“What are you talking about? That’s impossible.”

“Say that to my party member that got pierced by a damn arrow! That bridge was supposed to be safe, we followed the guild instructions and now both of them are dead!”

“We would need to confirm your claims, the dungeon is set for another shift in another five months, it’s impossible that something changed this early.”

“How will you do that, they both fell into that bottomless pit, are you going to have someone climb down here? Even if they did, what would that accomplish, the dungeon would have swallowed up their bodies already!”

“I understand, but please stop shouting…”

“How can I stop? You sold us faulty information!”

A large man was shouting at a smaller woman wearing large glasses. She was wearing a unique uniform that marked her as a member of the Adventurer Guild’s management staff. The woman took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure despite the heated confrontation.

Her adventurer guild uniform was a striking blend of functionality and style, designed for both practicality and recognition. The rich navy blue fabric, though understated, carried a strong visual identity. The outfit featured a floor-length skirt that gracefully reached the ankles, and a prominent guild badge adorned with a layered arrangement of sword, shield, and staff, indicating her affiliation with the guild.

“Is there a problem?”

A man asked, his voice calm but authoritative.

“Ah Sir…”

Amidst the commotion, a person materialized beside the woman, who served as one of the many receptionists in the expansive building. The counter they occupied was just one of many within the vast structure. For her safety, especially from the adventurer elements, her section of the counter was segregated and protected by thick metallic bars. The man who appeared stood on the adventurer's side, who showed no signs of backing off despite the circumstances.

“The problem is your guild selling faulty information.”

Other adventurers and onlookers began to turn their attention toward the unfolding scene. In a place where reliable information was crucial, claims of a disturbance attracted the curiosity of those seeking help. The man who had appeared seemed prepared to request the adventurer to quiet down, but before he could speak, another adventurer chimed in, adding to the growing interest and speculation among the onlookers.

“Hey, haven’t some of the new parties not returned yet? A priest from the church was here the other day, I think that he was asking for a cleric who didn’t return from an expedition.”

“Now that you say it… I think another group had also gone missing…”

Everyone started mumbling and the news that something strange was happening within the dungeon. The woman behind the counter exchanged a quick glance with the man who had appeared beside her. It was clear that they were not expecting such an uproar over what seemed like an isolated incident. The adventurer guild took pride in providing accurate and up-to-date information to its members, and any suggestion of misinformation was a serious matter.

“If this has any validity… then we need to investigate.”

The man looked to the receptionist who quickly turned to the man who had been shouting before.

“Sir, could you please calm down and provide us with more details? We take these matters seriously, and we will investigate the claims. This gentleman here will take your statement, so please follow him.”

The adventurer exchanged glances with the brawny man from the guild, who sported an eyepatch over one eye, reflecting a grizzled and experienced demeanor. They eventually moved to a more secluded spot where the younger man gathered himself and began to explain the situation. He recounted the events that unfolded in the dungeon, emphasizing the strange attack coming from a faraway location.

“An arrow? Was it a Skeleton Scout?”

“No, I saw it for a moment, it looked different… it was reflecting light and wearing armor.”

“Armor?”

The man with the eyepatch furrowed his brow, deep in thought. The details provided were intriguing and raised questions about the nature of the dungeon's inhabitants. He took notes on the adventurer's statement, making sure to document the discrepancies between the reported incident and the guild's information.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. In the meantime, please refrain from spreading panic among the other adventurers. We don’t want to cause unnecessary chaos.”

The brawny man spoke with authority, and the adventurer nodded in agreement. After managing to calm down a bit the man that reported the issue went away and the adventurer guild staff remained.

“What do you think, vice-guild leader? Was that person making it up?”

The receptionist lady asked the man after the issue was resolved. The adventurers inside the guild continued to whisper and chat, it was now something that they couldn’t ignore.

“It might be a lie but…”

“But?”

“We can’t ignore it now, the guild’s name is on the line, schedule a meeting for the scouting party and let them check those claims.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Don’t call me sir, I’m not that old, I’m only thirty eight!”

“Uh…sure…”

The man scratched his beard before walking away, leaving the lady receptionist to roll her eyes in annoyance. Once he was gone, she resumed her work, realizing that it was now her responsibility to get to the bottom of this situation. Assembling a scouting party became imperative; while adventurers going missing wasn't an uncommon occurrence, the fact that they vanished within a seemingly safe zone added an unusual element to the mystery.

*****

‘What was different that time around? I’m not getting the same feeling with these creatures now…’

Rusty pondered, reflecting on the successful adventurer slaying he had executed some time ago. Memories of his first kill resurfaced, the necessity to use his helmet to incapacitate one adventurer, and the subsequent struggle to deliver a finishing blow to an injured woman, which then led him to almost being discovered. Over time, he had slain multiple adventurers, and any initial remorse had faded. Instead, he found himself fixated on leveling up and growing stronger.

'Was it because they were injured by another person? Hm, that’s not quite it…'

Since his visit to the soul forge, Rusty had experienced a surge in strength and wisdom. He now knew that he had swallowed two entities, which somehow fused with his essence. The black orb claimed that the knowledge inside him belonged to these two orbs. Rusty could only deduce that his actions might be influenced by those memories or the entities themselves. However, as he grew stronger, their hold on him seemed to waver, and he considered the possibility that he was becoming more of his own person.

‘Not like these creatures would show me any mercy either and they kill the others with no remorse either, there is no reason to stop! But… it doesn’t feel great either…’

Rusty didn't outright reject the memories of the two orbs; he recognized that it was thanks to them that he advanced further in his quest for strength. Those memories guided him towards a more strategic approach in combat, emphasizing the importance of being sneaky and engaging the enemy once the playing field was leveled. As he grew stronger, Rusty began to feel that a direct approach was now possible, but only against weaker opponents at the upper levels.

‘There is no honor in hunting a much weaker foe or one that doesn’t give me any experience points!’

With time, the sentient piece of armor developed its own set of rules and a moral compass. While it deemed humans as worthy foes, it refrained from taking the direct route. However, a conflict arose within Rusty as he harbored the desire to face them head-on eventually, seeking a fair and equal battle to determine the superior fighter. One part of him urged for more subterfuge and treachery, emphasizing the element of surprise as his primary weapons. Another part, however, craved a more honorable approach.

Now that Rusty could restore his armor without relying on the voice, the prospect of a more honorable approach seemed plausible. The internal conflict continued to shape his evolving moral compass and approach to combat. Uncertain if his current mindset was the right way to think, Rusty grappled with the conflict within him. However, one thing remained paramount - his main goal of achieving strength. The notion of having power simply for the sake of an easy life didn't quite sit well with him.

‘Could the answer be somewhere in the middle?’

Rusty considered that perhaps the correct path forward lay in the middle and found balance while seeking guidance from both sides. Why choose between two extremes when the middle ground seemed like a viable alternative?

‘All this thinking is making my head hurt… that is if I had anything inside of it!’

A piece of armor started quivering around as it tried to imitate laughter but instead was shaking menacingly. The only other being that was here with him was an unmoving zombie that was drooling all over itself. Without any adventurers around these things just stood there without even moving or patrolling.

‘Cheer up.’

Rusty pushed his metallic fingers into the monster's mouth in an attempt to make it smile. However, he wasn't too delicate with it, causing the jaw to become dislodged. Instantly, he received a warning from the dungeon voice, interpreting it as an attack against another monster - something he hoped to be rid of eventually.

‘Okay, okay… I’ll put it back in place!’

Rusty attempted to grab the wobbly jaw and put it back into place, but his efforts only exacerbated the situation. The dungeon voice became so loud that he was forced to back away and leave the zombie alone. The monster was left with a strange perpetual open mouth, its jaw barely hanging on by a few skinfolds.
‘Now then… should I head up? Or remain here instead?’

After dealing with almost three adventurer parties he was feeling good about himself. Rusty contemplated his next move. The lack of adventurers at the designated spots left him in a dilemma. He could either continue his assault on unsuspecting parties or he could ascend to the level he was created in and try his luck there. The groups that roamed that floor were weaker but there weren’t as many opportunities there either.

‘I should go see the first floor, no one has gone through here in a while.’

Eventually, Rusty decided to return to the upper levels. He observed that, for some reason, he hadn't encountered any other parties venturing down since his previous victories. A fleeting doubt crossed his mind about whether using the bridges had been the right decision; he hadn't gained much experience there, and two humanoid creatures had managed to escape. Nonetheless, there was no harm in returning to the upper levels for a closer look. Rusty grabbed his new bow and poisonous leeches before making his way back up.

On the way up, as Rusty began ascending the stairs, he noticed that his poisonous ammunition burst into fleshy bits. It became evident that taking living creatures from the lower floor to a higher one was not possible. The reason for this limitation eluded him, but it meant he would be unable to employ his previous tactic of poisoning his enemies through the air, at least not in the same manner as before.

‘I guess this will have to do…’

Adapting to the new circumstances, Rusty opted to smear his blade and armor with the poison that liquified. While he aimed to face opponents more directly, he wasn't willing to forego the benefits of poison. His immunity to this status effect was a part of his strength, and he intended to use it to his advantage.

‘GO!’

‘Oh, it’s back?’

Back on the first floor, the voice urged Rusty to start patrolling once again. While it remained one of his fears, he recognized that he needed to move around in certain areas. However, he could now take breaks and be more cautious of the route than before. This approach allowed him to keep an eye out for potential targets, offering him the opportunity to engage in a proper display of strength. Even if Rusty faltered and started losing, he knew he had one secret technique that would likely allow him to survive. This assurance kept him from worrying too much about the potential challenges he might face.

Everything felt quite familiar to Rusty, considering he had spent most of his short life on this very floor. The atmosphere remained the same, with the sound of distant footsteps and muffled voices reaching his metallic ears. While it seemed like there were fewer people around, he didn't dwell on it and proceeded toward the source of the sounds. Arriving at the area where he was once defeated, he noticed that the same vitality leaf had reappeared.

Just like before a party of adventurers appeared, this one only consisted of three people. Their levels were lower than the people that he encountered at the lower levels and it seemed that there was also no one hiding up on the walls.

Rusty easily identified the levels of the group and made a decision. This presented a good opportunity to test out his leveled-up skills and stats. The chamber was spacious, and other monsters were present, potentially aiding him in keeping two of the three opponents busy. First, he examined the group's attire to locate the best target for the upcoming battle.

The two Fighters had the exact same level but wielded different types of equipment. One held a metallic club, identified as a mace, while the other held a sword. Knowing that his body was most susceptible to blunt attacks, Rusty decided that facing the man with the sword was a better idea. Despite his desire to prove his strength, caution remained a priority.

Soon the first stage of the plan commenced as he allowed the other monsters from the dungeon to notice the group of three. Even though his side had the numbers advantage, his brethren were quite easy to dispatch. The other armors could be kicked away and they would crumble into many pieces.

The monsters within the chamber started to converge on the adventurers. The Fighters swung their weapons at the approaching armors, easily dispatching them with powerful blows. The Thief darted between the attacks, finding openings to strike at the monsters from behind. Despite the adventurers' lower levels, their teamwork and coordination were impressive.

The events unfolded in a manner similar to the previous battle, and the group seemed to encounter no problems as they approached the vitality leaf pronounced by the light hitting the tree stump. It was now time for Rusty to make his appearance, knowing he would only get one surprise attack, and he needed to make it count.

“Argh!”

Armed with his poison sword and a body that didn't produce as much sound, Rusty finally jumped out from behind a destroyed pillar. His blade shone as he activated the Power Thrust skill, plunging his weapon into the mace wielder's thigh. The man was shocked and turned around while swinging his weapon, but Rusty quickly performed a backstep to avoid getting hit. Even though his primary target was the sword wielder, Rusty knew he needed to weaken the other two first. His blade, smeared with a potent poison, served as the perfect distraction, and now the battle was fully underway.

“What? Where did that thing come from?”

The second fighter shouted while quickly trying to aid his now injured friend. As expected, a kick was sent in Rusty's direction, but this time he was ready. He had identified a significant weakness in himself - his body was metal and more resistant than the fleshy skin of his enemies, but it was hollow inside, making him relatively light. In contrast, the human he was fighting likely weighed three times his own weight or perhaps even more.

Utilizing this knowledge, Rusty agilely dodged the kick, allowing the Fighter to overextend and lose balance. Taking advantage of the opening, Rusty retaliated with a series of quick slashes aimed at the fighter's exposed areas. While most of the attacks didn't hit, one managed to nick an area between the armor Rusty was using. His sword, now covered in blood, still retained some poison on it.

His plan seemed to have worked as the man with the sword started chasing after him. The thief, on the other hand, attempted to aid his friend but was surrounded by some of the other weaker monsters still present. More and more continued to rush in, and while previously they wouldn't have been a problem, now one of the men was injured, and the other needed to protect him from the increasing numbers of enemies.

"This is it!"

Rusty parried the sword strikes and continued to hold his own against the human. He could discern the attack patterns, and his body was now able to react. Despite suffering some slashes, he returned them in kind, finally savoring the proper battle he had hoped for all this time.