Every dungeon was a little bit different. At least, that was the conclusion I came up with upon entering my third dungeon. Mina’s dungeon had the distinct feel of a tomb. It had a dark, grave-like quality. There were dirt walls, deep cathedrals, and no shortage of undead walking along the narrow corridors. Karr’s Dungeon was an echo of the mansion, full of wide hallways and carpeted landscapes filled with ghosts.
Terra’s Dungeon reminded me of an old, medieval castle. I supposed when it came to an actual dungeon, Terra’s dungeon fit the bill the best with grey brick walls and thick oak doors. However, the place had an arid feel to it. Rather than feeling intimidating and full of life, it felt dead and dry. Entering a dungeon usually felt like entering a living thing, yet this particular dungeon felt like it was the decayed mummy of what once was a dungeon.
Supposedly, some hero from ages long past found that defeating the dungeon was too much trouble. Instead, they used magic to strangle the dungeon. If one had no respect for the lore, then this seemed like an ideal way to deal with dungeons. It was low risk, and while it took a long time for the results to finish, you didn’t need to enter the dungeon at all. Things like dying without a resurrection safety line didn’t happen.
“I believe we should go this way, Dungeon Diver!” Carmine said, already walking off into the darkness.
I made sure all of the girls had successfully entered the dungeon with me, and then I began to follow Carmine. She seemed to be incredibly bold as she walked. She said that other than the guardian, the dungeon was effectively dead. That meant there shouldn’t be monsters or traps to impede her way. However, I was still here to help escort her, right? She should show a little bit of hesitation as she walks down. I made sure to pull up my map with detect traps and sense life.
When I detected nothing, I sighed and continued after her. I was surprised when five minutes later, we had reached the stairway down. This level really was incredibly small. I was glad there was no monster because, at this size, we definitely would have run into it. Carmine started heading for the stairway, but I grabbed her arm and pointed to a door nearby.
“What is it?” She asked.
“That room should contain a dungeon kiosk. If we need to teleport in a hero, we should register.”
“This really isn’t necessary!” She said, frowning. “The Bandit King is coming, we don’t have time to fool around. The faster we head down, the better.”
“I understand we’re in a hurry, but I insist.”
She looked at for me for a few moments, and I felt a strange edge to it like she was hiding how she truly was feeling. A moment later she shrugged.
“Very well, do as you wish.”
I let out a breath of relief. I didn’t know what I would do if she decided she was going to give me trouble with this. I decided to move quickly, The room that contained the kiosk looked like some kind of dirt shrine. It was really odd. I quickly had the girls register. I noticed Carmine was waiting outside with her arms crossed. That made me feel a little frustrated, but I decided not to push it with her.
As I was leaving the room, however, my eyes fell on the mural.