Arifureta: From Whelp to Dragonlord (ON Hiatus)

Part 4: Betrayal and Rebirth of the Dragon

Keiji struggled to sleep and finally woke up a few hours later, immediately rising from bed as soon as the sunlight hit his face. 

'So it's time for our first dungeon'

Keiji got dressed in his signature grey trench coat not noticing the small changes in his body. he knew he had time to spare so he grabbed he went to grab a bite to eat to boost a bit of his energy before the dungeon. 

Even after his quick breakfast, he didn't expect his entire class to wait at the labyrinth entrance.

 Keiji had imagined a Greek ruin-like entrance, but instead, he found something that looked like a museum. It even had a reception desk at the side of the entrance. A uniformed big sister with a beautiful smile was inspecting the people who entered and left the dungeon. In brief, their work here was to inspect the Status Plate and record the number of people who entered and left the dungeon to accurately pinpoint the death toll. With the war nearing, this was the method they adopted to avoid more casualties than necessary. 

'Shit, they're going to check our status plates and see how abnormal mine is I gotta think of something quick.'

On the plaza near the entrance, there were many stalls lined up. All the shop owners were trying to promote their own goods. It was like a festival. This place was a popular area to earn money because people would naturally gather there. Many foolish people challenged the dungeon haughtily, which ended with them losing their life. The dungeon's back alleys also seemed to attract criminal activities. However, with the war coming, they didn't want to have any internal conflicts, so the Adventurer Guild and Kingdom worked together with a common goal in mind. The venue beside the entrance was a place where the materials were traded. The treasures obtained by the adventurers would be exchanged for money there.

As the group gazed around with wonder, they obediently trailed after Commander Meld, resembling ducklings dutifully following their mother.

Surprisingly he was able to make it through the checkpoint without suspicion.

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The inside of the Dungeon was totally different from the bustling of the outside. There was no lamp at the five-meter wide passage, yet it was emitting a dim light, it was possible to see to some extent even without any illumination magic or torches. It seemed like a lot of special green stones were buried in the walls, one could excavate a huge vein of these green stones from 【Orcus Great Dungeon】.

The party was organized into ranks and pressed forward. For a while, nothing of interest happened until they advanced into a certain hall. This hall was dome-shaped and the ceiling looked to be around 7-8 meters high. Then, in front of the party that seemed to be looking for treasures in the circular hall, gray fluffy balls gushed out from the crevices in the wall.

"Okay, Kouki's group, step forward. Everyone else falls back! Follow the instructions you received before setting off! Get ready! These Magic Beasts are called Ratmen. Their movement is quick, but they are not very strong. Just stay calm."

Just like he said, the Ratmen ran over with considerable speed. Their scarlet eyes shone eerily from their gray matted heads. Their name suited them. The Ratman was a very fitting name, their outward appearance looked very similar to a rat...... They were bipedal Magic Beasts and had a muscular upper body. As if to show off their six packs and chest muscle, those parts were not covered by hair.

The front line was comprised of Kouki and his party. When Shizuku, who was in his party, saw the enemy, her face stiffened up. The Ratman gave off a creepy feeling. Kouki, Shizuku, and Ryutaro intercepted the charging Ratman. Meanwhile, two girls that were close to Kaori started to chant. The girls were Nakamura Eri, a glasses-wearing girl, and her friend Taniguchi Suzu the energetic loli. They were preparing to invoke their magic, staying in the formation like they were taught.