Chapter: 171
The adventurers in the guild sent glances my way, but they didn’t dare approach.
Because the two people flanking me looked way too intimidating.
According to Karl, he was emanating a threatening aura that would scare off any adventurer. They probably didn’t stand a chance of approaching.
‘Is that aura really a thing?’
[Of course! Those who have surpassed a certain level can overpower others with just a glance.]
I tuned out the old man’s tales of his past where he dominated battlefields solely by presence and headed towards the reception desk.
“Welcome. You’ve reached the Menes Tail Guild.”
The person at the desk was a man with shoulders wide enough to fill the entire counter.
His face, marked with countless scars, was so intimidating that a timid person would struggle to utter a word in front of him.
But I was fine.
Having seen plenty of rough-looking folks from the Alrn family, I was somewhat accustomed to it, but more so, I recognized this receptionist’s face from my previous visits to the Menes Tail Guild at Soul Academy.
Rather than fear, I felt a sense of familiarity.
“What brings you here?”
‘Well…’
“I’m going to enter the pathetic Menes Tail dungeon. Hand over the certificates, big guy.”
The receptionist awkwardly laughed at my bluntness.
He was a good guy despite his scary looks, an intimidating presence that kept adventurers in check, but still a kind fellow, unlike receptionists in other towns.
“Are the three of you going in together?”
‘Yes.’
“Right, can’t you tell just by looking?”
“I see. It seems like you’re newcomers, so let me share some important info first.”
What followed were the basics about the Menes Tail Guild—contracting quests, selling loot, taxes incurred while raiding dungeons, and other precautions to take while entering.
Having heard all of this over dozens of times, I was only half-listening.
“Now, regarding the issuance of certificates. First, could I have your names please?”
“It’s Karl.”
“I’m Alsetin.”
‘Lucy Alrn.’
“Lucy Alrn, huh? Remember that name, big guy. It’s not every day we see someone with your noble face around here.”
As the receptionist noted the names of the first two, he kept a businesslike expression, but upon hearing mine, his gaze shifted slightly.
“Um, are you, by chance, Lady Lucy Alrn of the Soladin Kingdom?”
‘That’s correct.’
“What?! You knew? Not bad for a laid-back big guy.”
The crack that appeared on his stern face widened the moment I nodded.
Seeing a guy who looks like he could wrestle with orcs sweating nervously was quite a refreshing sight.
I think that’s how the knights of the Alrn family reacted when I first possessed Lucy.
[Seems like your reputation has even spread to the Magic Empire.]
‘I didn’t want to know that.’
It was expected after the report Alsetin provided about various nobles causing ruckus in foreign lands.
Sigh. I wish people would stop dropping my name everywhere I go!
The receptionist, who clearly had a lot of stories about me, promptly and efficiently proceeded with the certificate issuance process.
“You can collect your certificate at the guild tomorrow morning.”
Thanks to that, I was able to obtain my certificate much faster than I anticipated.
Despite the hassle, a good result is what matters, right?
By the time we finished the certificate process and exited the adventurer’s guild, dusk had fallen, and night was upon us.
It was only natural that I ended up in front of a rather shabby-looking inn, passing through the bustling streets filled with many rowdy adventurers.
Karl looked a bit distressed upon seeing my choice of lodging. He didn’t say much since it was my decision, but his eyes practically screamed, “How can I let my lady stay at a place like this?!”
He was probably thinking something along the lines of not wanting to let a lady sleep in this kind of place. He can be quite protective about that.
Ignoring his discomfort, I stepped into the inn.
The owner looked like he didn’t care much about anything.
While most innkeepers would eagerly welcome guests, this one simply offered a curt nod.
Even when I stood at the counter, he just stared blankly as if he’d never heard of social skills.
However, the moment I revealed the Crow’s Seal from my pocket, his expression changed.
Color returned to his grayish face.
“Oh, a guest from the Newman family! My apologies!”
Cities built around large dungeons usually attract an eclectic mix of people, items, and rumors.
Thus, the Newman family, operating in the underground world, usually establishes branches in any city with a large dungeon.
This place was no exception.
“Three guests for your stay? How long do you plan on staying with us?”
‘Two weeks.’
“Two weeks at most.”
“Understood. Let me show you to your room right away.”
With that, a woman emerged from a room behind the counter.
She greeted us politely and instructed us to follow her.
Where she took us wasn’t a typical second-floor room filled with standard accommodations.
It was a well-decorated space far exceeding that of any middle-class noble’s mansion, hidden behind a door in a dusty storage area.
This spot would be our residence while we tackled the Menes Tail dungeon.
This is why I got the Crow’s Seal! This thing is incredibly useful!
“Since no one else is staying here at the moment, feel free to use it comfortably. If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll prepare whatever you might require.”
The woman, who worked for the Newman family, requested to be called Nick.
Naturally, that was a meaningless request. Who has ever seen a mesugaki skill addressing someone by name?
Nick’s name was altered by the mesugaki skill to ‘Creepy.’
“…Creepy, huh?”
‘Sorry! But I can’t help it! Please understand!’
“Yeah, you look creepy, so ‘Creepy’ fits. Don’t you like it?”
“…Yes, of course.”
Once that trivial issue passed, everything went smoothly from there.
I might have asked Nick to scout a mage for us.
After all, there was nothing else I could do right now.
If this were a game, I’d be running around picking up numerous side quests for maximum efficiency, but now I couldn’t do that.
Who would dare ask a cocky brat who tags everything with names like pathetic loser or trash?
I was turned down at the Academy, so it wouldn’t be any different here.
Since there weren’t any critical quests to complete, I planned to just rest today.
Forget about “practice mode,” I wanted to sleep soundly.
[You’re already thinking about training, huh?]
As I lay down with thoughts only of sleep until tomorrow morning’s dungeon raid, the old man spoke up.
Old man, what do you mean? I’m preparing to conquer a dungeon tomorrow! I need to rest!
[What kind of nonsense is that? Now’s the time to train harder to maintain real combat sense!]
The old man, being a nagging fossil, wasn’t bending on his stubbornness.
Thus, half-against my will, I was dragged into practice mode and had to endure a chaotic training session throughout the night.
*
The concept of the Menes Tail dungeon was a volcano.
You could say it feels like the dungeon is built beneath a burning volcano to make it easier to understand, right?
With this concept, the various monsters and mechanics down there are related to volcanoes.
For example, the temperature inside the dungeon is so high that if you go in without preparation, you’ll suffer fire damage every couple of minutes.
And the monsters inside are all fire-related as well.
They have traps involving lava, fire, and rocks everywhere.
While they were just gimmicks that raised the dungeon’s difficulty in the game, having it become reality makes a whole difference.
The interior of the Menes Tail dungeon was practically a sauna already.
I was genuinely shocked when I first stepped in and felt my skin heating up.
And even now, where we were wandering around, was still just the entrance of the Menes Tail dungeon.
Considering that this dungeon consists of a total of 80 floors and gets hotter as you descend, it’s only logical to describe the deeper levels as a hell of flames.
Of course, I had anticipated this.
I knew it would be so hot that it would sap my stamina periodically. The severity of that heat was beyond common sense, right?
Once inside the dungeon, I confirmed my suspicions and pulled out the item I had prepared from Alsetin’s spatial pouch.
[Eternal Winter Gem]
[A rare gem found in the northern snowy mountains, preserving the brutal cold of the north.]
As the description from my appraisal skill indicates, this gem holds coldness within.
While it can be enchanted onto weapons or used to create magic scrolls, this gem offers one more bonus effect.
That is, it can spread its coldness and lower the surrounding temperature!
“Lady Alrn, using that now will…”
This gem was often humorously called ‘Air Conditioning Gem’ among users, as it tended to be utilized more while raiding the Menes Tail dungeon rather than its original purpose, and now that reality hit, it worked perfectly.
Once I pulled out the necklace made from the gem and put it around my neck, cold air erupted from it.
Ooooh. Refreshing… Wait, isn’t this a bit too refreshing?!
Thinking I’d freeze to death at this rate, I hurriedly took off the necklace.
What’s going on?! Is this really too much? It’s outrageous!
Did I ask for AC and got tossed into a freezer?
I shot Alsetin a glare, wondering if this was poorly prepared!
He just gave me an awkward smile in return.
“I prepared what you asked for, Lady Alrn.”
‘But this is way too effective!’
“Pathetic info dealer. Can’t even meet a client’s request properly? This is way too much. What the hell are you gonna do, live your life as an incapable loser?”
“However, the Eternal Winter Gem is like that…”
So this is what happens when a game becomes reality.
In the game, the gem was just a means to eliminate dungeon penalties, but now the words “brutal cold of the north” have become a reality?!
This is absurd. This necklace is practically useless now!
“I heard you can use it without penalty from the 20th floor of Menes Tail onwards.”
‘What about before that?’
“Come on. Pathetic incompetent info dealer. What’s with before that?”
“Is this really bearable? I’ve heard everyone can just stroll through until the 20th floor.”
Is that what you call saying something?!
To endure a heat this absurd?!
While decked out in heavy armor?!
“Hey girl, think you’d ever want to get back into that outfit you wore today? It’d suffice if I handed it off without washing it.”
‘Shut up! Please!’
“Clumsy fox, shut it. That’s just infuriating.”
With that being the case, there was just one way to go.
Speedrun.
I’m planning to quickly complete today’s dungeon quota and escape from this hellish inferno!
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