Orario, Dungeon—Floor 20.
In the dark, cramped passage, an Adventurer's scream suddenly echoed.
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!"
Terrified shouts and footsteps reverberated together in the passage.
"Why did it turn out like this?!!!"
The fleeing Adventurer was utterly bewildered and began to complain.
"I updated my card according to Lord Chen Hai's rules! That's how I got the qualification to explore Dungeon Floor 20!"
He stumbled and fell to the ground in a messy heap.
Without any hesitation, the Adventurer quickly got up, ignoring the scrapes and the blood on his forehead, enduring the sharp pain in his arm, and continued to run.
"And what's the result?! Aren't the monsters on this Floor 20 too strong?!?"
Is it my problem?
Is my Adventurer level fake?
The Level LV.3 one-eyed man pondered with doubt, trying to figure out what he had done wrong.
Updating the card was fine, the floor was fine, the exploration area was fine, finding magic stones was fine, and repelling monsters in the early stages was also fine.
But in the later stages, which was now, he was completely suppressed by one monster.
It wasn't just him; several Adventurers before him had also been beaten black and blue.
At first, people thought those Adventurers were overestimating themselves.
Even if they updated their cards and were assigned specific locations by the Guild, they shouldn't casually approach certain labyrinth areas.
Because some areas had many monsters, making them more dangerous.
The only thing to be thankful for was that 'monsters would no longer kill Adventurers like before'.
Conversely, after Adventurers defeated monsters, the monsters would be absorbed and repaired by the Dungeon, quickly returning to the battlefield.
However, this time was enough for Adventurers to take their spoils.
For example, magic stones dropped by enemies, high-value Dungeon minerals, rare materials, and so on.
For many Adventurers, Chen Hai's 'rules' as Dungeon Lord changed everything for the better.
Their safety was guaranteed without their income decreasing.
Of course, it only meant they wouldn't be killed.
It didn't mean they wouldn't get injured.
Some Adventurers were unable to continue exploring the Dungeon due to severe injuries.
The Adventurers' Guild's response to this was, 'The Dungeon is not a gentle educational facility.'
It was clear that 'Dungeon Lord Chen Hai' hoped this labyrinth would have a certain degree of danger and competitiveness, rather than being a children's playground.
The one-eyed Adventurer expressed his understanding of this.
If the Dungeon offered no challenge, who would bother fighting hard for magic stones and other items?
But these matters were actually irrelevant to the present situation… because the one-eyed Adventurer was certain he had followed the rules and made no mistakes.
Yet, he was suddenly ambushed and severely beaten by a monster that appeared out of nowhere.
"What the heck?!"
The bruised and battered Adventurer, with a scraped arm and bleeding head, had no choice but to run towards the passage ahead.
Unlike before, the number of Adventurers on a single floor had increased, making it easy to encounter companions.
Moreover, the Dungeon frequently changed, so there was no need to worry about one's area never yielding any profit.
With a bit of luck, a high-quality ore vein might appear in the labyrinth area he explored the very next day.
However, this time was a bit different… on this floor.
Most of the Adventurers on the 20th floor had already evacuated.
Because everyone knew there was a powerful monster here.
People said that monster wasn't a Floor Boss, but rather an existence that looked very ordinary yet was exceptionally powerful.
Whoosh—!
A stone flew past his ear, whistling as it smashed into a nearby wall.
The flying debris made the one-eyed Adventurer instinctively close his eyes.
Because of this action, he collided directly with a stone pillar at the intersection ahead.
Bang!
His head took a hit, and two front teeth flew out.
The pain made him let out another wail.
At the same time, the will to survive made the one-eyed Adventurer get back up.
"My Adventurer life won't end here!"
With that, his mouth full of blood, he charged into the next area.
"Ahhh!!!!"
The other Adventurers who had come to investigate the 20th floor were startled by his appearance and let out cries of alarm.
"Don't come over here!!!"
"Ugh, poof!"
The fleeing Adventurer had his third tooth knocked out by his companion… — — — —
— — — —
Foolish fellow.
Listening to the commotion from ahead, the shadow that had been chasing the one-eyed Adventurer stopped.
Its true form was a Lizardman named Reid.
Wearing crude equipment, he glanced at the passage ahead and decided to turn and leave.
Since that fellow had already been scared away and wouldn't affect the safety of his stronghold, there was no problem.
So Reid embarked on his journey back.
As he turned, he saw a book lying on the ground.
Reid picked it up casually, and before he could even look at it, he noticed the Adventurers who had come to investigate were moving towards his location.
Not intending to fight, Reid took the book and started to hurry.
He quickly entered a passage.
Here, faint blue-green fluorescent minerals sparkled on the stone walls, like stars of the underground world, guiding those who entered.
Reid's footsteps echoed in this silent space, sounding somewhat hurried.
Along the way, he passed through vast caverns supported by huge stone pillars, some of which were weathered, their surfaces covered with moss and lichen.
As he delved deeper into the 20th floor's core area, the [Untamed Territory], the environment became increasingly complex.
Twisted rock formations created a natural labyrinth, with winding paths that seemed endless.
A faint smell of sulfur permeated the air, reminding Reid that an active geothermal area was not far off.
The temperature here gradually rose, and water vapor on the walls condensed into tiny droplets, slowly sliding down the rocks, making a dripping sound.
Continuing forward, Reid arrived at an open area where an underground river flowed.
The river water was crystal clear, yet it appeared a deep blue due to minerals.
Finally, Reid reached a hidden entrance, a secret passage leading to the Heretics' Secret Realm.
The entrance was cleverly concealed behind a thick cluster of vines; it would be difficult to spot without careful observation.
Upon entering, before he could speak, he heard a question from directly ahead.
"How are things?"
"The nearby Adventurers have all been driven away by me."
Reid said, then looked at Rei, who was of the Siren race, and they were all 'Heretics' of the Dungeon.
"Reid, what are you holding?"
"I don't know."
After being asked, Reid opened it and took a look.
"It has pictures of humans without clothes, it feels strange…"
"Is that so?"
Rei finished speaking, about to continue the topic.
But she suddenly closed her mouth.
"Reid…"
"A new presence is approaching."
"Is it that adult?"
"Are you referring to… the one who changed the Dungeon?"
The Heretics were not accepted by humans or monsters, they were despised existences, so they naturally didn't know how they would be treated by the Dungeon Lord.
And now—
"That adult has arrived."
Rei said with certainty, her gaze falling on the entrance/exit of the Heretics' Secret Realm.