The Dungeon Trial Begins

Chapter 31 – The Dungeon Trial Begin

A Long Journey and a Boring Ride

I was finally on my first adventure in this world.

The sky stretched endlessly above us, a brilliant blue unmarred by clouds. The rhythmic sound of hooves against the dirt road was oddly calming, but after the first hour, the novelty wore off.

Riding a horse was second nature to me—this body remembered it well. The real challenge? Staying entertained.

The party rode in their usual formation.

At the front, Leon led the group with his confident posture. On his left was Rael, his ever-loyal swordsman, and on his right, Sylphie, the elven girl with her sharp gaze constantly scanning the surroundings. Behind them were Iris and the other girl, who I still didn't know much about.

And me? I was at the very back, like some kind of afterthought.

This sucked.

I nudged my horse forward until I was riding beside Iris, swapping places with the girl next to her. She blinked but didn't protest.

"Why?" she asked, her tone neutral.

I shrugged. "Because I'm bored. You're the only one I actually know from the hero's party, so I figured the journey would be much more entertaining with you around."

She stared at me for a moment before simply saying, "Okay."

We rode in silence for a while. The sun was high, and the wind was gentle. Just as I was about to start feeling drowsy from the monotonous ride, Iris spoke.

"Your family adores you very much."

I smiled slightly. "Yeah. They really love me a lot. My mom, dad, even Alicia—my big sister. She didn't show it, but I know she was worried about me."

Iris sighed. "Lucky you."

I glanced at her. "You really think so?"

"Yes," she said, her voice quieter. "You have a family who loves you dearly."

I chuckled lightly. "You're right. But it's also unfortunate."

She raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"You know about my parents, right?" I asked. "My mother—the strongest mage in history. My father—the strongest swordsman alive. So tell me, what do people expect from a child born to those two?"

Iris answered without hesitation. "A prodigy. Not like anyone else. The strongest."

I nodded. "And after seeing me, do you still think I'm that prodigy?"

She hesitated. Then, after a moment of looking me over, she said, "You have a point."

I let out a breath. "I've done a lot of terrible things in my life. I can't even begin to describe how people feel about me. But I've realized something—if you really want to change, people are willing to forget your past."

She looked at me thoughtfully. "You're alright, Edric."

For a while, we rode in silence again. Then, unexpectedly, Iris spoke up.

"I don't know why, but talking to you is peaceful," she said. "It's strange. When I heard about your past actions, I expected someone completely different. But now, getting to know you… you really are different."

I smirked. "I just try to change myself."

Deciding to shift the topic, I asked, "Enough about me. Tell me about your progress in controlling your flames."

She brightened a little. "Thanks to you and your mother, I've gained a thousand times more control than before."

I nodded. "That's good."

Then, she hesitated before asking, "Why did you ask your mother to help me?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought it'd be good if you had full control over your magic. And… the first night I saw you practicing, you looked beautiful."

Iris turned slightly red. "T-Thanks for the compliment."

She fell silent, but something in her expression changed.

A memory resurfaced in her mind.

She was a child, practicing her magic in a quiet village. A voice had praised her back then, telling her she looked beautiful while controlling her flames.

Then—fire.

Her entire village burned. People screamed, running for their lives. Ashes covered the ground where homes once stood.

It was a painful memory.

She clenched her fists slightly and murmured, "It's been a long time since someone said that to me."

I tilted my head. "Did you say something?"

She quickly shook her head. "Nothing."

---

The Dungeon's Entrance

After hours of travel, we finally reached our destination.

A dungeon.

It was my first time seeing one.

The entrance was a massive crack in the ground, pulsating with raw mana. Dungeons were formed when mana concentrated in one place for a long period. Over time, monsters were born inside, growing stronger the longer the dungeon was left unconquered.

If left unchecked, the creatures would eventually spill out, bringing chaos to the world.

Leon turned to the group. "Alright, everyone. Get ready. We're going in."

This wasn't one of the major dungeon raids from the novel. It was just a practice run.

Leon had already told me—this was mainly to test me.

I sighed. So, basically, I'm the reason we're doing this.

I wasn't too worried, though. I knew how to wield a sword, and the mana emanating from the dungeon felt weak. This wouldn't be a dangerous place.

The entrance shimmered—a portal, much like in anime.

One by one, we stepped through.

---

The Dungeon's First Trial

Darkness.

The moment we entered, the light from outside vanished.

Iris flicked her fingers, summoning a small flame that hovered above her palm, casting a dim glow around us.

Ahead, a set of stone stairs led downward.

"Be careful," Leon warned.

Sylphie, the elven girl, activated her eye skill, scanning the area. "No immediate threats detected."

We moved forward cautiously. The stairs led to a vast underground chamber—

And suddenly—

A swarm of goblins emerged.

More than a hundred of them.

I sighed. I really didn't want to fight, but with that many enemies, I didn't have a choice.

Drawing my sword, I stepped forward.

With practiced ease, I cut through the goblins. Twenty fell before me within moments.

Then—

Rael walked to the front.

"Step back," he said.

The rest of us obeyed.

Rael took a deep breath, raising his sword—

And with a single slash, he cut down all the goblins.

His sword left behind a lingering dark energy, corrupt and unnatural.

I blinked. "Well. That was cool."

Before I could say more—

A massive spider crawled out of the shadows.

I immediately hid behind Iris.

"Iris, please kill it," I said, my voice filled with genuine fear. "I hate spiders."

She rolled her eyes. With a single spell, the spider was reduced to ashes.

But the dungeon still wasn't cleared.

The ground trembled.

The earth split apart—

A giant golem rose from the depths.

Leon turned to the group. "Stand down. My brother-in-law will take care of this."

I stared at him, then at the towering monster.

All I could say was—

"Fuck."