Chương 57: Chapter 56: The Price of Mercy

Cyrus lay facedown in the mud, his head turned toward Greer. Rainwater dripped from his hair, while muddy water slid down his face to his chin. A long moment passed before he answered in a hoarse voice.

"... The food wasn't bad." Greer chuckled under his breath, then his expression turned serious as he looked at the five of them.

"You were lucky to get even that." He turned toward the portal behind him.

"And you'd better be grateful the dungeon didn't finish all of you off. If this had been any other dungeon, you know exactly what would have happened to you." Cyrus gave a quiet laugh and pushed himself upright.

"Of course." He wiped the mud from his face, his voice carrying a trace of self-mockery.

"I probably understand that better than most people." Cyrus glanced back at his four companions, who still had not fully recovered their bearings, then asked,"Guildmaster Greer, what does the Guild intend to do with us?" Greer did not answer. Instead, he raised his head and looked at the overcast sky.

"This is no place for a conversation." He waved toward one of the nearby Guild staff members.

"Clean yourselves up first, then come with me. Once you've recovered a little, we can discuss everything properly." ◆ ◆ ◆ It took Cyrus and the others nearly twenty minutes to make themselves presentable before they quietly approached the Guild's temporary wooden building. This time, none of them displayed the same flippant attitude or attempted to provoke anyone. Before coming here, they had already learned that an important figure from Guild headquarters was sitting inside the building. A very important one.

Cyrus lightly knocked on the wooden door. He could no longer remember the last time he had knocked on someone's door so politely. Greer's voice soon came from within.

"Come in." Cyrus and Jessup exchanged surprised looks. They had assumed that the important figure from Guild headquarters would lead the conversation. To their surprise, Greer was still the first person to speak. Cyrus pushed open the door. Greer sat behind the wooden table, with Camilla standing beside him. At one end of the table, a tall, slender middle-aged man sat in a chair. His long, dark-gray hair, streaked with several strands of silver, was tied behind his head.

The fine lines around his eyes lent a sense of composure to his otherwise stern features. A slender longsword in a plain scabbard rested within easy reach beside him. The man said nothing. He looked calmly toward them. Yet the moment that gaze passed over Cyrus, his entire body tensed. Even breathing became much more difficult. More importantly, the man showed no intention of taking control of the conversation. He remained seated in silence and allowed Greer to handle everything before him.

Remembering the flippant, provocative attitude he had displayed in front of Greer before entering the dungeon, Cyrus nearly ground his back teeth to pieces. Damn it. Why had no one ever told him that this old man had such powerful backing?

"Before we begin, do any of you wish to defend your actions?" Greer regarded the five of them calmly. Blake, who was standing beside Darm, had only just opened his mouth when Darm drove a heavy elbow into his side. Blake's legs instantly buckled, and he nearly dropped to his knees. Fortunately, Darm was even "thoughtful" enough to catch him before he fell. At least until Blake could stand straight again, he was in no condition to say anything foolish.

Cyrus suppressed the unease in his heart and did his best to appear calm.

"We have nothing to say in our defense. Please tell us what punishment the Guild has decided on." Greer did not respond. He watched Cyrus in silence. Only when cold sweat began to trickle down Cyrus's back did Greer turn toward Elias, who was seated nearby. Elias folded his hands on the table and gave Greer a slight nod.

"Master, I'll leave it in your hands." The words struck Cyrus like a thunderclap. His face turned pale. Behind him, Sanna's legs began to tremble. Darm let out a heavy breath, while even Jessup pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a helpless expression. Master? This important figure from Guild headquarters was Greer's student? Blake was the only exception. The thickheaded idiot was still consumed by the agony in his side and had failed to understand what those words meant.

Even then, Greer did not announce the Guild's decision. He studied the five people before him in silence. Only after Cyrus's party had recovered from their shock did he speak.

"The Guild's decision is simple." Greer raised one hand and slowly extended a finger.

"First, you will be forbidden from entering Blackstone Dungeon. This ban will remain in effect for one year." Cyrus froze. Only one year? He had expected the Guild to permanently bar them from approaching Blackstone Dungeon again. Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief. He no longer intended to destroy Blackstone Dungeon's core. With their current strength, they would not be capable of doing so anyway.

However, the ordinary rewards available within Blackstone Dungeon were superior to those of other dungeons at the same rank. More importantly, anyone who died inside Blackstone Dungeon would be returned alive. As long as they followed its rules, they could challenge it without truly fearing death. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. If the Guild had permanently barred him from entering, Cyrus probably would have regretted losing access to it for the rest of his life.

Greer then raised a second finger.

"Originally, the Guild intended to detain you for an additional period after you left the dungeon. We planned to wait until you had thoroughly calmed down before deciding whether to release you." Greer shook his head.

"However, since you seem to have calmed down considerably during your time inside the dungeon, we will waive that punishment." Cyrus and the others exchanged glances. That was all? They had openly defied Greer's orders, provoked him to his face, and finally forced their way into the dungeon in an attempt to destroy its core. Yet Greer was only banning them from Blackstone Dungeon for a year. He had even waived the additional detention the Guild had originally planned.

Was Blackstone Town some sacred land blessed by the gods? Why were both the dungeon here and the local people so unreasonably merciful? However, Greer's next words shattered their fantasies.

"Of course, the Guild cannot simply let the matter end here." He lowered his hand and leaned back slightly.

"After discussing the matter with Vice Guildmaster Voss, we have decided to direct more low-rank adventurers from the surrounding region toward Blackstone Town."

"We will promote this dungeon as their primary training ground." Cyrus began to sense where this was going, and his expression grew serious. Greer continued,"There aren't enough low-rank adventurers in the region to keep every dungeon fed."

"Spread them too thin, and we'll only end up with several starving dungeons instead of one."

"Some have already gone too long without challengers." Greer looked directly at Cyrus.

"Those will be your new targets." Cyrus frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll be responsible for checking those dungeons regularly." Greer's voice grew more serious.

"If you confirm that one has become unstable and could unleash a Demonic Tide at any moment, you will destroy its core before the situation spirals out of control." Cyrus remained silent for a moment before asking the most practical question.

"What about the profits?"

"You may handle the loot yourselves, but half of the proceeds must be turned over to the Guild." Greer looked at the five of them, his calm tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"That will be your actual punishment." Cyrus's eye twitched. Half of their earnings. Destroying an ordinary low-rank dungeon rarely yielded much profit to begin with. In the past, Cyrus and the others had mostly targeted dungeons with unusual characteristics. The cores and internal resources of such dungeons were often more valuable, and the profits gained from destroying them were far beyond what an ordinary dungeon could offer. Now, the Guild clearly had no intention of allowing them to choose their own targets.

In other words, the Guild intended to use them as cheap labor tasked with eliminating unstable dungeons. Food, lodging, travel expenses, information fees, and the cost of maintaining their weapons and equipment. After turning over half of their earnings, the money that actually reached their pockets would probably only be enough for them to enjoy themselves for a few days. So this was where the real punishment had been waiting for them. Cyrus gave a self-mocking laugh.

Still, he did not find the arrangement particularly objectionable. At least it was still the kind of work they knew best. And compared with being confined in those cramped stone rooms, being able to walk freely outside was a vast improvement.

"Fine. We can accept those terms." Cyrus paused before adding,"But you need to give us a definite number. We can't spend the rest of our lives working for the Guild just because we made one mistake." Greer let out a quiet breath.

"Of course not."

"The five of you will complete fifteen dungeon elimination missions together."

"Once you have completed all fifteen, this punishment will officially end. If the Guild commissions you to eliminate other dungeons afterward, we will not take any additional share of the profits. You will also receive payment at the normal rate." That promise finally lifted the weight from Cyrus's heart. He had been worried that Greer intended to force them into serving as laborers for the rest of their lives.

Even if they had refused, the important figure seated nearby probably had plenty of ways to make them agree, willingly or otherwise. Unless Cyrus abandoned his identity as an adventurer entirely. But that was the one thing he could never accept. Once Greer confirmed that Cyrus and the others accepted his demands, the sternness in his expression faded. He smiled and teased them instead.

"Honestly, I expected you to keep arguing with me, just as you did before." Before Cyrus and the others could defend themselves, they noticed Elias looking toward them from the side. His normally calm eyes seemed to grow several degrees colder. Cyrus's heart lurched, and he spoke.

"We were out of line before." He forced what he hoped was a sincere smile.

"We're already grateful that you're willing to give us another chance, Guildmaster Greer. How could we possibly object?" Only after leaving the Guild's wooden building did Cyrus dare to take a deep breath. Facing Greer alone would have been manageable. With Elias seated nearby, however, the pressure had multiplied severalfold.

"So this is the presence of someone truly powerful?" Cyrus lowered his gaze to his palm before slowly clenching his fist. Once, he too had tried to become truly strong. But in the end, he had become a coward who remained trapped in the same place, only daring to strike at those weaker than himself. Cyrus sighed deeply. Perhaps he would never be counted among the strong. He shook his head, pushed the thought aside, and turned toward Blake and the others.

"Now that the Guild has given us our orders, this temporary party will have to keep working together for quite some time." Cyrus's gaze passed over each of them in turn.

"If anyone has any objections, now is the time to voice them. Don't wait until after we've set out to start objecting. Understood?" Blake had finally learned his lesson. He nodded repeatedly while casting nervous sidelong glances at Darm, afraid the man might drive another elbow into his side.

"Captain, just don't forget what you promised me." Jessup raised his head slightly and met Cyrus's gaze without hesitation.

"Of course. I'll give you thirty percent of my personal share when the time comes. Is that acceptable?"

"A wise decision." Sanna stood to the side, idly playing with her fingers. She said nothing, apparently having no objections either. There was even less need to ask Darm. Most of the time, he obeyed instructions without hesitation. As Darm himself put it,"I'm stupid. I listen. Less trouble." Seeing that no one objected, Cyrus said nothing more. No matter how many problems this hastily assembled party had run into in the past, they would still need to keep working together until they completed all fifteen missions.

As for what happened afterward... They could decide once the missions were finished. Cyrus turned and was about to lead the others away when Blake suddenly rubbed his stomach.

"So, shouldn't we go find something to eat first?" Everyone stopped at the same time. Blake failed to notice the change in the atmosphere. Instead, he spoke wistfully.

"Honestly, I kind of miss that mush." Darm silently grabbed him by the head. Blake immediately closed his mouth. ◆ ◆ ◆ Inside the Core Chamber, Owen swayed from side to side in satisfaction as he recalled Cyrus and the others being ejected from the dungeon not long ago. The ejection function had worked perfectly. Both the angle and force had been exactly right. The ejection had humiliated them without causing any real injuries, while still teaching them a lesson they would remember.

This time, they had only been confined for seven days. Owen hoped they had reflected on their actions. If they ever acted like Aurican in the future, speaking recklessly and acting on impulse, Owen promised that he would not let them off so easily next time. Especially that fellow who kept eating mush and enjoying it far too much! Next time, Owen would feed him an entire meal made of insects! That would be more than enough to satisfy his protein requirements!

After confirming that Cyrus and the others had left, Owen finally turned his attention toward the nearby penitence room. At some point, Aurican had sunk to the floor and now lay prostrate. He begged the gaunt man to stop saying things that cut straight to his deepest wounds and to give him a little peace, if only long enough to rest. Owen immediately began hopping across the stone platform.

"That's right!"

"That's what you get for acting so arrogantly! That's what you get for disrespecting others!"

"You spend all day wearing a mask of devotion, but in truth, you only treat your god as a tool for satisfying your own desires! Now repent properly!" As Owen watched Aurican's miserable state, he began considering whether he should add some harsher punishments. For example, he could create a sealed labyrinth from which escape was impossible. Anyone sent inside would have all of their equipment confiscated. Whenever they died, they would revive inside the labyrinth, over and over again, until their sentence ended.

That seemed like a pretty effective punishment.

"Hmm..." Owen thought for a while.

"The Soul Energy generated by their repeated deaths might even rival the amount produced by ordinary adventurers during a dungeon run." The thought made Owen pause. Wait. If he started throwing people into a death maze just to squeeze more Soul Energy out of them, how was that any different from the dungeons he hated? He quickly shook himself from side to side.

"No. That's not what punishment is for."

"If I ever build a place like that, it should only be for people who have committed truly serious crimes." As for adventurers who tried to destroy a dungeon core because they believed it might threaten humanity... From their perspective, the decision was not entirely unreasonable. As long as they did not act like Aurican, harming innocent people merely to satisfy their own desires, Owen would not hold a grudge against them forever.

"As long as I keep growing stronger, I'm sure there'll come a day when no one can break through my defenses and reach my Core Chamber!"

"There may be powerful Guild members guarding the entrance right now, but in the end, I still need to become truly strong myself. Otherwise, I'll always be at the mercy of others." Owen sighed softly.

"If I become stronger than they are, then I'll get to decide how we work together, won't I?" But then again... What exactly had been behind that strange gaze? Aside from leaving him with a mark he still did not understand, nothing else seemed to have happened so far. Owen still had no idea what it meant, but he could not think of anything he could do about it.

"Should I have the dungeon residents warn the adventurers?"

"But even I can't explain what happened. Would the adventurers really believe them?" Owen wrestled with the decision for a while before setting the idea aside for the time being.

"Forget it. All I can do is keep watching."

"The most important thing right now is expanding the dungeon as quickly as possible!" Once the dungeon became strong enough, Owen would at least have a little more power to resist, no matter who or what was behind that gaze.