My eyes shot open; my blurry gaze was level with the ground, my cheek pressed flat against the grass. Pain radiated throughout my body as I struggled to recall the last thing I remembered—the cloaked man dragging me into a space-portal. Panic surged through me as I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stand despite the intense pain. As I looked around, there was no sign of the man. Instead, I found myself surrounded by a lovely green landscape, with flowers and plants blooming all around me.
It was daytime, but when I glanced up, there was no sun in the sky. This was no ordinary place; it had to be a high-level dungeon. The man had been thoroughly prepared, spending months creating the portal and somehow connecting it to one of the dungeons. He had dragged me here to eliminate any chance of rescue, knowing that my life-saving artifacts had time limits. Here, in this dungeon, he could take his time killing me without worrying about anyone arriving just in time to save me.
At the last moment, I must have slipped through his grasp, teleporting away from him. But he was still somewhere in this dungeon.
"I'll make sure to kill you and destroy your organization, bastard!" I vowed to myself. They were the ones known as 'Shadow,' the same group responsible for my father's death in this life. Although I didn't particularly consider him as my father from the depths of my heart, I remembered seeing my mother constantly on high alert, always expecting an attack from these sneaky pests.
A portal like the one that brought me here couldn't have been made in just a day or two. This made me suspect that a high-level 'Seer,' possibly the leader of their organization, was involved, predicting my movement even before I had made up my mind. However, the assassin's crass way of addressing her suggested otherwise. Still, it confirmed that even she couldn't see through everything the future held, or perhaps she could, and the real trial was only beginning now.
Low- or mid-level dungeons are usually free to enter and leave once you conquer them by killing the boss monsters. But high-level dungeons are unpredictable. The condition to leave could be anything, and almost everything within—living creatures, inanimate objects—was not real, even though they functioned as if they were. The only difference was that nothing could be taken outside.
I drank a vial of healing potion, relieved that I still had access to my storage ring. Some dungeons prohibit any kind of space manipulation, except for entering. The scroll I had used before was limited and expensive, so I had to save it for emergencies.
With no knowledge of this dungeon, I started walking in one direction, hoping to come across someone or find a clue. After hours of walking, I finally came across a city. I decided to sneak in using 'Shadow Step' when the two guards weren't paying attention. Many people were entering the city, but they had to pay with some strange coins.
The guards were exploiting the poor, taking more than their fair share of the fees. In return, I stole some of their coins, figuring they'd be useful to me inside.
The city was full of humans, not the strange creatures or ugly monsters typical of a low-level dungeon. It looked like any normal city from the outside, bustling with people going about their daily lives. The humans here seemed to possess the strength of an average person, nothing extraordinary that would raise suspicion. But something felt off—I couldn't shake the feeling that there might be more to them than met the eye.
Despite their ordinary appearance, I remained cautious. In a high-level dungeon like this, even the most normal-looking people could harbor strange or dangerous abilities. The calm atmosphere and seemingly normal inhabitants only added to the unsettling feeling that lingered in the back of my mind.
I entered an inn, its location easily obtained from a passerby. The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by the sound of lively chatter and the clinking of mugs. The place was bustling with people—travelers, merchants, and locals alike—all gathered around wooden tables, enjoying food and drink. The warm glow from the lanterns cast a cozy light across the room, but it didn't fully dispel the sense of unease that clung to me.
I scanned the room, noting the variety of patrons. Some were engaged in animated conversations, while others kept to themselves, quietly sipping their drinks. Despite the apparent normalcy, I couldn't let my guard down. This dungeon had already proven to be deceptive, and I wasn't about to be caught off guard again.
I found an empty table in a corner, away from the busiest part of the inn, and sat down. The wooden chair creaked slightly under my weight, and I took a moment to observe the room more closely. After a few minutes, a boy around my age approached, carrying a notepad and a tired smile.
"What can I get for you?" he asked, his voice tinged with the exhaustion of a long day's work.
I quickly scanned the menu etched on a board behind the counter and ordered a few items—some bread, stew, and a drink. As he jotted down my order, I silently hoped that the coins I had "borrowed" from the guards would be enough to cover it. This place might look ordinary, but I had no idea what the local economy was like or how much things cost here.
The boy nodded and left to place my order, leaving me alone with my thoughts.