Chapter 3: Dungeon Preparations

The next morning, It was peaceful as usual.Err,not really as I rushed to my morning lesson, The group left me behind a note saying: 'Elliot we're leaving you cause you oversleep to much', It's not that I worried about them leaving me, I'm worried that my oversleeping habit is taking over after me even now that I reincarnated.

While running in the hallway,I noticed an elf getting hit on outside by a group of men,One was a noble. This was a nostalgic scene in most romance-fantasy novels that I've read before dying.

I've decided to stop by the near window where the elf was getting hit on.I looked out the window and saw what was going on, wondering if I should try to do anything. Then, I remembered that I couldn't just ignore this scene, since I was now a hero character who's supposed to protect people.

With that in my mind, I ran outside and approached the group of men who were surrounding the elf lady. They were obviously harassing her and it seemed like they were about to get violent with her.

That's when I yelled at them, "Stop right there! What do you think you're doing to this elf lady? Leave her alone!"

"What right do you have to tell us what to do?"

a male voice spoke up from the group.I stood my ground with a serious and firm expression.

"I don't need to tell you what my right is. Just leave her alone."

The noble rolled his eyes and spoke up again. "This has nothing to do with you, so stay out of it. We're just having a little fun here."

I let out a sigh, not wanting to deal with this, but knowing that I couldn't just walk away.

"Then your idea of 'fun' differs wildly from mine."

The noble brushed it off by laughing in a noble ahh manner,As for their level and stats,they weren't really high enough for me to beat,One noble with decent amount of magic,and Hp, ranging over 380-410, while the rest of them were low level below the noble.

Man my [Observer] , which allows me to see someone's stat and level that I obtained last night is pretty handy,reminded me of those mmorpg games that I've played before.

"Sir, that's Grande,we should leave."One of the men recognized me and spoke.

"Tsk,how ridiculous!" The noble replied.

"Yeah, we can't be messing with someone like him." Another man in the group replied.

The noble rolled his eyes again, "As you say."

The members of the group then walked away, leaving me and the elf to stand there alone in the area. I was a bit relieved that they weren't planning anything else, and even more so that they all decided to listen to the other man and walk away.

The elf then turned to look at me. "Uh, thank you for your intervention, but you really didn't have to do that."

There it is,the most common impression that I expected, the 'I didn't really need help' one. I looked at the elf, feeling slightly disappointed that she seemed to think my help wasn't needed. However, I didn't want to keep arguing with her about it.

"No problem," I replied, hoping that this was enough for her to realize the importance of my intervention.

As I looked at the elf, I started to notice her appearance more carefully. She was quite pretty. Her ears were pointy and she had this soft, delicate look to her eyes. Her hair was a soft shade of red and tied with a blue bow.

She was also quite short, I'd say about 5'3", and she had this small, thin looking build that made me think of a fairy. Her dress was elegant and simple, with colors that matched her eyes quite well. It was made of light green fabric, and the sleeves of her dress were long and ended with a lace trim.

Overall, she had an air of refinement and elegance to her. She had a soft spoken voice, and her demeanour was quite gentle as well.

I checked her stats and level as well and was surprised by what I saw,she was a 'Royalty' Class person that had an Advance level magic the same as me.Although there was a blurry text besides the 'Royalty' Class, I didn't really payed attention for it.Her Hp and Sp ranged from about 1129. That impression made this make sense for me, she knew that she could beat those 5 people at once, no wonder why she said that.

I looked at her and raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"You're a 'Royalty' class person yourself, which means you're also highly ranked," I noticed.

"So that means you could've beat those five people too if you had chosen to do so, no need to even worry about the help."

"So what brings you here at this hour, then?"

I was genuinely curious to see what this other person's backstory was.She then proceeded to put her finger in my lips gesturing that I should be quiet about the matter.

I looked up at her, wondering what she wanted to keep quiet. Was she trying to hide her true intentions behind why she was here?

"You're Elliot Grande from the House of Grandes right, you're also going to be late to the class if you don't hurry you know?"

I realized how much time I've spent here going to a novel phase.

"Oh yeah, the class is starting soon and we need to get there soon."

"Are you going to the class too?"

I asked her, now trying to move away from the previous topic of conversation.She just nodded at the question and began to walk away, obviously trying to make it sound innocent

I felt like I should keep an eye on her, though, just to see if she had any bad intentions.

"Hold on a second," I said, trying to catch up to her. "You're really also going to the class? Is it just a coincidence that we both happen to be going there at the same time?"

"Yeah, I am," she said with a light and casual tone, acting like me having suspicions about her didn't even matter.

Still, I couldn't help but feel suspicious about her now. She kept trying to avoid talking about why she was here, and it felt like she was trying to keep too many things hidden.

"What's your name?" I finally asked her, now that she had confirmed she was indeed going to the class.

"I'm Elowan Fey"

"Elowan Fey...what an interesting name," I said, looking at her carefully. I was getting more suspicious with each word that she spoke.

"Anyway, let's try to make it to the class on time now. We're getting a bit behind schedule."

I tried to get closer to her while walking, feeling as though I couldn't let her get too far ahead of me so that I could keep observing her.With no further objections, she began to pick up the pace while walking. We were close to the classroom now, thankfully, and I felt a sense of relief after seeing the building ahead.

I couldn't help but think to myself that there was more to this girl than I had initially imagined. Why hadn't she wanted to reveal her true intentions to me earlier?

As we arrived at the classroom, I slowed down a bit and waited for her to enter first. I wanted to see if she had any intention of doing anything while inside the classroom.

After she entered, I also stepped in and looked around at the students. Everyone was pretty quiet, as usual, and I didn't see anything out of the ordinary happening there.

"So we're in class now," I said to her. "Do you have anything else you wanted to do or were you really just going to attend class here?"

She shook her head as she went to her seat. "No, just class."

She sat down quietly in her seat and took out her notebook, ready to take notes as the lecture was about to begin.

It seemed as though she did want to attend the class after all. Maybe she had just been trying to get something from what happened outside before we got to the class. Or maybe she really was just attending the class normally.

Either way, I couldn't help but feel suspicious of her. I'd have to keep an eye on her during the class then.

I felt someone glaring at me coldly,beside that I also felt did the classroom get bigger by any chance.

I looked over to see who was glaring at me and saw Claire, not Elowan, like I had thought at first.

I turned back forward to hear the lecture begin and tried to pay attention to the lecture. I didn't want to keep looking at Claire at this point, so I did my best not to let that distract me from the instructor's speech.

I turned my gaze to the professor who was now at the podium, beginning his lecture.

"Hello everyone," the Professor spoke. "Today, we have an exciting topic that we'll be discussing in more detail.

"You've heard about the newly discovered dungeon in the area, right? The one that's been sealed for centuries, supposedly containing untold mysteries and powerful treasures."

The Professor paused and took a moment to look at the students.

"Now, as you already know, this dungeon has finally been opened, and we will all be having the opportunity to explore it."

"For the next few days, we will be preparing for the expedition with training classes specifically focused on combat and spellcraft," the professor continued. "This will be a challenging endeavor for all of us, but I have no doubt that everyone here will be able to make the most out of this opportunity.

"Now, is there anyone here who might be interested in joining a group or making a team? We'll be dividing the students into teams and I'd like to know who wants to work together and which skills you would be able to contribute.

The Professor looked around the classroom, waiting for anyone to raise their hand to volunteer for joining a team.

After a few moments, he began to look a bit annoyed that nobody was raising their hand.

"Come on, guys. I'm sure you'll all be eager to join a group and prepare for the expedition. Don't make me pick partners for you!"

A few of the students in the class turned to their friends and began to whisper, but nobody raised their hand just yet.

The Professor looked around the room, getting more and more frustrated by the second. He couldn't believe how difficult of a time he was having trying to get volunteers.

"Seriously, come on, someone has to be willing to join a group," Professor continued. "If you don't speak up now, you'll end up with random partners. We're not going to be making this expedition a solo event; everyone will have to work in teams."

After the Professor told the students that they would have random partners if nobody volunteered, there was suddenly a rush of students raising their hands.

"Wait! I want to be part of a group with..."

"I don't want to end up with random partners. Let's team up together..."

"I have this person in mind that I would like to work with, so how about a group with me?"

The Professor stood there, slightly taken aback by the sudden influx of volunteers. It seemed like the idea of not being paired randomly really motivated the class to act.

With the act of choosing a group,The people that in my mind were, Elowan,Claire, Beatrice,Eris and Niko.About the rest?I really don't know, but I'll leave it to their judgement.

The Professor thought to himself for a moment, trying to decide on whom to pair together for the expedition. It seemed as though the students themselves were trying to make pairings as well.

After looking around the room, the Professor decided to take the plunge and speak up again.

"Alright, it seems like we have quite a few people who want to form groups already. Instead of me doing all the pairings, I'd like to make it so the students get to choose themselves. So, you can take a few minutes to form your own groups and we'll go from there."

"And as for Elliot Grande, since you have been a strong individual, you'll have no partner for this expedition" The professor suddenly declared.

The moment the Professor stated that you didn't have a partner for the expedition, I felt a slight sense of frustration.

I knew that being a "strong individual" like the professor said had its perks and also its downsides, but that didn't stop me from wishing that I'd have a team to work with for the expedition.

I felt some disappointment at the Professor's declaration that I would be working by myself for the expedition.

While I knew that being a "strong individual" would give me many perks, it was difficult not to want a team after hearing everyone else talk about working in groups.

However, I decided not to say anything about it and instead tried to stay optimistic. I was a strong person; I could still accomplish great things even if I didn't have a team.

"The test will commence next week so preserve energy and resources as much as possible,and with that class dismissed" The professor said with smugness on his face, hinting that the other teachers might have something against me.

The Professor's smug expression was clear to see, and I got the feeling that he wasn't exactly a fan of mine.

As everyone began to leave the classroom, I felt a bit frustrated and annoyed. Why did the Professor seem like he was acting this way towards me? And why did I get the impression that the other teachers didn't like me either? I didn't understand why I was being looked down upon by my teachers.

I decided to just ignore these feelings and focus on the upcoming expedition test that the Professor had mentioned. I needed to be as prepared as possible.

I've spent the next 6 days learning new skills that might make my expedition easier, unfortunately I only managed to master two skills,one of the skills that I learned so Far are [Teleportation] a skill that is used to teleport to places the user has been,and [Flare Ignition] which allows the user to manipulate the fire element without any chants.

I felt some pride in having learned two new skills during the past six days, as I knew that they would definitely come in handy during the expedition.

"Teleportation" was a skill that would make navigating the dungeon easier, while "Flare Ignition" would be useful in battles against any strong enemies I might encounter.

The time until the test was running out, but that was fine. I was confident that having these skills would be of great help.

I looked ahead to the rest of the week, ready to continue studying and mastering more skills before the expedition test.

The professor finally announced that the dungeon exam officially started, the other groups were riding a carriage going to the southern country where the mentioned dungeon were,As for me,I had to teleport to my house before going because there's no way I'll get there without taking a personal carriage or a horse

As I teleported to the mansion,I arrived at the mansion and was greeted by two adults who I assumed must be my parents. I didn't recognize them, but they had a look about them that seemed familiar.

"Welcome home, Elliot," one of my parents said to me, as though they knew who I was.

"We've been waiting for you," said my other parent with a warm smile.

They both seemed very welcoming and familiar with me suddenly appearing from nowhere. As I continued to look at them, I got a sense that I should know them, but I couldn't place the memory.

I needed to assume that they were my parents and moved on.I found a horse in the backyard of the mansion and decided to go ahead and take the horse, figuring it would be easy enough to return it when the time came.

As I mounted the horse, I noticed that it was a very strong and healthy-looking animal.

"I'm really sorry, but I'll return it," I said to my parents as I began to leave.

I wanted to leave enough time to get to the expedition as well. Hopefully, taking the horse wouldn't be too much of a problem for my parents if it was just for a short while.

After riding the horse for a while, I looked back and noticed that the mansion was gradually getting smaller behind me.

I wasn't used to being away from home, so I felt a sense of homesickness.

As I rode on, the scenery began to change and I started to reach the city limits.

"I guess I really am off on a grand adventure now," I said to myself as I looked around at the vast surroundings.

As I approached the city gates, I finally let my feelings set in. I was excited, yet nervous about what lay ahead. Finally the fantasy adventure that I've been craving for ever since I died has finally started to be fulfilled.

I looked behind me and noticed the mansion getting further away as the scenery around me began to change.

I felt a sense of homesickness, but also excitement. I hadn't been far from the mansion in my past life, so this was a new experience for me.

As I passed through the city gates and entered the city proper, my excitement and nervousness grew even more.

I didn't know what to expect from this expedition, but I knew that I couldn't wait to begin. I finally felt alive after being dead for so long, and I was ready to discover what lied ahead.

With the start of the expedition comes a sense of anxiety and uncertainty. The unknown terrain and its dangers are a cause of stress for the adventurers.

However, it's not all doom and gloom. With the expedition underway, there's a sense of adventure and excitement among the group's members. The prospects of finding new and unknown treasures and magic is a welcome thought to keep them motivated for the days ahead.

After 2 fair days of traveling through the harsh environment,I eventually got to the First City of the southern country,City of Solaria.

Solaria is a thriving and bustling city located in the southern region of the country, known for its sunny and warm climate and vibrant culture. It is a center of trade and commerce, and a hub of activity and commerce, with people from all over the land coming to visit and do business. The city is known for its vibrant and bustling atmosphere, its vibrant art and culture scene, and its diverse and eclectic population.

That information came from Lia 2 days ago city ,according to Lia, there is 3 Main Cities ij the southern country,Solaria was one of the main Cities so I wandered around the City. Fortunately, I found a inn to temporarily stay and gather intel in the city that I could use in the dungeon.

I was relieved to find an inn to stay at, since I'd been having trouble finding places to sleep on the trail. As I entered the inn, I noticed the vibrant atmosphere of the city. It was bustling with citizens from all over the region, and there seemed to be a lot of excitement and activity in the air.

After I entered the inn and put my things aside,I decided to enter the nearby bar in hopes of finding useful intel.I decided to take a seat at the bar and listen in on some of the conversations happening around me.

I ordered a drink and sat down, trying to make myself look as discreet as possible. It was important to gather information about the dungeon here before actually going.

Btw I changed my Identity temporarily so I will be able to gather some intel at bars like this,if they found out that I'm actually 12, they're gonna kick me out.

I took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink, trying to keep my head down and listen in on the conversations happening around me.

I found it pretty easy to stay out of the way and blend in with the other patrons. I just needed to stay quiet and use my ears to get some insider intel about the dungeon while I was in the city.

With this strategy, I hoped I would be able to find some valuable information to use once I actually entered the dungeon. I just had to be patient and stay focused on listening as much as possible.

The lady bartender, who wasn't a typical barmaid at all, seemed to have noticed my disguise without much effort. Her playful manner made me feel as though it was more intriguing to her than anything else.

"Oh my, you're too obvious for your disguise, Mr. Grande," she said before giving me a charming wink and a playful smile.

"I apologize, you must've had the wrong person"

I replied trying to cover the fact that she didn't just guess,she had accurate information.Still how did she know my real identity?

" You're here for information regarding the dungeon, am I right?"

I was caught off guard when she asked that question.The bartender's playful manner made it hard to not feel somewhat embarrassed as she called out my disguise.

However, I wasn't sure how she had known who I actually was since I thought I had made myself look completely unfamiliar.

I tried to play it off like nothing was wrong and she had the wrong person, but it was clear she had seen through my disguise and knew exactly who I was.

"Uhhh, yes, I am here for information regarding the dungeon," I replied, feeling slightly taken aback by the bartender's question.

"Well, then you've come to the right place!" The bartender's tone was playful yet also a little bit snarky. She seemed somewhat amused by my attempt to disguise myself and act like she had the wrong person.

"As the local bartender, I know all the gossip and info about the city, especially anything about the dungeon since it's a hot topic right now with everyone being excited about its opening. Is there anything specific you'd like to know?"

As the bartender offered to tell me any information she had about the dungeon, I tried to act casual and keep my tone relaxed.

"Umm... Do you know anything about the layout of the dungeon or what kind of monsters there might be inside?" I asked, trying to act like an inexperienced adventurer who just wanted to hear any useful information the bartender had.

"Hmm, Let me think.." The bartender's face scrunched up in thought as she considered anything that might be useful to tell me about the dungeon.

"I've heard that the dungeon is very dangerous and has a lot of dangerous creatures inside. But in terms of the layout, it is said that the dungeon has multiple floors, so there will definitely be a lot to explore and discover inside.Also, it seems like the first few floors will have monsters and enemies that aren't so strong. But the deeper you go, the more powerful the enemies get. So it's crucial to be prepared to move quickly and make sure to pick a team with strong people if you want to venture further into the dungeon."

I took in the information that the bartender was telling me about the dungeon, keeping in mind that I really did need a pretty strong team if I wanted to tackle the dungeon's depth.

I wondered if the professor had set me up for this expedition with no teammates on purpose, and the more I considered it the more likely it seemed. Was it really possible that he wanted me to fail the dungeon trial?

I decided I needed to investigate this further, so I decided to ask the bartender one more question.

"Miss bartender,is it possible to clear the dungeon alone?"

I knew that she would say something like 'No,a party is needed to clear the whole dungeon because it is dangerous'.

"Actually,yes, Conquering the dungeon alone is possible but I can't assure you safety."

The bartender's answer surprised me. She had said that conquering the dungeon alone was possible, but that doesn't mean it would be safe.

Did she mean that it was possible for someone with really strong powers to clear the dungeon alone? Or could a lone individual who was just lucky manage to make it to the end?

I found it interesting that she had given me a realistic answer. I wondered if she was trying to hint at something.

I continued to think about the bartender's answer to my question, considering what she might have meant by it. The possibility of clearing the dungeon alone sounded intriguing, but that also sounded pretty dangerous.

The concept of trying to conquer the dungeon alone seemed pretty dangerous to me. Without having a party to support me, it would be easy to get ambushed by enemies and left without any support if I got into a bad situation.

However, there was definitely something intriguing about the possibility of facing the depth of the dungeon on my own. It would be a true test of my strength and abilities, and who knows? A lone individual might just prove themselves by clearing the dungeon even without their friends by their side.

I thanked the bartender and got my way out of the bar,before leaving the bartender added that I should visit the 3rd city as it was the closest to the dungeon.

The bartender's advice about visiting the third city since it was closest to the dungeon seemed like good information to have, especially when it came to time management.

I decided to heed the bartender's advice and leave the bar to visit the third city instead of wasting any time. I would also be able to gather more information there, which was crucial for me to do if I wanted to have any chance at clearing the dungeon.

As I began making my way to the third city, my thoughts kept going back to the bartender's information and what it all meant.

It was clear that conquering the dungeon alone was possible, but was it actually realistically achievable? It's one thing to be strong enough to do it, but having the courage and fortitude to face the unknown and navigate it alone would be a completely different challenge.

It reminded me of those rpg games where you need to clear the dungeon or domain alone, but this was different, this is real life.I knew that I could die if I don't go with no precautions.

The fact that this was real life and not some rpg game really made me consider the consequences of attempting to conquer the dungeon alone.

What if there was one or more traps that I couldn't figure out by myself? Or what if I simply ended up losing a fight against some powerful enemy? If I went in unprepared I could potentially die before even reaching the depths of the dungeon.

It was clear that I needed to do a lot more research and gather some reliable information before setting foot in the dungeon.

I was in deep thought when I suddenly noticed that I had made it to the third city. I knew that I would have to continue gathering as much information as possible if I wanted to succeed in this expedition.

With this in mind, I decided to explore the town a bit and see what I could find out. I also needed to keep an ear out for any rumors and gossip that might be useful to me. It felt like I was playing a spy game as I had to make sure to keep cover just in case anyone saw through my disguise.

I thought back to what Lia had told me earlier about the third city being guarded by an ancient god. I didn't feel very concerned about this, and I continued to explore the town.

I couldn't help but notice that the streets were filled with people going about their business. There was a busy atmosphere, and I felt a sense of excitement and adventure as I wandered through the crowds.

I noticed that there was a festival going on in the third city, so I decided to check it out.

I didn't exactly know what to expect from it, but I figured it would at least give me a chance to gather some more information. And who knows? Maybe there would be some food or snacks that I could enjoy as well.

I was just about to head over to the festival when a woman screamed, catching my attention. I saw that she had been robbed by a kid, but fortunately, a lady in a cloak managed to catch the thief.

It was an interesting sight, although unfortunately it was indeed an overused trope in rpg games. Regardless, I was glad that the woman was safe and that the thief had been caught without further drama.

I decided to check the woman's level and stats, and my eyes widened when I realized she was a 'Royalty' Class.

It was an interesting turn of events. I hadn't encountered such a high-ranked royal person during my adventure so far. But it's true that a lot of royalty in this world like to hide their identities, or perhaps they just want to live a more normal life free from the constraints of the royal life.

The woman disappeared in plain sight, even though she had disappeared,I could still sense her magic .The woman's mysterious disappearing act made me feel a bit uneasy. Was she trying to lure me into a trap or something?

I decided to follow her anyway, feeling compelled to know more about her.

The magic must have lured me to the forest near the dungeon as I ended up there after the woman had disappeared. This seemed like a good place to gather more information, so I decided to investigate.

As I entered the forest near the dungeon, I felt a sense of mystery and wonder wash over me.

There was a peaceful atmosphere here, and the lush greenery all around created an almost magical feel. I could see why the woman had brought me here, as it was definitely a calming and peaceful place that would attract anyone curious enough to venture inside.

I also noticed that there were some ancient ruins hidden deep in the forest. These ruins looked like they might hold important info or even treasure, so I knew I would have to investigate them later.

I continued to follow the woman's magic and eventually came across a small cabin near where her mana ended.

I found myself a bit suspicious of the cabin as it seemed out of place in the middle of this forest. Did the woman lead me here for a reason? Was there something important about the cabin that she wanted me to see?

I approached the cabin with some caution and found that the door was already slightly open.

The interior of the cabin felt a tiny bit off-putting as something didn't feel right about the place. For some reason I had a strange feeling that I should keep my guard up.

However, my curiosity got the best of me and I slowly stepped into the cabin. Maybe the woman had led me here for a reason after all.

As I stepped into the cabin, it felt like there was something odd about the place. I couldn't exactly put my finger on what it was but the cabin had a strange and unsettling feeling to it.

However, I could also sense that there was still magic inside, almost as if someone was nearby.

I looked around the cabin to see if I could figure out what was causing the strange sensation, but everything about the place felt off. As my curiosity got the better of me, I decided to keep looking around to see what could possibly be inside.

I was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the kid in front of me. She was wrapped in a loincloth and seemed to be in the middle of showering. I noticed that she looked quite irritated with me for entering her home without permission, which was quite understandable.

"Hey! Why are you entering someone's home without any permission at all? don't you have manners?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I was just following some magical energy and it led me here. I was curious to see what it was all about."

The kid looked at me with a scolding look, but her expression softened a bit at my explanation.

"Well, as long as you're not trying to steal anything, I won't get mad at you. But still, next time you should ask someone before entering their house. It's only proper manners."

"Also, what were you following?"

"Oh, I was just following this magic energy that led me here. It ended up in this cabin, but for some reason, the place feels kind of strange. Do you know what's up with that?"

"That must be my energy core that leaked earlier,I apologize for the inconvenience. Come inside, I'll dress in a swift and then let's talk"

"Oh, that explains a lot. So it was your power that I was following? No wonder it felt so strange," I responded, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Anyway, I appreciate you letting me come inside. It's no problem at all."

I looked around the cabin while the kid went to go get dressed. I didn't want to intrude on her privacy, so I decided to wait patiently.

As I waited patiently for the kid to get dressed, I noticed that the interior of the cabin was quite simple. Except for a few furniture pieces, there was very little in the room. The walls were bare, and the floor seemed oddly plain as well.

There was almost no decoration other than an old bookcase and a few jars of herbs. It all made the whole atmosphere feel quite austere and bare-bones.

I examined the cabin closely, and noticed that it was pretty simple. It consisted of one single room with a few chairs and a table in the center.

I also noticed that the magical energy coming from the core must've been the reason why the place had an unsettling feeling to it.

I tried to feel around and sense what kind of magic was contained within the core, but I couldn't quite figure out its nature. The magic seemed complex and arcane, making it difficult for me to get a good grasp on it.

I decided to leave the magic core alone as I didn't want to risk trying to touch it. The kid was still in the process of dressing, and I didn't want to interrupt her.

The magic core was definitely intriguing to me, but the kid still intrigued me more. She seemed like someone who might know a lot about the dungeon and the world in general. I was curious about what kind of conversation we would have once she was done getting dressed.

"By the way,are you by chance the lady that stopped the thief earlier?" I asked the kid

The kid looked at me and nodded her head.

"Yeah, that was me. I was just in the area at the time so I figured I'd help out." The kid replied, seeming quite proud about her actions.

The kid continued to stare at me intensely, her eyes making me feel a bit uneasy. She was definitely quite unique and interesting, and I was eager to know more about her.

I used my skill to check the kid's stats, and I was not surprised to find out that she had the same level stats as the lady that I had seen earlier.

The kid's stats had clearly belonged to a high-ranked individual. But there was one thing that kept bothering me about her. Her eyes seemed to never move from my face, as if she was constantly gauging my reactions to her words.

"So how come that your a so small compared to the lady earlier?,was that a transformation?"

The kid's eyes widened a bit at the question about her size. It seemed like she was reluctant to answer me at first, but then she finally responded.

"I am older than I look, if that's what you're asking," she responded.

I was shocked by the revelation. It was beyond what I had expected to hear from the kid, and it made me feel quite overwhelmed.

How could such a small and adorable looking kid be older than my grandparents or even my ancestors? What kind of magical properties did she possess to be able to live for that long?

I looked at her trying to gauge her age, thinking about all the possible scenarios and explanations that could be possible.

An elf or an immortal being.

Both options seemed plausible given the information that the kid had provided.

Elves are known to have superior magical skills and tend to live for a very long time. Similarly, immortals, are beings that have lived for thousands of years and possess powerful abilities and extraordinary intelligence.

The more I thought about it, it seemed like the kid's age could very well fit in with these two possibilities.

Regardless of the exact nature of the kid's existence, I was awed by her age and magical abilities.

I could sense the powerful magic radiating from her, and her age was certainly intriguing. She was like a wise and ancient being who had witnessed the entire history of this world.

I was also curious about why she had chosen to reveal her true age to me. Was it simply because I had asked her directly, or was it because she wanted me to know more about her?

"Hey, are you perhaps Elliot Grande?"

She caught me off guard with the question,I knew I had to change my disguise, It's too obvious.

I was already suspicious that the kid was not who she seemed, but this revelation just confirmed it.

"So you know who I really am, don't you?"

I felt a chill run up my spine as I heard the kid ask me my real identity. It was clear that she was more than just a kid. The way she had asked me made it seem like she had been expecting me, and had already known who I really was.

I decided to come clean and tell the kid the truth.

"Yes, I am Elliot Grande. You knew, didn't you?"

"Well, actually yes.But I'm more surprised,why would the highest noble's son go here alone? I mean I had heard rumors that you came for an expedition exam but I didn't expect that you be alone"

I was surprised by the kid's reaction.

She seemed quite shocked that I had come here alone, Even I didn't know that I was the son of the highest noble,it makes sense at all since I wasn't originally from this world and I just reincarnated and took over someone else body.

I didn't know what to make of this situation, but it definitely proved to me that the kid wasn't the innocent child that she had appeared to be. I decided to try to come up with an explanation that would satisfy her curiosity.

"Well..."

I paused for a bit, trying to think of a suitable explanation.

"I've come here on my own, because I wanted to learn more about the dungeon and the world around it. I figured I could gain a lot more information by exploring everything myself instead of relying on someone else's viewpoint."

I was hoping she would buy this excuse, but I figured she would know that it was a lie. I would have to come up with a more convincing reason for my presence here.

"Oops you just lied. You didn't come alone because you wanted to,am I right?"

She definitely knew everything right from the start,was she observing me? was she a stalker or she's just to ingrossed with rumors spreading around

I felt a pang of dread as I realized that the kid had seen right through my lie. She was definitely someone who was well informed and had probably gathered a lot of information about me.

I couldn't make any more excuses without revealing too much about myself.

"Alright, you caught me. I didn't come alone because I wanted to. There's more to it than that," I admitted.

"I came here alone because my professor didn't want me to have a partner because I was a 'strong individual, quite abrupt right?"

The kid took my words in without commenting, but her expression seemed to soften a bit now that I had admitted my true reason for coming.

"That professor of yours must be quite the stern individual if she doesn't even let you have a partner," she responded, with a bit of sympathy in her voice.

"Does your professor really think that you don't need any assistance at all?"

The kid continued to watch me with a sympathetic expression on her face. I felt like she was understanding and accepting of my situation. But I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about her knowledge of my circumstances. It felt like she had already known a lot about my situation, much more than what I would normally expect of a stranger.

I decided to continue the conversation by responding to her question.

"Yes, my professor is quite a strict individual who thinks that I'm way too strong and skilled to need any assistance. She doesn't seem to understand that I could still benefit from a partner."

"In that case,I might be able to help you with your exam if you want"

"Really?!"

A light sparkled from my eyes as she extends her hand to help me

I couldn't help but feel surprised and thrilled by the kid's offer. She was offering to help me with the exam, which could potentially make a big impact on my future.

"Really? You would really help me with my exam? That would be amazing! But, what's the catch?"

I felt slightly suspicious of the kid's willingness to offer me help. There had to be something more to it than just her generosity.

The kid paused for a moment, a slight smile playing on her lips as she considered how to reply to my question.

"The only catch is that I want you to return the favor and help me with something important. Will you do it?"

Her offer seemed reasonable, and I was glad that she was offering me something back in return. I wasn't sure what exactly it was that she needed help with, but I figured that was something I could find out later.

"First,let's head to the dungeon.Give me your things I'll pack them up in my bag" She said

I was a little bit hesitant to trust the kid with my belongings, but I couldn't think of a good reason not to.

Besides, the kid seemed like a trustworthy individual who had a good grasp of magic.

So, I decided to take her up on her offer and hand over my belongings to her.

She then took out a small empty box and put my belongings in the box.

"Uhm? How did you do that? Is your box a magical box?"

I watched as the kid seemingly effortlessly put my belongings inside a small empty box. The ease with which she did this made me wonder just how powerful she really was.

"Oh, this box is nothing like your ordinary storage box. I have a magical box that can hold an infinite number of items," the kid responded with a hint of pride in her voice, confirming my suspicion was correct.

"It allows me to store everything within it, which is pretty convenient."

"Oh, is that so? It certainly seems very convenient."

I couldn't help but feel slightly envious of the kid's magical box. The ability to store anything and everything seemed incredibly useful, and it made me wonder what other kinds of magical items she might possess.

"Speaking of which, I have a question for you."

I decided to ask the kid a question while we walked towards the dungeon.

"Since you can use magic so fluently, can you give me an insight into what kind of magic you primarily use?"

The kid paused for a moment, considering my question. She seemed like she had to think about it before answering.

"Honestly, my magical ability is quite broad, but my specialty is elemental magic and healing magic," she replied.

"I guess you can say I'm an expert in those subjects. And of course, I can also use other kinds of magical arts such as conjuration, transformation, and manipulation magic."

I was impressed by the kid's versatility. Elemental magic and healing magic were both incredibly powerful and useful abilities.

To be able to use various types of magic was a sign of a true master, and I had to admit that I was quite envious.

"You must be quite the powerful mage with all of those abilities in your arsenal," I complimented her.

The kid seemed slightly embarrassed by the compliment, but she still smiled at me.

"I'm not that strong, at least not when compared to some other mages I've heard of. But I can still get by with what I have." She said humbly.

"I guess you could say that I focus more on quality, rather than quantity, when it comes to my magic."

"Oh yeah I almost forgot to ask, what's your name?" I asked.

"You can call me Calia."

"Calia..."

I was immediately taken aback with the name the kid had provided. It sounded like a very beautiful and elegant word, and just the way she had spoken it made it sound even more magnificent.

"Calia, that's a very elegant name." I complimented her.

"R-really? it's nothing special"

I noticed that she blushed a bit, does no one compliment her?Or there's more to this, either way she was showing her soft side.

I smiled at her and didn't press the issue any further. Clearly, she had taken the compliment to heart, and I was glad that she was showing her soft side towards me.

We soon finished the short walk to the entrance of the dungeon, the entrance was big as hell and it had these ancient designs on it.

As we neared the entrance of the dungeon, I was amazed by the size and grandeur of the structure. The ancient designs engraved on the entrance were truly remarkable and I felt like I was stepping into a different world.

I decided to ask her more about the entrance itself, curious to understand its history and how it was built.

"Calia, do you know anything about this entrance? It's so different from the rest of the structures on this expedition zone. Its designs are truly interesting and it's amazing how well-preserved it is, considering its age."

"The designs on this entrance are actually ancient hieroglyphs carved by a long-forgotten civilization," the kid explained.

"In their mythology, this dungeon was created by the gods themselves to test their mortal subjects. They filled it with a myriad of mysterious and powerful secrets, and those who were able to traverse it were said to possess the wisdom of humanity's ancient gods.

"The hieroglyphics that you see are their final message to mankind, warning us not to disturb the balance of the world, otherwise it would lead to our doom."

I couldn't help but feel awe-inspiring when hearing Calia describe the history of this location.

It was fascinating to think about the ancient civilization that had created the hieroglyphs on this entrance. Their message of warning to humanity made me feel a chilling sensation.

"So the gods themselves built this dungeon?" I asked, still in disbelief.

"Yeah but they abandoned it and it eventually got buried in the ground"

I was somewhat confused by her statement. How could the gods themselves create the dungeon, but also abandon it?

Was the existence of this dungeon the reason why the gods of this world had vanished without a trace?

"Why did the gods abandon it? Is it because of the danger of disturbing the balance of the world?"

"I dunno" Calia replied plainly

I was a little taken aback at her straightforward response.

Was she really that ignorant of these things, or did she just not want to divulge too much information?

"So you don't actually know why the gods abandoned this dungeon then?"

"Well according to the ancient manuscripts in the city libraries, this dungeon has been more longer than the existance of humanity"

"So even I am an ancient one, don't know the origins of this dungeon"

This dungeon predating the very existence of human civilization itself was certainly a shock.

Even for someone as ancient as her, it must have been truly mind-boggling.

But what did she specifically mean by her last statement?

"Wait, do you mean that you're an ancient being as well? Just how old are you?!"

"About twenty thousand years old"

I immediately stopped in my tracks, my eyes widening with disbelief at her revelation.

Twenty thousand years old? Did she just say TWENTY THOUSAND YEARS OLD? That was...Impossible..

This kid was far older than I had originally thought, and possibly one of the most ancient beings I had ever encountered in my life.

"Well, I'm sure that you're surprised at my age but we need to enter the dungeon now"

I didn't even have time to recover from my shock before Calia had begun moving forward towards the dungeon entrance. I needed to snap out of it and not let my disbelief distract me.

At the moment, the more pressing matter was to follow Calia and explore the dungeon ahead.

I quickly put on my 'explorer hat' and ran to catch up with her, ready to go into the unknown depths of this mysterious dungeon.

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