The path to Hillsborough was dotted with puddles. Even though it could not technically rain in a dungeon, it did in this one. The muddy waters reflect a disoriented picture of Edward himself. Beneath it is countless bacteria and viruses which threaten to kill any living creature that comes into their contact. Such is the situation of this labyrinth. This dangers are endless. And the path forward seems perilous. Edward nudges forward with extreme care, making sure not to disturb the poisonous puddles of water in their wake. The emerald jewels shine ever so brightly in the darkness. They must be valuable, Edward thought. Pillaging them could mean great profits that he could use on his journey upwards. He keeps that consideration in mind as he traverses the landscape. There is no time to waste, he needs to get to the nearest town as soon as possible as it is becoming dangerous to stay around these areas. Edward skips ahead with haste.
Eventually after what seemed like an eternity, he finally reaches the town of Hillsborough. There were oval shaped houses that were grey and similarly shaped town centers. The atmosphere at the town seemed dead with no one around in his periphery. Where did everyone go? Edward thought. Are they just hiding in their houses? That can’t be real right. I know this is a dungeon but still. In the corner of his eye, he could see an elderly man fetching water from the fountain. He leaps forward to have a conversation with him.
The elderly man is rudely taken aback. He gasps and then sighs in horror. “Who are you and what do you want?” The old man hisses. As Edward speaks to him, he realises that he is the first person to ever step foot in this town in over two hundred years. Therefore, everyone in the town was super wary of any strangers that come their way. For they may be monsters in disguise. Edward tries to calm the old man down and reassure him that he is not a monster. The elderly man seems unconvinced until Edward tries to prove it. They can’t be too careful in these areas as the monsters are powerful enough for a great disguise. Even to the point of mimicking other people’s voices and mannerisms. Hence they were extremely wary of anyone much less newcomers who are in the first level of the dungeon. Edward stood at his place dumbfounded, he did not know how to prove his innocence. Then an idea popped into his head. He should just show his status bar to the elderly gentleman. He quickly brings up his status bar and proudly shows it to the elderly man.
Upon seeing the human status symbol on the status bar of Edward, the elderly man heaves a sigh of relief. He is glad that he is not dealing with a monster capable of illusions. For he is definitely dead if a monster came this close to him. Therefore he is confined to this town until the end of his days. However long that might be. The old man looked rather haggard. His full green clothes were fraying at its ends and he looks tired and grumpy. It was just the kind of vibes he is giving away. His wrinkles are clearly visible and he seems like he is on his last legs anyway.
Edward didn’t waste any time at all. He asks the elderly man that he needed an accommodation for the foreseeable future. He wants to make this town his camp for now. That is the plan. The elderly man took a glance at him and stares blankly. Then after about a minute, he agrees on the condition that Edward would go on quests and would not stay forever in this town. He would stay here for a maximum of three months at most. Any longer would be a waste of both parties time. He was shocked when the elderly man pulled out a contract for him to sign on. He was totally taken aback and did not expect that he would take this so seriously. Nevertheless Edward signed on that dotted line. Three months from now he will be out of here and into the upper floors. That’s what he promised himself and the elderly man.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
The elderly gentleman points Edward to the biggest house in the town. Inside it was a rather cosy and delightful ambience, with candles and bookshelf full of books of every genre. The floor was a carpeted red with the walls being dark brown. It was sort of a rustic looking feel that the elderly man was going for. That’s what it feels like anyway. The gentleman introduced me to his two grandchildren who were five and six. A girl and a boy respectively. He also introduced me to his wife, who was an elderly woman three years his junior. They both had the same look to them. It’s no wonder that they have stick together for so many years. Research says that couples that look similar tend to stay together after all.
The young boy brought me to my room. His name is Azel and his sister is Beatrice. They welcomed me warmly to their house when we were downstairs. They were very excited to have a guest for the first time of their lives. It is expected that they would be excited since this is probably the first time of their lives they are seeing an unexpected guest. The children squirm in awe at my clothes and attitude. They were absolutely delightful.
The bed upstairs was perfectly tidy and neat. It was perfect for someone with OCD like me. Beside the bed frame was a small coffee table and beside it was a giant wardrobe filled to the brim. It was almost bursting out, and I had to ask Azel if this was normal and he said the people here gets lots of clothes during the Winter season therefore they are there for storage purposes. Still, this wardrobe was almost bursting out. I was a hundred percent sure it would burst one day before I leave this place.
On the coffee table was a small table lamp. And at the other side of the room, on the left is a study table with various magic books and materials. Azel told me to go for it and learn as much as I can while I am here. As a voracious learner myself, I would love to dive into these magic books. The knowledge and power that I can gain from them seemed limitless. Thus starts my journey to begin an academic and literature journey of magic learning. Regardless of my pre-existing non-existent knowledge about the world we are in, I was ready to study and devour these books.
There was still some time to dinner so Azel left me alone while I grabbed one of the books on the study table and started to read it. Luckily it was written in English. This particular book was about beginner fire magic spells. No incantation was needed, in fact what was likely needed was the ability to absorb huge amounts of information from varying sources and merge them together to form a unifying spell combo. That would make for a really deadly magician. The elderly man has told me tales of magicians who scale the dungeon without any issue and I am similarly one of them as well. I have magic as one of my key stats in my status window. Therefore I believe I have the aptitude to conduct and play with magic. Such is the plan for training to become a magician now. I have no doubts in my mind I can become the greatest magician the labyrinth has ever seen. And I will also keep levelling up my stats along the way. Nothing will stand in my way. Little did Edward know that many things will stand in his way on his journey up the dungeon.
He spends the rest of the afternoon in his room pouring over the magic books, experimenting with the tools sometimes even. There are many tools to play with. What Edward didn’t notice was a small pocket watch at the corner of the desk. That will make all the difference in his upcoming battles. Azel peeps through the door as he sees Edward studying hard. He knows the secret behind the pocket watch. And he is eagerly awaiting Edward to find out for himself. After all, he was just a guest and they are not oblige to tell him anything besides providing a place to stay. They were strangers not friends or kins. He decides to keep mum about the pocket watch until later on. Maybe he would need it on his adventures in one of the quests. That being said, he decides to adopt a wait and see approach. Meanwhile, Edward was busy studying in his room. Completely oblivious to the world outside.