Two days had passed since Aslan settled into the hotel. Though it may seem like a short time, he had already made noticeable progress. As an Awakener, his body recovered from fatigue far more quickly than that of an ordinary person, and more importantly, it adapted and grew stronger at an extraordinary rate.
Once prepared, Aslan went to the lobby to wait for Sorin.
After half an hour of waiting, Aslan spotted Sorin entering the hotel. But she didn't appear to be alone, and an elderly woman wearing a fancy black suit followed closely behind her.
When she spotted Aslan, Sorin quickened her step and approached him.
"Sorry, I hope you didn't wait too long," she apologized.
"Not at all," he said.
His gaze shifted to the old woman standing behind her, but not wanting to appear nosy, he refrained from questioning her identity.
"Um, before we head to the dungeon, let me introduce you to my nanny. I wanted to explore the dungeon with just the two of us, but she insisted on coming after learning it'd just be us." Sorin explained in a somewhat disappointed tone.
The old woman stepped forward and said, "My name is Marthel, and I worked as Lady Sorin's nanny until recently. Though I will be accompanying you to the dungeon, I won't lift a finger unless I sense danger."
"I'm Aslan."
"..."
Marthel sized him from head to toe in silence before asking him, "What's your class and level?"
"I'm a Warrior, and I am level 8."
"You're just a beginner who recently awakened. Where did you get the confidence to enter a dungeon with two people and without a tank? You're not from a reputable background, either," she asked in a somewhat suspicious tone.
"Though the dungeon may only be F-Rank, it's more than what two newbies can handle. I suggest you find another member—a tank before you challenge the dungeon."
Aslan wasn't sure how to respond, but he didn't have to. Sorin stepped forward and spoke firmly.
"Granny, you promised not to interfere with my decision. Do you have any idea what I've gone through these past two days just to prepare myself mentally for this dungeon? I'm not backing down—not even for a day! And now that you're coming with us, we have even less reason to delay!"
Marthel sighed while shaking her head.
"Fine, I won't stop you. However…"
She turned to look at Aslan and continued, "My job is to protect Lady Sorin. I will prioritize her safety over yours. If I could only save one, you will die."
Aslan showed a calm smile and said, "That's already more than what I was expecting."
Some time later, they entered a car and left the hotel.
As they made their way to the dungeon, Sorin briefed Aslan on the dungeon.
"This dungeon was recently created, and we'll be the first ones to explore it, so there's a good chance we'll find some treasures inside. If we do find treasures… let's share it 50/50."
Aslan then spoke, "I don't mind receiving less. After all, this is your dungeon, so everything in there is technically yours."
"That's not right! Because we're a party, it's OUR dungeon!" she firmly corrected him. "And if we're going to talk technically, it's my family's dungeon."
"Now then, let's talk about the monsters," she continued. "The dungeon is filled with undead monsters, mainly skeletons, and their levels range from 5 to 15. Skeletons are weak against blunt-type weapons and holy-attribute skills. Any questions so far?"
Aslan quietly shook his head.
"Next, let's go over the dungeon itself. The environment resembles a graveyard, so it'll be quite dark inside. But don't worry, I've prepared everything we'll need to handle it."
Once she ended the briefing, Sorin turned to look at Marthel, almost as if looking to be complimented.
"How was my first briefing? I did it flawlessly, right?"
Marthel calmly spoke, "It's a bit simple, but it's not bad. Since this is just an F-Rank dungeon, this level of briefing will suffice."
She turned to look at Aslan and continued, "You… are an orphan from Spring Orphanage, correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Marthel looked at Sorin next and asked, "Did you tell him about the location of this dungeon?"
"Oh!" Sorin suddenly exclaimed, as if something had just struck her. "That's right! I almost forgot!"
She turned to face Aslan and spoke in a solemn tone, "Um… you know that dungeons are created from invasions, right?"
"I know."
"This new dungeon… It's located where Spring Orphanage once stood," she revealed softly.
"It was formed from the invasion that destroyed your home. I didn't really connect the dots until I returned home. I'm sorry."
Aslan's eyes widened at the revelation. He was about to enter a dungeon—one born from the very invasion that had taken the Spring Orphanage from him?
"This…must be fate…" he mumbled in a low voice.
The rest of the car ride passed in silence. About an hour later, they arrived at the dungeon's entrance.
When Aslan stepped out of the car, he had expected to see the ruins of the Spring Orphanage. However, the entire area had been cleared. Aside from the dungeon entrance, a few stationed guards, and some bystanders, there was nothing left, not even a trace of what once stood there.
The dungeon entrance took the form of a circular portal, ominously hovering just above the ground. It radiated a strange, almost sentient aura, as if silently beckoning challengers to step inside.
"Excuse me, are you the owner of this private dungeon?"
Shortly after they exited the car, one of the bystanders stepped forward and approached them.
The people gathered nearby weren't ordinary onlookers. They were Awakeners, all there for the same purpose—waiting for the owner of the dungeon to show up so they could try to get recruited.