Free Web NovelChapter 31: Dungeon Gates
Joan hesitated for a moment as she watched Julius before speaking. "You’ve never heard of dungeon gates?"
"I never paid much attention." Julius lied. From the corners of his eyes he could see Yumiko looking at him. He didn’t return her gaze.
Joan looked at him for a moment. "You’re a strange one. Dungeon gates are..."
"Dungeon gates are portals that spawn monsters..." A new voice Julius had never heard completed Joan’s statement.
They turned around to see the young adventurer from before that Joan was speaking with. His pointed ears gave away his race but he was shorter than Daren and Kieran.
The elf adjusted his glasses as he finished his sentence. "...At least that’s what these guys think."
A grey tunic and dark pants covered his small frame. His green eyes were made sharper by the glasses he had on and his blond hair was kept in a bob style.
Julius noted he looked more like a student than an adventurer which the staff he held and half-open bag of books did nothing to contradict.
He stood still for a moment as if waiting for applause but all that greeted him were their blank looks.
Joan walked over to him and put an arm over him, leaning close to speak to him which made the elf blush
He tried to move away but Joan’s arm was steady and pulled him in to ruffle his hair. They kept at this for a moment.
She freed the elf from her grasp, turning back to address Julius. "Oh you guys haven’t met. Julius, this is Xavier Altamerius, our mage."
The elf did a small bow which made his glasses almost fall off. "Pleased to meet you."
"Xavier, this is Julius, the guy who saved my life during the bear thing," Joan said.
The elf stretched his hand to Julius who took it. "So you’re the guy Joan is always talking about. You have my thanks...our thanks."
One of Julius’s brows raised up. He wondered just what she had been saying about him.
"You’re welcome." he replied as he took the elf’s delicate hands.
Both of them returned their hands then the elf spoke again. "You were asking about Dungeon gates. You don’t know anything about them?"
"No I don’t." Julius answered,
"Hmm...well as the name implies, Dungeon gates lead to dungeons. They are locations within the gates. Each dungeon has a boss and an anchor." The elf answered with a gleam in his eyes.
Julius had enough game knowledge to know what a boss was but he didn’t know what an anchor was but he recalled the system gave him an item with the same name.
"What is an anchor?"
The question made the elf eyes lit up more. It would seem he was excited he had someone he could teach something to.
"An anchor is a fixed tether. It binds the dungeon’s interior space to this world. As long as the anchor holds, the gate stays open and the dungeon persists." The elf had a smug look as he adjusted his glasses again. Kieran shook his head at the gesture.
Julius let the information sink in. He wondered if the anchor was the same item the system had given him.
Are they the same?
[No.]
Then what is it?
[Reach Crafter tier to obtain this information]
He willed the screen away.
Xavier watched Julius as he spaced out. The elf was about to say something but stopped himself as Daren walked up to them.
Apparently he had been in a discussion with other adventurers. Whatever he heard had changed his mood.
"There’s a rumor that this is a black gate." Daren spoke as he approached Julius. The rest of his party members including Yumiko and Lumi shifted close.
There were varying reactions from his party members as he said the words. Whatever this black gate was, it was serious. He had to know what it was.
Lumi came to his rescue and asked. "Uhm.. What’s a black gate?"
The young elf, Xavier from before spoke. "A black gate is a dungeon which contains a nemesis boss." a smirk on his lips as he answered.
"Nemesis boss?" Lumi asked, ignoring the reaction.
"A nemesis boss is a boss from a previous dungeon that wasn’t defeated. The dungeon gate was closed by destroying the anchor but not the boss." Daren answered taking a moment to reflect on something before speaking again.
"But nemesis bosses are tough. They have memories of their previous battles which makes them difficult to fight. Some of them become stronger or employ a different tactic or skill from the last time adventurers encounter them."
"So they learn from their mistakes." Julius said.
"Yes. In essence, the more a boss survives. The more difficult they are to kill. And when nemesis bosses appear, they sometimes do so with a mini boss which makes the whole thing much difficult."
Joan raised a finger. "But there is an upside. Most nemesis bosses have a large amount of loot. Which makes a lot of adventures interested. Sometimes loot from previous adventurers may remain in the dungeon."
The last statement earned her a side eye from Daren and Kieran.
Julius let this information sink in. He was under the impression that the Adventurer’s guild was for monster slaying like the fire bear. He wasn’t prepared for dungeon mechanics and economics.
He needed money but he didn’t want to be in a dangerous situation. The nemesis boss reminded him of a concept he had heard before.
If it was enough to make Daren uneasy, he had to be careful.
"So what happens now," Julius asked Daren.
"They are torn between farming and closing the gate quickly." Daren answered. A sigh escaped from him.
"Farming?" Lumi asked.
"Stalling for time so resources and loot can be acquired." Daren answered.
Just as the half-elf finished speaking. An orc climbed one of the tables in the hall.
He wore a helmet over his face, with Armour around various parts. There was an object in his hand, shaped like a cone.
The hall went quiet as he climbed the table. Chairs adjusted. Conversations dropped. Whatever his reputation was, it was enough to make a room of adventurers pay attention. freёwebnovel.com
As he spoke, a magic circle appeared on the item which amplified his voice, carrying it through the hall.
"Greetings Everyone. My name is Branthir and we’ll be having a vote. "
