Chapter 61: Dungeon Outbreak (part 1)

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Dungeon Outbreak (part 1)

Tibran could already imagine the possibilities.

"This could be quite profitable."

He tapped his finger against the report.

"If we can confirm that it’s truly a Tier 2 dungeon, Hetin’s development will accelerate."

He smiled from ear to ear.

A dungeon was always a double-edged sword.

It could bring enormous wealth to a territory, but it could also become a disaster if left unchecked.

Still, Tibran was in a good mood.

The report contained enough evidence to suggest that the dungeon was valuable.

He reached for another document when suddenly...

Bang!

The door to his office was thrown open. Tibran immediately raised his head.

A city guard rushed inside.

The man’s armor was only partially secured, and his breathing was heavy. Sweat covered his forehead, and his expression was filled with urgency.

"My lord!"

Tibran’s smile disappeared.

"What happened?"

The guard stopped in front of the desk and immediately bowed.

"My lord, there’s an outbreak!"

Tibran’s expression hardened.

"What?"

"The dungeon!"

The guard swallowed before forcing the words out.

"The dungeon is having an outbreak!"

For a moment, the entire room became silent.

Tibran slowly stood from his chair.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, my lord!"

The guard’s voice trembled slightly.

"The scouts on the western watchtower reported seeing monsters emerging from the dungeon entrance. More are appearing every minute."

Tibran’s eyes narrowed.

He immediately understood the seriousness of the situation.

A dungeon outbreak.

It was one of the greatest dangers associated with maintaining a dungeon.

And the timing was impossible to predict.

A dungeon could remain peaceful for months, it could remain quiet for years.

Then, without warning, an outbreak could occur.

That was the price of keeping a dungeon within a territory.

And when an outbreak happened, the surrounding settlements had to deal with the consequences.

Tibran immediately turned toward the guard.

"Sound the alarm."

Tibran’s voice became cold and authoritative.

"Get every soldier to the walls. Notify the adventurers’ guild. Tell every available adventurer to report to the defensive lines immediately."

"Yes, my lord!"

The guard turned and rushed out. Tibran stepped toward the window.

A few seconds later, a tremendous sound echoed throughout Lufast City.

BOOOOOOOOOONG!

A massive alarm bell rang from the city’s central tower.

The sound rolled across the entire city.

People stopped in the streets.

Merchants froze beside their stalls.

Children looked toward the sky in confusion.

Then the bell rang again.

BOOOOOOOOOONG!

The peaceful atmosphere of Lufast City vanished almost instantly.

"An alarm?"

"What happened?"

"Is the city under attack?"

"Everyone to the walls!"

Soldiers began rushing through the streets.

Weapons were drawn.

Armor was secured.

Archers carried crates of arrows toward the defensive positions while spear soldiers formed organized groups and marched toward the city gates.

The adventurers’ guild also erupted into chaos.

Adventurers who had been drinking, eating, discussing quests, or sorting through their latest rewards immediately grabbed their weapons.

"What happened?"

"Dungeon outbreak!"

"An outbreak?"

The moment the words were spoken, the atmosphere changed.

Even experienced adventurers became serious.

They knew what a dungeon outbreak meant.

If the outbreak was not contained, the monsters could spread into the surrounding territory.

Villages could be destroyed.

Roads could become unsafe.

Travel between settlements could be cut off.

And if the monsters were strong enough, even Lufast City could eventually be threatened.

The adventurers rushed toward the city walls alongside the soldiers.

Meanwhile, the city gates were sealed.

Massive wooden barriers were pulled shut, followed by thick iron reinforcements.

Soldiers climbed the stairs leading to the battlements.

Archers took their positions.

Mages gathered behind the defensive lines.

Shield-bearing soldiers formed several rows near the walls while spearmen prepared to intercept anything that reached the city.

The entire city had transformed into a fortress within minutes.

Tibran eventually arrived at the western wall.

His expression was serious as he climbed the final stairs and looked into the distance.

One of his commanders immediately approached him.

"My lord."

"How bad is it?"

"We don’t know yet."

The commander pointed toward the distant horizon.

"Scouts have confirmed that monsters are leaving the dungeon, but we haven’t determined the full scale of the outbreak."

Tibran frowned.

"Any estimate?"

"At least one hundred."

Tibran’s expression darkened.

"A hundred?"

"That’s the lowest estimate."

The commander hesitated.

"It could be two hundred or more."

The surrounding soldiers became tense.

Tibran remained silent.

Two hundred monsters emerging from a dungeon was not something that could be ignored.

He looked toward the distant wilderness.

Even from this distance, he could see movement.

Dark shapes.

Dozens of them.

Then hundreds.

They were spreading across the land, leaving the dungeon behind and moving toward the surrounding territory.

Tibran’s hands tightened around the stone railing.

Only a short while ago, he had been reading a report about a potentially valuable Tier 2 dungeon.

Now a disaster has come immediately.

He let out a slow breath.

"This is why dungeons are dangerous."

The commander nodded.

"A dungeon brings wealth, but outbreaks are the price."

Tibran stared into the distance, then turned toward the soldiers.

"Don’t panic."

His voice carried across the battlement.

"Hold your positions. Archers, prepare your first volley. Mages, conserve your mana until the monsters enter effective range. Shield units, remain behind the front line until ordered."

The soldiers responded immediately.

"Yes, my lord!"

Tibran then looked toward the adventurers gathered along the wall.

There were dozens of them.

Some were veterans.

Others were younger adventurers who had never experienced a dungeon outbreak before.

Their expressions varied between excitement and fear.

The adventurers gathered along the wall were tense, but there was no panic among the veterans. This was not the first dungeon outbreak Lufast City had experienced.

Over the years, the city had faced several such incidents, and everyone who had survived those battles understood that fear was useless once the monsters reached the walls.

Preparation and coordination were what kept people alive. Most soldiers and low-ranking adventurers possessed only a single skill, sometimes nothing more than a basic attack technique, while those with greater strength or wealth might possess two skills or spells.

Very few people could afford to learn several abilities, especially when every skill required money, training, and often expensive magical resources.