Lyon POV:
“I am Melo Hawkins, and I will be your guide for tonight.”
I joined a small number of people gathered in front of a tower that seemed to pierce through the sky. It was wide and had a mysterious aura around it that drew you in.
A young man stood facing the group. He wore a beige, hooded cloak, and his left arm had a brown leather gauntlet with three extra straps wrapped around his elbow.
“Does anyone know what a Scout is?”
My gaze shifted to a girl standing away from the others. Her eyes were closed, and she held a sheathed katana close to her chest with folded arms.
‘She looks familiar.’
I pondered over where I had seen her before when a member of the group raised their hand to answer the instructor’s question.
“Scouts are special people who enter dungeons in advance to gather information on monsters, the number of floors and, most importantly, Ki Artifacts.”
She flicked her short hair and puffed out her chest. A few sounds of admiration rang out as Melo nodded his head, pleased with her answer.
“That is correct. I am also a Scout.”
“Wha...? Really?!
“It’s my first time meeting one!”
“It’s an honour!”
I stood at the back of the group, recalling any information I had made a note of regarding Scouts. In terms of financial stability, the job of a Scout was very lucrative. The demand for them was high, but a lack of competition within the market made their value higher.
I remembered that, in most cases, monsters were unable to attack Scouts. They were also unable to interact with any Ki Artifacts they found.
Scouts weren’t allowed to enter dungeons with other people who weren’t Scouts themselves. Otherwise, they would be forcefully expelled from the dungeon.
“Please keep in mind that when a person first enters a dungeon, if the dungeon recognizes them as a Scout, they will be ejected immediately. Currently, the data we have amassed shows no correlation between who is assigned the Scout role and who is not. In other words, it’s random. We refer to this process as Scout Eligibility.”
‘That’s interesting.’
It meant that dungeons somehow had a collective will of their own, at least to a certain degree. I glanced back at the girl holding a sheathed katana, only to see her intense glare aimed at me. I smiled and waved my hand toward her, but she closed her eyes in response.
‘Does she not remember me? Or did I make a mistake?’
“Now then, before we head inside, there’s one last thing I need to explain.”
He took a step towards what appeared to be the entrance and turned to face the entire group again.
“In lower ranked dungeons, there are Safe Zones present before we enter the main dungeon. These zones allow us to meet whatever requirements are set by the dungeon to ensure we don’t suffer any unnecessary penalties. As you might expect, it’s also possible to leave the dungeon through these zones.”
He pointed to the dungeon behind him as his explanation continued.
“This dungeon is ranked F. It has no requirements and even permits the entry of Scouts with other people. It is the very essence of what we refer to as a Beginner Dungeon.”
Melo clapped his hands together and smiled.
“Now, let’s all head inside.”
The group moved closer together as we made our way towards the doorless entrance. Melo placed his hand on an invisible barrier that coated the tower, and the world around us vanished.
‘Hmm.’
I examined the ground that now resembled stained glass. A floral pattern ran along its surface, spreading out into a wide circle. It emitted a faint, multi-coloured light, which formed a transparent barrier around the platform. There were no other structures in sight, just a pitch-black darkness that was blocked by the circular boundary.
“W-woah? What’s happening?...”
“H-Hey! Why are you glowing like that?!”
“I see... My potential has finally been unlocked. This... Is my momen—”
A white light surrounded a few people within the group, and seconds later, they vanished. I concluded that it was most likely the Scout Eligibility procedure Melo had explained earlier.
“How rare. It’s usually hard to find Scouts, yet this group alone had multiple.”
I paid Melo’s words no mind. Instead, I stared at a light blue window that floated in front of me.
[You have entered the Tower of the Unknown.]
Some people jumped back in fright while others tried to touch the floating window. However, I was more interested in the name itself. Why would a rank F dungeon be called Unknown?
It was suspicious.
“Hmm. Let’s move on to the second part of the tutorial, then. What you’re seeing in front of you is a system message. These windows are a part of what we call the Dungeon System.”
Melo organized the group, calming down those who were taken by surprise. The katana girl sat with her eyes closed. Whenever they opened, a piercing glare would lock onto me from her direction before fading away.
“The System, for short, gives us access to various commands that we call System Commands. We can check our information, see the map of the dungeon, exit the dungeon when in a Safe Zone as well as a lot more.”
He stretched out his hand and parted his lips.
“Status Window.”
A light blue window floated in front of him, but it was completely blank. I stood still and observed everyone rush to copy his action. They tested out the command he had shown, commenting on how cool the Dungeon System was.
‘Now this is really interesting. Not only is there a safe zone before entering the main dungeon, but people also have the option of hiding their information from one another?’
My expression turned serious at this new discovery. Melo’s light orange eyes observed me from afar; his mouth forming a smirk at my reaction.
“As I’m sure you’ve noticed, you each have to give others permission to view your information. This rule only applies as long as you are awake.”
I shifted my gaze to the katana girl who hadn’t moved an inch since we entered the safe zone. I closed the distance between us, and her eyes flashed open.
“Is something wrong? You’ve been staring at me ever since I arrived.”
She had a beige complexion, and most of her black hair was tied into a ponytail that had a red ribbon attached to it. The rest covered her forehead, highlighting her black and scarlet eyes.
“...Oddjob. Are you really the same person as before?”
Her small lips barely moved as she spoke. I crouched down in front of her while she stared into my eyes.
“So it really is you, Kana.”
She narrowed her eyebrows. Her hands, covered with red fingerless gloves, rested firmly against the concealed hilt of the katana.
“Show me your information.”
I cocked my head to the side, peering down at her.
“What if I don’t want to?”
Her eyes went cold, and her gaze shifted to the top of my wrapped left arm. She bit her lip before opening her mouth again.
“Please show me your information.”
I grinned as a status window appeared before her. She still had that habit of being so demanding, but it was good to know that she was doing well.
Kana Hojo was the granddaughter of the famous Sword Master known as The Scarlet Blade. She was the heir to The Hojo Clan: one of the 5 noble families of Efros. Although there were still rumours about the clan falling on hard times long ago, their prestige never fell.
“T-This is... Y-You...?”
I pressed my finger against my lips and smiled. Kana’s skin went pale. Her hands quaked, yet her grip on her katana only tightened. Her eyebrows curved inwards; the anguish in her dilated pupils slowly fell to the stained glass.
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“Shh.”
I closed the window that had caused Kana so much distress and got back to my feet. I had no idea why her reaction was that intense, but Melo was already by our side.
‘He’s fast.’
My eyes narrowed at his movements that I failed to grasp. He peered down at me with a slight smile on his face.
“Is everything alright here? Lady Kana seems to have had quite a scare.”
“...I am fine. Continue.”
He bowed his head as Kana regained her composure. Melo tried to brush past my shoulder, but I sidestepped out of the way.
“Oh~ This batch truly is surprising...”
He mused to himself while I pondered over what his problem was.
“...Do you want to see my status window?”
Kana didn’t make eye contact with me as she spoke through gritted teeth. I wasn’t curious about status windows since it was clear that it could only give a general idea about a person’s strength. It was somewhat detailed, but felt intentionally vague in certain areas.
“Alright.”
She stood up and fanned out her fingers.
[Name: Kana Hojo
Age: 18 Gender: Female
Title: Heir to the Hojo Clan
• Prodigy of the Scarlet Blade (Sealed)
• The Ice Flower of the East
Ki Stage: Uso
Skills: Hojo Sword Style, The Scarlet Blade (Sealed), Sword Mastery (Incomplete), Prodigious Talent (Sealed), The Flames of a Hojo (Sealed), A Hojo’s Will (Incomplete), HoTS (Acquired), Elemental Insight (Incomplete), ...
Cold, distant, and demanding. A Hojo who may never unlock the depths of her true power.]
‘...’
I stared at the floating window for a while. The system had given its own evaluation of her character and seemed to accurately grasp many of her sealed abilities.
There were two bars next to her name representing her current health, while the other was most likely an indicator of her Ki Reserves.
“It’s wrong. I will prove to everyone that the Hojo Clan should be feared.”
Kana swiped her fingers through the window, dispelling it as a hint of rage flashed through her eyes. She walked past me without saying another word, and the tutorial resumed once more.
“Since everyone has gotten a feel for the system commands, let’s enter the dungeon now.”
A white gate appeared out of thin air behind Melo. The inside contained a white-coloured energy that swirled like a whirlpool. Melo stepped inside first, and I watched the rest follow after him.
Kana stopped in front of the gate. She glanced back at me; her eyes fixated on my wrapped arm. Her eyebrows quivered before she disappeared into the white light.
“...”
I approached the gate and examined its structure. After a few minutes of waiting, I made my way inside the light.
***
The scenery changed to a large cave that had patches of moss covering parts of the ground. The walls were lined with torches, and a black hole could be seen at the very end of the cave tunnel.
‘The set destination doesn’t change despite the time interval between entry.’
I added a few more mental notes to the folder named ‘Dungeons’ inside my head while Melo stared at me.
“...Let’s all try to stick together. This may be a Rank F dungeon, but it’s also your first time being in one.”
“Yes, Sensei!”
“Understood!”
“Got it!”
A number of the group members replied enthusiastically. I ignored his intense stare and fanned out my fingers.
‘Map.’
A floating window flickered in front of me, revealing the overall layout as Melo began introducing the next topic of the tutorial. His eyebrows twitched once he noticed me examining the dungeon structure.
“The first thing you must do when entering a dungeon is activate the Map command. A Scout’s information is considered extremely reliable, but it’s not absolute. For that reason alone, it’s important to make sure the information you’ve received beforehand matches what you’re seeing in front of you. If you fail to notice any potential changes, that could be the difference between life or death. So, please keep this in mind.”
I watched the others try out the Map command while asking Melo questions. He answered them one at a time, providing thorough explanations that revealed his vast knowledge regarding dungeons.
“You can think of a Scout’s map as an upgrade to the regular map you’re viewing. We get information on how many floors a dungeon may have, sub bosses, which are usually categorized as Floor Bosses, and sometimes even hidden rooms. Though we still need to confirm those things on our own, the system does provide some support.”
‘Hmm.’
I glanced at Kana, who was sitting down, hugging her katana again. At first, I thought it was just her preferred way of sitting, but after observing her, I noticed slight fluctuations in her Ki.
“Now, let’s talk about monsters briefly.”
My gaze shifted towards the black hole where the sound of rumbling could be heard. A few seconds later, a hoard of cute furry creatures broke out of the darkness. They looked like a cross between a cat and a squirrel, having large arched ears that pointed backwards. Distinct patterns were etched on the white fur of their stomachs, and they came in an array of colours.
“Woah...”
“So cute~”
“I want one! I want one now!”
The girl from the start of the tutorial stared at the creatures. Her eyes sparkled as she pointed to the monster, demanding that the instructor capture one for her. However, Melo fanned out his fingers, creating a wall of wind that blocked them from getting any closer.
The monsters had advanced far enough to show their bulging eyes that glowed red. They attacked the barrier in a frenzy; saliva dripped down the sides of their mouth, forcing many of the group members to retreat. A loud thud came from hundreds of them ramming their head into the barrier at the same time.
Several screams echoed around the cave. The expressions of the group darkened, contorting their previous excitement into fear with traces of disgust at the rabid creatures.
“Lesson number one: never be fooled by the appearance of a monster. I’m sure you all will keep that in mind now though, right?”
They gave Melo a rapid nod and increased the distance between them and the monsters clawing away at the barrier.
“Monsters can often drop equipment or other loot. These don’t appear from thin air. They are often either directly worn or carried by the monster itself.
Loot drops are yours to keep, but Ki Artifacts must go to the guild for appraisal. Depending on the grade and value, you may be able to keep it. In the event you can’t, the guild will compensate you in monetary form.”
‘Interesting.’
The guilds belonged to the Empire, so if a rare Artifact was found, it was natural to assess whether it would be of use to the Cotis Empire before giving it to the common folk.
“For the record, these little monsters are called Kinnix. They can be found in some parts of Idora outside of dungeons, and in those areas, I hear they are often kept as pets.
It’s important that you remember monsters don’t just exist inside these structures known as Dungeons, and that not all monsters are... Well, monsters.”
It was a fair point. However, I was somewhat surprised that Melo had brought it up. I even caught a glimpse of compassion flicker through his eyes as he stared at the pack of Kinnixes gnawing away at the wind barrier.
“...Is it impossible to take a monster outside of a dungeon?”
A shy girl wearing glasses raised her hand. Her voice was a soft whisper, but it wasn’t a problem for someone like Melo to hear clearly.
“Yes. The only exception to that rule is rank F monsters that are harmless and small like these Kinnixes.
Dungeon Researchers have carried out extensive tests on whether a dungeon monster shares any differences to its outside counterpart, if it has one. After many centuries of observation, they concluded that they were one and the same.
In other words, those Kinnixes over there are no different to the ones living in parts of Idora.”
“I-I see... Thank you...”
She dipped her head before stepping back into the main group. There wasn’t much to gain from taking out small monsters that could be easily found in their natural habitats outside, so I concluded that was probably why the system allowed it.
“Lastly, let me explain what the two bars next to your name mean. The red bar represents how much health you currently have. If that reaches 0, then you die or, more accurately, you’re already dead.”
Silence descended upon the group. This wasn’t a game. This was reality, and death here was very real. It was why Melo had emphasized this point.
“As for the yellow bar underneath it, we refer to it as Ki Points or KP for short. It represents an approximate estimate of how vast your Ki Reserves are.
Every time you use your Ki, you’ll notice it decrease by an amount proportionate to your usage. The more time you spend fighting in dungeons, the more accurately your KP will be represented.
At a base level, it works fairly well with humans, but with regards to monsters, it’s a feature that can be completely relied upon.”
Melo shifted the barrier of wind closer towards us, allowing the pack of Kinnixes to advance ahead. Some of the group members ran back while others looked at Melo nervously.
“Party Formations are usually done in the safe zone area, but they can also be done at any point inside the dungeon. It’s a command that you’ll be using plenty in the future, so I won’t talk too long about it.
In short, once you form a party, you can perform long-range communication and view each other’s HP and KP by using your will. You can choose to permanently set your party’s information anywhere in your vision, or manually summon it whenever you want to check.
Please keep in mind that other status window information won’t be revealed unless you’ve acquired permission, regardless of whether you’re in a party with that person or not.”
The mental notes I made throughout this tutorial would prove useful in the future. For now, I wanted to see how this next step would play out.
“And with that, the tutorial is complete. Please survive the incoming wave of Kinnixes. I’ll be watching from above.”
Melo launched himself into the air and sat down on a large rock that jutted out from the cave. The barrier of wind edged closer, re-igniting the fear the group members had only recently dispelled.
“H-Huh?...”
“Wait!...”
“Sensei... We can’t fight those things!!”
He peered down at them, crying out for assistance. His lips spread into a slight smirk while his eyebrows curved inwards mockingly.
“Then why on earth are you here? This isn’t some tourist spot for you to take in the sight and make memories. You signed up to be Adventurers, right? So prove your resolve.”
“N-no...!”
“I... I’m not mentally prepared yet!”
“...Don’t dungeons open to the public tomorrow?... Isn’t this against the law?!”
Some of them dropped to the floor, discouraged by the sudden turn of events. They tried to argue with Melo, using logic and reason to show why his actions were wrong, but the smirk on his face only widened.
‘Hmm. His own test.’
I had considered it to be a possibility since Central Guild provided everyone with an option. I imagined that they knew many would be against testing themselves physically, so this would at least check if they had the determination needed to go on.
It gave the Guild a way out in case people died. They could easily bring up the Dungeon Tutorial to discount any accusations that might come their way.
‘How crafty.’
Kana remained motionless in the same position while I began to walk forward. Melo’s smirk vanished somewhat as he looked in my direction. He snapped his fingers, opening a small pocket in the wind barrier, and a few Kinnixes charged towards me.
“H-Hey! Get back! It’s dangerous!”
“Hold on... Isn’t that Oddjob?...”
“Huh? Wait a sec... That is him! When did he get back??”
I ignored their voices and crouched down in front of the Kinnixes. I held out my palm towards them, ignoring the gnashing of their teeth that grew even more violent. They were just about to reach me when they skidded to a halt.
The red glow in their eyes disappeared, and they rubbed their puffy cheeks against my fingertips while purring loudly. A dark blue Kinnix scampered up my arm, sitting comfortably on my head as it purred.
“Um... Is that normal?...”
The shy girl pointed towards me as the Kinnixes cleaned one another using their tongues. Some fell asleep on their back, others looked up at me with enormous eyes. They dipped their heads, asking me to pet them.
“Ah~ I had a feeling this might happen.”
Melo clicked his tongue and jumped down in front of the group. He scratched the back of his short, curly hair before letting out a sigh.
“Most of you failed. I believe I told you that the most important thing going into a dungeon is information. I gave you two clues. One was that the Kinnix is kept as a pet, and two was that harmless and small monsters can be taken out of rank F dungeons.”
The shy girl stepped forward and took her glasses off. Melo bowed his head as she walked to the front.
“Kinnixes get angry when they are left alone in the dark.”
She flipped her thumb back towards the dark hole in the distance.
“Hence the reason their eyes go red with rage. They are creatures that demand a lot of love and care. They’re also known for their loyalty to their owners.
However, this is honestly embarrassing. I recommend that you all think twice about entering the dungeons tomorrow. If you value your lives, you’ll stay home.”
She placed her hand on her hip. Her words left the group members with no choice but to stare at the ground in front of them.
“As Barbara pointed out, I also think it’s best you all stay home... Bar the two of you, of course.”
He pointed towards Kana and me while my lips curved into a thin smile.
“This ends the tutorial for today. Let’s head back.”