The
shackles disappeared from their wrists.
Kvran
immediately swung at Stark’s
neck—only for his blade to be blocked once again by an invisible
barrier.
“Tch…”
The knight retracted his weapon.
Stark
frowned. “You
really are scum.”
Before
them, a backpack materialized—it was their reward for defeating the
Twin Guardians.
Honestly,
considering the effort they had put in, Stark found the reward pretty
lackluster.
He
walked over and inspected the bag while Kvran peered over his
shoulder.
It
looked like an ordinary leather backpack, but it was extremely
durable and made of high-quality material.
“Oh!
We can use this to store food,” Stark exclaimed.
So
the dungeon rewarded them with something to preserve their rations.
“Pack
up, then,” Kvran ordered with a frown.
Stark
scoffed, slinging the backpack over his shoulders. “You
expect me to do all the work?”
“You’re
useless, you bastard. If I hadn’t taught you, you wouldn’t have
even been able to defeat those undead.”
<i>This
bastard.</i>
They almost lost because he was just standing there watching the
fight at the end.
Stark
stomped his foot. “If
I’m packing all this by myself, I’ll be the one managing
rations.”
“As
long as you don’t pull anything, that’s fine,” Kvran waved him
off.
“Die,”
Stark muttered before moving to gather his daggers. Then, he ran off
to collect supplies.
After
a while, he returned with a full backpack slung over his shoulders.
Turns
out, the bag had leather skins inside to store water. Stark packed as
much non-perishable food as he could find. He also came across a few
extra daggers while scouring the room and strapped them to himself.
Kvran
and Stark faced the huge metal door.
With
a serious expression, Kvran pushed it open.
The
doors groaned as they parted, revealing a dark void ahead.
One
by one, lamps flickered to life, illuminating the space beyond.
The
revealed pathway was made of stone, similar to the one before, but
much wider and far more ancient—its surface cracked with age, with
thick roots jutting out from the grooves of the floor.
“An
abandoned passage?” Kvran muttered as he walked. The roots were
getting thicker as they went deeper inside the passage. The knight
walked ahead, scouting and keeping an eye ahead.
Stark
silently followed behind scanning his surroundings as usual. He was
figuring out the real reason for this trial. The dungeon referred to
these as trials so it wanted them to prove themselves.
But
Prove what? He had no idea.
<i>Maybe
the clues are in the dungeon itself </i>He
thought.
Stark
began to revisit all the moments in the dungeon. <i>An
isolation illusion trap!! Duel with two undead with similar strength
to them.</i>
Time
passed as they reached an intersection. The path split into 3 new
paths. Before each pathway was a stone tablet. It was etched with
some text.
They
walked over to take a closer look.
The
first tablet read
[The
clever crow hoards its secrets in the serpent’s
shadow, where silence reigns and eyes deceive]
“Hmm….”
Stark scratched his head thoughtfully. He strode over to the next
stone tablet along with Kvran
Second
Stone tablet read
[The
sky does not weep for the fallen; Where wings are stained crimson,
the victor’s
path is paved; it only watches.]
“Hints
eh? Crap!!” Kvran cursed as he strode over to the last tablet.
[Two
blades cross, but only one is reflected. The Raven’s
call indicates the end.]
“Is
one path the correct one?” Stark thought out aloud.
“You
are saying there are traps?”
“Likely!!
Don’t you have experience exploring dungeons?” Stark asked with a
frown.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“I
am a fighter. We have explorer and mappers for these things. It’s
my first time encountering these types of dungeons.” Kvran sighed.
Stark
chuckled. “So
you are a brainless knight.” He said in a mocking tone.
“Watch
your tone, you slave.”
He
clicked his tongue in disgust and turned away. “Things
aside, these proverbs hint at the way to the find the Raven.”
“So
which one should we choose.”
Stark shrugged. “I
don’t know.”
“Useless,” Kvran muttered.
He sat down on the floor while Stark
scouted the area for any more clues. But apart from the proverbs
inscribed on the hall’s
walls, there was nothing else.
He read them again.
Despite racking his brain, there was
still no clear clue as to which path was correct.
Each proverb mentioned the Raven in
different forms—one hoarding secrets, another watching over
battles, and the last calling for the end.
<i>If
all paths lead to the Raven, why the distinction? </i>He
pondered.<i>
Is it some sort of curse, like the shackles?</i>
“That would make sense…” he
muttered to himself.
Pulling out some stones, he broke them
into smaller pieces and began tossing them into the different paths
and against the walls, testing for hidden traps.
Kvran just stared at him blankly as
Stark did most of the work.
But the knight wasn’t
entirely foolish—he could see it clearly. If he allowed the boy to
grow any further, it would spell his own inevitable end.
Kvran had seen individuals like Stark
before. Talents like his were rare, but they existed—those
exceptional capital squires from the academy who climbed the ranks to
become high-ranking Aura Knights in just a few years.
He had firsthand experience of
witnessing one such rapid growth.
There was a case two years ago—a
squire who had risen through the knight order at an unprecedented
pace, reaching the rank of High-Ranking Aura Knight in just a single
year.
The Grandmaster, Arlen, and the
Supreme Magus, Frestia, had pressured the king to keep the news under
wraps.
That High-Ranking Aura Knight had been
Kvran’s only childhood
friend—the very person he had once taught martial arts.
<i>That
boy</i><i>…
He’s just like him. It’s almost uncanny.</i>
Kvran sighed. <i>Though,
this one doesn</i><i>’t
seem as talented. Still, being cautious wouldn’t hurt.</i>
Meanwhile, Stark finished checking the
entrances for traps. Finding none, he pulled out some dry roots and
crafted a makeshift torch, using the fire lamps from earlier to light
it.
Kvran stood up, dusting off his back.
"Which pathway? Do you have any
hints?" he asked.
"The second one. Let’s
take that path," Stark said, handing Kvran a torch.
"Are you sure?" Kvran raised
a brow. "Is it the right path?"
"There are no right paths. Every
path leads to the Raven." Stark adjusted the straps on his
backpack, securing two extra torches to its side.
"Let’s
go."
Kvran followed silently. He knew the
boy was better at navigation and solving these kinds of puzzles.
As they entered the middle pathway,
the damp soil squelched beneath their boots. The scent of earth was
thick in the air.
Stark inspected the surroundings as
they walked. At the edges of the pathway, he spotted clusters of
fluorescent herbs. He knew better than to touch them.
Krul’s
lesson came back to him:
the more alluring a plant looks, the more likely it is to be
poisonous—or worse, a monster. Given their small size, these were
likely just toxic, not predatory.
Minutes later, the tunnel opened into
a vast cavern.
Fluorescent moss dotted the walls,
casting an glow over the space. Strange, bulb-like plants pulsed with
light, growing in dense clusters.
But the most bizarre sight of all was
the waterfall.
Or rather—the <i>bloodfall.</i>
Scarlet liquid poured down in
torrents, feeding into a wide, sluggish river that blocked their path
forward.
Kvran narrowed his eyes and stepped
closer to the fall. He sniffed the air. No distinct smell.
"This liquid..." He
hesitated. Carefully, he loosened the tip of his leather glove and
dipped it into the red stream.
<i>SSSSSSHHH!</i>
The glove sizzled instantly, curling
and blackening under the acidic burn.
"Tch!" Kvran yanked his hand
back. "It’s not safe."
Stark
pointed to the edge of the flowing stream. "Look over there."
Across
the red river, a series of stones jutted out, forming what seemed
like a natural path. Almost like stepping stones.
It
felt too convenient.
They
walked closer. Despite the gushing liquid, the stones remained
intact, showing no signs of sizzling or dissolving.
"It
feels off," Stark muttered.
"It
definitely does," Kvran agreed.
To
test it, Stark picked up a loose rock and hurled it at the nearest
stepping stone.
<i>CRACK—SPLASH!</i>
The
stone gave way instantly, sinking into the red liquid without
resistance. A trap.
Stark
turned to Kvran. "Can’t
you jump across with me?"
"Huh?"
Kvran frowned. "You want me to use movement arts to cross?"
"Yes!"
Stark said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Kvran
eyed the river’s
width. "I can cover about 75% in a single leap—but not the
rest."
"Oh,
then let''s do this." Stark crouched, gathering several stones.
Kvran
immediately understood. The boy wanted him to leap first while he
threw stones ahead, triggering any remaining traps before Kvran
landed. A risky, but effective, plan.
"Not
bad," Kvran admitted. "But can you even aim mid-leap?"
"Even
if I didn’t.
I don’t know movement arts! If there are two traps in a row, do you
think I can jump?" Stark scoffed. "Besides, the proverb
says I need to be here to complete the trial."
Kvran
didn’t
argue. The logic made sense.
"Fine,"
he sighed, grabbing Stark and putting him onto his back. "Ready?"
Stark
nodded.
Kvran
crouched, power surging in his legs. Then, like a bolt of lightning,
he launched forward.
Stark’s
eyes darted across the path, calculating in an instant. He flung the
first stone.
<i>CRACK—SPLASH!</i>
A trap.
Another
throw. <i>SPLASH!</i>
There
were more traps than expected. But Stark’s
training with daggers paid off—his aim was sharp, each stone
striking with precision.
Then—one
stone landed and the stepping stone held firm.
"There!"
Stark shouted.
Kvran
spotted it mid-air. Twisting, he adjusted his landing, barely
touching down before launching forward again.
A
heartbeat later, they skidded to a stop on the other side of the
river.
They’d
made it.
Kvran let Stark slide off his back.
Stark adjusted his backpack, somehow
having wedged the torches inside without burning the fabric. He
pulled them free to venture deeper into the dungeon.
As they moved away from the bloodfall,
the surroundings grew stranger. Fluorescent moss spread across the
walls, glowing in neon hues. Bizarre, bulbous plants pulsed faintly.
Then—
GRRRHHH
A deep, guttural rumbling echoed
behind them.
Kvran and Stark spun around.
A solid stone wall had risen where the
entrance had been.
No way back.
"What the fuck?" Kvran
snarled, stepping forward and driving his fist into the stone. A
solid thud—but
the wall didn’t even crack.
His expression darkened.
Stark raised his torch, scanning their
surroundings with tense anticipation. His free hand unsheathed his
sword, ready for the worst.
Then—text
materialized before them.
Scarlet letters dripped
through the air, as if written in blood.
[Prove
your Worth to the Master of the dungeon]
[Survive
the Horde]