"That's cool," Maximus muttered.
He held the cutlass in his hand since he couldn't sheath it anywhere.
He walked over to one of the picture frames and cleaned it. The pictures showed a group of children seated in rows above and below each other. The pictures were already damaged, so he couldn't get a clear view of everything.
Still, Maximus sighed, aware of what they represented from the memories of The Caretaker, which the system had integrated into his mind the moment he became the Dungeon's Final Boss
Maximus arranged the pictures properly back where they had been and walked out the door. He began planning for the arrival of the Hunters.
***
[Level 1 Dungeon – The Abandoned Orphanage]
Five people appeared within a desolate hallway with a light bulb illuminating them and their surroundings.
There were three men and two women.
The first was a man, who appeared to be in his early twenties. He was dressed in a black body suit. His muscular physique was accentuated even under his attire. Strapped to his back was a long, sharp sword.
The second was a man appearing to be in his mid-twenties. He had a lean, muscular figure. In his hand was a staff, and hanging from his waist was a dagger. He was also dressed in a black bodysuit.
They wore cuirasses and other armour pieces arranged on their bodies for protection.
The third was a man, who appeared to be in his late-thirties. Like the others, he wore a black bodysuit with greaves and arm armour. He had a pudgy stomach, which was accentuated by his attire, looking almost as though he were pregnant, but he wasn't; it was just a very large stomach.
If Maximus had been present, he would have recognised him immediately. It was none other than Mr Jonathan. In his left hand was a large shield, and a sheathed sword hung at his waist.
The fourth was a woman appeared to be in her early twenties. She held a bow in her hand, with a quiver of arrows strapped to her back.
The fifth was a woman wore a scarf wrapped around her head. She also appeared to be in her early twenties. She held a spear in her hand. Both women wore bodysuits in black and blue, with armour protecting their vital areas.
They all had a small utility bag hanging from their waist.
The moment they appeared in the desolate hallway, they turned to look at each other. Each bore a different expression, but there was one emotion they all clearly shared - caution.
The first man stepped forward and said, "I'm John, a Level One Swordsman. Since we're all planning to conquer this dungeon together, let's get to know each other." He stretched his hand forward for a handshake.
Mr Jonathan stepped forward and shook his hand. "I'm Jonathan. I'm a Level One Warrior."
The third man stepped forward. "My name is Kelvin. I'm a Level One Healer."
"I'm Vanessa. I'm a Level One Spearwoman," the second woman stepped forward.
"I'm Cynthia. I'm a Level One Archer," the first woman, who was the last person to step forward and introduce herself, said.
"A Swordsman. A Warrior, a Healer, an Archer and a Spearwoman," John said. "Considering the kind of dungeon this is, we might be able to complete it easily."
"Does everyone know about the perfect dungeon run for the Abandoned Orphanage dungeon?" he asked.
The Abandoned Orphanage instance dungeon was Level One survival based. It was also a beginner dungeon that had been conquered countless times by other Hunters.
There were so many tutorials on how to conquer it, from animations to well-written notes, as long as one took the time to study them. It was very popular among early Hunters striving to grow stronger, because it was the easiest way to increase their strength.
So every month, several Hunters in the city would apply to conquer the dungeon.
Since the selection was random, they would only know who they would be working with after agreeing to be summoned into the dungeon. So even if someone chose to back out at the last moment, they would be instantly replaced by someone else.
They all nodded in understanding.
"I did my research before coming," Vanessa said.
"That's good. It seems that everyone did their research before coming," John nodded.
"To clarify, the only way to conquer this dungeon is to enter the fifth door on the second floor and set a trap for The Caretaker. Once he's trapped in there, we rush out and quickly head to the office. Underneath his desk is a box we're meant to destroy, killing the final boss and conquering the dungeon," John explained.
"The faster we clear it, the more bountiful the reward. Currently, the fastest dungeon clearance time for the Abandoned Orphanage is twenty minutes, and the person who achieved it has now become a Level 5 Hunter. If we're able to clear it before that time, it shows that our potential is high, and we might have the chance to get accepted into an official Hunter's Guild." He glanced at Mr Jonathan as he finished speaking.
The group nodded in understanding. They grasped what he was saying, as that was one of their main purposes for challenging this dungeon as well.
"Did everyone bring the White Illumination Stone?" John said, bringing out a white stone from his pocket and displaying it before the group.
Mr Jonathan nodded in response. He pulled out a similar white stone from his pocket and held it in his hand.
John nodded, as though he wasn't surprised. In his view, Jonathan looked like one of those people who had challenged several Level One dungeons but was still stuck at Level One, while their peers continued growing stronger.
"I also have one," Vanessa said.
"I don't have one. It was too expensive, so I couldn't afford it," Kelvin said. He looked at John, Jonathan, and Vanessa, who were holding the White Illumination Stone, and smiled. "I wonder if you guys can help me out."
"HUMPH! What do you mean by 'helping you out'? Don't you know that within a dungeon, it's every Hunter for themselves? Challenging a dungeon means putting your life on the line, and yet you didn't bother purchasing the item that might grant a shred of protection, or even help you preserve your life, before choosing to challenge it," Jonathan said, his tone and expression stern.
"He's right. To challenge a Level One Dungeon Instance like the Abandoned Orphanage without the Illumination Stone is complete suicide. Aren't you aware that it's one of the reasons it has a 99 per cent completion rating?" John said, looking at Kelvin with disappointment.
He understood that Kelvin seemed like the kind of person who was full of himself.
At this point, he believed that having someone like Jonathan was much more reliable than having someone like Kelvin. No matter how talented an individual was as a Hunter, if they were so careless as to make such a mistake, they would surely die quick.
One of the reasons talented Hunters were so rare was that many got too far ahead of themselves and died carelessly before achieving their full potential.
He turned to look at Cynthia.
"I don't have one either. I couldn't afford it," Cynthia responded after a brief hesitation, noticing his gaze.
She knew how vital the item was for completing this dungeon, yet she hadn't purchased it because she didn't have the money. If she could have taken a loan to buy one, she would have, but the White Illumination Stone cost thousands of rubles, none of which she had.
She had already taken several loans just to survive, and no lender would approve another loan for a debtor like her, especially considering that dungeons, no matter the completion rating, were death traps.
"Since that's the case, you're all on your own," John said.
He wasn't so foolish as to act like a knight in shining armour and tell Cynthia that she could join him. Now was neither the right time nor the right place to do so.
He had already made a goal and plan for completing this dungeon and didn't want any variables that might disrupt it.
"Wait a minute! I'm a healer! I might not have the item, but I can be of help if any of you get hurt, especially if you don't want to waste any elixir," Kelvin stepped forward and said, as the group was about to walk through the hallway.
The moment they stepped out of the perimeter of the light illuminated by the light bulb, the dungeon would commence, so Kelvin knew he had to present his usefulness quickly, or else he would be left out there to die.
Kelvin continued, "I can continue to heal your injuries as long as you don't get too seriously hurt, granting you enough time to attack and trap the Caretaker."
John halted his steps. He furrowed his brows in thought at Kelvin's logical conclusion.
It was well-known that the Caretaker, known as the Shadow Reaper, the Final Boss of the Level One Dungeon, the Abandoned Orphanage, disliked light. He possessed the ability to jump from one shadow to another and wielded a cutlass with chains wrapped around his wrists, allowing him to strike enemies from afar without losing his weapon.
This was why the White Illumination Stone was such a valuable item. Not only did it protect by casting a shadowless protective sphere around them, but it also allowed them to defend themselves from the Caretaker's attacks at a distance.
They were also aware of the Caretaker's attack patterns, so as long as they saw his weapon coming, they could easily dodge or even trap it.
The Dungeon's Final Boss, once a menace among Hunters and responsible for high death tolls each month, was no longer a threat. Conquering the dungeon was a piece of cake. Still, they didn't dare become careless because they had to follow the script to complete the dungeon safely.
"Fine, you can come with me. I'll protect you, but you also have to do your job to the best of your abilities. If I catch you stalling during a critical moment, I won't hesitate to strike you down," John said, his eyes fierce and his expression solemn as he stared at Kelvin to ensure he understood that he wasn't joking.
"I understand. I will certainly do my best to ensure that none of that happens," Kelvin nodded, his expression and tone solemn.
John's expression finally eased up.
Upon witnessing this, Kelvin sighed in relief and walked toward him, standing beside him.
"Wait, don't leave me here. I'm also very useful. I'm very proficient with the bow. Taking me along would increase our chances of defeating the Caretaker and destroying the item box," Cynthia said hurriedly.
However, no one in the group paid any attention. They simply turned around and began walking out of the light.
The moment they stepped into the darkness, the white stones in their hands radiated a vibrant light, illuminating a radius of about five meters around them.
"Please don't leave me here. My siblings are sick, and my mother is bedridden in the hospital. If I don't get money for their treatment, they won't survive much longer," Cynthia collapsed to her knees and cried out.
"Completing this dungeon and getting the rewards is the only way we might be able to survive for an extended period. Please, I can still render some help."
In her view, the flickering light, which dimmed slightly as the others stepped into the hallway, signified her death sentence if she didn't follow them.
However, the others pretended not to hear her… except one person.
Jonathan turned to look at Cynthia, a myriad of complicated emotions in his eyes, and said, "I'll take you along with me. However, you have to promise to do everything I say. Even after this dungeon is over, you'll have to accompany me to one more dungeon before you are released from our agreement. If you can accomplish that, then I'll take you with me."