Kaelon Wardrieu POV
I had already prepared everything in my bag. Five mid grade A healing potions and six grade B mana potion just in case if I need them.
"Alright, I have my protection suit...the bag, and weapon for defense, though it's a small one..."
I had already checked everything inside the bag to make sure I have everything I need before we enter the dungeon.
And while I was checking everything what was inside the bag, the party members I joined finally arrived, I've been waiting for them for at least 20 minutes straight...
"Is everyone here already?" Jodoc then glanced at each one if us, he is a B ranker.
"I think so," Nina looked around, "Oswyn is here, and you. And of course, Kaelon." Nina then glanced at me while I was just standing closely behind them.
Jodoc then smiled. "Ah, yes, Kaelon. I appreciate you joining in our party for raiding this dungeon."
"Ah...yeah...I was the first one to arrive here." I awkwardly looked at them.
Jodoc, Oswyn, and Nina simply stared at me before giving me the most hollow smile I've ever seen. I know what a genuine smile is, and I've been used to this kind of response from those around me. They feel uneasy around me.
Nina laughs with the others as they add, "Oh yeah, we were in traffic, you know rush hour happens in our area...hahaha..." I just nod and force a grin.
"Alright,thank you for filling in the spot of our friend today Kaelon, we appreciate it." Jodoc smiled.
Oswyn looked at me and said, "Anyway, did you bring the bag? You will be carrying lots of materials that every monsters will drop, are you okay with that task?" I simply nodded.
I looked at them and responded, "Of course, that would be just fine, I have everything I need with me." Jodoc grinned broadly.
"Good, now, lets go and enter the gate, even though this is just a lower grade type of monsters, you guys still need to be on guard." Jodoc cautions.
As we and the other two followed Jodoc inside the gate, I took a deep breath before entering the dungeon gate.
Alright this is it.
I need to clear the dungeon with them, or it would be nice if I securely get the last hit of the dungeon boss monster.
As I followed them inside the dungeon gate, we instead arrived at dark gothic palace... I looked around, it was suspiciously quiet.
Nina held her staff and looked at Jodoc and Oswyn, who also appeared to be very puzzled by what just happened. "What the hell? Where are we? Aren't we supposed to be in open field area where the minotaurs should be??" Nina exclaimed.
And Nina is right, we were supposed to be in the grassy, open field where we would typically have seen a minotaur by now.
But no, we are in a gothic like palace, but what I noticed around is that there are cobwebs on the gates and even the gardens around.
Why do I feel uneasy?
"Oswyn, I don't like this place, should we just use the scroll to get out of here? I have a bad feeling." Nina tugs at Jodoc's sleeve.
I immediately catch up with them, following them closely behind.
I turned to face Jodoc and asked, "Nina is right, should we just turn around? I, too, feels a bad energy from this place." Jodoc then scowled at me.
Jodoc who was now looking at me, "Are you kidding? We are already here, plus the dungeon monsters should be just level C, just like the minotaurs."
I then opened my mouth to talk back, but I stopped myself, there's no point of arguing with this guy.
And how can he even tell that the monsters are going to be just level C? When the dungeon location we expected wasn't the one we all pictured... something is wrong with this place.
Jodoc continues, "And do you guys even know how much I paid for this dungeon gate? We can't back away, we're already here, so we might as well just clear this dungeon." Oswyn nods in agreement, and Nina bites her lip and casts a dubious glance around.
I ws behind all of them, and as soon as we opened the door to the palace's entrance, we were greeted by the heavy smell of magic, the air was heavy smells of blood, there were dust, and that lingering smell of monsters.
I can't tell where the monsters are hiding, but I can definitely tell they're...just near.
It's so dark...I can't almost see anything.
Though I'm glad the moon's light is shining through the big windows...
But this place is just creepy af.
I looked around while following the others, there were too many doors, big doors...and when I said they are big...they were massive.
It almost feels like a giant was living in this creepy place.
And most of all, I can hear these weird faint clicking sound on every corner, it sound far, but it also feels like its just near.
I have a bad feeling and I do not like it.
I should prepare the return scroll just in case something not good will happen.
"Eww... Argh! There's too many cobwebs..." Nina says while avoiding the cobwebs on the floor.
"Relax, It's probably from how old this place is. I mean, just look at the walls cover, its starting to peel off." Jodoc calmly walks ahead while smiling and guiding everyone.
"Hahaha, with this kind of place, do you think there are secret treasures around here?" Oswyn was following Jodoc closely behind, walking so confidently.
"Are you following behind there pal?" Jodoc smiled waving his hand at me, and I simply nodded.
"I'm fine." I said while looking around.
The more we walked and go deeper in the palace, I can't help but feel the chills.
It feels like there are eyes watching me...or us.
The cobwebs around the ceiling, floors and walls aren't helping either to calm me.
Well, I hope its not what I think it is...
While following them behind, I noticed from the corner of my eyes something on the wall moved so fast...but when I look, there was nothing but just cobwebs.
Jodoc simply turned around and gave me an irritated look when I asked, "Shouldn't we just get out of this place, and report this to the bureau? This does not look like where a minotaur would live."
Jodoc grinned and laughed, and Oswyn joined in. "Man, don't tell me you're chickening out? Man up dude. Hahaha."
Meanwhile Nina and I just stared at them, and it would be a lie if I said I'm not scared... but the atmosphere is too heavy, everything just feels ominous, like something bad is going to happen.
Especially with the cobwebs appearing in every corner, and although I like spiders... that's only when they're small...but..
"Uh....guys..." Nina whispered, she was looking up at the ceiling, her finger was trembling as she pointed something at the ceiling.
Jodoc, Oswyn and I looked up, at first we couldn't see a thing, it was too dark, but there are definitely cobwebs...
But I just noticed, the clicking sound sounded more a little closer, all my hairs are standing.
"What is it? I don't see anything." Oswyn says, then he looked at Nina.
"Nina, those are just cobwebs." Jodoc looked down at Nina with a blank face expression.
I then lowered my head and looked at Jodoc and Oswyn, that's when when I saw a shadow moving behind and closely to Oswyn and Jodoc.
"Nina, you can't be serious with this, right? There's nothing to be scared of, it's just cobwebs, and even if there are spiders, we can just kill them... They should be just small since this is lower level dungeon." Oswyn says with a grin.
Nina and I just stood there frozen, looking behind Oswyn and Jodoc...
"What do you mean...just small?" I asked in A whisper and then pointed my finger behind them.
A massive spider with eight eyes and long hairy legs was standing behind Jodoc and Oswyn.
At first, Jodoc and Oswyn just laugh it off.
"You guys stop messing around, and quit being a scaredy cat." Jodoc then crossed his arms, looking very much annoyed.
Meanwhile Nina was trembling standing next to me, her eyes were glued towards the massive spider looking behind Jodoc and Oswyn.
"S-Sp...Spider... T-There's a spider...behind." Nina whispered with a shakey voice,and when Oswyn was about to brush it off.
Oswyn felt a drop of clear gooey green liquid from his shoulder, and when Jodoc and Oswyn turns around, in just a blink of an eye...
The spider moved so fast straight to Oswyn and biting his whole head, severing Oswyn's head off from his body.
Oswyn's blood immediately spilled like a fountain all over the three of us, and Nina screamed in horror, Jodoc was stunned and couldn't move from where he was standing.
"Damn it! Move and run you dumbass!" I yelled as I grabbed Jodoc from his shirt, he looked too pale, but when I grabbed his shirt and guided the two to another hallway, Jodoc was able to get back his senses and started running and leading the way.
F*ck! I'm gonna die!!
We're all gonna die!!
I should have listened to what my gut was telling me!!
I run as fast as I could, I can still hear the spiders crawling around, every thud on the floor already makes my skin crawl.
I absolutely do not want to die in a dungeon.
I haven't prove anything yet to my family, I can't just die here!
"Waaaaa, I don't want to die!!!" Nina cried while yelling.
"I told you we should have just use the scroll and get out! You guys didn't listen!" Nina yelled, crying in frustration while running for her life.
"Shut up already you f*ckng b*tch!" Jodoc stopped running and quickly opened his bag to take out his return scroll.
"What did you just call me!?!" Nina yelled angrily, and I sighed looking at them, we were already in front of another massive door again, though it looked different.
"Can't you two stop fighting?! We already lost one member, just use the scroll already!" I yelled in frustration while taking out one return scroll in my bag...but then all three of us get the same notification from our system.
╔════════════════╗
[ SYSTEM NOTICE ]
╚════════════════╝
⚠ Escape Scroll Activation — FAILED
→ External teleportation is sealed within the Palace Domain.
⚠ All Active & Passive Skills — RESTRICTED
→ Combat abilities temporarily suppressed.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[ EMERGENCY TRIAL ]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Trial Name: Throne of the Unborn Queen
Objective:
• Survive the Palace
• Clear the Throne Chamber 0/2
• Satisfy the Palace's Requirement
Monsters:
A-Rank Giant Venom Spiders
→ Neurotoxic Venom
→ Reinforced Silk Armor
→ Swarm Intelligence
Failure Condition:
• Inability to fulfill the Palace's demand
Penalty:
☠ Permanent Death
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Sacrificial Requirement: 0/2
Survival Probability: 0.7%
────────────────────
Well... we're f*cked...
"We're... So f*cked.." Nina whispered as her voice was trembling...
I'm not even worried with the survival probability but the...sacrificial.
No one in here would want to be sacrificed.
Nina is scared, so am I. I want to live.
After receiving the notification, Nina looked way too pale, Jodoc... I can't seem to tell what's his reaction. He seems terrified, ir maybe I'm reading it wrong.