Two types of dungeons were primarily found in Nexaria. The regular, one-time dungeons disappeared once all the monsters inside the dungeon had perished. However, if not cleared in time, the monsters from within could break out and cause havoc.
For this reason, one-time dungeons are often dealt with on a priority basis. The second was timed dungeons.
Timed dungeons didn't disappear once all monsters had been killed. Instead, they undergo a phenomenon called 'Dungeon Reset' in which, after some time, the monsters within the dungeon 'respawn', ready to be served to another group of Divers.
However, differentiating between the two dungeons is next to impossible as there's no definite difference between the two. The only method of identifying a dungeon's type is to clear it.
Once the dungeon is cleared, if the portal remains open for more than a day, then that dungeon is a timed dungeon. If not, it is a one-time dungeon.
While one-time dungeons were often more difficult to clear than timed dungeons, a secondary phenomenon made venturing into timed dungeons more dangerous.
"Irregular dungeon," Adrian mumbled as he came across another Ratling. "It's the only reason why Ratlings are here in the first place. Someone needs to report it to the army. It ain't going to be me, though."
Irregular dungeons lived up to their name. They were unpredictable. The rare phenomenon occurred when, after a dungeon reset, a new set of monsters replaced the previous ones.
For example, the dungeon Adrian had ventured into was supposed to be a beginner dungeon of goblins. But instead of the goblins, intermediate-grade monsters such as Ratlings appeared.
However, the thing with Irregular Dungeon is one could know they are irregular upon reset. They temporarily release a strange aura visible to the naked eye.
As such, it would be impossible for the Dungeon Inquisitor or the Divers not to notice the change. But why would the divers risk their lives if they knew it was an irregular dungeon?
"Greed is a bitch," Adrian mumbled. "Who wouldn't want to gain more exp and loot for free?"
Divers who invested in a standard beginner dungeon booking considered an irregular dungeon a hidden gem. They could enjoy the rewards of multiple dungeon expeditions with just one payment.
Some even hoped for the chance to acquire rare artefacts. However, their intense desire for riches and experience points often blinded them to the potential dangers behind the promise of wealth.
"Can't blame them, really. It's all thanks to that ridiculous protocol of notifying the army about every Irregular dungeon," Adrian scoffed as he walked deeper into the dungeon.
He continued, "Not only do they get to claim the experience points and loot from the dungeon, but the money spent on booking the dungeon won't be reimbursed. The divers are expected to show goodwill towards the empire and consider giving up their slot to the army as a service."
As Adrian had to manage the funds and the expedition of his guild, he had suffered quite a lot at the hands of those sickly army bastards.
But even though he sympathised with the Divers, they had acted foolishly by venturing into the dungeon alone. They should have contacted some other party to help them; that's what Adrian did recently before dying.
While they took a hit on the monetary aspect of things, they would be safer and still get something out of the dungeon.
But instead of dwelling on other's bad luck, Adrian was busy trying to improve his own. Unfortunately, things were not going that well.
Using his [Adaptive Skin] skill, Adrian hid in the corner, waiting for a stray Ratling to find its way towards him. As soon as the Ratling walked past him, he leapt from the shadows, grabbed the beast by the neck and snapped it in half before it could alert the rest.
However, his luck remained as shitty as ever.
"No organ drops this time either!?" Adrian kicked away the Ratling's corpse in frustration.
Adrian had initially believed that every monster he encountered would provide organ absorption opportunities, especially after finding organs in two consecutive Ratling corpses. However, after hunting two more Ratlings, he realised his assumption was far from accurate.
"It looks like only the initial monster I register in the Codex ensures organ drops," Adrian sighed, managing to control his frustration. "I was eager to test the perk I earned after absorbing five organs, but it seems that won't happen."
Adrian opened the tab and selected the skill tab. A glowing text was below the description of [Organ Absorption] skill. The text appeared after Adrian upgraded the skill and was information about a perk he now had.
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Perk: Effective Extraction (Level 1) has been unlocked!
This perk allows the User to extract organs swiftly and efficiently, reducing the time and compatibility required for absorption by 5%.
Note: The Perk will automatically upgrade along with the associated skill.
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While the perk's effect might not seem much at a glance, Adrian, an analyst by nature, knew the importance of such skill. After all, at a higher level, it could significantly decrease Adrian's vulnerability during the absorption process.
"If it takes less time and causes less pain, I won't be as helpless as I was while absorbing Ratling's skin," Adrian looked excited as he said it.
But the excitement soon disappeared as he realised no organs were dropping for him to absorb from the Ratlings anymore.
"Either way, I better get moving before a Ratling spots me."
However, just as he was about to leave that section of the dungeon, he heard a sound coming from one of the paths ahead of him. At first, Adrian expected it to be Ratling, but as the sound got louder, he realised that wasn't the case.
'Sounds of metal scrapping on the ground. I don't think Ratlings are intelligent enough to wield weapons... could it be-?'
As he was thinking about it, two Divers in rough shape walked past him. The girl, quipped with a mage's gear, was supporting a man who looked like a tanker based on the heavy armour he was wearing.
Though the mage seemed relatively unharmed, the same couldn't be said for the tanker. One of his arms had been blown away, and blood streamed profusely from a wound on his head.
It looked like they were attempting to flee the dungeon, and it didn't take a genius to know what happened to the rest of their party. It was a wipeout!
But instead of worrying about them, Adrian was pissed. They were recklessly moving in a dungeon infested with Ratlings. With the amount of blood the tanker was leaking, it was only a matter of time before the Ratlings got a whiff of his blood and came rushing in.
'Fuck! I should kill them and make a break for it while I can,' Adrian gritted his teeth. 'Fucking morons! You should have died somewhere else!'
However, before Adrian could make his move, he felt the ground lightly shake below his feet. Within moments, he could hear the footsteps of the approaching Ratlings.
At first, Adrian thought it was a horde rushing towards them. But he realised that couldn't be the case. After all, the sound of the footsteps was too rhythmic for it to belong to a horde.
'Don't tell me...'
Adrian's worst fears had come true. It wasn't a horde chasing after the injured duo... but the dungeon's boss monster!