The Second Level of the Maze

The giant python was fiercely restrained by the power of lightning, finally finding release before it could be turned into "electric-roasted meat."

What a truly exhilarating battle.

Shane panted heavily as he jumped down from the giant python's back.

Clatter.

The longsword in his hand rested against the ground, the metal blade striking the gravel with a crisp sound.

He couldn't help but raise his hands, examining them over and over, unable to grasp the reality that he had actually killed a monster.

"This person... is strong."

An inexplicable sense of vigilance welled up from the depths of Frieren's heart.

When facing powerful warriors, "fragile" mages always develop an instinctive wariness.

It had been a long time since she felt this way.

"Are you alright?"

Frieren stepped forward and came to a halt beside Shane.

She carefully observed Shane's expression, and seeing him staring blankly at his own hands with his head bowed, she sighed silently to herself.

Every novice adventurer, after slaying their first monster, would fall into a state of "post-battle mental critique," questioning the legitimacy of their actions and feeling a "pity of the strong for the weak" toward their target.

This was a common occurrence.

One could only be thankful that Shane's first kill was a magical beast, rather than a true member of the Demon Race.

But this was still a psychological hurdle that needed to be overcome.

"You don't need to..."

Before Frieren could finish her sentence, she saw Shane turn toward her, his eyes shining with excitement.

"To slay a dragon on my first monster hunt—this might actually make it into the adventurer history books! Ah, why is it starting to dissipate? Are there any dragon horns or scales I could keep as a souvenir... If I tell the Adventurer Guild I killed a dragon, will they believe me..."

It seems she had worried for nothing.

On the ground.

The giant python's corpse had begun to disintegrate, turning into magical particles and fading away, though the rate of disintegration was noticeably slow. It seemed it really might be a hybrid with impure demonic blood.

Shane shook his longsword, still feeling a bit unsatisfied.

He was now filled with confidence and fighting spirit; forget a hybrid, he felt he could easily take down a purebred magical beast if another one appeared.

"Alright, we can focus now, wait... what is that?"

While fighting the python earlier, he had triggered the effect of the [Electro-Execution] affix, which had been all sparks and lightning—incredibly cool.

However, this natural mine cave had already shown signs of collapse, meaning its internal structure wasn't stable. After being ravaged by the Five-Fold Lightning Whip, almost all the side paths had collapsed and been blocked.

Beyond that, in a place where there hadn't been a path before, a new opening about half a person's height had appeared, its edges unnaturally smooth.

The opening extended downward, and one could vaguely see a passage.

Unlike the naturally formed side paths nearby, the inner walls of this opening seemed to be lined with some kind of smooth white stone, and the floor consisted of level, uniform steps.

A faint but distinct current of dry, dust-laden air blew slowly from the opening.

"No way..."

Shane frowned, the joy from his first successful monster hunt instantly washed away.

Frieren stepped past him, carefully examined the opening, and said slowly, "This is the entrance to the second floor of the dungeon."

"The second floor?"

"Large dungeons are generally divided into many levels, and each level has a gatekeeper. Usually, the entrance to the next level only appears after the guardian is defeated."

Shane was shocked.

Wasn't this [Ghost Bunker] supposed to be a low-level, small-scale dungeon?

And it was said to have been cleared 70 years ago. Could it be... that previous adventurers never found the correct path at all?

Looking at that eerie opening, Shane swallowed hard.

This scavenging trip was turning out to be quite the thrill.

The two did not hesitate for long.

Since the original side paths had all collapsed, this was the only way forward.

Swish, swish, swish.

As the two stepped inside, the pitch-black cave instantly lit up. Crystal balls were embedded in the stone walls on both sides, each about the size of Shane's fist.

The soft white light dispelled the darkness, and at the same time, it allowed Shane to see something unusual.

[Synthetic Mana Crystal]

Status: Intact

Entry: [Induction Light Source (???)]: It will not remain lit at all times, but it always shines when you need it.

Evaluation: A byproduct of Experiment No. 1024, harmless.

Looking at the entry on the crystal ball, Shane frowned.

The grade was actually a question mark; this was the first time he had encountered such a situation. Was it a very high-tier entry?

He wanted it.

He attempted to focus his mental energy to perform "Entry Extraction."

"Ngh..."

A sharp, needle-like pain suddenly pierced his temples, forcing a muffled groan from his throat.

Frieren, walking ahead, turned back in confusion. "What's wrong?"

Shane hurriedly waved his hand, suppressing the physical discomfort, and pretended nothing had happened as he continued down the stairs.

It couldn't be extracted? Is it because my mental energy is too low? Or is the entry grade too unique?

Doubt welled up in his heart.

Before he could ponder it further, a massive space appearing ahead diverted his attention.

At the end of the stairs was a vast palace.

The walls of the palace hall were covered in stone murals, towering spiral stone pillars stood tall, and the pitch-black dome seemed to have no end.

It gave off an indescribable sense of oppression.

Further ahead, in the center of the hall floor, there was a circular pool where water could be vaguely seen.

"Hm?"

Frieren, in front of him, let out a puzzled sound, then gripped her staff and flew up without warning.

Has the interference from the Magic-Sealing Stone been lifted?

Shane, trailing behind, had just formed this thought when he saw Frieren, who had just taken flight, lose her balance and fall straight back down from the air.

He instinctively stepped forward and reached out to catch her.

Thud.

The elven girl landed steadily in Shane's arms. She tilted her head back, looking upward with a sense of helplessness.

Shane estimated that Frieren had flown about four or five meters high, meaning there was no Magic-Sealing Stone near the floor of the second level. However, the space higher up, closer to the first level of the dungeon, still contained the interference of the Magic-Sealing Stone.

"It seems we still cannot use magic at will."

The two of them cautiously observed their surroundings and slowly approached the circular pool.

Just as they had seen before, there was indeed water in the pool, and it looked quite deep.

Shane was conflicted. The drinking water he had brought was long gone, and his waterskin was empty; logically, this was the perfect place to replenish it.

Furthermore, his waterskin was enchanted with the [Water Purification (Green/Excellent)] entry, so he didn't need to worry about the safety of the water.

However...

Accustomed to plain water, he felt an inexplicable wariness toward this unknown source of water in the wild.

Just then, Frieren reached out to stir the surface of the water, then frowned.

"Shane, step back."

Before the words had even faded, the staff in Frieren's hand was already aimed at the water's surface.

A beam of magic, comparable to a laser cannon, shot out, piercing through the pool and instantly illuminating the previously obscured bottom.

What lay beneath the water made Shane involuntarily take a step back.