First Dungeon Raid (2)
Boom! Boom!
Rumble!
With a series of explosions, a massive tree crashed to the ground.
Through the rising dust appeared a young boy with brown hair, still soft-featured with youth. Three orbs of blue mana drifted around him.
At a flick of the boy’s hand, the mana orbs streaked toward a great boulder.
Whoosh.
Crash!
The boulder shattered into four pieces. It was almost impossible to believe a child so small had done it.
“Haa… haa!”
Even he seemed spent, dragging in ragged breaths.
Not perfect, but this should be enough to keep myself alive.
The boy was Ellen, pouring everything he had into training before he challenged Hameron’s Dungeon.
Nearly six months had passed since he met Yujin and decided to conquer the dungeon. A little under a month remained before academy enrollment.
In that time Ellen had thrown every waking hour that was not spent eating or sleeping into practice. With the memories of his previous life intact, he used not only the Hameron Breathing Method but also pure magical theory to climb to the level of a 1st Circle master in a remarkably short span.
I felt it keenly in my past life too—truly cursed talent.
Had he possessed even a shred more gift, he would already have broken through to the 2nd Circle without trouble. The regret was hard to swallow.
But this power is the real thing.
In truth, 1st Circle skill alone was nowhere near enough to clear a dungeon—or even to travel alone. What made it possible for Ellen was his ability to cast without chanting, backed by thirty years of hard-won experience.
In the past he had needed to recite more than a full sentence just to fire a Magic Missile. Now he could loose as many simultaneous Magic Missiles as his mana pool allowed. Even 1st Circle spells, stacked in volume, carried enough force to pulverize boulders and trees with ease.
If I want to get back on schedule, I need to leave now.
Ellen headed straight home.
“Father, Mother—there’s something I need to take care of before I enter the academy. I’ll probably be away from home for about two weeks.”
At Ellen’s words, Sien’s and Maria’s forks froze mid-motion.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m sorry. It’s a little hard to explain the reason…”
Their son had never once caused trouble, so the declaration left them shaken—but their hearts soon settled. Young as he still was, he was a boy they could send anywhere without shame.
“Whew… if our son says so, then Mother has to cheer him on, doesn’t she?”
Ellen answered Maria with a soft smile.
“That’s my boy. A man has to go on an adventure at least once. Ah—wait just a moment.”
Sien thumped his chest, then set down his fork as something occurred to him and bolted for the storehouse.
“Still serviceable.”
A short while later he returned with both arms full—light armor, boots, and a pack.
“What’s all that?”
“Gear your old man used back when he was still out adventuring. These little fellows saved my life more than once! Your mother even fell for me wearing them—that’s how we ended up married.”
“You still had those?”
Maria scolded him, yet her expression said otherwise; she seemed to be drifting through old memories.
“Thank you. I’ll put them to good use.”
“Of course you will. You’re the genius even the Magic Tower acknowledged. And more than that—you’re this father’s son. You’ll do fine.”
Looking at the equipment Sien held out, Ellen suddenly recalled the image of his father from the previous timeline—wearing this same gear, taking mercenary work to pay off debt, and never coming home again.
From now on I won’t grieve over that past. I will change the future myself.
Hameron’s Dungeon lay in the northern reaches of Breda, a city about three days’ ride from Los, where Ellen lived.
He stopped in Breda before entering the dungeon.
Neigh!
After stabling his horse, Ellen went straight to the mercenary guild.
He already possessed knowledge of Hameron’s Dungeon and, from his previous life, was an expert dungeon explorer. He also had an unnatural ability and had stockpiled mana through relentless training. Even so, he was still only a fifteen-year-old 1st Circle boy. Clearing Hameron’s Dungeon alone was simply too much.
Fortunately he had a little money. Before the Black Order returned to the Magic Tower, Yujin had visited the house and left five gold for living expenses—roughly two months’ keep for Ellen’s family. Sien had given that sum to Ellen for the journey.
I skimped on everything except the horse rental and food, so it should be enough to hire mercenaries.
Jingle.
The bell over the guild door rang as Ellen pushed it open. Mercenaries inside glanced toward the entrance, lost interest the moment they saw him, and looked away again.
With familiar steps Ellen walked to the board where commission slips were posted. It was the place where clients could freely pin requests that listed only the reward, preserving secrecy; interested mercenaries then approached to hear the details.
Thud.
Ellen pinned up his slip and chose a suitable seat.
They’ll swarm soon enough.
True to his prediction, mercenaries crowded around him almost at once.
“Kid, commission slips aren’t toys.”
A rough-looking mercenary loomed over him. Ellen only snorted and set three gold coins on the table.
The mercenaries went blank for a second. A full month’s living expenses for any of them was sitting right there.
“I apologize for doubting you. May we hear the details of the commission?”
One of them recovered first and spoke with sudden courtesy. You did not talk down to a potential employer.
Ellen understood their psychology perfectly. He looked them over once.
“We’re going to the dungeon north of Breda.”
Curses erupted from the mercenaries.
“Three gold for our lives?”
“Damn it, every kind of lunatic walks through that door.”
“Kid, drop the bravado and go home.”
The swarm that had pressed in around Ellen vanished in an instant. He felt no regret.
I don’t need rabble like you anyway.
He propped his chin on his hand and waited for someone else.
Just as boredom began to set in, a man approached. Even several paces away the reek of liquor was thick. His clothes were ragged in every direction—anyone would have taken him for a beggar.
There you are.
Ellen’s hips shifted with sudden anticipation.