A new dungeon, what a rare coincidence!
It was super rare for a new dungeon to appear, which was the only reason the land hadn't been overrun by them, being indestructible and all. Well, Riva had an inkling that dungeons weren't actually as imperishable as they were made out to be.
If she concentrated, Riva could indeed feel the dungeon's presence based on its mana signature. It appeared overall weak and it tasted a little flowery and slightly intoxicating.
Chances were that this could help Riva gain more strength and understanding. First off, a dungeon had already proven an excellent energy source, and weak dungeons weren't very common, it might also have a consciousness just like the scorpion dungeon from before. It wouldn't hurt to take a look.
But first, she wanted to learn the new 'Telepathy' skill. If it didn't work, she simply wasted some energy but if it did, she would have found a solution to one of the system's biggest and most annoying downsides and it could make her unlife that much safer.
Riva nodded at the farmer, adventurer pair, excused herself, and found a remote spot where she made herself comfortable. Those two paid her little further attention because they had started a heated debate and they weren't the only ones arguing. It appeared that most people weren't exactly happy about the roadblock and were making their frustration heard. Those that could left to circle around the restricted area but the people that had carriages were dependent on the road and had no other choice but to stay and wait.
Riva closed her eyes and concentrated on learning the 'Telepathy' skill, it took her a few hours but she ultimately succeeded and added it to her repertoire.
With this the time had arrived, she could finally test her newest system improvement.
[Affirmative] a familiar message appeared in immediate response.
[
Name: Rodney the Farmer
Race: Human
Strength: Weaker than User
State of Mind: Pleased and Happy
]
Pleased? Happy? Riva mustered the red-faced man that was arguing with an adventurer. She couldn't be sure if he had been going throughout the whole time that she took to learn the skill but he was sure the guy had a weird taste. He didn't look like he had the intention of stopping any time soon either and the target of his tirade, the adventurer, could only be pitied for his bad fortune.
In any case, her experiment was a resounding success!
The fact, that she couldn't silently communicate with the system had been bothering her excessively, not only did it make skill-based sneak attacks obsolete, she would come across as mad at best when she talked with the system in other's presence.
Since the last update hadn't fixed the issue Riva just took it upon herself to find a workaround. And, yes! Finally, she could fully utilize the system even when there was someone watching!
Activating the 'Telepathy' skill itself still took her vocal command and a bit of mana, but that wasn't an issue. Nobody said she ever had to cancel the skill. She could just keep it activated forever. Normally these types of skills would be stopped once the user slept, not an issue for someone who wouldn't even need to sleep in the first place.
Riva checked her energy reserves, they had already increased back to over 100 points thanks to the constant energy/mana conversion, it would've been even more if she actively focused on it, just that she felt 'living' was more important. An existence solely as an energy creation machine couldn't be considered as 'living'. She could focus on mana acquisition when she needed to pretend to sleep and needed something to pass the boring time.
Anyway, it was time for action! Riva hid and spent 30 points of energy and purchased a familiar item from the system shop and transformed her looks with which she had become much more proficient ever since the system updated. Then she confidently strode over to the adventurers standing guard at the barrier that now encased the closed-off dungeon perimeter.
"Hey, buddies, heard you discovered a new dungeon and thought I'd come help seeing that I'm already in the area." Riva greeted with a deep voice.
The guards mustered her in confusion until they found the three-star pin on her chest.
"Uh, yeah. But we're already taking care of it." One of the guards answered, he didn't hide his displeasure in seeing another adventurer.
"You wouldn't mind if I take a look, now, would you?" Riva continued confidently.
"Why don't you take care of your own business, huh? The second guard snapped back.
"Now, now, we're all just doing our best for everyone's safety. I think the guild wouldn't be pleased to hear that you declined my help, would they?" Riva said playfully.
"And what gives you the idea, that you're of any help?" Maybe Riva went a little too far with her provocation because the second guard had drawn his sword when he said this.
Riva shrugged and continued a bit more seriously "Simple, I already know you're dealing with a low-grade dungeon and need to prepare for a poisonous environment."
The two guard's stared at her mouths and eyes wide with shock.
"How the hell do you know that? Were you spying on us?!" The first guard screamed.
Riva easily blocked the sword that came rushing towards her using Slashy.
"Hey man, don't get your panties in a twist! I'm just that good at examining dungeons. What's up with all the hostility? I'm here to help!" She really had underestimated how on edge and easily irritated these two were.
"There's no fucking way, you'd know about the dungeon's properties. Our mage took the entire afternoon just to get that information. And you're telling us you did the same, from outside the perimeter? Impossible!"
"What's all the commotion?" A third male adventurer had apparently noticed their dispute and judging from his tone and body language this one was the leader of the group.
"This guy wants to mess with our business." One of the guards directly accused Riva.
"Hey, I just came over to lend a helping hand. There was no need to get so flustered over it." She defended herself. "I never expected to be treated like a criminal. What's gotten you guys so nervous, don't tell me there were casualties?" She must have hit the mark because the group immediately paled when they heard her last sentence.
"Fine, let's talk." The group's leader sighed and gestured for Riva to follow him inside the barrier.
Riva and the lead adventurer made their way along the road and soon the gate came into sight within the distance. Its entrance was a simple wooden door frame surrounded by a few flowers and fresh grass which stood right next to the road. Its mundane appearance made it hard to guess the dungeon's properties.
"Let's cut to the chase, who are you and why are you getting involved?" The adventurer addressed Riva.
"Call me Oliver, I'm an adventurer registered with Marinon. I was merely passing through when I found out that you're dealing with a newly appeared dungeon and thought I'd lend a hand. I'm confident in my mana-sensing abilities which should come in handy."
Riva introduced herself as the adventurer she was impersonating. It was the one she encountered at the scorpion dungeon who had been supervising the entrance and checked her identification. Fiddling with the system shop's search function, she found that she had enough contact with him to add his belongings to it, which also included his identification badge. Furthermore, her contact with him made it possible for her to take his form. It was by no means perfect because she couldn't change what was beneath the clothes but it was accurate enough on the surface.
When she spotted the other adventurers waiting at the gate, Riva could only thank her awesome luck today. She had spotted someone she knew, someone who might have recognized her had she appeared as Riva. The person that made her take the trip in the first place - Victor Gremory, her former party member and target!