Since Leo was free to not work today, he decided to step out of the house, the morning sun casting a warm glow over the farm. He headed towards Ranna's place, a few blocks away from the back of their house. The house they lived in was originally Ranna's, situated at the middle edge of the farm, allowing a clear view of the entire area.
However, as her farm grew larger, the house couldn't oversee the entire expanse, so Ranna built a small room on top of the hill just behind the house. Ranna had also built her new home across the nearby village, which is why she had been able to lend the house at the farm's edge to Amanda when she took them in.
Leo reached Ranna's office, pushing the door open to find the room empty. The office was simple yet organized, with a table at the end, dimly lit by the morning sun. On the opposite wall was a large glass window. Standing in the middle of it you could see the entire farm, but the people working were barely visible. Leo wondered if Ranna used something like a telescope for a clearer view.
He was about to leave when something caught his eye—a map on the wall. It detailed the area of Ranna's farm, including some surrounding lands. His eyes were drawn to a particular section of the map. "A dungeon?!" he exclaimed. Verifying its location on the map, he saw it was just behind the hill he was on.
Excited, Leo rushed outside and started looking for a trail leading to the dungeon. As he scanned the area, he noticed two figures approaching—Andy and Joe. They were about the same age as him and also working on the farm. Both seemed to harbor jealousy towards him because he lived with Amanda, often glaring at him while working. It never really bothered him, possibly because he was already an adult mentally. "I'm definitely an adult if my past life is included," he thought with a chuckle.
"What are you smiling at?!" Joe shouted, his tone accusatory.
Leo quickly apologized, "It's nothing, really." He noticed they were heading towards Ranna's office. "Ranna's not around," he informed them.
Andy peeked inside the office and waved at Joe, indicating it was indeed empty. They were about to leave when Leo decided this might be his chance to clear the air. "Hey, do you know about the nearby dungeon?" he began, hoping to engage them.
To his surprise, their hostility melted away too quickly, their sudden friendliness ringing false in his ears. Something about their grins unsettled him, but he pushed the feeling aside, eager to focus on the adventure ahead. Andy and Joe pointed him to a secret path leading to the dungeon.
"We can show you the way," Andy offered.
They guided him through a secluded path that eventually led to the dungeon's entrance. As they arrived, Andy and Joe turned back, leaving Leo standing before the dark, foreboding entrance.
There was something unsettling about the way they grinned, but he brushed it off, focusing on the excitement of the adventure ahead. Leo took a deep breath, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. "Here we go," he muttered to himself, stepping forward into the unknown.
Andy and Joe were laughing hysterically as they made their way back from the dungeon entrance. "That'll teach him a lesson!" Joe smirked, his eyes gleaming with malicious glee.
"He might get lucky and die inside too!" Andy added, their laughter echoing through the quiet morning air.
As they walked, Joe leaned in, tapping Andy on the shoulder hard enough to make him momentarily lose his balance. "Did you know that Father overheard an adventurer saying they saw an Orc Lord inside that dungeon?"
"No way?!" Andy laughed, the idea of such danger only fueling their amusement. "We can start talking to Amanda after he's gone."
They continued to laugh, their voices carrying through the farm as they reveled in their cruel prank.
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Leo stood before the dungeon’s maw, the darkness within yawning wide and swallowing the faint sunlight that tried to pierce it. A cold breeze drifted from the opening, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and something more sinister. He squared his shoulders, unaware of Andy and Joe’s smirks as they disappeared into the distance. The dungeon beckoned, a silent promise of danger and discovery.
As he took his first step inside, the air grew cooler, and the light from the entrance began to fade. Each step echoed off the stone walls, amplifying the sense of solitude. Leo's heart pounded in his chest, but his resolve was firm. He was here to discover, to grow, and to prove his worth.
The passageway narrowed, the stone walls pressing close on either side. Each step echoed ominously, the faint dripping of water and the occasional skittering of unseen creatures setting his nerves on edge. Shadows twisted in the dim light of the Guiding Light spell, and the further he went, the more oppressive the air became, as if the dungeon itself were watching.
Leo stood in the dimly lit chamber, his heart racing as he tried to think of a way to handle the dark path. He then remembered a skill he obtained from syncing with Amanda. "Guiding Light," he whispered, his voice echoing inside the cavernous space.
A spark formed in front of him, steadily growing until it was the size of his fist. The light it emitted was so bright that it illuminated a significant portion of the area without blinding him. As he started to walk, the glowing orb moved forward with him, casting long shadows on the rough walls. Leo's eyes brimmed with excitement—he had successfully used his first skill.
He considered checking for buff skills but reminded himself that he was here to test his new stats and power as an adventurer. He walked for about half an hour without encountering any monsters. He knew there were creatures on his way in, but their presence faded away as he approached, almost as if they were avoiding him.
Then, he sensed something massive up ahead, far bigger than anything he had passed by. Instead of running back, his curiosity and excitement pushed him to run forward. After a few minutes, he slowed down and entered a vast area. It was like an enormous room, almost as big as the farm.
Leo gestured, trying to make the glowing orb float above him, and to his surprise, it worked. Slowly, the entire area was lit up, revealing a colossal figure sitting across the room. The creature’s presence filled the cavern, a looming figure that seemed to absorb the very light around it. Its skin, a mottled green, gleamed with a sickly sheen, and every ripple of its massive muscles spoke of brutal strength.
Jagged scars crisscrossed its body, each a testament to the countless battles it had survived. Leo’s breath hitched, his instincts screaming at him to turn back, but his resolve held firm. This was the test he had been waiting for—his first real challenge as an adventurer. The creature's eyes glowed with a fierce red light, and its spiked club, taller than Leo himself, looked like it was forged from dragon bones and lined with the sharp fangs of various creatures.
As the monster began to rise, the ground beneath it grumbled and shook with each movement. Pieces of its stone throne broke off and fell to the floor as its enormous form shifted. The decorations on its hide, made from bones and other gruesome trophies, scraped against the throne, sending a chilling sound echoing through the chamber. The sheer weight and size of the creature made the very ground tremble.
Leo's heart pounded, but he felt a surge of determination. This was the test he had been waiting for. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the battle ahead.
The monster finally stood to its full height, towering over Leo. Leo’s breath caught in his throat. For a brief moment, the weight of the challenge ahead pressed down on him like a physical force. This was no ordinary monster—this was something far more dangerous.
It grabbed its spiked club with one massive hand and let out a deafening roar. The sound was so powerful it seemed to reverberate through Leo's bones, causing small debris to rain down from the ceiling.
He saw a text above the creature, it read, "Level 60: Orc Lord" Leo's eyes widened in excitement and fear. The level, which had once been a series of question marks, was now revealed. He realized that there was more to identifying a monster's level than just his level, but he wasn't sure what it was. The red color of the monster's name indicated extreme danger.
As his eyes adjusted, he noticed another line of text above the Orc Lord's name: "Dominion Lord." The words shone with a dark, ominous aura, sending chills down his spine.
Dominion Lord… The words triggered a flicker of memory, something buried deep within the whirlwind of Amanda’s past. He remembered the terror in her voice when she spoke of the Goblin Dominion, the fear that had gripped her as they faced a Dominion Lord. His blood ran cold. This was no ordinary monster—this was a nightmare made flesh. But there was no time to dwell on it now—he needed to focus.
Leo's breath quickened as the Orc Lord fixed its glowing red eyes on him. This was it—the challenge he had been preparing for.
"Let's see what I've got," he muttered, his eyes never leaving the massive figure before him. The ground beneath his feet trembled as the Orc Lord took its first thunderous step towards him, the spiked club dragged and ready to strike.