Chapter 29: Going Inside The Dungeon (part 1)

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Going Inside The Dungeon (part 1)

The veteran adventurer’s words caused the atmosphere among the group to become noticeably heavier. A moment earlier, several of them had still been talking casually, but now even those conversations had died down.

Everyone knew the basic details of what had happened, yet hearing it spoken aloud while they were walking toward the very same dungeon made the danger feel far more real.

"We’re close," Darian finally said.

Several adventurers immediately raised their heads.

"How can you tell?"

Darian pointed toward the trees ahead.

"The forest."

Everyone looked around.

At first, there didn’t seem to be anything unusual. The trees were still thick, the ground was covered with leaves and roots, and sunlight continued to filter through the canopy overhead. Yet the deeper they went, the quieter the forest had become.

There were fewer birds, fewer insects.

Even the distant cries of monsters had gradually disappeared.

One of the veteran adventurers narrowed his eyes.

"You’re right."

He looked around carefully.

"It’s too quiet."

Darian nodded.

"Stay alert."

The group immediately tightened their formation.

Weapons were quietly drawn from their sheaths, bows were prepared, and several adventurers began circulating their energy through their bodies in preparation for an unexpected attack. Nobody wanted to be caught off guard the way Kyle’s group had been.

They continued forward.

Several minutes passed.

Then one of the adventurers suddenly stopped.

"Wait."

The people around him froze.

"What?"

He pointed ahead.

"Look."

Darian immediately followed his finger.

Between the trees, something enormous was visible.

At first, it looked like a massive stone wall hidden among the forest.

But as they moved closer, the shape became clearer.

It was a building, a massive stone hall stood in the middle of the forest.

The trees surrounding it seemed almost insignificant compared to its enormous walls, which rose several meters into the air. Vines covered portions of the ancient stone, while roots had grown around the foundation as if the forest had been slowly reclaiming the structure for countless years.

The entrance was enormous.

Two weathered stone pillars supported a wide archway, and several strange markings had been carved into the walls. Most of them were so old that they had become difficult to distinguish.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

One of the younger adventurers looked around in disbelief.

"Who would build something this large in the middle of the forest?"

Nobody answered.

There was no road leading toward the structure.

No village nearby, and n signs of human habitation. It was simply there, standing silently among the trees.

An adventurer near the rear let out a nervous laugh.

"This is already making me uncomfortable."

Another adventurer glanced toward him.

"You’re uncomfortable because there’s an old building in the forest?"

"Not just an old building."

He pointed toward the enormous entrance.

"The dungeon is supposed to be inside that thing."

His companion’s expression became serious.

"...Right."

Darian stepped forward, his eyes carefully examining the hall.

"So this is the structure Kyle described."

One of the adventurers nodded.

"Most likely."

Darian looked around.

"Spread out."

The group immediately followed his order.

Several adventurers inspected the surrounding forest while others approached the outer walls. Darian himself remained near the entrance, carefully examining the ground.

There were traces of disturbance in the dirt.

Footprints.

Some were old and partially covered by fallen leaves, while others appeared much more recent.

Darian crouched down and touched one of them.

"People have definitely been here."

One of the other adventurers looked at the tracks.

"Those must belong to Kyle’s group."

"Probably."

The hall was completely silent.

Darian slowly drew his sword.

"Everyone, stay together."

The group entered.

Their footsteps echoed through the enormous hall.

The sound traveled farther than expected, bouncing against the stone walls before eventually fading into the darkness beyond.

Inside, the structure was even larger than it had appeared from outside.

Tall stone pillars supported the ceiling, and several large chambers branched away from the main hall. Dust covered portions of the floor, while old cracks ran across the walls.

Another looked toward the surrounding corridors.

"This place is completely empty."

Darian didn’t answer.

He continued walking deeper into the hall, his eyes constantly moving from one corner to another.

They had already been warned that the dungeon was inside this structure.

That meant the building itself wasn’t the dungeon.

It was merely the entrance, they soon reached the center of the hall.

There, Darian suddenly stopped.

Everyone behind him almost collided with one another.

"Leader?"

Darian raised his hand.

"Look."

Everyone followed his gaze.

At the far end of the hall stood something that looked like a doorway.

Except it wasn’t a normal door. One of the adventurers stepped beside him.

"Could it be the entrance?"

Darian nodded.

"Yes."

He reached out but stopped before touching the surface.

"This must be the entrance to the dungeon."

The group became silent.

Everyone understood the significance of those words.

One of the adventurers swallowed nervously.

"So once we go through that..."

"We enter the dungeon," Darian finished.

Another adventurer looked back toward the entrance of the hall.

"We can still leave."

Darian nodded.

"We can."

Nobody moved.

For several moments, the group simply stood there, staring at the strange doorway.

Then Darian turned toward everyone.

"Before we proceed, check your equipment."

The adventurers immediately began inspecting their weapons, armor, potions, and supplies.

Darian watched them carefully.

We don’t know what’s waiting on the other side. Remember the orders from the mayor. We determine the tier and nothing more. If the dungeon is beyond our ability, we retreat."

"Understood."

Darian looked at the strange entrance once more.

And according to the report, the monsters they encountered had not even been the strongest creatures inside.

Darian tightened his grip around his sword.

"Prepare yourselves."

The adventurers stood ready.

Darian took one final breath before stepping toward the dungeon entrance.

"Let’s find out what kind of dungeon we’re dealing with."

The moment Darian stepped toward the strange entrance, the entire group became tense. The massive stone doorway stood silently before them, its dark opening seeming to lead into a place completely disconnected from the forest outside.