I walked toward the guild, as Eina would be giving me some lessons on the dungeon.
The streets were now fully crowded, not empty like when Ais and I were training early in the morning. I navigated the city's streets, finally reaching the guild building. Adventurers were coming and going in the guild.
After entering, I looked toward the reception area to find Eina, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Arin-san? You came just in time."
I turned back, startled, looking at the person who called out to me.
I saw Eina standing there. How the heck did she sneak up on me? From what I know, she should not have any combat prowess.
But what surprised me more was her appearance. She had such big bags under her eyes that I almost mistook her for an overworked panda in a guild uniform.
Okay, maybe I was exaggerating, but she does look like a person with insomnia.
"Hi, Eina. Umm, are you okay?" Her look worried me, so I asked.
"Oh, hehe…" she giggled embarrassingly. "I was just reading about the dungeon. After all, you are the first adventurer that I will be overseeing. I don't want to miss any information that might prove helpful to you."
She is really a respectable and dependable person. I thought, looking at her.
"I see. Thank you for working so hard for me. But you should take care of yourself more, you know. After all, it will be more troublesome if you collapse."
She looked down, maybe realizing her mistake of overdoing it.
"Yeah, you are right. I am sorry. I will be careful from now on."
"You don't have to apologize, you know. I just don't want you to get sick."
"Okay, then, should we start our first lesson? Please follow me."
She started walking toward the consultation rooms, which were located a little deeper in the guild building. Entering the small room Eina begins her classes, with a serious look on her face, trying to provide as much information as possible.
"I think that will be enough for today."
Eina took a deep breath as the lesson was completed. Her posture visibly relaxed.
"Yeah, it was a valuable lesson."
"Ugh… you don't have to lie just to make me feel better. I, as an advisor, was even more nervous than you." Her voice was dripping with depression.
"Hey, it's fine. No one is an expert on their first time. Besides, I did find the lesson valuable, and you taught me a lot of things I did not know before."
"In that case, I am glad," she continued. "And remember, don't go down lower than the 9th floor. Normally I would have suggested you remain on the first 5 floors," she stopped to take a breath, "but Raul-san and Aki have reassured me that those floors won't help you grow much, so I will put my trust in you as well."
"Don't worry, I won't be unreasonable."
Probably.
I muttered in my heart, because without pushing myself, I won't be able to complete my goal.
"Then I will get going now."
I stood up from the chair and headed toward the door.
"Hm. Good luck."
Eina wished me luck as she also left the consultation room.
I wanted to ask her how she sneaked up on me, but maybe I will ask her next time, as I was getting late.
I will be doing the dungeon dive alone from now on, until I start going for the deeper floors. As Loki also mentioned, everyone is busy with the expedition and Evilius business. So it is a good time for me as well to push myself harder.
Sorry, Eina, but I am going to be unreasonable with myself.
I apologized in my heart as I made my way to the dungeon.
____________________________________________________________________________
[~ Song: Aviators – Into The Black ~]
As I stepped into the dungeon, the familiar cold air greeted me.
I began humming softly.
~♫ Walking the crossroads of hell on earth
A devil's deal for a new rebirth
I've given my all, and day by day
My soul still breaks♫ ~
My blade flashed.
Goblin.
Ash.
Another swing.
~♫I can remember crossing the line
When ushered into a darker time
Though we were in agony
You left me in your wake ♫ ~
First floor cleared.
I moved forward, my footsteps echoing through the blue stone corridors.
~♫ When I curse your name
Can you see my face
And do you taste my pain
In this bloodstained place ♫ ~
A kobold lunged.
Steel met flesh.
Ash scattered.
~♫ Forever on the attack
I'm fighting into the black
Without you
Without you ♫ ~
Second floor cleared.
Another corridor. Another monster.
~♫ Will my scars reveal
All the sins you chose
And how betrayed I feel
In my fractured bones ♫~
My sword pierced through a goblin's skull.
~♫ For us there's no turning back
I'm fighting into the black
Without you
Without you ♫ ~
Third floor cleared.
My breathing was steady. My movements smooth.
~♫ When I curse your name
Can you see my face
And do you taste my pain
In this bloodstained place ♫ ~
Another monster fell.
~♫ Forever on the attack
I'm fighting into the black
Without you
Without you ♫ ~
Fourth floor cleared.
The monsters were still weak.
~♫ Will my scars reveal
All the sins you chose
And how betrayed I feel
In my fractured bones ♫ ~
Another kobold turned to ash.
~♫ For us there's no turning back
I'm fighting into the black
Without you
Without you ♫ ~
Fifth floor cleared.
As I stepped onto the sixth floor, I continued humming the song.
The first five floors were not difficult for me. I was easily able to handle those weak monsters.
Though the dungeon lizard was annoying as heck.
The moment I stepped onto the sixth floor, I was faced with a long tongue going straight toward my neck.
I dodged it by sidestepping and cut the tongue with my blade.
Whew!
These frog shooters have a really fast attack in their arsenal, but not something I will have trouble with—
Before my thoughts were complete, I was surrounded by several war shadows.
Okay.
Now it's getting interesting.
I continued singing softly.
~♫I guess I gambled and lost
When fate shuffled our decks
Now that I suffer the wrath
Of your mad god complex ♫ ~
My sword cut through the neck of the first war shadow.
~♫ As I follow the path
Where the darkness collects
So much death, what for
What for, what for ♫ ~
Ash scattered.
Another war shadow lunged.
~♫ Though I am losing control
I can't give up the chase
No time for mourning the loss
Of what hatred replaced ♫ ~
The second war shadow sprinted forward with its claw plunging toward my chest.
~♫ There lies barely a soul
Behind my changing face
I will break no more
No more, no more ♫ ~
I avoided it easily and cut its arm off from the shoulder.
~♫ When I curse your name
Can you see my face? ♫ ~
Instead of driving my blade into its chest, I gave it a roundhouse kick, just like Ais had done this morning.
~♫ And do you taste my pain
In this bloodstained place? ♫ ~
It flew backward and collided with two shadows behind it.
~♫ Forever on the attack
I'm fighting into the black
Without you
Without you ♫ ~
I turned instantly, cutting down the war shadow creeping up behind me.
Then I rushed forward and cut the two recovering shadows in a single slash.
~♫ Will my scars reveal
All the sins you chose
And how betrayed I feel
In my fractured bones? ♫ ~
They burst into ash.
~♫ For us, there's no turning back
I'm fighting into the black
Without you
Without you ♫ ~
With the batch of monsters gone, my song also came to an end.
Man, singing really does help me relax and focus. I should do it more often from now on.
Though I do get a few weird looks from people while making my way down here.
But who cares?
But I feel like the monsters are more aggressive today.
Well, I have been to the dungeon only once, so what do I know?
Maybe it is just the dungeon doing dungeon things.
Now the seventh floor.
I have been to this floor before, but only for a very short time.
I should prepare myself before going down.
The monsters until now were not much trouble.
But they will get tougher from now on.