Adventurers Who Worked Together

A brand-new Dungeon!

If he could take control of this Dungeon... as its lord, Korien Os knew better than anyone what that meant.

"Guards!"

"Viscount, what are your orders?"

"Have the Mark Knights lead an elite squad of knights to confirm the situation in the Dungeon."

"Your will be done, Viscount."

"Wait." Korien Os suddenly called out to the guard who had turned to leave, adding, "Tell Mark that if anything unexpected happens during this operation, he may decide for himself how to proceed."

"Yes."

From the watchtower, Korien Os watched the castle gates open as a group of elite knights charged out. Their horses' hooves rang crisply against the stone pavement as they hurried toward the Dungeon outside the city.

Meanwhile, outside the Dungeon.

Adventurers had already gathered here in small groups. They had arrived even earlier than the local lord's knights. As seasoned adventurers who had traveled far and wide, they had guessed the moment the tremors began that a new Dungeon had appeared.

This was especially true for adventuring parties with mages. They could not possibly miss the fluctuations caused by the disturbance of magical power when the Dungeon emerged.

A newly emerged, unexplored Dungeon contained countless treasures, new magical resources, and all kinds of rare artifacts. It was as unknown and tempting as the legendary hoard of a dragon.

At the entrance, the gathered adventurers paced back and forth, their faces full of hesitation. Margery Town was not a particularly large town, and most adventurers who made a living here were merely the lowest-ranked kind.

Among them, those who could become professionals were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Most had only mastered one or two professional skills and were merely somewhat stronger than ordinary commoners.

"Should we go in?"

"Get lost! If you're afraid of dying, why the hell are you an adventurer? Don't stand in the way of my fortune!"

"Chicken, go back and suckle at your mommy's breast!"

Those who blocked the entrance out of fear were roughly shoved aside. After contemptuously glancing at them, adventurers poured into the Dungeon one after another. Their desire for wealth and treasures had left them unable to restrain their greed any longer.

As the adventurers in the lead entered the Dungeon, the rest stopped waiting as well. Some novice adventurers even rushed straight inside, afraid that someone else would take the treasures if they arrived too late.

When Mark led the elite knight squad here, what he saw was a steady stream of adventurers entering the Dungeon like ants.

"Damn it! These lowborn wretches who aren't even worthy of having surnames dared to enter the Dungeon without the lord's permission!"

"Send one man to report the information here to Lord Korien. The rest of you, enter the Dungeon with me."

Given Mark's temperament, these lowborn wretches who had dared enter the Dungeon without the lord's permission should all have been put to death. But when he considered the Adventurers' Guild behind them, he could only force down his anger.

The most important thing now was to explore the Dungeon. If they were too slow, who knew what valuable items those adventurers who had entered ahead of them might snatch away?

However, Mark was not too worried. Compared with those adventurers, every elite knight under his command was a Knight Apprentice who had mastered at least two skills. Mark himself was already a Formal Professional—a true knight.

"Move out!"

Clad in magnificent silver-white armor and carrying a greatsword on his back, Mark waved his hand. The nine knights behind him followed at once. The adventurers blocking the way instinctively stepped aside, watching the knights pass by.

First Layer of the Dungeon.

The first several dozen adventurers to enter were observing their surroundings. The low, oppressive cavern was covered in mushrooms, whose faint glow illuminated the cave.

"A very common cavern environment. The height is around three meters, the air is damp, and no monsters have been discovered yet."

"Also, because of all these glowing mushrooms, visibility is fairly good."

After scouting the nearby area, an assassin completely shrouded in a black robe shared his observations with the adventurers present.

"Not bad. It's actually the most common type of Dungeon environment."

"Don't let your guard down. Who knows what monsters might be lurking in the dark?"

Every adventurer who had arrived the instant the Dungeon emerged and entered in the first wave was experienced and possessed at least one exceptional skill. Most of them were only a single step away from becoming true professionals.

There were even two Formal Professionals among them.

"What do we do next? Cooperate or split up?"

A man with neat short hair, a towering build like an iron tower, and a massive tower shield in hand spoke in a deep, muffled voice. He looked toward the assassin who had spoken first. The two of them were the only Formal Professionals among the adventurers present.

"Cooperate. Splitting up would be too inefficient." The assassin hidden beneath the black robe looked toward the Dungeon entrance behind them and said quietly, "The local lord must have noticed the disturbance here as well."

"The lord's knight squad is definitely already on the way. If we want to obtain enough treasures and wealth, cooperation is our best choice."

"Until we find the entrance to the next layer, we'll cooperate for now."

"Fine."

Tucker nodded and agreed immediately, then strode to the front of the group. His huge, sturdy frame made people worry that he might accidentally hit his head on the ceiling, while his broad back gave them a strong sense of security.

There were nearly a dozen adventurers present. As some of the strongest adventurers in Margery Town, they all knew one another to some extent, so their cooperation proceeded fairly smoothly.

Soon, the adventurers left the first entrance area and casually chose a passage to enter.

"They're actually cooperating to explore the Dungeon?"

Ever since the Dungeon emerged, Lucifer had been watching the First Layer. From the second these adventurers stepped into the Dungeon, his gaze had remained fixed on them.

"They all seem to be fairly capable and experienced adventurers. Perfect for testing my little darlings' strength."

Although these adventurers appeared experienced and capable, Lucifer was not worried in the slightest. Instead, he was filled with anticipation.

"Go, my little darlings!"

In the dim cavern, the adventurers advanced carefully. Along the way, the only mage in the party collected samples of the various mushrooms they encountered and the spores hanging in the air, leaving a marker every dozen meters or so.

They had been walking along this passage for nearly five minutes. Aside from a few simple traps, they had only found traces left behind by monsters.