Chapter 28: The Unexplored Dungeon (6)

“Oh! Ooooh!” The party members let out wild cheers, their eyes sparkling with excitement as they rushed to the treasure chest.

Upon inspecting its content up close, they screamed in disbelief, “My god! It’s gold! Real gold!”

Inside the chest were a significant number of gold coins, countless silver coins, intricately crafted ornaments that seemed to radiate artistic value, and small gemstones glinting under the light.

“This is unbelievable!” the party members exclaimed.

Even Hayes, who should have been above greed, couldn’t hide her excitement. The treasure was simply too overwhelming. Cassan, unsurprisingly, was even more affected. His eyes practically bulged out of their sockets as he greedily examined each piece of wealth, overwhelmed by the sheer scale of riches that defied easy calculation.

“Oh, my.” Ketal approached the chest with an amused expression. Picking up a gold coin, he flicked it into the air. The coin spun in a glittering arc before landing squarely in Ketal’s hand. “Cassan, how much do you think this is worth?”

“I... I can’t calculate it right now! My god, a reward of this magnitude!”

“So, that much, huh?”

Judging by the reaction, the treasure seemed to be an abundant and overflowing reward. Though the material wealth intrigued Ketal, his interest lay elsewhere.

“What should I call you?” Ketal asked, his gaze fixed on the ghost.

“You may call me whatever you wish. Administrator, manager, ghost—it matters not.”

“Then, I’ll just call you ghost. Is this all there is for the reward?” Ketal asked.

“For now, yes. Is there something more you desire?”

“It’s nothing major. I’d just like to ask a few questions.”

“Questions... you say?” The ghost looked momentarily flustered. It was unusual for an adventurer to ask for something other than treasure after clearing a Dungeon. Regaining its composure, the ghost replied calmly. “Clearing the maze means everything here is your reward. If you wish to ask questions, you may. I will answer what I can.”

“That’s a generous offer,” Ketal said with a grin. “What happens to you once the maze is cleared?”

“I disappear,” the ghost answered indifferently. “I am the manager of the Dungeon. Once the maze is cleared, I serve no purpose. I will vanish alongside the maze. That will be the end of me.”

“I see.” Ketal stroked his chin, his narrowed eyes scrutinizing the ghost. It was a sentient being, intelligent enough to rival any human. He could not believe such a being could exist solely as a mere tool for the Dungeon.

After organizing his thoughts, Ketal asked, “Were you born with the Dungeon?”

“Yes,” the ghost replied.

“As the Dungeon’s manager, I assume you cannot leave it.”

“That is correct.”

“But that’s odd. You claimed even a Hero couldn’t break the laws of the maze. That’s information you shouldn’t know unless you had knowledge of the outside world.”

The ghost explained matter-of-factly, “I possess general knowledge of the outside world. It has been with me since the moment I came into existence.”

“So, the one who created you must have had a fundamental understanding of this world’s principles and concepts,” Ketal concluded.

“That would seem to be the case.” The ghost appeared momentarily startled, as if it had never considered the nature of its creator.

Ketal studied it with a growing sense of intrigue. “Who could your creator be, I wonder?”

It had to be someone capable of crafting such an intelligent being as merely a Dungeon manager, someone knowledgeable about the world beyond. Ketal wondered whether perhaps this creator had a hand in designing every Dungeon in existence.

“This world just keeps getting more fascinating,” Ketal said with a delighted laugh.

***

With the Dungeon cleared, Ketal and his party returned to the guildhall, laden with treasures. Mercenaries and guild staff were dumbfounded. News of Ketal venturing into the unexplored Dungeon had spread quickly, and most had assumed they would never see him again.

The phrase

unexplored Dungeon

carried a heavy weight. The Dungeon Ketal had targeted had existed for decades, and no one had ever returned alive.

However, Ketal had returned—victorious, with a trove of wealth to prove it.

Rosa hesitated as she inspected the haul. “Incredible... such quantity and quality...”

Even assessing it took considerable time. During that period, Rosa listened as Ketal recounted his experience in the unexplored Dungeon. As their name implied, unexplored Dungeons were Dungeons whose information remained unknown. The details Ketal provided were invaluable.

After hearing his account, Rosa nodded thoughtfully. “I see... From your description, it seems to be a fairly standard Dungeon. In that case, clearing it shouldn’t be impossible for Advanced adventurers. I’d say it’s around the level of an A-Rank Dungeon.”

“Do sentient entities usually appear in A-Rank Dungeons?” Ketal asked.

“They’re rare but not unheard of. As you mentioned, sentient beings occasionally appear in A-Rank Dungeons or higher, though they’re still exceptionally uncommon.”

Listening to Ketal’s account, the Dungeon seemed like a textbook example of an A-Rank Dungeon. A highly skilled individual, such as an Advanced adventurer, could use Myst to detect a wide area and navigate the maze efficiently. While the lack of prior information posed a challenge, a well-prepared Advanced adventurer should theoretically be able to clear it.

However, there was one issue.

“You said you destroyed the maze’s walls, right? That’s a bit concerning...,” Rosa said.

This point raised uncertainty. If the maze’s walls could indeed be destroyed, an Advanced adventurer could easily manage to clear the Dungeon. However, if they were indestructible, the difficulty would increase dramatically. According to what the ghost has said, altering the maze’s structure was impossible, and that included destroying its walls. Yet Ketal claimed he had broken through them to solve the maze.

“There was no problem breaking the walls. The ghost must have misunderstood something,” Ketal stated confidently.

“Hm... That could be it. I have heard of sentient entities deceiving mercenaries before, so it might be one of those cases,” Rosa replied thoughtfully.

The notion of breaking the Dungeon’s laws was unheard of. Most likely, wall destruction didn’t fall under the category of

alteration

. With that reasoning, Rosa concluded her assessment. The unexplored Dungeon was now classified as an A-Rank Dungeon.

Finally, the calculation of the rewards was completed. The treasure was worth enough for an average person to live comfortably for several years. Ketal divided the sum into four equal portions and distributed them to his companions.

Cassan panicked and waved his hands in protest. “N-no! I can’t accept all of this! We didn’t contribute at all!”

From beginning to end, Ketal had cleared the Dungeon on his own. The others felt too ashamed to take a share.

“We’re comrades, aren’t we? It’s true that you didn’t accomplish much in this Dungeon, but we’re still part of the same party. I see no need to distinguish between us,” Ketal replied.

“K-Ketal...” Their faces were filled with emotion.

Even so, their conscience wouldn’t allow them to accept a full quarter of the treasure. After much refusal, they settled for taking only ten percent.

“I wouldn’t mind keeping my full share...,” Alexandros muttered quietly, only to fall silent under the glares of Cassan and Hayes.

“Let’s meet again next time,” Ketal said.

“Yes,” they replied.

There was no longer any hesitation or discomfort toward the barbarian. Ketal was genuinely kind and noble-hearted. While some might dismiss such behavior as naive or exploitable, they couldn’t help but be moved by his sincerity.

“If you ever find yourself interested in our god, please visit our holy sanctuary,” Hayes said earnestly, as she made a determined expression.

“Oh? Are you sure?” Ketal asked.

“Yes. As a Priestess of Kalosia, I grant you permission to enter.”

The holy sanctuary was a place restricted even among clergy, with only a select few allowed access. Granting Ketal permission was the greatest gesture of gratitude Hayes could offer.

“Please accept this.” Hayes handed Ketal a decorative object, an intricately designed ornament of curious form. She smiled warmly. “With this, you will be permitted entry to our holy sanctuary. Though Kalosia is not widely welcomed, if you’re willing, we would be honored to have you.”

“Receiving permission from one who serves a god... This is a rare privilege,” Ketal said with a broad smile, bowing respectfully as he accepted the ornament. His sincerity left Hayes deeply touched.

Cassan hesitated for a moment before pulling something from his pocket. “Ketal, please accept this as well.”

“What is this?” Ketal asked.

“It’s a pass to the Thieves’ Guild. With this, you will be allowed into the guildhalls of the Thieves’ Guild.”

“Wow, is that true?” Alexandros and Hayes exclaimed in surprise.

The Thieves’ Guild was notoriously secretive. Its guildhalls were unknown even to most adventurers, and even those aware of their existence required permission to enter. The Thieves’ Guild was a true enigma, its activities shrouded in mystery.

While many falsely claimed association with the guild, genuine members were exceedingly rare. Thus, Cassan’s revelation left the others stunned.

Scratching his head awkwardly, Cassan explained, “I don’t have much skill or rank, but I was born and raised there. It’s not as grand as the rumors make it out to be. If you ever get the chance, I’d be grateful if you visited.”

“I’ll gladly accept,” Ketal replied, taking the ornament with a smile.

All eyes then turned to Alexandros. Noticing their gazes, he stammered nervously and spoke in rapid succession. “I-I’d like to give you something too, but, unfortunately, I’m currently in training and can’t afford to give anything to anyone. I’m truly sorry.”

“No need to worry. It’s understandable,” Ketal said reassuringly, smiling as though it didn’t bother him at all.

Alexandros lowered his head in dejection.

“Well then, everyone, let’s meet again. Hopefully, in the near future,” Ketal said.

“Yes!” Unlike before, they parted ways with cheerful expressions.

***

Ketal took his newfound wealth and headed straight to commission a set of clothes. After an extended session of taking measurements, the tailor finally provided an estimate.

It required a significant amount of money, but that didn’t concern Ketal. Once he accepted the price, the tailor informed him that creating the clothes would take a fair amount of time.

The wait will be part of the joy,

Ketal thought as he cheerfully finalized the reservation.

Even after ordering the clothes, a substantial amount of money remained. Contemplating how to spend it, Ketal came to a decision.

I should save it for now.

This was a fantasy world, full of uncertainties. He didn’t know what rare and valuable items could become available for him in the near future. Running out of funds at a critical moment could spell disaster. Being prudent seemed like the wisest choice for now.

“I wonder if there’s a black market around here,” he mused.

A market filled with rare and exotic goods—it was a staple of fantasy settings, and it seemed plausible that such a place could exist. He thought perhaps asking Kain or Lord Barcan would yield some answers.

With a sense of excitement, he moved on. Rosa had mentioned that a promotion review was underway following his successful Dungeon clearance. The results were expected to be announced later that day.

Will I finally be promoted to E-Rank?

he wondered.

This world never failed to surprise him, not even for a single day. As he walked with anticipation and delight, something caught his eye.

Hm?

Bending down, he picked up a small object from the ground and examined it with interest. It was a small, jet-black orb that shimmered with an enchanting brilliance.