"Although the journey was rough, the result turned out well."
Leaning on a thick branch he'd picked up sowhere, Jed limped through the town in front of the academy.
They had been lucky not to get lost, but they had run into several moderately difficult battles. Relying on the power of the weapon relic, they had managed to win.
So why was he limping?
Because while dashing around as wind, he hadn't paid attention to the terrain—and when he reverted, he fell straight off a slope.
"Maybe I'm really not suited for this thing…"
Spa glanced at him. "Hurry up and check your belongings. I lost two potions in that last fight."
Hearing that, Jed quickly checked his items. After confirming the relic was intact, he visibly relaxed. When checking the rest, he beca less careful and finally said:
"All good. Didn't lose anything. Guess you're just unlucky."
All the items a rcenary would normally carry were still there, so he instinctively assud everything was fine.
Yes—by rcenary standards.
"So this is the town in front of the academy? Doesn't match the rumors."
Jed looked around. He had heard it was packed with adventurers' tents and littered with trash—dirty and chaotic. But what he saw was completely different.
There were tents, but they were neatly arranged in designated areas. Adventurers were everywhere, but there was no garbage—only full trash bins being actively cleared.
The town no longer had collapsed buildings. Under the Adventurers' Guild's managent, everything had been cleaned up and rebuilt. New structures stood tall—mostly housing, along with a few unique buildings. One, labeled "Bedford City Adventurers' Guild Branch," was still under rapid construction.
In a world with magic, infrastructure developed quickly—even construction workers used magic.
rchant caravans had stationed buyers here to purchase materials. Priests from the Holy Light Church offered healing services. Blacksmith Andre and rchant Kale were surrounded by crowds.
Adventurers flowed in and out—a scene full of life.
This was the vibrant energy unique to a dungeon in its early stages of developnt.
"Not bad at all…" Jed stroked his chin. "You think when the captain's dream cos true, we'll build our territory like this too?"
"Maybe." Spa rarely smiled. "But that bonfire gives a bad feeling. I'd rather not go near it."
"Excuse , are you newcors?"
A girl suddenly ran over, carrying a stack of pamphlets.
The two exchanged glances and nodded.
"Great! I'm an intern from the Skyrim Group. I'm responsible for handing out guides to newcors so everyone can quickly understand the current state of Liurnia of the Lake—and what areas need manpower."
She handed over a booklet with both hands. "Please take one! I'm usually near Mr. Andre, so feel free to ask if you have any questions!"
"And if I help you, please leave a good review! I really want to beco a full mber!"
She skipped away cheerfully.
"Full of energy," Jed muttered, finally snapping out of it.
He and Spa opened the booklet.
It contained illustrated introductions to the lake area.
[Academy Gate Town]:
A safe zone protected by bonfires. No monsters dare approach. You can rest safely here. Blacksmiths provide forging and upgrades. rchants sell various items, sotis rare or discounted. A large teleportation circle in the center allows you to leave the dungeon or travel underground.
[Raya Lucaria Academy]:
The core of Liurnia. A standard "Sein-style" area—harsh for newcors but familiar to experienced adventurers. Recomnded to challenge with a team of at least twenty.
Below were descriptions of each floor, including enemies and bosses—but all cut off at key monts, followed by:
[For more details, purchase Skyrim Strategy Issue XX]
"What a scam!" Jed complained.
"I think it's too difficult. Let's skip it," Spa said.
Jed nodded, and they continued reading.
[Underground]:
Accessible from the academy hall. Based on clues, it's where mages once conducted experints. Space-ti is unstable—various monsters and environnts may appear. Over ti, it has ford a maze-like structure.
[Defeat the boss at the deepest part to reach the next floor. Total number of floors unknown.]
[Altars exist in the maze. Defeated monsters may drop Humanity. Offering it grants random blessings from ancient beings—similar to the Catacombs. Effects only last for the current floor. Tokens from elite enemies can be exchanged for permanent blessings.]
[Known Floors:]
Floor 1 Boss: Banished Knight
Floor 2 Boss: Outrider Knight
Floor 3 Boss: Red Wolf of Radagon
Floor 4: Under exploration
"This is interesting."
They exchanged a glance and decided to explore the underground.
Using a nearby glintstone key rental service, they entered the academy and descended into the maze.
There were still plenty of adventurers. Over a dozen entered alongside them.
The scene before them was strangely magnificent.
Twisted rock walls connected floor and ceiling, forming a winding labyrinth. Adventurers disappeared quickly once inside.
Glowing mineral blocks illuminated the maze. If you listened closely, you could hear roars and screams echoing from deep within.
"One of the most impressive dungeons I've seen," Jed said.
"We didn't rest at the bonfire," Spa pointed out.
"Doesn't matter—we've got teleport crystals. If we die, we'll just leave," Jed shrugged.
Spa nodded. He didn't want to go near the bonfire anyway.
They stepped into the maze.
Soon, the repetitive scenery began to disorient them. After several turns, they were completely lost.
Five paths stretched out before them.
Five!?
They picked one at random.
At first, they occasionally encountered other adventurers—but soon, they were alone.
Their mindset was relaxed—they were just sightseeing.
Before long, they encountered monsters: creatures with oversized heads.
[Albinauric]
For Jed, they posed no real threat—only their appearance was unsettling.
"I don't even know how to react to these things…"
He stared at the Albinauric Headgear that had dropped.
The monsters weren't strong, and they hadn't found any altars—but they stumbled upon sothing unexpected:
A hot spring, and fruit growing from the walls.
It was a rest area, already occupied by other adventurers.
"Even a rest area? That's thoughtful," Jed said.
"Well, you can get lost in here for days. Without a place to rest, people would break down," soone nearby replied. "Much kinder than the old Sein Dungeon."
Jed struck up a conversation with the friendly man, and they quickly got along.
Eventually, the man invited them to challenge the floor boss—the Banished Knight.
"You know where it is?" Jed asked.
"Just a few steps ahead. You stumbled onto this place by luck? Not bad," the man said.
"Guess I'm just lucky," Jed grinned.
Spa wanted to object, but Jed signaled that he wouldn't use the relic recklessly.
They joined the group—over twenty people in total.
Soon, after passing a monster-filled corridor, they reached an open area.
A heavily armored knight stood with his back to them, twin swords in hand.
[Banished Knight]
Hearing them, he turned—his eyes glowing red.
"Pre—" the man hadn't even finished saying "prepare," when—
The knight spun like a charging beast and slamd into the crowd.
Blood and flesh exploded everywhere.
"Aren't you guys way too weak!?" Jed shouted.
The man looked bewildered. "Why is he stronger than before—his eyes weren't red—AH!"
He was cut down instantly.
Only a handful of adventurers remained.
The knight raised his sword—soldiers descended from above, aiming crossbows.
Then—
He locked onto Jed.
Jed was fighting nearby soldiers, holding his own.
But suddenly, he felt sothing brush against his arm—
He turned.
Nothing.
[A wild Gengar used Thief on Jed, stealing another item]
"The knight's coming!" Spa shouted.
"I'll test him first—no relic yet," Jed replied cautiously.
The knight appeared in front of him in an instant.
Twin blades ca crashing down—
Jed barely dodged, countering with a strike aid at a gap in the armor.
Minimal effect.
"Tough bastard…"
He dodged desperately.
Skill-wise, he could keep up—but he couldn't match the overwhelming offensive pressure.
There was no room for mistakes.
"Take this!"
He threw alchemical powder and ignited it—
Boom!
The explosion forced the knight back slightly.
When the smoke cleared, cracks had ford on the helt—but the red glow only intensified.
Jed sucked in a breath.
That powder could shatter dragon scales—yet it barely hurt him!?
His limbs were already going numb.
"What kind of monster is this…?"
"Be careful!" Spa shouted.
"No problem. Worst case, I die. I've got a teleport crystal."
Jed smiled confidently.
He patted his pouch—
Flat.
Empty.
"…Where's my teleport crystal?"
"You said you had one!" Spa snapped.
The knight charged.
Cold sweat stread down Jed's face.
"D-Don't worry—I still have the relic!"
He activated it—
Nothing happened.
"…No way…"
He touched his arm—
And froze.
"Hey! Move!" Spa shouted.
Jed slowly turned, his face pale as death.
"…It's gone."
User Comments
0 comments from readers