Chapter 52: The Elven Hero Moves

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Elven Hero Moves

The room was silent

Arin stared at the second page

Do not allow the Dungeon Master to investigate the lower levels

he remembered the words clearly

Someone had written them eleven years ago

Someone who knew what the previous Dungeon Master was investigating

Someone who has wanted him to stay away

Arin looked at Eldran

"You really don’t know who wrote this?"

"No"

Eldran took the page and examined it carefully

"I’ve seen thousands of documents from that period. This handwriting isn’t familiar."

"Could it have been forged?"

"It could have been"

The Chief turned the page over

"But I don’t think so"

Arin frowned

"Why?"

"Because this was stored with the original research records."

Eldran put the page back on the table

"It wasn’t added recently. Whoever wrote it had access to the archive when these records were being maintained."

Adnan leaned forward

"So someone inside the Elf Lands knew about the dungeon"

Eldran nodded

"That’s what concerns me"

Ayan’s eyes remained on the document

"Then the question is who?"

Before anyone could answer, the entire chamber shook

The wooden pillars groaned

Several crystals hanging from the ceiling flickered

Arin immediately stood

"What was that?"

Another tremor passed through the floor

This one was stronger

The magical crystals dimmed before returning to their normal brightness

The elves behind Eldran exchanged alarmed looks

Eldran turned towards the doors

"What’s happening?"

One of the guards rushed into the chamber

"Chief!"

"What happened?"

"The eastern dungeon"

Eldran’s expression changed

"What about it?"

"The mana readings have suddenly increased"

Arin’s eyes narrowed

"How much?"

The guard hesitated

"Enough to trigger the emergency wards"

Ayan stepped forward

"When did this begin?"

"Less than a minute ago"

Arin looked at the documents on the table

His stomach tightened

The timing was too perfect

Someone had just drawn their attention towards the dungeon

Eldran looked at him

"You’re thinking the same thing"

Arin nodded

"yeah"

Adnan stood

"Is this the dungeon mentioned in the records?"

"Yes"

Eldran walked towards the door

"Come"

They hurried through the corridors

As they moved deeper into the elven settlement, Arin could feel the mana changing

It was becoming denser

The forest itself seemed restless

Leaves trembled despite the absence of wind

Small animals fled between the trees

Even the magical crystals embedded with wood flickered as the group passed

Saira looked around nervously

"This isn’t normal"

"No," Ayan replied

His eyes narrowed

"The dungeon is reacting to something"

Arin focused on his Dungeon Master’s Mark

A faint warmth spread throughout his hand

He could sense the disturbance now

It wasn’t random

Something was moving through the dungeon’s mana network

But it wasn’t coming from the surface

It was coming from below

They reached a large stone building surrounded by several elven soldiers

A massive staircase descended beneath it

Eldran stopped at the entrance

"The dungeon lies beneath this structure"

Arin looked down

He could feel it

Something was wrong

"How far does it go?"

"Several known levels"

"Known?"

Eldran nodded

"We’ve never mapped the entire dungeon."

Arin remembered the report

The previous Dungeon Master had investigated the lower levels

He had believed something was hidden there

Now the dungeon was reacting again

Arin looked at Eldran

"What changed?"

"We don’t know"

A violent pulse of mana surged from below

The soldiers stepped back

Arin’s Mark flew

For an instant, he saw something

Not a vision

A sensation

A path

A vast network of tunnels beneath the earth

And somewhere deep inside...

A sealed section

Arin opened his eyes

"I can sense it"

Eldran stared at him

"What?"

"The dungeon"

Arin put a hand against the stone wall

"Something has changed"

His expression became serious

"There’s a section that wasn’t active before"

Ayan immediately understood

"The lower levels"

"Yeah"

Arin took his hand away

"Something is waking up down there"

Zarl, who had been silent the entire journey, finally spoke

"That’s interesting"

Everyone looked at him

His eyes were fixed on the dungeon entrance

"I remember that place"

Ayan’s expression hardened

"You were there?"

Zarl shook his head

"Not personally"

He paused

"But I heard about it"

Arin looked at him

"From who?"

Zarl’s expression became difficult to read

"I don’t remember"

Ayan’s eyes narrowed

"You expect us to believe that?"

Zarl shrugged

"I don’t expect anything"

Before the conversation could continue, another tremor shook the dungeon

This time, something deeper happened

A distant sound echoed from below

Not a roar

Not a voice

The grinding of enormous stone doors opening somewhere beneath the earth

Everyone froze

Arin looked at Eldran.

"We’re going down."

Eldran nodded

"I expected you to say that."

The Chief turned to the soldiers

"Prepare a small expedition"

One of the officers stepped forward

"Chief, should we send our strongest warriors?"

"No"

Eldran looked at Arin

"We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet"

He turned back to the officer

"Prepare scouts, scholars, and enough guards to secure the route."

The officer bowed

"Yes, Chief."

Arin looked towards the dungeon

"No fighting unless we have to"

Adnan nodded

"We’re investigating"

"Exactly"

Ayan’s expression remained serious

"If we encounter something dangerous, we withdraw"

Arin glanced at him

"Agreed"

They stood before the dungeon entrance

No one had moved yet

Arin could feel something beneath them

Something ancient

Something connected to the previous Dungeon Master

But there was another sensation

Someone was watching

Arin turned towards the forest

Nothing

Only trees

He frowned

"Something wrong?"

Mira asked

"I don’t know"

Arin stared between the branches

Then the feeling disappeared

Far away from the dungeon, beyond the settlement, a figure stood on a high wooden platform overlooking the forest

He was an elf

young by elven standards

Long black hair flowed behind him as the wind moved through the trees

He wore a dark cloak over simple armor

His eyes remained fixed on the distant dungeon

A faint smile appeared on his face

"The Dungeon Master noticed."

A second elf stood behind him

"Should we stop the disturbance?"

"No"

The young elf turned away from the dungeon

"Let him investigate."

The other elf hesitated

"But if he reaches the lower levels..."

"He won’t reach them"

The young elf’s smile disappeared

"Not yet"

He walked towards the edge of the platform

Below him, the forest stretched endlessly

His presence was quiet

almost impossible to notice

Yet the mana around him responded naturally to his existence

The second elf lowered his head

"What should we do if the Dungeon Master discovers the truth?"

The young elf stopped

For a moment, he said nothing

Then he looked back

"Then we’ll finally know what kind of Dungeon Master he is."

The second elf lowered his head further

"Yes, Lord Caelan."

Caelan looked toward the distant dungeon one final time

His eyes were calm

He had known Arin would come

He had been waiting for him

And now that the new Dungeon Master had finally arrived in the Elf Lands...

The game had begun.