Chapter 187: Chapter 187: First Time Entering Dungeon 2
After putting on her silver earrings, Faye Yardley sent a message to Eleanor Jonas: "Miss Jonas, do you have any weapons or Magic Artifacts made of silver?"
The ever-busy Eleanor Jonas must have had Faye on priority notifications, because she replied instantly: "One moment, I’ll check my warehouse. I remember a teammate once found a small silver sword, only about the size of my palm."
Not long after, she received a Red Envelope from her.
In addition to the small, palm-sized silver sword, there was also a cross made of silver.
Faye Yardley quickly thanked her and sent her two sheets of Exorcism Talisman Paper in return. As for vegetables and other goods, Willow Yardley handled those daily trades with Miss Jonas, so Faye didn’t have to worry about it.
Now, all she had to do was wait for the results of Zephyr Sterling’s experiment with the Talisman Paper. If it was usable, she would have another useful, life-saving item in her arsenal.
[Confirm use of Dungeon 2 Invitation Card?]
"Yes."
When Faye Yardley, dressed head-to-toe in black, reappeared, she was in a desolate, overgrown area where all the plants had withered.
Not far away, three vultures were feasting on the rotting carcass of a large animal.
A few crows cawed hoarsely as they flew overhead.
Faye Yardley didn’t go over to disturb the feeding vultures, simply picking a random direction and heading forward.
The occasional CRUNCH of a dry twig underfoot was the only thing that added a touch of life to the deathly silent surroundings.
After walking for a little over ten minutes, signs of human settlement finally appeared ahead.
A few houses built from stones appeared up ahead, and she could even see smoke rising from a chimney.
In the fields ahead, small, dark figures were moving about.
Faye Yardley made no attempt to conceal her presence. She twisted the ring on her left thumb and kept walking forward.
’It’d be great if the system had a pet dimension. I’d definitely get a mount so I wouldn’t have to wear out my legs.’
Seeing a stranger approach, the people in the fields were terrified. They all stopped what they were doing and scrambled back toward the houses.
Faye Yardley’s pace remained steady and unhurried as she walked resolutely toward the small hamlet.
So far, aside from a few small insects that had appeared, she hadn’t encountered any danger.
She finally reached the entrance to the village, but every house had its doors and windows shut tight. Not a single person came out to ask who she was or where she was from.
Furthermore, the system hadn’t provided any quest prompts. Faye Yardley had no idea how to clear the Dungeon.
This Dungeon was very different from numbers one and three. The sky here was perpetually dark and gloomy, making it easy to get disoriented.
She walked right up and knocked on the wooden door of the house on the far right.
KNOCK KNOCK~
No one answered. The people inside held their breath, terrified that the person outside might hear even the faintest sound.
She knocked on every door from one end of the village to the other. There were only eleven houses in total, so it didn’t take long. Not a single door opened for her.
Faye Yardley glanced up at the sky again, then raised her left arm to check her watch. Time was flying. Just knocking on doors had already taken half an hour.
Just as she was thinking, ’Maybe I should just pick a house at random and break down the door,’ a wooden door CREAKED open. An old woman poked her head out. "Outsider, come in."
She opened the door a little wider as she spoke. Faye Yardley gave her a slight nod, not caring if the woman could see the gesture from under her large hood, and walked over, entering without hesitation.
The old woman lit a candle. "Sit."
Faye Yardley didn’t stand on ceremony. She sat on a nearby chair, pushed back her large hood, and watched as the old woman tottered into the kitchen. After bustling about for a moment, the woman brought over a large plate of roasted potatoes, placed it on the small coffee table in front of Faye, and then sat down across from her.
"Go on, eat."
"Thank you for your generosity."
Faye Yardley thanked her but didn’t touch the food.
The old woman paid her no mind, simply picking up a potato herself. She blew on it a couple of times before taking a large bite. Not only did she have a good set of teeth, but they were also a little sharp.
After eating two, she paused and looked up at Faye Yardley. "It’s dangerous for a young girl like you to be out here alone. You should go back where you came from."
"Thank you for the warning."
"Heh... You’re certainly polite. But..."
KNOCK KNOCK~
A little boy’s voice came from outside. "Monty! Monty, are you okay?"
"I’m fine."
The old woman replied as she got up to open the door.
’Monty.’ Faye Yardley found her name interesting. It didn’t sound like a Veridian name at all, though the woman herself looked the part.
’Of course, Veridia did have the surname ’Mo’.’
The little boy smiled when she opened the door, then darted a quick glance inside before lowering his voice. "My mom says to be careful." With that, he scurried away.
’They’re so wary of strangers, yet so concerned about their own,’ Faye Yardley thought, gazing at the dim candlelight. ’What do I have to do to get a system prompt to appear?’
’If there’s no way to get completion info, does that mean I’ll be trapped in this Dungeon forever?’
Suddenly, she felt a heavy, cramping sensation in her lower abdomen. Faye Yardley froze for a second before it dawned on her. She stood up. "Excuse me, where is the restroom?"
"It’s just behind the house. Come with me."
Faye Yardley truly hadn’t expected to get her period at a time like this; she had started to think it wouldn’t come at all anymore.
’I could really curse right now,’ she thought. ’Seriously? Getting my period in a Dungeon? How miserable can you get?’
And she still hadn’t figured out what was going on in this place.
Her only comfort was that she had come prepared with pads.
She just never thought she’d actually need them.
When Faye Yardley returned to the main room, the old woman caught the scent of blood on her and subconsciously licked her lips. She quickly looked down and coughed twice. By the time she looked up again, her expression was once again that of a gentle, kind old grandmother.
Faye Yardley noted the change. While her internal alarm was now ringing, her expression remained placid.
"What is this place?"
The old woman smiled. "This is the Land of the Forgotten."
Faye Yardley was baffled. ’Seriously, can’t you be a little more specific?’
Since she didn’t understand, she just asked bluntly, "Are you exiles? Or did you come here as refugees?"
Surprised by her bluntness, the old woman stared at her for a long moment before smiling. "Both. We were all driven out, and for one reason or another, we ended up settling here."
"For a long time?"
"How long is long? I’ve been here for more than forty years. Others have only been here for a little over ten."
Faye Yardley said, "I see. Thank you for telling me. Does anything... happen here at night?"
"Nothing happens."
"Then why were you all so afraid of me?"
The old woman shook her head gently. "We’re not afraid of you. It’s just... it has been a very long time since we’ve had an outsider visit."
For some reason, she had the strange feeling that she was back in the Land of Damnation—though, of course, there was no crushing gravity here.
’Driven out and exiled... heh.’ She connected the dots. ’So, is it possible these people are members of the Vampire Clan who were exiled by the Commonfolk?’
