novelraw Chapter 117 : Chapter 117
Chapter 117 : Chapter 117
Chapter 117. Dungeon (2)
Lumen Fortis was more vibrant these days than ever before.
The square was bustling with people who had come from all over the continent after hearing the rumors.
Their purpose was singular.
To challenge the unprecedented Great Underground Dungeon, newly completed by the former hero, Frank.
“Is this really a dungeon made by His Excellency the Margrave himself?”
“Well, I know, right? To think a dungeon was artificially constructed, isn't that something out of a myth?”
“The rumors say it goes down to the hundredth underground floor. There's even talk of dragons and demons appearing, not to mention monsters.”
“I can't even imagine what awaits on the lowest floor.”
The adventurers' eyes sparkled with curiosity, excitement, and a little bit of fear.Along with the anticipation of an unknown dungeon, the title of a ‘dungeon made by a hero’ strongly stimulated their desire for a challenge.
Of course, their stay in Lumen Fortis, separate from their adventurous spirit, was not free.
The lodging fees for staying while waiting for their turn to enter the dungeon, the food expenses to quell their hunger, and even the usage fee for the ‘miraculous hot spring’ that was said to relieve fatigue and heal injuries.
The adventurers' pockets were constantly opening, and thanks to that, the treasury of Lumen Fortis was renewing its highest sales every day and getting fatter.
There was also a food that had emerged as a new specialty of this place.
It was the ‘insect cuisine’ developed by the sage, Rude.
At first, everyone was disgusted, but through the word of mouth of those who bravely tried it, it was now so popular they couldn’t sell enough of it.
In the bustling restaurant of the inn that had become the largest in Lumen Fortis, an adventurer frowned at the dish placed on the table.
“Is this that famous mealworm dish? It looks quite disgusting.”
His companion at the next seat laughed heartily and slapped his shoulder.
“Huhu. Don’t judge by appearances. Don’t be like that, take a bite. It’s crispy and not much different from the taste of dried shrimp.”
The adventurer, who picked up a mealworm half in doubt and put it in his mouth, soon widened his eyes.
“Oh? It’s better than I thought.”
Similar reactions erupted from here and there.
The adventurers, munching on insect food as a snack and drinking cool beer, were excitedly talking about their upcoming dungeon conquest.
Then, in one corner, people’s gazes were drawn to a particularly noisy table.
Four men and women, exuding an extraordinary aura at a glance, were sitting there.
A tanker armed with a giant shield and armor, a healer wearing a robe with a sacred aura, a wizard holding a staff with brilliant patterns, and a rogue with daggers who looked as agile as a shadow.
The weapons and armor they wore were all extraordinary, and their eyes even had a sense of strong confidence and arrogance.
“Hmph. To think a former hero would make something like this toy. How boring.”
The man who seemed to be the leader said, roughly putting down his beer mug.
The female healer next to him smiled elegantly and added.
“Huhu. Still, when it comes to conquering ruins, our ‘Eternal Phoenix’ can’t be left out. We’re the best party on the continent, after all, shouldn’t we live up to our name?”
“That’s true.”
The wizard agreed, tapping his staff.
“How long do you think it will take to reach the hundredth floor? I think a week would be enough.”
The rogue smirked and replied.
“A week? Three days would be enough.”
Then he suddenly shouted in a loud voice.
“Innkeeper! Bring more bugs here! And more booze!”
The surrounding adventurers frowned at their noisy and arrogant attitude.
But no one readily stepped forward to stop them.
Eternal Phoenix.
Their name was so famous that there was no one on the continent who didn't know it, and their skills, if the rumors were true, were not to be trifled with.
The adventurers could only watch their commotion with displeased expressions.
The Lumen Fortis dungeon, preparing to open its doors anew.
Perhaps, along with the challenges of numerous heroes, the downfall of these arrogant people was also waiting there.
***
Noemi hadn’t seen her father’s face properly for several days.
She knew he was busy with the dungeon opening preparations and the vampire migration issue, but this was too much.
She finally couldn’t stand it and went around the mansion looking for her father.
“Dad! Where on earth are you? I’m looking for you!”
But his room was empty, and he wasn't in his office or the basement either.
Usually, he would have appeared out of nowhere with a gentle face and patted her head.
As she walked down the hallway, frowning, she encountered a familiar yet unfamiliar figure.
“Huh?”
It was Noctavira, who had changed into a neat maid outfit like Master Anonymous.
She saw Noemi and politely bowed her head.
“The Master is not here right now, Lady Noemi.”
After becoming human, she always used honorifics to Noemi and the other daughters.
At first, everyone was awkward, but now it was a fairly familiar scene.Noemi asked with an face.
“Dad’s not here? Then, where is he?”
“He went to the dungeon. He left a message with me not to look for him for the time being.”
At those words, Noemi’s eyebrows twitched.
did he tell such an important thing only to a mere maid, and not directly to his own daughters?
“Dad told only you?”
Yes. Because I am his maid.”
Noctavira answered as if it were a matter of course, but that answer got on Noemi’s nerves.
Wasn’t Master Anonymous enough, and now a vampire too?
Noemi raised her voice without realizing it.
“Why does he always tell such important things only to other women? Dad is always like that!”
“Y-yes?”
Noctavira’s face turned red as if it would burst, with embarrassment.
She hastily waved her hands and denied it.
“I-I am by no means in that kind of relationship with the Master! It’s a misunderstanding!”
“What do you mean it’s not! Can’t you tell just by looking? I’m sure you, you wily thing, seduced Dad!”
At Noemi's groundless accusation, Noctavira was almost in tears as she tried to make excuses,but Noemi had no intention of listening.
She waved her hand as if to say ‘enough’ and ordered Noctavira.
“Follow me.”
“Wh-where are you going?”
“Never mind, just follow me!”
Noemi led the way out of the mansion, and Noctavira had no choice but to follow her.
The place Noemi headed to was a wide-open space near Rarc Village.
It was also the place where Adel often sparred with Alvarez.
“…Why are we here?”
Noctavira asked with anxious eyes.
Noemi turned back and looked at her straight.
Her eyes were so cold and sharp, it was hard to believe she was a young girl.
“Fight me.”
“Pardon?”
Noctavira’s eyes widened in surprise.
Noemi slowly explained the reason.
“You defeated the ghost of the first Vampire King. The unknown power you used at that time. You clearly don't seem to have more magical talent than me, so how was that possible?”
In fact, that incident had been bothering Noemi.
She was so scared of the ghost that she couldn't move, hiding behind her father, but Noctavira had faced that terrifying ghost on equal terms, no, she had even overwhelmed it.
The fact that she had done something she, a genius wizard, couldn’t do, a power she didn’t know, didn't sit well with her.
“I’m going to analyze the magic you use and use the same magic. A magic I don’t know. Such a thing cannot exist in this world!”
Noctavira was terrified and tried to stop her, but it was useless.
A tremendous amount of magic had already begun to swirl around Noemi’s small hands.
Noctavira, in fear, reluctantly put up a defensive magic.
The result? Needless to say.
Boom! Kaboom!
In terms of magical talent or the total amount of magic power, there was no comparison.
Noemi, as if playing with a toy, lightly broke Noctavira's defensive magic and sent her flying here and there.
Even so, she did not forget to meticulously analyze the characteristics of the magic power Noctavira used.
“Hmm. It’s certainly different. But it’s still not enough. Come at me again!”
Noctavira, who barely got up from the dust, felt her vision turn yellow at Noemi’s words to come at her again.
She began to seriously worry if she would really die like this.
But why was Frank’s face flashing before her eyes?
The thought that perhaps Anonymous had felt this way when she was captured by the Lich King flashed through Noctavira’s mind.
***
Before long, the first challenger of the Lumen Fortis underground dungeon was decided.
Beating out numerous formidable competitors, the honor went to the party renowned throughout the continent, ‘Eternal Phoenix’.
According to rumors, they had discreetly threatened and pressured other parties who wanted to enter the dungeon first to make their turn the earliest.
Finally, the heavy doors of the dungeon opened, and the members of the ‘Eternal Phoenix’ party,led by their leader ‘King’, entered.
However, they did not enter alone.
figure in black, who claimed to be a guide, accompanied them.
His identity was Number 1, but they had no way of knowing this.
When the door closed behind them, the inside of the dungeon was not as dark as expected.
Magical lights installed on the walls glowed softly, illuminating the stone space.
felt like the entrance to a well-made ruin, as if proving the rumor that it was artificially created to be true.
“Hmph, they’ve decorated it quite nicely.”
The leader, King, snorted.
The rogue looked around and said.
“I don’t see any traps. It seems safe for now.”
The healer also nodded.
“If the first floor is too difficult, there won’t be any challengers. Maybe something like a slime will come out from over there?”
From the other end of the hallway she pointed to, the presence of something moving could be felt.But what greeted them was not a slimy slime.
“Vampires?”
The wizard muttered in a surprised voice.
appeared at the end of the hallway were several vampires with pale skin and sharp eyes. A chilling aura unique to vampires could be felt from them.
King frowned and clicked his tongue.
“Ha? To think vampires would come out from the first floor.”
But they were not flustered.
Befitting their reputation as the best party on the continent, they immediately got into a battle stance.
King charged forward with his giant shield, and the rogue hid in the shadows.
Brilliant magic bloomed from the wizard’s fingertips, and the healer offered prayers of defense and blessing.
A fierce battle that made the onlookers sweat.
The vampires were so strong that it was hard to believe they were enemies from the very beginning.
Although they didn’t seem to feel the urge to suck blood, they fiercely pushed the party with their sharp claws, swift movements, and surprise magic.
But ‘Eternal Phoenix’ were also veterans.
Based on their experience of crossing numerous lines of death and their perfect teamwork, they calmly subdued the vampires one by one.
In the end, the cornered vampires turned into a swarm of bats and hastily fled into the darkness.
“Damn it! We should have finished them completely!”
King shouted with regret, but for now, the first battle was their victory.
But it was too early to be relieved.
As they went down to the 2nd and 3rd floors, the number of vampires increased, and among them were even more powerful individuals.
Fatigue and tension gradually began to cloud the party members' faces.
When they cleared the last room on the 3rd floor, the wizard shouted, gasping for breath.
Her face was pale, and her magic power seemed to be almost depleted.
“Let’s just go this far for today, King! If we go down further, we might really get wiped out!”
But King shook his head firmly.
His eyes were filled with pride and stubbornness.
“If we stop here, we’ll only be laughed at by everyone. The best party on the continent, ‘Eternal Phoenix’, retreated from just the 3rd floor. We advance further!”
At his firm words, the other companions silently nodded.
But the wizard was different.
She trembled in fear and looked at the dark staircase leading down with anxious eyes.
‘Will it really be okay?’
The wizard slyly looked at Number 1, who was following them at a certain distance.
An indifferent expression from which she couldn’t read any thoughts.
Leaving her anxiety behind, ‘Eternal Phoenix’, under the pride of their reputation and the stubbornness of their leader, took another step into the deeper and more dangerous dungeon.
Only then did a subtle smile appear on Number 1’s face.
That smile was a cold laugh, as if to say, this is where it really begins.