The magic ice spear slammed into the bedrock around the hole I’d dived into, triggering a violent explosion. Cold air surged from behind, sent a sudden shiver through my body.
I let momentum carry me as I slid down the shaft I’d opened with [Excavation]. It wasn't a proper passage, but a natural hollow connecting various fissures in the rock. I slammed against the stone repeatedly, but [Iron Skin] absorbed the brunt of the impact.
Once my fall slowed enough, I thrust my hand against the jagged rock face.
"[Earth Vein Detection]."
The dungeon's geological map flickered into my mind once more. The natural hollow appeared to connect to a complex web of cracks leading to the lower floors. If I kept going this way, I’d be completely off the regular route Fiona’s group was using, allowing me to descend even deeper into the heart of the place.
"It’ll be a pain if they follow me. Better collapse it."
Carelessness was the quickest way to get killed. I couldn't sense anyone from the Shield of the Sky yet, but they were S-rank guild members. They might have their own ways to track my path.
I readied my pickaxe and used [Excavation] to demolish the base of the natural passage I’d just slid through.
Thoom! Dust and debris choked the air.
The way I’d come was now buried under a mountain of rubble—an impenetrable, untraceable barricade.
"If I open a hole below this, I should hit the regular route..."
Using [Earth Vein Detection], I located the bedrock connecting to the official path beneath the hollow and used [Excavation] for the umpteenth time. The stone gave way, and I dropped out into a wide, artificial corridor.
"Man, I really ended up deep. What do I do if I passed Count Bradley already?"
The thought slipped out as a sigh.
In my desperation to put distance between myself and Fiona's squad, I’d managed to drop roughly three floors in one go. I hesitated for a second, wondering if I should head up or down, but I reached an answer immediately.
"Time is money. I'll rely on the bugs."
I activated [Ear of a Hundred Insects], a skill I’d picked up toward the end of my days as an [Insect Master].
A moment later, various insects inhabiting the dungeon began to congregate around me. They started relaying information in whispers that weren't quite voices.
I sifted through the mountain of sensory data, searching for anything related to humans. The insects were vague, but after organizing the feedback and posing a few mental questions, a general picture emerged.
"...Count Bradley is on this floor."
Using [Earth Vein Detection] and [Ear of a Hundred Insects] in tandem, I pinpointed their exact location.
"What is this vibration? What is happening in the Cradle of the Dead?"
In a room on the Seventh Floor of the dungeon, three men stood within a safe zone marked by a lone treasure chest. One was a tall, sturdy man with graying hair. The other two were younger men who had the look of seasoned adventurers.
The faces of all three had turned pale at the tremors shaking the dungeon.
"It could be a new assassin," one of the youths said, his expression grim.
"We will protect you, Count Bradley, no matter what," the other youth declared, his resolve hardening. Despite his words, there was no trace of composure on his face.
"My life is of no consequence," Bradley replied. "What matters is delivering the information I have gathered to 'that person'."
The two youths furrowed their brows. "We are deeply sorry. Our strength was insufficient..."
"Do not blame yourselves. It was a miracle simply to have infiltrated that prison and extracted me. Eventually, the Royal Guard will give up. When that happens, one of you must return to the Royal Capital and deliver the information."
The two youths nodded solemnly. At that moment—
The doorknob rattled. It was locked, however, and the door held firm. The two youths readied their daggers, holding their breath.
The rattling stopped. Silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of the three men’s breathing.
Thoom!
A deafening roar shook the dungeon. A massive hole burst open in the wall, sending dust dancing through the air. As the haze cleared, a silhouette emerged. The two youths gripped their daggers, their bodies coiled like springs as they timed their strike—
"Sorry to barge in! Dark Guild here. Just delivering a letter."
A breezy, aloof voice echoed through the room. Stepping through the hole was a man with reddish-brown hair and tanned skin. He looked more like a fisherman than a guild assassin.
"Um... you're Count Bradley, right?"
"Ah... Yes. And you are?"
"Name's Walt."
Count Bradley signaled the two youths with a look. Though they remained wary, they sheathed their daggers.
Whoops. They’re incredibly on guard. As I thought, smashing through the wall was a bad way to introduce myself. But the door was locked, so what was I supposed to do?
Better finish the job so I can go home.
I swung my backpack around and, pretending to rummage through it, activated [Storage Space]. I pulled out the letter Sasha had given me and approached Count Bradley, who was leaning against the wall. His two young attendants watched me with deep scowls, their bodies tense.
"Here's your letter."
"Ah. Thank you."
Bradley’s hands trembled as he took the parchment. He stared at it for a long moment, as if trying to read the contents through the envelope. Finally, he broke the seal and began to read.
As his eyes moved across the lines, large tears began to spill down his cheeks.
"Ah... such gracious words. I don't deserve..."
Bradley broke down, clutching the letter to his chest. Watching him, it was hard to believe he was a high-profile criminal being hunted by the Royal Guard. After a long moment, he wiped his eyes and turned back to me.
"I must write a reply. Please, wait a moment."
He took a pen and paper from one of his attendants and began to write, his movements careful and deliberate. His eyes grew misty again as he worked. Once finished, he sealed the response firmly, his tears now dry.
"One more thing. I need you to deliver this to the client as well."
With that, Bradley shoved his right hand into his own mouth.
Wait, what!? What is he doing!? This was definitely not in the job description. I glanced at the two attendants, but their eyes were just as wide as mine.
"Oooogh... ghhk..."
Bradley looked like he was in genuine pain. It was starting to make me feel guilty just watching.
"Ooooooogh!"
With a wet, gagging sound, he pulled a palm-sized crystal from his throat. Count Bradley, you seriously had that in your mouth? How were you even talking?
"Hahaha! Forgive me for the shock. My back molar is actually enchanted with [Storage Space]. I keep all my most valuable items hidden there."
Bradley wiped the crystal clean with a cloth and offered me a smile. I could only manage a wry one in return.
"I entrust this crystal and the letter to you."
I hesitated for a fraction of a second, but work was work. I carefully took the items and tucked them away into my own [Storage Space].
Seeing that the task was done, Bradley stood up.
"With this, I can fight and die without regret."
The two youths nodded firmly. I, however, wasn't following.
"Why do you need to die?"
"The Royal Guard has blockaded the Cradle of the Dead," Bradley explained, his gaze drifting to the ceiling. "You clearly have a special talent for traversal, Walt, but we do not. We cannot stay here forever. If we are to starve, we would rather die fighting."
He looked terribly lonely in that moment.
I don't know why, but it rubbed me the wrong way. Sure, my contract was just to "deliver the letter and retrieve the package." But it didn't say I couldn't do anything extra.
Apparently, I wasn't fond of the look on a man's face when he’d given up.
"...If it’s me, I can get everyone out of this dungeon safely. Assuming I get an extra reward for the trouble, of course."
I tapped the head of the pickaxe resting on my shoulder against the stone floor. Clink.
Startled, Bradley looked at the tool. He seemed to finally realize that this pickaxe was the reason I’d been able to walk through a wall.
"Won't we just be a burden? The priority must be getting that crystal and letter to the client."
"If we took the regular route, yeah, the three of you would be a massive liability. But I’m taking a back route that nobody else knows about. It’s not the kind of place the Royal Guard can reach."
Light returned to Bradley’s eyes. The two youths looked equally stunned.
"...Is that truly possible?"
"Of course. The Dark Guild is a lot more flexible than the official ones."
"I suppose it is."
I knelt, pressing my hand to the floor to activate [Earth Vein Detection]. I carefully mapped out the most direct path to the surface.
"Alright, let's move."
Leaving the room through the hole I’d made, we began digging our way through the shortest escape route, tunneling toward freedom through the heart of the earth.