A few hours before dawn, across Blackwood Swamp Town, the Misty Island, Lake City, and the surrounding villages, towns, and distant cities, those who are awake suddenly witness a strange and unnatural phenomenon as a beam of green light pierces through the clouds above, descending like a pillar from the heavens.
At the same moment, the ears of Dream Magicians and Knights ring sharply with a jarring and unnatural sound, as if something has resonated directly with their senses and disturbed the balance of energy within their bodies.
From their windows or while standing outside in the open, they all turn their gaze toward the sky, watching the green beam of light that lingers for a few brief moments before slowly fading away, leaving behind a heavy silence and an unspoken unease.
For Marilyn, Greg, and the others who had entered the cavern two weeks ago, a deep sense of dread rises within their hearts, as they immediately recognise that the origin of the light lies in or around that very cavern.
Inside the sub-space, Lin Yu waits calmly for his first guests to arrive, observing everything through his perception as he plans to study how the dungeon performs during its initial days before entering seclusion to comprehend the Laws of the world.
He does not have to wait long, as he soon watches from within the cavern as the old man known as Tom appears, his presence steady yet cautious as he approaches the massive skeleton door.
Tom stands before the door, taking careful steps and wearing a vigilant expression, then slowly reaches out and touches the surface of the door, testing its reaction while remaining ready for any danger.
However, nothing happens, and the dungeon does not pull him inside, because of the restriction Lin Yu has deliberately placed, ensuring that anyone of Level Six and above is completely barred from entering, no matter how powerful or curious they may be.
Minutes later, people began to arrive one after another, filling the cavern with a growing crowd of adventurers, knights, and curious onlookers. Yet, despite their numbers, they all stood at a distance, watching the massive skeleton door cautiously with wary eyes.
The atmosphere becomes tense as whispers spread among them, but no one is willing to step onto the platform, as the unknown nature of the door and the lingering aura around it instil a deep sense of unease.
Then, from within the crowd, a drunk-looking man stumbles forward, his clothes untidy and his posture loose, as he suddenly shouts loudly, "I will test the door, but I want one gold pence… no, one large gold pence!"
The crowd shifts slightly at his bold declaration, and before anyone else can respond, Alfred, the leader of the Golden Flame Fighting School, steps forward with a composed expression and says, "I will give you ten gold pence if you can enter and come back alive."
Tim turns his head toward Alfred, his eyes narrowing slightly as suspicion crosses his face, and he asks, "Are you telling the truth?"
Alfred rolls his eyes with clear impatience and gestures around him, saying, "There are hundreds of people here," before glancing toward Tom and adding, "and Mister Tom is present, so do you really think I would dare to break my word?"
Tim hesitates for a moment, his expression shifting as he weighs the risk against the reward, before finally making up his mind and walking toward the door with slow but deliberate steps.
However, halfway there, his courage falters, and he stops, his body stiffening as doubt begins to creep into his mind while the silence of the crowd presses down on him.
Immediately, voices rise from the crowd, mocking and provoking him, shouting, "Old drunkard, are you afraid?" and "I knew you were useless!" as more insults follow, each one pushing him further.
Driven by anger and unwilling to lose face in front of so many people, Tim clenches his teeth tightly and forces himself forward, stepping onto the platform as dozens of eyes fix on him, waiting to see whether he lives or dies.
Tim raises his voice and shouts, "Throw me a spear," his tone rough yet steady, as if trying to hide the unease building within him.
Voices immediately respond from the crowd, urging others, "Quickly, throw him a spear," yet most hesitate, gripping their weapons tightly, unwilling to risk something they had saved for with great difficulty.
Seeing the hesitation, Alfred reaches to one of his school's instructors, takes a spear without hesitation, and throws it toward Tim while saying calmly, "Here, catch it."
Tim catches the spear cleanly, his movements surprisingly steady despite his drunken appearance, and he twirls it in his hand a few times to get a feel for its balance and weight.
After a brief moment, he steadies himself and walks fully onto the platform, his steps slower now as he approaches the massive skeleton door looming before him.
He stops just a short distance away, lifting his gaze to study the carvings, the skull above, and the faint glow that still lingers around it.
Seeing him hesitate again, the crowd begins shouting once more, "Push open the door!" and "Why are you standing still again?" Their impatience grows louder.
Tim lets out a long sigh, as if resigning himself to whatever fate awaits him, then steps forward and climbs the two stone steps leading up to the door.
He stands directly in front of it, his body tense as he glances around one last time, before raising his right hand and pushing against the surface of the door.
The moment his hand makes contact, ripples appear across the stone like waves spreading through water, and a force suddenly pulls him inward.
In the blink of an eye, Tim disappears.
Gone from everyone's sight.
A sharp silence falls over the cavern.
Then someone notices something.
The flame inside the skull above the door changes.
From green,
To read.
A voice breaks the silence, asking loudly, "What does this mean?"
Another answers quickly, "Maybe no one can enter now."
Before the murmurs can grow louder, Lucas, the owner of the Shadow Wolf Fighting School, steps forward and shouts, "Keep quiet!"
At the same time, the aura of a Senior Knight erupts from his body, spreading through the cavern like crushing pressure and forcing the crowd into instant silence.
As the drunkard steps into the dungeon, his information becomes clear to Lin Yu.
Name: Tim Brokewell.
Level: Senior Knight Apprentice (3)
Condition: Intoxicated.
Strength: 3.89 (3.95)
Agility: 3.36 (3.75)
Constitution: 2.56 (3.15)
Skills:
Basic Fighting: 841/1000
Basic Spear: 690/1000
Serpent Spear: 575/1000
Serpent Step: 470/1000
Iron Body: 354/1000
Technique:
Iron Serpent Breathing (Stage 3): (380/500)
The man may be intoxicated, but the first floor holds only Level Zero and Level One skeletons, and except for the final room, nothing here can trouble him.
Lin Yu watches as Tim clears the first room, yet no dream coins drop.
Tim glances back at the door, then snorts and says, "Let's check ahead, the bone monsters don't look strong."
He continues forward, clearing one room after another, his movements growing looser, his footing less steady, his intoxication becoming more apparent.
At last, he steps into the final room on the first floor.
Five white skeletons stand in front with swords raised, while behind them, five skeletal archers lift their bows.
The sword skeletons charge.
The archers release.
Tim spins his spear, knocking aside the incoming arrows in a ringing sweep of metal.
He drives forward, spear striking toward the five skeletons.
The skeletons raise their swords in unison and block.
Tim applies strength, roars, and forces the five skeletons backwards in a grinding clash of bone and steel.
Before he can follow with another strike, he catches a bow skeleton drawing its string.
He twists aside, but the arrow still grazes his arm, slicing the skin and drawing a thin line of blood.
Tim's eyes sharpen.
He channels his fighting energy into the spear, the weapon humming as power gathers along its shaft.
With a sudden thrust, he pierces through one skeleton, shattering it into fragments.
He moves without pause.
One strike.
Another.
Each blow lands with precision as he breaks the remaining four sword skeletons while weaving between incoming arrows.
The air whistles with projectiles, yet his spear spins and his steps shift, narrowly avoiding each shot.
Then he surges forward.
He closes the distance to the archers and destroys them one by one before they can retreat.
The room falls silent.
A moment later,
A coffin along the wall explodes open.
A Black Skeleton bursts out with a roar, its body wrapped in dark, dead energy, its sword trailing black mist as it charges.
Tim meets it head-on.
Steel collides.
The impact travels up his arms, but his expression steadies.
He can win.
But his gaze flicks across the room.
More coffins line the walls.
If another emerges,
If one appears equal to his level,
His advantage vanishes.
He has seen enough.
Tim abruptly shifts, driving his foot into the Black Skeleton's chest and kicking it back.
Without hesitation, he turns and runs.
The Black Skeleton chases him to the doorway but halts at the boundary, unable to cross.
Tim exits the room and begins clearing the earlier rooms again, retrieving the dream coins left behind.
One by one, he crushes the respawned skeletons and collects the drops.
In one of the rooms, after destroying a bone monster, a faint glow appears.
A leather glove materialises on the ground.
Tim picks it up and wears it.
A surge of strength flows into his arm.
---
Basic Leather Gloves: +0.5 Strength.