Bab 22: How Long Do I Have To Wait Until I Get Those...
"Done! Take this," Aang said, as he handed the CAD back to Nicolo, without much thought Nicolo, slid it into his own CAD. The exchange was seamless, blending into the surrounding actions of their exploration.
"Nicolo, this dungeon is weird. Even after searching everywhere and roaming every corner, we haven't encountered a single monster. Even those rabbits on the first floor took a long time to appear." Sasha called out from the opposite side of Nicolo, her voice carrying a hint of frustration, breaking the silence of the surroundings.
Nicolo, furrowing his brow, took a pause thinking for a while before responding, "Yeah, it's indeed strange. For a high-grade dungeon, this would make sense. But this is just an E-grade dungeon. The most likely explanation is that it's a double dungeon—connected to another dungeon." As he shared his opinion, he continued to move deeper and deeper.
The concept of a double dungeon was rare a phenomenon where two separate dungeons, usually of different grades, are linked together.
These linked dungeons didn't need to be geographically close, they could be connected across vast distances, even different countries or totally opposite sides of Earth.
As they moved deeper, the heat grew more and more intense, forcing Aang and Asuka to strip off their shirts. The harsh atmosphere was suffocating, making it feel like they were descending into a hot furnace.
Watching Them Sasha's attention wavered, and her eyes kept moving towards Nicolo. Despite the growing tension, a blush formed on her face as she admired his muscular physique.
Her thoughts wandered, imagining Nicolo shirtless. 'Ahh! Sexy...' she mused silently, caught in a moment of distraction.
Asuka, noticing her shift in demeanour from giving murderous intent to daydreaming about Nicolo, a frown of confusion appeared on his face.
One minute, Sasha seemed ready to murder someone, and the next, she was lost in her fantasies. 'A typical woman for you,' he thought, bemused by her dual nature.
Aang, breaking the brief silence, asked a practical question. "So, Nicolo, are we raiding that other dungeon too?"
Nicolo shook his head, his voice commanding. "No, the monsters here have probably migrated there for better resources. The other dungeon is likely to be of a much higher grade. There's also a high chance that the other dungeon is an authorised one. If it is, and we get caught, we'll all end up in jail."
When they first manifest, dungeons are promptly reported to the government. This immediate reporting is crucial as the government uses their advanced technology to analyse the dungeon's mana frequency. This frequency helps in determining various attributes of the dungeon, such as its grade, difficulty level, the types of resources available, and even its environmental factors.
Once the dungeon's grade and attributes are established, the government issues guidelines for licensed wardens. These guidelines include the recommended squad composition based on the dungeon's specifics. For example, higher-grade dungeons might require teams with certain skill sets or blessings, while lower-grade dungeons might be accessible to even less experienced wardens.
Additionally, The government also imposes heavy taxes on the income generated from these dungeon raids.
Some dungeons are not reported to the government and are traded in black markets for illegal activities. These dungeons, kept secret, are often used for purposes like smuggling, illegal experiments, or other shady dealings. These dungeons are called unauthorised dungeons.
After walking for another hour, the squad found a large opening that led to a sea of lava. The area was crawling with red slug-like monsters with hard shells on their backs.
"Tsk! These damn lava slugs. They're the most annoying kind," Nicolo muttered in frustration.
"Yeah, no matter how many we kill, they just keep coming. Plus, they're just E-grade, so they don't even have cores or any commercial value," Sasha added as she prepared her daggers for a fight.
As Asuka was lost in thought, Aang placed a hand on Asuka's shoulder and pulled him back. With a serious tone, he warned, "Asuka, don't get too close to Sasha like last time. She could throw you into the lava this time."
Asuka nodded and just moved forward, barely paying attention to Sasha. His mind was focused on Nicolo. 'How the hell should I kill him? Now that I have the poison ready, I need to act fast,' he thought, his face indifferent as he approached Nicolo.
"Nicolo, do you think the boss monster moved to a linked dungeon looking for more resources?" Asuka asked with a curious expression.
"I don't think so," Nicolo replied, pointing towards the lava. "Boss monsters usually need a specific environment to survive. It's probably inside that lava."
'Perfect,' Asuka thought, a small, unnoticed grin spreading across his face. "Nicolo, I have an idea. Since this is a double dungeon, why don't we take advantage of it?" he suggested.
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't we take resources from the other dungeon and bring them here? Think about it, will an E-grade boss monster be enough for the four of us?"
"Asuka, you know? The secret behind some wardens' long survival rates is knowing when to let go of greed," Nicolo said, his tone grim. "It would be too dangerous. One of us could even die over there."
"We're not here to secure people from dungeon breaks and all, that's just a bonus. We're here for money, power, and influence. That's the core of being a warden. Risk is part of our world. Those who shy away from such opportunities are just ambitionless cowards, not real wardens. The true secret to a warden's survival is their experience. With proper planning, we can handle anything,"
Asuka's words contained weight even making Nicolo reconsider his previous decision, his confidence clear in his eyes as he looked towards Nicolo.
He then continued, "This E-grade dungeon is too easy for C-grade wardens. Sasha and Aang can take care of the slugs without waking the boss while we check out the other dungeon. We might even find some easy resources to grab. What do you think, Nicolo?" Asuka asked, his tone persuasive, causing Nicolo's usually indifferent expression to falter slightly.
"For an inexperienced trainee, you certainly have a way with words. Yeah, you're right. Let's do that," Nicolo agreed with a nod and a smile. He then moved towards Sasha and Aang to discuss the plan.
As Asuka watched them from a distance, a thought flowed in his mind, 'Did my plan really work? Hehe, now I just need to wait for the right opportunity.'
Although Sasha frowned a few times during the discussion, she eventually accepted the idea.
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{A/N}
Additional Info: The dungeon they are exploring was found by Nicolo purely due to coincidence, not from the black market.
....
[Character traits]
(Asuka Volford)
Trait 1: Asuka is determined to get what he wants, no matter what. In his past life, he was chosen to be a hero protecting the land of Eldora. But because of this single-minded drive and greed, Asuka ended up losing his humanity, his loved ones, and everything else. In the end, becoming Eldora's greatest villain.
......
Golden ticket!
Golden ticket!
Golden ticket!
Thanks for Reading guys share your thoughts and opinions in the comments I love to read it...
Peace out!!
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone