The colossal dungeon gate loomed before them like the usual swirling maw of violet and silver energy that cast flickering shadows across the gathered adventurers in the main plaza.
The air, just like every other day, hummed with a low-frequency thrum that Aria felt in her teeth.
It was a new day to live, and a new day to explore the new world's most crucial element.
'I still don't know how I'm going to create my own dungeon.'
She wasn't sure whether she actually needed to create one or not, but she knew making one was going to help her immensely in this world.
'I at least know a few things by now.'
To create a dungeon, she will first have to use her Boundary blueprint and designate a certain area as a dungeon boundary.
Once established, the boundary will be permanent, and she won't get anything when she dismantles it.
After that, she will need a dungeon core, the heart that will define the dungeon.
'To make a stable core, I'll need a ton more resources than what we have right now.'
Even though she instinctively knew she could create certain things with her {Creation} skill, she still needed enough CU to carry the process out.
'I'm aiming for 250 CU for starters. Though, even if we do manage to make something, it will be nowhere near this dungeon... and this one isn't even that impressive in this world.'
There were all kinds of dungeons with all kinds of themes and goals. Fighting monsters within a tower wasn't all that fun. The concept of this tower dungeon was as cliché as it gets.
'So, we have to go out of this place and visit other dungeons to learn from them as well.' New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NovelHub(.)net
It's going to take quite some time before I can make a dungeon, so I might as well enjoy this new life.
Today, she was going inside the dungeon once again, but she felt different from her previous chaotic entries.
Today, she was part of a unit. It wasn't a duo entering the dungeon, but a proper, balanced party.
Standing beside Cass, she faced the three seasoned professionals Reddy had assigned them.
"Names are Borin, Kaela, and Finn, as the guard captain said," the mountain of a man rumbled, his voice thunderous like stones grinding together.
He wore impeccably maintained plate armor and carried a tower shield so large it seemed to block out the sun, casting a shadow as large as a boulder.
"I am the Tank of the party. I take the front as nothing gets past this shield." He tapped the gleaming chunk of metal with a gauntleted fist.
Following his intro, he glanced beside him at the only other woman on this party.
"Kaela," She was a woman with long, dark braid, her voice as sharp and precise as her gaze.
She adjusted the elegant longbow slung over her shoulder as she spoke further. "I am our rear guard and long-range damage dealer. I watch our backs and eliminate threats before they get close, perform recon when needed, and deal with ground traps."
She was also pretty, but Aria didn't seem to be too interested in this one for some reason.
The last member, the lanky young man with grease-smudged goggles pushed up on his forehead and a belt overflowing with tools, vials, and strange metallic components, gave a cheerful wave.
"Finn is the name! Battle support and field engineer extraordinaire. If it needs fixing, blowing up, identifying, or temporarily enchanting, I'm your guy. Gadgets, simple potions, and controlled chaos are my specialties!"
Like a mechanical salesman presenting his products, he introduced himself with a genuine smile.
To Aria, he seemed like one of those geek characters you might relate to if you're a geek yourself.
'A funny party indeed.'
Aria nodded seriously, hiding her true smirk and taking in the features of the new trio. "I'm Aria, support class. This is Cass, our mage. We have—"
Borin cut her off with a raised hand, his expression pragmatic. "Save the skill lists for the scribes.
We learn what a person can do when the claws are out and the mana is flying.
Better to see it once than hear it a hundred times." His eyes, sharp and assessing despite the words, lingered on them both.
"You two stick with Finn in the center. Do what he says. Watch carefully. And learn for now, understood?"
It did not seem like an instruction and more like an order to the two of them. The eyes that looked at him were also not filled with acceptance but doubt.
The party leader may have been tasked with looking after the two of them, but he was still not going to do babysitting just because someone important had asked them for it.
Aria and Cass exchanged a look. The command of the leader was blunt, but fair. They— the support lady- wanted to protest, but she held herself back and simply nodded along.
She was no veteran like them, so until she proved herself useful, she knew this kind of treatment was the standard.
She had done this several times in the corporate world, and she wasn't going to shy away from showing off when the opportunity presents itself the next time.
"Ready?" Borin asked, his hand resting on the pommel of the massive sword that seemed more like a butcher's knife at his hip.
As one, the five of them nodded at the leader and stepped into the shimmering dark surface of the dungeon gate, diving into the tower once again on a cloudy day.
The world dissolved into the now-familiar, yet still overwhelming, torrent of light and sound.
It was a sensory overload that stripped away all orientation for all that experienced it, a violent transition between realities.
Then, as abruptly as it began, it ceased.
They stumbled out not into a secluded chamber, but onto the rugged, rocky floor of a main dungeon thoroughfare.
The air was cool and carried the dungeon's signature scent of wet stone and material Mana.
And as obvious as it always is, they were not alone in this place.