After finally finding that strange, pulsating seed using my [Scavenger’s Instinct]— I decided it was best to keep moving and walk around the vast throne room to see if I could find any more useful things. I didn’t have a specific map or plan, so I just walked aimlessly through the silent room, my boots echoing against the cold stone floor.
But after a while of searching through the shadows—
"Hmm...?"
I found what looked like a hidden, secret area tucked away at the far corner of the massive room.
When I got near the stone bricks, I felt my skill act up again, buzzing in the back of my mind with a familiar intensity. I reached out and started tapping on the surface, and upon touching one specific panel of the stone wall... I could feel that it was hollow from the inside.
I wasted no ti at all. I quickly covered my right hand with thick, black scales, and using it as a makeshift gauntlet— BOOM!
I slamd my fist into the wall with all the strength I could muster and destroyed it in one go.
The wall crumbled easily from the force of the impact. It didn’t take much effort on my part because the structure was already old and cracked from centuries of neglect anyway.
And once the dust cleared and the wall was gone—
"Oh my..."
I was greeted by the sight of a small room overflowing with piles of shiny, gold coins. And not only that, it seed like there were several artifacts and pieces of equipnt scattered throughout the hoard as well!
My eyes widened in surprise. [Scavenger’s Instinct] flared up like a wildfire as I looked at the shimring items. Then, with a wide smile on my face— TAP.
I stepped forward into the hidden chamber and began looking through the massive pile of treasures in front of .
*****
I spent the next hour searching the secret area specifically for magical artifacts. I mostly ignored the heaps of gold coins for now, mainly because I couldn’t carry that many of them on my person and I figured I could always sell my own scales whenever I needed money anyway.
From the piles of loot, I managed to find a new set of clothes. They were a bit too formal and looked like a very old-fashioned style, consisting of red slacks and a tuxedo jacket. It was an incredibly eye-catching outfit, probably sothing a noble would wear to a ball centuries ago. But it was definitely better than walking around naked, so I imdiately wore them and put the few pieces of remaining armor I had left on top of the fabric.
I also found a new sword to replace my lted one. This one had a gold handle with a lot of expensive gems engraved into it as decoration. It didn’t look particularly sturdy or balanced for real combat, and it seed more like the kind of weapon used for fancy ceremonies or bestowing knighthood.
I took it anyway, knowing I needed sothing with an edge.
Then, after digging a bit deeper— an item caught my eye.
It wasn’t because of its flashy design, but because [Scavenger’s Instinct] was practically screaming at to pick it up.
It was a simple leather pouch, much smaller than the ones I usually used to store my gold coins. I tilted my head in confusion as I picked it up; there was absolutely nothing inside of it, and it felt as light as fuck.
’Why the hell is my skill acting up so much over an empty bag?’
I thought, feeling genuinely confused. But after experinting by putting a few coins inside of it— my questions were quickly answered.
It looked like the pouch I had found was enchanted with spatial magic. After all; I was able to shove a massive amount of gold coins inside of it and the bag didn’t even get full! Not only that, no matter how much I put in, it didn’t even get any heavier!
"This will be very useful for ."
I thought with a satisfied smile on my face. Then, I started stuffing the magical pouch with as many gold coins as I could possibly fit.
... ... ...
I didn’t find any more magical artifacts after the pouch. All that was left in the room were so expensive-looking jewelry and various accessories that looked like they belonged to a queen. I took them as well, of course, stuffing them into my new bag.
After I was finished looting, I went back to the stairs where Onyx was waiting for .
-Arf! Arf! Arf!
He started barking happily as he saw approaching him. His high-pitched voice was echoing loudly through the empty, silent throne room.
"Hup! Good boy!"
I picked him up and started petting his head affectionately when I finally reached him. Then— TAP.
I walked back over to the secret area I had just uncovered.
I had successfully completed the dungeon, killing the master of it and taking his power. I already achieved more than what I hoped for.
With the master now dead; that ant the traps would all be deactivated by now and the monsters would stop respawning.
And later...
’Pursuers from the city will get to eventually.’
I had initially thought about going straight back up to the surface after I was done here, but I just know a massive force will be waiting for at the entrance.
So, I figured that I should stay deep down here in the dark and prepare myself for the ti being. At most— I estimated that I still have a day or two before they actually manage to get to where I am.
The mazes on the upper floors are a total bitch to navigate, after all, and it took a while to find my way here even though I have [Echolocation]. But now that the dungeon is "dead", the walls will stop regenerating. The pursuers could probably just destroy the walls to make a straight path, but that will still take them a significant amount of ti and effort.
And unlike , my pursuers are human; they need a lot of rest and food. So if I am guessing their progress correctly... they are all probably still struggling around the sixth floor.
FWISH—
I sat down on the cold stone floor of the hidden room and put Onyx on my lap. I reached into my supplies and gave him so beef jerky, which he imdiately started chewing on happily. I smiled and nodded my head as I watched him eat.
And with that— I closed my eyes.
"..."
I shut my mouth and focused inward.
FWOOSH~
Then I started ditating while using [Mana Circulation].
I will get as strong as I can until the pursuers get to .
*****
In the City of Zore—
Elianna and the City Lord had just received word that the dungeon was officially closed. This ant only one thing— soone had successfully defeated the dungeon master at the bottom.
Both of them were completely surprised by the news. They didn’t expect this to happen so soon, and because of the sudden turn of events, their side of the operation was currently in a total ss.
"..."
But as for Elianna, she imdiately knew exactly who was responsible for this impossible feat.
’Verc...’
She muttered his na silently in her head.
Nine days ago, soone had caused a great deal of trouble at a local inn and fled into the dungeon to escape. The City Lord had then asked for her and her group’s help to deal with the matter.
She and the others imdiately realized that the suspect was Verc, and they were able to confirm it the next day after searching for him and not finding him anywhere.
Anyway...
Elianna didn’t really have a choice in the matter, as it was part of her responsibility as a saintess to deal with such threats, and so— they had accepted the mission.
The next day, along with Kael and the others, they had grouped up with the elite knights under the City Lord and several local barons to form a pursuit team ant to catch Verc inside the dungeon.
They had 20 highly skilled mbers in their group, and without wasting any ti; they had all descended into the dungeon to follow after him.
But now, after just a whole nine days had passed— the dungeon was suddenly closed.
It was absolutely absurd.
Assuming that Verc was all alone in there, it should have taken him over a month to clear a dungeon of this caliber by himself— that is, if he didn’t die miserably on his way to the dungeon master’s room first.
It was basically a physical impossibility. Elianna had seen his strength firsthand before during their journey with him. He was strong, yes, but certainly not to that world-breaking point.
Unless...
"He was hiding his true strength from us the whole ti."
Elianna muttered to herself, a deep frown appearing on her face.
She had just arrived at the entrance of the Dungeon along with the City Lord. And looking at the darkened mouth of the entrance—
Her old suspicion of Verc being a vampire ca rushing back stronger than ever.
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