Chapter 31

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Episode 31 (31/227)

Episode 31: Quest Log (8)

“Ugh…”

Lisa, who had her head smashed into the floor, groggily got up.

Suddenly, the room’s floor collapsed all at once, causing her to fall deep below underground. It seemed like she had landed somewhere.

Should I be grateful that I’m not dead…

She chuckled to herself as she fumbled around in the pitch-black darkness where she couldn’t see a thing.

Then Ail, who had also been lying there, got up and noticed her.

“Miss Lisa?”

“Mr. Ail! You’re alright too, thank goodness.”

“Yeah, but we can’t see anything ahead…”

Lisa hastily rummaged through her inventory.

Whoosh!

The makeshift torch coated with oil burst into flames.

The fire illuminated the surroundings, revealing the vast cave that had been hidden in the darkness.

“What is this place…”

They realized the source of the foul stench that had been creeping up on them as a system message appeared.

[Scenario Quest Activated!]

[Escape the dungeon within the time limit.]

[Remaining Time ‘0:29:58′]

Clack clack clack!

The sound of bones clattering came from all around.

Skeletons – undead corpses reduced to bones – filled the surrounding space.

“So this was a Scenario Dungeon after all…”

Ail muttered while drawing his sword.

A Scenario Dungeon wasn’t just about hunting monsters. It involved progressing through a separate storyline within the dungeon that needed to be resolved.

Though the rewards were greater compared to regular dungeons, they tended to be quite challenging.

Now it made sense why Garhar, the low-level boss, had such vicious traits like physical resistance and why the difficulty level was so high.

Lisa quickly checked the information on the surrounding monsters.

“Incomplete Skeletons…? Their levels aren’t that high.”

“There are quite a number of them, but let’s clear them out as we go.”

Whoosh!

Activating Sacred Flame, Ail’s longsword erupted with white flames.

The bright light illuminated the area even more, and as he swung his sword, intense flames swept away the monsters.

True to their nature as undead, these creatures took fatal damage from the holy flames. And since their skeletal structures were fragile, they seemed particularly vulnerable to impact attacks.

Although their numbers were overwhelming, the two were able to quickly reduce them.

Compared to dealing with Garhar, this was nothing.

Crunch!

Smashing the last skeleton’s skull with her staff, Lisa sighed briefly before looking around.

The large chamber inside the dim cave appeared to have been cleared, but one side revealed what looked like a passage.

Judging by the clattering sounds coming from beyond, it seemed numerous bone monsters were waiting.

“They seem to react to light.”

Ail nodded in agreement with Lisa’s observation.

Based on their behavior during battle and the fact they only started moving when the torch was lit, it seemed these undead had poor night vision despite being creatures of darkness.

“We don’t have time to leisurely hunt.”

An escape quest had popped up instructing them to get out. If they didn’t make it in time, some unforeseen event could occur.

Since this dungeon had never been cleared before, their top priority should be escaping safely.

While the number of monsters and experience points exceeded those of normal dungeons, they only had 30 minutes.

It was time to put aside any unnecessary greed.

Ssssh!

Both extinguished their torch and Sacred Flame, blending into the darkness.

Of course, while avoiding drawing attention from the skeletons’ gaze, they themselves couldn’t see anything either. But they had one trick up their sleeve – the special potion prepared at the entrance.

After drinking the potion, the dark interior of the cave became clearly visible, allowing them to move without much hindrance.

“Alright, let’s begin.”

* * *

Crunch!

In the darkness, the party toyed with and crushed the blind skeletons.

Though the monsters would sometimes rush over when reacting to nearby sounds, dealing with them while tangled up in the dark was relatively easy.

Occasionally, an overwhelming number of enemies would appear, but they managed to evade by hiding appropriately.

Thus, they thoroughly searched the complex cave system for an exit, finally spotting faint light beyond some rocks.

Pfft!

[Quest Completed!]

[Successfully escaped within the time limit.]

[Remaining Time ‘0:04:11’]

As soon as they exited the cave, a system message appeared along with a substantial amount of gold and experience.

Despite getting out as fast as possible, less than five minutes remained.

Had they lingered any longer, the unexpected mid-boss capable of seeing perfectly in the dark would’ve made things dangerous.

With their faces covered in soot, Ail and Lisa exchanged wry smiles upon seeing each other, then quickly suppressed their laughter upon realizing their own appearances must be similar.

“So we really ended up outside the mountain range.”

Looking up, Ail saw the steep slope they had struggled up to enter the dungeon now fully spread out before him.

Crash!

The cave entrance they had exited from completely collapsed.

As expected, re-entry was impossible, and if they hadn’t made it out in time, they would’ve been buried alive.

“Well, now that we’re back in the field, there shouldn’t be anything else.”

At least the exploration of this dungeon was finished, and they had obtained sufficient rewards.

All that remained was returning to Sebera to hear about this quest.

* * *

Creak!

The door opened to reveal a passage leading downward.

Arriving at Quinnze Blonde, Ail and Lisa visited the Bloody Hands hideout beneath the bridge. Thanks to the organization member who recognized their faces, they entered without any issues.

Since they already knew the rough layout and location of Sebera’s room from their previous visit, they easily found their way without needing guidance.

However, upon reaching her room, Sebera was nowhere to be found.

A man, face planted among piles of documents on the desk, slowly regained consciousness upon sensing their presence.

“Oh! My apologies. Both of you seem unfamiliar. What brings you here?”

“We’re here regarding a commission and seeking the branch manager.”

“Ah, I see. I was informed you would come. You must be Mr. Ail and… Miss Lisa, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Lisa nodded in confirmation.

After fumbling around for a bit, he pulled out the simple document created when they accepted the commission.

“I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I am Lu Pen, practically Sebera’s servant.”

“Hahaha…”

Lu Pen’s self-deprecating remark earned an awkward laugh from Lisa.

Of course, Ail was well aware of who he was dealing with.

Lu Pen of the Bloody Hands, Quinnze Blonde branch – though he spoke humbly, he was a notable named NPC.

As Sebera’s right-hand assistant, managing various tasks, further explanation was unnecessary.

That said, rumors suggested Sebera relied on him enough to burden him with all sorts of work, which was evident from the prominent dark circles under his eyes.

“Unfortunately, Sebera is currently absent.”

“Where has she gone?”

“To Blanche Plateau. There’s business at the underground ruins there, so she won’t be returning anytime soon.”

“Hmm…”

Ail murmured thoughtfully at his response.

He wanted to hear about the deviation in this quest’s conditions and confirm if there was a follow-up quest, but it seemed it would be delayed.

Unlike other games, Warode’s NPCs, equipped with advanced artificial intelligence, don’t stay confined in one place.

They eat, sleep, continue their livelihoods, and even travel between cities just like users.

However, the problem was that the ruins Sebera went to were completely unfamiliar.

While Blanche Plateau wasn’t far from here, he’d never heard of these ruins.

If it was a monster-filled hunting ground or a region with any utility, there was no way he wouldn’t know about it. So why would someone of Sebera’s status, a branch manager, go there?

Glancing at Lisa to see if she knew anything, he found her staring expectantly at him instead, thinking he might have the answer.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Ail turned away.

“Hmph… Let’s just wait here then.”

“Shall we?”

Considering they weren’t in immediate need to claim their quest rewards, it was better to wait for Sebera while maintaining their position in the city rather than wasting energy traveling somewhere unknown.

But Lu Pen shook his hands vigorously, showing disapproval.

“It’s not possible!”

“Not possible?”

“You see… Before leaving, Sebera specifically requested that you two personally seek her out.”

“Why? Will it take too long?”

“No, that’s not it… Just go and you’ll understand!”

And with that, Lu Pen forcefully pushed their backs.

“Hey, wait! At least give us proper directions…”

* * *

Clunk!

Half-forced out, they found themselves outside.

Having passed through the bridge where the hideout entrance was located and reached the street, they examined the item thrust into their hands by Bloody Hands.

On Ail’s palm rested a small stone glowing with blue patterns.

“This is a coordinate-recorded memory stone.”

Lisa explained, pointing at it.

Light emanating from the stone faintly indicated a direction.

It was showing the location of the recorded destination.

‘This isn’t just a wild goose chase… It’s another chained quest.’

Ail looked down at the memory stone with interest.

There was no need to provide such an item just for claiming rewards, nor any reason to insist they go first.

Given its connection to previously undiscovered terrain, it made more sense to consider it part of a linked quest concept.

“Let’s go see where the real rewards are.”

* * *