Chapter 11: Dungeon Strategy (2)

Bone powder scattered across the Dungeon floor like fine sand as the Skeleton, now decapitated, collapsed into fragments. “Huh?” “What…?” The party members, who were primed for combat, began to relax a bit. They stared blankly, first at Ketal, then at the pulverized remains of the Skelton’s skull. “Oh,” Ketal said, his expression one of satisfied curiosity as he studied the now-lifeless Skeleton. “Cassan, you were right. Once the head is destroyed, it stops moving.” “, I told you.” Cassan’s awkward laughter concealed his unease. Cassan had suggested targeting the neck, not obliterating the head into powder. Gulping hard, he glanced at the shattered Skeleton, unnerved. Skeletons were monsters made entirely of bone, a naturally hard substance. Even a skilled swordsman would struggle to sever bones without the aid of Aura. Moreover, Skeletons in Dungeons were further reinforced by mana, making their bones significantly tougher than normal. The standard strategy for dealing with Skeletons was methodical: aim for the joints in the neck, striking repeatedly until the vertebrae weakened. It was a process akin to chopping down a tree—time-consuming and exhausting. However, Ketal hadn’t just severed the neck, he had reduced the skull to dust with a single strike. Cassan thought. From the moment they had met, Ketal’s strength had been evident, but Cassan didn’t think he would be this powerful. This was beyond anything he had imagined. Crushing a Skeleton’s skull into powder with nothing but his palm was something no one would believe without seeing it firsthand. Cassan gulped hard, his gaze fixating on Ketal’s hand. He imagined what would happen to his own head if that destructive palm reached his head. He shuddered at the thought, and a similar tremor passed through Alexandros and Hayes. “Let’s keep moving,” Ketal said with a grin. Only he remained cheerful. “Yes, understood,” Cassan stammered, his tone noticeably more respectful. With Cassan leading once more, the party pressed forward. They hadn’t gone far when he raised a hand to signal a stop. “Another monster?” Ketal asked, his eyes lighting up. “N-no, it’s a trap.” Cassan corrected him, shaking his head. “I will disable it so we can pass safely.” “A trap!” Ketal exclaimed, his enthusiasm growing. “What kind of trap is it?” “I-if you look closely at the wall here,” Cassan stammered, pointing to a circular indentation in the stone. He was terrified of Ketal’s enthusiasm. “You will see how the trap works. This trap is activated by detecting weight on the floor. Judging by its design, spikes will likely shoot out. I will handle it.” Pulling out a thin rod, Cassan carefully inserted it into the hole, twisting and prodding until a faint click signaled success. “It’s disarmed. We can proceed now,” he said. “Is that how you deal with traps?” Ketal asked, intrigued. “Most traps in Dungeons are mechanical,” Cassan explained. “You can disable them by triggering them in a controlled way or by breaking their mechanisms with a blade.” “I see,” Ketal responded, beaming. Monsters, traps, teamwork—it was everything he had dreamed of in a Dungeon. Living this experience was a joy beyond words for him. “Let’s move on.” “Yes.” Cassan’s reply was less enthusiastic. A little further in, they came across another pile of scattered bones—another Skeleton. Ketal’s eyes lit up. He turned to his party members with an earnest expression. “I have a request.” “W-what is it?” Cassan asked nervously. “Would it be okay if I handled that Skeleton by myself? There are some things I’d like to test out.” “Well, I’m fine with it,” Cassan said hesitantly. Ketal turned to Alexandros and Hayes, who nodded vigorously. He smiled, moved by their support. “Thank you.” “Not at all! Please, do as you wish,” Cassan said quickly. No one dared object to a man capable of turning a Skeleton’s skull to powder. As Ketal approached, the bones began assembling into the familiar humanoid form of a skeleton. Cassan watched in silence, unable to predict what Ketal intended to do. Barbarians typically disliked coordinated teamwork. He wondered perhaps Ketal just wanted to fight solo, obliterating the Skeleton with a single blow like before. Ketal, however, gazed at the Skeleton with genuine interest. “Fascinating. What kind of structure allows this?” Despite lacking muscles, the Skeleton moved with surprising speed, brandishing its sword. Skeletons were a quintessential monster of the fantasy world, composed of nothing but bones. Ketal had read over hundreds of articles and documents about them. In the process, he imagined tens of thousands of scenarios involving Skeletons. Now, that monster was right before his eyes. Ketal didn’t need to imagine the scenarios anymore. The Skeleton swung its sword. Ketal moved his hand. He caught the blade with his fingers, stopping it mid-swing. With a twist of his hand, the sword snapped in two. “What will the Skeleton do now?” Ketal murmured to himself, amused. Unfazed, the Skeleton advanced and swung its shortened weapon. Ketal dodged effortlessly, laughing as he observed the behavior. “That monster is adjusting its attack range after its weapon was broken off. That shows some sort of intelligence. Or is it the Dungeon’s mana guiding it?” Ketal grabbed the Skeleton’s arm mid-swing. “What will happen if I do this?” The arm shattered, the fragments falling to the floor. The Skeleton dropped the broken sword but bent down to pick it up with its other hand. Ketal’s eyes sparkled with admiration. “You can switch hands! Then what if I destroy the other one?” The Skeleton’s other arm disintegrated, leaving it without a way to wield a weapon. Undeterred, it lunged with its jagged, broken limbs, sharp enough to tear flesh. “Incredible. It can adapt. Its intelligence is surprisingly high,” Ketal remarked, grinning as he continued his observations. He was utterly engrossed in studying this monster. He wondered how the Skeleton moved and how it could attack without a weapon. He was curious if it still moved even if all of its limbs were destroyed. The fantastical creature he had longed to encounter was right in front of him, and it was only natural for him to want to know everything about it. For Ketal, his actions were entirely justified. However, to the other party members, it was a horrifying spectacle. “Wow…” Hayes turned pale, stepping back instinctively. Alexandros gripped his sword tighter without realizing it, and Cassan gulped hard. To them, it seemed Ketal was toying with the Skeleton like a child with a doll, breaking its limbs and smiling all the while. Cassan thought, his fear solidifying. After an indeterminate amount of time, the Skeleton was reduced to a single moving skull, clattering noisily on the floor. “Even with just a head, it can still move. So the skull acts as a control hub. That’s fascinating,” Ketal mused as he raised his foot and crushed the skull into powder. “Excellent,” Ketal muttered, suppressing his laughter. He had learned so much about Skeletons in a single encounter. It was exhilarating. Ketal thought. Turning to the group, he said, “Apologies for the delay.” “No need to apologize! Please take as much time as you like!” Cassan shouted stiffly, his posture rigid. Ketal tilted his head, puzzled by the thief’s reaction, but he didn’t dwell on it. He was too content. “Let’s move on,” he said. “Yes!” Cassan replied, his voice echoing through the Dungeon, sounding far more disciplined than before. *** With the first floor cleared without issue, the party came upon a staircase leading downward—the entrance to the second floor.[1] “This must be the second floor,” Cassan said. Descending the stairs, they found themselves in a wide, open space. “Um… perhaps we should take a short break?” Cassan suggested carefully to Ketal. While Ketal didn’t appear physically tired, having handled most of the combat so far, the mental strain on the party was considerable. “That sounds like a good idea.” Ketal nodded in agreement. “Thank you!” Cassan bowed deeply, visibly relieved. The group sat down to rest, though they kept a noticeable distance from Ketal. The barbarian, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling, suddenly spoke. “Cassan, I have a question.” “Y-yes? What would you like to know?” Cassan replied, startled. “What exactly is a Dungeon?” Cassan’s eyes widened slightly. “You… don’t know?” “Embarrassingly, I’ve had little opportunity for learning,” Ketal admitted. A barbarian expressing a desire to learn would have drawn ridicule from his peers, who often dismissed intellectual pursuits as pointless. However, Cassan quickly shook his head and said, “No! Seeking knowledge is admirable! That said… I don’t know much about Dungeons either.” “I-I don’t know much myself,” Alexandros added hastily. Their eyes turned toward Hayes. “As a priestess, don’t you receive basic education on such topics?” Cassan asked her. “Well, yes, but…” she hesitated. “Oh, then would you mind answering a few questions?” Ketal also chimed in. “Of course… Kalosia teaches us never to refuse those who seek knowledge,” Hayes said with a strained smile, internally wincing. “What would you like to know?” “This Dungeon is quite close to the estate. Isn’t that a problem?” Ketal inquired. “Typically, monsters within a Dungeon do not venture outside. While there are exceptions, in such cases, we usually detect and address the issue early on,” she explained. “Hmm, but there’s something odd about this Dungeon. How is it still here?” Ketal asked, running his hand along the wall. The stone bore the marks of age. “If it’s been here for so long, surely someone would have dealt with it by now.” “Oh, this Dungeon likely appeared less than a week ago,” Hayes said. “Less than a week?” Ketal repeated, visibly surprised. Hayes nodded. “Dungeons form naturally. Sometimes they are caves, other times towers. They often appear near places with high human activity.” “Ah, so that explains this location,” Ketal mused, glancing around. The Dungeon was indeed situated close to the estate. “When a Dungeon appears, the estate assesses its threat level. Outsiders like us, mercenaries, or guards are then dispatched to handle it,” Hayes added. “I see,” Ketal said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Do Dungeons ever appear within the estate?” “No, they always form a certain distance away.” “Not even once?” Ketal pressed. “Not as far as I’ve been taught,” she replied. “Interesting,” Ketal said, a spark of curiosity lighting up his face. “If you conquer a Dungeon, there must be rewards, right?” “Yes, usually. Most Dungeons have a boss monster on the final floor. Defeating the boss yields various rewards. For a Dungeon of this level… the rewards should be quite good,” Hayes said, recalling her education. Although she had never cleared a Dungeon herself, she understood that encountering Skeletons suggested a mid-tier Dungeon—not something trivial. “Feels like a game,” Ketal murmured. “A game?” Hayes asked, tilting her head. “Never mind. I was just talking to myself. I have another question.” Searᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. “Go ahead.” “Who creates these Dungeons?” “Excuse me?” Hayes blinked in confusion. “Dungeons form naturally. No one creates them.” “That seems odd,” Ketal said. “For something supposedly natural, there are too many strange aspects. First, they always appear near densely populated areas, almost as if they’re meant to attract attention. It’s like they’re inviting people to come and claim the rewards within.” He gestured toward the walls and ceiling and continued to speak. “The way they lure people with treasures… it feels too deliberate to be entirely natural.” “Now that you mention it… that does sound strange,” Hayes admitted, tilting her head in thought. Like most people, she had always accepted the existence of Dungeons as a fact of life, akin to birds flying in the sky or fish swimming in water. She had never questioned their origin. She wasn’t alone in this. Even Alexandros seemed lost, his eyes darting back and forth as he struggled to follow the conversation. Seeing their reactions, Ketal smiled. “This is fascinating. Have we rested enough?” “Yes,” Hayes replied, snapping out of her thoughts. “Then let’s move on,” Ketal said cheerfully, rising to his feet. The others followed, albeit more hesitantly. They continued their exploration and soon came across something in the middle of their path—a treasure chest. 1. Just a quick note that in a Dungeon, the floor numbers increase the further we descend. ☜