Chapter 24: The Unexplored Dungeon (2)

In the end, Cassan couldn’t bring himself to refuse Ketal’s offer. And so, he once again became a member of Ketal’s party.

Rosa, as if she had been waiting for this opportunity, spoke up, “Well then, shall we invite those who’ve partied with you before, Ketal?”

“Oh, is that even possible?” Ketal asked.

“Yes. All of them are mercenaries.”

“I see. Since I hadn’t seen them around, I thought they had moved on to other work.”

Kassan could guess why Ketal didn’t see them. They probably all avoided the barbarian. It was obvious what would happen if they reunited.

But their circumstances didn’t concern Rosa at all. Ketal was a capable and exceptional mercenary. Not only that, but he was considerate and polite. To date, there hadn’t been a single complaint about his tasks. At first, Ketal had been intimidating, but the more one got to know him, the more likable he became on a personal level.

Rosa believed that three F-Rank mercenaries wouldn’t matter as sacrificial lamb. She rose from her seat. “Please, wait here for a moment. I will bring them over.”

Not long after, two familiar faces walked in through the entrance, much to Ketal’s delight. He greeted them with a bright smile and eager steps. “Whoa-ho! Alexandros! Hayes! I can’t believe it! What a surprise!”

“

Gah!

”

“

Eek!

”

Startled by Ketal’s sudden approach, the two bolted back outside. After a minor commotion, the four of them finally gathered together. Ketal was beaming with satisfaction as he had reunited with his old comrades. The party was reassembled.

What can be more exciting than this?

Ketal thought. He was on cloud nine.

In contrast, the other three hung their heads, their faces clouded with gloom.

Oblivious to their somber mood, Ketal asked cheerfully, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I heard you’ve been working as mercenaries. How’ve you all been?”

“Just taking on small jobs here and there,” Hayes replied.

The other two nodded along. Ketal studied their faces and muttered, “You don’t look well. You are thinner than when I last saw you.”

“This is a bit embarrassing, but I’ve realized I am not cut out for mercenary work,” Hayes said with an awkward smile, scratching her cheek.

The others seemed to feel the same.

Cassan was a thief with no skills or ability to disarm even basic treasure chests. Alexandros was a warrior who called himself a paladin and flew into a rage if anyone questioned his identity. And Hayes was a priestess who served a god of lies and deception. They were all outcasts. It was no wonder they couldn’t handle proper jobs. They had barely been scraping by, half-starved.

Realizing this, Ketal grinned widely. “Don’t worry. This mission will help you get back on your feet. Of course, the rewards will be distributed equally.”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Ketal added calmly, “Ah, but if you have circumstances or don’t feel up to it, you’re free to decline my offer. I won’t force you.”

“Wait...”

“We have no intention of refusing...” All three shook their heads. Ketal sighed in relief. “That’s a relief. It would’ve been a bit troublesome if you’d said no.”

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

“There is no reason to refuse,” Hayes replied steadily.

It wasn’t because they were afraid to reject the barbarian's offer, but there truly was no reason to refuse. Looking at it objectively, the barbarian wasn’t violent or rude. On the contrary, he was considerate and respectful toward them.

Finding such a courteous mercenary was rare. He wasn’t the kind to stir up trouble. Of course, he had his quirks, which were intimidating at times, but those instances were infrequent.

Not to mention, Ketal was strong enough to take down the Skeleton Knight in a single strike. Having such a powerful ally join their party was practically a stroke of luck.

This might actually be a good thing,

Cassan thought to himself. For some reason, Ketal seemed genuinely fond of them. If that were the case, it was better to maintain their current relationship rather than pushing him away as they had been doing.

“Good,” Ketal said, grinning with satisfaction. “Rosa, can you show me the quest board?”

“Okay,” she replied. As if she had expected this, she pulled out a prepared quest board. “There are various missions, but you’re thinking about Dungeons, right?”

“That’s right.”

Dungeon exploration was an incredibly thrilling prospect for him. Rosa handed over the request. “Here are the Dungeon-related missions. You can review and pick one.”

“Oh, wow!” Ketal’s eyes sparkled. Even at a glance, the list was extensive. “May I take a look first? I hope you guys don’t mind.”

“Oh, not at all.”

“Feel free to do so.”

Smiling broadly, Ketal began reviewing the list. Watching this, the other three stepped back with weary expressions. They were a bit scared that someone could enjoy combat this much.

A barbarian is a barbarian, after all,

they thought.

Ketal meticulously reviewed the quests. Various Dungeons caught his eye—a lizardman Dungeon, a trap-filled Dungeon, an undead Dungeon, and a goblin Dungeon.

Each of them was unique and fascinating. He couldn’t stop smiling as he kept flipping through the list. And then he found something unusual.

“Hey, Rosa,” Ketal said.

“What is it?” she replied.

“These entries here don’t list a difficulty level.”

The Dungeons were typically categorized with difficulty ratings like E-Rank or D-Rank. However, the entries Ketal was looking at lacked such ratings.

Rosa glanced over and let out a small noise, realizing her oversight. “Oh, I forgot to write it on the quest board, but these are unexplored Dungeons.”

“Unexplored Dungeons?” Ketal asked.

“They’re Dungeons whose difficulty hasn’t been assessed yet.”

Dungeons naturally formed near human settlements. Guard or mercenaries would usually explore these Dungeons to roughly determine their difficulty levels. Even if they didn’t delve deeply, that was usually enough to estimate the challenge. However, some Dungeons remained unmeasured.

There were several reasons for this: lack of manpower to explore them, requirements for specific qualifications to enter, or—worst of all—Dungeons that wouldn’t allow a return until they were cleared.

“Interesting,” Ketal muttered as his lips curled into a smile. His grin sparked a sense of unease in his party members. He leisurely reviewed the unexplored Dungeons. One, in particular, grabbed his attention. “The Finite Maze? What’s this?”

“Ah, it’s exactly what it sounds like. The Dungeon itself is a maze,” Rosa replied.

“A maze? It’s really a maze?” Ketal was ecstatic.

The most famous maze in his mind was the Labyrinth of the Minotaur. He loved the Greek myth surrounding it. Mazes were also a staple in most fantasy-related books. Ketal had even cleared multiple maze-themed games from his previous world: mazes that required specific conditions to complete, mazes that constantly changed structure, and mazes that needed riddles to be solved for escape. Each one had been varied and entertaining.

Naturally, he had often thought to himself that he wanted to experience a real maze someday. And now, that opportunity had come! Ketal made his decision without hesitation. “This one. Let’s go with this.”

“Th-this one? Are you sure?” Rosa asked.

“Of course! So what do you mean by a Dungeon itself being a maze?”

“Well, when you’re inside, an entity appears. You can then choose whether or not to take on the maze challenge. Beyond that, not much is known.”

“So, no one who’s challenged it has ever returned?”

“No.”

“Perfect! This is the one for me. What do you guys think?” Ketal asked his party members as he grinned widely.

“Huh?” Cassan froze.

Is he really thinking of going into an explored Dungeon? And one where no one has ever come back?

This was practically a death sentence. No one in their right mind would want to go in there. Cassan was ready to refuse immediately.

“Of course, I won’t force you. We’re comrades. If any of you object, I will choose a different Dungeon. But I would really like to go to this one,” Ketal said. His eyes burned with enthusiasm as he spoke.

‘Uh, um...,” Cassan muttered. He couldn’t answer right away.

Ketal was respectful, considerate, and polite. As long as things didn’t go off track, he wasn’t scary. However, right now, things had gone off track.

“W-well...” Cassan wanted to refuse. He didn’t want to enter an unexplored Dungeon. Yet, he also didn’t want to reject Ketal. He wasn’t exactly afraid, but he was terrified.

“I’m fine with it,” Cassan eventually muttered, shutting his eyes tightly. He prayed with all his might that the other two would refuse. He prayed to a god he had never believed in before, from the bottom of his heart.

A few minutes later, Ketal exclaimed with excitement, “Alright! Let’s get going!”

The other three followed him with faces as pale as death.

***

As they followed Ketal, they thought about why they couldn’t just say no. However, they already knew the answer.

Rationally, they understood that the barbarian wouldn’t harm them even if they refused. But the sheer, overwhelming pressure Ketal exuded had consumed them, leaving logic powerless against it.

Regardless of the reasons, the choice had already been made, and there was no turning back. Rosa had tried to stop Ketal, but in the end, she failed.

Now, they had to venture into the maze—a Dungeon from which no one had ever returned—alongside the barbarian.

“This is the place,” Ketal said. A brick entrance stood a short distance from the estate. In front of it, a sign was planted in the ground.

[Warning: Unexplored Dungeon. No Survivors.]

“Well then, let’s get going,” Ketal said.

“Okay...”

With pale faces, they followed Ketal into the Dungeon. As Rosa had mentioned, there were no traps or monsters in sight. Yet this lack of danger only made the party—except for Ketal—more anxious. It felt as though no minor threats were necessary, because something far worse lay in wait ahead.

They walked for a while until they saw a single stone monument.

“Is that it?” Ketal said. When he approached the monument, a figure appeared. It was a translucent being, like a ghost.

Ketal’s face lit up with excitement. He had seen a ghost emerging from a monument countless times in stories, and now he was experiencing it firsthand.

“Are you a challenger of this maze?” a low voice echoed. The ghost flinched slightly, seemingly unnerved by Ketal’s fascinated gaze, but soon resumed its role with composure. “I am the manager of this Dungeon, a guide for challengers. Visitors to this Dungeon, will you take on the maze that one one has yet conquered, or retreat like cowards?”

The party braced themselves, expecting Ketal to shout his intent to challenge it immediately. He had shown an intense interest in the maze from the start.

However, instead of nodding, Ketal asked, “What kind of maze is it?”

“I cannot answer that,” the ghost replied.

“What’s the size of the maze?”

“I cannot answer that.”

“Does the maze change its structure?”

“I cannot answer that. All answers will be revealed within the maze.”

“So there’s no information available from the outside.” Ketal stroked his chin in thought. Then, as if concluding, he nodded.

The party prepared themselves, thinking Ketal would finally declare his intent to challenge the maze.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Ketal turned back. “Then let’s just head back.”

“Huh?” The party members were shocked.

“Are you giving up? That’s fine as well,” the ghost spoke calmly, as if it had expected this.

Ketal smiled faintly. “I will be back soon. Wait for me.”

The party exited the Dungeon. Bewildered, Cassan asked, “Aren’t you going to challenge it?”

“What are you talking about?” Ketal looked at Cassan as though the question made no sense. That gaze left Cassan feeling strangely foolish, as if he were the one missing something.

“I came here to gather information. It’s a maze, so proper preparation is essential,” Ketal said.

“P-preparation?”

Upon returning to the estate, Ketal immediately visited a food shop.

“Do you have dried foods? Something that will last at least a month would be ideal. Also, we need some alcohol. Water spoils, but alcohol doesn’t. Oh, and fresh fruits if you have any.” Ketal bought all sorts of supplies, mostly long-lasting provisions.

However, he didn’t stop there. He purchased a simple sleeping bag, a long thread, and anything else he thought necessary.

Watching this, Cassan finally snapped out of his daze. “What exactly are you doing?” “Preparing for the maze,” Ketal replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “We don’t know the layout or the size of that maze. The only certainty is that no one has ever come back. It was a maze of significant difficulty. It’s highly likely to take a considerable amount of time to clear the Dungeon. Proper preparation is essential.”

“Uh...,” Cassan muttered. Now that he thought about it, Ketal’s reasoning made sense.

When attempting something with zero information, thorough preparation was indeed the correct approach.

But you’re a barbarian!

Cassan thought. He had never heard of a meticulous and well-prepared barbarian.

“Judging by your expression, it seems you’re not used to proper preparation,” Ketal remarked with an understanding nod. “It’s better to assume the worst-case scenario than to rely on hope. That increases survival rates. From now on, be thorough in your preparations for anything.”

Ketal even lectured them on preparation and survival.

Cassan’s head began to spin.

Wait, so, in the end...,

Cassan thought.

Contrary to their assumptions, Ketal wasn’t rushing in blindly out of fascination with the maze. He was fully aware of the risks—lack of information, the impossibility of return—and yet, he still intended to challenge it.

Isn’t that even crazier?