Chapter 64 – At The City Gates

“Finally, they opened this dungeon back again, I thought that I would starve.”

“This will teach you not to gamble your money away and don’t forget that you still owe me two silvers!”

“Yeah yeah…”

A few adventurers passed through while ignoring a lone figure standing in the corner. An out-of-place-looking adventurer was standing before the stairs leading out of the dungeon. His gaze shifted between it and the people there as they passed and wandered in and out through the entrance.

“They are all looking at me, but no one is reacting…”

Rusty had wandered into the area where no monsters were capable of going in. Coupled with his custom iron armor that made him resemble an adventurer from head to toe, he had successfully blended in with the crowd. His improved speech capabilities, thanks to the Universal Language skill, made it easier for him to listen and understand the conversations around him. However, he still wasn’t perfect and it was better to keep every conversation short.

“Do you think it’s safe?”

“Well, if they haven’t reacted yet then probably but we’ll only know for sure once you have a proper conversation with someone. You shouldn’t worry too much, there are all sorts of adventurers out there, and the silent types aren’t that rare.”

“The silent type…”

Within his body, Alexander resided and gave him advice. He was the guide who knew the most about adventurers and how they behaved in various situations. Rusty nodded subtly, mentally preparing himself for the next step. He took a deep breath and began to walk towards the dungeon’s exit, each step feeling like a monumental task.

He had been born within this dungeon so the idea of leaving was quite stressful. There weren’t that many people moving around and the stairs were quite wide. For a moment he stood quietly before the first step, slowly shifting his body forward. It felt like an eternity but finally, his metallic boot landed on the first step and he started to ascend. His head was leaning down as to Alexander’s proposal. For some reason keeping eye contact was frowned upon by some individuals.

As Rusty ascended the stairs, the dim light of the dungeon gradually gave way to the brighter, natural light filtering in from above. The transition was almost surreal, the once-familiar shadows of the dungeon replaced by the open expanse of the world outside. The sounds of nature – the rustling of leaves, distant bird calls, and the murmur of a nearby stream. All were a stark contrast to the echoing clinks and groans of the dungeon corridors.

“So this is the outside?”
“It is, what do you think?”

Alexander asked as Rusty stepped fully into the light, his senses adjusting to the brightness. He marveled at the vivid colors and expansive sky, so different from the dim, claustrophobic confines of the dungeon. He wasn’t exactly sure how to express what he was seeing in words but eventually replied to Alexander’s question.

“It’s fascinating… I saw this in the memories but it’s much more…”

Before he could finish the sentence he noticed someone approaching him from the front. It was a lone man with a large axe. His height was rather short but his width made up for it.

“What ye staring at?”

“Rusty, it would be best if you moved to the side and let this dwarf through.”

Rusty quickly sidestepped to allow the dwarf to pass. The dwarf grumbled something under his breath but continued on his way without further incident. Most people were heading down as it was early morning. Soon he attempted to blend in with the small crowd and headed out to encounter his first real challenge, the guard checkpoint.

“There they are, remember to act natural and they should just let you through.”

At the moment he couldn’t fully see the entire expanse of the outside world. There was a path leading up from the dungeon’s entrance to a small outpost where adventurers checked in and out. It was there to keep unregistered people from getting themselves killed but also to control the flow of people. The outpost was a simple wooden structure with a few guards standing around, their attention mostly lax and divided.

“Just act natural…blend in and go…”

Luckily he arrived at a time when there was a group of three adventurers ahead of him, all chattering animatedly about their latest exploits. Rusty took his place behind them, keeping his head down, and tried to mimic their casual demeanor. The guards barely glanced at him, their focus more on the banter of the familiar adventurers in front.

“You know the drill, show us your cards and rank.”

One of the guards asked the first adventurer who nonchalantly retrieved his adventurer card. This was the key item that allowed these people to move between this checkpoint and be considered adventurers. Rusty had retrieved one such card that belonged to the person whose lifeless body inhabited his metallic shell.

The guard nodded, making a note in a ledger before waving him through. The process repeated for the next two adventurers, each presenting their identification before being waved through without much scrutiny. Rusty’s turn came, and he felt his heart – or what would have been his heart if he had one – pound in anticipation. He handed over the adventurer card he had taken from the deceased adventurer and stood there waiting.
The guard took the card, barely glancing at Rusty before making a note in his ledger. However, one of his friends took some interest in him and seemed interested in something. His gaze moved from top to bottom and for a moment, Rusty wondered if his identity was revealed. There were three guards here, one looking through the cards and two holding spears on the sides.

For a moment, he wondered if he should make a run for it. The path forward was almost clear, but he had no idea what to expect once he left this checkpoint. His only choice would be to run into the dense forest and hope that no one would try to chase him too far.

“Oi, this armor of yours looks pretty sturdy, are you trying to become a knight or something? Isn’t it hard to breathe in that thing?”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

To his surprise, the man only wanted to ask about his armor. His current form had been modified to look like an adventurer but it was still an unusual armor choice. To many he looked similar to a carrier knight, his armor looked heavy and dense. Rusty took a moment to compose himself and waited for Alexander to give him some advice.

“Just say that you are used to it and nod.”

“Y-yeah it’s hard to breathe but I’m used to it…”

He was finally forced to use his speech out in the open. His voice sounded rough and raspy but it worked in his favor as fear struck the man he was talking to. The soldier just nodded in response and the adventurer card was given back to him.

“Alright then, take care out there.”

The guard replied, dismissing Rusty with a wave. Soon he walked through the threshold and was now officially out of the dungeon. Before him was a long pathway surrounded from both sides by a dense forest. The foliage was thick, and the trees stood tall, their canopies forming an arched tunnel that led further into this new world.

Rusty moved forward without looking back, only once he was out of sight of the dungeon guards did he stop. He leaned against one of the trees as he moved away from the main road, the walking adventurers just making him more nervous. He could feel the breeze on his armor, hear the rustling of leaves, and see the sunlight filtering through the trees. It was a sensory overload, but he relished it. He had been confined to the dark, damp corridors of the dungeon for too long, and now, finally, he was free.

“So this is the outside world?”