Chapter 542: Chapter 541 – Dungeon Setup and Skill Training.

"What do you mean the dungeon is closed?"

"There should have been a notice at the Guild. Have you not heard?"

"No, I haven't heard anything about this! Now step aside! I'm not listening to your made-up bullshit - I know what you're trying to do! But I wasn’t born yesterday!"

Shouting erupted at the entrance to the deeper dungeon, a name that had recently come into use. A party of five adventurers was arguing with the guards stationed there, unable to enter for reasons unknown. Their leader was shouting loudly at one of the guards, thinking the soldiers were trying to get money from them.

"Sir, please step back. If you attempt to force your way in, we will report you to the Guild."

"Hah! I'd love to see you try. Do you even know who we are?"

The guards raised their shields and leveled their spears, but they knew the truth - if the adventurers charged, they wouldn't stand a chance. They were merely Tier 2 class holders, while this was a platinum-ranked party that had been delving into the dungeon for months. Tension crackled in the air as the adventurers stood their ground, eyes burning with frustration.

"We’ve paid our dues! We’ve been diving into this dungeon since it was discovered, and now you tell us it’s closed? On whose authority?

“Under my authority.”

A voice boomed from the distance before this could get out of hand. The loud adventurers felt their knees buckling under pressure as a strange aura washed over them. The soldiers they were shouting at didn’t seem affected by it. The adventurers turned sharply towards the source of the voice, their expressions shifting from anger to caution. A figure approached with measured steps, clad in dark runic armor.

“We greet the High Knight Commander!”

The soldiers snapped to attention as they instantly recognized the man's magical armor. Beside him stood a massive wolf, its mane flickering with flames as it yawned, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. Behind them, a large group of dwarves, along with other adventurers, slowly emerged, all making their way toward the entrance of the deep dungeon.

“Wait, is that…”

One of the adventurers muttered under his breath, recognizing the man instantly. Wayland, High Knight Commander - a name spoken in both reverence and fear among those who operated in the city of Albrook. His reputation preceded him, not just as a man of title but as one who commanded respect through sheer presence and power. Everyone knew of his unparalleled battle strength, and even a platinum-ranked adventurer was no match for him.

The adventurers tensed, their bravado faltering in the presence of the infamous High Knight Commander. The leader of the group clamped his mouth shut, unwilling to utter another word as the pressure in the chamber grew heavier.

"Who’s making all that fuss? Is that the guy? Want me to shut him up, Wayland?"

From behind the armored Knight Commander, a man stepped forward. He was tall and muscular, wearing a strange harness that left his chest exposed. However, before he could act, Wayland raised a hand, silently ordering him to stand down. The man clicked his tongue, shook his head, and retreated without another word.

“Just be quiet, you big oaf, and stop making trouble!”

A woman with longer ears and wearing a bow shouted at the muscular man before he settled down. Silence settled over the chamber as more figures emerged from a nearby tunnel. A large group of dwarves, clad in mining gear, stepped forward. While no heavy machinery was visible, spatial bags carried by hired porters hinted at the equipment hidden within. Among them were soldiers, adventurers, and several strange floating golems - dodecahedron-shaped constructs with orbs for eyes that hovered eerily in the air.

"What… was that?"

After the last of them had disappeared into the dungeon, one of the adventurers finally spoke.

"It was a warning, Let’s take a break and check that guild notice."

The leader kicked a loose rock in frustration and then turned away. He knew better than to meddle in noble affairs, and whatever was happening in the dungeon, it was best to steer clear - for now. If they insisted on entering, they’d be risking more than just failure.

******

‘Weren’t those the same adventurers?’

Roland led the expedition, Agni walking beside him, deep in thought. The group they had just encountered was the same one he had tricked when setting up the illusion device on the dungeon’s lowest floor. It seemed they had returned, possibly equipped with tools to detect illusory magic this time.

‘I guess I got lucky. Best if no rumors about the lowest floor spread before we’re finished with it.’

It had been around two weeks since his battle with the dungeon boss at the lower level of the dungeon. After a short period of recovery and preparation, he had finally put together a team to begin full-scale operations. Now, with the funding secured through Arthur, he could take the next step toward unlocking the dungeon’s hidden potential.

Armand had come along for the ride, and Lobelia was also present. Neither of them was close to reaching level two hundred - the threshold for the final level but that didn’t matter. With all their combined manpower, the monsters in these levels wouldn’t be able to stop them, especially with him and Agni generating enough radiant aura to weaken the undead.

Roland had hoped to bring his brother along to help him gain experience, but Robert had yet to reach his first Tier 3 class. However, he was close - once he finished assembling the teleportation gate, Roland expected Robert to complete his first advancement. Roland wondered what kind of class his brother would unlock. Since Robert didn’t possess any spirit or aura warrior classes, Roland suspected he might gain a champion variant focused on swordsmanship.

He wished he could have done this sooner, but gathering all the necessary craftsmen and materials had proven challenging. They had to negotiate a new agreement with the union dwarves regarding the distribution of wealth in the lower dungeon region. Certain mineral pockets were present there, and the boss chamber contained large quantities of obsidian rock - a potent material for golem creation.

To Roland’s annoyance, their progress was slow. With so many people on this journey and the dungeon’s tight corridors, moving downward was a tedious process. The dwarves, with their shorter legs and lack of adventuring experience, frequently insisted on taking breaks - and drinking alcohol along the way making the descent even slower. It took them several days to reach the bottom, forcing them to set up camp along the way.

‘I’m glad this is the first and last time we’re doing it like this…’

Roland exhaled as they finally reached the lower depths of the dungeon. The only thought that kept him going was that once he assembled the teleportation gate, he would be able to go home. His illusory barrier was still intact, confusing the party as they arrived.

“Is this a dead end? Did our great leader take a wrong turn?”

Armand wasn’t afraid to mock him, much to the disappointment of the soldiers, who by now held Roland in high regard. The dwarves, however, burst into laughter  - though their amusement quickly faded when Roland waved his hand, revealing a path forward.

“No, we’re in the right place, just try not to get yourselves killed. The monsters down there are close to level two hundred.”

"He's not you, blockhead."

Lobelia was quick to tease Armand for being wrong again, and soon the group continued to the level with the five elemental temples. Since his last visit, all the monsters had respawned, complicating things to some extent.

“This place is something else… Is that tower… or is it some type of temple? on fire?”

Lobelia asked, gazing into the distance from the entrance they had just stepped through. The rest of the group quickly stopped to take in the vast chamber and the five towering structures. As expected, they had all been fully restored and would need to be cleared again before the group could advance - which was exactly why they were here.

“Don’t wander off. It’s too dangerous for you two to go in there alone. Stick to the plan and don’t waste any more time.”

“Okay, big boss~”

The half-elven girl replied in a playful tone, stretching her arms above her head. The plan was straightforward: reach this level, excavate a large enough chamber to the side, and build a reinforced metallic cage around it. Once that was in place, they would assemble the pre-prepared teleportation gate and link it to Sebastian. Once the gate was active, more people and materials could be transported in, allowing them to clear the temples and set up automated runic turrets to handle the monsters for them.

For the final phase of the plan, they would re-clear the boss chamber - something Roland would likely handle alone. Once the boss was defeated, he would lead a group of dwarven miners through the tunnel leading to the treasure chamber and have them break through the wall. His golems had spent considerable time gathering measurements, so he now had precise data on how quickly the boss would respawn. This would allow him to remove the miners before any trouble arose.

‘But we could always use one of the oldest tricks in the book to stop the boss from respawning in the first place, so it should be fine.’

There was a well-known method to prevent the boss chamber from resetting: blocking the doors from closing. If left unattended for too long, the doors would automatically shut, and the boss would respawn - even if people were still inside. However, past experiments had proven that keeping the doors open prevented the monster from reappearing. No one knew exactly why, but the leading theory was that the dungeon didn’t want its boss monster wandering freely or escaping through the entrance.

“Everyone listen up, stay close, and do not wander.”

Before long, they resumed their journey, and Roland led the group to the temporary chamber he had created during his last visit. It still needed further excavation, which was why he had brought the miners along. As soon as they arrived, the dwarves wasted no time - pickaxes struck stone with practiced precision while others began unpacking supplies. Before long, long metallic tubes and other components for the automatic golem turrets came into view.

Roland observed as the dwarves worked with remarkable efficiency, their movements honed by years of craftsmanship. The rhythmic clang of pickaxes echoed through the chamber like a song of progress, each swing carving away at the stone to expand the space that would soon serve as the heart of their operations.

Nearby, golems assisted in clearing debris. These weren’t his own creations but ones provided by the union, transported here via their spatial technology. For once, he didn’t have to get his hands dirty. Instead, his main role was ensuring the safety of the workers, along with his soldiers, as the noise inevitably attracted wandering undead.

“Agni, take care of them.”

“Awooo!”

His command was barely necessary. Agni was more than capable of handling the undead, and with Armand, Lobelia, and a handful of other platinum-ranked adventurers providing backup, there was little reason for concern. Roland himself was more of a trump card - only to be used if something unexpected happened. So far, though, everything was proceeding smoothly.

‘Maybe I should sketch some new schematics to pass the time…’

Roland sighed, settling into a chair provided by his soldiers. He briefly considered tackling one of the temples alone, but the thought of leaving the workers unattended made him hesitate. If something went wrong in his absence, he’d regret it. For now, he had no choice but to remain here, stuck in place with little to do except plan for the future.

******

“Guuoohhh…”

A lone man stared at the chipped steel blade in his hands, then at the undead monster before him. The skeleton had lost both its legs and arms, reduced to nothing more than a torso and a head. Even so, it remained tightly bound in a metallic harness, unable to move.

Gripping the blade with both hands, he raised it high and brought it down, striking the monster’s sternum dead center - just as he had done dozens of times before. Each swing sent more fragments of metal breaking off his worn weapon, yet the undead’s body remained unscathed. He struck again and again, his blows relentless, until finally, the world system’s voice echoed in his mind, signaling that he was done.

“...I did it… and this fast…”

The man stepped away from the monster, his blade now too damaged to be of any further use. It was dull, chipped, and barely holding together. But that was expected - this weapon had been made to be destroyed and discarded. This place was nothing more than a training ground, one he had been granted access to weeks ago. He had spent that time training relentlessly, preparing for his next ascension ritual.

“That just leaves one more.”

His training wasn’t over yet. There was still one more skill he needed to refine before he could be satisfied. After ignoring the thrashing remains of the defeated monster, he turned his attention to another skeleton nearby. Like the first, this one had been stripped of its limbs - except for a single arm, which ended at the wrist, devoid of fingers. Though locked in place, it could still move what remained of its limb.

From the side, he grabbed a massive shield - a thick slab of metal fitted with sturdy straps. With steady steps, he approached the creature, watching as it grew agitated the moment he drew near. The skeleton let out a hollow screech, its one remaining arm flailing in the air. The man didn’t flinch. His grip on the shield tightened, and with a single swift motion, he slammed the heavy metal into the monster’s remaining arm, sending a loud crack echoing through the chamber. The skeleton’s rattling grew louder as it attempted to strike him with its severed limb.

The man didn’t move as he rooted his legs firmly in place, bracing himself to take the monster’s attack head-on. Despite being bound and lacking claws, the skeleton’s strength still pushed him back, even though he held the shield firmly with both hands. His muscles strained as he fought to resist the immense force the monster could exert.

After a few heavy blows, however, he was forced to retreat. His hands throbbed with pain, but he knew this was the only way to level up this skill - letting the monster relentlessly strike the shield while he held it in place. His brows furrowed but he quickly went back to it and his skill training continued.

The man’s arms were beginning to burn with each impact. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but his focus never wavered. This was the final trial, the one that would push him to the next step. The monster’s relentless attacks, though painful, were becoming predictable. It was the last bit of refinement he needed for his shield proficiency.

Each strike that came crashing down on the shield became a rhythm he could almost anticipate. The bones rattled with every hit, and the air was filled with the sound of metal on metal. His shield, a behemoth of steel, absorbed each blow but soon became nothing but bent metal.  Just like with the cheap blades he needed to replace it with others like it to continue this training and finally, after several hours and recovery potions, he heard it.

The man nodded and took a step away from the monster. His hands were bruised but his resolve was stronger than ever. He wiped the sweat from his brow, looking at the shattered shield and the pile of broken blades scattered around the chamber. Despite the exhaustion settling into his bones, a satisfied grin tugged at the corner of his lips. He had done it. He had completed the last of his preparations.

‘With this, I can also reach that level…’

“I’m not going to be a burden to anyone anymore…”

Robert glanced at his status screen for a moment before stepping out of the training chamber. He had reached the max level some time ago, but he had taken his brother’s advice to heart. He spent many days here, pushing himself to perfect his skills. All the sword techniques and shield masteries he could learn were now maxed out. Now, he was finally ready to take the next step - to reach the fabled Tier 3 class he had dreamed of his entire life…

221