The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros
Chapter 42 Dungeon Entrance

Now back in the borders of the Starlight Region, Aeric reigned in Sylver as they neared a Dungeon Entrance that the beast had taken him to.

Seeing the place from high above on the Silver Road, Aeric felt his heart thrumming with the thrill of something entirely new. He did not know much about Dungeons when it came to experience, but he did know they were infamous for their brutal challenges and high-stakes rewards.

Dungeons were made of chambers known as Quest Lobbies. In these lobbies, the most difficult types of Divine Quests took place.

Each one was imbued with unpredictable and sometimes terrifying beasts and challenges, leaving the Players with the task to face them and defeat their trials.

Of course, Platers didn't risk death or fatal injuries inside these Dungeons for nothing. The Dungeons held the allure of unimaginable rewards like XP, skill points, weapon stones used in crafting Divine Weapons, and beast cores which could be sold for money.

But like every other Divine Quest, they demanded perseverance, courage, and often, unbreakable teamwork.

Successfully navigating a Dungeon wasn't just about one's own skill; each Player's rank determined the team they'd be assigned to, and the strength of the group was paramount to survival. Most didn't come out unscathed, if they came out at all.

That being said, Aeric had no plans of challenging a Dungeon yet. For now, replaceing Players from the Starlight Region with Classes and Skills he could [Claim] for himself was the paramount goal. And if there was any place they'd be, it was here, at a Dungeon Entrance, applying to challenge the treacherous depths within.

He didn't descend right in front of the Dungeon Entrance for everyone to see, rather, he landed Sylver quietly behind a scattering of rocks.

Aeric dismounted and patted the beast's side. "Stay hidden in that cave," he murmured, motioning toward a shadowed hollow tucked into the cliff face. Sylver gave a low, acknowledging growl and padded into the cave, his silver coat disappearing into the darkness.

Then, he began to walk through the rocky path, approaching the Dungeon Entrance not too far away. But then Aeric paused.

His eyes descended and he took a moment to survey his attire. The rich weave of his cloak, the gold lining of his cape and the fine leather of his boots.

Aeric clenched his jaw. There was no chance he'd go unnoticed here, dressed in fabrics that practically screamed "Son Aeric, Prince of Starlight."

It wasn't like he was concerned about being treated like an outcast or hearing whispers of "abomination." No, he had gotten a bit too accustomed to that now.

The problem was that Son Aeric's presence there would draw too much attention, and drawing too much attention could complicate his plans. Aeric needed to blend in, to be just another Player among the masses.

Just then, a ragged boy wandered by, his clothes threadbare and his gaze darting eagerly around the area. Aeric's eyes narrowed, and the boy's eyes caught him as well.

He desperately hurried to Aeric. "Greetings good sir! I will do anything for a silver piece."

Aeric stared down at him, and inspiration struck. "Anything?" he lifted a brow.

The boy looked at him and panicked. "Except anything... weird, good sir."

'Weird?' Aeric humphed humorously as he understood what had got the boy so worried. He beckoned him over, and then, he cut two golden buttons off the spares of his coat.

"Trade you these gold buttons for your clothes," Aeric said, holding out the gleaming buttons as payment.

The boy's eyes went wide, but he did not waste a second. He took off his clothes while mumbling something along the lines of "easiest decision I've ever made in my life!'

Moments later, stripped down to his underclothes, he took the buttons from Aeric and skiddled away, vanishing from sight.

Aeric only smirked for a moment. He quickly slipped into the ragged garments, which fit surprisingly well, though they did bear the smell of long days without a wash. The material was rough and patched with mismatched fabric, the hems frayed and knotted in places.

But it would do.

Taking a breath of preparation, Aeric moved toward the Dungeon Entrance. The first thing he noticed was the sheer magnitude of the place.

There were two towering dark stone pillars that framed a massive, arched entryway carved into the mountain itself, ingrained with faintly glowing runes that glowed ominously.

Shadows pooled in the hollow beneath the arch, giving it a hungry, almost malevolent appearance. The Dungeon did its best to look as sinister and as daunting as it sounded, and from what Aeric could see, the impermeable darkness and smoke in that mouth was what would take one into the dimension where the challenges were.

He saw a line. The one formed by Players, leading up to the Dungeon Entrance. They were all in different postures ranging from nervous fidgeting to steely, battle-ready stances. Some wore battered armor, dented and scraped, while others held onto makeshift weapons or simply clenched their fists.

One could tell the more experienced Players from the newbies, especially with the faint aura of Divinity cloaking their hands, and their incredible armor and stance, psyching themselves up for the trials ahead.

As Aeric got closer, the air crackled with anticipation and fear, not really for him, but for the Players here planning to enter inside the Dungeon. A lot of them seemed to be newbies, hoping to stick to their more experienced leaders.

This only caused more thick tension born of both dread and hope. They were scared to challenge the Dungeon but they could really reap the benefits.

Aeric joined the line, keeping his head low but his senses sharp, observing every detail. He noted the hardened expressions of those ahead of him, the deep scars marking some of their faces and arms, evidence of past battles.

Whispers reached his ears, snippets of anxious conversations.

"Hope I get a good team this time. Last one didn't make it out."

"You think they'll allow minors into this tier of Dungeon? My younger brother wants in."

Aeric watched as the line shuffled forward. At the front, he could see a stern-looking official seated behind a heavy stone desk, flicking through window applications hovering in the air, and assigning Players to various teams based on their Rank and skill set.

The man's eyes glinted under his dark hood, his face expressionless as he reviewed each person in turn. Some he waved on with a nod, others he dismissed outright.

'If I want to get as many options as possible in a faster time, I'd have to get information from that window,' Aeric thought, eyeing the working man. 'But how.'

Aeric was still brainstorming when he realized that he was at the front of the line. The official's eyes landed on him, pausing as he took in Aeric's rough attire. "You," the official said, raising an eyebrow.

Aeric looked down at him, a bit off guard.

"You're here to challenge a Dungeon?"

Well... that was a complicated question.