Chapter 22: No Name Dungeon

Chapter Twenty Two

DING! A System notification flashed before Orion’s eyes.

[You have entered a Dungeon.]

[Dungeon Name: - ]

Orion stared at the dungeon name, his gaze sharpening. This clearly wasn’t right.

The dungeon had no name. He found it strange, but he didn’t think too much about it.

After all, the only dungeon he had ever challenged was a Level One Dungeon. Who was to say that every dungeon had a name?

Perhaps some special dungeons simply didn’t have one.

"This is odd."

Another awakened warrior frowned as he stared at his own System screen.

"This dungeon doesn’t even have a name."

He wasn’t the only one amazed by this. The rest of the warriors were also looking at their System notifications with varying degrees of confusion.

"Kid."

The Blind Swordsman suddenly turned toward Orion.

"I have a piece of advice for you. Join my group."

"Your group?"

Orion frowned slightly, not really understanding what the old man meant. He was about to find out soon enough.

"Listen up, everyone."

James, the Scourge Guild elite leading the raid, stepped forward and spoke with a calm expression.

"As you must have already realized, this dungeon is both dangerous and mysterious. Our objective is twofold."

"We are here to clear this dungeon, but that isn’t our only objective." He paused.

"The second... and main objective of this raid is to uncover whatever secret Dungeon X holds and bring it out with us when we clear it."

The expressions of the warriors became serious.

James continued.

"Now, we’re going to separate into three groups. When the first group becomes injured, exhausted, or runs out of Mana, they will swap places with the next group."

"We will continue using this tactic until we come face-to-face with the Dungeon Boss."

He looked toward the gathered warriors.

"For the three groups, I will lead one of them. Sir Dwaine will lead the second."

"And the third group, which was supposed to be led by the Sky Dancer, will be led by Taro."

A rather slim man with sharp eyes stepped forward and nodded.

James looked across the warriors.

"Choose your group."

The warriors immediately began spreading out, distributing themselves among the three groups.

As expected, Orion joined the Blind Swordsman’s group, just as Sir Dwaine had advised him earlier.

This also caused Orion’s evaluation of the old man to rise considerably.

The old man had been able to predict the situation earlier. He had known that Orion would kill the bald-headed warrior if he hadn’t intervened, and he had also understood that Orion could get himself into serious trouble by doing so.

Now, Orion had a deeper inclination about what the old man’s Talent might be.

It must be something related to seeing the future... Such a powerful Talent.

No wonder he was considered one of the most powerful warriors below the Master Level.

After the teams were formed, James’s group was the first to set out.

The other two groups followed closely behind.

The number of warriors was large, yet the cave they had entered was enormous enough to accommodate everyone without making it feel crowded.

"This dungeon is truly large."

Orion’s gaze swept across the surroundings.

What the group didn’t know was that the dungeon could shift its size.

Whether there were ten people or a hundred people inside... It would always feel the same.

Soon, James’s group encountered their first set of monsters.

They were infamous monsters, yet ones that were rarely seen in low-level dungeons like this.

Red Ogres.

Their massive bodies were covered in crimson skin that seemed to shimmer with heat.

Their red eyes glowed with menace, and waves of scorching heat radiated from their bodies.

The moment they spotted the humans, the Red Ogres released loud, furious growls.

"ROAAAR!"

Without hesitation, they charged forward with everything they had.

James and his group of twelve warriors immediately engaged the Red Ogres.

There were only five of them. Most of the Red Ogres were Level Twelve, while James’s group consisted of well-trained and experienced warriors.

The difference in numbers and coordination was overwhelming. The battle didn’t last long at all.

The Red Ogres were slaughtered. Soon, the five Red Ogres were taken care of.

But then... Something amazing happened.

The bodies of the fallen Red Ogres suddenly began to fade away.

In their place were five shimmering red cores, each one containing what appeared to be a tiny spark of flame hidden deep within.

"This is a Flame Core!"

Someone from the group gasped in shock.

The reason for their reaction was none other than the fact that all five slain Red Ogres had dropped Flame Cores.

Most people might not understand the significance of this if they didn’t know just how low the drop rate of Flame Cores truly was.

One could slay ten Red Ogres... Even a hundred... And still not obtain a single Flame Core.

Yet inside this dungeon, things were completely different.

All five had dropped one.

The eyes of several warriors immediately shone with greed as they stared at the shimmering cores.

James, however, remained completely calm.

His younger brother, Aiden, had vanished inside this dungeon. Just like many others before him.

For someone as powerful as his brother to disappear without a trace, there was surely something far more dangerous lurking within this dungeon than these Level Twelve Red Ogres.

Until he discovered exactly what kind of danger they would be facing... He couldn’t feel excited about something as insignificant as Flame Cores.

After collecting the cores and placing them into the Space Bags they carried, James’s group moved backward.

The second team, led by the Blind Swordsman, immediately took the forward position.

This way, each group could maintain their strength and remain in top condition by the time it was their turn to fight again.

Orion’s eyes remained firm as he walked beside the old man.

He planned to level up inside this dungeon. He still needed several EXP before he would be able to reach the next level, and he intended to obtain every bit of it he could.

"Ten monsters ahead."

Sir Dwaine suddenly spoke.

"Get ready."

His tone had become sharp.

The seven warriors around him immediately nodded and drew their weapons as they advanced.

"Graaaahhh!"

The loud growls of the Red Ogres suddenly filled the air.

The monsters turned their crimson eyes toward the approaching group.

Madness radiated from their eyes as their massive bodies lowered, preparing to charge.

Orion’s hand moved toward his dagger.

He was ready to unsheathe his blade when he suddenly felt himself being held back by the old man.

"You are not their match."

Sir Dwaine’s voice remained calm.

"When it is time, I’ll give you the signal. Got it?"

Orion nodded.

Then he remembered that the old man had no eyes.

"Okay. I understand."

The remaining six warriors, alongside Sir Dwaine, immediately charged forward.

The Red Ogres were Level Twelve. And as A-Grade monsters, they were stronger than most monsters of the same level.

It took two warriors working together to properly handle a single Red Ogre.

Because of that, the six warriors could only hold back three of the monsters.

The remaining seven Red Ogres immediately turned their attention toward Sir Dwaine.

The old man was now completely surrounded from all sides.

Orion, on the other hand, was practically being ignored by the monsters. They couldn’t sense any threat from him, after all.

But Sir Dwaine was different.

The moment the Red Ogres focused on him, they felt an intense sense of dread.

Something about this blind old man made their instincts scream that he was dangerous.

Because of that... They needed to kill him first.

Seven powerful Red Ogres surrounded Sir Dwaine from every direction.

Yet the old man’s expression remained completely calm.

He slowly cracked his knuckles while muttering something beneath his breath.

Orion, who was completely focused on him, carefully watched his lips.

What he read from them left him astonished.

I should manage this for some warm-up...

Orion’s eyes twitched.

Just one of those monsters was already powerful enough to put his life in serious danger.

Yet what the old man saw wasn’t seven terrifying Red Ogres.

To him... They were nothing more than a little warm-up.

Orion shook his head.

No matter how strong this old man was, there was no way he could win this fight.

He seemed to be looking down on the Red Ogres far too much.

After all, the man wasn’t even using his sword.

Orion shook his head again, already pitying the old man.

That pity... Only lasted until the battle began.

BOOM!

Orion’s eyes widened. He was completely stunned.

The old man was crushing the Red Ogres.

And the worst part was... He was genuinely treating them like nothing more than a warm-up.

BAM!

CRACK!

The pained cries of the Red Ogres filled the air as their massive bodies were sent flying one after another.

Their attacks were being effortlessly avoided. Their powerful bodies were being overwhelmed.

Their strength... Completely crushed.

Orion’s mouth slowly opened.

He had been pitying the old man just moments ago.

Now... He found himself pitying the Red Ogres instead.