When I was given the location of the dungeon, Ron told me that is at the north corner of the city on a nearby hill.

I realized and asked afterwards about the cardinal directions and the port appeared to be south. After that I went a bit into details, derailed and asked about this world's layout, continents and all. He told me that there are two huge continents separated by an ocean and this city is one of the few by the coast of it, trading both with this continent's countries and the other ones across, by using an intermediary. That pretty much meant that they created the products and a merchant city that specializes in traveling the ocean and transporting goods was their liaison.

It felt a bit weird, since is very different than what I was used to back on Earth, but at least now I know some details about the world I'm living in at the moment.

North of this city there were three other settlements of the same size as this one and the forth in that same direction was the capital, being at the very heart of the continent. The layout is very straightforward and it feels like is lacking imagination to be honest...

"Well, now that I'm here and everything I might as well get used to it. Haah... Oh? Are those the Guards Ronald told me about?"

[Please stop there. Who are you and what is the purpose of you being here?] (Guard)

"Wow...how very...scripted..."

"Hello... My name is Michael Corbett. I am the adventurer that accepted the request of exploring the dungeon. Ronald told me to hand you this letter. Also, this is my adventurer's tag."

I did as instructed by Ron and handed them my identification alongside with the letter explaining the situation to the guards. They looked pretty puzzled since they were probably stationed here in order to stop anyone stupid enough to venture inside for fun. Which was more or less what I was doing...

"Wouldn't it be easier if they would've been, I don't know, notified about it!?"

[It does seem to be approved by the commander and the general as well. However, are you sure you want to do this? To be honest, quite the number of scouts have already tried to explore it and failed to return. We don't even have bodies to give to their families to bury...] (Guard)

"I see. However, I already accepted the request and I don't plan on doing anything dangerous that would put my life at risk. If I find myself being in trouble I won't hesitate to make run for the exit. Be it as cowardly as it sounds..."

[There's no shame in surviving. Death does not make one a hero...] (Guard)

"Even if they were reluctant they let me pass and told me to take care. They looked honestly worried... good guys, aren't they?"

When I stood in front of the dungeon, it looked like the entrance to a cave. I couldn't see inside as it looked pitch black, dark enough to be unable to distinguish any forms of any objects even one meter away, as the image of bats flying out and a bat-mobile jumping above my head with its roaring engine flashed by. I realized that I don't have any torches or other forms of light, but it seems weird that no one told me about needing them. Following that thought process, such things might not be required...

"Well then, let's get this party started! Let's have a look, shall we?"

I took a step and entered the cave. When I did that, I felt like I just passed through something like a thin water film and the view around me transformed into the actual insides of the cave, while being unable to see anything outside through the same unnerving pitch-blackness.

I poked my hand back through it and it was the same type of feeling. When I exited and found myself in the sunlight again, I tilted my head to the side confused, thing that amused the guards.

"I realized previously, but inside is just as much light as there's outside during mid-day isn't it?"

With that thought in mind, I once again entered the dungeon and looked around me. I was at the entrance and the space around me was about three meters to each wall, looking more like a hall than an entrance.

The walls were pure rock bed, similar to cliffs by the seaside in color. When I looked up, I saw small crystals stuck on the ceiling glowing a blue light. I used my Identify skill on them, secretly hoping that they were some precious gems.

Mana crystals

In places where mana is heavily concentrated, such crystals will appear as a condensed and physical form of it.

In the case of enclosed dark spaces, they usually can be found on the ceiling, using the plants above absorb light from the Sun and using such element to reproduce it inside.

"So that's why it looks like daylight. Still, is weird how I couldn't tell the difference between the natural sunlight and this...well, mana generated artificial one at first..."

I walked for about a couple of minutes through the charted first hundreds of meters and at the end of the 'hall', the cave opened up hugely both in length and in height. Looking up, there were probably around twenty meters to reach the ceiling and from one wall to another, it looked like maybe fifty. It was uselessly spacious...

It felt like a room, or rather, since is a dungeon it felt like a safe room. There were no plants, no rocks on the floor, nothing. Simple and bare. However, in front of me there were two other door-like caves opening, each about two meters in height and three in width.

I placed the map in the bag and equipped both daggers in advance.

"I guess this is where the real deal starts. There's no need to draw this place since they already have it on the map at the guard station and it would be a rather stupid idea to start an art class inside of a dungeon as well..."

Yup! I asked for the paper in order to draw a map of the dungeon as I explored it. I figured it is the easiest way to get those extra money and be helpful, at the same time.

I realized I was being overconfident thinking that this will be a walk in the park, however I remembered Murphy's law saying that "If it can happen, it will happen". So, I decided to just wing it and see where that takes me.

Unlike the last encounter with the Goblins, this time I had proper weapons and some armor. I am better prepared mentally as well and my level is higher. There's nothing more that I could do gain advantages against an unknown place like this.

"Somehow I feel like Vespucci exploring the world, in a game where all the map is dark and a step ahead reveals the surrounding few tiles.Hahaha... Well then, there's no use stalling...which door should I take: the one on the left, or the one on the right?"

When I approached the one on the left, a strong smell came from it, while the second one didn't smell like anything in particular. If I had to describe the smell... I couldn't really put my finger on it, but it smelled stupidly familiar.

I decided however to go first with the door on the right. That smell might indicate living scary beings, so let's check the safer one out first... possibly safer. Is good to be positive in an environment that you might die in!

Upon entering it, I found myself walking for probably half an hour and the corridor kept expanding until it reached about ten meters from one wall to the other and maybe five from floor to ceiling. Then, all of a sudden, a wild dead end appeared in front of me.

"Eh!? The fuck??? There's nothing here but empty space? Not even traps? Not that I'm complaining but...give me back my uselessly spent enthusiasm!!!"

I quickly looked around me and saw nothing but bed rock. The color was a... blueish black? Weird color anyway... Until I saw on the wall that was the dead end, a slight discoloration.

I approached carefully, since I might've raised a flag regarding traps when previously yelled my frustrations to no one in particular.

"Let's see: there are no levers or buttons I might press by mistake since both the floor and the walls are smooth. The floor doesn't seem to have any pitfalls since...well since is bed rock I guess. On the walls...hmm?"

When I knocked on the walls with the hilt of one of my daggers, the sound was different from the rest of it. I realized that this discoloration might be in fact a fake wall.

However, I wasn't really sure about this since it could be a trap room or something far worse.

"Whatever can happen, will happen huh? What about making something happen yourself then?"

I breathed in deeply and using the hilt I hit the fake wall as hard as I could. The sound of cracking glass echoed in the empty room and I took about three steps back and drew the other dagger as well, assuming a fighting position I saw in a movie with ninjas. What!? Is better than nothing... I wanted to be prepared in case of a monster appearing. Of course if push comes to shove, I will run faster than Usain Bolt in the 100 meter race.

However, contrary to my expectations, the wall crumbled and alongside with the falling rocks, a small chest fell to the ground.

I put both of my daggers in their sheaths and face-palmed. I mean, really... What the hell is that worthless game God thinking? Didn't he say there were no item drops?

When I took a step towards it, I remembered that in games there is a monster called a 'mimic' that looks like a treasure chest.

I used my skill on it and it showed 'box', not even treasure chest...just box. I felt empty on the inside and I thought I could hear the wind whistle past me...

To be extra safe, I took out one of the knives I got from the weapon shop previously today and threw it at the 'box'. It got stuck in it, but it didn't prompted any damage pop-up window to appear. There was no movement either, so it was safe to assume that...

"...this is really just a regular chest then, isn't it? That reminds me...I didn't have the daggers absorb poison or anything..."

I approached the chest and opened it, while looking around me for changes as I did so. Inside it there was a ring.

"Eh!?"

I let out a stupid voice as soon as I used Identify on it.

Ring of minor Strength

Increases the Strength attribute of the wearer by two points.

Estimated cost: 2 Gold coins and 25 Silvers

Beside the previously stupid voice, the stupidly high appraisal value of the damned thing and the stupidly low increase it provided, a stupid smile from ear to ear was showing on my face.

"OPTIONS! IT HAS OPTIONS!!!"

It took me about ten minutes to calm down after almost break dancing inside of a dungeon and decided to wear the ring out of curiosity.

Name

Michael Corbett

Name

Value

Name

Value

Job Name

Level

Progress

Race

Human

STR

18(+2)

Magic

5

Scout

8

20%

Sex

Male

DEX

18

Charm

10

Age

25

AGI

22

Luck

10

World

Anhur

END

16

HP

474/474 (+2.5/sec)

INT

18

MP

265/265(+1.8/sec)

WIS

12

Equipment Ring of minor Strength

"So it really went up with two points and my HP along with it. This is really amazing! The only downside is that I can't really blame that worthless game God anymore when things are this fun..."

For another thirty minutes or so I explored the walls of the room and searched for other hidden chests, but came up empty so I turned back and returned to the safe room, which I proceeded to check every nook and cranny of.

"No discoloration in this one it seems. Well then, that only leaves us with the smelly door."