Chương 61: The Young Master's Dungeon Field Trip

A pale purple mist, laced with plant-based toxins, rolled beneath the towering ferns of Floor 1 of the Jungle Dungeon. Growls from a pack of marsh wolves and the hiss of reptilian beasts echoed from the damp underbrush. Fifty meters from the transport gate, dozens of first-year squads were at peak tension. Noble boys in heavy armor formed defensive circles, shields locked together, weapons raised, breathing hard behind their steel helmets.

In a shaded clearing, Lucian sat comfortably on a folding chair he had somehow brought into the middle of a dangerous dungeon, calmly sipping chrysanthemum tea like he was enjoying a vacation rather than participating in a survival exercise. Ting! A Unified System v2. 0 notification appeared before him. [ENTERED THE JUNGLE DUNGEON (RANK B — NATIONAL).] [Titan Script comprehension: 12%... 20%... 25. 0%!] [TITAN SCRIPT MILESTONE REWARD:] Endurance: 462, 661 → 693, 991 (×1. 5!) Toxin Resistance: +50%.

The poisonous mist reached Lucian's body for less than a second before his mana barrier automatically neutralized it. By the time the students nearby noticed, the legendary dungeon poison had been reduced to nothing more than a few harmless droplets sliding off his sleeve. Lucian glanced at the wet spot.

"Great. Now I have to wash this." Beside him, Sylvia was completely ignoring the terrifying dungeon environment and calmly assembling a luxurious double-layered magical tent. The structure contained temperature control, insect protection, emergency lighting, and even a small table. Anyone watching would have thought they were looking at a noble family's private camping trip instead of a Rank B dungeon expedition.

A mana-crystal-powered climate unit in the corner of the tent breathed out a steady stream of cool air, banishing every trace of the jungle's stifling heat. At the front of the clearing, Astra held a half-eaten strawberry ice cream bar in one hand and drew the Sun-Slaying Dragon Sword with the other, casually swinging a crescent-shaped blade of light through the underbrush. SLASH! A five-hundred-meter streak of platinum light swept through trees, thorny vines, and more than thirty marsh wolves in an instant.

The felled trees split themselves into neat stacks of firewood automatically, while the beasts were cleaned out internally by the blade-force, transformed into fresh cuts of meat piled neatly in the corner of the yard. Astra sheathed her sword and turned back to finish her ice cream. Astra returned while casually eating the last piece of her strawberry ice cream.

"Master, the area has been cleared. There are no monsters, poisonous plants, or annoying insects remaining." She paused.

"Your nap should be completely safe now." Lucian nodded seriously.

"Excellent. That's exactly what I hired a legendary swordswoman for." Lucian set his teacup down on the folding table and drove a small wooden sign into the ground beside the tent path. A wooden sign stood beside the path.

"Sterilized Mineral Water: 5 Silver."

"Freshly grilled dungeon beast sausage: 1 Gold."

"Vance Credit Accepted." The nobles stared silently. The dungeon monsters were trying to kill them. Lucian was trying to monetize their survival. Ten minutes later. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. A second-year noble squad from House Valois eventually passed by. Their armor was covered in mud, their faces were exhausted, and two people were desperately dragging a defeated magical wild boar behind them. Then they saw Lucian's camp. They stopped.

Because in the middle of one of the most dangerous dungeons on the continent was a ten-year-old boy drinking tea beside a luxury tent while selling food and clean water. Their armor was caked in mud, water flasks bone dry from a marsh contamination scare. They stopped, staring wide-eyed at Lucian's clearing. A magically air-conditioned tent as cool and comfortable as a hotel room. A mountain of beast carcasses, neatly sorted into meat and hide.

And a ten-year-old boy calmly flipping sizzling sausages over a charcoal fire. The smell of grilled meat, mixed with garlic butter, hit the exhausted students straight in the nose. The noble squad leader swallowed hard, eyes trembling at the sight of a whole pack of marsh wolves cleanly sliced apart.

"He... he was just sitting there drinking tea, and invisible killing intent wiped out an entire pack of beasts across five hundred meters?!" He hurriedly dug out ten silver coins and slapped them down on Lucian's table.

"S-sell me... sell me two bottles of water!" Lucian handed over two bottles, tossing in a Vance restaurant flyer as change.

"Thank you for your purchase. Buy three next time, get a free vegetable skewer." Rustle. The ferns beside the clearing parted. Eleanor stepped out, leading a Student Council patrol squad. She wore silver-white knight's armor, her golden hair pinned up, her eyes sweeping over the well-appointed campsite before landing on Lucian's fragrant sausage grill. Eleanor walked up to the wooden table, arms crossed, staring down at the two sausages dripping golden fat over the coals.

"Cadet Lucian Vance. This is a national-tier live-fire survival exercise, not your family's resort getaway." Lucian speared a sausage onto a plate.

"I paid for the tent out of my own pocket, hunted my own meat myself. I haven't violated a single clause of the field-trip regulations." Eleanor looked at the hot sausage, then reached out and took both skewers, taking a small bite.

"Confiscated for a food safety inspection. Watch it, or I'll dock your conduct score." Chewing, she looked at Lucian and lowered her voice.

"This dungeon has twenty floors. The deeper you descend, the stronger the traces of ancient Titan technology become." The patrol leader's expression became serious.

"Floor 15 contains a sealed Titan core. The Student Council has already forbidden first- and second-year students from approaching it." She looked directly at Lucian.

"Stay on Floor 2." A pause.

"And don't go wandering somewhere dangerous." Lucian stared back with a completely innocent expression.

"Why would I do something like that?" Sylvia immediately looked away. Evelyn covered her mouth. Astra simply continued eating ice cream. With that, she took her remaining skewer and led her patrol squad toward the Floor 3 transport gate. Lucian watched her walk off, leaned back in his folding chair, and pulled his hood down over his eyes. After the patrol leader left, Lucian leaned back in his chair and pulled his hood over his eyes.

"Unnecessary warning." He yawned.

"Who would be stupid enough to ignore a direct warning and walk into a sealed death zone?" Three seconds of silence passed. Evelyn slowly turned her head.

"Lucian."

"What?"

"You're asking that question while sitting next to a dungeon entrance."

"..."

"Fair point." He'd just closed his eyes to catch a nap when— WOOP! WOOP! WOOP! The magical alarm system mounted on the ancient trees across Floor 1 suddenly blared out an ear-splitting siren. The warning lights flashed blood-red. A student's panicked scream echoed through the emergency broadcast. The emergency broadcast suddenly exploded across the dungeon.

"HELP! The second-year vanguard squad attempted the 'Wing-Splitting Tactic' on Floor Fifteen!"

"All thirty members are trapped inside the poisonous marsh!"

"The Titan seal has been activated!" Lucian slowly removed his hood. His expression changed.

"No." Evelyn looked over.

"What?" Lucian stood up.

"Tell me they didn't."

"Didn't what?" Lucian grabbed his dagger.

"They copied the scene from my novel." Lucian ripped the hood off his face and shot upright in his chair, mouth hanging open.

"Are you kidding me?!" Lucian stared at the emergency signal in disbelief.

"I literally warned them." Evelyn blinked.

"You mean you knew this could happen?" Lucian sighed.

"Of course." He looked toward the dungeon depths.

"I wrote that scene." A pause.

"And apparently someone thought fictional characters making terrible decisions was a tutorial."