Mauri

"I'm sorry. It's true that you've been here in this dungeon for a long time, starving. Forgive me," the man said, lowering his head in shame.

Kiyen brought a hand to his temple, trying to contain himself. It was absurd to start a conflict over something like this; he had to stay in control. From everything the man was saying, it was clear he was a noble.

That meant he not only had a System but was also probably extremely powerful. He couldn't afford to get on his bad side.

"I feel like I'm starting off on the wrong foot with you." The man scratched the back of his neck. "If I can't make a good impression like this, I'll never achieve my dream of becoming a hero."

"A hero?"

"Yes, a hero. It's just that my family... Ah, right. Ah... I'm really bad at this. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Noah Pendragon!" He puffed out his chest, his smile brimming with pride. "And I know what you're thinking. Yes, my last name is Pendragon. We belong to the famous and noble Pendragon lineage. You know, the heroic warriors who saved many from the Abyss invasions a hundred years ago. But now... well, like all great families, we've fallen into a bit of decline... Sorry, I'm rambling again. I should let you introduce yourself too."

"Mauri," Kiyen lied.

Mauri was the name of a childhood friend who had died at the age of eight. It was one of the few names he still remembered from those children who had perished at the simple complexity of life itself.

Noah continued looking at him expectantly.

"What?" Kiyen asked.

"Mauri what? What's your last name?"

Shit, nobles have last names, Kiyen thought. In the underworld, last names are the same for everyone. They call us Servanos, which is why we never use them. The only exceptions are those with a patent. But both options are just as bad, since even someone with a patent is nothing compared to a noble with a System. What do I say? I have no idea what last name to give myself.

"It's just... it's private, Lord Pendragon," Kiyen murmured.

"Just call me Noah, you don't have to be so formal with me," he said, though a small smile escaped him, puffed up with pride at having been addressed that way.

What a simpleton, Kiyen thought.

"It's good to be cautious with strangers, Mauri, but I need to know your last name so I can find your parents..."

Kiyen bit his lip and looked away, lost in thought.

"Alright, I think I get it..." the guy suddenly said.

Kiyen looked up and, by instinct, gripped his daggers tighter.

"I just have to earn your trust!" Noah suddenly exclaimed, clenching a fist and raising it into the air. "That will be my first mission! I'll earn your trust, and then I'll have the right to know more about you. Does that sound fair?"

Kiyen nodded at that convenient stupidity, knowing full well that he would never trust this guy.

"Hehe, alright, Mauri. Let's keep moving. If the boss is roaming freely, that means we'll be able to get out of here soon. You have nothing to fear with me around."

Kiyen tried to force a smile, but it was so stiff and fake that, luckily, Noah believed it anyway.

The journey felt endless, not because of the hallways that kept appearing before him, but because Noah wouldn't stop talking.

Of everything he said, Kiyen retained less than half as important information. Among the key points was what Noah had told him:

According to him, nobles no longer did dungeons or missions; it was unnecessary, so it had become more of a pastime. Also, once you reached level 60, that was the limit. It was said that the king himself would reward you, and you would become part of the royal family. But reaching that level was now impossible since all high-level dungeons had been closed. Only small dungeons remained, where leveling up was a monotonous and endless process. Most people ended up going just for fun, without any real expectation of becoming stronger.

"But that's not what I want..." Noah murmured, his eyes filled with hope. "I really want to become stronger! I want the glorious era to return, where heroes saved the weak and protected the defenseless!"

"Tsk." Kiyen clicked his tongue. He couldn't help it. Heroes who save the needy? Where are they in the face of the suffering in the underworld? Where are they when those without a System need help?

And now I wonder, Kiyen thought, does this guy even know that there are people suffering without a System?

But he didn't get the chance to ask. The walls began to tremble. Kiyen scanned his surroundings, watching as the space expanded into a vast chamber.

At its center stood a majestic ice fountain. The water didn't cascade down but floated in the air before descending into a pure ice base, where it took the form of tiny frozen tadpoles that soon began to leap out.

"We're close, Mauri! Come on, let's earn some experience!" Noah exclaimed excitedly.

Kiyen watched him advance. Noah wielded his sword skillfully while using his shield to deflect the creatures' attacks with precision.

When the creatures died, instead of filling the room with shards of ice, their bodies dissolved into colorful dust that slowly rose into the air.

But Kiyen didn't have time to analyze it too much. One of those tadpole-like creatures leaped toward him. Instinctively, he stepped back and swung his daggers, dodging the attack. When his blades made contact, they sparked with a red glow, and in an instant, the creature exploded, turning into the same shimmering dust.

[Experience reco...]

[Incomplete]

[Error]

[Wait]

[Loading...]

[Saved...]

[Saved...]

[Loading...]

[...]

[Completing load.]

[1/10000]

That strange sound echoed in his ears again, but he ignored it and kept moving his weapon, fending off the endless flow of creatures emerging from the fountain. They weren't strong, but there were too many of them, and they didn't seem to stop. Was there something more to this than just killing them?

Besides, that mysterious counter kept appearing every time he defeated one.

[4/10000]

"I'll go for the fountain, Mauri!" Noah shouted. "Or they'll never stop coming!"

Suddenly, his shield expanded, and with a powerful strike, he slammed it against the ground. The impact reverberated through the entire chamber, and the creatures vanished into dust.

Then, without letting go of his shield, he charged forward like a battering ram, crashing into the fountain and shattering it into pieces of ice.

Kiyen couldn't deny that, despite being an idiot, this guy was incredibly powerful.

"Alright! Mission complete, Mauri!" Noah cheered. "Now we should be able to get out of here..." His voice trailed off into a whisper.

Kiyen's skin prickled.

An intense cold began spreading through the room, and for some reason, a memory of the Abyss creature flashed through his mind.

It was the same feeling it had given him back then.