NOVEL NEXT Chapter 167: Great Dungeon
Great Dungeons are like upgraded forms of the normal Dungeons, like ten times upgraded. They do not appear often, but once they do, they immediately drag the surroundings into a frenzy, and that is because of the resources that can be found and the danger.
If not cleared, the Great Dungeon breaks. The monsters that would pour out would be enough to wipe out more than a quarter of a Region, and if care is not taken, it could destroy more than half.
But more than the dangers the monsters pose, the resources that could be found pose even greater danger, and that is because of Soulbearers.
Great Dungeons are troves of heaven-shaking and destiny-warping opportunities. Some Soulbearers might be met with such good luck that it would change their lives forever, and that is why such Dungeons draw the gaze of everyone.
Everyone would want the chance to enter and try out their luck.
The threats that the Soulbearers pose might be just as dangerous to any Region as the Dungeons themselves.
And the most important thing in a Great Dungeon, apart from the boss of the Dungeon, is the core. The core can be used to make a War Artifact.
So in just a day after the news of the Great Dungeon appeared, Soulbearers in the Empire had already begun to move toward the Western Region.
A lot of things happened during the following few days.
First, the Western Region sent a decree that no one was allowed to cross into its borders without permission, and then appointed Vacuse Vorrakyn, the Dragon heir, as the sole representative on the matters concerning the Great Dungeon.
Furthermore, in a very unsubtle way, the Western Region reminded everyone that they had the bigger share of Burnis City. At the same time, they suggested to the Eastern Region that they should send their young master to handle the situation.
As they said, "Why do we not give this Great Dungeon to the younger generations?"
And then, in the same breath, the Dragon Lord invited the Gold Accord, which was already in their territory, to oversee things.
With just a decree, the Western Region had taken the initiative to discourage a lot of Soulbearers from running wild by inviting the Gold Accord, and then drew things into the law by suggesting it be left to the younger generations.
And to the surprise of all, the Eastern Region agreed.
In fact, they wrote to the capital to support the Dragon Lord's words in overseeing things.
And the Emperor graciously replied by dispatching the Iron Knight, who is one of the three Commanders of the Gold Accord.
This turn of events shocked a lot of Soulbearers, as well as what came next. The Iron Knight made a proclamation that was backed by the two Regions: that only the people appointed by the representatives of the two Regions were allowed to come to Burnis City, and any Soulbearers allowed near the city must be in the third stage and below.
They must be Awakened Harmonic or below.
It was with that same breath that Vacuse announced his tournament, exclusively for people in the Awakened Harmonic and below.
Their reward would be participating in the Great Dungeon exploration and working for the Dragon heir.
"The Dragon Lord is going all out in this one," Kagerou muttered as he stared at the single carriage in front of the castle.
The carriage was made of wood, carved into the shape of a dragon, painted bright red with black patterns. It was about three hundred feet long, and standing there, it exuded the feeling of power and majesty.
And around the carriage, arranged in neat rows, were Soulbearers in red robes with rising suns, their faces expressionless, all of them in the Awakened Harmonic stage.
Three hundred of them.
All members of the New Dawn.
Temporarily.
The Dragon Lord had pulled strings to gather this much for the Burnis City operation. Drenvar was not going to leave things to luck, not when there were so many resources to be seen.
When Drenvar and Vacuse talked about the situation, the Dragon Lord revealed his doubts and suspicions about the Great Dungeon and warned him to be careful, because it seemed to have "come just in time." But he was not going to miss the opportunity to enrich the Dragon.
At the end, a Dragon is a Dragon and will not miss a treasure.
So he did his best to pull a force that was capable of totally crushing a small city.
"It feels strange to be going for this type of mission without Captain Mera," Kagerou added.
Vacuse nodded.
Captain Mera was in the Deepbonded Resonant, the fourth stage, and there was no way she would be allowed to participate. In her stead, Captain Amros would be the leader, while Harkon was the vice.
Vacuse's eyes gleamed. "This time, you two, you must gain enough to be able to last ten seconds when facing me."
Of the original New Dawn, only Harkon and Kagerou were going. They scowled at him for what he said, and Vacuse smiled. "Listen. Let us get more members in this mission. We have two goals. The first is to make it out with resources worthy of a Grand Duke, and the second, to get promising members of the younger generations.
"Anything that stands in our way will be trampled on."
The thing the Vorrakyn were after the most, more than anything else, was of course the Great Dungeon core to make a War Artifact. Everything else was secondary.
Kagerou and Harkon nodded, their faces showing their determination.
Then they followed behind their master as he finally came down and out of the castle.
Immediately, the New Dawn forces turned to him. All three hundred and one.
Captain Amros clasped his hands and bowed. "Dragon heir, these are your men. All hail the Dragon heir!"
Everyone within the vicinity who could hear him turned and bowed to Vacuse. "All hail the Dragon heir!"
"All hail!"
"All hail the Dragon heir!"
The mission to explore the Great Dungeon and take the core to build a War Artifact had started.