Her question was like a spell. Before his mind came with a command to answer, his mouth disclosed it.
If his bloodline hadn't scalded him, he should've answered her every question without knowing.
'She is dangerous…' Noah thought, staring at the seemingly peaceful woman. Her eyes also showed a hint of surprise that quickly fleeted away.
"Oh. It's been long someone came here…" she said, giving him a square metal token. It had a soft texture, which appeared to be crumble if he applied a little pressure.
"This is a recall token. Remember only crush it when you are 100% sure to die. Recalled back will hurt your veins to the point you can't run a dungeon for three months."
In this world, teleportation tokens weren't so rare. But lower-tier Runners under Tier 5 were strictly restricted to use them.
A single teleportation put a lot of pressure on the veins of a Runner. If his mana hadn't strengthened to minimize and thus neutralize that pressure, the pressure might stretch his veins and possibly break them at one point.
That's why it was restricted to use teleportation for lower-tier Runners.
However, in Zenith, for the safety of Runners, they were provided with teleportation tokens to return to the base of the dungeon.
There were cases of Runners dying in dungeons. Everyone qualified to be in Zenith would have talents the empire highly valued.
Death of any such talents in dungeons, which were supposed to be training grounds for Runners, wasn't something the emperor wanted to see.
Accepting the recall token from the woman, he took a deep breath, moving towards the dark passage convulsing before him.
He shivered, not because of fear, but because of the uncontrolled excitement washing over him.
From the day he started training, for this moment had he waited. He recollected the struggles he faced to run a dungeon.
If not for aunt Mira recommending him to Master Evlin, now he would've been working a daily job to save enough credits for his first dungeon.
Modrich had written that 'chances are a part of luck and luck is directionally proportional to responsibilities.'
Now he had that responsibility to not waste the chance he got as per his luck.
His gaze turned resolute. Whatever waited after this portal, he was ready to face it head-on. He took the hammer out of his space ring and entered the portal.
And so, the first dungeon run of a legendary master began.
The woman, Kaia Zenith, watched him disappear into the dungeon, a smile playing on her lips. Her gaze then turned towards the sky for a fleeting moment as her smile widened.
"It's interesting….BJ, you aren't really lying. No wonder 'that man' is interested in that boy…" her voice faded as her form turned into a black mist and disappeared.
"Ahhhh.."
Noah felt his body pulled through a viscous liquid. He rotated a few times, his head spinning. If not for the pressure on his throat, he would have already vomited.
After what felt like an eternity, his feet landed on a cold surface. He staggered a few steps, taking his time to adjust to the dim light in the dungeon.
He looked around. It was a small, wooden room with a single wooden door.
'So this is the base room…'
Every dungeon had safe rooms along its paths that dungeon monsters couldn't enter. These were resting points for dungeon runners after countless battles.
Noah decided to rest here for a few minutes before starting his run. In the meantime, he read about the monsters here from the data downloaded from the network.
Monsters here had high physical damage resistance, with most of them immune to mana attacks.
The dungeon was inside the roots of a huge tree, with paths stretching deep into the ground.
It was one of the naturally made dungeons, which meant it had a boss monster that was from a Rift.
Noah believed the monsters here were affected by the aura of that boss monster making them stronger and sharper.
That's why most Runners who chose this dungeon failed to clear even two rooms.
Someone commented that the monsters here weren't mindless like in normal dungeons.
They plotted and set traps for their prey. That man had to crush his recall token to escape death, and the injuries he sustained forced him out of any dungeon runs for a year.
Noah read his experiences in the rooms he had run.
After some time, when his body was in perfect condition, Noah walked towards the door and pulled it open to enter the first floor.
The first floor was a maze with a pool of water in the middle. He had to solve this maze before reaching the pool and the safe room on the first floor.
Today, he planned to clear the first floor.
Entering through the door, he was greeted by a breathtaking sight. The walls emitted fluorescent light from the bioluminescent flora clinging to the cavern walls and ceiling. The path widened as he moved, with walls on each side.
Thick vines coiled around, with green sprouts perfect for sneak attacks.
Noah was on high alert. That's why, when a dark shadow jumped at him from its hiding spot, he sidestepped, narrowly escaping the attack.
He felt a sudden pang in his heart after locking eyes with the piercing, yellow pupils of the attacker.
'Gloom stalker…'
How unlucky could he be that his first dungeon monster was one of the most dangerous types in the dungeon?
Noah groaned.
The Gloom stalker was like a panther with velvety black fur that absorbed light, making it nearly invisible in the dim path.
A pair of menacing canines extended from its mouth, with almost metallic claws on its four thick limbs.
Noah licked his lips. A tough opponent indeed, wasn't I am the same?
'Thundrith, it's time to show our might…'
A deep shade of lightning flashed in his eyes, intensifying as the monster lunged at him once more.
This time, he wasn't going to evade. After all, he had already activated his bloodline power.
All his attributes doubled.
The hammer in his hand started to sparkle as the atmosphere around him became electrified.
'Come on, my exp…'