Chapter 28 "The Dungeon's Hidden Face"

"Chasing after that bandit was reckless, you two had no business doing it," Geo growled, his arms crossed tightly and a hard scowl set on his face.

Van and I shared a guilty look and dropped our heads. "We’re sorry," we muttered.

"Jason and Niro wanted to go after you, but I held them back. The forest is huge—we had no idea where you two had run off to," Geo continued, his tone softening slightly but still firm. "Now, both of you, get to the carriage. We’re leaving."

The weight of what had happened settled over us. Three adventurers had died, and five more were injured too badly to continue. The fallen had already been buried, and the wounded would make their way back to Liras City.

In heavy silence, we climbed into the carriage. As the wheels began to turn, we pressed on toward Shumidct Duchy,

It was already morning when we finally reached Count Lorno’s territory. Only then did we discover that the dungeon that had mysteriously appeared was actually within Count Lorno’s lands—not in the Shumidft Duchy, as we’d been led to believe. Five knights from the House of Lorno met us upon arrival.

“I am Kevin, the knight commander of the House of Lorno. He’s a rugged, serious-looking knight with short, messy brown hair, a strong jawline with stubble, and a few scuff marks on his face. His worn metal armor, strapped with leather My companions and I will escort you to the dungeon entrance,” Kevin announced, his tone brisk.

One of the adventurers frowned and spoke up, clearly frustrated. “Excuse me, but this mission was commissioned by the Shumidft Duchy. Why are we only finding out now that the dungeon is actually in Count Lorno’s territory?”

A knight beside Kevin narrowed his eyes and snapped, “Are you questioning the House of Lorno?”

Kevin quickly raised a hand to silence the knight, his expression calm yet stern. “That’s enough,” he said, cutting off any further tension.

The adventurer who had asked the question shifted uncomfortably, casting a wary glance at the knights.

Kevin took a deep breath and addressed the group, his tone more understanding.

"I know many of you may be confused, so let me clarify. This mission was indeed requested by the House of Shumidft, under Duke Shumidft’s orders. However, the House of Lorno serves as a vassal to the Shumidft Duchy, meaning we are duty-bound to seek their aid in times of need. When we faced a shortage of knights to handle the dungeon, we requested reinforcements from the duchy. Unfortunately, they, too, lacked the manpower to assist us directly. As our liege, the Shumidft Duchy took responsibility for securing additional forces, ultimately hiring mercenaries to support our efforts."

He looked around, meeting each adventurer’s gaze. “Rest assured, your payment and rewards for completing this mission will remain as promised. Now, if there are no further questions, shall we proceed to the dungeon entrance?”

The adventurers exchanged glances, murmuring their agreement, and the group prepared to move forward.

The dungeon entrance lay deep within the forest, hidden in the heart of Lorno’s territory. A massive stone skull loomed over the clearing, its hollow eye sockets staring into the void. The gaping maw formed the entryway, jagged, fang-like stones lining the top like the teeth of some ancient beast. Wisps of mist curled around the base, thickening the air with an eerie stillness. Above the entrance, a dark symbol marked the dungeon’s rank, a silent warning of the danger within.

Time had ravaged the skull’s stone surface, leaving it cracked and weathered, blending it seamlessly with the surrounding cliffs. The ancient structure felt less like a carved monument and more like a curse petrified in stone.

The adventurers stood frozen, transfixed by the ominous gateway. Darkness swallowed the light beyond its threshold, and an eerie silence choked the air, as if the dungeon itself were holding its breath—waiting.

“This is where we part ways. May you all find success... and may you return safely,” the Knight Commander of House Lorno said, his voice steady and resolute. He looked each of us in the eye, a solemn farewell that carried the weight of what lay ahead.

In tense silence, adventurers entered the dungeon in pairs, each group crossing the threshold one by one. Finally, it was our turn. Jason and I exchanged a glance, steeling ourselves, then stepped forward together.

As we passed through the entrance, the darkness thinned slightly, revealing a dimly lit stone staircase spiraling downward. The walls, built from large gray stones, exuded an ancient, unyielding presence. Each step echoed faintly against the damp stone, the sound swallowed by the still air. Our lanterns cast flickering light, barely pushing back the shadows.

A faint, earthy scent thickened as we descended. At the bottom, we stepped into an impossible sight—an underground labyrinth that resembled a primeval forest. Towering, twisted trees loomed over the narrow paths, their gnarled branches reaching like claws toward the ceiling. They formed a dense, oppressive canopy, allowing only the faintest slivers of light to pierce through.

The ground was tangled with roots, thick moss, and patches of faintly glowing fungi, casting an eerie green glow. Wisps of dust and spores drifted through the damp air, caught in an eternal, weightless dance. Shadows twisted and flickered along the trunks, moving in ways that felt unnatural.

We moved forward cautiously, lanterns raised, taking in the strange, silent landscape.

Around us, the other adventurers quickly scattered, each disappearing into the forest in search of their own paths.

"Let’s go," Geo urged. "We need to be the first to find the entrance to the second floor."

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"It's a good thing no one noticed the master smith dwarf's stonework concealing the real dungeon symbol," a knight said with a smug grin. "They have no idea what awaits them."

Kevin, the knight commander, frowned. "We would have had a serious problem if anyone had caught on," he said in a low, grim tone.

A younger knight glanced between them, his brow furrowed with worry. "Do you really think they can clear an S-class dungeon like this?"

The commander shook his head, his expression dark. "Even if they do, it’ll cost them dearly. Most of them won’t make it out alive... Actually, most likely, none of them will. They’ll be lucky if even one survives."

He turned to the knights around him. "Keep a close watch on the entrance. If any adventurers come back out—or if anything unusual happens—report to me at once."

"Yes, sir," they answered in unison, their faces set with steely determination.

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We continued walking on the first floor.

But an hour passed, and we still hadn’t found the entrance to the second floor, nor had we encountered any monsters, which everyone found strange. "Not even a kobold," Van said. "This E-rank dungeon is worse than an F-rank.

You know, the difficulty isn’t based on the number of monsters, but on the dungeon’s guardian." Mario said

From what I’ve read, the monsters inside a dungeon are set in number—they don’t increase or multiply. The dungeon comes with a fixed amount of creatures, and that number slowly drops as they’re defeated . The strongest monster acts as the dungeon’s guardian, protecting a special jewel that’s basically the dungeon’s life source. This jewel is why certain parts of the dungeon stay lit. But once the strongest monster is defeated and someone removes the jewel where it's placed in the dungeon then everything inside fades away: the monsters, plants, and light—all of it vanishes. Only those who entered the dungeon from the outside, like adventurers, remain untouched.

The forest was eerily quiet-almost unnaturally so-as Caelan and his companions moved along the narrow path.Towering trees stretched overhead,their thick branches blocking out nearly all light from the dungeon’s ceiling.Shadows pooled around them,making the air heavy tense.

Then,a low,grating sound broke the silence-”grrrrrrrrrr”-like a stone grinding against stone, or the growl of something hidden in the dark.My grip tightened around my weapon,heart pounding as I scanned the shadows.

A moment later,they emerged.

From behind a massive tree, a group of goblins slinked into view.The lead goblin stepped forward, its bright green skin gleaming like wet moss in the dim light. Muscles tensed beneath its wiry frame,ready to pounce.Its yellow eyes shine in the light, and a long, hooked nose jutted over a mouth filled with jagged teeth twisted into a cruel snarl.

I knew goblins were weak compared to other dungeon creatures, especially on the first and second floors. But their true danger lay in their numbers-and their cunning.They thrived on ambushes.

“Goblins? Really?” Van scoffed, twirling his spear lazily.”Looks like we're in for a warm-up.”

The goblins shrieked and charged.

Niro reacted first.He planted his feet, drawing his bow in a smooth, practiced motion.Thwip! Thwip! His arrows hissed through the air, striking goblin after goblin with pinpoint precision.Crrrrrk! The sharp crack of impact sent creatures tumbling, bodies dissolving into motes of fading light.

Van stepped forward next, his spear a blur. With a single,sweeping arc, he impaled two goblins at once.Squelch. They let out choked cries as their bodies crumbled, leaving behind only faintly glowing red magic stones.

Meanwhile,Hiddan surged into the fray, his massive spear cutting through the stale air. Slash! One goblin barely had time to react before his weapon tore through its chest, sending it sprawling.Crack! Another tried to sidestepped, but Hiddan pivoted,swinging the shaft of his spear into its skull with bone-crushing force.The rank smell of blood thickened as more goblins fell beneath his relentless assault.

We made quick work of them,cutting them down one by one.The dungeon floor was soon littered with glowing stones where bodies had once been.

Just as I exhaled, a sudden rustling snapped my focus back. A goblin leaped from the underbush, dagger raised, aiming straight for jason.

I moved without thinking.

Steel flashed as I stepped in, intercepting it with a clean,decisive stroke. Shank! The goblin let out a final, rasping gasp-”hiiiik”-before dissolving into nothing, leaving a lone magic stone where it fell.

Jason exhaled sharply, his stance still tense. “Thanks Caelan.”

I gave him a quick nod.

Geo chuckled as he wiped his blade. “Stay sharp. Even weak goblins get lucky if you're careless.”

The last goblin scrambled away, letting out a final squeal before vanishing into the trees. Van flicked the blood from his spear, unimpressed.”Is that it?”

Without another word, we pressed forward, eyes scanning the darkness ahead. The entrance to the second floor had to be close.

“Do you think someone’s already found the way down?” Jason asked, his voice tense with curiosity.

Geo nodded slightly, looking thoughtful. “There’s a good chance. With so many adventurers here, the real challenge on the first floor isn’t the monsters—it’s finding that hidden entrance to the next level.”

“Exactly,” Hiddan added. “If you see anything that feels off, call it out right away.”

Niro looked around, frowning. “But we haven’t run into a single other adventurer or group. It’s like we’re the only ones here.”

“Or maybe,” Mario chimed in, “a lot of groups have already made it to the second… or even the third floor.”

Niro let out a worried sigh. “So… what does that mean for us? Are we already falling behind?”

Geo put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Relax, Niro. Just because they got ahead doesn’t mean they’ll clear this dungeon. Remember, luck plays a big part in these places. It’s not just about who gets there first.”

Hiddan nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, even if they’re ahead, they might struggle to find the next entrance. Other groups could catch up. And there’s always the chance they’ll run into a tough monster or get hurt, forcing them to head back.”

Niro took a deep breath, nodding slowly. “Alright… I get it. Let’s just stay sharp and see this through.”

The deeper we walked into the woods, the heavier the air became.I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching us.My eyes swept over the towering trees,their thick trunks wrapped in vines. Clusters of smaller trees huddled nearby, their shifting shadows twisting in the dim, dappled light.

Then, I noticed something strange. The branches were moving

Not swaying from a breeze-but creeping, inch by inch, curling towards us like grasping fingers stretching from the dark.

“The trees... they’re moving! Be careful!” I called, gripping my sword as my pulse quickened. My companions tensed, weapons drawn, eyes darting between the shifting limbs.

With an eerie rustling, the branches lunged. They twisted unnaturally, bending in sharp, deliberate motions. I swung my sword in a quick arc-shnk!-splinters exploded as the blade sliced clean through. The sharp scent of fresh wood filled the air, mingling with the damp, earthy smell of the forest floor.

But something was wrong.

These branches weren’t just attacking like mindless traps -they felt alive.

“These are Grenglooms!” Geo shouted over the sound of cracking wood. “If we take out their source, we can stop them!”

A thick branch shot toward me. Too fast. I barely had time to react before it wrapped around my arm,its bark scraping against my glove like rough claws. Snarling, I yanked back, muscles straining as I wrenched it free.The tree shuddered.

There-at its base.

This one was smaller than the others but twisted,its roots gnarled and writhing like coiled serpents. Its bark pulsed faintly, as if alive. If you looked close enough, you could almost see a face-hidden in the knots of wood, an ancient, knowing expression carved into the grain.

Now fully exposed, it could no longer vanish into the forest backdrop.

With a heavy groan, it swung a thick limb toward me. I dodged, barely missing the crushing impact as it smashed into the ground, scattering leaves and dirt. I countered, driving my blade deep into the trunk. Shnk! The steel bit into the wood, thick sap oozing out like blood.

The Grengloom trembled.

I twisted the blade and ripped it free. Crack! A massive splinter split from its side, and the creature let out a deep, groaning noises- almost like a sight.

It tried to retreat, roots pulling back, but I pressed forward,hacking away, each strike sending shards of bark flying. The air was thick with the scent of fresh-cut wood.

With a final, forceful swing, my sword cleaved through its core.

The Grengloom shuddered violently, then fell still. Its entire form faded, dissolving into the forest air as if it had never been there. Where it had once stood, a small, glowing green stone appeared, pulsing faintly. It tumbled to the ground with a soft thud.

Nearby, my companions dispatched the last of the Grenglooms. Geo grinned as he stepped over the scattered remains of broken branches—just before it vanished

“Not as tough as they look, are they?” he remarked, sheathing his sword.

“No,” I replied, holding up the magic stone, its green light flickering in the shadows. “But they hide well. It’s almost like they’re part of the forest itself.”