In the middle of the night, Rodrick entered a bar that at first glance seemed ordinary and normal. Upon entering, the first thing he saw were four large flags of different colors, each of which featured a different logo, each belonging to the guilds of Firorn's capital. This bar was just one of the many sub-guilds affiliated with the capital's guilds. Adventurers who didn't belong to any guild or mercenaries gathered here to accept jobs and any kind of request.
Rodrick walked calmly toward the stairs on the left side of the bar and up to the third floor. He walked down a long hallway, passing several rooms until he reached the last one, where he could barely hear some very loud laughter. The first thing Rodrick saw when he entered into the room was Lornar and his group watching videos on Finn's Bracelet/coti, sitting on a single long couch. In front of them was a woman with battered brown hair who looked tired, drinking from a glass with some kind of liquor.
"Sorry for the delay. Have you met the adventurers yet, Rebecca?" Rodrick asked, noticing the woman and sitting on another couch.
"Sigh... yes, I've met everyone" Rebecca replied, taking a sip of her drink. "Most of them are going to die" she affirmed.
"Are you so sure? Did you... see it?" Rodrick asked seriously, and Rebecca simply shook her head.
Rodrick had come to Rebecca because of her renown among the Masters as a prophet. She had been blessed by the Sisters of Fate with the ability to see the future at specific moments. In addition to her great acuity and perception, Rebecca practically didn't need her blessing to know what awaited an adventurer just by looking at it.
"No. I don't need a vision into the future to know that many of them won't survive" Rebecca assured, placing the glass on the small table in front of them. "Let's start with Team Bluegate: Reynolds, Annie, and Lucy. The three of them wandered around Everland for three hours until they found the cleanest and fanciest inn here. They paid two weeks' rent, saying things like, 'We'll clean it in a week, we'll be the only ones to accomplish this feat,' and so on. Then they went to their room where they ordered the highest quality food and then started fucking."
"Well, they are young after all…" Duraz said, scratching his head.
"They have a lot of airs of greatness" assured Rebeca "the boy Reynolds believes that the world is in his hands and that soon he will have a large following of admirers who follow him, probably because he rose to class C in less than a year, he has some talent, but too bad he is an imbecile. The girl, Annie, a beauty, is young, has long black hair, very well cared for, as well as her armor and nails; she cares more about her appearance than her abilities, probably because she also reached class C very quickly, although not as much as Reynolds since she follows him like a lapdog, I estimate that she did it in less than 2 years. At the end there is Lucy, also very beautiful and talented like the other two, her well-groomed brown hair like her armor indicates that she is very similar to Annie although she is not as talented as her, the calluses on her hand indicate that she trains more to keep up with them and not leave her out, she probably has some kind of emotional need especially towards the boy, she was the most Energetic in the room. That group is the most arrogant of all the ones I've seen, but at the same time the most talented."
"Do you think they'll survive, then?" Lornar asked, putting the bracer aside.
"Nah… They're going to die. Reynolds will die first, at the 3rd or 4th level at the most. He's very confident and proud, and that will count against him with the lizards. Once he dies, the others will probably die too, at that same level. I'm sure Annie will, but Lucy… she can survive, but not without suffering serious injuries and ending her adventuring career. If I'm not mistaken, it's very likely we'll see her working at Richy's in two weeks or less" Rebecca mocked, making a gesture as if she were sucking on something, causing Rodrick to grimace.
"What about Blacklion? They seem more experienced and sensible" Rodrick asked.
"Yes, they're much more careful due to their advanced age, but that same thing will count against them. They have almost no conditioning, and being a group of only mages won't help them much in the labyrinths and with the Minotaur" Rebecca shrugged. "Beign honest, I don't have much to say about them. Aside from their obvious lack of fitness and a shield, they're a very well-rounded team, probably the most well-rounded I've seen so far. They have their feet firmly on the ground and a very clear mind."
"But they'll still die" Klamli said, and Rebecca nodded.
"Next up is the Slayer guild group... oh boy" Rebecca said, a smile forming on her lips. "Let's start with Ava, the leader. She's strong, intelligent, and coordinates her team very well. She's very talented with the bow and hunting. She's a C-class adventurer in all her splendor... but, like her team, she's also very proud, almost as much as Reynolds, and from what I see, they've already had problems with that. Then there's Ana. She's the youngest in her group. She's very talented with the bow and very proficient with fire magic, according to the burns on her hands. However, she's very weak physically. She relies solely on the bow and fire, which will give her a very hard time against the lizards as well. Finally, there's our champion, Gellen. She's physically the strongest in her group, as well as the most talented of them all, and that arm of hers will make her job much easier. In fact, it's because of that arm that I highly doubt this team will die, but even so, Gellen is very... stupid. There's a good chance they'll survive, but only if Gellen plays her role well..."
"Do you think they can clear the dungeon?" Rodrick asked, and Rebecca laughed.
"HA, not at all. They'll make it pretty far—I estimate level 15—before they give up due to injuries" Rebecca stated as she poured herself more liquor. Seeing her reflection in the liquor, Rebecca sighed, taking a sip. "Actually, now I know how they'll get hurt," she said, surprising the dwarves and Rodrick.
"A vision? Right now?" Rodrick asked, surprised.
"Yes… They will give up at level 15, where they will suffer absolute defeat. Gellen will lose her arm in the Crystal Room, and then her leg will be impaled, preventing her from moving. Ana's back will be broken and her left leg torn off. And Ava will lose her right eye, along with her right arm and shoulder. They will barely be able to leave the dungeon" Rebecca stated.
"Sigh… it seems like none of the adventurers will even be able to reach the final level" Lornar said sadly.
"Maybe the explorers will… but they won't be able to defeat the boss anyway. They'll basically just clear a path for Rodrick to defeat the dungeon boss" Rebecca stated.
"Did you see it in your vision?!" Lornar asked again.
"No, but I don't need to have a vision. Of all the groups, they're the least talented but most effective. They're direct, calculating, and resourceful. That will allow them to fight their way to the boss with great effort. But even so, they lack raw power. They'll lose to the boss. Most likely, they'll survive but be crippled or something" Rebecca assured, causing the dwarves to grieve.
"Sigh... I thought so. So I have no choice but to take care of the boss myself at the end of the month..." Rodrick said.
"Oh, and why not do it now? Why let the adventurers die?" Rebeca asked curiously.
"You know why" Rodrick replied, straightening up in his nod. "I have to find the infiltrator by any means necessary before he leaves. I don't have time to enter the dungeon" Rodrick replied.
"Ahh… the famous guest from the Dawnia kingdom whom we didn't invite to our kingdom…" Rebeca said, knowing full well who she was referring to.
"Tell me, Rebeca, have you discovered anything?" Rodrick asked, and Rebecca shook her head.
"Not in the least. Since the rumor spread that a guy from Dawnia was here, nothing has been heard from him" Rebecca assured, shrugging her shoulders. "He probably died trying to clear the dungeon" Rebecca joked.
"This is serious, Rebecca! The bastard almost started a war between the Snowvein Kingdom and the Wayport Kingdom" Rodrick exclaimed seriously.
"Okay, okay, calm down. It's not like you're going to catch him getting mad at me" Rebecca said, downplaying the situation. "Even more, why don't you tell me why you decided to clear the dungeon now? It's been here for 60 years, and you've never put so much effort into cleaning it."
"Sigh… it's more of a strategy between the Masters and me. We believe that if we can give the adventurers a better understanding of the dwarven race, they might be able to put more pressure on the queen to sign the treaty" Rodrick confessed.
"So is that… and it's working?" Rebecca asked, and Rodrick shook his head.
"Apart from the explorers, no adventurers have ever interacted with Lornar and his group unless it was to fight enemies" Rodrick said, frustrated.
"That's progress!" Lornar said, laughing.
"Yes, it certainly is" Rebecca said rolling back her eyes.
—
Tap... Tap... Tap...
Finn and Darwin walked down the stairs slowly. They were in no hurry, as it was only 5 in the morning. They had both gotten up early, as they usually did since their training with Crystal, and they had decided not to waste any time and go down immediately.
When they reached the top of the stairs, they saw what appeared to be some kind of coliseum. It was very old and worn. The stone seats were almost completely destroyed and covered in mold. The floor was cracked, and grass or some other type of weed could be seen growing out of the ground.
"Is this the first level?" Darwin asked, looking at the empty coliseum. "No one's here…"
"Maybe there's some kind of secret door that leads to the real first level" Finn speculated, examining the enormous coliseum.
"Yes, there are other doors, but those lead to the other zones of the first level. This is one of the zones, the only one that can be accessed from the outside, in fact" a voice answered next to them.
"Oh, I see, but then where are the monsters, Darwin?" Finn asked, thinking it was Darwin who had answered him.
"How would I know? You're the one who just said this was one of the zones. I thought you'd already know…" Darwin replied, turning to look at Finn, who also looked at him, confused.
"Oh, no, guys, I think there's been a misunderstanding. It was me who answered you…" said the voice behind Finn and Darwin.
They both turned around, confused, as they were sure no one had come down the stairs with them. In front of Finn and Darwin stood a skeleton wearing an old and torn adventurer's outfit.
"Good morning!" the skeleton greeted cheerfully.
"A fucking skeleton!?" Darwin shouted, raising his hand and manifesting his light magic directly in the skeleton's face as he stepped back.
"AHHH MY BONES!!!" the skeleton shouted, taking a few steps back and holding his head, from which a strange white vapor was coming out. "What the hell is wrong with you? I just said good morning!"
Seeing the skeleton's reaction, both Finn and Darwin were confused, as he didn't attack them and even seemed very friendly and cordial.
"Well, you were going to attack us..." Darwin replied.
"What!? When did I threaten you or something?!" The skeleton asked, finally recovering. "Damn, that thing hurts like hell… I haven't felt pain in a long time… I haven't felt anything in a long time…"
"Don't get sentimental because we're in the middle of something here!" Finn told him, drawing his sword just like Darwin and pointing it at the skeleton.
"Okay, okay, I'm over it" the skeleton said, raising his hands in surrender. "See? I'm not armed, I'm not going to attack you."
Finn and Darwin stared at each other for a few seconds before nodding and lowering their swords.
"Aha, I fooled you!!" the skeleton shouted, making Finn and Darwin tense up before bursting out laughing again. "Haha, no… it's not true, it's just a joke we usually play around here with the new guys."
"Fuck, don't do that!" Darwin said angrily.
"Okay, relax, we're not going to attack you" the skeleton said, still laughing.
"Wait, we? We, who?" Finn asked, noticing that the skeleton was speaking in the plural.
"The others undead, of course!" said the skeleton.
Finn and Darwin looked around, seeing the coliseum empty except for the three of them, and then they looked at the skeleton in front of them.
"I know, I know, it seems like no one's here, but you're really early. Who the hell goes on a quest at 5 in the morning?" the skeleton asked, pointing to a wall clock he conveniently had. "Are you trying to kill the monsters while they're asleep?... Hey, that's a really good idea. I'm going to sell it as information to the other adventurers who pass by."
"Wait, aren't you the first-level monsters?" Darwin asked.
"Uh… yeah, I guess" the skeleton replied.
"So you don't have to attack us?" Finn asked this time.
"Nah, we don't do that here. The first level is more like a walk in the park. The second level down is where the aggressive monsters are. We even help kill the monsters that come up here. We're peaceful…" the skeleton stated. "...Except for the 15th of every month, on that day we lose control of our bodies until the next day. Everland civilians say we become aggressive…"
"Is there something special about that day or something?" Finn asked, and the skeleton shrugged.
"No, not at all. The truth is, this started happening a few months ago, and we don't know why. Although we think it's Johnny's fault, it's started happening ever since that goat-fucking bastard arrived!" the skeleton asserted angrily.
"I heard you!" a voice was heard in the distance, causing Finn and Darwin to turn around to look.
"Well, that certainly is strange…" Finn said.
"Wait, do you guys have names?" Darwin asked.
"Of course we have names. We were alive once. Oh, of course. Where are my manners? I'm Alezy, nice to meet you!" Alezy said, extending her bony hand to Darwin.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Darwin, and this is my friend Finn" Darwin greeted, and Finn nodded.
"Adventurers, aren't you? You've come to try to clear the dungeon" Alezy said, and Darwin nodded.
"Yes, we're here on Rodrick's orders" Darwin replied.
"Your employer, I imagine?" Alezy asked.
"Something like that. He's a Class A adventurer, but he has other, more important matters to attend to, so it's up to us to clear it up" Finn replied. "Other adventurers are coming too, but I imagine they don't have any plans to go down yet."
"Normally, at this hour, you're the only morons who decide it's a good time to go on a quest," Alezy replied.
"If you're like this in death, I can't imagine what you were like in life. You must have been killed while you were sleeping" Finn surmised.
"Anyway, are you planning to stay and meet the others, or are you going to head down to the second level right away?" Alezy asked.
"Shall we go down now? What about the other zones on this level? The monsters aren't hostile either?" Finn asked.
"No, they're also undead like us. In fact, the other three zones are nothing more than a small town, a lake where we usually cool off, and a tourist park" Alezy stated.
"A city, a park, a lake, and a coliseum… this feels more like a vacation spot than a dungeon" Darwin confessed, and Alezy nodded.
"Yes, that was the idea, once we die, the undead live here with the people alive, but that hasn't been possible for more than 60 years because of the dungeon," revealed Alezy.
"Wait, you're saying you've been here for over 60 years?" Darwin asked.
"Of course, this wasn't always a Class C dungeon. Before, it was a Class D dungeon with just 5 levels. The dungeon was initially created by the Lady of Mictlan, Queen of the Dead and the Underworld" Alezy revealed. "I know there's a story behind the creation of this dungeon, but I don't know what it is. You'd have to stay and ask Lady Xochitl. She's been here since the creation of this dungeon."
"Lady of Mictlan? Are you referring to the Aztec goddess of the dead?" Darwin asked, astonished.
"That's the same one, Miss Mictecacihuatl… don't bother saying it, the name is like a tongue twister. Here we call her Lady Micte" Alezy said.
Finn scratched his chin. He was curious about the creation of this dungeon and wanted to know more about the history here.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay a while. We got up pretty early anyway" Finn said.
"Perfect. In that case, we should head toward the city zone. That's where Lady Xochitl lives!" Alezy said happily, signaling for them to accompany him.