Vilkar made his way to the door and pushed it open, the hinges creaking in protest. He descended the narrow, dimly-lit stairway, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the empty corridors. As he made his way down, he passed a few other apartments, their doors shut tight and their windows shuttered.
Finally, he reached the ground floor, where a musty odor and dim lighting greeted him. Vilkar made his way towards the entrance, his steps quickening with anticipation. He couldn't wait to step out into the fresh air and see what the day had in store for him.
As he pushed open the door, sunlight flooded his vision, momentarily blinding him. Vilkar blinked several times before his eyes adjusted, taking in the scene before him. The street outside was bustling with people, vendors hawking their wares, and the occasional car rumbling past.
Because of his lack of money and the only remaining funds he had are for his dungeon explorer license, and so he was forced to walk to the dungeon management association.
The apartment complex in which he lived was located on the outskirts of the city while the association was located at the center of the commerce district.
Vilkar walked through the bustling streets of Malka, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a mix of excitement and apprehension. The city had once been a beacon of hope for humanity, but now it was one of the last bastions of civilization in a world overrun by monsters.
While he walked through the streets he watched as people would wait at the bus stations, and others that were either entering or exiting busses on their way to or from the work, or somewhere else entirely.
As he made his way through the crowds, Vilkar couldn't help but marvel at the city's impressive architecture. The buildings were a blend of Victorian-era style and more modern designs, a testament to Malka's rich history.
It was still early in the morning and so he could see few students which remained with him as his own education was cut short because of dungeons and when things calmed down it was already two years and when he tried things changed dramatically from his financial position to his social one.
Much of the subject's core changed to be more practical in its nature than theoretical. Some were cut entirely and replaced with basic survival courses.
In some city-states joining the army became mandatory but for Malka, it did not pass as other factions that raised to the power preferred for the people to join them instead and so started a stalemate between three major factions.
Vilkar thought of his future and the possibilities that it could contain. He thought of what he would do if he would survive his visit to the dungeon. His goal was to accumulate power and wealth to live carefreely and to do everything his heart wants.
'I could sell treasures to the merchants, and materials to the craftsman. But if I could get my hands on the magic stones I could make a lot as they are easily sold.' Vilkar thought as he walked through the streets.
He passed by the towering headquarters of the Coalition of Guilds, one of the powerful factions that ruled the city. The guilds and merchant circles were the backbone of Malka's economy, and their influence was felt everywhere.
Continuing down the street, Vilkar noticed the Merchant Circle's emblem emblazoned on a nearby storefront.
As he turned a corner, Vilkar found himself in a seedier part of the city. Here, the influence of the government and the underworld was more apparent. He could hear the sounds of raucous taverns and the occasional scream in the distance which the next moment stopped.
It took him around two hours until he got to the building. As Vilkar approached the three-story building that served as the place to get his explorer's license, he looked up at the facade of the building with anticipation. The building was made of sturdy stone material and had a grand appearance that commanded respect.
The front entrance of the building was made of heavy wood and had a polished brass plate with the words "Explorer's Guild" engraved on it. Above the entrance, Vilkar could see a carved stone emblem of a compass rose, which he assumed was the symbol of the guild.
As he entered the building, Vilkar found himself in a spacious, well-lit lobby with marble floors and high ceilings. The walls were adorned with large oil paintings depicting adventurers in action, as well as maps and other artifacts of exploration.
In the center of the lobby, Vilkar could see a large wooden desk with several clerks behind it, who were busy attending to various customers. The clerks wore formal attire and seemed to be well-versed in the business of licensing and regulating adventurers.
Vilkar noticed that the lobby was bustling with activity, with adventurers of all kinds filling the space. Some were dressed in rugged leather armor, while others wore finely tailored suits. The air was filled with the chatter of people exchanging stories of their past exploits and discussing their plans for the future.
As Vilkar made his way toward the front desk, he noticed several doors leading to other parts of the building, likely used for training or storage. He could hear the sound of clanging metal and shouting coming from behind one of the doors, indicating that some kind of combat training was taking place.
Overall, Vilkar saw a well-organized and bustling hub of activity, dedicated to the art and science of exploration. The building exuded a sense of professionalism and expertise, which gave Vilkar confidence that he was in the right place to pursue his dreams of adventure.
After he found a line for the license for new dungeon explorers he walked towards it and waited for his turn. Compared to other lines this was the longest as every day more and more people are trying their luck in the dungeon, most of them are freshly awakened individuals that are hyped for the possibility of making fortune and fame.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Dungeons were ideal for those people as it was amazing place for training and growing one's skill and abilities. While beyond the wall was also full of monsters there was much more of unknown danger and much less reward.
It was five years before the first dungeons appeared and the Great Dungeon of Malka appeared one year after and so people had four years of experience. This made the first few layers relatively safe for exploration as the danger inside was known to the general public.
"Good day sir, do you wish for an explorer's license?" Vilkar heard the receptionist speak in a pleasant tone.
Getting the license was an easy process as he only needed to write his information and pay a fee for creating his certificate as it was magically enhanced so it could not be falsified.
When he get to the point of him not being awakened he could see the receptionist's eyes were filled with pity. He ignored it and waited for his certificate.
When the process finished he took his card of rooky explorer and left the building. As he walked to the dungeon he remembered those eyes of a receptionist. He hated being pitied as if he was somehow less than others only because he was not awakened. It reminded him of a time when he walked home from buying groceries he saw a group of awakened people harassing a homeless man. It made him understand the disparity of the world and how this awakening made it only more obvious.
Vilkar shook his head and walked until he got to the dungeon, when he got to the blockade he was allowed to pass after he showed his certification.
As Vilkar approached the dungeon, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement mixed with trepidation. The dungeon was located in the middle of Malka and was known to be one of the most challenging and dangerous places to explore.
What stood before him was a pyramid that was two hundred meters tall. At the entrance of the dungeon, Vilkar saw two large statues on either side of the door, both of which were made of dark, polished stone material. The statues depicted fearsome beasts with wings, sharp claws, and fierce expressions, which seemed to be guarding the entrance to the dungeon.
As Vilkar walked closer to the statues, he noticed intricate carvings and etchings covering the stone surface. The carvings depicted scenes of battles and victories, as well as symbols that Vilkar couldn't recognize, but that seemed to hold great significance.
The entrance to the dungeon itself was a large doorway with a stone arch that rose high above Vilkar's head. The archway was decorated with glowing runes and symbols that pulsed with otherworldly energy.
As he walked he got a few weird stares as comparably to others he was the only one wearing normal clothes.
Everyone else had some type of armor. But then armor had no meaning if one doesn't get hit. But he still liked to wear some clothes and had no interest to fight in his underwear with a pot on his head.
As Vilkar stepped through the archway, he found himself in a large antechamber with walls made of smooth, polished stone. The room was dimly lit, with torches flickering on the walls and casting eerie shadows.
In the center of the room, Vilkar saw a circular platform made of a black, glassy material that seemed to absorb all light around it. The platform was surrounded by a circular moat filled with water that shimmered with an iridescent glow.
Beyond the platform, Vilkar could see a dimly lit corridor leading deeper into the dungeon, its walls covered in strange symbols and markings. The corridor seemed to stretch on for miles, disappearing into the darkness.
There he looked around and he could see a multitude of possible doorways that he could take. From the information that he gathered beforehand, it did not matter which path he would take as all led to the same location, that is the first layer. It was exceedingly rare for people to meet even if there were a hundred people that entered at the same time. While it was rare there were still instances when random groups would meet, which sometimes lead to greater success or fighting.
There were stories of groups of people from the underworld that were targeting other groups intentionally, but such rumors were often fake and aimed to spread fear of the underworld as no one knew how it worked to take advantage.
As Vilkar stepped into the dark corridor of the dungeon, he could feel a chill run down his spine. The air was cold and damp, and the only light came from the flickering torch he held in his hand.
The walls of the corridor were made of rough stone, with occasional patches of moss growing in the cracks. The floor was uneven and slippery, making each step treacherous.
Vilkar could hear the sound of dripping water echoing off the walls, and the faint whispers of unknown voices seemed to carry on the drafty air. He couldn't tell if the sounds were coming from his imagination or from something deeper within the dungeon.
As Vilkar made his way down the corridor, he could see small alcoves and niches in the walls, some of which were torches and old empty urns. Others held the remains of past explorers, their bones picked clean by the denizens of the dungeon.
Vilkar noticed that the symbols and carvings on the walls seemed to become more intricate and otherworldly the deeper he went into the dungeon. They were etched with an unnatural precision and seemed to glow with a faint, eerie light.
As he continued down the corridor, Vilkar could hear the distant sound of movement and scraping, which he assumed was the sound of the dungeon's inhabitants. He gripped his spear tightly and quickened his pace.
Overall, Vilkar saw a treacherous and foreboding place, filled with mystery and danger. The darkness and strange sounds seemed to play tricks on his mind, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him from the shadows.
When the walls changed to those made of bricks he knew that now he is officially in the danger zone of the dungeon.
Vilkar walked slowly while trying to make as little sound as possible. Soon he got to the part where the corridor started to split into three possible directions. He could continue forward or could turn right or left. He knew that it did not matter as all the paths would, in the end, lead to the boss but loot could be varied depending on which path he would take. One of the paths could be even more dangerous than the others but he had no way of differentiating them.
It mattered little which he would take for such splitting would happen more often as he got deeper.
Vilkar choose to go left and started to walk slightly faster while still trying to be silent. Sone, he could hear clicking noises and soon he was able to see the source of it.
As Vilkar made his way down the dark corridor, he noticed a faint glimmer of light reflecting off something up ahead. He quickened his pace, his heart pounding with excitement and fear, wondering what he might find.
As he got closer, he could see the dim outline of a skeleton lying on the ground. The bones were picked clean, with only scraps of rotted clothing clinging to the brittle frame.
Vilkar approached the skeleton cautiously, his torch casting flickering shadows on the walls. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the unfortunate explorer who had met their end in this place.
As he knelt down to examine the bones, Vilkar noticed something strange. The bones had been arranged in an odd pattern, almost as if they had been deliberately placed there.
He studied the bones for a few moments, trying to make sense of the strange arrangement, when suddenly he heard a sound behind him. He whirled around, his torch held high, but there was nothing there. Only the sound of his own breathing and the faint whispers of the dungeon echoed back at him.
Vilkar couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, and he quickly gathered his things and made his way deeper into the dungeon. The skeleton would remain a mystery, another warning of the dangers lurking within the dungeon's dark and treacherous corridors.
As Vilkar continued down the dark corridor, his torch casting flickering shadows on the rough stone walls, he noticed something up ahead that caught his eye. It was the faint outline of a skeleton standing upright, but this time it was facing away from him.