Chapter 55: Enchanted Weapon (part 3)

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Enchanted Weapon (part 3)

The guild employee’s question caused the surviving adventurers to exchange glances. For a moment, none of them answered.

They had already expected this question, but now that they were standing inside the Adventurers Guild with the blood of their dead companions still staining their armor, the events of the dungeon suddenly felt much more real.

The leader looked around the guild and noticed that several adventurers had already stopped what they were doing. Conversations had quieted, and curious gazes were fixed on their group.

Everyone had heard about the mysterious dungeon that had appeared near Hetin Town, and everyone had also heard the mayor’s warning forbidding adventurers from entering it.

Before the leader could answer, a familiar voice came from one of the nearby tables.

"Hey, where did you get that?"

The speaker was a young adventurer who had been drinking with his companions. He pointed toward the sacks on the counter, his eyes widening when he recognized the spider materials.

"Don’t tell me you guys actually visited the dungeon?"

Another adventurer immediately turned toward them.

"Wait, you really went there?"

"Didn’t the mayor prohibit us from visiting that dungeon?"

"He did," another person answered. "The mayor specifically said that nobody was allowed to enter until they determine the rank of the dungeon."

"Then why did they go?"

The questions quickly began piling up.

The leader sighed quietly. He had known that this would happen. The moment they stepped into the guild, there was no way they could hide where they had obtained the materials. Their wounds, damaged equipment, and the spider materials were already enough evidence.

One of the surviving warriors gave a tired laugh.

"Does it really matter now?"

"It matters if the mayor finds out."

"Let him find out."

The warrior shrugged.

"We already went in."

The conversation immediately attracted even more attention. Adventurers began leaving their tables and approaching the group, their curiosity getting the better of them.

"What was inside?"

"How many monsters were there?"

"Was the dungeon really dangerous?"

"Did you find any treasure?"

The leader raised a hand.

"Calm down."

The noise gradually decreased.

He looked around at the gathered adventurers and then glanced at his companions. The others understood what he was thinking.

There was no reason to hide the fact that they had found something valuable. If anything, showing the sword might help them obtain a better price.

A small smile appeared on the leader’s face.

"Who cares about the mayor right now?"

The adventurers stared at him.

The leader slowly reached behind his back.

"Do you guys want to know what we got?"

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere inside the guild changed.

Everyone became curious.

The leader reached for the wrapped object that had been secured against his back. He carefully removed the cloth covering it, making sure not to damage the weapon. Several adventurers leaned forward as the cloth fell away.

Then the enchanted sword appeared.

For a second, nobody spoke.

The sword wasn’t covered in jewels or decorated with an excessive amount of gold. It didn’t need such things. The faint glow running along the engraved runes was enough to immediately distinguish it from an ordinary weapon.

Even from several steps away, the magical energy contained within the blade could be felt by anyone with even a little knowledge of enchantments.

A sharp gasp came from the crowd.

"That’s..."

"An enchanted weapon?"

"No way."

"Where did you get that?"

The eyes of almost every adventurer in the guild immediately locked onto the sword. Greed, excitement, disbelief, and curiosity appeared on their faces all at once.

The leader couldn’t help but enjoy their reactions.

"This was inside a treasure chest."

"Inside the dungeon?"

"Yes."

The guild suddenly erupted into noise.

"You’re lying!"

"An enchanted sword was inside?"

"How strong is it?"

"Let me see!"

Several adventurers stepped forward, but the leader immediately moved the sword away from them.

"Don’t touch it."

His voice was firm enough to make them stop.

The mage who had accompanied the group stepped forward and examined the sword from a safe distance. She carefully studied the runes carved along the blade, her expression becoming more serious with every passing second.

"This is... enchanted."

Her eyes widened.

"The enchantment is stable, and the mana distribution throughout the blade is extremely clean. Whoever created this weapon knew exactly what they were doing."

She paused before looking at the sword again.

"This is high quality."

The surrounding adventurers became even more excited.

"How much is it worth?"

"Can you even put a price on something like that?"

"At least several gold coins, right?"

"Several? It could be worth much more than that!"

The mage slowly nodded.

"Depending on the enchantment and its effects, it could be worth enough to change someone’s life."

The leader’s hand tightened around the sword.

That single sentence was enough. They had lost five companions.

Five people who had believed they would return safely.

The leader still remembered the moment the spiders had descended upon them. He remembered the screams, the webs, the poison, and the desperate struggle to survive. He remembered watching one companion after another fall.

Yet now, standing inside the Adventurers Guild with the enchanted sword in his hand, he couldn’t deny that the dungeon had given them something extraordinary.

The surviving adventurers smiled as well.

For a brief moment, the pain of losing their companions was pushed into the back of their minds.

The surrounding adventurers noticed that reaction.

One adventurer stood up from his table.

"I’m going to check it out."

His companion immediately grabbed his arm.

"Are you crazy? You heard what happened!"

"I also heard what they found."

"Half their group died!"

"Then I’ll bring more people."

Another adventurer nearby overheard them.

"I’ll join."

"Me too."

"Count me in."

Within minutes, small groups had begun discussing the dungeon.

Some wanted treasure.

Some wanted to test themselves.

Others simply wanted to know what was inside.

The mayor’s order was still in place, but the more people talked, the weaker that warning seemed to become.

The surviving adventurers had unknowingly accomplished something far more important than bringing back monster materials.