Dungeon [2]

As Lucas approached the towering ancient gate, he lightly touched it, and the gates began to open for him. Nervously, he started walking forward, entering the boss room.

Yet...

Inside the boss room, he found himself in an old, open, ancient chamber with a throne ahead of him, atop a set of stairs. The room was littered with destruction, as if a fierce battle had taken place, leaving debris strewn everywhere.

'W-what happened here? Where is the boss?' Lucas scanned the room, his blood-red eyes darting about, but he found no sign of the boss. There was only a single skill book lying in the middle of the room.

'This is obviously a trap. The skill must have belonged to the boss of this dungeon. But who killed it? What happened to the person who defeated it? Shouldn't a gate appear when you defeat the boss of a dungeon?'

Questions swirled in Lucas's mind, confusion clouding his thoughts.

'No, this dungeon has been weird from the start. I should have known it wasn't normal for a king predator to appear so early.'

Cautiously, Lucas approached the skill book, his senses on high alert for any signs of danger. As he reached the book, he hesitantly picked it up, half-expecting an ambush or trap to spring upon him. Yet, to his surprise, nothing happened. No attack came, no trap was triggered.

"What should I do? Should I absorb the skill book or keep it with me to sell it?" Lucas pondered his options, weighing the risks and benefits in his mind. In the end, he decided to absorb the skill book and obtain whatever skill lay within it.

"Still, for a skill book to appear in my first dungeon..."

Lucas mused, contemplating the unusual circumstances.

Placing his hand atop the skill book, Lucas infused it with his mana, causing it to vanish into blue particles that seeped into his body. As he did so, a female voice with no discernible emotions whispered in his ear, and a message appeared before his eyes.

"[New skill unlocked: Appraisal lvl1]

[Appraisal lvl1]: Be able to see basic information of the desired target you use the skill on. Can be living or non-living things."

"What a useful skill! And level 1? Does that mean it can evolve? How can I make it level up? Does it depend on me getting stronger?" Lucas's mind raced with questions and excitement as he pondered the potential of his newfound skill.

Deciding to test the skill immediately, Lucas turned his attention to the throne in the room and activated [Appraisal].

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Status screen:

[Name]: Throne of #@!;$

[Description]: Throne of #@!;$, an ancient king who was said to rival the 1st dragon king thousands of years ago and a loyal friend of #@!;$.

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"W-what? Why can't I read the names of the king whose throne this belonged to, and..." Lucas trailed off, a hint of unease creeping into his thoughts.

Gulp

"He could rival the 1st dragon king... I didn't know dragons actually existed in Myrniel... No, I don't think anyone actually knows. They must have been an ancient race lost in history... And a loyal friend of someone whose name I also can't read..."

Sigh

"So many mysteries... Just what is this dungeon?" Lucas pondered, feeling a sense of unease settle over him as he grappled with the enigma of the dungeon's secrets.

Deciding to test the skill once more, Lucas focused on the sword embedded in the floor next to the throne.

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Status screen:

[Name]: Key of #@!:$

[Description]: A key of #@!:$ in the form of a sword meant to open the secret room, where the ancient king hid his loyal friend most valuable possession before he left and never to be seen again.

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"Huh? So it isn't a sword but a key?" Lucas muttered to himself, feeling a surge of anticipation as he realized the significance of the object before him.

His heart pounding with excitement, Lucas approached the sword/key, knowing that it held the key to unlocking something incredible hidden within the ancient king's room.

As he stood in front of the sword, Lucas took a deep breath and gripped the double-edged blade with both hands, pulling it effortlessly from the ground.

Surprised by how easily it came free, Lucas paused, uncertain of what to do next. But before he could gather his thoughts, the throne room shook violently, causing him to lose his balance and fall backward.

Once the shaking subsided, Lucas's attention was drawn to the right, where he saw an ancient gate adorned with engravings. Determined, he approached and opened it.

'ugh'

As the gate swung open, Lucas was met with a wave of dense mana that made it difficult to breathe. Despite the discomfort, he pressed forward, stepping through the gate.

With a start, he realized the gate had closed behind him, leaving him alone in the narrow passageway. Though startled, Lucas remained composed and continued forward.

The path ahead was dimly lit by white flaming torches affixed to the walls, casting flickering shadows on mysterious engravings that lined the cave-like corridor.

As Lucas continued forward, his gaze wandered to a drawing on the wall to his right. As he studied it, his eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat. Every hair on his body stood on end.

In the intricate illustration, he saw a man surrounded by colossal dragons, engaged in fierce combat with only a single sword in hand.

"W-what!? Why... why are you there!?" Lucas exclaimed, his voice filled with confusion as he stared at the ancient drawing. The details were striking, and he recognized the weapon in the man's hand—it was the Blade of Chaos.