The name of the dungeon that I was to visit was called Chamber of Shadows.
The Chamber of Shadows was no longer a mystery.
It had been conquered long ago, with every corner thoroughly explored.
Yet, it couldn't be ignored. The monsters inside had a strange habit of multiplying over time, and if left unchecked, they could spill out into the world.
Thankfully, this wasn't a major issue.
So, the dungeon was safe to be explored by any of the humans in this world.
I travelled to one of the towns called Doda town where most of the dungeons were just near to it.
This town was just 20 kilometers away from the city that I lived in, so I took a taxi to reach there.
In this town, we could get most of the necessary things like potions, weapons, storage items etc…
Besides, there are auction houses where you can sell items and rare materials found in dungeons.
You can also sell them directly to a shop, but shops usually pay less than auction buyers.
I wanted to buy a storage item to carry monster parts, but since I'm really short on money, I couldn't even afford the cheapest storage pouch.
I spent my last coins—except for the dungeon entry fee—on a few low-rank health and mana potions.
For now, my only weapon is a sword.
My magic wand broke during a fight with Poachers.
The school promised to replace it, but until then, I can only rely on my sword.
I'm completely broke and can't even afford a Rank-1 weapon.
Still, I'm not too worried.
Considering the difficulty of the dungeon, I think I can manage even without a proper weapon.
The Chamber of Shadows is located just near the town.
Before entering, I had to register my details and get an access card for the dungeon.
"Please show me your ID card. Also, the entry fee for this dungeon is 100 coins,"
The person on the registration counter said that.
I handed over my student card along with 100 coins.
After a moment, she returned my student card along with an access card.
I walked to the dungeon's entrance, guarded by two Rank-2 adventurers.
I showed them my access card.
"Everything looks good,"
one of them said.
"You can enter. But be careful—many young adventurers lose their lives in this dungeon."
"Thank you for the warning. I'll be careful,"
I replied.
The dungeon entrance was a glowing portal.
As I stepped into it, I felt a strange pulling sensation.
When I came to my senses, I found myself in a completely different place—a dense forest.
It felt like I had traveled back in time, from a modern world to a prehistoric era.
The forest was filled with towering trees, making the atmosphere mysterious and eerie.
My goal for this dungeon was simple: find the hidden room and take any treasures inside.
According to the novel I read, the hidden room was located in the Boss room.
Luckily, the map I bought in this Town marked important places in the dungeon, including the Boss room.
I wasn't here to explore, so I decided to head straight there.
As I walked through the forest, I noticed a group of Rank-2 adventurers fighting a group of goblins.
These goblins were nothing special—just low-level monsters ranked at 1+.
I neglected their battle and chose another path.
There are strict rules in the dungeon: you're not allowed to interfere in someone else's fight unless they ask for help.
Also, dragging another group into your fight is strictly forbidden.
Focusing on my goal, I continued toward the Boss room, ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.
I had been walking in the forest for 30 minutes, and I had already fought ten monsters.
They were all Rank-1+ Goblins, which I could take down with a single move.
The Chamber of Shadows is small compared to larger dungeons, with an estimated size of 30 square kilometers.
According to my map and current pace, I expected to reach the Boss room in about 30 more minutes.
On the way, I collected materials like Anacamptis flowers and Calamint herbs, which are useful for crafting low-rank health potions.
They aren't worth much, but every little bit helps.
I encountered a group of six Goblins led by a Rank-2- Hobgoblin.
I used my Ice Shard magic to eliminate the Goblins instantly.
The Hobgoblin charged at me angrily, but with one swing of my sword, I beheaded it.
Later, I came across a group of Slimes.
Since they aren't aggressive and only attack when provoked, I avoided them.
Slimes are immune to physical attacks and can only be harmed by Magic Skills or energy-based skills, which can make them tricky to deal with.
However, I did encounter a Poison Slime, which was far more dangerous.
It attacked aggressively, releasing poisonous gas to weaken its target.
Thankfully, I have Ice-based Magic Skill.
Even if I got poisoned, I could freeze the poison to stop it from spreading in my body.
The fight was simple—I froze the Poison Slime and shattered it with my sword.
It's not that Poison Slimes are weak, but having the right skills can make even tough monsters easy to handle.
After 40 minutes, I reached what looked like the Boss room.
The layout matched the images I'd seen online, and the map confirmed it.
But to my surprise, the Boss wasn't there.
Someone had already defeated it.
Dungeon bosses like this usually take 3-5 days to respawn.
Although I had prepared for a tough fight, I didn't mind.
Skipping the battle saved me time and potions.
My real goal was to find the hidden room, not to defeat the Boss.
I searched the Boss room for anything unusual.
According to the novel, the trigger to open the hidden room was hidden here.
After about seven minutes, I found it—a cone-shaped rock.
When I pulled it, a wall nearby started to move.
-CREEEAAAK! DUUNG!
Behind the wall was the entrance to the hidden room.
Excitedly, I went inside.
The room was filled with herbs.
I gathered everything I could find and finally collected the main item I had come for: the Rank-2 Galanthus Nivalis flower.
Even after getting what I needed, I decided to explore further.
Since this area was rarely visited, it was rich in resources.
At the end of the room, I spotted something incredible—a Silver Lavender flower.
"Huh? A Rank-D stat-increasing flower!"
The Silver Lavender is extremely rare and can sell for tens of thousands of coins.
It can only be used by Rank- 4 adventurers to boost one of their stats.
But there was a problem—a monster was guarding it.
Standing between me and the flower was a Rank-2+ Boss monster: a Giant Ogre.