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Reilei slightly furrowed her brows when she felt that vile aura leaking from out of the staircase that led down. The moment that aura appeared, Xiao Liang immediately became defensive and Ayanellia shivered. Reilei took a moment to calm both of them down, however, she could understand their reactions. That vile aura she felt was the same type that lingered around Ayanelle's vicious wound!
But, it was nowhere near as strong and overbearing as the aura she previously felt which left her wondering if this was, in fact, from the same creature she saw fighting against Ayanelle when she witnessed that odd vision. If it really was that creature, then everyone here was currently in danger. After all, even though she did not know that much about RML, she could tell from the fight she saw between Ayanelle and that creature that they were on an entirely different level.
"I think it's too dangerous to go down there. Maybe we should reconsider it." Reilei said in a concerned tone. In the end, she decided that it was best to speak her mind and warn the others before it was too late.
"Of course it's going to be dangerous, newbie! Dungeons are full of hidden dangers that bring about countless rewards and treasures. If you're afraid, then you can just wait here while we go in. But, don't expect to receive anything after we claim the treasure." Broken Fists stated in a mocking way. Warning them about dangers inside of a dungeon? Of course, there were dangers!
Two Tons nodded and replied, "Indeed, these type of dangers are unavoidable when exploring dungeons for the first time. This is even more so when entering into hidden rooms like this one. That's why we always make sure to stay alert and aware of our surroundings. Don't worry, if things get too out of hand, then we can always retreat. Plus, I'll be leading from the front this time."
"It's good that you're looking out for everyone, but we understand the dangers of a dungeon well, Realistic. Trust us and don't pay any attention to the nonsense he's spewing." Phoneix said as she glared at Broken Fists.
She then continued, "I'll make sure to heal you first if anything goes bad." Phoenix had a warm smile on her face as she reassured Reilei.
"Shouldn't you heal the tank who's at the vanguard first?" Two Tons questioned with a helpless look on his face.
"What? Don't you call yourself a man?" Phoenix said in a playful manner with a smirk on her face.
Seeing how everyone sounded so confident, Reilei felt that maybe she was worried over nothing. In the end, this was her first time in a dungeon. Therefore, something like this could be a common occurrence for players like Two Tons and Phoenix who seemed to be quite experienced in Reilei's eyes. As for Broken Fists comments about her staying back, of course, she would not abandon her party members.
After things settled down, Two Tons led the way into the dark staircase with Shuyi by his side. Since the staircase was large enough for two people to comfortably walk side by side, Two Tons decided that it was best that Shuyi was up front with him. This left Hidden Pulse and Broken Fists in the middle with Reilei and Phoenix at the back of the group. When the party took their first step into the darkness, a light green hue filled the narrow staircase. While it was still difficult to see too far ahead, it was possible to navigate without too much trouble.
Although Two Tons knew that Shuyi's attitude could use some work, that did not take away from his overall usefulness. It was places like this where Shuyi's Trap Detection skill would shine the most.
As the party progressed forward, Shuyi stopped them multiple times and disabled the hidden traps. There were spike pits, thin metal needles coated with poison, and many more traps that awaited them. Fortunately, Shuyi was able to disable all of these traps before they went off. After all, if any of those traps had gone off, it would have definitely caused a huge headache and they may have even been forced to turn back around from the way they came.
"If he didn't have such a foul mouth on him, I'd actually be willing to give him a compliment..." Phoenix muttered to herself when she observed how skillfully Shuyi was detecting and disabling traps. Even though the Trap Detection skill assisted the player, it still took actual skill in disabling them without accidentally setting them off.
"Does he know their locations because of that Trap Detection thing?" Reilei asked curiously. She had no idea where the traps were located and yet Shuyi seemed to peer into the walls and floors of this place to discover the hidden areas.
Phoenix nodded and responded, "That's right. Long story short, it allows him to locate hidden traps or objects. Since his skill is maxed, there should be no traps that can escape his sights."
"I see... That sound pretty amazing. He sounds really skillful." Reilei said with an impressed expression written all over her face.
Phoenix blinked a few times before she looked over in Reilei's direction. Phoenix was surprised that she could openly compliment Shuyi even after how toxic his attitude was towards her. Did she not know how to hold a grudge or be upset even for a little while? For some reason, Phoenix felt as if Reilei was the type that would be easily preyed upon by some of the vultures of this game if left alone.
Reilei received a system alert which startled her at first since it came out of seemingly nowhere in a poorly lit area, however, she soon noticed that it was a friend request from Phoenix. Even though Phoenix was nice to her, Reilei was still taken aback by the friend request she received. After all, she knew of her own inexperience and ignorance when it came to many things that others considered to be common sense. Would she not simply be a burden?
As if sensing her thoughts, Phoenix grinned and said, "What? Am I not good enough to be your friend?"
Reilei quickly shook her head and replied, "No, it's just that I-"
"Then there's nothing else that needs to be said. Accept it." Phoenix stated as she swiftly cut Reilei off.
Reilei accepted Phoenix's friend request. After doing so, Reilei's friendslist popped up and showed the lone name "Phoenix" as online. Phoenix was the very first friend Reilei had made within RML.
After accepting her friend request, Phoenix asked a question to Reilei that had been on her mind ever since the fight with the Serpent Guard ended.
"Why haven't done your class upgrade quest yet?" Phoenix asked.
However, Reilei had a confused look on her face when Phoenix asked that question. Class upgrade quest? What was that?
Reilei explained to Phoenix that she had no idea what a class upgrade quest was and this left Phoenix momentarily speechless. This led Phoenix to ask numerous other questions and every answer she received left her nearly faint in the process.
"H-how is this possible..? You... Did you really get all the way to level 27 like this?" Phoenix could not help but question with a look of clear disbelief on her face.
"Yes?" Reilei responded in an unsure tone. From the way Phoenix reacted to her answers, Reilei grew increasingly anxious.
According to what Reilei had told her, it was not just her lack of an advanced class that was the problem. She did not know of the currency value, how to freely equip and unequip equipment, how to use consumable items, the importance of quest ranks, skill points, stat points, and most importantly... She had no idea how to use skills!
When Phoenix discovered all of this, she almost coughed up blood from shock. She knew that Reilei was a complete newbie, but it looked as if she had sorely underestimated just how much of a newbie Reilei truly was!
"You- After we get out of here, I'm taking you to get your class upgrade. Also..." Phoenix said as she then used their idle time to explain some of the basics to Reilei. Of course, the very first thing she explained to Reilei was skills. However, seeing as how Reilei did not have an advanced class and the skill crystal that came along with it, she only possessed the basic skills provided to a summoner which was not much at all.
As Reilei listened to Phoenix, she finally started to understand many of the things that other players would consider to be common sense.
How useful! That was the only thought that found its way into Reilei's mind as she absorbed every bit of information. For some reason, she could clearly remember every word Phoenix spoke and retained them without trouble. Of course, this was due to her Eight Lunar Cycles physique, as well as the fragment of Izroth's powerful soul that she received.
As the party continued to move forward and Phoenix took her time explaining things to Reilei, they soon arrived at a sealed metal door. It had a handle that was the shape of a snake devouring its own tail.
"Ouroboros...!" Hidden Pulse said with a hint of shock in his voice as he saw the handle on the metal door.
"Oro what? What's that?" Phoenix questioned.
"The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol that shows a serpent eating its own tail. It has many different meaning, but I can't really remember since I just happened upon a long time ago." Hidden Pulse stated.
Phoenix's facial expression turned pale when she heard those words. A snake eating its own tail? How disgusting!
"Can this dungeon get any creepier?!" Phoenix exclaimed. She already had a strong dislike for snakes and now Hidden Pulse just had to go and say some weird stuff about snakes eating themselves. How could she not be creeped out?
Two Tons chuckled as he said, "Relax, even if we do run into a snake like that, won't it be saving us half the trouble if it's already taking care of itself? Ahahaha."
"That's true." Reilei said with an expression that looked as if she were amazed by Two Tons' remarkable outlook on the situation.
"Hey, don't believe his words. There's no way a monster like that would appear." Phoenix quickly stated when she noticed that look of amazement on Reilei's face.
"Everyone, let's be careful." Two Tons said as he grabbed onto the door handle. His expression had become serious and this caused everyone else to also increase their awareness.
Once he made sure that everyone was prepared, Two Tons pulled on the handle and opened the metal door.
The moment that door opened, a powerful and foul stench washed over the party that caused them to pinch their nose and immediately turn down their smelling sensitivity even further.
Reilei felt her heart skip a beat the instant Two Tons opened that metal door. There it was again, that same vile aura she sensed earlier! It was incredibly intimidating and almost caused her to take a few steps back, however, she managed to keep herself from doing so.
However, Reilei was not the only one who felt that overwhelming, vile, and intimidating aura. The entire party became somewhat nervous after the doors opened. Though what they did not know at the time was that each and every one of them had received a Willpower check.
Hsssssst...
The sound of a snake hissing could be heard, however, it was unlike that of the Servant Serpent or even the Serpent Guard. This was a deep and resounding hiss filled with malicious intent. It was enough to send shivers down the spine of everyone present.
Deep inside of the room, there was nothing but pitch-black darkness. However, within the darkness, one could see two piercing purple eyes that shone despite the lack of lighting. But, even with the darkness present, Reilei and her party could see the information that they received from the system.
Name: (Hidden)Corrupted Ouroboros(Rare Boss)
Level: 35
It was actually a hidden and rare dungeon boss! This was a huge discovery!
"Is this the source of that foul aura...?" Reilei said softly to herself.