Eternal Rest

"Monsters! They were drawn to the mana signature of the dungeon, and the city was constantly under attack. Initially, it wasn't much of a problem - in fact, it played into the King's hand. But then came the monster surge, devastating most of the city. You see, the mana signature of a dungeon this size had repercussions on the immediate surroundings. One of them being the increased frequency of wild dungeons appearing. Back then, they didn't have adventurers actively patrolling the kingdom and clearing wild dungeons. So when a dozen wild dungeons around the kingdom experienced a break... well, you can imagine the scale of that monster surge!"

"Soon after, the King had walls built around the dungeon. The formation was set up, and eventually, after the last monster surge, he raised high walls around the city."

Finishing a brief history of the dungeon of Hagos, Silva asked, "You probably haven't read about the growing dungeons, or dungeon cores for that matter?" Receiving a nod from Bones, he continued, "Right, the books you read in Westbrook wouldn't have covered that." sips

"Dungeon cores are the power source of the dungeons. They are all naturally made. We still don't know how, but you can find all sorts of theories. Some dungeon cores are naturally…let's say aggressive and are the reason we have wild dungeons. If you were to conquer the dungeon and find the core, you could claim it for yourself and the dungeon would collapse! Disappear! The core could be used for many different things like powering up large airships, manacars, or even enhancing personal strength. Think mana core, only far more efficient and with more functions available."

Bones opened his mouth, wanting to ask about airships and manacars, but decided to hold his questions for later.

"You could also do nothing, like the King did, build a city with a dungeon at its core and pick up the benefits for centuries to come."

"This dungeon has multiple floors, ranging from low-level monsters at the ground floor all the way up to third-tier gold rank monsters at the top."

“The thi-” Bones was about to ask something but couldn’t find the right timing as Silva continued…

“The thing is, ever since they built the tower, the dungeon slowly started to take on the tower theme. You'll see once you enter the dungeon."

"Now then, why don't you tell me what you've been up to? You made your way to level twenty-three pretty quickly!"

Bones grinned. "Very well, pour me another drink and I'll tell you."

"I see you’re fine with normal drinks now?" Silva noted. Bones nodded and explained that in his empowered state, he was now able to dissolve drinks and food he ingested.

Bringing them both drinks, Silva sat down and listened as Bones narrated his journey since they last met in the guild's library. Leaving out some parts, like the dungeon he discovered.

"...and then I met Solin, waiting for me outside the guild." Bones concluded his tale.

Silva's laughter filled the air, coarse and hearty. "Hah, that boy. Well, that’s all good and fine, but do be careful. You're not yet at the level of power where you don't have to worry about characters like him. Don’t go inviting trouble when there’s none! Speaking of trouble, you saw the wanted posters, right?" Bones nodded in affirmation. "Me and Tivaara are confined inside the tavern and The Underground."

"The Underground?" Bones asked, puzzled by the mention of this unfamiliar place.

"Right, you wouldn't know. The first thing you should know is that the layout of Westbrook was inspired by the capital Hagos, hence the tower of trials in the center of the town. The western district of Westbrook you had the time to explore was also inspired by Nightingale Row, the western part of Hagos."

Understanding slowly dawned on Bones as he realized where Silva was leading the conversation. "Meaning…"

"Yes, the western part of the city is essentially the western district of Westbrook, only larger and more refined. Instead of the three so-called bosses, it is led by one man and his subordinates. An ascendant Domino."

Bones' mind reeled at the revelation. "What? Why would an ascendant lead an underground…"

"I know, I know. Domino and Wezar were once comrades, and rumor has it that he owes a debt to Wezar. No one knows the nature of this debt. Domino serves as an assassin, sworn to protect the throne from the shadows."

"It's getting late, Bones. How about we pick up where we left off tomorrow?"

Bones nodded in agreement. He hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed.

"Oh, and Bones, may I offer you a piece of advice?"

"Of course," Bones replied, eager to hear what Silva had to say.

I know you're eager to level up, but I'd advise you to enhance your skills first. I can't imagine your skills keeping pace with your leveling speed. Focus on honing your skills, Bones; they will significantly impact what benefits the system offers you at level 25."

"I understand. I'll take your advice into consideration. Thank you."

Silva nodded and departed, bidding good night. Bones remained seated, contemplating Silva's words and his next course of action.

"I had considered prioritizing skill advancement before reaching level twenty-five. I need to pause leveling for now. At least until I've made progress with my skills."

Bones extended his senses throughout the casino, attempting to gauge the crowd of people around him. He could barely detect the presence of the "orc" stationed by the door, but there was no sign of Silva or Solin, assuming they were still present. They were adept at masking their aura. sigh Finishing his drink, he rose from his seat and made his way to the bar where the key to his room awaited. His room occupied the far end of the upper floor.

The room exceeded his needs, boasting more space than he truly required. Operating under the guise of a tavern room rental, it served as a front for an illicit gambling establishment, with only Silva's associates and himself as occupants.

Throughout the night, he immersed himself in meditation, a practice that had become routine. As dawn approached, he donned his white enchanted attire - shirt, pants, and boots - and after a moment's contemplation, decided to bring his mask along. Exiting his room, he descended the stairs to the ground floor. Already, patrons were gathered, savoring cups of coffee. It struck him as odd to witness people indulging in coffee within a tavern, but he refrained from passing judgment, as he too had ventured downstairs for the same purpose.

"Hey there," Solin greeted as Bones approached the counter to order coffee.

"Hello! Isn't it a bit early for ale?" Bones quipped, eyeing the bottle in Solin's hand.

"It's never too early! Plus, can it be early if I never stopped drinking since last night?" Solin retorted with a grin.

"A profound philosophy indeed," Bones replied, smirking at the assassin before him. He hadn't noticed Solin's approach.

"I didn't sense you coming," Bones remarked, then added, "Though I can faintly detect your presence now." Solin grinned and winked, remaining silent.

Hmph. "Fine, keep your secrets," Bones muttered to himself.

"What about me? Can you feel me?" a voice whispered behind Bones, sending chills down his spine. He gulped and nervously inquired, "Uh, Silva, is that you?"

Solin choked on his drink, tears welling up in his eyes. Suddenly, a hand spun Bones around, and he found himself face to face with a dark elf huntress, her eyebrow raised in amusement. "Do I look like Silva?" she asked.

"I can't say I've ever seen him wearing leather tights," Bones replied dryly.

Both the huntress and Solin paused, stunned. Solin was now shaking, ale dripping down his nose, while the huntress grinned.

"I'm Tivaara, but you can call me Tiv. I'm a fan of your work!"

"Pleasure to meet you, Tiv! How much of my 'work' have you seen?" Bones asked, curious.

"I've seen enough," she winked, leaving them both smiling.

"Uh oh!" Solin exclaimed beside him.

"What?" Bones inquired.

"You know how some females devour their males after they mate?" Solin remarked.

[...]

"Truly profound," Bones replied, observing Tiv disappear into the back room behind the bar.

"Silva isn't here?" he asked, turning to Solin.

"Not at this time of day. He spends most of his days below, if you catch my drift. He'll show up by evening," Solin replied, taking another swig from the bottle.

"Fair enough. I'll be exploring the city until then. See you later, Solin. Take it easy on the drinks," Bones said, finishing his cup of coffee and preparing to depart. A coat materialized around him, and he donned his mask. He preferred to avoid attracting unnecessary attention and the constant stares from onlookers.

"Later, man!" Solin waved goodbye as Bones exited the tavern.

The city teemed with activity, its cacophony drowning out any semblance of peace. Making his way back to The Guild, Bones checked the quest board and was taken aback by the abundance of wanted and bounty contracts. Beyond the city walls, where the influence of the guards waned, incidents of hijackings, robberies, and killings occurred daily. Many merchants and affluent individuals traveling longer distances sought escorts, and those unable to afford protection became easy prey.

Bones observed that most contracts required a bronze rank or higher, indicating elevated risks but also promising greater rewards. Among them were a handful of contracts for lower-level adventurers, involving the extermination of Ratmen infesting the sewers beneath the city. The contracts varied from escort missions and protection duties to subjugation tasks. Additionally, there were contracts he hadn't encountered before, such as monster hunting assignments. Unsure of the distinctions between them, Bones pondered his options.

Inside the main hall of the guild, Bones observed adventurers actively recruiting others to join their guilds, some even distributing brochures to passersby. Intrigued, Bones approached, and one man practically thrust a brochure into his hand.

Glancing at the front page of the brochure, Bones wandered around the main hall before venturing down a hallway that led to another chamber. At the entrance, a man greeted him, asking, "Hi, are you here to register for a class?"

Unsure of what the class entailed, Bones gestured toward the brochure in his hand for the man to see. "Would you like a brochure, sir?" the man offered.

Grateful for the opportunity to divert the conversation, Bones quickly replied affirmatively, receiving another brochure containing information about taking classes, rather than learning a new class, as he had initially assumed.

With brochures in hand, Bones exited the guild and made his way toward the distant tower. After a brief walk, he found himself standing before a large park nestled between the square and the tower. The park buzzed with activity, as people lounged about, enjoying themselves—a peculiar sight considering the looming presence of monsters within the tower. Did these people not fear the creatures? Perhaps their peaceful existence behind the city walls had rendered them oblivious to the dangers beyond.

Taking a seat on a bench with a clear view of the tower, Bones observed adventurers going back and forth, engaged in conversation. Although the entrance to the first floor wasn't visible from this side of the tower, he could see the platform that elevated groups of adventurers until it reached a lobby on the second floor. "Manavator, huh?" Bones mused to himself. Manavators were strategically stationed at intervals of a few hundred meters, each operated manually by an operator to determine which floor the platform would stop at.

The dungeon comprised a dozen floors, with a designated hub constructed at each level for adventurers to relax, trade, and even spend the night. The manavator system was implemented to provide dungeon delvers, or climbers, with easier access to the dungeon, sparing them the arduous task of ascending from the ground floor. Although the fee for utilizing the manavator was exorbitant, it was deemed worthwhile by adventurers seeking to ascend the tower. At higher levels, bronze, silver, and gold currency were rarely used for adventurer-related transactions; instead, prices were quoted in mana stones or, in some cases, mana crystals, including the fee for entering the dungeon.

The entry fee was strictly regulated, with a fixed price of a dozen or more mana stones per entry, depending on the selected floor and the extent of the party's planned ascent. Anything acquired within the dungeon was the property of the adventurers, except for the dungeon core, which remained unattainable without a third-tier gold rank party. Only members of the royal family and individuals deemed trustworthy and loyal to the king enjoyed unlimited access to the higher floors of the tower. Conquering the tower and obtaining the dungeon core would spell disaster for the kingdom.

Though tempted to enter and compare the dungeon with those he had previously explored, Bones decided it was not the opportune moment. He would heed Silva's advice and focus on improving his skills first. With one last glance at the tower, he rose from his seat and made his way back to the tavern. Upon returning, finding only the orc and the burly man present, he retired to his room and engaged in meditation.

Some time later, a knock at the door interrupted his contemplation. knock knock

Bones rose from his meditative state and approached the door, opening it to find Solin standing outside. "Hey, Silva's back, and he sent me for you," Solin informed him.

"Does he do that often?" Bones inquired.

"Not really. Besides, I just returned myself," Solin replied.

Solin guided Bones back to the casino, leading him through a backdoor that Bones hadn't noticed before and down a flight of stairs. "Come," Solin urged, hastening Bones along until they reached a door at the bottom of the stairs, leading to a small courtyard. There, Silva sat cross-legged on a stone bench, waiting.

"You're here! Let's see what you've got!" Silva exclaimed eagerly.