章 8: Dungeon and Excitement

Long, long ago, there was a massive hole in the world.

It was a colossal abyss capable of birthing endless monsters, a veritable dungeon of darkness.

Countless heteromorphic creatures spewed forth from this hole, wreaking havoc across the surface, and leaving destruction in their wake. They swept through forests, mountains, valleys, oceans, and the sky, spreading chaos to every corner of the world.

Mortals suffered greatly and were ruthlessly trampled upon.

In their pursuit to regain dignity, restore peace, and avenge their fallen brethren, they transcended racial barriers. United, they set out to confront the monsters.

After countless years of struggle, led and fueled by figures later known as 'Heroes', mortals managed to drive the monsters back into the root of the abyss. Above this abyss, they erected a fortress.

This fortress became known as the Labyrinth City—Orario.

The great hole was called the 'Dungeon'.

The 'Dungeon' was a 'Labyrinth'.

Inside, lay a world different from the surface.

In this world, there were countless floors.

No one knew the exact number.

People only knew that each floor of the dungeon had a unique environment and terrain. The types of monsters varied, growing more complex and powerful as one descended deeper. Those with insufficient strength couldn't progress far, even on the first floor, considered the safest with the weakest monsters, where danger still lurked for an ordinary person.

Even those blessed with abilities and possessing status needed courage and like-minded comrades to venture into the dungeon.

During the daytime, adventurers who had received blessings from various Familias gathered in the square in front of Babel. They registered with the Guild, which managed Orario, to explore the labyrinth as their main duty.

They formed parties, delving into the dungeon together, seeking immense wealth, fame, and prestige in this 'unknown' territory.

As for the night, it was uncommon for adventurers to enter the dungeon. However, on this pitch-black night, a figure entered Babel. Passing through the ornate doors of the first floor, along the steps bordering a massive hole, the figure entered the dungeon's 1st Floor.

The reckless figure had no proper armor or equipment, just casual clothes with zero protective equipment.

Gripping a short sword, the figure ventured forth.

A boundless silence pervaded.

The figure, who was none other than Riezel, raised his eyes, gazing ahead, and saw a network of tunnels extending in all directions like underground passages.

The walls and ceiling were a uniform light blue.

Well-organized paths formed at intervals, featuring intersections, crossroads, gentle slopes, and other terrains.

No other figures were around.

At this moment, quite literally, Riezel stepped into a dungeon, an underground labyrinth.

"It feels a bit like back when I was surviving in the wilderness, accidentally stumbling into a bear's den."

Riezel walked casually through the tunnel, his footsteps ringing clear in the silent surroundings.

*GRRR!*

Whether drawn by his careless footsteps or not, faint roars hidden in the darkness began to emerge.

Riezel's gaze shifted, his steps unyielding, eyes fixed straight ahead toward the end of the tunnel. There, at a fork in the path, pairs of crimson eyes glowed in the darkness. Monsters, lurking in the shadows, waiting for their prey to approach, silently appeared.

It wasn't until he got closer that he could make out the appearance of the monster.

It was a creature with a dog-like head and sharp claws and teeth—Kobold.

With a breath that seemed almost like taking a breather, one Kobold impatiently broke away from the group, stepping out of the darkness.

Smaller than Riezel, uglier than a human, yet exuding a menacing aura, encountering a creature of fantasy for the first time was undoubtedly shocking for him.

However, he didn't stop walking.

*GRAAA!*

As if it had found prey delivered to its doorstep, the Kobold roared sharply and leaped at him. The vicious creature, constantly expanding in his pupils, approached relentlessly.

"Hahhh..."

*Ba-dump!* *Ba-dump!* *Ba-dump!*

Riezel, exhaling a breath, struggled to control his pounding heart.

"This feeling... It's been a while."

A rare, natural smile appeared on his lips.

Despite facing danger, he not only felt no fear but instead entered an inexplicable state of excitement.

Recalling the first time he left home, leaving the sight of family, and seeking extreme adventures outside, his feelings were just like this—not anxious or uneasy but rather strangely excited.

Perhaps it was the numbness that lasted too long.

Perhaps it was the familiarity that lasted too long.

Once oppressed and bound for too long, Riezel, like a rebound from the bottom, would suddenly change when faced with highly stimulating things. In this state of inexplicable excitement, his steps never slowed down as he watched the Kobold pounce toward him.

From walking to a brisk pace.

From a brisk pace to a run.

Then sprinting.

With this unyielding charge, Riezel fearlessly rushed toward the unknown creature he had never encountered before.

*GRAAA!*

The Kobold immediately revealed a fierce look in its eyes and thrust its sharp claws towards his head.

In the next second, accompanied by a metal clashing sound, the Kobold's claws landed on a fancily decorated short sword.

As Riezel approached the Kobold to the limit, he boldly raised the short sword, blocking the claw attack aimed at his head.

*BANG!*

The next moment, a muffled sound erupted.

It was Riezel, who had blocked the Kobold's attack, using his free hand to clench into a fist and deliver a punch to the menacing dog-like head.

*GRRR!*

The Kobold let out a howl of pain, its slender frame unable to withstand the impact of the punch, and it was thrown to the ground.

*GRRR!*

Seeing their comrade's unsuccessful attack, knocked down by the prey they were expecting, the remaining Kobolds hiding in the darkness couldn't sit still. They all rushed out, charging towards Riezel.

Witnessing this, his heartbeat accelerated even more, and the excitement in his heart increased. He felt a surge of strength coursing through his entire body.

This was the result of adrenaline being triggered.

The scene before him reminded him of his survival experiences in the wilderness.

There was a time when he was ambushed by a pack of wolves at night in the wilderness, and just like now, he was attacked by multiple fierce wolves.

Recalling that moment, his body moved instinctively.

Although Riezel had transmigrated from an ordinary world without any mysteries or extraordinary powers, having experienced wilderness survival and extreme sports, his original body was naturally not bad.

Despite the original owner of his current body being an ignorant and incompetent person, as a farmer's child who had worked in the countryside, in terms of stamina and body, his current body was not lacking.

This allowed Riezel to put to good use the combat techniques and self-defense knowledge he had learned for self-protection in his previous life.

So, faced with the oncoming attack of several Kobolds, he chose the most appropriate course of action.

"Ga?"

The Kobold that was originally wailing on the ground realized it had been lifted.

Riezel grabbed the leg of the fallen Kobold and swung it forcefully, throwing it towards the approaching group of Kobolds.

*BANG!*

Once again, a muffled sound echoed. In the Kobold's cries, the two in the front were hit by their flying comrade.

The Kobold group immediately fell into chaos.

The front Kobolds fell one after another.

The rear Kobolds stumbled over the fallen ones in front, momentarily losing their charge.

At that moment, Riezel moved again.

He initiated a charge, reaching the nearest Kobold, taking advantage of its confusion, and during the chaos, the short sword in his hand suddenly rose, stabbing into its head.

*GRAAAAA—!!!*

A piercing scream echoed as the Kobold collapsed to the ground with blood splattering in all directions.

A drop of blood tainted Riezel's face, shimmering against his cold, glittering eyes, making him resemble a heartless devil.

*GRRR!*

The last Kobold seemed infuriated, stepping on its fallen comrade one by one and charging toward Riezel in rage.

In response, Riezel seized the lifeless Kobold from the ground, hoisting its slender body as if it were a hammer. He swung it fiercely, creating a howling sound as he sent the approaching Kobold flying.

The short sword in his hand saw little use, only employed by him to parry the claws and fangs of the Kobolds. Otherwise, he wielded it for a lethal strike, thrusting the sharp sword edge into the vital points of his enemies.

The duration of this battle seemed indefinite.

*Pu-chi!*

Before long, Riezel thrust his short sword into the chest of the last Kobold, piercing its heart.

With the fall of the final Kobold, the battle concluded.

The dungeon once again returned to silence.

Standing amidst the corpses of Kobolds, surrounded by blood and monster remnants, Riezel glanced at his blood-soaked hands and sword. The crimson stain on his cheek stood out vividly.

"Not enough..." Riezel murmured suddenly. "It's not enough..."

*Ba-dump!* *Ba-dump!* *Ba-dump!*

His heart continued to race.

The pulsating blood refused to calm.

A surge of intense emotion filled his chest as if he had expelled all the depression accumulated from past constraints.

"It can be even more intense..." Riezel muttered words from the depths of his being.

Following the whispers within, he discarded his refined demeanor, transforming into a berserker chasing after something unseen as he took a step deeper into the dungeon.