The day was still young, and the sun was kind to the city.
Caelen walked alone on the side of the road, the morning air brushing gently through his dark hair. His boots tapped quietly against the paved sidewalk, a soft rhythm to match the city's natural hum. Cars passed lazily on the road beside him, their engines humming in a low chorus with the occasional distant honk, while people strolled past him in small groups and pairs. So nodded at him in polite greeting—a woman carrying groceries, a man in a work uniform, two teens with headphones in.
He returned the greetings with a nod and a light smile, blending into the mont.
For the first ti in a long while, the world around him felt... normal. Not peaceful in the way the countryside used to be, but functional. Lively. Alive.
His eyes road over the buildings across the street—well-kept apartnts, colorful little cafés, so with morning custors chatting over small plates. He crossed a corner where a group of kids were lined up at a food stall, laughing and pointing at the sweets behind the glass. The scent of sugar and sothing fried hit him, and he slowed down just a bit to take it in.
"I hope that place also has good weapons I can loan," he muttered under his breath, watching a pair of armored n exit a nearby alley. One of them had a long spear, the other a gauntlet that humd with faint orange light.
Most cities like this had registration stations for combatants—warriors and magicians alike. It was a well-known system, sothing he rembered from his errands when he worked with the church. Back then, he'd run deliveries, trade potions, and carry scrolls to high-ranking officials and wealthy clients. So of them were mages with personal guards; others were retired warriors with more coin than caution.
He rembered the faces. The exchanges. The fake and the genuine smiles.
Then, he rembered him.
That priest.
His fists clenched slightly at the thought.
"I should've killed him," he said softly. "Damn my stupid pride."
He'd let the man go. Whether it was arrogance or sentint, he wasn't sure. But now the chance of that priest warning the church was all too real. Maybe he'd already made it back. Maybe he was already spreading word about the demon he saw or her disappearance.
Emma...
This mission, this life, wasn't going to be easy. It was never about brute force. Not only. Now it was about deception, charisma, and persuasion. You couldn't make soone like Lucy fall for him normally. Not directly. She'd sniff it out before you blinked.
Caelen exhaled slowly, calming himself. He knew what he had to do. He'd find another way.
And that's when he looked up and saw it.
At the end of the street, rising like a monunt carved from obsidian itself, stood the dungeon.
Artgen Spire.
Up close, it was even bigger than he imagined. The black pillar-like structure twisted faintly as it rose, not in shape but in the way light hit it. It wasn't reflective, but it swallowed the sun, casting an unnatural shadow even though the sky above was clear. The base was wide, with thick stone walls and a reinforced gate.
As he approached, a man in a leather coat stepped out from the large tal doors, his face sweaty but smiling. He held a glowing crystal in one hand—a reward, perhaps. The man t Caelen's gaze and gave a small nod.
"Morning."
"Morning," Caelen replied with a slight smile.
They passed each other with that simple exchange, and the man walked off down the road while Caelen stopped at the entrance.
He stood there for a mont, staring up at the structure, feeling its presence.
This place—even if just a simulation of danger—held real monsters. Real combat.
Real growth.
He stepped forward as the door slowly closed behind the man before him. Caelen reached it just as it clicked open again. Without hesitation, he pushed through the heavy fra.
The door closed behind him with a deep echo.
As Caelen stepped through the entrance of the Artgen Spire, the first thing he noticed was how drastically different the interior looked compared to the ominous black structure outside.
The walls were painted a soft, creamy, delicate ivory with a hint of warmth, almost like candlelight mixed with pale gold. The calming glow made the lobby feel more like a luxurious lounge than the entrance to a dungeon. The surprising contrast between the elegant inside and the monolithic black exterior left Caelen quietly impressed.
The space wasn't complicated. Ahead of him, the wide room was mostly open with circular arrangents of couches in the center. Only five people were present, each seated in a relaxed posture, chatting or scrolling through holographic devices. Across from them, far ahead and centered in the room, was a desk behind glass. A small opening at its base suggested it was for handing over docunts or receiving items, likely registration or gear pick-up.
Not sure how the place operated, Caelen decided not to make assumptions. He walked toward the couches, raising a hand in polite greeting.
"Hey, excuse ," he began, "I'm new here, and I was wondering... do they let you borrow weapons to test the place out?"
Three of the five glanced up. One of them, a guy wearing a cap pushed low over his brow, tilted his head toward Caelen, eyeing him casually.
"New, huh? Well, yeah, they do. But this here's a line." He gestured at the couches. "We're waiting to get gear."
"Oh," Caelen blinked, realizing the casual arrangent had an order. "Alright then. Thanks."
He took a seat and waited, quietly observing how it worked. One by one, the others were called up, heading over to the glass-covered reception desk. Each had a short conversation, took sothing, probably a weapon, and left through a hallway to the right.
After about ten minutes, the last person ahead of him finished and the lady behind the glass caught Caelen's eye with a pleasant smile. She gestured for him to co forward.
He stood, straightened his shirt, and stepped up to the desk.
"Hi," he said. "I'm kind of new, so... do I need a license or anything to enter?"
"Not anymore," the woman replied, her voice calm and friendly. "We recently made the first-tier trials open to everyone. But you're not just a civilian looking to make quick change, are you?" Her tone held a light teasing note, though her eyes scanned him more seriously.
Caelen raised both hands slightly, chuckling. "No, not at all. I actually want to test myself."
"Good." She nodded, her eyes warming again. "We only lend out basic-grade gear. What type of weapon would you like?"
"A sword, if that's okay."
"Alright. One mont."
She turned to her side and reached into a secured compartnt. Caelen could hear the soft click of locks opening and the shifting of tallic items being sorted. After a few seconds, she returned with a weapon — a standard longsword. It wasn't flashy, but its craftsmanship was clean, the blade well-balanced and solid, clearly built to last.
"Here you go. Treated steel, standard edge. You break it, you return it broken. You die, well... we'll clean it for the next guy." She gave him a wink as she slid it through the opening.
Caelen took it with both hands and gave a respectful nod. "Thanks."
"The trial door is straight ahead. Go down the hallway behind and take the right passage. You'll find a tal door at the end — can't miss it."
"Got it."
With the sword in hand, he turned and walked toward the hallway, its lights humming gently above. As he disappeared around the corner, the sound of the reception bell chid faintly behind him.
Caelen followed the hallway as instructed, sword resting comfortably in his hand. The deeper he went, the more he had to admit — this place was better than he expected. The air slled clean, the walls had a faint tallic gloss, and the sleek design gave off a futuristic vibe without losing that grounded, solid feeling that a dungeon facility should have.
Eventually, he reached the tal door. It was large and reinforced, its surface lined with glowing traces — possibly enchantnts or internal sensors. Just before touching the control panel beside it, Caelen instinctively swung his sword once. The blade felt good in his hand — balanced, slightly heavier toward the tip, ant for solid slashes rather than finesse.
He was about to press the button to enter when a massive red notification window materialized in front of him:
[WARNING]
DANGER DETECTED —DO NOT ENTER THE DOOR
[LEAVE IMDIATELY]
The glowing red box flickered with urgency, large enough to fill the doorway. Caelen took a half step back. That stopped him more than anything. The system rarely displayed alerts this bold unless it was serious. His first thought was that sothing inside had gone wrong... or maybe sothing sensed him. Could his system detect sothing dangerous he couldn't?
He turned slightly, eyes narrowing. "What the hell...?" he muttered. He was still debating whether to ignore the warning when he heard a faint sound. Off to the side, near the corner of the hallway, an elevator door slid open with a soft ding.
Caelen casually pivoted, walking away from the tal door, suppressing the sudden alert in his chest. Just as he moved down the hallway, trying to act natural, he heard footsteps behind him. Slow, deliberate. Not aggressive, just... there.
Then a warm, composed voice rang out behind him.
"Young man," the voice said with a gentle tone, "did you really co to the dungeon with no proper gear? I know they say it doesn't kill you, but you can still get injured, you know."
He turned slightly as he walked and caught sight of the woman behind him.
She was strikingly beautiful, her skin smooth, sun-kissed with a soft caral undertone that glowed under the light. Her long raven-black hair fell in polished waves over her dark shirt, which clung to her figure like a designer fit. A golden starburst pendant rested against her collarbone. She wore sleek black glasses, masking her eyes, but the subtle arch of her brow and the confident curl of her lips suggested poise and class, like soone used to owning every room she walked into.
Her smile was relaxed. Almost too relaxed.
Caelen stopped in his tracks.
The woman tilted her head slightly. "Is sothing wrong?"
He didn't answer. Sothing about her... reminded him of Lucy. That sa subtle edge behind the smile. That strange mont when you realize you're being asured, like a lion staring down prey it hadn't decided to eat yet.
"No, it's nothing," Caelen replied, voice calm but laced with suspicion. He turned and started walking again.
Then he heard it.
"Watch out!"
The warning ca too fast. He barely had ti to react. Sothing small shot toward him. His reflexes kicked in, and he caught it mid-air. It was an opened glass vial, and gray mist was leaking from its neck. As soon as he saw the smoke, his eyes widened.
A potion?.
He threw it away instantly, but it was too late. The smoke had already begun to seep into his system. His limbs went heavy. His legs wobbled.
He staggered. "Shit..."
His body was failing him. The world began to tilt.
Behind him, the woman's voice ca again, softer now... and colder.
"I never thought I'd run into sothing this interesting here. You might be more useful than I expected."
Caelen tried to summon his magic, anything, but his body didn't respond.
"Damn it..." he muttered as darkness flooded his vision.
And everything went black.
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