Jin exhaled sharply, releasing the breath he held. He loosened the grip on his Katana hilt. He stood straight and sheathed the black back, following a loud 'thud' coming from the monster's body that split into two.
#####
Sub Quest complete
Reward: Treasure Chest
#####
'Treasure chest'. Jin's eyes flickered at the sudden appearance of blinding light that shone across the field.
The light soon dimmed, leaving only a stillness in the air. A silver box adorned with gold lining stood before him. His lips curled with expectation of seeing the inside.
In front of him, his vision distorted, and the murky miasma that leaked from the dungeon subsided, giving him a clear image of the dungeon entrance, which was surrounded by a hollowed structure just like a cave maw.
Jin shifted his gaze and bent his knee before the box. He licked his lips, eyes glittering, hoping to see something glorious inside. His trembling hands reached toward the box. Jin could hear his heart pounding like a war drum as he pushed open the box with a creak.
A blinding light pierces his retina, prompting him to close his eyes. Slowly, his eyes flutter open, and he glances toward the box's inside to see. "...Hmm, a necklace and…?".
There are three items: a necklace, its blue gems glittering like the sea, strapped into a thin silver chain; silver-greyish ore as big as a human's head; and, last but not least, a golden chalice.
The fire in his eyes dimmed upon witnessing only three items, with no addition of gold or jewels for selling purposes. Jin shrugged his shoulders and stored the three items in his Item box, and he saw the silver treasure box puffed out into smoke, disappearing.
Jin scanned his surrounding area and stood up to store the carcasses of the monster he had killed in his Item box.
A row of list materials and items was shown in his panel, but Jin waved his hand to let it disappear. 'I will deal with it later; for now, I must do something about the Dungeon first,' he said.
'Next is'. Jin looked back and witnessed Silvia with her eyes wide open, looking at him approaching close.
"Silvia, are you okay?".
Silvia's body twitches. Her gaze alternates between the bloodied place and Jin several times, and she speaks, "What is that? The box from earlier?"
"Ah, that…". Jin scratches his cheeks, "...It was a reward from the dungeon".
Silvia froze, her lips moving in small murmurs. "A reward…".
"Yeah, I heard from my acquaintance that when you defeat a relatively strong monster inside a dungeon, you will receive a treasure box as a reward."
"Strong monster, …Reward…". Silvia's voice went quieter at the end; her mind still couldn't follow the topics.
Even though she was smart and put much effort into her academic knowledge, she seemed to be still green when it came to the common sense that the outside world had to offer. This added one more colour to her personality.
She was blessed with unrivalled talent, strong swordsmanship, a strong background, and maybe a pretty good head on her shoulders. However, all of that was overshadowed by her sheltered mentality and lack of common sense.
"Let's return to the town!". Jin raised his hand.
Silvia blinked, staring at Jin's hand, but soon, her face exploded in pink. "I-It's fine. I can walk by myself, don't worry."
"Are you sure? I noticed that you almost leaked…".
"Waaaah, I'm not!". Silvia's face fumed like a boiled octopus, her hands swung sideways, "Perish that thought; you are speaking in front of a lady. A gentleman must not say such shameful words…".
Jin's lips parted to the side, seeing the girl's eyes regain their spirit.
"Let's go, Silvia".
He walked away from the place as Silvia chased him from the back. She glanced at his side profile, then looked down.
'...Thank you, Jin'. Silvia murmured in her heart. Strength returned to her heart as she curled the sleeves of Jin's jacket, following him like a toddler.
After that, Jin and Silvia returned to the village, where the people were on edge. They held a hoe, harpoon, scythe, and various farming tools. They lined up before the barn, their faces hardened as if ready to face death.
"Ah, young adventure, you're back".
"Village chief, I have something to tell you".
He began to explain everything that had happened so far and his hypothesis about their current situation. When the villagers heard that their faces had turned white as a sheet, some of them even rolled their eyes to the back, blackened out.
"What should we do?" The village chief's voice was hoarse. He cupped his palms together in a tight grip, but Jin could notice its faint trembling.
"Don't worry, I will discuss this matter with the Duke and Adventure Guild".
"Ooh, thank you, young adventure".
A glimmer of hope returned to the villagers' eyes. They exchanged looks with the people beside them and sighed heavily.
"Then, village chief, I will return to the town right now, and don't worry about the monster; they won't attack the cattle for now."
Hearing Jin's words, the villagers' faces tightened in dread. The term 'for now' resonated deeply within everyone's hearts.
"O-Okay, please help us!".
Jin nodded and held Silvia in his arms. "We must hurry; I'm sorry for doing this twice."
"Fufu, It's okay. I also understand the serious matter".
Silvia wrapped her hands around the boy's neck as she felt weightless and got carried like a princess in tales. Her heart started to pound, smelling a faint scent coming from the boy. She pulled the hood further, trying to hide her heating cheeks.
"Hold on tight".
With that word as a cue, Silvia's vision blurred. She saw the scenery around her stretched before stabilizing. Her feet dangled in joy, humming, feeling the comfortable caress of the wind that blew her cover.
A soft crimson hue stretched within the horizon, "It's beautiful". Silvia's lips loosened, her finger pulled back the hood to cover her identity.
Jin kept his hastened pace, jumping through the air with a nonchalant attitude while leaving out the girl who got absorbed by the beautiful scenery around. Not long after, he saw a white fortress encasing a big town where the Duke's territory took place.
Time was of the essence, so Jin landed before the gate, which, luckily, was empty with a line. No carriages and people are lining up, only a guard who tensed with a raised spear pointed at him.
"Halt, who are you?". One of the senior guards stepped forward, tightly gripping his sword on his waist.
Jin put Silvia down on the ground and showed his guild car, "I'm Jin, an Adventurer; I have something urgent to report to the Guild".
"What is it, boy? " A familiar guard who checked Jin's card last time stepped forward. Unlike the other, his face was neutral, and he faced Jin with composure.
"I took a quest to investigate the loss of cattle in a village, but I found a Newborn Dungeon sprouting nearby, and I thought, 'This matter must be hurriedly reported to the Guild and Duke".
A heavy silence fills the air, and the guards stand still like statues. Their eyes widen, and the guard who talked to Jin forces his stiffened lips and asks, "Are you certain of this, boy?".
His eyes were shrunken, telling Jin he didn't want to receive any false report. On the other hand, Jin nodded solemnly, his eyes sharp with clear intent, "Yeah, I dare to bet this matter with my life".
Hearing the resolve from the boy, the man roared his order. "One of you! Hurry, and use a horse toward the palace and report this case to the Duke!".
"Yes, sir!".
"Boy, you and your comrade go toward the Adventure guild and tell the Guild Master".
"That is what I planned to do".
The man nodded his head before pointing back using his thumbs, "Go, there is no need for inspection. I will take responsibility for everything."
"Thank you. Let's go." Jin turned to the side to see Silvia, who was already covering her face with the hood. She nodded, and they both dashed forward, leaving the dumbfounded people behind.
They strode past the marketplace like a slippery eel and arrived at the front door of the guild. Jin pushed the wooden door, letting out a 'bam', which made the receptionist jump from her seat.
"Eh? Eh? What happened?".
Jin stood before the receptionist, who was rubbing her head, "Is the Guild Master present?".
"Why the rush? Also, how about the investigation quest you took last time?".
"I came here to report that, more importantly, Is the Guild Master present?".
"Yes, he is on the second floor, inside his office. What is the matter?".
Exchanging glances with Silvia, Jin leaned forward and said, "We discovered a Newborn Dungeon near the village we took the quest in."
"Oh, Dungeon. No wonder you two became so,". The woman paused in her speech before she slammed the desk and shouted, "What!? A Dungeon!".
She jumped off the receptionist's desk, ran toward the stairs in the far corner, and disappeared into a second floor. Jin and Silvia stared in amazement at how agile the receptionist's movement was.
A while later, the woman came, followed by a man in his fifties. His short brown hair, coupled with the scars that ran across his left eye, showed his wild and experienced nature. He was wearing a Guild uniform with folded sleeves to his elbow.
The man drew Jin's attention the closer he was; he was tall, about 190 cm. He has a medium build, but Jin could feel it, a tremendous force slumbering inside the man's eyes, waiting to be awakened with a single push.
"Guild Master, they are the ones who discovered it".
The man's eyes shrunken as he scanned Jin and Silvia. He closed his distance with Jin's exerting his presence while leaking a bit of his killing intent.
"Boy, are you truly seeing one?".
"Yeah".
His eyebrows twitched, witnessing the depth of calm the boy had shown despite facing his pressure, 'This kid, he is abnormal'.
"A little help, Silvia". He witnessed the boy murmur something toward the girl beside him, which made his jaw slack upon seeing the lady who removed its hood.
"The boy is telling the truth".
"I welcome you to our Adventure Guild, Lady Silvia!".