I stepped out of the glowing void of the entrance and back onto the solid ground of the city. I took a moment to look around, confirming that I was indeed back exactly where I had been before entering the dungeon. The air was different here—less stagnant than the recycled atmosphere of the corridors and filled with the familiar scents of woodsmoke and street life.
The sun was already dipping toward the horizon, casting long, amber shadows across the stone. It was late afternoon, and I realized I had been inside for at least five hours. I had entered around noon, and while I hadn't pushed myself to stay until nightfall, the passage of time within the labyrinth was deceptive. My stomach gave a sharp, insistent growl, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I realized then that if I planned on entering earlier and staying later tomorrow, I would need a better logistical plan. I would either have to exit mid-day for a meal or, more realistically, pack a lunch to eat within the safety of a cleared boss room.
“Hey! It looks like you made it back in one piece.”
I turned toward the familiar voice and saw the guard I had met earlier. He was leaning against the rock in the same spot, looking as though he hadn't moved an inch while I was underground.
“Yes,” I replied, offering a tired smile. “Even if I didn’t stay inside for very long, I think it was a productive first delve.”
“That’s the right attitude,” the guard said, nodding approvingly. “You shouldn’t force yourself to stay down there if you aren't familiar with the layout. It’s far more troublesome to tire yourself out and then face a dangerous situation when you're too exhausted to react.”
“You're right. Thanks for the advice; it was helpful,” I said. In truth, I hadn't felt much threat on the first two floors, but his concern felt genuine.
“I’m glad to hear it. So, how was it?” He shifted his weight, his curiosity getting the better of him. “I know the standard slimes aren't a big deal, but the floor boss can be a real pain in the ass if you aren't prepared for that regeneration of its cores.”
“It wasn't a problem,” I answered casually. “The slime boss couldn’t heal its cores fast enough to stop me from destroying them all. Honestly, the centipede boss on the second floor was a bit more interesting, mostly because its shells required a bit of force to crack open.”
The guard’s jaw dropped. He stared at me with a look of pure, unadulterated shock, his previous casual demeanor vanishing in an instant.
“Wait... what? Did you just say you reached the second floor’s boss? Are you telling me you’re already cleared for the third floor?”
“Yes?” I tilted my head to the side, giving him a questioning look. I was genuinely confused by his reaction. The monsters had felt so incredibly weak that I didn't understand why he was acting like I had performed a miracle.
“Woah! That is actually incredible,” he breathed, shaking his head. “Not only did you manage to reach the third floor in a single afternoon, but this was your first time ever entering a dungeon. Do you have any idea how fast that is?”
“Is it really that great of an achievement?” I asked. “The third floor doesn't seem that high in the grand scheme of things. I assumed many people had cleared much deeper than that.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong! It’s not that the third floor is the peak,” he clarified, his excitement still bubbling over. “Plenty of people go deeper. Soldiers in the city guard are expected to have cleared at least the tenth floor as part of their training. And the deepest anyone has ever reached in this specific dungeon is the 53rd floor.”
“53?” I repeated, the number settling in my mind. I didn't yet know the scaling of the monsters, but fifty-three floors of a labyrinth suggested a massive undertaking. “The people who managed that must be incredibly powerful.”
“You have no idea,” the guard said, his eyes lighting up with hero worship. “Our city guard captain and his former party members are legends around here—they’re known as the 'Dungeon Kings.' When they cleared the 30th floor, the Lord of the city was so impressed that he offered them all knighthoods. Only the current captain, Sir Sarqis, accepted the title. With the high-quality equipment the Lord provided as part of his service, they managed to push all the way to the 53rd floor. The whole city went crazy for their achievement.”
“So the captain is that strong, then?” I asked. I remembered the man from the bounty office—Sir Sarqis. He had certainly looked capable. “Does he still go inside, or was 53 his limit?”
“That was over a year ago,” the guard said, his tone softening into a more somber note. “Even after he became a knight, the Lord’s primary assignment for him was to continue the delve. But when they returned from the 53rd floor, they came back one man short. They had lost a member of their party in the depths. After that, the captain decided he was done with raiding. He took over the city guards, and the party was disbanded.”
“So they met their limit,” I noted.
“Yes. But the captain always said it was partly because they relied too much on the equipment the Lord gave them. They were getting stronger at a steady pace as they explored, but once they got those high-tier items, they started flying through floors at lightning speed. Eventually, their own skills and levels couldn't keep up with the dangers the equipment allowed them to reach. They hit a wall they couldn't climb over.”
I nodded slowly, processing the lesson. Reliance on external gear was a trap. It reinforced my belief that the primary focus of my growth should be my own internal power—my job levels, my stat points, and the acquisition of higher-tier jobs. Quality equipment was essential, but it had to be a supplement to my own strength, not a substitute for it.
“It makes sense,” I concurred. “It’s not reassuring to be that dependent on gear. Still, I can't deny that I’m looking to upgrade my own sword soon.”
“Of course,” the guard laughed. “That’s how everyone does it. You raid the dungeon, make enough money to buy better steel, and use that steel to delve deeper. It’s the cycle of life for a raider.”
“You always give me good advice,” I said with a teasing grin. “But I told you—I’m not giving you any more silver coins today.”
“What a pity!” he joked, waving a hand dismissively. “Never mind. I was bored out of my mind anyway. Talking to you passed the time.”
“I should get going then,” I said, turning toward the street. “I’m starving. See you tomorrow.”
“Good luck, kid! Try not to clear the whole dungeon by Friday!”
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I walked back through the city toward the inn. My room was already paid for, and the thought of a warm meal and a bed was the only thing keeping me moving. When I arrived, I requested dinner immediately. It was the same plain fare as the night before—thick bread and a hearty, if unrefined, stew—but it was exactly what I needed. Once I had finished every last drop, I retreated to the second floor and locked the door to my room.
I sat in the lone wooden chair, finally allowing myself to relax. After a few minutes of quiet, I opened my Player Window to review the day's progress. To my delight, every one of my equipped jobs had leveled up twice during the afternoon's hunt. My Swordsman job had reached Level 12, pushing my total point pool to 102.
***
Stats: Job Bonuses: Total:
HP: 145
MP: 50
SP: 81
Strength: 7 X 1,292 9,044
Endurance: 7 X 1,152 8,064
Vitality: 7 X 1,035 7,245
Agility: 7 X 1,260 7,530
Dexterity: 7 X 1,310 9,170
Intelligence: 5 X 1,000 5,000
Wisdom: 5 X 1,000 5,000
Sense: 7 X 1,088 7,616
Charisma: 5 X 1,000 5,000
Regeneration: 5 X 1,000 5,000
***
Whoah, I thought, staring at the numbers. The jump is incredible. I was certain that normal people, even those with high-level singular jobs, couldn't dream of reaching these kinds of stats. I was benefiting from the cumulative bonuses of five different roles at once. I wondered what would happen once I unlocked "Medium" or "Large" bonus jobs.
I also reviewed my newest acquisition: the Dungeon Raider job. The "Raider's Sack" skill was undoubtedly the highlight of the day, providing me with a secure, invisible inventory. The "Dungeon Walk" skill was also a game-changer, functioning like a localized form of teleportation between discovered floors. It reminded me of the "Warp" spell I had seen in the bonus shop. I resolved to test the limitations of that skill even further tomorrow.
Finally, I pulled out my physical gains: the coins. I had collected a total of 105 copper Obscura pieces from the slimes and centipedes. It wasn't exactly a windfall; when I factored in my daily costs for the inn and food (roughly 120 copper total), I was actually operating at a slight loss of 15 copper for the day. However, I wasn't worried. I had spent most of my time exploring and testing mechanics; once I settled into a rhythm on the deeper floors, the income would easily surpass the expenses.
I gathered the copper coins onto the table to count them one last time before storing them. As I brought the pile together, a strange phenomenon occurred. The coins began to vibrate against the wood, producing a low, metallic hum. They seemed to be pulling toward each other like magnets. Then, in a brief flash of white light, the 105 copper coins vanished. In their place sat a single, gleaming silver Obscura coin.
It was incredibly convenient, though I immediately noticed a discrepancy. 100 copper should equal one silver. By merging them this way, I had effectively lost 5 copper coins.
Knock! Knock!
A series of loud, heavy thumps on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. It was far rougher than a standard greeting. I stood up quickly and pulled the door open.
“What is it?” I asked, my voice edged with concern.
It was Stephen, the innkeeper. He stood there with a steaming bucket of water in his hands and a towel over his shoulder.
“I brought your water and towel, sir. Is everything alright? You didn’t open the door even after I knocked several times.”
“Oh. No, everything is fine,” I said, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I was just lost in thought about something. Thank you for the water.”
I took the bucket and placed it on the floor. As I did, I remembered the coins.
“Actually, Stephen, I have a question. Do you know anything about coins that merge on their own?”
He didn't even look surprised. “Are you talking about the Obscura coins from the dungeon?”
“Yes. I had a pile of copper, and they just... turned into a silver one. But I lost a few in the process.”
“Of course,” he said, as if explaining why rain is wet. “Everyone knows that. If you put enough Obscura together, they’ll merge into a higher denomination on their own. It’s common knowledge for anyone who spends time near a labyrinth.”
“But it cost me 105 copper to get one silver. Isn't that a loss?”
“You could say that,” Stephen shrugged. “Most people don't mind the convenience. If you want to avoid the loss, you have to use the copper directly in trade or bring them to a magician. They say Obscura coins contain raw mana. The higher the value—from copper to platinum—the more mana they hold. Merging them requires a 'mana tax' of about five percent. Magicians can use their own mana to offset that cost. Some of those bastards even brag about how little they pay to merge their gold.”
So, magic was involved even in the currency. It made sense that a dungeon-born coin would be inherently magical. I didn't have a magic-related job yet, but the mention of mana intrigued me. If I could use the "Warp" spell, perhaps it would unlock a magician-type job for me as well.
“I understand. You’re quite knowledgeable, Stephen,” I noted.
“Hahaha! You meet a lot of interesting people running an inn in this city, Mr. Han. You hear everything if you keep your ears open. You can ask a real magician for a better explanation if you ever meet one.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you.”
“Good night, sir.”
He left, and I finally had a moment of peace. I used the hot water and the towel to clean off the dust of the dungeon, the heat soothing my aching muscles. I was exhausted, but it was a good kind of fatigue—the kind that came from meaningful progress. I pulled on my sleeping clothes and crawled into bed. As I closed my eyes, I found myself looking forward to what the third floor would bring.
[Edited]
