"So, that''s the grimoire you picked from the royal treasury?" Evastor asked, eyeing the book in my hands.


    I sat in his office, flipping through its torn pages. "Y-yeah," I answered. "But it was locked, and for some reason, it only opened for me. The spells that are intact don’t explain what they do, though." I traced a finger over the faded words.


    Curious, I whispered one of the spells aloud. "Archon''s Mania—"


    Before I could finish, Evastor’s hand clamped over my mouth. His sharp gaze bore into mine. "I apologize, but do not recite that spell here," he said firmly. "Promise me you won’t say it again. If so, nod."


    I hesitated, then nodded. Only then did he remove his hand, exhaling in relief.


    "W-what’s with that spell?" I asked, still shaken.


    "That spell is ancient… and forbidden," he said gravely. "If you cast it, the entire world will be upon us."


    His words sent a chill down my spine. What kind of spell could cause such destruction?


    Evastor took the grimoire from me, flipping through its pages. "Most of these are ripped, as you said… Some are blank, while others are written in the elven language." He studied the script for a moment. "It may be a riddle."


    He handed the book back to me, and an idea sparked in my mind. Channeling my mana, I conjured a small fireball, bringing it close to the grimoire. As the flames flickered, faint glowing text appeared on the previously blank pages.


    "The text says: ''Where the Dark Elves burrow. Nearby, where trees are alive, this is where you''ll find the dungeon which hides.''"


    I read the words aloud, glancing at Evastor for his reaction. He furrowed his brows, deep in thought.


    I tried to turn the next page, but it wouldn’t budge. "I-I can''t flip it," I muttered, pushing against the stubborn parchment.


    Evastor stepped beside me, attempting to help, but the page refused to move. Then, as I extinguished my mana, the page finally turned—only to reveal more blank parchment.


    "W-what is this about?" I asked, utterly confused.


    Before Evastor could answer, a glowing interface suddenly appeared before me.


    [Complete Current Mission Objectives...]


    Polemos: 0/1


    Teach The Fool A Lesson: 1/2


    Clear Temples: 1/11


    Determination flared within me. I reached toward the interface screen. "We need to head to the next endless dungeon."


    Evastor crossed his arms. "You can''t enter an endless dungeon without a guild card."


    "And?" I shot back.


    "They don’t issue temporary cards while waiting for a permanent one," he explained.


    I sighed. "So this world doesn’t have the same quality-of-life options as my previous one..."


    Frowning, I paced the room, thinking. "Do you think this dungeon has been found yet?"


    Evastor repeated the riddle to himself, rubbing his chin. Then his eyes lit up. "A hidden endless dungeon near the Dark Elves'' lands? No… NO! No one dares to go near their territory. If this dungeon has never been discovered, then you might have a loophole."


    "A loophole?" I asked.


    He smirked. "If you claim you were simply exploring and accidentally stumbled upon an endless dungeon, you could bypass the guild registration requirement."


    I grinned. "Then that’s what we’ll do."


    Evastor glanced at the grimoire again. "There might be more clues inside." He reached for the book, but the moment he tried to open it, the cover locked up. He frowned and tried again—first with magic, then with brute force, even attempting to pry it open with his tail.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I watched his struggle, deadpan. "Yeah… good luck with that."


    Shaking my head, I turned to leave. "I''ll gather everyone," I said, waving over my shoulder.


    As I walked through the halls, I reached out telepathically. Elnora, is Alex with you? And Lilli?


    Lilli is, but Alex is nearby. I can go get him. W-what’s going on?


    Meet me at my dorm room.


    Okay! I’ll grab Alex now! she replied, excitement in her voice.


    By the time I arrived at my dorm, all three of them crashed through the door—Alex leading the way, a bowl of tonkatsu in his mouth.


    They shut the door behind them.


    “So, why are we meeting up?” Lilli asked, arms crossed.


    Alex stood nearby, finishing his lunch.


    “We’re heading to an endless dungeon,” I announced.


    Alex nearly choked, quickly swallowing his food before sputtering, “W-what?”


    I turned to Elnora. “You mentioned knowing a teleportation spell. If I asked you to transport us just outside the Dark Elves’ territory in the Black Woods Domain, do you think you could do it?”


    Elnora hesitated for a moment, then nodded confidently. “Y-yeah! I just need a map.”


    I grabbed one from my drawer and handed it to her. She crouched down, running her finger along the parchment before slowly rising, her fingertip now pointing toward the sky. Whispering an incantation, she uttered, "Teleportieren."


    A glowing green circle expanded beneath us, and in an instant, we were engulfed by light. When the glow faded, we stood amidst towering black trees.


    “And we’re here!” I grinned, stretching my arms.


    “My—MY FOOD!” Alex cried, staring at his now-empty hands and chopsticks. His eyes filled with despair as he mourned his lost meal.


    Lilli snickered at his reaction.


    Elnora, ignoring him, turned to me. “Did you bring the necessary supplies?”


    I nodded, opening my interface and pulling out a backpack seemingly from thin air.


    Lilli’s eyes widened in excitement, her tail twitching. “Wait—you have an item box!?”


    “No, no,” I quickly corrected, waving my hands.


    “Then how did you do that?” she pressed, Alex and Elnora watching curiously.


    I hesitated. How do I explain the interface without revealing too much?


    Thinking fast, I said, “It’s a storage spell I learned. Lets me store items.”


    They stared at me blankly. Did they buy it?


    Lilli’s eyes suddenly sparkled. “You HAVE to show me sometime! My father refuses to get me a magi box, but this would be even better!”


    Alex nodded in approval, and Elnora looked intrigued.


    I had spent some time testing the interface. By pressing on the backpack icon, a translucent storage grid appeared, allowing me to store weapons, armor, potions, and other useful items. However, I hadn’t yet tried storing bulky objects or furniture. I wasn’t sure if there was a weight limit—or what kind of negative status effects over-encumbrance might bring.


    It was time to dive into the dungeon. Standing before us was a vast forest of black-barked trees, their stumps stretching endlessly as if the trees themselves touched the sky. Their immense size gave the forest an almost oppressive presence. Despite the eerie atmosphere, there was one thing I could smell clearly in the air—mana. Not just any mana, but something deep, powerful, and ancient, emanating from the forest.


    Alex seemed to sense it too. He glanced over at me, his eyes narrowing.


    “There’s a mana trail ahead,” he said, his voice low. “If we follow it, I believe it’ll lead us to the dungeon.”


    “Let’s go,” I said, gesturing for the group to follow as we ventured into the dense forest.


    Lilli didn’t seem bothered by the darkness that clung to the trees, while Elnora appeared resolute, her focus solely on the task at hand. We walked in silence, following Alex deeper into the shadows of the woods.


    After a time, the forest opened into a cavern, the entrance yawning wide before us. Mana oozed from its depths, pulsing in the air like a heartbeat.


    “We’re here,” Alex said, standing at the cave’s mouth and looking up.


    “This doesn’t look inviting,” Lilli muttered, her tone filled with skepticism.


    “I’m with you on that,” Elnora added.


    I manifested my sword, its blade glowing faintly as I took the lead into the cavern.


    “The endless dungeon…” I murmured, gripping my sword tightly. “Stay alert. There’s no telling what could be inside.”


    Lilli summoned her spirits, their glow brighter than I’d ever seen them.


    “Ah, I see your spirits are stronger now,” I commented, impressed.


    “Yeah,” Lilli replied with a proud grin, though I could tell she was still nervous.


    Suddenly, two ghouls plummeted from the sky, landing with sickening thuds. Without hesitation, Elnora drew her sword and swiftly dispatched them with two quick strikes. The ghouls crumpled to the ground, their bodies clad in old mining equipment, pickaxes still gripped tightly in their bony hands.


    “Nice work with those ghouls, Elnora,” I said, giving her a nod of approval.


    “That’s strange…” I muttered, eyes scanning the surroundings. “Monsters don’t typically hide like that in dungeons. Everyone, stay sharp.”


    “Yes!” Alex and Elnora responded, their expressions focused.


    Lilli’s nerves were still palpable, her eyes darting around uneasily, but she didn’t say anything. Together, we continued deeper into the dungeon’s first floor, ready for whatever lay ahead.


    <hr>


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    Next Chapter: Arc 2 - Champion of the Polemos


    I apologize for the late post for this chapter. I''ve been quite busy with irl stuff recently additionally I ran into writers block for a few days but I''m back at it! Thank you all for reading! For those who are reading on RoyalRead my main course of contact to my readers is ScribbleHub.


    </blockquote>