Dungeon

"You're stronger than before. Move forward and claim your %$##@."

Huff! Huff!

Astroth wakes from his deep sleep. He was panicked, the same dream haunted him again.

"Who is talking to me through these dreams?"

"What message does it want to convey?"

He still couldn't figure out the motive behind these dreams. Before, they used to appear blurry, but now they are more clearly visible. As he keeps getting stronger, his dreams become more intense and vivid.

His questions are increasing with his powers, but what did the dreams want him to claim?

As he broods over these thoughts, his attention turns to Eli. She was poking her finger into the magical barrier Astroth built for their safety overnight.

"What exactly are you trying achieve? Can you explain Princess? "

She was startled by the sudden voice, and turned around to find Astroth awake. She laughs clumsy while scratching her cheeks.

"Hehe.. you're awake early today."

"I was confirming the stability and defensive power of your barrier."

Astroth scoffs at Eli's reply.

"I'm an early riser as always, but you want to check the credibility of my barrier after using it freely for a night."

"That was a trial period, and I was awake the whole time," she pouts at him, with a peevish and huffy attitude.

Astroth chuckles at her tantrums and releases the barrier to leave that cave. He finds a nearby water source to bathe and refresh himself.

"Why do you search for water if you can use water magic?" Eli asks him with a sudden curiosity.

"...Maybe it's a habit of a previous life ."

Astroth laughs while giving her the answer.

"Ehh! Why do you always make fun of me?"

Eli's mood becomes huffier than before. Astroth somehow appeased her anger with his sweet talk. He even prepares breakfast by himself and makes preparations before leaving the cave.

----

After having a savory breakfast, they leave the cave to seek the dungeon.

Now Astroth is obsessed with flying and keeps floating the whole time. Eli was frustrated with his child-like behavior, but she couldn't say anything since he was still a child, if taking his present age into account.

No one informed them of the exact location of the dungeon; instead, the elders only provided vague directions. As a consequence, they had difficulty finding the dungeon on their own.

Astroth uses his [search] magic to sense the area around him. Eli applied her experience to read the flow of wind. She was even able to communicate with the forest for information.

Despite using all their tricks, they find no difference in the terrain of the forest. Astroth wondered how a dungeon could keep itself hidden.

He tries to remember the information about dungeons given by the elders. The Elders told him that dungeons attract monsters to keep themselves safe.

"...Have you checked the monster population around here?" he asks himself.

His sudden question reveals all the answers on its own, providing the clue they needed. He used his search to check the density of monsters and found a region where monsters were disappearing at an alarming rate. Additionally, Eli considers that area to be different from its usual self.

A dark, gloomy atmosphere forms when the dungeon appears. Most animals leave, and others are sucked into the dungeon. The air gets polluted by the miasma the dungeon releases.

Eli tells Astroth about Miasma, a negative energy that forms in dark, evil places. It pollutes the surroundings and can even corrupt a living organism. Astroth used [Astrith] to confirm that miasma is the cause of monsters' aggression inside the dungeon.

Upon arriving at the location where the dungeon is supposed to be, a gloomy, dark, and lonely atmosphere prevailed. Yet the dungeon was nowhere in sight.

They searched the whole area, but to no avail. For a moment, they doubted their skills and thought the dungeon might be somewhere else. However, Astroth senses disruptive mana flux from this area.

He searches again with his instinct; he finds an entrance to the dungeon, hidden in the bushes, covered under a clump of miasma. He was bewildered by the discovery of an underground dungeon.

Astroth's [danger sense] screamed at him to avoid entering this place. Nevertheless, he knew it was the most effective way to become stronger in a short period.

After a deep breath and they step into the lair. It was cold and murky in the room, giving them goosebumps. The miasma was thick enough to make breathing difficult. For the aseptic effect, they had to use purification magic.

The entrance led them into a dark alley. Suddenly, fire torches lit up on the wall, and they were able to observe the surroundings. There was no end to this narrow and long alley.

Astroth was feeling uncomfortable as if someone was forcefully disabling his senses. His dull perception made it impossible for him to see far into the alley.

"Use barrier magic, this alley is dangerous," Astroth suggests to Eli in a serious tone.

In the event of unexpected attacks, they set up barriers and slowly advance. A sudden wave of arrows advances in their direction, hitting their shield and alarming them. Astroth picks one of the arrows and examines it.

"Poison! The arrowheads are enveloped with a potent poison ."

Eli was shocked by his statement, Astroth continues -

"This alley is efficient for killing intruders. Long-range attacks and traps will keep appearing until we fall from their attacks or exhaustion."

"Preserve your mana and reduce useless movements."

Slowly, they begin moving with their guard up against the traps.

Tap Tap Tap

Only the sound of their footsteps can be heard in the alley, Nothing happened for a while.

Suddenly, Eli steps on a tile, pressing it downwards. A large piece of iron with sharp edges swings from their right towards Eli. Astroth pulls her with reflex action.

The trap keeps swinging and two more appear, one after another. The traps were easy enough to disarm, but Astroth becomes annoyed and destroys one of the traps.

After a few steps, the exit was in their sight. However, their instincts agitate them more than before. They kept their guard and sped up towards the exit.

Out of the blue, the alley starts shaking, resembling an earthquake. Eli grabbed Astroth tightly, even he was startled by this sudden shaking.

A loud sound suddenly came from both the exit and entrance. Astroth glanced and noticed that both the openings were closed with rubble.

Before he can react, a thick liquid begins to pour from the corners, and the flame in the torch becomes more intense.

Astroth bends over and dips his finger in the liquid with a lot of courage. At least the liquid was harmless to touch.

He releases a deep sigh and sniffs the liquid. His eyes were wide open and his jaw was about to drop.

"Fuck ! This is Kerosene ."

Astroth yells with all his strength; he turns around, and his eyes bulge out when he notices the liquid in contact with fire.

BOOOOOM!!!!!!