Earlier, before he came out of the Gaming Dungeon, Wallace scanned and looked at the bright screen of hologram from his wrist, focused on the result of his victory in the game
[ Predator vs Alien: True Young Blood.
[ Completed!
[ Please wait for tomorrow to continue the game… ]
He felt excited and proud of his achievement. But as the excitement faded, he felt unsure about what to do next.
The game had been finished very quickly, leaving him wanting more.
His eyes went to the corner of the screen, where three interesting options were waiting.
Three dungeons, ready to be explored.
Wallace felt eager with anticipation.
It said that he could summon it anytime, so he was unbelievably excited.
The desire to keep playing pushed him to want to enter the world of 'DinoBlade.'
Just the idea of becoming a dinosaur with a sword in its mouth made him feel very excited.
However, Wallace, at that time, also felt a bit disappointed when he realized there was a catch. Even though he could summon them anytime, there was a cost.
A fee.
Yes!
To summon the game all three dungeons required a payment.
Two thousand magic crystals stood in the way of his dream of becoming a sword-wielding dinosaur.
[ DinoBlade
[ Cost: Neutral 2,000 Magic Crystals
Wallace felt disappointed as he looked at his inventory - only five hundred and five magic crystals.
[ Magic Crystals.
[ Neutral Magic Crystals - 505. ]
That number seemed very small and unable to meet the standard price.
Desperation showed on his face as he quickly searched for other options.
His eyes landed on another choice, beside the 'DinoBlade Game', the 'Enlightenment Dungeon of DinoBlade.'
It had a low price of three hundred magic crystals, but it remained locked.
[ DinoBlade enlightenment dungeon - Locked! ]
Although Wallace had an idea what the difference was between an enlightenment dungeon and an enhancement dungeon, he just wanted to see the sword-wielding reptiles more than these battle hungry predators, that's why he is adamant.
Frustration built up inside him, almost making him cry.
"My dreams of becoming a dinosaur swordsman were broken, at least for now…"
With a heavy sigh, he accepted the limited choices before him.
Now, Wallace was in front of everybody—beckoning his hand to the dungeon before him—the enlightenment dungeon of his first Predator vs Alien dungeon.
Suddenly, Mage Marcus's brow furrowed, but he looked and sounded respectful as he closely examined Wallace.
"You mean all the impressive knowledge you showed inside the gaming area earlier came from that new area?" he asked, his voice with a mix of curiosity and doubt.
Wallace shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. "I won't tell you where my knowledge comes from," he replied in a mysterious way, "but it has the clue you need."
Mage Marcus exchanged a meaningful look with Rederic and the other Mana Knights. The group quickly got something from their pockets, their movements planned and intentional.
Watching their actions, Wallace knew what they had in mind. "You don't have to pay me directly," he said, raising a hand to stop them. "You all have a special bracelet - you can pay there on your own, so now, go! Take the chance to enter the Enlightenment Area right there, I still have a lot to do for your tomorrow mission."
The Mana Knights and Mage Marcus were visibly surprised by Wallace's statement. They had expected to negotiate some kind of fee, but now realized there was an easier way forward.
Mana Knight Alistair stepped forward, his brow furrowed in thought. "Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but I feel the allowed playtime of an hour is too short. How can we stay longer? Should we pay a larger amount?"
Wallace considered the request, his gaze going over the group. "The system is made to provide a fair and balanced experience for all," he explained. "I would not suggest trying to go around the intended rules. However, I'm sure you'll find the Enlightenment Area more than worth your time and attention."
Alistair was taken aback, "But sir, that's not what I'm asking-"
Wallace would interrupt him, "I know what you're talking about," Wallace would not make a promise but he knew about the Livestreaming, "If you can invite more people, tell them to watch your live stream, then maybe you can play longer if the bracelet find you worthy, and it doesn't matter if they are my citizens or not. That's the only way I can suggest - just go check your bracelet and don't forget to pass tomorrow's test—once you pass it, maybe, just maybe, check your bracelet again…"
After saying that, Wallace left.
Meanwhile, the group of Mana Knights were trembling, as they remembered the powerful creatures and the possibility of them being here. After all, Wallace had used those powerful creatures to kill his own family in order to inherit the title of Baron.
Even though Wallace told them the 'True Beast' were weak against them, the truth was that Mage Marcus and his Mana Knights had never actually encountered them before.
So they are not sure.
Not long after, Mage Marcus, Warrior Alistair, and the rest of the Warrior group entered the Cave to investigate this 'Learning Cave' that the young Lord Wallace had created. The air inside was thick with tension, the shadows dancing in a scary way across the cold, metal walls.
Meanwhile, Rederic remained behind, lost in deep thought. The events of the 'Game Cave' weighed heavily on his mind. "In the game, it says that I need to kill to get access to technology, and that's where I went wrong. I should have listened to the cave's own rules," he said, shaking his head, a little frustrated with his past mistakes.
But then, a realization came to him - the caves often showed the personality of the nobles who created them. "Wallace... There's something strange about him. He spoke of streaming live, and I can't help but feel there's more to that than it seems."
As Rederic thought about these things, he noticed the busy activity around him.
The maid and the very strong servants were carefully cleaning and arranging the dinner tables and chairs. Without hesitation, Rederic decided to help. "Let me help..." he said, since he had nothing else to do.
The maids and strong men were surprised, "No sir, it's so kind of you, you don't have to help us..." one of the maids spoke quickly and nervously.
Rederic could understand their position as he is a Mana Knight, a Mana User, so he would speak from the heart, "Please, I am thinking of something, maybe moving my body and helping since I have nothing else to do would help me," he said, to make the maids think that he is not doing it to help them, but to help himself.
Most people would gladly accept this.
The maids said nothing, they all looked at each other and exchanged glances, and when the maid looked back again at Rederic, Rederic quickly smiled, "Thank you…"