"Man... it's dark here," I muttered to myself, complaining to the barely lit marble corridor I was walking into.
I was now inside the pathway that had previously been blocked by a bluish barrier. I was relieved it had been, otherwise, I would've been stuck inside that cave with almost no column support left.
The Cyclops had gone on a rampage, smashing many of the columns that held up the ceiling of the cave. I had assumed the worst—that the cave would collapse and cave in completely within minutes.
So, now, here I was, walking toward what was practically total darkness. There were barely any torches or sources of light.
No wonder that Cyclops had gone blind from my barely-functioning smartphone's camera flash. It had gotten so accustomed to the dark that a single true light really put a ringer on that large eye of its.
Oh... and I still wasn't sure what I should do with its monster drop, the 'Cyclops's Eye.' Was it a material for something? Maybe it was some sort of eye-related chemistry or craft material.
I could probably get a pretty good sum of money if I just sold it as it was.
Well, moving on...
How long had I been walking in this pathway anyway? I didn't count, but it felt like I had been walking for ten minutes or so here...
How long was this pathway too? Fortunately, it was a straight path, but... I was getting pretty tired.
The whole 'level-up' and becoming an adventurer had revitalized me a bit, but I still felt like I was going to need some major sleep after this... maybe a full day's rest even...
Wait, I had work today.
I should've been at work right now... but instead, I had fallen into some hole and found myself here in this wild dungeon.
How would I explain this to my boss? Would she believe me that I had just survived a life-or-death encounter?
Well... my boss was a pretty nice person. She would understand the circumstances I'd gotten into here.
Though I did promise her that I would be leading the meeting for our next project today...
Wait... why was I thinking about my office job anyway...?
"Agh! Dammit!" I cursed to myself over my current predicament, still walking down this dim pathway... that somehow felt smaller and smaller the further I went.
Why the hell was I still thinking about going back to work of all things? I had what I dreamed of: becoming an adventurer (though still unofficial).
I could just quit my job right now, use my savings PLUS exchange these dungeon coins and the Cyclops's Eye, and get that damn dungeon adventure's license. Then... I could finally go on my dream adventure of conquering dungeon after dungeon...
So... again, why was I still thinking about my boring office job?
"..."
I fell silent, contemplating why I was so comfortable doing a menial cubicle office job that should've been the bane of every job market in the world...
"Hmm...?"
But then, I spotted something in the distance—light!
I saw light coming from far away! It was quite small, but it was a source of light... the very thing I was looking for!
I thought I would be on this pathway, walking forever for the rest of my life... but it turned out there was something at the end after all.
"Alright!"
I began to run toward it. The pathway became smaller and smaller as I went. That was probably why that one-eyed giant didn't bother going here—it wouldn't fit its large body.
Then... as I reached the source of light and passed through it... I finally arrived at my destination...!
As I stepped into the 'promised land,' I took a good look at the place I had just entered.
"Wow..."
I found myself in a round chamber. The circular walls were lined with towering marble pillars, each seeming to hold up the very ceiling itself.
The walls themselves featured Ancient Greek drawings that stretched across the curved surfaces.
I wasn't an avid Greek scholar or historian, but I could at least tell that these drawings were likely depicting stories from Ancient Greece—tales of gods and goddesses, battles, and legends long past.
The images were detailed and captivating, like something straight out of a history book, yet... they felt more alive. Somehow, they seemed brand new, as if they had just been drawn.
The room was illuminated by a few torches attached to the marble pillars, but... what truly caught my attention was the beam of sunlight pouring directly into the center of the chamber, highlighting a single object...!
There, bathed in the brilliant golden light of the sun, was a small, simple treasure chest.
Its surface was painted gold, and it sat alone in the center of the room, almost as if it were waiting for someone to pick it up and reveal its contents...
And that someone was me, of course.
So... I walked slowly toward it, anticipation and excitement welling up inside of me.
When I finally reached and stopped right in front of it, I was stunned for a moment. I wondered what kind of amazing thing could reside within this small treasure chest.
The size of the treasure chest was almost that of a jewelry box, and it was probably really light... so what could be inside?
It had to be something tiny since nothing larger than even my own cracked smartphone could fit inside... so... it might be riches like more dungeon coins... or maybe it was an accessory—equipment that could be found in dungeons and such... or...
It could be the legendary relic...!
My emotions were about to burst...!
So... I picked it up, feeling the light weight of it in my hands. I couldn't believe that I was actually holding a real dungeon treasure chest. My hands were getting sweaty from the excitement and nervousness building up inside me.
For a moment, I felt like I had disgraced this beautifully simple gold chest with my own dirty hands, smeared with blood, dirt, and sweat.
I got this dirty from my recent encounter with the Cyclops... so I had to believe that I was worthy of this chest!
I needed to be confident!
Then... I opened the small treasure chest carefully... and there, lying inside the treasure chest comfortably...
Was a gold ring.