A screeching of stone on stone, followed by the faint tap of footsteps. The shield wall tilted outward at a 60-degree angle slope. The top layer of Scutums peeled back, revealing the slopped domes of metal helmets and arrowhead-tipped, thin metal spikes.

A cheery voice echoed down the hallway, "Alright, the coast is clear!"

The row of shields returned to the vertical position, the pilums disappearing behind the red wall. A muffled shout reverberated within the box, "EQUALITER AMBULA!"

The cavern shook and groaned as the row of shields slowly edged down the corridor, every soldier keeping in line with his neighbour. After a few minutes of this slow-paced march, the front rank arrived at the door. Shaylah greeted them with a little wave and pushed the double doors open, revealing green pastures dipping downwards to form a gentle slope. A shield fell out of formation, slowly rotating to a perpendicular position as the man exited the testudo.

Cyrus grinned at her, "Nice job, soldier." He swerved around her still form and approached the door. The roman strode forward, repositioning his shield to cover his front. His unoccupied hand drifted down to a thin, silver rectangular prism tied to his waist. A silver blade peeked through the top of the sheath. As the shield exited the protection of the doorway, Cyrus surveyed the surroundings through the gap between the Scutum and the stone arc, rotating the wood side to side as he expanded his line of sight. Satisfied that no enemies were lying in wait, the roman stood from his crouch. The sword hissed in displeasure as it was returned to the confines of its metal prison. He shouted, "LARGITER AMBULA." The row of red collapsed into a mix of grey, red and yellow.

Cyrus placed his back against the wall as men streamed passed him in ragged lines, shields strapped tightly to their backs, poles on shoulders, pouches and sheaths dancing in the air.

The legionaries quickly assembled into five men squads, maintaining a differential distance from their neighbouring groups. Another flurry of activity as the soldiers ripped their satchels open, digging through the contents. Their hands returned triumphant, carrying paper filled with images and scribbles.

After doing a quick headcount to ensure the two centuries were all accounted for, Cyrus left his position as the doorman and stepped into the sunlight. After weeks of exposure to the orange glow of fires, the natural warmth provided by the Sun withdrew a sigh of satisfaction from his lips. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the tingling sensation as his cells were rejuvenated by the local star's energy. The roman blanked his mind, doubling down on the chattering of birds, the wind's whistling and the swishing of leaves. The fresh air, brimming with the scent of earth and nature, cleansed the taste buds of the soot and dust accumulating within his nose and mouth. After a few minutes of infusing the peaceful, tranquil atmosphere into his body, the dungeon core opened his eyes.

"Although I have briefed you on this matter previously, I will do so again! Listen carefully!"

The soldier's snapped to their leader's position, abandoning all activities.

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"The paper in your hand, which you have just been studying, is filled with details about the beasts you may encounter, the amount of experience they give and their weaknesses. GO OUT THERE AND KILL EVERYTHING THAT MOVES! COME BACK AT LEVEL 15 OR DON'T COME BACK AT ALL!

"GLORIA EXERCITUS"

"GLORIA EXERCITUS"

You are under the effect of [GLORIA EXERCITUS]! +25% stat boost & + 100% morale & -50% intelligence-based stats [Duration: 10 minutes]

The chant echoed back two hundredfold. The unified noises created from the two centurias' worth of men sent shivers down the world's spine. The ground trembled. Undergrowth rustled as animals fled the scene. The birds screeched and cawed in protest, leaving their roosts and escaping into the air. The air vibrated with energy.

Cyrus watched as forty squads dispersed into the forest in various directions, weapons drawn, shields at the ready. Distant yells, screams of pain and the clash of steel on flesh drifted from the forest.

He followed his troop's example, unsheathing his gladius and easing the Scutum off his back. He looked back at the doorway, "Come on officer..." Much to his dismay, Shaylah's figure had disappeared. Cyrus sprinted back into the dungeon.

He dashed from room to room, calling her name into the smoky, ash air. The roman's eyes darted from corner to corner, treeline to treeline. From the burning forest to the boss room, not a single sign gave away her position. Even worse, the denizens of each room avoided the man, leaving him without witnesses. Despite his entire dungeon being centred around fire and heat, the trail had gone cold.

Wiping beads of sweat off his cheek and forehead with a linen cloth, Cyrus sighed, shook his head, slowly striding towards the exit, head drooped. His neck muscles refused to prop it up, condemning him for Shaylah's disappearance. Gravity pulled at his feet, unwilling to let his caligas go any more than a few inches above the ground.

"Don't worry Cyrus, finding a new second in command isn't that difficult." He repeated those words over and over. Butterflies flew in his stomach, and his heart felt like a rock. "She wasn't very nice away..." His head shook at the pathetic excuses.

Cyrus brought a fist to his eye level and drove it downwards, striking himself in the lower chin. With the neck muscles re-vitalised, his head snapped up. The pesky-winged insects fled, no longer willing to risk their lives for a place to meander. The vibrations from the impact shattered the stone curse binding his heart.

"Huh...so you do care or you did...?"

The roman's head snapped back. A certain lean-built figure came into view. His cheeks took on a pink hue. He sputtered in indignation and embarrassment, "H-how long have you been stalking me?!"

Shaylah fidgeted with a linen cloth, wrapping it on and off her finger, "It wasn't stalking per se but um...a test of loyalty! Yes!"

Cyrus rubbed his hands into his face, "Okay, whatever let's go..." He spun around and fast-walked to the entranceway, not looking back.

The two officers strode back to the exit. As his feet landed on grass, crossing the border between the dungeon and the outside, a ringing sound filled his head.

[Detecting...]

[Field Dungeon detected! ERROR!]

[ERROR! CONTRADICTING RACES DETECTED!]

[Field Dungeon Unique Trait [Above Ground] transformed into...]

[Checking [Cyrus's] [Mental Database]...]

[Field Dungeon Unique Trait [Above Ground] transformed into Standard Dungeon Unique Trait [Territory]!]

[Would you like to claim [Unnamed Hill] around your dungeon?]

[Y/N]