Conquering the dungeon (Part 2)

As I began making my way to the third city, my thoughts kept going back to the bartender's information and what it all meant.

It was clear that conquering the dungeon alone was possible, but was it actually realistically achievable? It's one thing to be strong enough to do it, but having the courage and fortitude to face the unknown and navigate it alone would be a completely different challenge.

It reminded me of those rpg games where you need to clear the dungeon or domain alone, but this was different, this is real life.I knew that I could die if I don't go with no precautions.

The fact that this was real life and not some rpg game really made me consider the consequences of attempting to conquer the dungeon alone.

What if there was one or more traps that I couldn't figure out by myself? Or what if I simply ended up losing a fight against some powerful enemy? If I went in unprepared I could potentially die before even reaching the depths of the dungeon.

It was clear that I needed to do a lot more research and gather some reliable information before setting foot in the dungeon.

I was in deep thought when I suddenly noticed that I had made it to the third city. I knew that I would have to continue gathering as much information as possible if I wanted to succeed in this expedition.

With this in mind, I decided to explore the town a bit and see what I could find out. I also needed to keep an ear out for any rumors and gossip that might be useful to me. It felt like I was playing a spy game as I had to make sure to keep cover just in case anyone saw through my disguise.

I thought back to what Lia had told me earlier about the third city being guarded by an ancient god. I didn't feel very concerned about this, and I continued to explore the town.

I couldn't help but notice that the streets were filled with people going about their business. There was a busy atmosphere, and I felt a sense of excitement and adventure as I wandered through the crowds.

I noticed that there was a festival going on in the third city, so I decided to check it out.

I didn't exactly know what to expect from it, but I figured it would at least give me a chance to gather some more information. And who knows? Maybe there would be some food or snacks that I could enjoy as well.

I was just about to head over to the festival when a woman screamed, catching my attention. I saw that she had been robbed by a kid, but fortunately, a lady in a cloak managed to catch the thief.

It was an interesting sight, although unfortunately it was indeed an overused trope in rpg games. Regardless, I was glad that the woman was safe and that the thief had been caught without further drama.

I decided to check the woman's level and stats, and my eyes widened when I realized she was a 'Royalty' Class.

It was an interesting turn of events. I hadn't encountered such a high-ranked royal person during my adventure so far. But it's true that a lot of royalty in this world like to hide their identities, or perhaps they just want to live a more normal life free from the constraints of the royal life.

The woman disappeared in plain sight, even though she had disappeared,I could still sense her magic .The woman's mysterious disappearing act made me feel a bit uneasy. Was she trying to lure me into a trap or something?

I decided to follow her anyway, feeling compelled to know more about her.

The magic must have lured me to the forest near the dungeon as I ended up there after the woman had disappeared. This seemed like a good place to gather more information, so I decided to investigate.

As I entered the forest near the dungeon, I felt a sense of mystery and wonder wash over me.

There was a peaceful atmosphere here, and the lush greenery all around created an almost magical feel. I could see why the woman had brought me here, as it was definitely a calming and peaceful place that would attract anyone curious enough to venture inside.

I also noticed that there were some ancient ruins hidden deep in the forest. These ruins looked like they might hold important info or even treasure, so I knew I would have to investigate them later.

I continued to follow the woman's magic and eventually came across a small cabin near where her mana ended.

I found myself a bit suspicious of the cabin as it seemed out of place in the middle of this forest. Did the woman lead me here for a reason? Was there something important about the cabin that she wanted me to see?

I approached the cabin with some caution and found that the door was already slightly open.

The interior of the cabin felt a tiny bit off-putting as something didn't feel right about the place. For some reason I had a strange feeling that I should keep my guard up.

However, my curiosity got the best of me and I slowly stepped into the cabin. Maybe the woman had led me here for a reason after all.

As I stepped into the cabin, it felt like there was something odd about the place. I couldn't exactly put my finger on what it was but the cabin had a strange and unsettling feeling to it.

However, I could also sense that there was still magic inside, almost as if someone was nearby.

I looked around the cabin to see if I could figure out what was causing the strange sensation, but everything about the place felt off. As my curiosity got the better of me, I decided to keep looking around to see what could possibly be inside.

I was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the kid in front of me. She was wrapped in a loincloth and seemed to be in the middle of showering. I noticed that she looked quite irritated with me for entering her home without permission, which was quite understandable.

"Hey! Why are you entering someone's home without any permission at all? don't you have manners?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I was just following some magical energy and it led me here. I was curious to see what it was all about."

The kid looked at me with a scolding look, but her expression softened a bit at my explanation.

"Well, as long as you're not trying to steal anything, I won't get mad at you. But still, next time you should ask someone before entering their house. It's only proper manners."

"Also, what were you following?"

"Oh, I was just following this magic energy that led me here. It ended up in this cabin, but for some reason, the place feels kind of strange. Do you know what's up with that?"

"That must be my energy core that leaked earlier,I apologize for the inconvenience. Come inside, I'll dress in a swift and then let's talk"

"Oh, that explains a lot. So it was your power that I was following? No wonder it felt so strange," I responded, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Anyway, I appreciate you letting me come inside. It's no problem at all."

I looked around the cabin while the kid went to go get dressed. I didn't want to intrude on her privacy, so I decided to wait patiently.

As I waited patiently for the kid to get dressed, I noticed that the interior of the cabin was quite simple. Except for a few furniture pieces, there was very little in the room. The walls were bare, and the floor seemed oddly plain as well.

There was almost no decoration other than an old bookcase and a few jars of herbs. It all made the whole atmosphere feel quite austere and bare-bones.

I examined the cabin closely, and noticed that it was pretty simple. It consisted of one single room with a few chairs and a table in the center.

I also noticed that the magical energy coming from the core must've been the reason why the place had an unsettling feeling to it.

I tried to feel around and sense what kind of magic was contained within the core, but I couldn't quite figure out its nature. The magic seemed complex and arcane, making it difficult for me to get a good grasp on it.

I decided to leave the magic core alone as I didn't want to risk trying to touch it. The kid was still in the process of dressing, and I didn't want to interrupt her.

The magic core was definitely intriguing to me, but the kid still intrigued me more. She seemed like someone who might know a lot about the dungeon and the world in general. I was curious about what kind of conversation we would have once she was done getting dressed.

"By the way,are you by chance the lady that stopped the thief earlier?" I asked the kid

The kid looked at me and nodded her head.

"Yeah, that was me. I was just in the area at the time so I figured I'd help out." The kid replied, seeming quite proud about her actions.

The kid continued to stare at me intensely, her eyes making me feel a bit uneasy. She was definitely quite unique and interesting, and I was eager to know more about her.

I used my skill to check the kid's stats, and I was not surprised to find out that she had the same level stats as the lady that I had seen earlier.

The kid's stats had clearly belonged to a high-ranked individual. But there was one thing that kept bothering me about her. Her eyes seemed to never move from my face, as if she was constantly gauging my reactions to her words.

"So how come that your a so small compared to the lady earlier?,was that a transformation?"

The kid's eyes widened a bit at the question about her size. It seemed like she was reluctant to answer me at first, but then she finally responded.

"I am older than I look, if that's what you're asking," she responded.

I was shocked by the revelation. It was beyond what I had expected to hear from the kid, and it made me feel quite overwhelmed.

How could such a small and adorable looking kid be older than my grandparents or even my ancestors? What kind of magical properties did she possess to be able to live for that long?

I looked at her trying to gauge her age, thinking about all the possible scenarios and explanations that could be possible.

An elf or an immortal being.

Both options seemed plausible given the information that the kid had provided.

Elves are known to have superior magical skills and tend to live for a very long time. Similarly, immortals, are beings that have lived for thousands of years and possess powerful abilities and extraordinary intelligence.

The more I thought about it, it seemed like the kid's age could very well fit in with these two possibilities.

Regardless of the exact nature of the kid's existence, I was awed by her age and magical abilities.

I could sense the powerful magic radiating from her, and her age was certainly intriguing. She was like a wise and ancient being who had witnessed the entire history of this world.