Chương 64: Chapter 63: The Eye in the Rock

Roughly a five-day journey on foot from Blackstone Dungeon lay a low-level dungeon that had existed for many years. The residents of Rockspring Town and the adventurers who passed through the area were no strangers to it. Over the years, countless rookies who had only just begun their lives as adventurers had made this place the first stop in their training. Rockspring Dungeon was a cave-type dungeon located outside Rockspring Town, roughly two hours away on foot.

Its entrance lay beside a small stream, hidden within a steep rock face. A cluster of wooden buildings surrounded the entrance, forming a sizable adventurer camp. The buildings received regular maintenance. Even though they stood beside a damp stream, there were no obvious signs of moisture damage or moss growing on the wood. Today, however, the camp was unusually quiet. Aside from the Guild clerk on duty inside a wooden booth, only two or three adventuring parties remained in the entire camp.

Not far away, a burly man with a thick beard stood before several young adventurers, berating them loudly.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Don't believe every rumor you hear. How could a dungeon that brings people back from the dead possibly exist?"

"But Uncle Gern..." Gern raised a hand and cut him off.

"All right, all right. Enough of that for now." He waved impatiently.

"Are you going into the dungeon today or not? If you keep standing around, I'm going back to town." The four young adventurers exchanged glances. Although they still looked somewhat disappointed, they eventually nodded.

"Good." Gern stepped forward and gave each of them a firm slap on the back.

"Get your spirits up. Exploring a dungeon while looking half-dead is how accidents happen!"

"We know, Uncle Gern." Gern's face went hard.

"Once we enter the dungeon, you call me Captain!"

"Yes, Captain!" Gern braced his heavy shield on his left arm and carried a spiked mace in his right hand as he took the lead. Following him were two swordsmen, a ranger, and an apothecary. Unlike most swordsmen, both young men had small round shields strapped to their left arms. This was something Gern specifically required, and part of his own distinctive way of training rookies.

Swordsmen who followed the sword-and-shield style might not be as nimble as those who chose other paths, but the shield gave them one more chance to save their own lives in a crisis. Whenever Gern took a rookie swordsman under his wing, he always required them to begin with a sword and shield. Once they had grown familiar with combat and learned how to keep themselves alive inside a dungeon, they could slowly begin moving toward the style that truly suited them.

Gern had always believed that as long as they survived, they would still have the chance to learn more. As the group passed the wooden booth set up by the Guild, the clerk inside even raised a hand to greet them.

"Hey, Gern. You're actually still here? Didn't go join the excitement in Blackstone Town?"

"Hmph! You won't fool me with ridiculous rumors like that." The clerk scratched his cheek awkwardly and changed the subject.

"Fine. You're an old regular here anyway. Just head inside today. I can't be bothered to register your group again." Gern had taken only two steps when he stopped. He turned back to the booth, leaned one elbow against the counter, and frowned.

"Why aren't you registering us? Did something happen?" The clerk's smile faded slightly.

"The order came from the Guild. The adventurer camp outside Rockspring Dungeon will be dismantled soon, and we've stopped officially accepting new parties for the next few days."

"Dismantled?" Gern's frown deepened.

"Hasn't Rockspring Dungeon been fine all this time? Why would they suddenly dismantle the camp?" He rubbed his bearded chin, then glanced back at the nearly deserted camp.

"And look how few people are left here. Instead of sending more staff, the Guild wants to remove the camp entirely. Aren't they worried the dungeon might go out of control?" The clerk hesitated before lowering his voice.

"I heard the Guild has already hired core hunters."

"Core hunters?" Gern's face darkened at once.

"Those idiots who do nothing but take training grounds away from rookies? Why would the Guild hire them to come here?" He slammed one hand against the booth's counter.

"Have the people up top completely lost their minds?"

"It's mainly because of Blackstone Dungeon." The clerk looked at him in confusion.

"Didn't your group receive the notice? The one telling nearby adventurers to head to Blackstone Town." Gern went stiff. He had assumed someone had deliberately forged that absurdly worded notice as a prank. That thing had actually come from the Guild?

"Uncle!" The young adventurers groaned behind him. Gern looked even more awkward. He rapped the booth's counter several times and forced his features into a stern look.

"Never mind that! Just register us first. Blackstone Town is too far away, so we'll stick to the original plan and explore Rockspring Dungeon today." The clerk gave him a strange look, but eventually picked up the register from the desk. Gern gave the others no opportunity to question him further. He turned and strode toward the cave entrance in the rock face.

"Come on, hurry up! Once today's training is over, I'll take you to Blackstone Town tomorrow. Is that good enough?"

"That's great! Thank you, Uncle Gern!"

"Hey!"

"Oh, right! Captain! We meant Captain!" Gern nodded in satisfaction.

"That's more like it!" ◆ ◆ ◆ Gern led the group down the stairs. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The rock walls on both sides were dark and damp, their surfaces coated in a slick layer of moisture. By the time they reached the bottom, however, the ground beneath their feet had become dry, rough stone. Numerous lamps installed by the Guild hung along the walls. Gern lit the oil-soaked torch in his hand, then used it to ignite the fuel in each lamp they passed.

Dim yellow flames came to life one after another, gradually illuminating the deep cave ahead.

"Still no one else has come in..." Gern muttered under his breath and sighed. He had never imagined that Rockspring Dungeon would one day become this deserted. A low-level dungeon that went without visitors for too long could potentially unleash a Demonic Tide, but Gern was not especially worried. That usually happened only after a dungeon had remained deserted for a very long time. Rockspring Dungeon had only truly begun losing visitors over the past few days.

Gern slowly led the young adventurers deeper into the dungeon. Just then, the sound of metal scraping against stone came from the passage ahead. Gern's expression sharpened. He immediately raised his shield and moved to the front of the party. Before long, three skeletons wielding rusted shortswords emerged from the darkened passage. These skeletons were the most common monsters found inside Rockspring Dungeon.

"Three of them?" Gern swept his gaze across the passage before shouting to the two young swordsmen behind him.

"You two, come with me!" The moment the words left his mouth, he raised his shield and charged toward the skeletons. The heavy shield slammed into the skeleton at the front. Gern did not slow down. He drove it backward several steps, then twisted his body and smashed it hard against the nearby rock wall. With a sharp series of cracks, the skeleton collapsed into a pile of bones. After confirming that it could no longer rise, Gern immediately looked back.

The two young swordsmen had each engaged one of the remaining skeletons.

"Use your shields to block their attacks!" Gern watched their movements while shouting instructions.

"Stop dodging so far! All that extra movement just wastes your strength!" The two swordsmen were clearly not complete beginners, but they were still unaccustomed to using shields. Whenever an attack came toward them, they still instinctively dodged far more than necessary. Hearing Gern's warning, the young swordsman on the left narrowed his eyes and focused on every movement of the skeleton before him. The instant the rusted sword came down from above, he raised his left arm and met it with his round shield. Clang!

The heavy impact forced his left arm downward, but the skeleton's rusted sword was also knocked aside, throwing its entire body off balance. The young swordsman seized the opportunity and swept his sword through its neck. The dull, mottled skull struck the ground and rolled twice. The dark red point of light within it gradually faded, while the headless skeleton collapsed and dissolved into smoke and dust. The other swordsman, however, was clearly far less practiced.

He also tried to take the blow on his shield, but instinctively closed his eyes the moment the rusted sword descended.

"Idiot! Open your eyes!" Gern had barely finished shouting when the skeleton's rusted sword scraped past the edge of the round shield and struck the young swordsman's arm. Blood sprayed from the wound. Seeing this, his companion rushed forward and severed the skeleton's head with a slash from the side. Gern hurried back to the injured swordsman, shield still in hand. The apothecary who had remained at the rear of the party had already run over and crouched beside the young swordsman to examine the wound.

"Jack! How many times have I told you not to close your eyes when an attack is coming?" Jack clutched his injured arm, his brow tightly furrowed as he lowered his head in disappointment. Gern watched him for a moment before softening his tone.

"All right, all right. Just remember it next time." He extended one finger and tapped Jack on the chest.

"You only need to remember one thing. Which frightens you more, getting hurt or dying?" Jack paused, then hurriedly raised his head again.

"D-dying is more frightening, of course!" Gern burst into hearty laughter and gave his shoulder a powerful slap, making Jack grimace on the spot. Gern then turned toward the apothecary beside him.

"Kyle, tell me how you should treat a wound caused by a rusted iron sword." Kyle calmly answered while taking several packets of medicinal powder and a clean bandage from his waist pouch.

"First, rinse the wound thoroughly with clean water, then apply antitoxin powder. After waiting two minutes, apply a layer of hemostatic powder and wrap the wound with a bandage..." At that point, he looked up at Gern, a trace of uncertainty entering his voice.

"That's correct, isn't it, Captain?"

"Very good! Very good! You're learning quickly, Kyle!" Gern nodded repeatedly in satisfaction before bursting into hearty laughter again.

"But you'll have to ask the apothecaries in town for anything more detailed. Anything beyond that is over my head too! Hahaha!" Kyle scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he watched Gern laugh, then lowered his gaze and began treating Jack's wound. Just then, the ranger who had been keeping watch returned after gathering the loot. Two magic crystals no larger than a finger joint rested in his palm. Both were dark red.

"Oh! We only defeated three monsters, and two magic crystals dropped?" Gern accepted the crystals and examined them carefully, a smile quickly spreading across his face.

"Our luck is pretty good today!" He placed the magic crystals into the pouch at his waist, tied it shut, and gave it a pat.

"All right. Same as always. We'll divide everything once we get back." The ranger suddenly crossed his arms and spoke with a hint of longing in his voice.

"I heard Blackstone Dungeon drops blue magic crystals that are already pure. They don't have to be sent away for purification, so we could save the purifier's cut." Gern could not help sighing.

"A dungeon that brings the dead back to life and drops pure magic crystals that don't require purification..." Confusion was written all over his face.

"Could a dungeon that good really exist?" Both the notice sent by the Guild and all the rumors he had heard recently seemed to suggest that the stories about Blackstone Dungeon might actually be true. But... What if all of this was a trap? Over the years, he had watched many companions die before his own eyes during dungeon expeditions. He had also carried students back with his own hands, knowing they would never open their eyes again. Those memories had drilled one thing into him.

Dungeons had never been kind to people. But as Gern looked from face to face and saw the anticipation in every pair of eyes, some of the heaviness left his expression. Perhaps this time really would be different. Gern forced the corners of his mouth into a smile, then let out his usual hearty laugh.

"Since I already promised you, we'll leave for Blackstone Dungeon tomorrow. You can all look forward to it!" He stood and gave Jack, whose arm had already been bandaged, and the other young swordsman each a firm slap on the back.

"That said, you'd better stay sharp during the rest of today's expedition! Anyone who dares let their guard down can stay behind in Rockspring Town alone tomorrow!" Gern abruptly raised his voice.

"Do you hear me?"

"Got it, Captain!" Gern nodded in satisfaction and led the party deeper into the dungeon. Their figures disappeared around the bend. Silence settled over the passage once more. Then a thin crack suddenly opened in the rock overhead. A massive bloodshot eyeball slowly appeared behind it. It stared motionlessly down the passage where Gern's party had disappeared.

"F-found them..." A hoarse, wet rasp echoed through the empty passage.

"Must inform... F-Forsworn..." ◆ ◆ ◆ Deep inside Rockspring Dungeon's Core Chamber, a diamond-shaped core glowing with a faint, ominous dark red light drifted anxiously back and forth above the stone pedestal. The chamber was steeped in an oppressive, almost viscous sense of wrongness. Dark red energy coursed constantly through a crisscrossing web of veins along the walls. Those veins swelled and contracted without pause, like a pulse beating beneath living flesh.

Just then, dark red light flared, flooding the entire Core Chamber. One of the walls slowly split open, and the enormous bloodshot eyeball squeezed through the gap. Its pupil contracted sharply, and a huge light screen appeared before it. On the other side of the light screen, a blurred and twisted humanoid mass of flesh sat on a massive stone seat, with tall armrests rising on either side. Then a deep, oppressive voice rang out.

"Hmm? You are... Tier-One Number 728?" The fleshy figure sounded openly impatient.

"You dare interrupt me while I am commanding an attack? If this information is not important, I'll blow your core apart." Rockspring Dungeon's core began trembling even more violently.

"H-honored... Forsw—""Shut up! Get to the point!"

"I... a clue... about the traitor..." The figure on the other side of the light screen suddenly went rigid. An instant later, its entire twisted body began trembling violently.

"A clue about the traitor? Where? Where is it?" Its voice abruptly turned shrill and frenzied.

"I'll tear its core apart!"

"N-not... clear..." The instant those words left its mouth, violently flickering dark red light swallowed the entire Core Chamber. The diamond-shaped core above the pedestal began shaking uncontrollably. Tiny cracks even appeared across its surface.

"Adventurers..." Rockspring Dungeon hurriedly continued.

"Adventurers... have clues..." The dark red light immediately dimmed. Forsworn's face remained utterly expressionless as it stared unblinkingly at Rockspring's core.

"Good. You know how to form contracts, don't you?" It leaned forward slightly.

"Force each of those adventurers into a contract. Then use them as spies and have them find the traitor's true location for me!"

"Not... enough energy..."

"Useless!" Dark red light flared throughout the Core Chamber once again. This time, however, no new cracks appeared on Rockspring's core. A stream of dark red energy poured through the light screen and surged into the diamond-shaped core, making it blaze with a piercing red light. After a moment, the surrounding light gradually faded.

"I've given you the energy." Forsworn's voice was cold and low.

"Now bring me the information!" Rockspring's core trembled faintly.

"Understood... I will... do it as soon as possible..." Forsworn cut the connection without another word. Once the connection was severed, Rockspring's core lost its support and dropped onto the stone pedestal. After a moment, it shakily floated back into the air. [Illegal Operation: Creating guards while challengers are inside the dungeon is prohibited.] [Penalty: Guard creation cost increased tenfold.] [Soul Energy Deducted: 28, 000.] The dark red glow around Rockspring's core had only just brightened again, but it dimmed by more than half in an instant. The next moment, a flood of dark red ooze surged out of thin air and rapidly gathered inside the passage Gern and the others had just passed through. Before long, an enormous red slime appeared in the center of the passage. [High Silver-level Guard: Bloodrot Slime] Its massive body nearly filled the entire passage, completely cutting off Gern and the others' escape route.

Rockspring's core barely managed to remain afloat as it swayed.

"V-very good..."

"Capture... those adventurers..."