Before entering the second trial room, I naturally made sure to check out the updated mural. There was still no dungeon transport panel, so it was the only thing of interest in the safe room. The mural shows the man fighting his way down to the bottom floor of the dungeon. He defeats the dungeon boss and then comes into contact with the dungeon lore. I supposed if I lost someone in the dungeon, my goal would also be to destroy the dungeon as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, the mural didn’t show any progression of time. It wasn’t clear how long she had been in the dungeon before he found her, let alone how long it took him to clear it. Even with my ability and a full team, it’d take me at least three days to clear the smallest dungeon. If the dungeon was mapped out, it might be able to do it in a day. I had to presume it took him longer than that.

I wouldn’t have any more answers until I beat the next trial. If this dungeon had a safe room on every level, then it also had a mural on every level. That was eight chances to reveal the story. I left the safe room, ready to continue.

The second trial room was identical to the first trial room. That was to say it was a large oval stage resembling a coliseum without the seats. As soon as I left the safe room, the guide appeared once again. Despite the time that had passed since I went into the safe room, she didn’t look alarmed or curious at all.

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“I believe you have figured out the true nature of this dungeon, yes?” She asked.

I nodded. “My weapon isn’t the reward for defeating this dungeon, it’s the result of defeating this dungeon, right?”

She nodded. “Correct. You selected one from a group of weapons with potential. Each level, you will further refine that weapon, turning it into a weapon shaped for you.”

I felt a bit reassured we were on the same wavelength, but something still felt a bit off. I wanted to ask why the weapon was made out of the soul of a captured enemy. However, something still felt off about the situation, so I didn’t ask this question. My unease came from the nature of dungeons. They were curses, not blessings. A dungeon wouldn’t give you something for free. They were curses. Dungeons didn’t want to be destroyed, they wanted to be completed, and I had a feeling if I did everything that the dungeon wanted, it would result in my demise.

My running theory was that after Alysia was finished, she’d be used against me. The boss of this dungeon might be a Gilgamesh type, collecting swords made by its enemies, enjoying the thrill of a new sword made to someone else’s specifications. Perhaps, I had just consumed too many isekai, but I felt like I had a good grasp on this. At least, I was prepared for a betrayal.

That was the final reason I had decided to bond with Alysia as a slave. It would keep her from being used against me. I knew that if she had known my theory, she might not have been as willing to continue forward. She wouldn’t stand being used against me again. Thankfully, I had nipped that in the bud. Now, we just had to make it the rest of the way down, spring and destroy their trap, and get out of here.