"Young man, I recommend that you do not proceed any further down this path.“

  My appreciative gaze shifted away from the beautiful azure painting above, depicting the sky outside, and instead fixed itself on the source of the disturbance.

  A short man in heavy armor frowned up at me. The corners of his mouth, hidden behind a thick graying beard, pulled downwards.

  A suffocating pressure radiated from his diminutive body.

  My head tilted to the side. "And why exactly would I do that?… I just got here.“

  A deep exhale left the dwarf's bulbous nose. He pushed himself off the smooth wall he had been leaning against and closed the distance between us with short strides.

  "I have been an adventurer for more years than you have lived. In that time, I have seen many rookies. Some were talented, some were not. Some made it big and attained eternal glory; some died the first day they stepped foot in the Dungeon.“

  His glowering brown eyes sharpened visibly as he glared up at me.

  "But in all of that time, not once have I seen a newbie quite as foolishly brazen as you.“ His jaw clenched.

  He took a deep breath as if to steady himself.

  "What do you think you’re doing going into the Dungeon unarmored and, even worse, unarmed! Do you think this is a game? Is your life a joke to you?“

  I flinched backwards slightly at the intense look in the stranger's eyes.

  He must be one of those high-level adventurers I‘ve heard so much about.

  "What concern of yours is it how I choose to enter the Dungeon? You don’t know me. I am not a part of your Familia… What stake do you have in my survival?“

  The dwarven man's oppressive glare softened.

  He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Ah, the willful ignorance of youth… Yes, you are not part of my familia. Yes, you are not my responsibility—not mine to protect. But what does that matter? We share something far more important in common. The Dungeon is our enemy. It is the enemy of all living beings in Gekai… I will not stand by silently and watch a youngster like you be swallowed into its hungry maw.“

  The tension in my muscles loosened as I registered the man‘s words.

  A quiet huff escaped me.

  The right corner of my lips raised faintly. "I appreciate the concern, old man. I really do, but you don’t need to worry about me. It’s alright. I know what I'm doing—"

  A booming noise interrupted my speech.

  The ground shook beneath our feet as a translucent cloud of grey dust filled the air.

  The dwarf pulled his fist out of the stone wall.

  His wizened eyes glowed with burning conviction as he glared at me.

  "No, boy, you do not know! You know nothing! Not yet. But if you refuse to heed my advice… you will.“

  His stare grew vacant.

  Silence spread between us before the old man averted his eyes from mine.

  "In any case, you are right. You are not a part of my Familia. Whether you live or die is not for me to worry about… That burden falls to your god, your Familia captain, and your comrades. I have delivered my warning; my conscience is clear. What you choose to do next is your decision to make, and yours alone.“

  I stared unblinkingly as the aged dwarf turned around and left me behind.

  He halted his movements a moment before entering one of the numerous tunnels that served as the entrances to the Dungeon.

  He raised his voice without turning around. "One last thing... That dream of adventure you nurture in your heart, put it to rest. The Dungeon is nothing like the stories you heard about. Do not be fooled by the shining tales of valor and heroism. In this dark hell, only monsters roam.“

  The room turned silent when the veteran adventurer disappeared into the Dungeon.

  The only sound still reaching my ears was my rapidly beating heart thundering in my chest.

  The hairs on my neck rose up.

  —————

  So this is the Beginner Road.

  My path through the spacious tunnel was steadily illuminated by the dim light emitted by the luminous crystals that lined the jagged expanse of the ceiling above. With cautious steps, I marched deeper into the first floor of the Dungeon.

  "I did not expect it to be so… empty.“

  It was impossible to accurately determine the passage of time in the Dungeon without the use of specialized tools. However, going by a rough estimation, it could not have been less than half an hour since I first entered the Dungeon.

  And yet, there was no sign of either monsters nor any other adventurers.

  I slowed down my pace even further and trailed the tips of my fingers across the light blue colored walls as I passed them by.

  I cannot let my guard down.

  My expression sharpened as my posture straightened.

  With steady steps, I progressed from one empty tunnel to the next. After turning a few more corners of the sprawling labyrinth, I finally came across my first sign of life.

  A cracked wall, covered with bright red blood.

  My eyes narrowed as I evaluated the scene.

  The blood is still wet. Whatever happened here, it has not been long. The combatants must still be somewhere around here.

  I pulled the lever in my core and activated the Blessing of Death.

  With wary steps, I crossed the wide passage and turned the corner to the next section.

  There was nothing there.

  I shook my head.

  Am I overestimating this place?

  The tension in my shoulder loosened as I turned off my skill with a low huff.

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  A mistake.

  Barely a moment after I exhibited my first sign of carelessness since entering the first Dungeon floor, a loud crack echoed through the tunnel.

  A shrill shriek announced the birth of a monster.

  I did not hesitate for even a second. My eyes widened as I crouched down and rolled to the side.

  Not a moment too soon.

  Where I had once been standing, now hunkered a ugly, green creature.

  The monster was small, and its skinny limbs did not convey a feeling of strength.

  I narrowed my eyes as a flash of light reflected off of its sharp claws and nails.

  A goblin. The weakest monster in the dungeon. It has no weapons. Short arms. My reach is greater.

  In the split second it took the monster to land on the ground and rush towards my new position, I assessed its threat level and called forth my Blessing once more.

  My fists trembled from how tight I was balling them together.

  I planted my feet on the ground and, with one fluid movement, punched the approaching beast out of the air.

  It was as easy as swatting a fly.

  The moment my fist made contact with the monster's cheek, it exploded into a shower of black mist.

  Leaving nothing behind.

  I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes in preparation for the incoming high.

  A high that never came.

  "What is this? What is this feeling?" My eyes snapped open. "Where is my pleasure?" I glared at the air in front of me. "I earned this! I killed the monster fair and square!“

  Another crack from the wall to my right alerted me to the incoming danger.

  I whipped toward it, only to be forced to shift my attention to my left when another sound announced the birth of an additional monster.

  Two on one, huh?

  I lunged toward the monster that had came into being first and killed it with an open palm strike to its bare chest.

  The beast glowered at me with baleful red eyes, even as it evaporated.

  Without giving the sudden rush coursing through my veins any attention, I turned around and raised my fists.

  The second goblin made its assault the moment its clawed feet touched the ground.

  The small monster pounced toward me.

  Without delay, I shifted the majority of my weight on my left leg and lashed out with the other foot. A thunderous kick smashed the goblin back into the wall it came out of.

  The beast slid down and fell onto the ground in a graceless heap. Before it could get up again, I was on it and placed my hand flat onto its green face.

  A moment later, it was gone.

  A shuddering breath escaped me at the pleasure that spread from my core outwards into the rest of my body.

  Ahh… this is it. But still…it is not enough.

  I glared down at my empty hands. Why is this not working properly?

  I momentarily grew distracted as my thoughts turned back to the skill description of Morsalis.

  The Dungeon mercilessly punished me for my negligence.

  A heavy weight smashed onto my back, and pain assaulted my mind.

  An ever-increasing flood of warm, crimson blood gushed out of my neck, as razor-sharp teeth tore into my bare flesh.

  A hoarse scream tore its way out of my throat.

  My mind came to a screeching halt.

  With a movement driven purely by instinct, I reached up both of my hands and grabbed onto the disproportionately large head of the monster that was pushing me down to the floor.

  Once both my hands had found their target, I squeezed down hard.

  My mouth twisted into a bloody smile when the weight disappeared from my back.

  Sweet relief arrived immediately after the kill.

  I fell down to one knee and released a wheezing breath. My pupils dilated.

  After a moment of hesitation, I raised my hand and placed it over where the gaping wound had been just seconds ago. Beneath a thick layer of blood, there was only smooth skin.

  It is healed.

  My head fell fully backwards as I rested my other hand on the left side of my chest.

  My heart was pounding wildly.

  It is okay. I am okay.

  I stood up and raised myself to my full height. After a moment of consideration, I spread my arms wide on both sides.

  "I heard the Dungeon is alive, so you can hear me, right?… Was that really all you have?"

  I crouched down low when the sound of multiple cracks answered my taunt.

  My lips curled upward.

  "That is more like it."

  ————-

  My breathing gradually returned to normal as I tilted my head and peered around the empty tunnel.

  The floor and walls surrounding me were colored red with my blood.

  Of my vanquished enemies, nothing remained.

  I am missing something.

  My eyes narrowed. A few seconds later, they widened.

  I turned my head downward and frantically searched the floor. When that did not give me the result I hoped for, I pivoted and scanned every corner I had previously fought in.

  I found nothing.

  "Where are their magic stones?!“

  My breath hitched as I considered the situation.

  It did not take long for me to form a conclusion.

  "The Blessing of Death… destroys their magic stones when I kill them with it.“

  A passage of the Monster Encyclopaedia flashed before my eyes.

  'The source of their power is the magic stone that gives them life.'

  I scanned the empty floor and rubbed my forehead.

  This complicates things… does that mean I need to kill them with my bare hands if I want to get their magic stones?

  My jaw clenched as I kicked the Dungeon wall.

  It was already healing from the marks my battle had left on it.

  "How is this fair? The Falna made no mention of that being the case… I don’t even feel any stronger than I did before. What empowerment? This skill is useless!“

  Did the Falna change the nature of my Blessing when it was turned into a skill?

  My fists trembled by my sides for a moment longer as I stared at the ground with knitted brows.

  Slowly, I loosened my tensed muscle and released a sigh.

  "I… really should have listened when that guild lady tried to sell me her beginner weapon.“

  I shook my head and took a firm step forward. As I did that, my feet splashed into a puddle of blood.

  No use stressing it now. What I need is Valis. If I have to get my hands dirty to get them, then so be it

  With an unhurried gait, I advanced deeper into the labyrinth.

  Silence blanketed the area.

  The long break was very unlike the rapid-fire succession in which the goblins had spawned before.

  When the Dungeon finally attacked me again, it immediately deployed two of its lesser children, instead of one.

  However, they were of an entirely different breed of monsters than the goblins I had previously faced.

  Twin red eyes glared at me out from dog-like faces. Aside from their animal heads and the tails growing out of their backs, the grey fur covering their lower half was the only thing that distinguished them from human males.

  They are kobolds. Level 1 monsters. Predominantly found on the upper floors.

  The werewolf-like beasts jumped toward me in a synchronized leap.

  I grit my teeth and waited until they were within reach. In the last possible second, I jumped to the side just far enough for the kobold on the right side to graze my shoulders with its claws.

  Before the monster could gather itself and turn around to strike at me again, I punched it in its dog-like head.

  In the meantime, the other kobold had successfully repositioned itself and swiped its sharp, clawed hand at my face. I quickly pulled the lever in my core and reactivated my skill.

  Now again as the Blessed of Death, I grabbed onto the incoming limb with my bare left hand. The deep puncture wounds disappeared the moment Morsalis fulfilled its purpose.

  The monster evaporated into black mist.

  Without pause, I deactivated my skill and shifted my attention towards the still disoriented kobold I had struck previously.

  I coiled my legs and leaped onto its shorter body.

  After I encircled its furred waist with my lower limbs, I stuck both of my hands onto its head, each on one side.

  My deactivated skill made it so that the skin contact did not outright kill it, but that would not remain true for long.

  I plunged my thumbs into the monster's bulging eyes.

  A pained roar tore itself out of my victims throat, but I did not relent.

  I pushed my fingers in deeper until I felt resistance and then continued even further. The monster below me thrashed around a few more times before it stopped struggling.

  The beast went limp and shortly after, exploded into black mist.

  Leaving behind a single, crystalline magic stone.

  I heaved a breath and picked up the purple treasure with my bloody thumb and index finger.

  Shining within the stone was an internal source of white light.

  "All of that effort… spent for this tiny thing.“

  I sighed and put the magic stone into the bag I had loaned from the guild.

  "I need to pay my debts. I need to buy a weapon. I need to make sure that Hestia is comfortable. And for that…“ I straightened and wiped the sticky blood on my hands off on my pants.

  I stared down the dimly lit passage of the first Dungeon floor. "…I need to kill.“

  ——————

  I came to a stop with my back facing the uneven light blue wall. My eyes closed as I leaned onto it and slid downwards until I was sitting on the floor with my legs extended.

  Red blood dripped from my hands onto the stony ground.

  My arms were entirely covered in the red liquid, and so were my feet. Barely a few patches of white remained on my formerly spotless shirt.

  I should probably turn back now.

  I pivoted my head to my right side and cast a sidelong glance toward the inviting entrance of the Dungeon’s second floor.

  "Surely I have gathered enough magic stones for a single day's work… Why risk staying any longer?“

  'That dream of adventure you nurture in your heart…put it to rest.'

  My fingers twitched as the memory surfaced.

  My heartbeat sped up.

  'I think you are going to die. You wear no armor, wield no weapons, and know nothing about what it means to be an adventurer. Neither I nor any of my colleagues would ever accept to be your advisor. You are a lost cause.“

  A scoff escaped me.

  Just watch me.

  I rose to my feet and entered the stairway without looking back.

  With steady steps, I descended into the second floor of the Dungeon.

  Following behind me, the shadows cast by the dimly glowing crystals deepened until they swallowed me whole.