I Have a Task Log

Since it was related to the Five-Stringed, Colin was quite happy to help.

They had also helped the Kais Tribe, so if they could lend a hand, they would. Besides, it was a paid commission.

"Help us transport some supplies to Mist Harbor. There’s a tavern there called the ’Delicious Maggot.’ Just give them to the proprietress."

Just as he’d said before, the entrance to Mist Harbor was on the third level. The group’s main plan for this trip was to explore the first three levels anyway, so it was right on their way.

Thinking of this, Colin asked curiously, "What about your people?"

"We did send out a supply team earlier. But as you know, the survival rate for Adventurers has been very low these past two days. While we’re very concerned for the supply team’s safety, maintaining the outpost’s provisions is critical. This commission is a backup plan," the Wandering Poet said frankly.

Colin nodded. "What’s the pay?"

"Five Gemstones, each worth fifty gold coins. That’s one for each of you. Not bad, right?" the Wandering Poet said. "After you deliver the goods, you can rest at our outpost for a few days."

"Alright, give us the supplies."

With that, the Wandering Poet took out a small handkerchief and handed it over.

[Dimensional Hole / Rare-Level Magical Item]

[Dimensional Hole: When fully unfolded, the handkerchief forms a dimensional hole two meters in diameter. Below the opening is a cylindrical space three meters deep. Regardless of what is placed inside, the weight of the Dimensional Hole is negligible.]

As Colin took the handkerchief, the Wandering Poet said in a low voice, "Good luck, my brother in the field. I’ll be sure to report your contribution."

After speaking, the man got up and left, quickly departing from the Gate of the Undercity tavern.

"He wants us to deliver this little thing?" Kase asked with a frown.

"It’s a Magic Item, Kase. This thing can hold even more than our Dimension Bag," Colin said, patting his shoulder before striding toward the counter.

He walked all the way to the counter. The owner, standing behind it, glanced at the newcomers. "More newbies looking to go down? One Gold Coin per person for the entrance fee. And state your party name."

Colin said as he handed over the money, "Let’s go with ’The Nameless Party’."

"Can’t. Someone already took that one."

"What about ’The Ordinary Party’?"

"Hmm... You sure you want to be called that?" the owner asked, frowning.

Dorn, who was standing nearby, bellowed, "I just want to get down into the Dungeon and start slaughtering things, not stand around here debating some bullshit name!"

Colin shrugged at the owner, who waved his hand dismissively toward the entrance. "Go on, go on."

The group then walked over to the entrance and stepped one by one into the wooden cage.

As soon as they were inside, the entire tavern erupted.

"Welcome to the club, newbies!" "I bet the Half-Elf and the Tiefling make it back alive. Any takers?" "Haha, my money’s on the Half-Orc. That guy’s built like a bear."

Dorn, however, was indignant. He grabbed the bars and shouted to the crowd, "Why isn’t anyone betting on me to come back alive?"

"Probably because you’re hard to see. You’re like a duck in a flock of swans," someone from the crowd yelled back.

Dorn immediately shot back, "Screw you, you idiot!"

His retort sent the whole hall into roaring laughter.

Colin, who had been feeling a little conflicted after hearing the Adventurers’ comments, suddenly felt a sense of relief.

’When a job’s maximum survival rate is only eighty percent, the people in that line of work are bound to have a casual attitude toward life and death.’

’For this crowd, betting on someone’s life probably isn’t even considered a hostile act. Getting too worked up about it would just be asking for trouble.’

CREAK, CREAK—

Several burly men by the wellhead slowly turned the winch, gradually lowering the cage suspended in mid-air.

The noise from the tavern faded from his ears as the moss-covered stone walls of the shaft slowly rose past him.

A biting cold wind stabbed at him from all directions, seeping through the gaps in his armor to his skin.

Colin felt himself sinking bit by bit into a cloying darkness.

When his vision was plunged into complete darkness, he pulled down the visor of his Helmet and silently observed the black-and-white scenery before him.

The warmth, smoky air, and aroma of food from the tavern slowly receded, leaving only the faint scent of dampness and the musty smell of moss.

After an unknown amount of time, the cage landed on the ground with a THUD.

Dorn impatiently pushed open the wooden door of the cage, threw himself face down on the ground in a spread-eagle position, and began muttering something in Dwarvish.

As he stepped out of the cage, Colin glanced up.

The light from the shaft above was incredibly faint, and the clamor of the Adventurers was completely gone.

He had no idea how far they were from the Surface.

"We should get going. Are we heading to that Mist Harbor place now?" Kase said. "So, what’s the plan? Who’s leading the way?"

Dorn picked himself up and dusted himself off.

He pulled a map from his bag. "Quick, cast [Light] and give me some light. Durkin and the others have explored the first three levels before. This is a map they drew by hand."

"Doesn’t the terrain in the Undercity change?" Colin asked.

"Of course it doesn’t change completely. Some parts always stay the same. Plus, the closer you are to the Surface, the less the terrain shifts," Dorn urged. "Big oaf, hurry up, [Light]!"

Orelia snapped to attention and, with a quick "yes, yes," hastily cast the Divine Art on Colin’s Chest Armor.

"You should really use our names. When you yell ’big oaf,’ none of us know who you’re talking to," said Ale.

Dorn ignored the Half-Elf.

He took out a compass and studied the map carefully by the light of the Divine Art.

It was worth noting that Darkvision didn’t allow one to make out words written on paper. Races that lived underground long-term, like the Gray Dwarves and Drow Elves, had generally invented various hand signals and braille to aid communication.

While he was thinking, Colin took the opportunity to look around.

They were in a spacious hall with a floor paved with stone slabs. The surrounding walls were made of stone bricks, giving it the appearance of some ancient ruin.

There were archways on all four sides of the hall, leading off into the darkness.

The passages beyond the archways were pitch-black, like gaping maws waiting for prey to wander in...

SQUEAK, SQUEAK—

"Aah!" The sudden noise made Orelia jump.

The group turned to look. The wooden cage that had brought them down was already slowly ascending, which meant their way back was now completely cut off.

Dorn watched for a moment, then said, "Alright, follow me."

He then started walking in one direction, and the rest of the group fell in behind the Dwarf.