Chapter 23: Dungeon (II).

Chapter 23: Dungeon (II).

Francisca's POV

"A minotaur… in this dungeon as the boss." If it's the same minotaur then from the mythology of her earth, it'll be a monster boss having a bull for the top half of his body and the other would be human parts.

"It seems you know that monster that's guarding the only way out for you, human." (Chief Helbram) eyes me peculiarly. "Such a rare beast and you already know of it despite only being so young." 

"I read it in a… book! There was this really vintage book I found in my home containing information about monsters! I read a lot in my free time." I didn't exactly lie, I had a book back home containing the wonders of mythology and their legends- lore of how they came to be. 

Not to mention we had a course subject in school where we needed to learn English literature containing the wonders of the world for Greek mythology- to think… this world would have the same thing here.

"Ah, a studious child, apologies, human. Our kinds differ on growth- if you were my kind one would think of you as a little fetus."

"T-Thanks?"

"Well… you said that the curse of the dungeon is that no humans will be able to get out the same way as before- I have to kill the beast first."

"Yes, if you do not believe me you are welcome to try and make your way out now that we know you're not from the Metalicana tribe we have no desire to kill an innocent human." 

"No, I believe you." I took out my phone and showed it to the elven chief. "I have a map of the dungeon using this device- um… that I made."

"What is this witchcraft?! You possess the map of the dungeon?!" (Chief Helbram) with a shocked expression tries getting a close look, of course, thinking he meant no harm. I gave him the phone and he carefully took it in his hand.

"Yes, it's… um something that is powered by magic and only humans can use it, specifically it was made for me. Anyone else who tries using it will just be denied because it has a lock."

Chief Helbram eyes my phone but immediately gives it back after inspection. "I see, from your contraption it is peculiar but your map is blank except for this part of the floor."

"Perhaps you would call this part of the dungeon a safe space where the curse is not affecting the people who visit the dungeon, you are free to move and there is vegetation as well as a clean spring for us to continue on living." (Chief Helbram) explains, pointing at the blank part of my phone.

"The other parts appear to be blank and my theory is those are affected by the curse, those parts move. Humans who come inside here cannot go out, for they will be taken by the curse." 

"What do I do?"

"You wish to go home?"

"Yes, I don't know how many hours have passed and I fear that my companions in the temple will come looking for me if I don't hurry." Not to mention I'll be punished for disobeying the temple rules, getting outside the breach of the barrier will give me a lot of trouble.

"I have… no choice." It was a mistake coming here, I need to find a way out of this place and there's always a way. This is a dungeon, meaning if I complete every floor and kill the boss- surely I can get out. 

"I'm going to kill that beast whether you're with me or I'm going in alone."

The elven chief slaps his thigh in laughter. "You are determined to kill. I brand you as foolish, human. With the way you currently are now then it's impossible-" He couldn't finish his words, as his eyes widened in shock. 

I felt my body tingle, as his attempt didn't work on me.

"You scanned me, didn't you?" I asked him, feeling his eyes blink from confusion as he tried reading my personal information. The only ones who could do that were my mom and no one else. "You're one of the few people who can see it."

The elf chief Helbram covered his mouth. "This is… are you… truly human?" 

"I am… human." 

He stood up quickly and ordered someone out of the hut to take me to the dungeon. "Elre, you can show her the way out of this village. But don't let the beast wake up, you are to come home and not accompany her in the danger that follows."

It was the elf boy that I followed before, he widened his eyes staring down at me in a worry. 

"But father she's only a human child- she'll die if she attacks the beast." Elre tried reasoning with him when his father cut him off.

"This human is far stronger than anyone else in this village. If she wants to kill the beast, then she will have no problem." (Chief Helbram) goes out of the hut leaving me with his son. "Come back after, and let the human do as she pleases. She is not the elven tribe's responsibility."

"She's… stronger than anyone else in the village?" (Elre) asked, not believing such a statement. "I will escort her to the dungeon floors."

"Good, leave this place human."

Elre lowered his head signaling a goodbye and he urged me to follow him out of the hut. I followed him out, the other elf villagers eyed me curiously but seeing that I wasn't much of a treat and gave a few offerings as an apology they had a friendly face as I left their home.

We went back to the cave and started walking.

"Hey, human."

"Yeah?" I said.

"Well about that dungeon beast can I come with you?" He said with a serious look. 

From the look on his face, he was angry. "I don't understand why you- how could father call you the strongest in all of the village? Many warriors have tried defeating the beast in hopes it would drop a rare item we can use for our revenge."

So the dungeon boss will drop an item if I beat him?

"If you can scan me you'll understand… I was born rather different from other humans but I'm still the same." I told him and I could feel him trying to scan me but I'm sure it wouldn't have worked. 

He's far too leveled to be able to access my information archive. "...drats it's locked. A human like you is so strong." 

I shrugged knowing I was right. I gave him a faint smile as we continued walking further into the dungeon. "I don't think you'll be able to scan me no matter how much you tried."

"I… cannot accept how possible it is that a human child could be stronger than an elf."

"Let's… just kill that boss so I can go home, please."

…

We were finally out of the safe floor, and I checked my map seeing another unlocked part of the dungeon. It was no longer pitch black, I could see this part of the floor clearly, with the entryways and traps.

"What are these?" I held my phone and checked my surroundings. There's a few monsters on the side, ones that I can beat. 

But something else caught my eye. 

There were so many dotted items with purple color, indicating that it's of high rarity. 

I clicked on one of the purple dots and saw the item description.

[Gold Ore].

Note: Please scan the item to unlock information.

My eyes widened in surprise seeing that there were so many gold ore reserves around this area. There were so many gold ores in this cave. It could sell a fortune, I only saw this in games but dungeons in terms of loot are really bountiful. 

I turned to my escort and asked him if he knew, "Hey, Elre, have you ever visited this part of the dungeon before?"

"Yes I did."

"Have you ever found gold in this place and do elf people see any use of it?"

"Yeah- gold dust is a potion ingredient we can store and before all the war our people can make many accessories. Why… Do you ask?"

"Just curious, I've never thought gold could naturally spawn in a dungeon."

"It really depends on what kind of dungeon it is." He explains, arms crossed that there were different dungeons that existed in the world. 

"Dungeons spawn naturally, it is believed that the gods and goddesses would give humans rare loot and treasure if they give an entertaining adventure for the heavens to watch." (Elre) tells me and as a person who has been chosen, reincarnated with memories intact of meeting a god that is true.

"[Open Dungeon] are what we call public ones, you could see them anywhere in the world and they tend to be the easiest. The monsters that spawn and breed there are not much of a threat by elven standards but you're in a [Closed Dungeon]. These dungeons are hidden with stronger monsters to fight but better loot." (Elre) takes something out of his [Inventory] before throwing it over to me. 

"Oh-!" I caught it between my hands and realized that it was a notebook. "What's this for?"

"Read it."

I did what he told me to do and opened the book. It contained a list of monsters to watch out for and a few warnings of how dangerous they are. The names, the skill and if they possess any elemental magic ability. 

"This should help you, I have already memorized that. These are the notes I gathered from everyone in the elven village. Those who had experience in fighting and some who saw their friend die from being eaten by it." With a solemn look, he clicked his tongue and I turned to the very last page.

The [Minatour] section was empty.

"We only thought it was a regular cave at the time and sought shelter from the other clan that was attacking us, little did we know it was a dungeon cursed for humans who enter shall never be able to leave."

"I'm an elf so I am able to leave and enter." 

I connected all the pieces- so that man I buried was from the human clan that hunted the elves. "I guess that's why I found a few dead soldiers near the entrance way when I was following you, they couldn't get out when they chased your clan down."

"If you were any other race, you could've been lucky."

"I guess so."