After dragging my tired body through the shining door I once again found myself in the mostly white room with a message prompt on the floating screen in the center of the room.
[Now that the dungeon has received its first visitor the dungeon will now grow… The player's access to map information has been updated.]
I stared at the screen in disbelief. Had I misunderstood how the dungeons worked? If you had to defeat a boss to open a dungeon then did that mean someone entered the tutorial dungeon before me.
That didn't make sense. I was clearly the first one in that dungeon. Or did the tutorial dungeons work differently? Or was it different just because it was the first time I had ever stepped into a dungeon? So many questions floated in my head and a steady ache spread from my temples.
There was so much I wanted to ask the system, but the more I asked the more strange symbols filled the screen. It was as if someone was purposefully restricting the information the system could display to me.
[Time elapsed: 6:41]
Strangely enough the system kept track of the total amount of time I had been in the dungeon from the time I entered earlier. That means I spent quite a bit of time passed out after the boss exploded itself. I suppose I should just be thankful that I didn't die while I was helpless.
[Would the player like to exit the dungeon?]
A new prompt showed up on the screen while I had been wrestling with the many questions floating around in my head. I focused my attention back on the screen and noticed the map from earlier had reappeared on the screen with a prompt to choose where I would like to exit from.
The whole feature felt a little too overpowered from what I had experienced from my previous life. No matter how much I spent in the present, it felt completely different from before. Maybe I should stop relying on what I have experienced before and just live this life to the fullest.
I chose to exit from the dungeon in the center of Silver City and stepped out to the setting sun. There was still a line to get into the dungeon with a guard scanning IDs to enter the dungeon. Though now you needed a guild card to enter.
My feet seemed to drag along the concrete as I steadily walked to the corner where taxis were waiting to transport the hunters that exited the dungeon. It was almost routine to mumble my address to the driver and watch the houses and buildings stream by.
I could stop by the guild where merchants began to operate in a market for materials from the dungeon, but I was too tired today. My day would have ended normally, I would have fallen into bed after a quick shower and gone straight into dreamland, if it weren't for the two men in suits standing at my front door.
I almost sat back down in the taxi, but it was already too late. I had already climbed halfway out before I realized they were standing there. Now I had closed the door in a daze and the taxi was already driving off into the distance. I would have cursed loudly if it wasn't for the fact that they were already halfway across my lawn.
"Miss Richards?" The man reached out his hand to shake my hand. It was already too late. I pressed down the anxiety and shook the man's hand feeling truly bitter in my soul.
"And you are?" I was a bit on guard. I mean anyone would feel apprehensive that two men who knew who you were were just casually waiting for me at my private address. I mean introduce yourself at least!
"Oh, how rude of us. I am a recruiter from the newly formed guild Frontier. My name is Anri and this is Fen." The man slightly bowed his head in apology and introduced me to the other man who remained tight-lipped as he leaned against the wall of my front porch.
It felt strange to hear of something that didn't exist in my past life. "A guild? Do you mean the hunters guild? Isn't there just one guild?" My voice sounded confused as I tried to work out my inner thoughts out loud.
"Well the guild has decided to change their name to be known as the hunters association. Frontier guild is working with the association to form groups of hunters to support and work together. You can think of it like the guilds played in MMORPG games."
I fit my key into my door and unlocked the door. It would not be good to have the rest of this conversation where my very nosy neighbors could see me. They would probably be trying to figure out what the men were here for in no time at all.
"Come in. The elder folk here are nosy in this old neighborhood."
The man thanked me as he walked into my house with the silent one trailing behind him.
A sigh threatened to leak out from me, but I quickly swallowed it down.
The world was different in this life and it was extremely obvious to me now that I was not the only one who had come back. If this was some kind of light novel I would do a full investigation into why the changes were happening, but unfortunately I didn't feel like doing that.
My past life was grueling and horrible. I was still a hunter in this life, but my life was much more stable and I didn't feel like I would fail. Maybe it was because I received greater abilities this time, but I didn't feel like going out of my way to uncover things.
Whoever and whomever came back before was making my life better. Why would I interfere with that? I set my pack down on the kitchen table and started getting out tea to serve to my unexpected guests.
The anxiety I felt at seeing men in suits that looked like they came from the government had fully subsided now that I knew they were from a completely different organization. I didn't need to fear the government using me for research now.
"Thank you for the refreshments." The man gave me a smile showing all of his teeth. Normally that looked creepy on people, but it felt completely natural on him. I sat across from the men and watched as the silent one sipped with what looked like a smile on his face.
"Sorry, Fen is not much of a talker. Frontier is just starting out so all of the current members have been sent on recruitment missions." Anri apologized for his partner, but Fen did not seem to mind.
"If you don't mind me asking, what makes joining your guild worth it? I mean I have been entering the dungeon here in the city fine on my own. It just feels sudden." I was curious to see how they would answer.
"I understand your caution. Some strange people you have never met just happen upon your door. I mean I would feel suspicious as well. The main reason is that our guild leaders have discovered guilds can enter special levels of the dungeons that can only be accessed if you are in a guild group."
My eyes widened at this new information. This was something that had not been discovered in my previous life. I was starting to wonder if I had somehow entered an alternate universe with different rules. The dungeons were more game like and had different features. It even gave me information now.
"Special levels?" I asked while placing my cup on the table.
"Yes, there seem to be completely separate levels of the dungeon for guilds to gain better rewards. Not to mention, the more people you bring with you the easier it is to survive. Based on your records you have successfully entered and exited the dungeon in Silver City several times."
I narrowed my eyes at the thought of my hunter record being leaked. The guild was supposed to keep that information private. I didn't like how the guild seemed to be different in this way from my previous life.
"Also, our guild leaders were some of the first to finish the tutorial dungeon! That means they were given special abilities by the tutorial dungeon! The raid share is quite generous as well." The man pulled out a sheet of paper with some information on how they split the spoils.
I looked at the paper curiously, but it felt a little oppressive. It was like that feeling when you go shopping and the sales associate says you must buy this aura or something. It really felt sort of shady… Try as I might, I couldn't seem to displace this unwelcome feeling.
"I understand that it is a good deal, but I feel it is too soon for me to commit to such a venture." The man that had been friendly up until now dropped his smile instantly. "I understand. Well if you change your mind, please give me a call."
He handed me a business card with Frontier in big letters on it. They both set down their tea cups and stood to leave. The silent man seemed to have an amused smile on his face as they exited my house. I quickly locked the door behind them and the oppressive sensation I felt finally wore off.
It was then that I realized a skill might have been used on me. It was whispered about on the forums in my past life that some people had skills that could be used to trick hunters in the outside world. It seemed I was somehow able to resist the man's skill.
It was clear to me that I needed to avoid this new guild, Frontier, with a wide berth. It felt sort of dirty that they had just used those tactics on me without even trying to ask me first. What would be the point in recruiting people like that? Wouldn't they realize eventually what happened?
I peeked out the window and a luxury car pulled up and picked the two men up. The man, Anri, was swinging his arms around angrily as he spoke to the silent man beside him. They both entered the car and it drove off towards the center of town. The whole situation sent goosebumps down my arms.