Chapter 4: The Dungeon That Recognized Him
1867 Words
The Ironroot Dungeon stood at the base of a mountain.
From a distance, it looked like nothing more than a massive c***k in the earth.
But as Kael approached, he realized that the entrance wasn't natural.
Two enormous stone pillars stood on either side of the opening.
Ancient symbols covered their surfaces.
Roots from the surrounding forest had grown around the pillars, twisting through the stone like enormous veins.
At the center of the entrance was a circular emblem.
A wolf.
A dragon.
And a strange crown floating above them.
Kael stared at it.
Something about the symbol felt familiar.
Luna growled.
“You recognize it too?”
The Azure Fang Wolf stared at the emblem.
Its blue eyes began glowing.
Then—
DING!
A system window appeared.
---
Ancient Summoning Insignia detected.
Compatibility: 97%
Warning: Dungeon origin cannot be determined.
---
Kael's expression changed.
“Ancient Summoning Insignia?”
He stepped closer.
The moment his hand touched the stone—
BOOM!
The entire dungeon entrance shook.
Everyone jumped.
The swordsman immediately drew his blade.
“What was that?”
The mage raised her staff.
“Did the dungeon activate?”
The archer looked around.
“Everyone stay alert.”
Kael quickly pulled his hand away.
The shaking stopped.
Nobody noticed the faint blue light that disappeared beneath his palm.
Except Luna.
The wolf looked at Kael.
Kael whispered:
“Don't tell anyone.”
Luna tilted her head.
Kael sighed.
“I know you can't actually talk.”
The wolf barked.
“Right.”
---
The Party
The guild had assigned three adventurers to accompany Kael.
The swordsman was Ronan, a D-Rank Shield Knight.
He was twenty-six years old and had spent nearly a decade exploring dungeons.
The mage was Mira, a D-Rank Elemental Mage.
She was twenty-one and specialized in fire and wind magic.
The archer was Gareth, a C-Rank Hunter.
He was the oldest of the group and rarely spoke.
Kael had immediately noticed something strange.
Gareth kept watching him.
Not Luna.
Him.
Kael finally asked:
“Is there something on my face?”
Gareth shook his head.
“No.”
“You've been staring at me for ten minutes.”
Gareth adjusted his bow.
“You're unusual.”
“So I've been told.”
“You awakened yesterday.”
“Yes.”
“You're already commanding an E+ Rank summon.”
“Yes.”
“You survived a C+ Rank monster.”
Kael smiled awkwardly.
“Apparently.”
Gareth stared at him.
“Either you're extremely lucky…”
He paused.
“Or you're hiding something.”
Kael didn't answer.
Ronan laughed.
“Give the kid a break.”
Gareth shrugged.
“I'm only saying what everyone else is thinking.”
Mira stepped between them.
“Enough.”
She looked at the dungeon.
“We should enter before the sun gets too high.”
The group moved forward.
Kael followed.
Luna walked beside him.
The moment they entered the dungeon—
the entrance disappeared.
Stone walls closed behind them.
Kael turned.
“What?”
Ronan immediately raised his shield.
“That's not normal.”
Mira's face became serious.
“The entrance shouldn't seal until we've passed the first chamber.”
Gareth drew an arrow.
“Something's wrong.”
Kael felt the hair on his arms rise.
Then the system appeared.
---
Dungeon Entry Confirmed.
Ironroot Dungeon
Difficulty: D
Floor: 1
Party Members: 4
Summoner recognized.
Dungeon response: Abnormal.
---
Kael frowned.
“Dungeon response?”
Before anyone could ask what he meant—
A deep rumble echoed through the corridor.
GROOOOOM.
The floor shook.
Rocks fell from the ceiling.
Mira raised her staff.
“Get ready!”
Something moved in the darkness.
Several pairs of yellow eyes appeared.
Ronan lifted his shield.
“Goblins!”
A dozen creatures rushed forward.
Kael's eyes widened.
“Luna.”
The wolf immediately charged.
WHOOSH!
Blue light flashed.
Luna disappeared.
She reappeared among the goblins.
SLASH!
One fell.
BITE!
Another collapsed.
Kael stared.
“She got faster.”
Ronan blocked an incoming spear.
CLANG!
Mira raised her staff.
“Fireball!”
BOOM!
A fireball exploded among the goblins.
Gareth released three arrows in succession.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Within seconds, the chamber was silent.
Kael looked at Luna.
She hadn't even been scratched.
Ronan lowered his shield.
“That creature is stronger than most E-Rank adventurers.”
Mira stared at Kael.
“How did an F-Rank Summoner get something like that?”
Kael shrugged.
“She's talented.”
Ronan laughed.
Mira didn't.
She continued staring.
---
Floor One
The party continued deeper.
The first floor was surprisingly quiet.
They encountered goblins, cave spiders, and several low-level monsters.
Luna defeated most of them.
Every victory caused Kael's experience to increase.
His level rose.
Level 3 → Level 4.
Then—
Level 4 → Level 5.
Kael opened his status.
---
Kael Arven
Class: Summoner
Rank: F
Level: 5
Strength: 12
Agility: 13
Vitality: 11
Intelligence: 15
Mana: 42
Skills:
- Summoning
- Shared Growth
- Shared Senses
- Monster Archive
---
Kael stared.
His stats were still low compared to other adventurers.
But they were already much higher than yesterday.
Shared Growth.
That skill was changing everything.
Then another notification appeared.
---
Milestone reached.
Summoner Level 5
New summon slot unlocked.
---
Kael's eyes widened.
“A new summon slot?”
He opened his summoning menu.
One empty slot appeared.
---
Summon Slot #2
Available.
Summoning material required.
---
Kael frowned.
“What kind of material?”
The system gave no answer.
Mira noticed his expression.
“Something wrong?”
“No.”
Kael closed the window.
“We should keep moving.”
---
The Locked Door
After nearly two hours, the group reached a massive stone door.
Unlike the rest of the dungeon, this door was covered in intricate carvings.
A wolf.
A dragon.
A bird.
A serpent.
And several other creatures Kael couldn't identify.
At the center was the same crown symbol from the entrance.
Gareth examined the door.
“This shouldn't be here.”
Ronan frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“The first floor of Ironroot Dungeon doesn't have a sealed chamber.”
Mira approached.
“There may be a hidden room.”
Kael stepped closer.
The moment he did—
DING!
The system appeared.
---
Ancient Summoning Chamber detected.
Access requirement: Summoner
Access granted.
---
Kael froze.
The door began opening.
GRRRRRRNNNN…
Everyone stepped backward.
Ronan looked at Kael.
“What did you do?”
“I didn't do anything.”
The door opened completely.
Beyond it was a massive circular chamber.
At the center stood a stone pedestal.
On top of the pedestal was a black crystal.
Kael immediately recognized it.
It was identical to the crystal from his vision.
His heartbeat accelerated.
“This isn't a normal dungeon.”
Gareth raised his bow.
“No.”
He looked into the chamber.
“This place was built.”
Mira stared at the walls.
“Who built it?”
Kael slowly walked inside.
The moment he crossed the threshold—
BOOM!
The chamber lit up.
Hundreds of blue symbols appeared on the walls.
Then a voice echoed through the room.
“Bloodline detected.”
Kael froze.
Ronan looked around.
“Who's there?”
The voice continued.
“Contract detected.”
Luna growled.
“System compatibility confirmed.”
Kael's eyes widened.
“What system?”
The voice answered.
“The inheritance of the First Summoner.”
Silence.
Kael's heart pounded.
“The First Summoner?”
A figure appeared above the pedestal.
An ancient man wearing a long robe.
His body was transparent.
His eyes glowed blue.
He looked directly at Kael.
“You have returned.”
Kael shook his head.
“I've never been here.”
The apparition smiled.
“Your body has not.”
He pointed toward Kael's chest.
“But your soul has.”
Kael couldn't speak.
The others looked confused.
Mira whispered:
“What is he talking about?”
The apparition ignored them.
“You have awakened earlier than expected.”
Kael stepped closer.
“Who are you?”
“I was once known as Aurelius, the First Summoner.”
Kael's eyes widened.
The legendary founder of the Summoner class.
A figure from ancient history.
According to the kingdom's records, Aurelius had disappeared thousands of years ago.
“You're dead.”
Aurelius smiled.
“Very much so.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To wait for you.”
Kael stared at him.
“Why?”
Aurelius raised one hand.
The black crystal began glowing.
“Because the world has forgotten what a Summoner truly is.”
The chamber shook.
Aurelius continued.
“The modern Summoner commands monsters.”
He pointed toward Luna.
“But the original Summoner did something far greater.”
Kael stared.
“What?”
Aurelius smiled.
“We did not merely summon monsters.”
The crystal shattered.
Dark energy flooded the chamber.
“We created them.”
---
The Dungeon Guardian
A thunderous roar suddenly echoed from beyond the chamber.
Ronan raised his shield.
“Something's coming!”
The dungeon walls cracked.
A massive creature burst through the stone.
It was a gigantic armored beast with six legs.
Its body was covered in black metal-like scales.
Its eyes glowed crimson.
The system appeared.
---
Ironroot Guardian
Rank: B
Level: 25
HP: 8,900 / 8,900
Special Ability: Dungeon Core Protection
Warning:
Current party survival probability: 3%.
---
Everyone froze.
Mira whispered:
“B-Rank…”
Gareth immediately fired.
WHOOSH!
The arrow struck the guardian's armor.
CLANG!
It did nothing.
Ronan raised his shield.
“Everyone behind me!”
The guardian charged.
BOOM!
Ronan was thrown across the chamber.
He slammed into the wall.
“RONAN!”
Mira fired a massive fire spell.
FWOOSH!
Flames engulfed the guardian.
For a moment, nothing could be seen.
Then the beast walked through the flames.
Uninjured.
Gareth's face turned pale.
“We can't beat it.”
Kael stared at Luna.
The wolf growled.
Kael opened his status.
His hands shook.
“Luna.”
The wolf looked at him.
“We need something stronger.”
The system suddenly appeared.
---
Emergency Condition Detected.
Summoner has encountered an enemy beyond current capability.
Hidden summon slot activated.
Requirement: Monster Core
Compatible core detected.
Ironroot Guardian
Would you like to attempt emergency summoning?
YES / NO
---
Kael stared.
The Ironroot Guardian.
Its core.
The system wanted him to summon the creature he was currently fighting.
But the requirement said:
Monster Core.
Kael remembered the C+ monster core he had absorbed.
He had already unlocked the Monster Archive.
Could he use it?
Kael opened the archive.
A single entry appeared.
Unknown Beast — C+
Then another line appeared.
---
Create Summoning Contract?
YES / NO
---
Kael's eyes widened.
Create.
Not control.
Not capture.
Create.
Aurelius's voice echoed behind him.
“You understand now.”
Kael turned.
The ancient Summoner smiled.
“Your weakness was never your class.”
Kael looked at Luna.
Then at the guardian.
Then at the strange system.
He selected:
YES.
The entire dungeon exploded with blue light.
The Ironroot Guardian roared.
Luna stepped forward.
Kael raised his hand.
And for the first time—
a second summoning circle appeared.
To be continued...
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