The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros
Chapter 49 Divine Quest Accepted

The rest of the time met up with him by the Dungeon Entrance with smiles and knowing looks on their faces. Clearly they must have been having some kind of conversation about him since he was the newbie in the team.

Aeric did feel a little like an imposter amongst them, but that was to be expected since they had cleared multiple Dungeons together and he was just joining them.

Alzera, wearing the same gear she was wearing yesterday except with a bigger left shoulder pad, gave him a brisk nod, her gaze evaluating. "On time, good," she said, a glint of approval in her otherwise stern tone. "I expect the same obedience from you moving forward, Dagwood."

Aeric didn't say anything, he only nodded obediently.

Turning to the group, Alzera raised her voice so all could hear. "As usual guys, information about this Dungeon will now be sent to your game interfaces." She turned to Aeric. "The rest of us are used to this. Since this is your first Dungeon Challenge and possibly your first Divine Quest, I'll suggest that you take your time to study the details."

'She's right. But since I haven't finished tempering my Divinity overflow, I'm sure understanding the details will be really quick with my swift brain.'

Aeric's system's screen flickered to life in front of him, displaying details in glowing letters:

[Information on Dungeons all abide under the Divine Law of God Eros, the Rules of Leveling Up and the Essence of Divinity]

[Divine Quest: Dungeon Challenge]

[Dungeon Rank: Platinum Ranked Dungeon]

Aeric felt a ripple of unease. 'Platinum-ranked. Yikes. I've never challenged a Dungeon before and my very first one turns out to be Platinum.'

He glanced at his worn blade. 'All I brought with me was this old blade because I wouldn't dare to bring anything gallant. They'd be suspicious of a boy like me holding an expensive weapon. This... this will have to do.'

He told that to himself as he clenched the hilt tightly. Then he continued reading.

A sudden flood of text scrolled across his view, outlining the nature of Dungeons and the challenges that lay within.

[Dungeons are divided into successive Quest Lobbies, each containing increasingly difficult monsters. Every cleared Lobby earns XP, beast cores and potentially valuable weapon stones. Rewards increase with the difficulty of the Lobby. Monsters rank from lesser beasts to elite entities; killing each level rewards cores with varied Divinity concentration. When a party defeats the Final Boss, the Dungeon is cleared and rewards are distributed.]

Aeric shrugged. 'That's easy enough. Basic light novel stuff.'

He read on, taking in the rules that governed this shadowy realm:

[1. Dungeon Lockdown: Once a squad enters, there's no way out except by victory or fatal defeat.]

[2. Life and Limbs: Physical injury and death are real within Dungeon bounds; failed runs result in Divinity penalties and loss of vital stats.]

[3. Final Boss Presence: Deep within, a Final Boss awaits, typically a monstrous entity designed to test each squad's limits. Only its defeat will complete the Dungeon Clearance.]

[4. Soul Binding: All items looted inside remain bound to the bearer and cannot be traded until the Dungeon is complete.]

After reading all of that, his eyes found the notification below asking: [Do you understand the rules that have been stated to you?]

Aeric chose [Yes]

Another one popped up once that closed.

[Do you agree to adhere to them?]

With a lifted brow, Aeric chose [Yes]

The system chimed softly and declared: [Host can continue with Divine Quest].

The rest of the team were making their final arrangements, tightening straps, sharpening weapons, cultivating, warming up and so on.

Aeric just stood there and watched, holding his satchel with the worn blade tucked in his belt strap.

Once they were done, Alzera scanned the group, her gaze sharp. "Everyone ready?"

The squad members, Kael, Bel, and Ryn, finished with their preparations and stood in resolution.

"Yup."

"I am."

"Let's do this."

They all gave a confident chorus of affirmatives. Aeric gave a quick nod too, but Alzera turned to look at him, clearly not accepting of his small, weak nod.

She took a step closer, her cerulean gaze drilling into his. Aeric could now smell the scent of hibiscus oil which she rubbed on her pristine skin.

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you ready, Dagwood?"

Clearing his throat, Aeric squared his shoulders and gave a more determined "Yes."

Alzera didn't let him go immediately, of course not. She kept glaring at him for a while until she felt that was enough.

"Good," she said simply, then without another word, thrust her bag of supplies and weaponry into his arms. "Carry."

'Ouch!' Aeric pulled back, feeling the weight of the bag hit his abdomen. Alzera didn't say anything more, she just walked towards the Dungeon Entrance.

"Get a move on it, the rest of you."

Sighing tentatively, Aeric took the bag, and soon enough, Kael, Bel, and Ryn added theirs to the pile, chuckling as they dumped each one onto him.

"Hope you have strong shoulders!" Ryn quipped. "And try not to fall."

Bel grinned at him friendly. "We all had to do this at our turns. But be careful with mine. I've got a good bit of money in here, and I don't want it lost."

Aeric lifted a brow at her.

"You'll be fine," Kael said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Good luck."

They pushed past him, heading towards the ominous, cave-like entrance that gaped before them. As Aeric watched, the coiling shadows on the ground covered them and soon they all disappeared into the depths.

He sighed again as he adjusted the weight on his shoulder. 'Not every day the prince of the kingdom gets ordered about like a pack mule,' he thought wryly. 'The means and the ends are all that matters, Aeric. If this is what I have to do to win, then I'll do it.'

Sighing with resignation, he steadied himself, glanced at the bags hanging on his shoulders and muttered under his breath, "Come on, bags. Let's clear this Dungeon, replace a way to get Alzera to let me Claim her Main Skill… and complete my first Divine Quest in the process."

With that, he moved forward, step after step, crossing into the cave's shadows. As he walked, the dense smoke swirled from the cave floor, surrounding him and pulling him in.

Then it was all darkness. Consuming him completely.

Ding!

His system chimed.

[You have accepted this first Divine Quest]

[Quest: Clear Dungeon.]

[Difficulty: 70%]

[Prepare yourself. Your challenge has begun].