"Uh… Yes—"
Just as Sorin opened her mouth to respond, Marthel stepped forward and said, "Yes, this dungeon belongs to us."
"Then is there any chance that—"
"No, there is no chance we're going to recruit any of you," Marthel loudly interrupted.
She proceeded to turn toward the others in the distance and continued, "This goes for the rest of you, so you can bugger off."
The Awakeners all frowned, their blood boiling in anger.
"Why the hell are you so rude? There's no harm in being polite, you damn old hag!" someone shouted.
"Hah! Would you be polite to a bunch of beggars if they were to stand outside your house, blocking the entrance?" Marthel retorted.
"Now get out of the way before I ask those guards to remove you!"
"Che."
"Damn old lady."
"I hope you trip and break your back."
The Awakeners loudly cursed as they begrudgingly walked away.
Once they left, Marthel turned to face Sorin and lectured, "You should never recruit dungeon campers like them. The majority of them are not trustworthy and would backstab you in a heartbeat when given the opportunity, especially these days."
Sorin nodded her head in a dazed manner.
"Good."
They approached the dungeon entrance.
"Can I see your licenses and proof of ownership for the dungeon?" asked one of the individuals standing guard.
The three of them showed their licenses while Sorin retrieved an additional piece of paper.
"I have confirmed your licenses and ownership. You have one month and ten days left for this dungeon. You may enter whenever."
The guard stepped aside, allowing them to enter the dungeon.
Aslan noticed Sorin's body was trembling and tapped her shoulder.
"Ah!" Sorin shouted in surprise.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you."
"No, I should be the one apologizing… Even though I've prepared myself, I still can't help but tremble when standing before it."
"There's nothing to worry about. I will stand in the front to distract all of the monsters so you can focus on healing," he said.
"Okay. Whenever you're ready."
"W-Wait!" Sorin suddenly said, "I almost forgot. Let me send you a party invite."
"I thought we're already a party."
"That was for formality. We still need to do it through the system to receive the benefits," she explained.
[Sorin(Lv. 1) has sent you a party invite]
"Accept."
[You are now in a party with Sorin(Lv. 1)]
[You will receive increased experience while in a party]
[Experiences gained through defeating monsters will be shared with party members]
"Okay, I am ready now."
Aslan retrieved the Nameless Sword and took the lead, entering the dungeon without the slightest hesitation in his movement. Sorin swallowed nervously before wearing her full armor and following him with stiff movements. Marthel entered last.
[You have entered the dungeon 'Skeleton Graveyard']
[The Gods that favorited your channel have been notified of your new adventure!]
['Lone Sword from the Eastern Star' has joined the channel.]
['Metal Embraced by Flames' has joined the channel.]
['Love for Justice' has joined the channel.]
Upon entering the dungeon, Aslan was greeted by a dark, starless night sky and a pale moon that offered only the faintest illumination. Just as Sorin had described during the briefing, they stood in the middle of a graveyard with tombstones stretching in every direction like a field of silent watchers.
As Aslan gazed at the rows of tombstones, his thoughts instinctively drifted to those he had lost at the Spring Orphanage. His hand clenched into a tight fist, and his heart stirred with anger.
When Sorin and Marthel stepped into the dungeon, Sorin retrieved a small trinket and activated it before tossing it into the air. It emitted a soft, steady light, bright enough to improve visibility without being harsh or disruptive to the surrounding darkness.
"So this is what it's like inside a dungeon…" Sorin murmured, a shiver running down her spine as the eerie atmosphere pressed in around her.
"What's next?" Aslan asked.
"This dungeon isn't very big, so let's just wander around and see if we can find any treasures. Of course, we'll deal with any monsters we encounter," she said.
He nodded.
"I'll take the lead."
With the Nameless Sword tightly in his grip, Aslan began walking forward.
Marthel's eyes landed on his sword, her gaze filled with curiosity and intrigue.
'Though I don't sense anything from it, it doesn't seem to be an ordinary sword… Is it an ornament shaped like a sword or something else? How did he acquire such a treasure with his background?' she wondered.
After walking for several minutes, Aslan suddenly halted when he spotted a figure in the distance.
It was a skeleton—tall and human-shaped—its bony hands gripping a rusted, damaged sword as it slowly staggered forward.
"I'm going to attack it, okay?" Aslan said.
Sorin gave a silent nod.
The Skeleton Warrior's hollow eye sockets flickered with an eerie spectral blue glow, sparking with a faint semblance of will as it noticed Aslan charging toward it.
It raised its damaged sword high and brought it down in a simple, vertical slash.
"Hah!"
In response, Aslan swung his sword upward in a rising arc.
The moment the Nameless Sword clashed with the skeleton's rusty blade, it cut through the blade without any resistance.
Then, without losing momentum, he brought his sword down in one fluid motion, cleaving through the skeleton's body as effortlessly as a sharp knife slicing through tofu.
[Lv. 11 Skeleton Warrior defeated]
[You have gained some experience]
Marthel watched with wide eyes as Aslan defeated the Skeleton Warrior in a single strike.
'Not only does his swordsmanship betray his supposed inexperience, but that sword—it's definitely a treasure!' she thought, her curiosity only deepening.
"Great job!" Sorin called out from a distance, her voice filled with excitement.
But Aslan didn't respond—he was already crouched beside the skeleton's remains, searching intently for its monster core.
When he couldn't find one, he sighed and stood back up.
"Let's keep going," he said.