Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Veteran's Stage - 1
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Ancient Dungeon.
It was one of only seven dungeons in the entire empire, ancient ruins so famous that even dragons—the supreme pinnacle of all lifeforms—could not fathom their origins.
Unlike other dungeons, it brimmed with an aura utterly independent of external forces, making it impossible to destroy. That was its defining trait.
In the game, it was lore-wise a legacy left by the world's creators, known as an uncharted secret realm that no one had ever conquered.
Of course, to me—someone who'd cleared every ancient dungeon at least ten times over—it was no different from the local playground.
I'd even done a few speedruns there when I got bored, so it was familiar territory.
The only issue was that with this pathetic body of mine, conquering it outright was impossible, so I'd figured it was off-limits.
But looking back, any shortfall in raw power could just be covered by bringing others along.
"Young Master? Wouldn't it be better to call it off for real?"
"Still on about that? We've already finished all the prep, and I slipped Baron Delmanriju some cash to secure entry into the ancient dungeon. You want me to back out now?"
"The ancient dungeon? That's the place that turned our elven hero Praha into a one-armed man!"
"And?"
"I know you've got extraordinary abilities, Young Master, but this time it's straight-up reckless!"
The usually laid-back Lena, who sometimes even joked around, was putting up an unusual fuss, trying desperately to talk me out of it.
Maribel, on the other hand, had already boarded the carriage and was sitting primly.
Ever since I'd explained it was the fastest way for her to power-level in a short time, she'd made up her mind.
She was dead set on giving it a shot, even if it meant risking her life.
"You're such a worrywart. As long as I'm with you, no one's dying."
"The ancient dungeon isn't what you think it is...!"
Lena cut herself off with a sigh.
She must have realized no amount of convincing would work.
I flashed her a thumbs-up at her quick surrender.
"Young Master, how about a bet then?"
"What kind?"
"Once we enter the ancient dungeon, exactly ten minutes! I won't do anything but rescue you during that time. If you survive, I won't complain anymore and will follow your orders to the letter."
"Fine by me."
Lena looked like she hoped I'd grasp the terror of the ancient dungeon firsthand.
She wanted me to experience just how dangerous it was.
And in the midst of her minor act of defiance—promising rescue but nothing else—my nether regions started stirring.
It felt like watching a cocky newbie trying to boss around a grizzled vet.
Whew! The carriage was starting to reek of something naughty.
"Lady Lena, you're being awfully stubborn about this. Lord Heinz isn't the type to show baseless confidence."
"Kid, do you have any idea how many people I've seen strut into ancient dungeons full of bravado... and die?"
"Even if you say it like you're bragging about your age..."
"W-what?!"
Peaceful times.
Compared to the staring contests between Rosmel and Maribel, Lena and Maribel's banter was mild-mannered.
Looks like they'd bonded a bit while I wasn't around.
It was nice seeing them get along without me meddling.
I'd hoped Princess Rosmel would warm up to them too, but that seemed unlikely.
Not something I could force, anyway.
"By the way, Lord Heinz, what's this ancient dungeon we're headed to?"
"It's called the Palace of the Timid Emperor."
True to its name, it was a dungeon themed around the residence of a cowardly emperor.
A primordial being's legacy featuring an emperor might sound absurd, but the creators were game developers.
It helped to think of it as a meticulously designed theme dungeon by the world's makers.
"For such a notorious ancient dungeon, the name sounds kinda lame."
"That's how challengers who underestimate it end up as monster chow."
"The name makes it sound silly, but like Lena said, it's brutally vicious. Don't take it lightly."
The Palace of the Timid Emperor was designed and built by an emperor from an ancient civilization who learned from a prophet that he was fated to be assassinated.
Desperate not to die, he'd turned the entire palace into a labyrinth, stuffing it with traps and guards.
He might have been a coward, but he had a real knack for people.
His guards' skills surpassed most knights.
And the traps? Pure malice. No matter how powered-up your character was, you'd still get wiped by them plenty of times.
"You talk like you know it inside out. Have you been to the Palace of the Timid Emperor before?"
"First time going in person. I've just researched ancient dungeons extensively."
Not a lie.
I'd never seen the real thing, and back then, I'd pored over guides to post my own clearing routes on the forums.
Dungeon crawling was one of my strong suits.
If only I hadn't possessed Heinz, I'd have monopolized every opportunity and gone on a solo rampage. What a shame.
"Even so, I won't back out of my ten-minute bet."
"Wasn't hoping you would."
"I'll trust and follow only you, Lord Heinz!"
"...Hold up, kid. Say it like that, and what does that make me?"
"A worthless subordinate who can't even trust Lord Heinz!"
"Argh! You little brat, you're so annoying I wanna strangle you!"
Lena lunged to pinch her cheeks, while Maribel desperately fended her off.
Their banter escalated into a tussle, dragging me in too.
I twisted to avoid a cheek pinch and took a faceful of Maribel's hefty bosom.
Then, as I sprawled on the floor, Lena's birthing-hips came crashing down on my face after she got shoved.
My body screamed in pain, but for some reason... it didn't feel half bad.
Hell, it felt great.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After a winding journey, we finally arrived at the Palace of the Timid Emperor.
As I stepped out of the carriage to breathe in the fresh air, someone approached me.
Lightly armed, he looked like one of the guards managing entry to the ancient dungeon.
"Excuse me, are you Lord Heinz Altesia?"
"Who wants to know?"
"It's an honor to meet the acting head of House Altesia!"
"So Baron Delmanriju tipped you off."
"Yes! The baron informed us that a VIP would visit today and ordered us to prepare a proper welcome!"
The guard bowed at a perfect ninety degrees, polite as could be.
Staff training was on point.
I patted his shoulder, telling him to skip the formalities and open the damn door already.
"Ah, right away!"
He straightened up and unlocked the massive gate leading into the dungeon.
You couldn't destroy an ancient dungeon, but you could lock it to prevent entry.
That kept clueless locals from wandering in.
"Then I'll stand watch outside and await your safe return, acting head!"
"Yeah, thanks."
"Take care."
"I'll try to be out in ten minutes flat!"
"Quit yapping and get your ass inside already."
As even Lena stepped in, the gatekeeper outside shut the door behind us.
The outside light cut off, but it wasn't pitch black.
From the moment we entered, braziers and lanterns inside the dungeon flickered to life.
Whirrr—! Click-clack—! Clack-!
Light stretched out in beams as mechanical whirs and winding gears echoed from all sides.
The ancient dungeon, dormant until now, had awakened to greet its intruders.
"A fork right at the start, left or right..."
"The Palace of the Timid Emperor is a maze—you have to find the path to the depths. And it's crawling with terrifying traps and sentries."
"Guess we'll have to advance carefully, searching for traps?"
"There are thousands of traps in this maze alone. You gonna search every one? Plus, dawdling will get our position pinpointed by the sentries."
I glanced sideways at Lena.
She stood there, arms openly crossed, vowing not to do anything but rescue.
Her casual stance made me chuckle involuntarily.
Because from here on, I planned to drive her insane.
"So what do we do?"
What to do?
Instead of answering, I bolted forward.
"L-Lord Heinz?"
"Young Master?!"
"Stick right behind me from now on! Fall behind, and you're done for—assume that much!"
Upon entering the maze, I veered right.
I snatched a wall-mounted torch and hurled it far ahead.
Click-! Whoosh-!
The spot where the torch landed sank in, triggering a mechanical groan.
Arrows shot from both walls at the landing point.
By the time I arrived, the volley had stopped, letting me pass.
Beyond the trap, another fork: left, right, straight.
I went straight this time.
A sentry blocked the path ahead, but I didn't slow down.
"Lord Heinz! Danger!"
"Intruder! Surrender your worthless life!"
Five steps to the sentry.
I slammed my fist into the right wall.
Like the floor before, the wall recessed, and the ground shook.
A new wall rose between me and the sentry, while the left wall opened up.
"See? Don't worry about me—just keep up."
Glancing back, I saw Lena and Maribel's stunned faces.
A natural reaction. A first-timer was navigating like he knew every mechanism's type and location.
But the Timid Emperor's maze was a dungeon you couldn't survive by playing it safe.
Factoring in sentry patrols, you had to shave off every second and keep moving relentlessly.
"Y-you're amazing, Lord Heinz! I don't know what trick you pulled, but incredible!"
"Young Master, just to confirm... you know the entire maze layout?"
"Not the whole thing."
I'd erased the dead-end mechanisms from memory.
Charging ahead unimpeded, I raised a hand and halted.
At that instant, flames erupted from the ceiling, scorching the area around us.
Perfectly timed—the fire didn't touch where we stood.
"Run again!"
"......"
Once the flamethrower shut off, they went suspiciously quiet.
Neither knew how to react anymore.
I wanted to explain step-by-step, but time was short, so I just kept sprinting blindly.
We wouldn't get a second chance.
The Palace of the Timid Emperor was a ruthless dungeon where the layout completely changed between first and second entries.
It wasn't just the structure. This dev-infused labyrinth spiked in difficulty from attempt two onward.
So this was our one and only shot.
If anyone tried after us, my condolences in advance.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Thud-!
A human head rolled onto the dry grass.
It belonged to the gatekeeper who'd been guarding the entrance.
The knight in black armor who'd severed it wiped the blood from his blade and spoke flatly.
"So Heinz Altesia went inside. That true?"
"Yes! I saw him with my own eyes."
"How long ago?"
"Less than ten minutes. He's probably moving slow, so we can catch up easy!"
"Good. Open the door."
At the command of the knight radiating extraordinary aura, a servant pried the key from the corpse and unlocked it.
Creeeak-!
The heavy door swung open, revealing the space beyond.
"So this is the ancient dungeon..."
"No sign of 'em at the entrance."
"They've gone in already. We pursue immediately."
"As you command!"
The knight and his band of evil dragon worshippers strode boldly into the maze.
Their path led left—the exact opposite of where Heinz had gone.
The reason they all bunched up heading left? The entrance, which should have forked, had its right path sealed by a wall.