The soft glow of the Guardian Screen lit my study in a muted blue hue, casting dancing reflections on the polished desk surface. The rest of the manor had gone quiet—Elvie and Ella had already gone to bed, and the night guards were patrolling the walls. But I couldn't sleep.
Not with what I'd just discovered.
Dungeon Identified: Whispering Sepulcher
Tier: Mythic
Element: Necrotic
Threat Level: Severe
Key Drop: Bloodroot Nectar — one of the only known alchemical items capable of purging soul-binding curses.
Application: Possible Cure for the Royal Curse of Fragmented Mind
I rubbed my temple slowly. Am I really going to risk my life over the king's curse? I mean, it didn't have any reward according to the Guardian system. Am I really doing this? But whatever, I maybe stupod but I couldn't let this kingdom fall to the enemies. "This... this might be it."
Ever since I'd heard the truth of the king's condition—fragments of his soul sealed, mind split by cursed magic—I'd kept my eyes open for something, anything, from the system that could help. It wasn't just about the king. Healing him could shift everything. Balance of power, alliances... and it might even protect this land I was building from predators like the bastard Duke Vaelreth.
I leaned back in my chair, staring up at the wooden beams above me.
"Of course it's a Mythic-tier dungeon," I muttered, half amused, half exasperated.
This one wasn't going to be easy. Whispering Sepulcher. The name alone felt like a warning. And judging by the system notes, the monsters inside wouldn't be pushovers—undead with necrotic resistance, curse-bearers, shadow phantoms. Just the kind of hell I'd need a good team for.
A soft knock pulled me from my thoughts.
"Come in."
Kael stepped inside, still in uniform, his dark cloak slightly damp from the mist rolling through the garden paths.
"You're up late," he said, then paused when he saw my frown. I know that he suspected that have invisible magic with me all the time because he saw me tapping in the air all the time. His gaze sharpened. "Dungeon plans, boss?"
I gave a slow nod. "Something like that. Found something... interesting."
I drew something in the notepad on my night table and showed it to him so he could see the Bloodroot Nectar I drew. He saw it silently, eyes widening.
"That can cure the king?" he asked, stunned.
I nodded with a sigh, though without any rewards, are you really sure you like to come with me in the dungeon and risk your life?"
"Of course, I swore to serve you, my lord. You are our hero, you know. You save my family and friends. You—"
I rolled my eyes at him, "yeah yeah! Enough with the compliment."
"But it's true."
I smiled, "Okay, so, this cure I know works," I said. "My guardian is confident. I'd still need to refine it and tailor it for soul-type curses. But yes. It's possible."
He looked up at me, and for a moment, the implications hit both of us.
"If you succeed," he said quietly, "the king will owe you a debt no noble could match."
I shrugged, but I felt the weight of it. "Or Vaelreth will decide I've become too dangerous to ignore."
"That too," Kael gave a grim nod. "I'll start prepping a team."
"No mercenaries," I said quickly. "Only those we've trained. I need loyalty, not brawn. I want five—or six people who've fought beside us, who've grown strong under our banner."
"I already have names in mind."
I stood and walked over to the window. From here, I could see the garden, the shimmering faint glow of the divine tree out in the distance, pulsing with magic.
"Kael..." I said quietly, "if this works... it won't just heal a king. It might change the entire future of this realm. But it also means painting a target on our backs bigger than ever."
Kael stepped beside me. "You've already got a target on your back. Might as well earn it."
I chuckled, but deep down, I felt it too. The weight. The responsibility.
I wasn't just building a village anymore. I was standing between this world and whatever shadows its nobility couldn't face.
And I wasn't backing down.
"Ready the maps," I told Kael. "We're entering the Sepulcher tomorrow. I want this land strong before we vanish underground."
As Kael left, I turned back to the screen one more time and tapped the "Track Dungeon Activity" button.
"Let's see what secrets you're hiding, Sepulcher."
The next day. The third floor was a forest around us, and was unnaturally quiet.
Even the wind seemed to hesitate before brushing the trees. We stood at the edge of the Deadpine Marshlands, at the foot of a broken hill. Half-sunken stone pillars jutted from the ground like ribs of some dead beast. Before us was a crumbled stairwell descending into darkness, shrouded in creeping green fog.
The entrance to the Whispering Sepulcher.
"Alright," I said, adjusting the gloves I bought from the Guardian Store—enchanted to resist necrotic rot. "Everyone knows the mission. In and out. We find the Bloodroot Nectar, check for any extra loot worth grabbing, and get the hell out."
Felix, tall and battle-hardened, his earth magic glowing faintly beneath his armor, cracked his knuckles. "Finally, a fight that matters. No more bandit camps."
"Try not to punch a ghost," I muttered. "This place eats cocky knights for breakfast."
He grinned. "Ghosts can still be punched. I'll make it work."
Kael stood beside him, checking the inscriptions on his sword. Calm, disciplined, focused. A true tactician. The opposite of his twin, Karl, who leaned on his staff nearby with a frown on his face and a thousand things clearly weighing on him.
I gave Karl a look. "You still with us?"
He blinked. "Yeah... just thinking."
I nodded slowly. I knew about his family. I hadn't said a word since he told Kael, but I knew. I wasn't about to turn my back on him—but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't watching his every move, just in case.
Then there was Sylphy, eyes glowing faintly with silver mana, her bow already drawn. She was our scout and ranged powerhouse. Her connection with wind magic made her perfect for a dungeon like this—fast, sharp-eyed, and deadly.
Sylphy stepped forward, scanning the entrance. "There's a barrier just inside. Weak, but laced with curse runes. We'll want to enter together, fast, or risk separation."
"Guardian," I whispered, and the Guardian Screen hovered silently before my eyes.
✨ Active Quest: Cure the King's Curse
Dungeon: Whispering Sepulcher
Party Stats: Synced
Success Rate Estimate: 51%
High-Risk. High-Reward. Proceed?
51% success rate? What the hell was it supposed to mean? I sighed and Ignored the little warning in my brain, I took a breath. The system rarely gave me odds, but 51%? That was a coin toss.
I clicked Proceed.
Quest Accepted. Dungeon Entry Sealed.
All party members locked. Escape disabled until dungeon complete.
The barrier shimmered and fell. The air shifted immediately.
Everything inside the dungeon felt wrong—twisted, echoing with faint whispers. Walls of bone-fused stone and violet moss pulsed faintly in time with something—like a heartbeat coming from below.
Sylphy shuddered. "This place is alive. Bloody scary but yeah, whatever."
We moved quickly, keeping tight formation. I took point, Felix at my right, Kael and Karl at the center, and Sylphy at the rear. The torches along the wall didn't burn fire—they hissed with ghostly blue light. Our first encounter came fast.
A dark shape emerged from the shadows, its bones laced with dark iron, eyes glowing with cursed fire.
What the hell? Really? Hollywood much?
I murmured with visible nervousness in my voice, "Careful everyone. I can afford a dead body out later."
"Yes, boss!" Felix grumbled back with confidence I couldn't muster.
"It's a Warden of Regret," I said. According to the system. Level 87. Immune to basic slashes.
I raised my small sword, the one bearing my name, now glowing bright violet.
"Let's go," I said calmly, my backpack weighing heavy on my shoulder.
Then we charged.
Felix and Kael met it head-on with a gun and sword, drawing its attention with a roar, while Sylphy's arrows flew into the gaps in its armor. Igor and Karl chanted defensive runes, shielding us. I blinked behind it using the Blink Amulet, striking at its spine.
One hit.
Two.
Its magic tried to claw into my arm—curse touch—but my gloves absorbed the energy.
Then came the third strike, and with a blast of violet light, the monster shattered, its fragments sizzling into dust.
Monster Defeated.
Well, that was easy!
Dungeon Progress: 3%
I stepped back, panting, and looked around. Everyone was up. Alive.
Kael grinned. "Nice to see that sword still works."
Sylphy shook her head. "We're barely inside and that was a scout?"
"Yeah," I said grimly. "They weren't kidding. This is going to get worse."
Felix patted my shoulder. "Wouldn't want it any other way, boss."
I glanced down the hall ahead. A long corridor lined with statues, each one whispering as we passed.
This was just the beginning, however, I couldn't help but smile, somehow we looked like a group of dungeon hunters like what I've seen in a Hollywood movie. Something like Lara Croft or something.
But somewhere in this tomb was the Bloodroot Nectar, and if I had to claw it from the jaws of death itself, I would. Because this wasn't just about loot anymore.
It was about saving a king, protecting a realm... and showing the nobles that this "outsider" didn't just build markets and roads.
He built futures or He was just stupid risking his life for the kingdom.
However, the third floor was worse than anything I could've imagined.
We descended from the skeletal stairwell only to step into a cathedral of death. Towering ceilings arched over us like the ribs of a corpse, and hundreds—hundreds—of bodies were embedded in the walls. Faces frozen in agony. Their souls moaned softly, their breathless despair weaving through the air like fog.
Even my magic, normally thrumming strong in my veins, pulsed unsteadily now—like it was afraid.
Kael was breathing hard beside me, clutching his side where a previous trap had grazed him. His twin, Karl, moved slower than usual—his face pale, haunted. Sylphy and Igor stayed alert, her bow drawn, but I could see the tension in her shoulders.
At the center of the room stood the Boss.
A hulking, towering abomination.
What the hell was that?