Rebirth of a Dungeon Master

"Who's ready to descend into the labyrinth tomorrow now that the guild has cleared it?" A tall, bearded man named Eric shouted amidst the boisterous atmosphere of the bustling tavern.

 

A chorus of enthusiastic voices responded:

 

"Whoo!"

 

"I am!"

 

"Let's make some money!"

 

Amidst the excitement, Keith, an experienced adventurer with a hint of curiosity, couldn't help but ask, "What happened anyway?"

 

"I heard Demon Lord Milim stormed into the dungeon and was in there for two weeks," an adventurer nearby explained.

"That's actually really scary. We were near that walking natural disaster," Keith remarked.

 

"I wonder if the knight is still there?" Keith asked.

 

"Wait, you made it past the thousands of stone soldiers?" another adventurer questioned.

 

"Yeah, I'm an S ranker, and I specialize in stealth. It's just the knight always stops me, and I end up fleeing. I wonder what's beyond the door," Keith explained.

 

"Maybe it's a bunch of metal. I mean if you kill an iron golem, it's enough money for a week," an adventurer suggested.

 

"Yeah, but if that's the case, you're more like a miner than an actual adventurer," Keith observed.

 

Another adventurer chimed in with excitement, "How about we embark on a grand exploration to confront this knight?"

 

"Yeah," an adventurer exclaimed, "this labyrinth has stood for 50 years, and we haven't even passed the first level."

 

Keith stepped forward, volunteering his expertise. "I can lead you to the door." His motivation was partly driven by the prospect of benefiting from the aftermath of Milim's destruction.

 

With determination, they declared, "Let's do it then!"

 

"Aye!" echoed through the tavern as multiple people, now animated and half-drunk, left the establishment and made their way to the labyrinth's entrance.

 

As they stepped through the entrance, they encountered a surreal sight: thousands of stone soldiers lay scattered on the ground in a meticulous military formation.

 

"Was this an army?" an adventurer asked, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead.

 

"Yeah, usually, you have to sneak past them. They're rare to see. You only find them digging and expanding the labyrinth, probably banding together to confront Milim," an A ranker explained as they cautiously walked by the three-meter-tall iron golems, which surprisingly didn't react to their presence.

 

Another adventurer couldn't help but wonder, "How are we able to just walk by these iron golems?"

 

Keith, confident and experienced, shared his insight. "I've discovered that if you don't attack them, they usually won't attack you unless they're already injured."

 

The group continued on their path, following Keith's mental map. "The steel golem knight should be up ahead," Keith said, and they turned a corner, only to find a completely destroyed knight. Though somewhat battered, the shape of its helmet remained recognizable amidst the jumbled steel remains.

 

"Milim did all of this?" an adventurer marveled.

 

Keith, undaunted, approached the mysterious door. "So, let's see what's through the door," he said as he began to pry it open.

 

"Milim did all of this?" an adventurer marveled.

 

"So, let's see what's through the door," Keith said as he began to pry it open.

 

Taking a cautious peek, Keith saw a massive metal dragon, resting on the ground, with a set of stairs leading upward behind it.

 

"There's another level. Over there is a set of stairs," Keith said, his shock palpable. Suddenly, the dragon stirred, its eye sockets glowing electric blue as it scanned the room, immediately locking onto the open door.

 

In a moment of panic, Keith closed the door.

 

"I can't wait to tell the guild master about this. We need to go now," Keith said, excitement and urgency in his voice, as he started running, with several adventurers following him, while a few brave souls remained behind to explore further.

 

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"Finally, after 50 years, we've made some progress in the labyrinth," a younger guild master says to himself leaning back.

 

"That's good to hear. Maybe your grandfather would like to hear about it as well?" the elf receptionist asks.

 

"He was the one who commissioned the disaster that turned into a great opportunity for this country. I mean, we lost 100 C ranks and up, but the golem mine has more than made up for it with resources, maybe I’ll send him a letter" the current guild master replies.

 

"There was also a dragon, apparently," the receptionist added.

 

The papers the guild master was holding fell to the ground.

 

"Are you positive?" the guild master asked.

 

"Keith is the one who reported it," the receptionist confirmed.

 

"Send a bird to the king. He can decide what to do with it, I am not going to repeat the mistakes of my Grandfather." the guild master admits.