Middle-Level Dungeon Entrance
When we arrived at the entrance, Ranya and Greta were already waiting for us. And just as I expected, the noble's horse-drawn carriage was there too.
But what left me speechless… was the state it was in.
The carriage was a complete wreck. Even though the front wheel had broken off about seventy meters back, they had still pushed it all the way to the dungeon's front gate.
You know what it's like inside a horse-drawn carriage that's been dragged seventy meters without its front wheels—especially on a forest road. It must've been a complete mess.
But there were no bloodstains inside… which could only mean one thing—they made it into the middle-level dungeon.
As I was piecing things together, Renya spoke up beside me.
"Prince… you're right," she said, eyes scanning the remnants of the fight. Even though the bodies had already been cleared away, the signs of battle were still readable to someone like her.
"But… is Margrave Roderic really that stupid?" Renya muttered, frowning in confusion.
"It doesn't look like it came directly from the Margrave," I replied with a lazy tone. "More like… someone else pulling the strings."
"A family conflict, huh," she said knowingly.
"Definitely," I nodded.
While Renya and I were still talking, Greta chimed in from nearby. "But it looks like the passengers made it out alive…" she said, pointing toward a pair of faint footprints leading toward the dungeon entrance.
While scanning the area around the dungeon entrance, I muttered, "Lucky, huh? Or maybe… bad luck?" My eyes followed a set of other footprints scattered near the doorway.
Greta, who had been observing quietly, replied, "Well… at least it looks like only ten people passed through here." She crouched to inspect some newer, faint prints. "They might still be okay… maybe," she added, sounding unsure.
"Looks like we'll have to check it out ourselves," Kruger said, eyes fixed on the dungeon door.
"Then, let's—" I stopped mid-sentence as something clicked in my memory. I turned to Greta and Gunther, tossing each of them a few small items. "Hang these at the marked spots on the map. Once you're done and back here, we'll enter the dungeon together."
"Roger," they replied in unison before heading off in different directions according to the plan.
After thirty minutes of waiting, both Gunther and Greta finally returned.
Without wasting any more time, we stepped into the dungeon.
As we descended to the first floor, we came across a fork in the path—two corridors stretched ahead in different directions. I didn't bother mapping the area; time was pressing.
"Can we just head straight to the lower levels?" I asked, glancing at Renya and Greta.
Greta nodded. "Sure—follow me," she said, already moving toward the path on the right.
After a few twists and turns through the stone passage, I saw movement ahead.
Monsters—two Giant Centipedes had spawned up ahead. The moment they spotted us, they charged forward at full speed.
Before anyone could say a word, I dashed straight toward the monsters.
As I closed the distance, the first Giant Centipede lunged, baring its fangs.
I dodged left, leaping aside just in time. In the same motion, I swung my sword upward—diagonally from my lower right to upper left.
Slash.
The creature split cleanly in two. One down.
While turning my body to the left with a slight bend, I held the blunt end of my sword in front, with the sharp side facing behind—like an inverted grip.
Sure enough, when my body was bent, the Giant Centipede lunged from the side, its fangs aiming above me.
When it failed to strike from above, I quickly rotated my body back to the left and with my right hand holding the sword from bottom to top, I slashed upwards.
Slash... its stomach was sliced open and split.
After both monsters died, they both disappeared, leaving only:
"Two Medium-level Magic Cores, Low Quality..." I muttered as I took them and placed them in my bag.
"It seems like your luck is very low, Prince," said Renya, who was walking casually.
Paul answered, "Yeah..." and sighed, continuing to walk forward.
As we walked, we passed several rooms, each with 12 Giant Rat monsters. But all they dropped were Low-Level Magic Cores, Medium Quality. I sighed.
After finding the stairs to the next floor, we immediately walked up to the 2nd floor. The only monsters here are Giant Toads and Bog Serpents.
For floors 3 and 4, the only monsters are Troglodytes.
On the 4th floor of the dungeon...
As I was walking in front, with my sharp intuition, I pointed my small shield forward and held my stance backwards. Just as I was adjusting my position, a spear was thrown from the front. Quickly, I hit the front side of the spear from below, and bang... the spear bounced up behind me.
The moment the spear bounced off, I immediately ran forward and defeated 2 Troglodytes with a horizontal side slash. After that, we found the stairs leading to the next floor and headed straight to the next floor.
On the 5th Floor of the Dungeon,
It looks like this is a safe floor. While we were looking for the next floor, Greta said, "Looks like there's a fierce fight going on there," pointing towards one path, at the path that would separate.
With Greta saying so, I immediately answered, "Come on quickly, it looks like those noble descendants are fighting. We have to help them defeat the bandits."
When I said that, Greta started teasing Paul. "Oh ho... Prince, are you interested in them? They seem to be women."
While running, I immediately dismissed her words by answering, "That's not it. If they fight the bandits, I'm afraid they won't hold back and will kill all the bandits. You know... the more the better."
With my answer, Greta immediately said, "Tsk... so it's about that..." while muttering, "You're so lucky, bandit."
When we got closer to the sound, we saw the situation. You could say, bad but still controllable.
Because the number of bandits currently there is quite large, 100 people with different Gifts, while the noble descendants numbered only 5 people (1 shield + sword, 1 small shield + sword, 1 archer, 1 staff, 1 healer). Their clothes could be described as very luxurious, but from their faces, it was clear that they were very tired of these bandits.
While preparing, I took three bottles of instant paralyzing poison and threw them toward the back—toward Greta, Gunther, and Renya. "Use this to paralyze them," I said.
The three of them immediately replied, 'Roger,' and I took the sharp knitting needles I had coated with paralytic poison — needles I had placed around the vest I was about to wear.
Once everything was ready, I rushed toward the fight, gripping the needles tightly in both hands.