Ch.2525. First Floor

A group of people was advancing through a dark passage.

Faint light from torches illuminated their field of vision.

The dungeon was structured like a maze with hundreds of narrow intertwining corridors. Exploration basically proceeded by moving straight along these paths.

Occasionally, if one examined the walls carefully, mysterious doors could be discovered, and these doors were the adventurers’ primary objective.

They sometimes connected to other passages, but more importantly, rewards awaited behind them.

Chests filled with rare items. Most adventurers made their living by selling what came from these chests.

“Oh…”

As Rex listened to the explanation with a fascinated expression, Chloe raised her finger and shook it side to side, indicating she wasn’t finished.

“The quality of items improves as you descend deeper into the floors. Don’t expect much on the first floor—it’s mostly worthless junk. Often, instead of treasure chests, you’ll find monsters or traps.”

Quite some time had passed since they entered the dungeon. It felt like about 30 minutes.

And Chloe hadn’t stopped talking for a moment, staying by Rex’s side to impart the mindset a newcomer should maintain.

Most of her advice went like this:

The monsters on the first floor aren’t that threatening, but don’t underestimate them. Let your guard down and you’re done for. I’ve seen it happen many times.

The dungeon is no pushover. Don’t try to make it big all at once. Even the most successful people in this business fall when they get greedy.

Monsters aren’t the only enemies. The real danger comes from other people.

Don’t rely solely on sight; always listen carefully. If you hear sounds in the corridor, it means there are other unwelcome visitors.

“Sometimes people end up fighting over a single treasure chest when things go wrong. Well, at least that won’t happen today. Are you listening?”

“Yes.”

Rex nodded obediently while observing the other party members.

The party composition was what could only be described as “textbook.”

Two vanguards, two scouts, one archer.

The vanguards surrounded the formation, the archer was protected in the middle, and the scouts kept watch on the front and rear.

As Rex had guessed, Harald was a vanguard. Every time he moved, the chainmail covering his upper body made a metallic rustling sound.

Surprisingly, the other vanguard was Eira, and Rex found it hard to believe that a woman would face monsters in combat.

When their eyes met, Eira gave Rex a gentle smile and waved. Her forearms, partially visible, were thicker than those of most adult men.

Patrick, the archer, carried a large longbow on his back.

“I’m a scout. So is old man Corner over there.”

Chloe grinned, gesturing toward Corner who was walking alone some distance ahead.

“Thanks to you, I get to take it easy.”

She meant that she could skip her scouting duties because she was managing Rex, the newcomer. Finding it awkward to respond, Rex could only offer a wry smile.

Just then, Corner raised his torch to signal the others.

“Looks like we found something. Let’s go.”

Chloe lightly touched Rex’s shoulder and started walking. Rex followed along with the group toward Corner.

Having just heard all the explanations about the dungeon, it was obvious what they would find in this situation.

A door.

In the middle of a wall with a bluish tint, a wooden door protruded conspicuously.

It was a large door like one might find in an ancient fortress. It appeared to open by pulling on the ring-shaped handles on either side.

“Everyone ready?”

Harald turned around to check on each member of the party.

Though they might have to fight monsters, everyone seemed calm. True to their reputation as veterans and high-ranking adventurers, none of them showed any signs of tension.

“Let’s go in.”

Harald pulled his helmet down firmly and slowly opened the door.

Creeeeak. With the sound of squeaking hinges, ancient dust fell, followed by a rush of cold air.

“Just stay by my side. The others will handle everything. That doesn’t mean zone out, though. Focus on how they clear the room.”

Chloe, who had already drawn a stiletto dagger and short sword in each hand, told Rex.

Rex nodded briefly while fingering the dagger inside his coat.

Even though it was customary for newcomers to just observe, he ultimately needed to protect himself if an unexpected situation arose.

Still, drawing his greatsword seemed excessive, so he prepared to wield at least the dagger if necessary.

As soon as the party entered the room, they immediately adjusted their formation.

The vanguards, Harald and Eira, spread out to the right and left, while Patrick the archer positioned himself at the rear. Corner took the middle position to provide support wherever needed.

Rex stood quietly by the door with Chloe.

Pitch-black shadows made it difficult to see ahead.

However, the gleaming yellow eyes in the darkness and the pungent yellow odor made it clear that enemies were present.

As everyone raised their weapons, Chloe muttered beside him with a disinterested expression.

“Gnolls. We’ll take them down quickly.”

Gnolls. Half-human, half-beast monsters resembling hyenas.

They were similar to goblins in that they lived in groups.

Harald threw his torch straight ahead.

The torch flew in an arc and landed about twenty paces away.

Simultaneously, the torchlight pushed back the darkness that had blanketed the chamber, revealing the monsters that had been hiding in the shadows.

“Vrazz, Sckrrath kruk!”

“Kruk! Vruuun zhrak!”

The gray-furred beasts groaned in pain, perhaps due to the sudden brightness.

‘So they’re real.’

Rex watched the monsters with wide eyes.

While he knew about gnolls, this was the first time he was seeing them with his own eyes.

They had humanoid bodies with hunched backs and abnormally long limbs.

Judging by silhouette alone, they might have been mistaken for people with disabilities.

However, their protruding snouts and fur covering their entire bodies made it clear that these were not humans, but rather different beings that merely resembled us.

Though said to possess rudimentary intelligence, they were fundamentally beasts. Their barking sounds, like those of wild dogs, came one after another.

There were twelve gnolls in total, and they were gradually emerging from their confusion to glare at the party with hostile eyes.

Harald remarked in a nonchalant tone:

“Let’s finish this quickly.”

With those words, Harald raised his long halberd and stomped the ground.

Thud!

Closing the distance in an instant, he brought down his halberd, splitting a gnoll’s head precisely in two.

The others weren’t idle either.

Eira thrust forward her large rectangular shield while swinging her mace. Crack! The gnoll with a broken neck died instantly without even uttering a scream.

Rex quietly observed the unfolding situation.

The party truly lived up to their reputation as veterans.

The two vanguards crushed enemies with overwhelming force, and each time Patrick drew his longbow, an arrow unfailingly pierced a gnoll’s forehead.

Any gnoll that tried to approach opportunistically was intercepted by Corner, who was waiting nearby.

The battle ended in just one minute.

No, this wasn’t a battle—it was nothing short of a one-sided massacre.

“See? I told you it would be over quickly.”

Chloe boasted to Rex.

Their skills certainly warranted such pride, so Rex nodded silently.

Then suddenly, he caught sight of a gnoll frantically fleeing in the opposite direction.

The situation had reached a lull, and the others were making sure no survivors remained by finishing off each gnoll.

It was clear that no one had yet noticed the one gnoll escaping.

Rex put his hand inside his coat. He felt the cool touch of the dagger.

‘Can I do it?’

If more time passed and the distance to the gnoll increased, he might not make it, but at least for now, he could hit it.

His calculation quickly turned to certainty, and Rex drew his dagger and slowly raised his arm.

“What are you doing?”

Chloe asked with a puzzled expression, but Rex’s gaze remained fixed on the gnoll.

People in extreme concentration often don’t hear surrounding sounds.

At that moment, Patrick belatedly spotted the gnoll and spoke up.

“Huh? There’s still one left over there.”

Corner responded in a displeased tone:

“What are you waiting for? Just shoot it already.”

“Don’t rush me. I was about to take care of it.”

Patrick clicked his tongue and raised his longbow. As he aimed at the gnoll and was about to release the drawn bowstring—

Swoosh!

A silver line streaked through the air. The dagger, flying in a perfectly straight line without the slightest wobble, embedded itself in the gnoll’s back.

Thud.

The gnoll flinched as if burned, staggered a few steps forward, and then collapsed to the ground. Purple fluid oozed from its limp body.

“Huh?”

Corner and Patrick turned around with surprised faces at the unexpected sight.

The two vanguards, who were just returning after confirming the last gnoll’s death, also witnessed this scene.

Harald glanced at the fallen gnoll near the room’s exit and spoke:

“Chloe. Was that you?”

“No.”

Chloe shook her head. She pointed at Rex and added:

“It was him.”

“Oh?”

Harald looked at Rex with interest. The others’ expressions weren’t much different.

“I’m sorry.”

Rex bowed his head apologetically.

Even though things had worked out well, he had still disobeyed Chloe’s instruction to stay put.

“It’s fine. It’s not like you recklessly charged into enemy territory without saying anything. And things worked out well in the end. More importantly, you have better eyes than I thought. And decent throwing skills too.”

Fortunately, the atmosphere remained amicable. As Harald let out a hearty laugh, Rex inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Harald wasn’t finished speaking.

“While we’re at it, it might not be a bad idea to test your skills. What do you think?”

“Sounds good. There aren’t any threatening monsters on the lower floors anyway. We can thin out their numbers and let him fight what’s left.”

It seemed Harald wasn’t the only one with this idea, as the others started chiming in.

“Excuse me?”

Rex asked, momentarily confused about what they meant.

Wasn’t it customary for newcomers to just act as porters in the back?

Of course, the party members were well aware of this “custom.” That’s why they had assigned Chloe to Rex in the first place.

But customs, unlike laws, weren’t mandatory rules—they could be broken according to people’s whims.

And Rex’s throwing display was enough to flip their opinions like a coin.

More precisely, it changed their perception of Rex.

From an ignorant newcomer to a promising individual with potential.

From the party’s perspective, it was easier to give ordinary newcomers a perfunctory tour of the dungeon and send them back to the guild.

But Rex seemed both well-mannered and skilled, so they wanted to do something for him.

It was also a kind of investment.

Seeing him as a promising talent, they thought that showing goodwill now might benefit them later.

If one were to ask why they chose combat with monsters among many other options, the answer was simple:

Because they too were once novice adventurers.

For a beginner unfamiliar with dungeons, the opportunity to safely fight monsters under the protection of veterans was invaluable.

Each small experience could determine whether one would survive critical moments in the future.

The party members didn’t bother explaining this reasoning to Rex in detail.

Chloe lightly nudged Rex’s side with her elbow.

“Why are you agonizing over it? You can refuse. No one will say anything, so just speak freely.”

Of course, Rex knew, both rationally and instinctively, that he shouldn’t miss this opportunity.

“If it’s not too much trouble… I’d like to try.”

“Good. Then let’s just open the chest and set out again.”

Harald revealed his white teeth in a grin and walked forward.

The treasure chest.

The main source of income for adventurers.

It awaited the party on the far side of the room.