As dusk fell, the sky was painted in shades of red.
As the sun began to set, lights started to flicker on in the streets, one by one.
Among them, a conspicuous building stood out – a tavern with a sign that read ‘Tuska’s Barrel’.
Upon entering, the golden light emanating from a brass chandelier gently illuminated the interior.
The building was old, and the floor creaked with every step, but nobody seemed to mind, their attention absorbed by the laughter and singing of adventurers chatting boisterously while intoxicated.
Every table was filled with adventurers of all kinds, clinking their glasses together.
“Kuh! As expected, nothing beats a drink to finish the day! Tuska, another one here!”
Some people downed beer to end their day.
“That’s why I told you, I single-handedly took down that damn Orc chieftain!”
At another table, someone was bragging about their adventures while drinking.
At one table, rewards from a completed quest were being distributed, while at another, someone was loudly boasting about the items they had acquired.
Everyone was engrossed in their own stories, yet there was one topic that was consistently discussed.
“Did you hear that rumor?”
“Ah, you mean the mansion owner? They say he obtained an immense treasure from some dungeon.”
“Right, that story. At first, I thought it was just a baseless rumor, but it seems to be true. And they say he’s missing an arm.”
A sudden wealthy individual.
The person who had firmly established themselves in a luxurious mansion in the Royal Capital had recently become a topic of conversation.
If it had been an ordinary noble, it wouldn’t have been worth talking about, but the new owner of the mansion was far from noble.
Especially since he was missing an arm, which suggested a special story.
As he pondered this, an interesting rumor began to spread.
The owner of the luxurious mansion had discovered a vast amount of gold and silver in a certain dungeon.
Although he had lost an arm, it was said that the treasure obtained from the dungeon was enough to live a life of abundance.
“They say if you can find that dungeon, you can become incredibly rich.”
“I heard that too. They say it’s dangerous, but worth it. Apparently, it’s located near the Silent Mountain Range.”
Rumors always tend to be exaggerated.
However, every table was abuzz with this rumor.
Especially the fact that the mansion owner was one-armed made the rumor seem even more plausible.
However, no one knew where the rumor originated.
It was clear that the story, which started in a tavern a few days ago, had spread like wildfire.
Still, what difference did it make?
It was a dungeon filled with treasure, wasn’t it?
Perhaps they too could gain immense wealth like the mansion owner.
It was as if the situation every adventurer had imagined at least once was unfolding before their eyes.
“That’s why I’m planning to go and see for myself. I want to find out what kind of dungeon it is that’s causing such rumors.”
Some declared they would embark on an adventure to verify the truth of the rumor.
In fact, most of them were thinking the same thing.
It would be good if they found treasure, and even if they didn’t, the adventure itself would be meaningful.
‘Tsk.’
However, in a corner table, there was a man listening to the stories with disdain.
‘A dungeon full of treasure? How absurd.’
The man who clicked his tongue was named Lloid.
His family had fallen into ruin, and he had become a commoner, but he always dreamt of reviving his family.
‘You can get treasure just by going to a dungeon? They’re not actually believing such nonsense, are they?’
Reviving his family required immense wealth.
Even so, he wasn’t the type to get caught up in absurd rumors.
Based on his current experience, Lloid believed that stories that seemed too good to be true often had a flaw.
“Still, maybe I should go?”
However, he desperately needed money, so he couldn’t ignore the rumor entirely.
What if the rumor was true, and he did nothing?
Wouldn’t he regret it later?
‘I’ll just check it out for a moment.’
If it seems dangerous, I’ll run away immediately.
Lloid thought to himself and immediately got up from his seat.
It wasn’t yet a time when adventurers, having only heard the rumors, would take action.
Moreover, it was evening, and darkness had already fallen outside.
“Thanks for the drink. Host.”
Lloid handed over a silver coin and went outside.
If he waited until morning, the competition would increase significantly.
He decided to act on his impulse.
“If it seems dangerous, I’ll just run away.”
Lloid fundamentally did not trust others.
He tended to distrust anyone unless they were bound by blood.
Therefore, he was heading to the mountain range alone.
Assembling adventurers would only lead to betrayal, so being alone was more comfortable.
In fact, due to his personality, he kept his money with him, entrusting it to no one.
He had already experienced the futility of trusting others and entrusting them with money when his family fell into ruin, making him even more cautious.
“In the end, it’s just you and the world.”
As he approached the mountain range, Lloid drew the sword at his waist.
He was about to ascend the mountain range.
However, the mountain range, shrouded in darkness, was a place full of dangers, so he remained vigilant.
* * *
Lloid began to ascend the mountain range, holding a torch and his sword.
Indeed, the mountain range at night presented a eerie sight.
The wind blowing through the forest was cold, and the moonlight filtering through the branches cast eerie shadows.
Mysterious rustling sounds from the gaps between rocks heightened Lloid’s tension.
Still, he swallowed his saliva and carefully took a step forward.
How far had he climbed?
The destination still seemed far away.
However, it wasn’t entirely without reward.
“……”
Lloid’s eyes caught sight of someone.
‘An adventurer.’
He saw two individuals.
They were probably heading to check out the rumor at night, just like him.
‘One is in a robe, and the other is in armor…’
A knight and a mage, perhaps?
Lloid tilted his head and quietly followed them.
But then.
“……!”
Lloid felt a strange presence behind him.
“Wh-When did that happen!”
Behind Lloid were ghouls!
Not just one or two. The number of ghouls was not small.
What’s more, each of them held a pickaxe or a shovel in their hands, so they weren’t empty-handed.
Even with his sword, he couldn’t possibly fight such a large number of them alone.
Moreover, it was night.
His visibility was poor, making combat disadvantageous.
Lloid pondered what to do.
Then, he remembered the presence of the adventurers in front of him.
‘Yes. Now is the time to ask for help.’
Although he fundamentally didn’t trust others, he had no choice now.
With that many ghouls, they had to combine their strength for now.
“Hey! You guys! Help me! There are ghouls here!”
Lloid shouted at the adventurers ahead of him, running with all his might.
Upon hearing Lloid’s call for help, the adventurers stopped in their tracks.
Lloid’s expression, which had thought everything was fine, immediately crumbled.
The people Lloid had called were not adventurers.
They were not a knight or a mage.
No, they weren’t even human.
“Clap?”
The beings inside the robe and armor were undead monsters with only bones left.
“A Lich! And that’s… a Death Knight?!”
At the sight of the monsters appearing before his eyes, Lloid felt his blood run cold.
His heart pounded so hard it was difficult to breathe.
Why were such high-rank monsters here!
Lloid despaired.
Before being a ruined noble, he had also been active as an adventurer, so he knew well.
Monsters like Death Knights and Liches were not common.
In the first place, they weren’t monsters that could be easily encountered in a place like this.
‘Th-This is bad…’
Furthermore, why were such beings roaming outside the dungeon?
For a moment, he regretted coming up here.
Ordinary adventurers did not climb mountain ranges at night. It was too dangerous, and they never knew what kind of monsters might appear.
Yet, Lloid himself had made such a mistake.
‘I was blinded by the rumor…’
Just a little while ago, Lloid had been scoffing at the rumor in the tavern.
Yet, there was a small hope in his heart that there might be treasure.
He had made the mistake of coming here with the extravagant dream of rebuilding his family with gold and silver.
“Tap tap?”
The one that looked like a Lich made bone sounds as if speaking something.
Then, it began to write something in what appeared to be a magic book.
The Death Knight beside it remained silent.
However, Lloid felt great fear and dread from the Death Knight.
‘Why… that shield… that outfit…’
The maid outfit attached to the Death Knight’s shield was a grotesque sight.
It was enough to paralyze Lloid’s reason.
Before this sight that defied common sense, it was difficult for him to maintain his sanity.
‘This is not the time… I need to pull myself together.’
There’s an old saying that if you keep your head, you can get out of danger.
Lloid racked his brain as much as he could.
‘I must survive.’
He recalled a saying that some monsters occasionally negotiated with adventurers.
Frightened, Lloid, who was trying to figure out how to escape the danger before him, suddenly remembered the wealth he had in his possession.
It was the money he had saved with the hope of one day reviving his family.
It was his fortune, consisting of jewels and gold coins, kept for convenience.
Although these were meant to be used for his family’s revival, everything would end if he died.
Even if the money wasn’t insignificant, it couldn’t compare to his life right now.
If he could somehow survive, he could gather such money again.
It was a humble decision, but it was the best choice for him in this desperate situation.
‘Please…’
Lloid offered the jewels and gold coins to the monsters. And he closed his eyes, biting his lip.
Now the dice were cast.
He prayed that the monsters before him would understand his intentions.
Lloid prayed earnestly in his heart.
“Clap!”
A moment later, the monster that looked like a Lich took all the jewels and gold from Lloid’s hand.
“Tap tap tap.”
Then it said something, but Lloid couldn’t understand the monster’s language.
He could only pray in his heart that they would pass by.
“Tap tap. Tap tap tap.”
The Lich continued to say something.
While speaking, it handed some of the jewels to the Death Knight beside it.
“……”
The Death Knight silently accepted the jewels and turned forward.
Lloid stared blankly at the current situation.
But that was brief.
The ghouls behind them began to pass Lloid and move forward as well.
“Tap tap! Tap tap tap.”
The one that looked like a Lich said something and then turned its back.
Although he couldn’t understand the meaning, it sounded like a warning.
“……”
Lloid couldn’t move from his spot until their figures disappeared.
He just stared blankly ahead.
How much time had passed?
Only then did Lloid come to his senses and run down the mountain.
‘What? Filled with treasure? Damn it!’
Instead of treasure, it was a place with monsters who stole money!
‘I’ll never believe such rumors again!’
The mountain range was not an easy place for Lloid.
