I decided to rest after a few exhausting hours.
After a nice sleep, I woke up to find Hleen sleeping beside me.
I gently sat up and headed outside. Soulle was definitely a different kind of dungeon.
As I left the room, I encountered three men waiting outside. They were the ones summoned along with Hleen. I hadn't fully figured out what they were.
I could discuss them in detail with Hleen at some point.
The area around the boss's room was filled with graveyards, oddly exuding an attractive aura.
I bought another ring from the store, leaving it with one of the masked men to deliver to Hleen.
Then I used the ring to teleport to the castle.
Upon reaching the castle, I noticed the completion of the remaining watchtower.
Everyone was working; the castle's construction was almost finished. I needed to leave the castle for its construction to continue.
It was the 5th day since the castle's construction began. Most foundations were laid, and accommodations for units inside the castle had started.
For now, I needed to leave the castle to work on the "Time Manipulator."
I left the mountain and headed towards the dungeon I had previously discovered.
Even though there was much to do, I didn't consider myself strong enough to visit cities and towns because I had encountered the strongest hunters. Besides, I could manage dealing with hunters working in teams.
So, exploring the dungeon had become my priority.
We had already eliminated all the bandit groups in the vicinity. Any group I might encounter would either be a hunter group or traders.
I had to be even more cautious around the hunters.
I had walked for about an hour, and the tiring part of the road was the rugged terrain.
Surprisingly, I hadn't encountered anything along the way, perhaps due to the rugged and steep path I took.
"I guess it's time for me to start as a Hunter," I murmured lightly to motivate myself.
The entrance to the cave was exactly like the entrance to my dungeon.
"Attention! You have entered the 32nd Dungeon Master's dungeon."
"Warning! Your interference might result in punishment as the dungeon is still at level 1."
Despite being at the 1st level, the dungeon was completely empty. If no one was inside the dungeon, that would mean the Boss was the dungeon master.
I wasn't sure about the nature of the punishment. Should I help the 32nd Dungeon Master upgrade the dungeon to level 2 and then seize the dungeon's Crystal?
I wasn't sure what to do. The system's punishment could hinder my progress. Worse, could it select someone else in my place?
I guess I should consider this as a small visit.
"Hello, I know you're somewhere around here. I just came to meet you," I said, even though it was a lie, and my intention wasn't hostile.
There was no response. Should I try to intimidate her?
"I'm the 38th Dungeon Master, and I thought our dungeons could form an alliance since they're close by," I said, trying to communicate with her.
Communicating with her shouldn't be this difficult.
"I know you're the 38th Dungeon Master."
A figure emerged from the shadows. Her voice sounded tired, and indeed, she seemed to have lost an arm. It must have been very painful.
Suddenly, she turned her crimson eyes towards me, observing me with her red hair and eyes.
It seemed like all the women in this world were beautiful, but her beauty didn't necessarily mean she'd be friendly. I quickly checked her statistics.
[Name: Shya]
[Race: Dragon]
[Gender: Female]
[Strength: 270]
[Agility: 90]
[Physical Resistance: 400]
[Spiritual Resistance: 200]
[Mana: 5000]
[Skills: "Fireball," "Dragon Transformation"]
Even though her statistics were at level 1, they were significantly higher than mine.
If she's physically superior as an individual of her race, what were the specific traits of my own race?
She appeared injured. Is she overly confident or does she have a plan?
Maybe I fear being punished if I attack her.
"Aren't you planning on speaking, Orion? Don't you think introducing yourself is necessary for an alliance?" Shya spoke with a stern look.
"My name is Orion, and I'm the 38th Dungeon Master," I said, not inclined to flirt or make advances.
Maybe it's because I haven't tried it before.
"Shya, my name is Shya. Nice to meet you, Orion."
Shya looked at her severed arm and continued speaking.
"You might wonder what happened to my arm. On the evening I arrived in this world, I was attacked by hunters. Unfortunately, I didn't even use my abilities due to fear." Shya paused, slightly bowing her head, remaining silent.
Her expression and trembling body made me think. Maybe she had even worse experiences.
Why was she telling me about her bad experience? Was she asking for my pity and help?
Or was she expecting me to lower my guard? Perhaps she just wanted to alleviate her pain by sharing it.
If I died, I would resurrect. Should I take the risk and go to her? Ugh, I guess I should take the risk.
"Would you like a hug?"