Chapter 15 Lucia Found… Trouble Included

Morning sunlight glinted off the shiny new car parked outside my house like it belonged in the wrong century—which, technically, it did. Sleek curves, leather seats that smelled faintly of magic oil, and an engine that purred even though nobody in this world had ever heard of a combustion engine.

I circled it like a suspicious cat. “So… the system actually delivered a car. From goblins. Out of all the bizarre loot drops, this one takes the cake.”

Lily ran her hand over the hood. “It’s… beautiful. What’s it called?”

“Called? Uh… Four Wheels of Doom?” I offered.

I tilted my head. “You’re terrible at naming things. Let’s just call it ‘Car.’ Simple and powerful.”

“Fine. Car it is,” Urara said, climbing into the driver’s seat.

The moment I turned the mysterious crystal key, a soft blue light bloomed on the dashboard. The engine hummed like a content dragon.

We rolled through the village streets, turning more heads than a royal parade. Children pointed. Old men squinted like they’d just seen the future. The baker nearly dropped an entire tray of pastries.

“Feels like cheating,” I muttered, steering around a cart of cabbages. “Everyone’s still using horses and we’re basically a moving miracle.”

Lily grinned. “I approve. Faster than walking, less smelly than horses.”

Urara was bouncing in the back seat, hair flying. “Can we race a horse later? Please?”

Before I could answer, the familiar chime of the system popped into view:

NEW QUEST: HELP SOMEONE IN LOST WEST DUNGEON.
TARGET: LUCIA.
REWARD: COOKING LEVEL 2.

I groaned. Cooking. Again. I still haven’t figured out what Level 1 is supposed to do—apart from making me a slightly better omelet.

Lily enjoying the ride. I came home and told them our new mission.

They both agreed to go with me. Well I have no choice, I am not a fighter except I have good guns.

The Royal Interruption

As we loaded supplies, the Queen appeared at the doorway in full regal splendor, arms crossed like a mother catching her kids sneaking cookies.

“You’re going to the Lost West Dungeon without me?” she demanded.

I braced for the inevitable royal guilt trip. “Look, it’s not personal. Just a quick rescue mission. Probably lots of mud and—”

“Excuses,” she cut in. “I’m coming.”

Before I could welcome her aboard, a messenger arrived breathless from the palace. “Your Majesty! His Highness demands your presence. Royal council business. Urgent.”

The Queen’s scowl could have melted iron. “My father cannot even manage royal paperwork without me for a single day?”

“Apparently not,” the messenger said, shrinking under her glare.

She turned to me with the air of someone surrendering to bureaucracy. “Two days. I’ll finish the council mess and then I’ll come find you at the dungeon. Don’t die before I arrive.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said with an exaggerated bow.

Her eyes narrowed. “That wasn’t a suggestion.”

A Long Road and a Silent Car

The journey took an entire day—rolling hills, dusty trails, and occasional sheep that looked personally offended by our noise. Despite the car’s magical hum, there was something almost peaceful about it.

Urara sang off-key songs she claimed were “traditional traveling music,” though I’m fairly certain she made up half the lyrics. Lily napped with her sword across her lap, the picture of deadly relaxation.

By nightfall, the distant shape of the Lost West Dungeon rose against the horizon like a broken tooth biting into the sky.

Trouble at the Gate

The next morning we parked Car a discreet distance away. No need to announce “suspicious outsiders in magical transport.”

As we approached the dungeon entrance, the air grew tense. Dozens of workers swarmed like bees around the gate, carrying supplies and shouting orders. Torches flickered even in daylight. Royal knights, unmistakable in their polished silver armor, stood guard with the sort of posture that said “try to pass and we’ll poke you full of holes.”

“Something definitely happened,” Urara whispered.

“Or someone,” Lily corrected, her eyes narrowing.

We kept our heads low, but recognition came faster than gossip in a village. A young soldier squinted, then pointed. “Is that… Lady Lily?”

Lily’s jaw tightened. “Here we go.”

Two knights hurried over, bowing slightly. “My lady, what brings you here? The Lost West Dungeon is currently under royal investigation.”

I stepped forward before Lily could accidentally reveal too much. “I’m her… boss.” I straightened my back and tried to look like a man who routinely gives orders. “We came to help a girl. Name’s Lucia. Heard she’s in trouble.”

The knights exchanged uneasy glances. “A rescue? In this dungeon? It’s not safe. Even we are under strict orders not to let civilians enter.”

I forced a smile. “Not civilians. Professionals. We’re—uh—freelance problem-solvers.”

Their faces didn’t soften. One of them, clearly the senior, shook his head firmly. “I understand your intention, sir, but the danger inside is beyond ordinary adventurers. A level 20 monster inside and we are trying to figure out how to kill it without damage the dungeon and people inside. Until the royal inspection is complete, entry is forbidden.”

I knew it. Bureaucracy and danger—the two natural predators of any good quest.

Plans, Half-Baked

We retreated a few paces to regroup behind a supply wagon. Urara leaned close. “So… plan B?”

“I’m thinking,” I muttered.

I can’t exactly announce that the mysterious system ordered me to save someone. They’d lock me in a padded cell. Explaining that a floating text box told me to rescue a girl might not impress the Royal Safety Committee, I admitted.

Urara tilted her head. “Maybe we wait for the Queen? With her royal excuse she can get us inside.”

“Two days,” Lily reminded. “What if Lucia doesn’t have two days?”

I rubbed my temples. The car, parked far enough away to avoid suspicion, gleamed in the afternoon sun. Somehow its quiet presence felt like both a promise and a tease—fast enough to outrun trouble, but useless against red tape.

If the system wants me to complete this quest, it better have a plan C hiding up its magical sleeve. Because right now, we’re stuck outside a dungeon full of danger… and I’m pretty sure our Level 2 cooking skill isn’t going to help us talk our way in.

The wind from the cavern entrance carried a faint, ominous howl—like the dungeon itself was laughing at us. And for the first time since getting my goblin-built car, I wondered whether the system’s idea of “helping someone” was really just another setup for chaos.

Getting past the royal guards without being turned into decorative pincushions was impossible. I stared at the towering gate again, then at the endless line of armored knights. Nope. Even my most charming smile wasn’t getting us inside.

“All right,” I said, rubbing my chin like a master strategist. “If the front door is closed… we find a back door.”

Urara tilted her head. “It’s a dungeon, not a bakery.”

“Even bakeries have back doors,” I shot back. “And dungeons are just… evil bakeries with worse ventilation.”

Lily raised one elegant eyebrow. “And where exactly is this mythical back door?”

I pointed toward the jagged cliffs that rose behind the dungeon like nature’s middle finger. “Up there.”

Lily followed my finger. The cliff stretched so high it seemed to scrape the clouds. “You plan to climb that?”

“Nope,” I said, patting the small glowing crystal on my belt. “I plan to cheat.”

A Teleport and a Half

The system had blessed me with a limited-use teleport skill after the white bear fiasco. Two charges left. This would cost me one, but the smug part of me loved the idea of skipping a day’s worth of sweaty rock climbing.

I activated the skill. Light flared—and suddenly the ground disappeared.

One instant I was with the others; the next I was standing on a narrow ledge at the very top of the cliff, the wind whipping my hair like it wanted me bald. Below, Lily and Urara were tiny dots staring up at me, their mouths moving in what I suspected were unprintable words.

I grinned and waved. “Shortcut!”

Lily cupped her hands and shouted something that sounded suspiciously like, “Show-off!” The wind stole the rest. I am nearly 1000 feet above and I still can see them? And they can still see me? How? Something magic in this air?

The Infinite Rope

Time to secure a path for my very un-teleporting companions. I reached into my pack and pulled out the rope Urara had given me weeks ago. She had simply called it “handy.” That was Urara’s way of saying, This thing probably breaks the laws of physics but I’m not going to explain.

The rope uncoiled without end. I tied one end to a sturdy boulder and tossed the rest down. It kept

Mysterious was an understatement. Infinite rope. Of course she owned something like that.

I climbed down carefully, the wind tugging at my cloak, until my boots touched solid earth again. Lily and Urara stared at the rope like it had personally insulted gravity.

“Why didn’t you mention this sooner?” Lily asked Urara.

Urara shrugged. “It’s more fun as a surprise.”

Third-Floor Entrance

The hidden path behind the cliff led to a narrow crevice, dark and uninviting—basically a perfect advertisement for “absolutely a dungeon entrance.” We slipped inside, our footsteps echoing.

The tunnel curved downward in a dizzying spiral until we stepped into a massive cavern lit by sickly green crystals. According to the map Lily carried, we’d entered the dungeon’s third floor directly.

“Nice shortcut,” I whispered. “We skipped two levels of possible death.”

Lily unsheathed her sword. “Don’t celebrate yet. The monsters didn’t get the memo.”

Teamwork, the Messy Kind

The first wave arrived before I could finish my sentence: twisted bat-wolves with too many eyes and not enough table manners.

“Eyes!” I yelled, aiming my gun. Experience had taught me the universal weak spot of everything that wanted to eat me.

My shots cracked like thunder, each bullet a little prayer to the gods of accuracy. The creatures shrieked as green ichor sprayed. Blinded, they staggered right into Lily’s flashing blade.

Urara darted in, fists a blur, each punch landing with the sound of a blacksmith’s hammer.

It was chaos—but controlled chaos.

Potions clinked at Lily’s belt. She tossed me one with the grace of a bartender in a saloon brawl. “Drink. Energy boost.”

The liquid burned down my throat like spicy lightning. Suddenly my limbs felt light, my vision sharp.

I had to admit it: Lily was incredible. Beauty wrapped in muscle and brains. Every swing of her sword was precise, every step measured. If there were a “Best Warrior of the Year” award, she’d win it and still have time to critique the trophy’s design.

Urara, of course, fought like a cheerful hurricane, laughing as she punched monsters into next week. If happiness were a weapon, she’d be unstoppable.

Searching in Circles

We cleared the third floor, then backtracked to the second and first—nothing. No mysterious girl, no sign of Lucia, just piles of monster remains and the lingering scent of our burnt potions.

Lily wiped her sword clean, frowning. “if the info is right then the girl—”

“she must be near,” I said automatically, then realized I sounded like someone defending a particularly unreliable GPS. “Maybe Lucia’s deeper in.”

Urara twirled the infinite rope like a lasso. “Fourth floor next?”

I nodded. “Fourth floor next.”

The Cry

The stairway down groaned under our weight. The air grew colder, the crystals dimmer, and somewhere below a faint sound began to echo—soft at first, like the whimper of a lost kitten.

Then came the sharp edge of panic. A human scream.

We froze.

“That’s a girl,” Lily said, voice low.

Urara’s eyes widened. “Lucia?”

My stomach tightened. This had to be her. The system’s target.

Another cry, this one trembling with fear, rolled through the cavern. It came from deep within the fourth floor.

I gripped my gun, adrenaline buzzing like an electric current. “Let’s move. Fast.”

The three of us broke into a run, our footsteps echoing through the shadowed tunnels. For once we didn’t trade jokes or argue about whose turn it was to carry the rope.

Somewhere ahead, a girl named Lucia needed help—and the dungeon was more than happy to swallow her whole if we were too late.

The scream wasn’t loud enough to shake the walls, but it sliced through the damp dungeon air like a badly tuned violin. We froze mid-step, the three of us glancing at one another. Even the flicker of our torches seemed to hesitate.

“That’s… a girl’s voice, right?” Lily whispered, her sword half-raised.

Urara squinted into the dark tunnel ahead. “Unless goblins have suddenly learned falsetto, yeah.”

We followed the sound through a narrow stone corridor slick with condensation. My boots squelched in something I refused to identify. The screaming turned into a harsh, desperate shout—then a grunt of pain.

I quickened my pace. “Come on!”

The passage opened into a small cavern, and there she was.

A girl about our age was pinned against the jagged wall, her left arm wedged deep into a crack of rock. She wielded a short sword with her free hand—if you could call that blood-streaked mess of fingers a “hand.” Every slash she threw at the snarling lizard-beasts around her looked like agony, but her eyes blazed with stubborn fire. Three monsters lay twitching on the ground already. She wasn’t going down quietly.

“That has to be her,” I murmured, almost in disbelief. “Lucia…”

The name slipped out before I could stop it.

Lily shot me a curious glance. “You know her?”

Think, Erik. Think fast. The system’s mission popped into my mind like an annoying pop-up ad, but Lily and Urara still had no clue it existed. I couldn’t exactly say, ‘Yeah, my magical interdimensional taskmaster told me to rescue this girl.’ That would invite too many awkward questions… and probably a few concerned head pats.

“I, uh—someone came to my place,” I blurted, words tripping over themselves. “Said her daughter was lost in the dungeon and begged me to look for her. Name’s Lucia. Must be her.”

Urara raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Someone came to your house? And you just… decided to stroll into a death dungeon for them?”

“Yeah! And why I never saw her in house? I was all the time! – Lily added

“Exactly!” I said with forced cheer. “It happened when I went to market and then she requested so I could not reject.”

They both glared at me suspiciously.

Lily snorted but didn’t press. Thank every deity for that.

Meanwhile, Lucia wasn’t waiting for polite introductions. With a fierce cry, she jammed her blade into the last lizard’s throat. It collapsed in a hiss of greenish steam. Only then did she finally notice us.

Her eyes widened, suspicious and weary. Sweat and dirt streaked her face; a single braid of chestnut hair clung to her cheek. “Who—who are you?”

“Rescue party,” I said, stepping closer. “Your mother sent us.”

At the word mother, something flickered across her face—confusion, maybe even a flash of hurt. “My… mother?” she repeated softly, as if testing a word she hadn’t used in years.

Uh-oh. My lie had hit a nerve. Before she could start asking questions I couldn’t answer, I hurried on. “Anyway! Let’s get you out of here before the next round of monsters shows up. That arm looks stuck.”

Lucia blinked, shaken from her thoughts. “I—I came for herbs. Father’s illness. I couldn’t find them. And then the rocks shifted…”

Her voice cracked, the fight finally draining out of her. She tried to pull her arm free, winced, and bit her lip until it turned white.

“Hold still,” Lily said, all business now. She knelt to examine the gap where Lucia’s arm disappeared. “It’s wedged tight. Urara, give me that pry bar from your bag of mysteries.”

Urara—whose bag truly did contain everything from infinite rope to, for all I knew, a spare kitchen sink—fished out a steel bar with a grin. “Never leave home without it.”

“Of course you don’t,” I muttered.

Working together, Lily and Urara wedged the bar into the crack and leaned their weight against it. The stone groaned. I gripped Lucia’s uninjured shoulder, steadying her as she hissed in pain.

With a final crunch, the rock gave way. Lucia stumbled free, clutching her swollen arm.

“Thank you,” she whispered, eyes glistening. “I thought… I thought I’d die here.”

“Not on our watch,” Lily said with a small smile.

Urara flexed her muscles. “Yeah, no lizard buffet today.”

I grinned but kept my mouth shut. Better not ruin the heroic vibe by explaining that I was only here because a mysterious system dangled a cooking level-up like a carrot. Honestly, I still had no clue what that even meant. Maybe I’d finally learn how not to burn toast? Great reward for nearly getting eaten alive.

Lucia looked between us, her brow furrowing. “How did my—how did anyone know I was here? I didn’t tell anyone.”

Time to redirect before my house-of-lies collapsed. “Important thing is, we found you,” I said quickly. “Now, about those herbs you came for—where exactly did you see them?”

Her confusion lingered, but she let the question slide. Maybe exhaustion won over curiosity. “Deeper,” she said after a pause, pointing toward a dark tunnel that smelled faintly of damp moss. “purple leaves. They grow near 3rd floor underground springs. But I saw so many different purple plants so I got confused which one I need.”

“Then that’s where we’re heading,” Lily declared, wiping monster blood from her sword. “But first, Urara, give her one of those energy potions.”

Urara handed over a small vial of glowing amber liquid. “Careful—it tastes like socks soaked in honey, but it works.”

Lucia sipped and grimaced. “You weren’t joking.”

The color returned to her face almost immediately, though, and I felt a surprising swell of relief. Mission or not, leaving her to rot in this stone death trap had never been an option.

As we gathered our gear, I caught myself studying her. Despite the grime and the bloody knuckles, there was a quiet determination in the way she squared her shoulders. She had marched into this nightmare alone for her father’s sake. That took a different kind of courage—one no system could award points for.

Lily caught me looking and smirked. “Don’t get ideas, boss.”

“What? I was just… uh… making sure she’s okay.”

“Sure you were,” Urara teased.

I rolled my eyes. “Let’s just find those herbs before something bigger than a lizard decides we’re dinner.”

We started toward the spring, our torchlight casting long, dancing shadows on the rough stone walls. Behind me, Lucia walked silently, her injured arm cradled against her chest. I could feel the weight of her unasked question—How did my mother know?—like a pebble rattling in my shoe.

And I knew, sooner or later, I’d have to come up with a better answer than the flimsy lie I’d just thrown together.

The dungeon had grown quieter now that we weren’t sprinting from lizard-things or wrestling stuck girls out of walls. For once, it was almost peaceful—like a creepy underground picnic, minus the sandwiches and sunlight.

We fanned out across the fourth floor, scanning the mossy walls and damp crevices. That’s when it happened—words blinked into my vision, glowing gold like they owned the place.

SIDE MISSION COMPLETE
Lucia Found
MAIN MISSION UPDATED
Help her find the herbs
Reward: Golden Eye (15 minutes) – Activated

“Ohhh, finally!” I almost shouted out loud. My companions gave me weird looks, but I ignored them. The familiar heat burned across my pupils, and suddenly the world sharpened into vivid, electric clarity. My Golden Eye—my favorite cheat code—was back. I could see every crack in the stones, every droplet of water clinging to moss, even the faint shimmer of magical energy radiating from plants.

I almost cried. “Ahh, I missed you, baby.”

“Excuse me?” Urara frowned.

“Not you. My eye.”

“…Even weirder,” she muttered.

Lucia tilted her head, still looking pale but more curious now. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said too quickly. “So, uh, these herbs. Why you need it?”

Lucia chewed her lip. “I need to cure my father’s disease, So I came here…” Her eyes darted toward the cavern, filled with glowing fungi, violet moss, and bushes with lilac blooms. “I can’t tell which one.”

Of course. Of course the mission would involve hunting purple in a forest where everything was purple.

“Okay, fine. What’s it called?”

“Pika Plant.”

I blinked. “…Pikachu?”

Lucia gave me a baffled look. “What?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” I sighed.

Thankfully, Lily knew her botany. “Pika Plant has exactly eleven leaves per branch. Deep purple, not pale. The stalk bends slightly left if you touch it. That’s the difference.”

Trust her to pull out encyclopedic plant knowledge in the middle of a monster-infested dungeon.

“Great,” I said, clapping my hands. “You two—stay behind me. Urara, Lily, I will focus on Pikachu plants so you both must protect Lucia ok?.”

“Pika Plant,” Lily corrected, but I was already moving.

My Golden Eye blazed as I descended to the third floor again. And wow… the place was basically a purple explosion. Whole groves of violet trees stretched out, their leaves glistening with dew. Dozens of shrubs with lilac flowers lined the walls. Some fungus even glowed purple just to be extra annoying. Without the Eye, I would’ve been doomed.

Scanning, scanning… there. Amid the fake purples, a subtle aura glimmered around one plant tucked between rocks. Eleven leaves per branch. Left-bending stalk. Jackpot.

I crouched down, carefully plucking a few sprigs and tucking them into my pouch. Mission practically done. I even hummed a victory tune under my breath.

Then I heard it.

A scream. High-pitched, sharp, and unmistakably Lily’s.

My stomach dropped.

I sprinted back up the slope, boots pounding against slick stone. The tunnel narrowed, funnelling the sound closer and closer until I burst into the chamber where I’d left them.

And froze.

A monster the size of a two-story house loomed over my party. Easily twenty feet tall, its body was plated with thick, jagged scales the color of rusted iron. Its maw opened to reveal teeth the length of my arm, each one dripping acidic saliva that sizzled on the cavern floor. Two eyes burned with an eerie crimson glow, fixed on Lily and Urara like they were appetizers. So this is the reason so many royal knights came today.

Urara stood in front, fists raised, body taut with the kind of reckless bravery only she could pull off. Lily had her sword ready, her expression grim but steady. Lucia cowered behind them, clutching her injured arm.

And me? I nearly tripped over my own feet.

“Holy… how is that even legal?!” I yelled, fumbling for my gun.

The monster bellowed, a roar that rattled the stalactites. The ground itself trembled.

“Don’t just stand there!” Lily snapped. “Help!”

“Yeah, yeah!” I raised my gun, heart hammering. The thing was massive. One bullet wouldn’t even tickle it. Ten bullets? Maybe a paper cut. And my system had neglected to mention a giant dungeon boss while handing out my “find herbs” mission.

Figures.

Still, my Golden Eye locked onto weak points. The joints between its scales, the thinner membrane around its eyes, the pulsing vein along its neck. Okay. Not impossible. Terrifying, yes, but not impossible.

I steadied my aim, muttering, “All right, big guy. Let’s see how you like headshots.”

The gun fired with a deafening crack. The bullet whizzed true, embedding itself right under the monster’s left eye. It roared in rage, staggering but not falling.

Urara took the chance, leaping forward with a flying punch that landed against its knee joint. The crack echoed. The monster stumbled, but swung its claw, nearly flattening her.

Lily dashed in with her blade, slashing across the exposed vein in its neck. Black blood sprayed, hissing like acid as it ate through the stone floor. She barely dodged.

The monster reeled back, but it was still standing. Still angry. And I was still out of breath, out of bullets, and very much out of patience. But my golden eye found its one of major weakness finally. Hehe.