Elias's eyes instantly perked up in curiosity. "What are they?"
"You can conquer a dungeon," Queen Anna said with a smile. However, due to the radiance covering her face, it was difficult for Elias to see what kind of expression she currently wore.
"There are dungeons?" Elias's eyes lit up in understanding. He was beginning to get a clearer understanding of the world he had transmigrated into.
"You seem to accept these revelations quite easily," Queen Anna said, noticing the understanding expression on his face.
Elias shrugged his shoulders. "I've just obtained a magical ability that one could only dream of, slain zombies and terrifying beasts that are supposed to be fiction, and now I'm speaking with an unknown royalty, probably with unknown supernatural power, who appeared in my room out of nowhere."
"I think it makes much more sense that dungeons exist."
"Fufufu!!" Queen Anna chuckled as though she had just heard the most amusing statement in a while.
"You're right, it's understandable," she nodded with a smile. "You might have your imaginations about what dungeons are, but they aren't what you think. These dungeons are something else. Not only do they possess terrifying monsters several times more horrifying than monsters of the same level, but they are also filled with treasure troves that would empower you, keeping you safe from danger."
"However, due to the inherent dangers they possess, dungeons are very difficult to find. To prevent just anyone from entering them, those searching for one need to uncover or trigger certain clues before they are allowed to enter."
Elias nodded. He finally understood why they hadn't encountered any dungeons on their way to the gymnasium. It needed some sort of puzzle to be completed before the dungeon would reveal itself.
However, Elias couldn't help but feel that Queen Anna was hiding other information from him.
Sensing his scrutinising expression, Queen Anna snorted and said, "I have no reason to deceive you, so don't think too highly of yourself. The only reason I revealed the information about the dungeons to you is because of your strength."
"If you were like any of those survivors, or perhaps even slightly less talented, I wouldn't have made such a suggestion. However, there is some information I haven't shared that you will need to discover on your own. I've already taken a risk by revealing this information to you."
Elias nodded in understanding; she was right, no matter how he looked at it. She had pointed out that providing him with too much information could alert the Akashic Records, and he was unwilling to face the potential consequences of that.
Therefore, she had every reason to be cautious about how much she shared with him. From the time they had spent together, he could also conclude that she wasn't the type to provide false information. She would rather keep quiet if she didn't want to respond than lie.
Elias suspected it was related to her image, particularly how she referred to him as 'mortal.'
"Okay. Since you're sharing this information with me, then you must have a way for me to uncover this clue, right?" Elias said.
"I do. I can already sense several surges of mana gathering to form a dungeon in this university," Queen Anna nodded, folding her hands over her chest.
"But the real question is whether you're prepared to challenge a dungeon as you are now. Naturally, it's best to wait until you're level 20 or have awakened a Class. Perhaps even both, which is even better. That way, not only will you obtain more perks by levelling up, but you'll be far stronger than others at the same level."
"That will give you significant advantages and enhance your survival when facing a dungeon." She pointed a finger at him. "As you are now, attempting a dungeon is akin to certain death."
"Won't I have a better chance of survival with my unique talent?" Elias asked with a frown. "And how do I awaken a class?"
Queen Anna shook her head, indicating she wasn't going to answer that question. "No, you don't. As I said before, your chances of dying are higher without a class or reaching level 20."
"Thank you for your warning, but I'm ready to take the risks," Elias said with a smile. "I want to level up quickly, so it's worth it."
"Haha! You are quite confident, aren't you? Good... I'll lead you to where I sensed the dungeon whenever you're ready to leave," Queen Anna responded with laughter.
Although Elias had heard her chuckle before, it had always been suppressed. This was the first time he heard her genuinely laugh, far removed from her cold, rigid tone. The sound tingled like music in his ears, soothing the warriness and anxiety within him.
"I'll need to open my loot first before we move," Elias responded with a nod.
Queen Anna nodded.
Elias sat down at the corner of the wall, opened his bag, and took out the white orbs he had collected. He grabbed two of the orbs and crushed them in his palm. Instantly, the orbs scattered into countless specks of light before coalescing again into two different items.
[Rat Tail Whip: A flexible whip crafted from a mutated zombie rat's tail. +3 Agility]
[Mutated Rat Daggers: Bone-made daggers formed from the incisors of a mutated zombie rat. +2 Strength]
"These are common drop items," Queen Anna explained. "The higher the level of the monsters you eliminate, the higher your chances of obtaining higher drop items. Drop items themselves are rare, and even more so in some dungeons. So, regardless of what the item is, it's always valuable. Because if you can't use it, you could sell it to someone else."
"Do you plan on handing it over to the survivors you'd saved?" she suddenly asked, her tone curious.
Elias replied, "If I want to give this to them, I'll need to return to the group, which means revealing myself for a longer period. I plan to get out of here as soon as possible because I prefer to work alone. So, it's troublesome."