’t be in a hurry to meet, lad. That’s what."

Despite the warnings, the growing reputation of Greyfen attracted increasingly ambitious expedition companies.

Among them was the Blackthorn Vanguard, a powerful independent company led by Captain Roland Ashcombe, a veteran 6-Star Grandmaster Knight renowned for defeating dangerous Magical Beasts along the kingdom’s northern borders.

His company consisted of eighteen experienced Warriors, including several 5-Star Master Knights and two accomplished Mages.

They had purchased eighteen S-Rank Dungeon Passes, spending eighteen hundred gold coins before even setting foot inside Greyfen.

Their objective was simple.

Reach farther than anyone else.

Roland stood before his assembled companions near the dungeon entrance, examining a newly purchased map of the explored floors.

"We’re not going inside to gather scraps from the first few caverns," he declared. "Our objective is to push beyond the twelfth floor and establish a new exploration record."

His second-in-command, a scarred veteran named Hadrian, studied the map with a troubled expression.

"Captain, the information beyond the eighth floor is incomplete. We don’t know how many passages remain unexplored."

Roland folded the map.

"Then we’ll discover them ourselves."

Hadrian hesitated before nodding.

He trusted his captain.

But Greyfen was beginning to develop a reputation for punishing precisely that kind of confidence.

---

The Blackthorn Vanguard advanced rapidly through the initial floors.

Their experience showed immediately.

Monsters that had troubled smaller Adventurer parties were dispatched with disciplined coordination, while their Mages identified several dangerous formations before anyone accidentally activated them.

By the ninth floor, the company had recovered valuable monster materials and several unusual minerals.

By the eleventh, their progress had slowed.

The monsters were becoming stronger.

Their attacks were more coordinated, and several creatures demonstrated abilities the company had never encountered before.

On the thirteenth floor, they discovered a vast underground forest filled with enormous pale trees.

A strange mist drifted between the trunks, obscuring the ground.

Hadrian examined the surroundings uneasily.

"Captain, this place doesn’t resemble the previous floors."

Roland drew his sword.

"Stay together. Nobody wanders beyond the formation."

The company advanced cautiously.

Then the mist began moving.

Not drifting.

Moving.

Several Warriors noticed the change simultaneously.

"Something’s approaching!" a scout warned, raising his spear.

A tremendous shadow passed between the trees.

Moments later, an enormous creature emerged from the mist.

It resembled a towering stag, but its body was covered in dark crystalline armor, and dozens of branching antlers extended from its skull.

Blue flames burned within its empty eye sockets.

The surrounding trees trembled as the creature lowered its head.

Roland’s expression changed.

He could sense the monster’s overwhelming presence.

This was no ordinary Commander-Class creature.

"Defensive formation!" Roland roared.

The Warriors immediately raised their shields.

The creature moved.

BOOOOM!

A violent shockwave tore through the forest.

Several trees shattered, and three Warriors were thrown backward before they could establish their defenses.

Roland lunged forward, his sword blazing with mana.

CLANG!

His blade struck the creature’s crystalline armor.

The impact sent a painful tremor through his arms not even a crack appeared.

Roland’s eyes widened. "Impossible!"

The creature swung its antlers.

Roland barely avoided the attack, but the ground behind him exploded into fragments.

Hadrian rushed toward the fallen Warriors.

"Captain! We can’t fight this thing!"

Roland gritted his teeth. For the first time since entering Greyfen, he understood that his company’s strength might be completely insufficient.

"Retreat!" he shouted. "Everyone, fall back!"

The Blackthorn Vanguard abandoned its formation and fled toward the passage connecting the thirteenth and twelfth floors.

The creature pursued them through the forest, its enormous hooves shaking the ground.

Two Warriors suffered severe injuries during the escape. Another lost his shield and nearly his arm.Only after crossing the passage into the previous floor did the company finally escape its pursuit.

Roland leaned against the cavern wall, breathing heavily.

His sword had been damaged and his armor was cracked. His company had accomplished absolutely nothing against the creature.

Hadrian approached him, his expression pale.

"Captain, what was that thing?"

Roland stared toward the passage they’d escaped through.

"I don’t know," he admitted quietly. "And I have no intention of returning to find out."

---

The Blackthorn Vanguard returned to Greyfen’s entrance the following evening.

Their arrival immediately attracted attention.

Several members were being supported by their companions, while others carried damaged equipment and bloodstained shields.

The contrast between their confident departure and exhausted return was impossible to ignore.

Sage approached with Boren, who had remained at Greyfen to supervise the establishment of the new commercial facilities.

"Captain Roland," Sage greeted, examining the company’s condition. "I take it your expedition encountered some difficulties?"

Roland gave a bitter laugh. "Guildmaster, that’s one way of describing it."

Boren glanced toward the injured Warriors.

"I’ll have the medical personnel prepare additional treatment space," he said, turning toward a nearby security guard.

Sage nodded before facing Roland again. "What happened?"

Roland described the underground forest, the strange mist, and the enormous crystalline stag.

As the explanation continued, Sage’s expression became increasingly serious.

"A monster with crystalline armor and blue flames within its eyes?" Sage repeated.

Roland nodded grimly. "My sword couldn’t even damage its hide. And I’m a 5-Star Master Knight."

Several nearby Warriors exchanged alarmed glances.

A 5-Star Master Knight was already considered an extraordinary combatant within the kingdom.

If someone of Roland’s strength couldn’t injure the creature, what chance did ordinary Adventurers possess?

Sage considered the implications. The monster might belong to the Lord-Class category, although he wouldn’t assign an official classification without sufficient evidence.

Whatever its rank, the encounter demonstrated something important.

Greyfen’s dangers were escalating far more rapidly than many Adventurers had anticipated.

---

Later that evening, Sage convened a meeting inside the administrative pavilion.

Garran Holt attended alongside Boren and several Guild employees responsible for organizing expedition records.

Rowan and Iris had also been invited as independent Adventurer consultants because of their experience with Greyfen’s unusual terrain and magical phenomena.

Garran placed the Blackthorn Vanguard’s report upon the table.

"We should issue an updated warning concerning the thirteenth floor," he recommended. "The company encountered a creature capable of overwhelming a 6-Star Grandmaster Knight."

Iris examined the description carefully. "The mist might also possess magical properties. We shouldn’t assume the monster was the only danger present."

Rowan nodded. "And the underground forest creates difficult terrain. Even a strong company could become separated if visibility deteriorates."

Sage listened before making his decision. "Classify the thirteenth floor as an extreme-risk exploration region until further investigation. Make it clear that the monster’s exact classification remains unconfirmed."

Boren frowned. "Won’t that discourage people from entering?"

"Some of them," Sage answered. "But discouraging someone from committing suicide isn’t necessarily bad for business."

Garran began recording the instructions.

Sage continued, "And we need to make something else clear. Reaching a new floor isn’t automatically an achievement worth dying for. Expeditions should prioritize reliable information and safe returns over reckless competition."

Rowan smiled faintly. "That might disappoint the companies trying to break exploration records."

"Then they’ll have to endure the disappointment," Sage replied.

---

After the meeting ended, Sage remained inside the pavilion, studying the growing map of Greyfen.

Thirteen floors. That was the deepest publicly documented exploration so far. And already, a powerful company led by a 5-Star Master Knight had been forced to retreat.

Sage knew something the other Adventurers didn’t. Greyfen extended downward for hundreds of floors. Its true depths remained beyond the capabilities of the kingdom’s present Warriors.

Even the strongest known combatants would struggle against the dangers waiting far below.

Boren approached quietly. "You’re thinking about how long it’ll take to explore the entire dungeon, aren’t you?"

Sage smiled faintly. "Something like that."

"Years?" Boren asked.

"Perhaps."

"Decades?"

Sage looked toward the enormous map. "Possibly generations."

Boren stared at him. "Generations?"

Sage nodded. "Greyfen isn’t a ruin that someone can simply march into and conquer. It’s an entire world beneath our feet. Different generations of Adventurers may explore different regions, establish new routes, discover resources, and gradually push farther than their predecessors."

Boren considered those words for a long moment. "And the Guild?"

Sage smiled. "The Guild will still be here."

Outside, the marketplace continued bustling with activity.

Merchants negotiated contracts, Adventurers prepared equipment, and new expedition companies studied the warnings posted beside Greyfen’s entrance.

Some would become wealthy.

Others would discover dangers beyond their understanding.

But the dungeon would remain.

And as Sage watched the enormous stone pillars glowing beneath the evening sky, he understood that Greyfen’s greatest value wasn’t something the Guild could extract in a single expedition.

It was an opportunity that could sustain the Adventurer Guild for generations.