For nearly half an hour, we trailed behind No-na along the city walls periter.
"Dont trust an unknown entity so easily! This could be a trap!"
Lucas had been nagging consistently, his warnings sounding like clockwork every five minutes. Was he a human trono, his concerns chiming exactly on the fifth minute?
"Its fine, I told you. Lets just follow for now."
I placated Lucas and guided our party onwards.
After what seed like an eternity, No-na abruptly halted. The party mbers, caught off guard, all ca to an abrupt stop, their weapons raised in anticipation.
"Here."
No-na indicated the city wall. On closer inspection, a derelict water facility was revealed. It had long ceased its function, dried out entirely.
No-na led the way into the disused drain.
"Inside here, a path leads to the city. Be careful, its slippery."
We had to stoop low to navigate the narrow drain, and after about five minutes, the space expanded. As I straightened my back to examine our surroundings, a system notification appeared, informing us of our new location.
[Zone 1: The Dried Sewer]
We had finally reached the first zone of the Lake Kingdom dungeon.
This area was the convergence point of the citys entire water system. Devoid of any hint of moisture, the maze-like network of drains extended outwards.
A constant illumination spell had been cast on the magic stone embedded in the ceiling, brightly lighting up the space.
Beneath that magic stone, a mound of stones, akin to the ones found in my mansions backyard, was piled up.
As I approached and made contact with it, the stones began to churn and rise, activating the teleportation gate in the process.
[Zone 1: The Dried Sewer connection point has been established!]
Connection point.
It was a monster-free safe zone, typically installed at the starting point of each zone.
Once the teleportation gate was activated, we could resu our exploration from this point next ti.
The standard practice of open exploration was to discover the hidden connection points throughout the city, link the teleportation gates, and repeat the cycle of exploration and return.
As Lilly confird that the teleportation gate had been activated, she implored , her eyes wide with fright.
"Cant I return from here?! Please?!"
"Nope, you cant."
Did she think wed lugged all these supplies and assembled a full party only to pave the way up to here? We needed to at least clear one zone before departing.
As I attempted to calm the increasingly panicked Lilly, No-na, who had been standing in the distance, spoke with an air of detachnt.
"My guidance ends here. From now on, your path forward must be of your own choosing."
"Thank you for leading us this far, No-na."
After a mont of hesitation, No-na released a deep sigh.
"I warn you. This Lake Kingdom is wholly steeped in nightmares. The further you proceed, the darker it will beco, and the monsters will grow increasingly formidable."
Her usually dry voice carried a note of genuine concern this ti.
"But if you are determined to venture into the abyss, I have a piece of advice."
No-na whispered, punctuating each word for emphasis.
"Never, ever, extinguish the fla."
"..."
"I hope there are blessings on your journey ahead."
With those words lingering in the air, the naless woman slowly receded into the darkness until she vanished entirely.
Lucas, who had been observing the naless woman with a cautious gaze until her departure, mumbled.
"Whats her story? How does she exist in a city beneath this lake?"
"Well...."
At that mont, Damien, who was huddled close behind , voiced his fear in a trembling tone.
"Prince. This darkness feels peculiar. I cant see beyond it with my own eyes. Its as if... the darkness itself is alive."
"...."
"But how does that woman... navigate this darkness without a torch?"
I found myself unable to provide an answer.
There were innurable mysteries in this dungeon, still unknown to even , soone who had conquered this ga on its highest difficulty setting.
But there was one thing I knew for sure.
"Well encounter her again. We can ask her then."
In this underwater domain, our paths were bound to cross once more.
Whether as foes or allies, in whatever circumstance.
***
At our first base, we hastily finished our preparations.
We quenched our thirst with water, each taking a morsel from our stock of preserved food.
"Can, can, can, can I really get ho safely....?"
Apart from Lilly, who was trembling in fear, everyone else appeared composed.
Jupiter tenderly comforted the frightened Lilly.
"Fret not, miss. Ill ensure your safety."
"Re, really? Are you, Jupiter, going to protect ?"
"Of course, just trust in ."
Just as I was pondering over Jupiters unusual warmth,
"Just make sure to compensate with a protection fee of a thousand Adels."
True to form, she was attempting to swindle us....
"Ill pay! Ill pay you right now!"
I promptly intervened, stopping Lilly, who was on the verge of hastily extracting her wallet. Hold on, hold on!
"Hey Jupiter! Stop exploiting this child for money!"
"Tsk, you got ."
Jupiter grumbled and retreated. This old rogue!
Sighing, I reassured Lilly.
"Dont worry, Lilly. Well all make it back safely."
"Is, is that genuinely true, Your Highness....?"
This is the initial exploration area. In reality, the difficulty is relatively low. Would I have brought you, who struggle with mobility, if it was too hazardous?
After calming Lilly, I attentively examined the system window.
[Zone 1: The Dried Sewer]
- Clear progress: Normal room 0/3 Boss room 0/1
- Acquired Treasure Boxes: 0/2
Zone 1, The Dried Sewer.
Appropriately, the first exploration area was straightforward.
A simple dungeon composed of three regular rooms and one boss room. The path is direct, no need to ander.
Comncing from the base, the player must traverse through the dungeon to the exit, which is the boss room.
You can bypass the regular rooms by exploiting the system, but the boss room must be cleared through combat.
"Alright, is everyone ready?"
Once our maintenance break concluded, I surveyed the mbers of my group and gave a nod of approval.
"If we play according to our current skills, we should be able to navigate through this without much difficulty. Lets go!"
We filed into formation and started our journey from the base.
Lucas took the lead, with following closely. Lilly, Jupiter, and Damien ford our rear guard.
As soon as we stepped out from the base, a crushing wave of darkness descended upon us, churning and restless.
The group instinctively lifted their torches and lanterns.
The encroaching darkness retreated.
"..."
"..."
Silence engulfed us.
"Lets proceed..."
I suggested.
We moved at a deliberate pace.
Our path led us through a winding sewer, seemingly infinite in its expanse.
Even though the place was arid, it gave off an unsettling sensation of dampness.
Lucas grumbled as he examined the wall with his torch.
A passageway within the sewer... How far does it extend?"
"Itll conclude soon."
True to my word, the pathway did eventually terminate, opening up into a vast chamber - the first room of this exploration zone.
The dungeons in this ga are typically comprised of rooms and corridors.
Rooms harbor unpredictable events like battles against foes, the discovery of items, or encounters with non-playable characters (NPCs).
And the inaugural event of this room was...
Creak!
Squeak! Squeak!
A skirmish.
The instant we stepped into the room, roughly a dozen colossal sewer rats scurried out from the walls, floor, and even from above.
Eeeeek?! Rats?!
Lillys reaction was one of terror. I realized her courage was easily tested...
[Dried-up Sewer - Room 1]
- Defeat all enemies!
- Lv.3 Giant Sewer Rats: 14 entities
These were level 3 monsters. Their sheer number demanded caution, but individually, they posed little threat.
"Lucas. Hold the front line. Prioritize defense over attack. Simply fend off the ones that get too close."
"Understood, sir."
"Damien, target them from afar. Their craniums are robust so aim for their eyes or throat."
"Affirmative, Your Highness."
"Jupiter, Lilly. Conserve your magical energy. Attack only those that breach Lucas defensive line."
There was no reason to squander the magical prowess of our spellcasters in this situation.
I allocated combat instructions exclusively to Lucas and Damien, while instructing Jupiter and Lilly to maintain a defensive position.
Lucas unsheathed his longsword and stepped forward, while Damien readied his crossbow. Jupiter and Lilly each retreated a step.
And as for ? What was my role?
Well, simply to enjoy the unfolding spectacle. I reclined, observing with a relaxed posture.
Squeak!
Squeak squeak!
The horde of colossal sewer rats, eyes ablaze with a nacing red, attacked from every direction.
In response, Damien released a volley of arrows from his crossbow.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The arrows, slicing effortlessly through the air, struck their targets precisely, hitting the rats eyes.
Squeak?!
Thud!
The body of a rat, felled in a single strike, rolled lifelessly on the floor with a dull thud.
Yet, as I had pointed out nurous tis, Damiens aim was sharp, but not swift.
By the ti the third rat was felled by an arrow, the rest had already sward Lucas.
Ugh!
With a broad arc, Lucas slashed his sword through the air.
Flash-!
With the swords radiance, the lead rats throat was sliced open, and it toppled over.
Lucass level was already an impressive 29. As expected of a top-tier character, his stat progression was remarkable.
In terms of abilities, the rats were hopelessly outmatched.
Flash! Flash-!
Each ti the swords luminescence cleaved through the darkness and flickered, a rat sprayed blood and fell over.
The hulking rats couldnt breach Lucass defensive front, and they sequentially fell to Lucass sword and Damiens precise arrows.
Thus, in a relatively short span, every rat had been dispatched.
Lucas flicked the blood from his blade, and Damien, exhaling a sigh, lowered his crossbow.
I chuckled.
You all did splendidly~ It wasnt much trouble, was it?
Indeed. It was less stressful than anticipated.
Damien responded with a faintly weary smile.
The foes we had previously encountered included the Black Spider Legion and the Living Armor Legion.
In comparison to those nacing adversaries, these rats almost seed endearing.
Just then, Lucas, who was inspecting the lifeless rats, beckoned .
There are thirteen in total, Your Highness. Should we collect the magic stones?
No. The grade is low, and there wont be many... Wait a minute.
My words halted abruptly. Thirteen?
I was positive that the gas info window had specified fourteen....
Chirp-!
In that instant.
A shriek echoed from above.
?!
Startled, I looked up, locking gazes with the blood-red eyes of a creature plumting from the ceiling.
The final giant rat. It had cunningly used the ceilings darkness to approach and was now launching itself directly at .
Most likely, it had singled out due to my lower level.
Your Highness?!
Damn it, too late...!
Damien and Lucas cried out in alarm.
It was too late for Jupiter and Lilly to conjure their spells.
The rat was too close to , if they invoked their magic now, I would be caught in the crossfire.
What to do? How should I-
Then it dawned on . I rembered the glove I was wearing.
The top-tier luck-based weapon, Lucky Strike.
As I thought about it, it was right there on my hand.
The situation was dire, and my decision swift.
Screw it!
It was do or die!
No matter how strategically you play a ga, there cos a point where you must entrust your fate to the toss of a coin.
Believing this to be such a mont, I launched my fist forward with all my might.
My fist t the rats jaw, and...
Ding.
In that mont, a slot machine interface materialized in the periphery of my vision. What?!
Three panels featuring numbers from 0 to 7 spun vertically at a rapid pace, then halted one after another. Ding. Ding. Ding!
And the numbers that were revealed were...
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