My 3rd Return: Archercaster's Birth

So..."You too must accept this defeat," I said as I raised my face and smirked. Just before their hands reached me, I responded by teasingly stepping back one step.

Although if they still held weapons, these guys would have a longer attack range than having to approach me like zombies. "Honestly, if this doesn't end everything, then I don't know what will."

But then I didn't come this far for a mediocre ending.

Five seconds before impact.

The place of our battle was covered by an illusion as if the night had swallowed it, and a giant meteor approached from the heavens. I changed directions to the other side, where these monsters immediately changed course to follow me without second thought. Well, AI is still AI after all.

Three seconds before impact.

I carefully calculated the remaining time and distance to maintain aggro. Without much concern, I passed through the bonfire where the xxx monsters had their ritual earlier and entered the cave’s mouth.

Two seconds before impact.

I turned around and assessed the situation. Those humanoid creatures obediently followed me.

And the designated time arrived.

A tremendous roar, the ground shook violently as the meteor kissed the surface of the earth. The earthquake didn't stop there and lasted for a few seconds.

The cave’s entrance crumbled, dropping debris that blocked the passage and made it impassable. I carefully avoided being hit by the rubble at the same time ensuring that this attack truly ended the lives of those monsters.

A few moments later, the atmosphere seemed calm.

I couldn't go out and check the situation outside, but anyways, this is just a game. There are no creatures with enough reason to incorporate real physics here. If there were, I would come out of this place hundreds of years in the future as a liquid commodity, used as an excuse for conspiracy and war by superpowers.

With mixed emotions filling my heart, I called up the status window. "Woah damn, I jumped up five levels?! Are they running an experience bank or something?" My level now stood at 270, far behind the current patch's level cap of around 700. But seeing the numbers rise rapidly, who wouldn't like it? (Except for debt, surely).

Due to my long hiatus, I became blind to the market. I didn't know which items were in high demand, useful, or rare. But I could guess that the items I obtained here would have their own value in the future. We'll see.

But this is a bit odd. I easily get tired when crawling like a koala a few hours ago, but now I don't feel too burdened on my stamina. Is it because I focused more on magic battles rather than physical activity? I'll have to figure this out later.

Engrossed with various new items in my inventory, as I returned, I found myself once again inside an unfamiliar domain. The floating window displayed a map, where there was only a black blank circle and a small white dot representing my current location.

In an instant, I tried to activate my senses, especially my hearing. Yup, it felt the same as when I was wandering through that boring grassland. I sat down and leaned against the wall of the cave corridor, murmuring, "But how could it be..."

"I crossed the river here, then found them not too far away," I muttered to myself, my raised hand pointing and gesturing from my index finger to the empty air. "The battle took place here, I entered this cave and followed this path... hmm."

It seems that I was unaware. Most likely, I crossed the boundaries of the domain, that invisible wall, after entering this cave. Looking back, I'm certain there is no way out after being struck by the meteor.

But as a wise person once said, "If the path behind you is blocked, then move forward." (I just made that up).

I can't say for sure whether I've been walking straight or wandering here and there. The atmosphere is unnaturally quiet. Even the sound of my own footsteps echoing as I walk is driving me almost crazy. It's like being in a torture chamber.

I walk with my hand never leaving the wall, following where it will lead me, until I come across a different pattern. "A descending staircase... where does it lead?" And it's a spiral staircase, almost winding, I can tell.

At the bottom of these stairs, my ears instantly pick up the sound of dripping water at regular intervals. Drip, drip... drip. I find myself in a space wider than the corridors so far. There are big thorns protruding from the ground and ceiling as the pillars.

"It's precisely because it's so quiet here that I'm having trouble figuring out where the sound of dripping water is coming from," I muttered to myself. "No matter where I step, the sound of the drops doesn't seem to change. It's like they're only happening in my own head instead of in a physical place in this cave."

As I turned my head to search for clues, I accidentally glanced at the map in my line of sight. There I was represented as a white dot, with a small spot showing the terrain of this place. A few meters from where I stepped, it was recorded on my map.

"Did I leave that inaccessible domain and enter another unknown place?" I grumbled, still frustrated by this uncertain situation. I always seem to be dealing with something inexplicable, don't I?

"Or is this a dungeon?" I hesitated to admit it, but once the thought appeared, it felt like I had found another reason to adventure. Doing something I couldn't do in the real world.

The cave wasn't very brightly lit, but it wasn't too dark to explore either, so even though I wasn't an Assassin class, I should be able to manage it. Suddenly, as I looked into the distance, two orbs lit up and stared back at me. Then another pair appeared, and another, and as I got closer, "Monsters!"

With my newfound determination, I sprinted forward with my magic staff at the ready. In a cramped space like this, I couldn't use area-of-effect magic, it would only bury me alive later. My left hand stretched out to the side, "Advanced magic does have a troublesome cast time, but that's not all this mage can do!" I shouted.

The exploration of the uncharted dungeon had begun.