Chapter 30" The Oasis of the third floor and the Crystal Cave Escape"

When we reached the third floor of the dungeon, we were greeted by a breathtaking view—a hidden oasis unlike the harsh environments above. Clear water cascaded gently from stone terraces, forming small pools that shimmered with a soft, magical glow. Blue crystals embedded in the walls cast a peaceful light on the lush plants lining the damp paths.

Narrow, moss-covered stone bridges connected different parts of the floor, creating a natural maze amid the flowing water. The sound of falling water echoed through the vast chamber, adding to the calm, almost enchanted atmosphere. Unlike the previous floors, this one was strangely quiet and free of threats; we didn’t encounter any monsters, and finding the path to the next level was easy.

We decided to rest at the entrance, letting ourselves enjoy the stillness and beauty of this floor before moving on to the fourth floor.

"Is this what you call luck when clearing a dungeon?" Van asked Geo with a grin, his tone playful but curious.

Geo chuckled. "You could say that. This is only your second dungeon-clearing mission, right?"

"Yeah," Van replied, his eyes lighting up with the memory. "The first one was in the Czellerts kingdom . We only made it to the third floor before another group beat us to clearing the dungeon."

"That group had all the luck," Hiddan said, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "They found a hidden path on the third floor that led straight to the final floor."

"Still, this dungeon is leagues better than the one in the Czellerts kingdom ," Niro chimed in, his voice tinged with admiration as he looked around.

"I agree," Geo said, nodding. "This is my fourth dungeon-clearing mission, but the scenery here is the most stunning I’ve ever seen."

"Dungeons are fascinating," Mario added thoughtfully. "Each one is unique, with its own dangers and quirks. That unpredictability—that’s what makes them so captivating for adventurers like us."

"But no matter how breathtaking a dungeon might be," Geo said, his tone shifting to something more somber, "once the dungeon guardian is defeated and the core magic stone is removed, all of this—" he gestured to the glowing walls and crystalline formations, "—will vanish. It’ll just become another lifeless cave deep underground."

Jason frowned, his curiosity piqued. "When a dungeon is cleared and the core is retrieved, it goes to the lord of the territory, right?"

"That’s right," Geo confirmed. "By law, the dungeon belongs to the lord who governs the land where it appeared. But many times, high-ranking nobles force lower-ranking nobles to give it up, or they offer something in exchange for the dungeon core."

Jason’s brows furrowed. "What if a dungeon appears on the border of two territories? Who gets the core then?"

Geo sighed, his expression turning grim. "That doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it can lead to wars between the territories. A dungeon core is worth a fortune—lords would risk everything for one."

"How much are we talking about?" Van asked, leaning forward, his voice tinged with both excitement and disbelief.

Geo smirked. "Even the cheapest dungeon cores—those from Class F dungeons—sell for two to three hundred thousand gold coins."

Van’s jaw dropped. "What?! That much for a Class F?"

"If that’s the cheapest, what’s the most expensive?"I asked

Geo's expression turned serious. "The price depends on the dungeon Class. Class F is the lowest, and Class S is the highest. Class S dungeons are incredibly rare, so there’s little documentation on them. But from what I’ve heard, a Class S dungeon core is worth no less than a million gold coins."

The room fell into stunned silence. A million gold coins. The sheer weight of that number seemed to hang in the air, leaving all of us speechless.

Jason shook his head slowly, his expression a mix of awe and skepticism. "I can't even imagine what kind of monsters you'd have to fight in a Class S dungeon to earn that."

"Exactly," Geo said with a wry smile. "That's why even top-tier adventurers avoid Class S dungeons. Clearing one almost always requires sacrificing countless lives—something no one takes lightly."

"But even if a dungeon isn't S-rank, the danger it poses should never be underestimated. Let's move on to the next floor."

The group nodded in agreement, each member checking their weapons and supplies one last time before heading deeper into the dungeon.

---------------------------

"Wow, it's so beautiful," Van said, amazed.

The earlier floors were already stunning, but the fourth floor was even more incredible. It was a cave filled with large green, orange, white, blue, crystals. The crystals stood tall and sparkled, lighting up the entire cave. Each one seemed to glow on its own, creating a magical sight. The ground was covered with rocks and dust.

"Don't let the beauty of this place fool you. Stay alert," Geo warned, his tone firm but low, as if the walls themselves might overhear.

We pressed on cautiously.

The narrow path twisted through the cave like a jagged wound, its towering walls glittering with shards of purple crystal. The space was tight, forcing us to move single file, each step deliberate to avoid scraping against the sharp edges. A faint, ethereal glow bathed the passage in ghostly light, making it feel like we were walking through a dream.

When the path finally widened, it opened into a cavern so vast the ceiling seemed to vanish into the shadows above. Clusters of crystal in shifting hues—deep blue, verdant green, and rich violet—sparkled along the uneven walls. Their soft light reflected off jagged surfaces, painting the chamber in a kaleidoscope of colors. It was breathtaking, a sight that could have made us forget why we were there.

Then we saw the black cloth. It hung in the corner, ominous and out of place amidst the vibrant glow.

Geo’s eyes narrowed. Without a word, he stepped forward and pulled it back.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

A lifeless adventurer lay beneath, his face pale and frozen in an expression of fear. A cold wind seemed to pass through us. No one spoke. The weight of the discovery settled over us like stone.

Geo gently let the cloth fall back over the body. "We can't do anything for him," he said, his voice heavy but steady. "Let’s keep moving."

As we moved deeper, the corpses became more frequent.

"What's happening? Why are so many adventurers dying? Isn't this just a regular dungeon?" Jason asked.

"Maybe they're rookies who underestimated the dungeon’s dangers," Van replied.

"But even if they're rookies, aren't they our equals? How could they fail this mission without joining a high-rank team like ours?" I said. We had to team up with Geo just to qualify for this.

Geo’s gaze darkened. "We need to be more careful. We're already halfway through." He exhaled sharply. "Let's not lose heart."

Hiddan nodded. "You're right. We just need to—"

A low, guttural growl echoed through the cavern.

He froze, eyes wide.

From the crystal-studded walls, monstrous shapes emerged—a grotesque mix of rodent and porcupine. Their bodies bristled with sharp, crystalline spines, and their ember-red eyes burned with a hungry light, unblinking.

They lunged, fast as shadows.

Geo reacted instantly. His sword flashed—Shing!—a single, precise stroke cleaving through the first monster. Its crystalline body shattered, scattering shimmering dust. A magic stone clattered to the ground.

But the kill was a signal. The entire swarm surged forward.

“Circle up!” I yelled.

Instinct took over. Our battle-honed coordination clicked into place. Geo, Jason, Hiddan, Van, and I formed a tight formation, blades and spears raised. Niro and Mario, our archers, took the center, arrows nocked and ready.

The creatures attacked from all sides, their jagged crystal spikes serving as both weapons and shields.

Steel met crystal—sparks flew.

Geo parried a wild strike, then countered with a brutal horizontal slash—CLINK! The monster shattered.

I sidestepped another attack, bringing my sword down in a clean arc—CLINK!

Van’s spear shot out, piercing a monster’s core—CLINK! He yanked it free, spinning to impale another.

Hiddan became a whirlwind of motion, his spear a blur of offense and defense. He swept a monster’s legs out from under it, then drove his spear straight into its chest—CRACK!

A monster lunged at Jason. He barely reacted before Hiddan’s spear flashed past his shoulder, piercing the creature’s throat.

“Watch your back!” Hiddan shouted, yanking his spear free.

Above us, Niro and Mario fired in perfect sync—arrows flew true, hitting glowing weak spots. THUNK! THUNK!

For every one we cut down, two more seemed to take its place.

My arms ached. Jason’s swings grew slower. Even Geo, our leader, was breathing hard. The monsters were wearing us down. We couldn't last much longer.

“We’re getting surrounded!” I shouted, barely deflecting a clawing swipe.

“They just keep coming!” Jason gritted, narrowly dodging a crystal spike aimed at his throat.

Geo’s jaw tightened. “Forget fighting them all—we need a way out! NOW!”

With a roar, he gripped his greatsword with both hands and swung. A single, devastating arc cut through the horde, sending shattered remains flying.

“Go! Move!” he commanded.

We surged forward, but the monsters were relentless.

I ran beside Geo, my blade flashing as I cut down anything that lunged too close.

The creatures shrieked, their glowing eyes fixed on us, their clawed hands reaching.

We’d broken through the thickest part of the horde, but they weren’t giving up.

Behind us, Hiddan covered our retreat. His spear spun, deflecting crystal shards that whizzed past.

“They’re still chasing us!” he yelled.

We needed to stop them. Quickly.

Then I saw them—the massive, glowing crystal formations hanging above.

“Niro! Mario! Shoot those crystals! If they fall, they’ll block the path!

“I’m on it!” Niro replied

Mario, eyes narrowed in concentration, followed suit. Two arrows. Two perfect shots.

SNAP-CRACK!

The cavern trembled. The ceiling groaned.

A split second later—BOOM!

Tons of crystal and rock crashed down, sealing the passage. A cloud of dust and ice billowed out, obscuring the monsters.

The last thing we saw were their furious red eyes before they vanished beneath the rubble.

We didn’t stop running until the only sound left was our own ragged breathing.

Finally, when we were far enough, we collapsed against the tunnel walls, gasping for air. The echoed of battle still rattled through the cavern, distant but unshakable.

Geo leaned heavily on his spear, chest rising and falling with each ragged breath. “That was too close.”

Hiddan let out a breathless laugh, slumping down and resting his spear across his lap. “I’ve been in bad fights before… but that?” He shook his head. “That was the most desperate escape I’ve ever had.”

Niro exhaled sharply, running a shaky hand through his damp hair. “For a second, I thought we weren’t getting out.” His voice was tight, the fear still fresh.

Van swallowed hard, fingers clenched around his spear. “At least we made it.”

Geo straightened, his tired eyes turning sharp. “Not yet.” His voice cut through the momentary relief like a blade. “We still have to find the next floor.”

Silence fell. No one had to say it—we all knew this wasn’t over.

Then, Niro’s breath hitched. “Look.”

At the far end of the dimly lit cave, a massive door loomed in the shadows. It was ancient, towering, its surface gleaming in the torchlight—gold, or maybe bronze, covered in swirling, intricate patterns. The designs pulsed faintly, like something alive, shifting in the dim glow.

For a moment, none of us moved.

Then Jason let out a breathless laugh, a wide grin breaking across his face. “You’ve got to be kidding me. After all that? We actually found it?” He let his head fall back against the stone, shaking it in disbelief. “That’s got to be the luckiest break of my life.”

Mario chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “For once, I’ll take luck over skill. I don’t think I had another fight in me.” His exhaustion was clear, but so was his relief.

Van let out a long breath, his grip on his spear finally loosening. "I thought we were going to have a hard time finding it, especially after escaping from those monsters. We ran without thinking about where we were going." He turned to Geo. "But now, look—luck is on our side!"

Geo studied the door, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he nodded. “Yeah. And it means we don’t have to look anymore.” His voice was quiet, steady. “We found it.”

I swallowed, my heart still pounding.

The entrance to the next floor.

After everything—the fights, the fear, the desperate scramble to escape—we’d actually found it.

A part of me had started to doubt we ever would.

But there it was. Right in front of us.

I let out a slow breath and adjusted my grip on my sword.

And with that, we moved forward.