"Wah, the dungeons here are... How should I put it... Unique? Interesting? A pain in the ass?..." Leticia pursed her lips and whistled.

Everyone inside this room was a gamer with plenty of experience, but this was their first time seeing such a setup. They couldn't help but sympathize, supporting her comment.

"Indeed. I feel like complaining to the dev team!" Jeje, a Cait Sith monstrosity, cussed exasperated. "Look at the clearance reward. It's based on the AI's evaluation of so many different factors. Isn't this too stingy? It's not like it is taking it directly out its pockets!"

"C-can someone explain the Lifespan, Age, and State, please?" Harumi stuttered from her spot.

Renata read the passage twice and pinched her glasses. She glanced at their leader, suppressed her voice, and said, "The benefit Raven got for his 'first to pass the test' was a piece of useful information. It was related to the dungeons. And it happens to include the answers to some of Haru's questions. First, I will elaborate on what a dungeon is from a magical perspective. Dungeons-"

"Keep on track will ya?" Leo cut her short. "No one here gives a fuck about your magic theory."

"You!" Renata tried to argue, but a few more members sided with the shielder. In the end, she pursed her lips and swallowed back the lecture. "Fine. Then, for the simpletons, I will be brief...

"Dungeons are natural anomalies in space-time born from the world's mana background. They are not alive, but you can say that they vaguely resemble living creatures.

"When they first appear, they are rather simple. They have fewer monsters, fewer floors, lower difficulty, and less materials inside them. Clearing a 'newborn' dungeon is much easier, but they are difficult to find. You see, they are called 'hidden' for a reason. Even a proficient mage can't sense them. It all depends on luck."

"Heh, then our boss is born under the illumination of a star. Not only is he rich and handsome, but he even sniffed a dungeon off the bat." Leticia quipped and smiled. She didn't forget to suck up to the boss. It was an important life lesson she learned some time ago. The boss was already correct, even when they weren't!

This got Renata instantly distracted. She laughed out loud and waved her palm at Raven. "You call 'that' handsome? This one here is at most 5 or 6 on the handsome scale. Leti, you lack experience and research! You need to have higher standards for your prey! When we log out, I will send you my profound collection of romance novels with truly 'handsome' MCs. Read them carefully and-"

"Can you please go back on track? And stop discussing my appearance, in front of me!" Raven snapped and glared at the giggling elf. "As much as I know you have never had a partner either. Not surprising, really. Only a man kicked in the head by a herd of steroid-driven donkeys would consider you. Oh, wait, a comatose one may work as well. Good for you, now you have two choices!"

Cough

Jeje cleared his throat. Why were his teammates so unstable and emotional? He cut the banter short and spoke, "Then when they 'grow' and 'mature', their structure, interior, and ecosystem turn complex and elaborated? I get this much. It explains the Lifespan and the Age. Then what happens when a dungeon 'dies'?" If there was a beginning, there was an end. That was how the world worked. The word Lifespan clearly portrayed the possibility of death.

"Until the end of a dungeon's Lifespan, it will have the status Curbed. It means that the dungeon won't interact with its vicinity. It will be rather harmless unless you choose to enter.

"The problems begin after the dungeon 'dies'. It won't disappear. Instead, its status will be swapped from Curbed to Rampant. With a slowly expanding radius, it will begin to randomly suck up targets, forcing them to challenge it in the form of solo entries. Those unlucky fellows can't leave unless it's cleared or until they die..." Raven grudgingly explained himself. It was stupid to rely on the crazy elf for anything aside from bullshit. She was just a smart-ass idiot.

"And what's the problem? The penalty is just some wasted time. It's a good thing cause the dungeon will expose itself." Leo rolled his eyes.

Jeje who was fast to grasp the crux, nodded understanding. "It isn't a problem for us, players, but it is a big matter for the natives. Unlike us, they can not respawn. Death is ultimate and irreversible."

"Indeed. Besides, there is another status. If a Rampant dungeon isn't cleared, it will Burst and Spill. It will bring devastating consequences to its imminent surroundings. It's not just a matter of overflowing monsters. The mana turns chaotic and even the landscape can be changed. It depends." Renata calmed down and rejoined the topic. Her words made Harumi shiver and cower once again. Floods and earthquakes, seas of fire, countless monsters running amok the civilians, corpses, crying children, broken cities. The young angel felt unnerved imagining this scene.

"That's one more reason we can't let this dungeon be. It is too close to our city. The Land of the Lustrous is considered Mature. We will be facing up a rather tricky one." Jeje locked his fingers and concluded their prior conversation. "Then what about the Type? Combat and Material are obvious, but what about the rest?"

"I am not too sure. The information I received wasn't that thorough," Raven said. He thought for a moment and made an educated guess. "Judging by the wording. Sub-World probably refers to its environment. The interior should resemble what we see inside Euclex... Confined pertains to the inner structure. I suppose it isn't open-world but a regular dungeon often seen in games and novels. Like a tower. Or an underground facility with floors... And last, Solitary... If more than one party enters simultaneously, they can't interact with one another? If my guess is right, we won't have to worry about disturbances. However, this only applies inside the dungeon. All of you should pay attention. If the secret is exposed, or if we can't clear it in time, we can be intercepted outside. If the core members die, the penalty will make it difficult for Nemesis to continue the contests."

"That's good, right? I mean, at least... At least inside the dungeon we... we will be safe? Ah, eh, not exactly safe, but... yeah..." Harumi mumbled and stumbled. Her voice was soft as ever.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"Not at all! That's hella boring." Venom, the hooded assassin, corrected her, unhappy. "I desire PK, not to kill some mobs."

Raven ignored him and gently nodded to their healer. "If we clear the Land of the Lustrous, Nemesis will own it for a year and a month. Unlike uncleared ones, claimed dungeons crumble when the time is up. Even so, I don't need to elaborate on its importance. We absolutely can't let this chance escape. We can't let the dungeon fall in someone else's hands!"

"That's true. It is a great source of income for the guild. It will enliven Weist's economy as well." Jeje rubbed his chin. "I understand the gist. Now, we need to form a plan. We know nothing about what lies beyond the dungeon's door, but we do know of something else - the time. We have three days before the info is released. That is if we succeed in keeping it a secret..."

Calculating in his head, he calmly did the arithmetics. "If the team is prematurely wiped out, we have to wait until the reset time of 12 hours after entry. In the perfect case, we have 6 attempts before exposure.

"The time inside the Land of Lustrous flows 1.5 times slower than Euclex; twelve game hours equal 18 in the dungeon. Although we can't rush, we should keep that number close to heart. If we overspend our welcome, we may reduce the available attempts.

"Ah, we can't forget the 1-hour penalty. Therefore, I suggest we aim for a maximum of 17 hours and 30 minutes of exploration in our early trials. Leader, what say you?"

"I agree. The first trial will be focused on information gathering. We will aim for a maximum of 16 hours in the Land of Lustrous. The leeway is for us to have the time to replenish our supplies, analyze the problems, rest, and craft a strategy based on the feedback.

"Everyone, our ultimate goal is to claim the dungeon. Forget the clearance reward. It is a distraction that is meant to spark our greed. If we force it, we will waste the precious opportunity. Do you all agree?" Raven asked and received unanimous support. Only Venom and Leo seemed reluctant but they ultimately didn't speak.

"Good. Next is the team arrangement. We will naturally go with 7 members. Leo is the vanguard. Me and Maim for physical damage, Renata and Leticia for magical. Harumi is our healer. And the last member will be Jeje."

Hiccup

"D..do I have to go?" Harumi tried to make herself invisible, but the slightly glowing halo of the angel race ruthlessly betrayed her efforts.

Venom stood up and protested, "Why not me, but Maim and Jeje? I can understand the former, 'cause he is a swordsman, but Jeje's fighting skills are mediocre. He isn't even physically fit."

Raven rubbed his temples and first cast his gaze toward the scared girl, "Harumi you are our most competent healer, so naturally you will have to come." Then he stared back at the assassin and clicked his tongue. "I repeat, the first trial will be information gathering. Jeje isn't a fighter, but he is smart and his Origin Title is related to him hiking in the wild. He is the most skillful when it comes to reading up the terrain.

"For the latter explorations, the team's lineup will be changed depending on the circumstances. But, now, I prefer the stable mainstream composition. We need to increase survivability while accomplishing the goal. Jeje is required."

"Hmph, if you say so." Venom couldn't argue with his boss's explanation. He pursed his lips and sat back down, crossing both his arms and legs to express disgruntlement and envy.

"Any other questions?" Renata took the spot from Raven and after she confirmed the situation, began to bark out orders. She assigned them tasks, gave instructions, and chose the entry time. To keep this matter hidden, they couldn't draw attention. Their exploration would begin tonight.

...

Creeping closer to the exit, Midnight stopped to breathe. His body was on fire, quenched by evaporating sweat. Every muscle, every cell, every magical fluctuation, and every scattered thought, indicated that he was beyond his limits.

I am out of potions, but I'm close... And so are they...

He felt tremors course the wall and pushed himself forward.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

Finally, he slipped beyond the narrow passage and saw the real night. For the first time in his life, he found it blinding bright. Even though there were no moons or stars for they were tightly wrapped in a cloudy blanket, the darkness looked so colorful and airy. It was free, beautiful, and peaceful.

No, not yet. I need to find a safer place. A dilapidated cottage in the village...

The blowing winds chilled his heated body and flogged him with a stream of rain. Any other time he would have cussed, but now he bowed in gratitude. The weather was a blessing in disguise. It was a screen to keep him covered.

He snapped his fingers and released the membrane. The air hit him in the face and he gaped, inhaling greedy mouthfuls. As if devouring a delicacy, he let the fresh and fragrant gas expand his lungs, travel through his bloodstream, and nourish his persona. It provided him the energy to press ahead another step.

Without a second thought, he plunged into the forest, passed the grassy field, and ran into the village. The thunder high above drummed and set his pace.

When he reached a tiny uninhabited shack, located a bit further than the northern border, he finally relaxed. It could hardly be described as cozy. The roof was leaking and the ground was wet. Nonetheless, it was a perfect place for fugitives like him.

I am about to develop a persecutory delusion. How wonderful... I thank the nasty worms and my nameless stalker for the grace of enriching my medical records with yet another diagnosis. Kids collect cards, badges, and stickers, while I collect psychological disorders. Will I get a prize when I hit a hundred? Perhaps, a nice white outfit, and a long vacation in an asylum...

Inwardly lampooning, he bent down and stacked the scattered hay. His lower back protested, but he ignored its aching cries. When a homely pile stood erected in the driest corner, he dropped on top of it and closed his eyes. He listened to the calming pitter-patter and inhaled the scent of mold and pretrichor.

After resting for a while, he rummaged through his bag. Buried by rocks, sunken to the bottom, he found the item he was looking for. It was an unremarkable old tome. Stack of yellow wrinkly parchment papers, bound in brown and smelly leather.

Is this what I risked my life for? A book without a title? Don't tell me the real treasure was the chest itself... All that gold and gemstones. Heh, indeed, If I could have snatched it, and reused the gems and metals...

To a craftsman, the treasure was perhaps indeed the chest. Unfortunately, it was too damn heavy.

He flipped the book between his fingers. The texture, color, shape, and scent. There were no magical fluctuations, nothing to distinguish it from any random book. If anything, it was even less taken care of than the tomes in Helene's bookstore. It looked too simple for a treasure.

Forget a treasure, this is supposed to be a worship object. But then again, it was worshipped by a bunch of worms. Can they even read? A literate worm with a pair of glasses, despite having no eyes. No, they didn't have a nose and ears either. Where would they put the glasses on? They likely liked the pretty gemstones and not the book itself. Then, why did the system say I stole their treasure? Why did they chase me with such vigor?

He pursed his lips and flipped directly to the last page. It was taboo to read a story's end, instead of its beginning, but he couldn't help it. He was curious.

Pa

The page was white. As white as a yellow piece of parchment could be anyway...

"..."

He opened in the middle and his fingers shook.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! Where is the text????? No, no, no, it can't be that the treasure was the chest, right? I was simply joking..."

The more he flipped the weirder he felt. His heart was palpitating. There was not a single line, nor even a random splash of ink. The book was clean like a newborn baby's butt. It was ridiculous.

"Oh come on... You can't be serious. I demand compensation!" He roared and glared in the air.

Finally, he reached the forefront page, and his anger slightly settled. For a change, it wasn't empty! There was a strange and twisted diagram formed by countless tiny symbols.