[Chapter: 235. Missed Opportunity]

Searanox walked toward the dungeon spire, his armored boots ringing against the polished floor of the approach path. The massive structure pierced the sky like a black needle, its violet energy conduits pulsing with rhythmic intensity.

As he entered, the air grew cooler, tinged with the familiar scent of the place. The Courtyard of the Dead materialized around him, its cracked flagstones littered with the skeletal remains of fallen warriors and shattered weapons. This time, however, he could not strip the corpses of their gear. They vanished alongside their weapons and armor in a cascade of blue particles that dissipated into nothingness.

The process was eerie and silent, as if the System itself were claiming its due, leaving only the barest trace of what had once been.

`That's not good. Without a constant flow of equipment, I can't provide anything to delvers. For now I have hundreds in storage, but that will change sooner rather than later.`

The thought nagged at him like a persistent insect, a logistical problem that threatened to undermine his carefully constructed power structure.

On his way out, he was approached by a group of silver-rank citizens. Their armor bore the dents and scratches of recent battles. The leader, an archer, stepped forward with measured caution.

"Lord, may we have a moment of your time?"

Searanox turned toward them and gave a shallow nod. "Speak your mind."

The archer swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing beneath the leather strap of his quiver. "I'm certain you are aware that the beasts inside the dungeon reform after some time. How are we supposed to clear it? Not specifically us, but the weaker teams in particular."

His eyes darted to the others in his group—a mace-wielding warrior with a freshly shaven beard and a healer whose robes were stained with what looked like dried blood. Searanox looked the archer up and down before answering, noting the worn grip on his bow and the fraying fletching.

"By becoming stronger." Before the man could interject, Searanox kept talking. His voice dropped to a near whisper that still carried the weight of authority. "Not just in level, but in technique and knowledge. And don't forget the most important factor: there is strength in numbers."

The archer waited for a moment. The silence stretched between them like a taut wire before he answered. "But Lord Searanox, you are clearing it alone. And not just this dungeon; I heard you are venturing outside to clear other dungeons all by yourself." His voice held a note of desperation, the unspoken accusation hanging between them like a challenge to the very foundation of their unequal society.

Searanox gave a shallow laugh. "It may look as if I clear them alone, but in truth, I do no such thing." With a flicker of light, an assault drone materialized beside him, its metallic body gleaming as energy coursed through its circuits. "I'm what you would call a summoner. These are my summons." He gestured toward the drone, its weapons whirring with contained power. "Without them, I could not clear those dungeons. Remember I mentioned numbers. If you find yourself in a bad spot, it is always to your advantage to have multiple people at your back. Or in your case, the front."

The archer looked toward the drone, its sleek design and lethal appearance a stark contrast to the worn gear of his team. "How would one of these change the outcome in a dungeon? If you weren't this high in level, you would not be able to clear it as easily." His words carried a hint of envy and frustration, the unspoken realization that their own struggles were magnified by their limitations.

"It isn't just one. I can summon a few more than one to aid me inside a dungeon," Searanox said while summoning a defensive and an offensive drone to his side. Their forms took shape with the same energy. The defensive drone projected a shimmering hexagonal barrier, while the offensive drone locked its weapon onto an imaginary target. "It may look unfair to you to see that I can simply summon whatever support I need inside a dungeon."

He paused and took in the reaction of the archer and his team. Their eyes were wide with a mixture of awe and resentment.

"And that might be true, but you seem to forget that I wasn't always at this level. I started at level one just as you have. The difference is that I was fortunate to be situated near multiple dungeons. I cleared these dungeons every few hours for the last weeks. I nearly lost my life on multiple occasions, but without risking everything, I knew I would not grow stronger."

A man with a bushy beard and uncombed hair stepped forward from behind the archer, his eyes holding a desperate spark. "Would it be possible for us to get stronger if we sought out other dungeons?" His voice was rough, carrying the weight of countless battles fought with inadequate gear.

"That depends on your levels, and if you are willing to travel a great distance every few hours." Searanox's gaze remained unreadable, his attention shifting between the man's hopeful face and the growing crowd around them. The air in the spire grew heavy with unspoken questions.

The archer pulled his gaze from Searanox's drones. Around them, a number of delvers had assembled to listen in on their conversation, or simply to see who would be foolish enough to speak directly to the Lord of the city. Their armor clinked as they shifted positions, creating a chorus of metallic whispers.

"We are level eight and on our way to nine, but the experience we gain after a clear is getting meager at best." The archer looked behind him toward his team, his expression a mixture of frustration and resignation. "And yes, we would be willing to travel to get stronger." His voice gained a hint of determination, as if speaking the words aloud strengthened his resolve.

"That's good." Searanox pulled a rolled-up canvas from his spatial ring and held it out to the man. The map unfurled with a rustle. "This is a map of the forest to the northwest. The edge of the forest is about a hundred kilometers out. Travel to the edge of the mountain range, and then along the lake's shore. Only enter the dungeons marked on this map. Begin with the ones that have one line beside them and work your way up." His finger traced a path across the canvas as he pointed out the progression of suitable challenges.

The archer reached for the canvas with hesitant fingers, his hands trembling as he took the offered map. As he unfurled it completely, his brow furrowed in confusion. The parchment was nearly blank, marked only by a handful of crude lines and cryptic symbols. "This is not really a map. It's just a few lines and symbols." His voice held a note of disappointment, the hope in his eyes dimming as he scanned the minimal markings.

Searanox's finger traced the path with deliberate precision. The metal glinted in the light of the dungeon spire. "This is the river. You will find it if you keep to the shore. I will be doing the dungeons daily. That means if you get there and enter any dungeon, place a stick in the ground at the entrance." His tone remained neutral, as if discussing a simple errand rather than a potentially fatal journey through a monster-infested wilderness.

The archer's gaze lifted from the crude drawing. He squinted, trying to discern the expression behind Searanox's sunglasses. The dark lenses reflected his own face, a distorted mirror of his uncertainty. "I don't think we would make it there anytime soon." His fingers tightened around the map's edge, the parchment crinkling under the pressure.

"It is either that, or you enter the Labyrinth's first floor and clear the beasts on the plains while waiting for the dungeon to reset." Searanox's voice carried the weight of countless hours spent in deadly caverns and hostile landscapes. His casual tone remained at odds with the grim reality of his suggestion. Behind him, his drones hovered in silence.

With a sigh, the archer handed the map back, his shoulders slumping in resignation. The canvas felt heavy with missed opportunities. "We appreciate the offer, but I believe we will stay inside the city. We were in the open before we came here, and we have seen the beasts that roam outside. And since the System said that the beasts outside got stronger after this morning, I wouldn't want to risk our lives to get to the forest." His voice dropped to a near whisper on the last few words, as if afraid to admit his fear in front of such a powerful figure.

"A wise decision, and yet that is the reason why you won't grow as fast as you would like." Searanox's response was immediate. His head tilted as he stored the map away with practiced ease. The canvas vanished into his storage ring with a shimmer of light. "Speak to the ones in the tower and tell them you would like to enter the Labyrinth. It will be difficult in there at first, but if you work as a team, you should be fine. Just don't venture into the depths; stay on the surface."

His final words carried a warning that hung in the air between them, an unspoken acknowledgment of the dangers lurking below the surface.