We are now in the golden era of hunters.
Across the capital of Sylvean, dungeons and relics defined power, and countless adventurers rose and fell chasing glory. Among these rising stars stood one man who despite his odd reputation outshone them all.
His name was Hiro Ludin, the Lazy Trickster.This is the tale of how that man somehow became the leader of the top-ranked clan Blazing Dawn and the party that shook the capital.
[Chapter 11 Begins]
The appearance of a particles called Mana it's said to be the core substance of this world. It flows everywhere, unseen by human eyes, yet it governs everything that breathes and grows.
Dungeons and ruins are often formed when mana gathers in one place for too long, warping reality itself. How it happens? No one knows for sure. Researchers are still breaking their heads over it.
And among all those mysterious places, there's one dungeon that shouldn't even exist The Frostfang Den.
A dungeon that wasn't in the original story.
Which means… I know nothing about it.
That's why I'm not going there.No way. Not a chance. I already sent Mia and her team to handle it. I'm a genius. A strategic mastermind. A true delegator of danger.
"Honestly, I outdid myself this time," I muttered proudly as I leaned back in my chair, enjoying the soft creak of my office seat.
---
"Yo, Eve," I said through the crystal communicator. "How's your day going?"
Her voice crackled from the device. "Still cleaning up after your messes, as usual."
"I hope Mia and her group don't cause any problems," I said, pretending to sound worried. In truth, I just wanted them to finish quickly so I could brag later.
Eve sighed. "You don't have to worry. The Frostfang Den is only a 3-star dungeon. What's there to be afraid of? And don't forget Mia, Billy, and Mr. George are all 4-stars. Only Ruby's at 3-star. It's not like the dungeon will suddenly evolve overnight."
"YEAH, YEAH," I said, swirling my coffee. "Nothing's going to happen. Billy even has a shiny artifact with him. What could possibly go wrong?"
Then Eve's tone shifted just slightly suspicious. "You're not planning to trick him and steal that artifact, are you?"
"Of course not!" I said, feigning offense. "Why would you even say that? I'm not that kind of person."
I whistled innocently.
"Kyuu~!"
I looked down. My slime, perched on the desk, wobbled and chirped hungrily.
"What? You're hungry again?" I sighed. "Didn't you just eat a mana sword yesterday?"
"Kyuu!"
"Alright, alright. I'll find someone to feed you mana, you gluttonous ball of goo."
"WAIT! Hiro!" Eve began, but before she could say another word, I dashed out the door.
---
The hallway was lively. Members of my clan were busy training, running errands, or reporting their progress. As soon as I appeared, voices rang out in unison.
"Good day, Master Hiro!"
"Good day, everyone," I said with a lazy wave. "Don't work too hard. Leave that to fate."
Some of them laughed awkwardly. They still couldn't tell if I was joking or serious which, honestly, made me like them more.
I soon spotted the person I was looking for a kind-hearted woman who often handled our mana research.
"Sorry to bother you," I said, handing her my coffee cup. "Could you feed Slime-chan for me? I have to… uh, take care of something important."
She smiled brightly. "Of course! Feeding Slime-chan always makes me happy."
"Kyuu!" the slime squeaked, bouncing in agreement.
A man nearby chuckled. "Master Hiro, you've done so much for us already. Remember when I was sick with that deadly disease that shook the capital? You were the one who cured me all of us, actually."
"Ah, that." I scratched my head. "No big deal."
Of course, I couldn't tell them the truth that I only succeeded because of my knowledge from the novel. If I didn't know what ingredients to mix, half the clan and everyone in the capital would've been dead by now.
"Oh, by the way, Master," the woman said, suddenly remembering something. "A message came this morning they said a powerful monster appeared on the main road near Frostfang Den."
I froze. "What kind of monster?"
"A strong one," she said grimly. "It destroyed several merchant wagons and injured multiple hunters. Even some 4-stars couldn't bring it down."
My mind went blank for a second."What… did you just say?"
"There were no deaths," she added quickly. "Just injuries. But still, it's strange. The mana readings around Frostfang Den are going wild. It's almost as if the dungeon's level increased overnight."
"I-I see," I said, forcing a smile. "Heh… what a coincidence. I was just thinking of checking in with them later."
She blinked. "You already got the report?"
"Er...yeah! Totally. Got it this morning."
(What a lie. I overslept and didn't even check the alerts.)
"Kyuu!" the slime chirped again, bouncing from the table and landing neatly on my arm. It wrapped around my wrist, forming a shiny bracelet before letting out a sleepy sigh.
"Bye, Slime-chan," the woman said softly.
"Kyuu~…"
I looked down at it fondly. "So you're going to sleep after eating all that mana, huh? You really are living your best life."
I turned and began walking back to my office, but my thoughts were elsewhere.
A monster that even 4-stars couldn't defeat… and right next to Frostfang Den?
That's not supposed to exist.
This world was already diverging from the story I knew.
If things kept changing like this…Then I'd soon run out of foresight entirely.
---
Still, I forced a grin.
"Well," I muttered, "I'll just deal with it when it comes. For now, let's trust Mia and the others."
I stretched lazily and sank into my chair again, staring at the glowing quest panel that appeared before me.
> [New Quest Unlocked: Investigate the Frostfang Anomaly]
Reward: ???
Penalty: Loss of system access
I sighed. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this…"
"Kyuu…" the slime murmured in its sleep.
"Don't worry," I whispered. "I won't let anything happen to them."
Even if I had no idea what awaited in that dungeon, one thing was certain Frostfang Den wasn't just another dungeon anymore.
It was the beginning of something that was never meant to happen.