63 63 – The Door
“Why does a healer always pray every time they go on a mission?” A man with brown hair and a thick beard asked.
Not far from that bearded man, a small man with blond hair knelt, closed his eyes, and clasped his hands together.
“Huh? You don’t know, Blake?” Next to the bearded man, the woman with short black hair raised an eyebrow. She was wiping her rapier-a type of sword with a slender blade thoroughly. “Healers believe that their power comes from God. So, they pray to God before doing something big.”
“I guess I’ve heard of such a thing.” The man named Blake chuckled, took the large bow gun on his back, and examined it. “I rarely go on adventures with a healer, Clara.”
“Well, your party is all savage. They just like to attack and attack.” Clara chuckled. “Only you are still a bit cool.”
The healer got up and approached his two colleagues. “I am done. We can start.”
Blake sighed. “But this damn door won’t open, Dale.”
The three of them looked up at the four-foot door on the cliff. There was no handle or keyhole on that black door full of abstract carvings..
“I told you, we have to solve the puzzle on the surface.” Clara approached the door, squinting at the carvings. “Only a few people managed to open this door, but they claimed they don’t know why it happened.”
“Huh!” Blake snorted. “I bet they know but won’t tell the others!”
Dale, the healer, gulped. “Do we really have to come here? The others refused. So we have to form a new party like this. In every party that enters this place, there is always someone who dies.”
Displaying a faint smile, Clara rubbed the healer’s head softly. “It’s just a rumor. And it was you who said you wanted to come along to prove to the others that you are brave, right?”
“Y-you’re right! I’ve been a healer for years, but they still make fun of me as a coward!”
“What a stupid reason!!” Blake laughed loudly. “As for me, I would like to request a legendary weapon from the highest being in this place, like the previous adventurers who conquered this dungeon!”
Hearing a loud thud, the three adventurers looked back. A woman in a crimson battle outfit was already squatting a few feet away from them. One fist and a knee of that woman made contact with the ground.
Elise lifted her face. “Err…. Hi….” She then looked up at the bright sky. “Good afternoon?”
The female warrior flinched as the three adventurers moved to attack formation. Clara was at the front while pointing her thin sword forward. Blake was already on top of one of the boulders, while Dale was standing far away from the others.
Elise hastily got to her feet and raised her hand. “I-I didn’t mean any harm. I just want to enter that dungeon.”
“You followed us and wanted to join us, huh?” Clara smiled. “Sorry, we don’t know you, and you didn’t participate in our briefing before coming to this place.”
“And your level is way below ours, Miss,” Blake added, aiming for the female warrior. “My eyes are special. I can tell the level of a person’s equipment. Your outfit is magically enhanced, but its level is far below ours, even below our healer’s. Not to mention your very mediocre weapon. This dungeon is very dangerous for you, Miss. You better turn back to where you came from.”
“He loves to talk,” Raymund commented.
“But, you didn’t notice her whereabouts earlier, did you?” Dale asked. “Maybe….”
The healer’s speech was cut short by a loud creak. Their eyes immediately turned to the source of that sound, the dungeon door that started to open.
“How come?” Clara’s mouth opened wide in shock. “We haven’t done anything to that door yet!”
“That’s not a problem. The important thing is that we can get in.” Blake jumped off the rock, then looked at Elise. “Sorry, but you really can’t come with us, Miss. We can’t trust you yet, no offense.”
“Don’t you think that maybe the arrival of this woman made the door open?” Dale replied.
“That’s bullshit, Dale.” Clara tucked her rapier into the sheath around her waist. “I’m sure we did something unintentionally that triggered the door to open.”
“But….”
“Even if she’s capable, we can’t trust her yet, as Blake said.” Clara walked up to Dale, patted the man on the shoulder, and glanced at Elise. The rapier wielder didn’t say anything else.
“Let’s go!” Blake clicked his fingers, then entered the dungeon.
“Hey, wait for us, you savage!” Clara snorted.
Dale looked at Elise, formed the word ‘sorry’ with his mouth, then followed his friends.
In just a short time, those three people’s footsteps had disappeared, leaving Elise alone, surrounded by giant stones.
“Errrr, sir?” Elise showed her trademark grimace. The master had not yet given her an order. “Should I follow them?”
“No,” Raymund answered. “There is a possibility that they will attack you or even kill you. Only the healer might give you a chance. The other two people are wary of your existence. The worst thing is, if what the guy named Blake said was true, then your level was far behind them. You won’t stand a chance. Let me think for a moment, Elise.”
After being silent for a few minutes, Raymund continued. “You’d better find a way to get to the nearest town or village, Elise. You might be able to find information about this dungeon there. After all, your real mission is not to help those three adventurers.”
Yes, there’s no mention of something like that in the mission description.
“Alright, sir.” Elise was already moving to leave the place. However, having just taken a few steps, she heard a loud thud accompanied by the sound of something cracking. As soon as she looked back, she saw the body of a woman who was already so pale, and her head turned in the wrong direction.
That’s Clara. She lay on the ground with a blank gaze fixed on Elise.
The female warrior held her breath and backed away hastily until her back hit a boulder.
“Looks like she’s dead.” Raymund hissed.
Those words gave the chills to Elise.
“Elise Cecilia Fairchild.” A deep voice resounded from the dungeon gate. “Welcome.”