The Frugal Mage

The group left the dungeon in silence. No one dared to joke around for now as they could still imagine the Alpha Beast staring at them, waiting for a chance to kill them…

Although it was unlikely, they couldn't forget their encounter with the Alpha Beast.

The torchlight of the last corridor eventually gave way to the glowing lights from the lamps outside the dungeon.

Although it was already dark outside, the Adventurer's Outpost was guarded day and night.

'We're close to the exit...' Everyone thought, but they didn't celebrate as no one wanted to jinx it.

One step after another, they emerged into the cool, fresh air outside.

"We're out!" Emma finally said.

The sudden change in atmosphere made everyone unconsciously breathe deeper, as though the world itself was giving them permission to live again.

Victor was the first to laugh. Not loudly, but enough to shake off some of the tension. "Hah… we're alive. I thought for sure I was going to piss myself too."

Emma and Hale flushed, but this time, no one teased. Even Victor's words were more of a release than mockery.

Anyway, they just quickly found a place to change their clothes.

Drosk glanced back at the dungeon entrance, his expression unusually grim as he knew that what they encountered was not normal at all. "No more jokes. Let's report what we saw. The Guild needs to know what's inside that place before anyone else throws their lives away."

Rayven nodded as he adjusted the pouch of coins at his waist. The 30 gold coins he earned must also be divided later on.

"Agreed."

The Adventurer's Guild outpost was not a large building, but even if it was already later, it was still filled with activity.

Several patrols were stationed nearby, along with runners ready to deliver urgent news to the main Guild branches in the cities.

When Rayven's group entered, the clerk behind the counter, a sharp-eyed man in his thirties with neatly combed hair, immediately noticed their weary state.

"You're back…" he said while putting aside his quill. "You have something to report?"

Drosk stepped forward.

At this time, he already heard the other adventurers around talking about the wail they heard within the dungeon.

It seemed that it had already been reported by many.

"Yes… We also heard the wail everyone else has been talking about. We also saw what probably caused it… No, we're not sure if that was related to the wait. We saw a bipedal, goat-faced beast at the Mana Pond. It drained the entire pond dry, absorbing the mana directly into its body. Humanoid built with red eyes. It didn't attack us… but it noticed us. That beast is definitely strong, it's pressuring us with its mana alone."

The clerk froze as soon as he heard that. "It noticed you… and ignored you?"

"Yes." Rayven answered this time. "It looked at us. Assessed us. Almost as if it decided we weren't worth the trouble."

The clerk leaned back in his chair, as it was quite an unusual report.

"That's… disturbing. Humanoid form, high intelligence, control over mana… It matches the descriptions we've only seen in old reports." He lowered his voice and sighed... "An Alpha Beast."

Even saying the words made nearby adventurers perk their ears.

The clerk sighed heavily. "We're not sure if that bipedal goat you found is the source of that wail… But there's a Gold Rank team who found the mysterious chamber that's like a Dungeon Boss Room… They didn't dare to enter, so they didn't see what you saw, but the timing matches."

Emma frowned. "A Gold Rank? You mean Sofia's group?"

"Sofia? Ahh…" The clerk shook his head as he recalled Sofia the Mage...

"Not them. This is a different team… the Azure Blades. You've probably heard of them. They're based in Merrick City, and they've been moving around various cities for the past few years and stayed in Hesa for six months…"

"Ahh… I remember them." Drosk said.

"They're famous for their leader, Arial... A swordsman with that lightning sword or something…. They've got a reputation for being reliable and… well, cocky."

Victor wryly smiled as he recalled this team. "Them, huh? I've heard stories about them. If they came sniffing around, then the Guild will escalate this fast…"

The clerk nodded. "Exactly. If an Alpha Beast really made its home in that dungeon, the Guild will close it until a high-ranking team or possibly even the army investigates. It's not something Silver or even Gold Rank adventurers should touch."

Drosk's group exchanged glances. The relief on their faces was clear. None of them had any desire to set foot in that place again.

"Now then," the clerk said… "Let's see what you brought back."

The Clerk knew that the things they were carrying were quite heavy. They had definitely looted a lot of things inside the dungeon, and selling them here would be their best option.

Soon, they emptied their packs one by one..

First, they showed the beast Cores from the Skitterfangs and a few Razorwing Stalkers… Then, the ones they looted, like the venom sacs and razor claws, were wrapped carefully.

Aside from that, the ones that Rayven detected, like the broken daggers, rusted pendants, and others, were also displayed.

It was at this time that Hale and Emma had finally arrived as they finished changing their clothes.

They then took out the golem cores and chunks of the golem's mineral ore. Most of them were gemstones, while a few others had gold on them.

Finally, they also gave up the old coins filled with mana… This time, the clerk's eyes lit up. This was the first time he had seen others bring this up.

"Whoa~ Did you find a treasure trove inside? If you accurately noted the location where you found these old coins on the map, we'll reward you more."

The clerk said as he showed the map to Drosk, eager to know the spot where they found the coins…

This reaction made them pause for a bit. After all, it seemed that the clerk was only interested in those coins.

Then, they recalled that they didn't ask Rayven to appraise it for them.

'Is it special?!' Drosk and everyone else thought at the same time.