Reincarnated into a World Filled with Dungeons, But My Blessing Turned Out to Be the Most Challenging Dungeon

“But still… there’s no way anyone would ever find a dungeon like this under normal circumstances.”

I cautiously walked through the hidden dungeon nestled within the mountain range, keeping a close watch on my surroundings.

『Master, you shouldn’t underestimate my detection abilities. It was concealed, so it wasn’t easy to notice, and even I only sensed something off yesterday.』

In reality, this dungeon was completely sealed off by a rock wall, situated beneath a cliff halfway up the mountain.

Normally, dungeons exist to lure in “guests”—adventurers and explorers—so their entrances are open and easy to spot.

However, this dungeon was deliberately hidden, as if trying to avoid detection. If we hadn’t known in advance that there was a dungeon here, discovering it would have been impossible.

“Well, thanks to that, it’s considered an unregistered dungeon, meaning I can explore it freely.”

Dungeons registered with the Explorer’s Guild have entry restrictions, so I wouldn’t be able to get in. However, just like the Dual Dungeon I previously stumbled into, unregistered dungeons that aren’t under guild management are a different story.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for explorers who accidentally discover rogue dungeons to keep them to themselves and start clearing them independently.

If they report their discovery to the guild, they receive a small reward, but it’s not much.

So, if an explorer isn’t strong enough to clear it, selling the information is the better option. But if they are strong enough, delving into the dungeon themselves is far more profitable.

That being the case, as the first discoverer of this dungeon, I naturally had no choice but to explore it.

Once it’s registered with the guild, I’d need a full party to challenge it, which would be a hassle.

『Master, there’s a pitfall trap ahead.』

“Got it!”

I picked up a nearby rock and hurled it at the spot Eve indicated.

A second later, the rock vanished, revealing a gaping hole in the ground.

『Next, arrows will shoot out from that wall.』

Following Eve’s guidance, I systematically dismantled each trap.

『That tile will trigger an explosion if stepped on.』

“Alrighty then.”

I tossed another rock, quickly took cover, and—

BOOM!

A powerful blast sent small stones scattering in all directions.

Man, Eve was seeing through every single trap. This was going too smoothly.

When I teamed up with Thomas and the others in previous dungeons, they would also point out traps in advance. But back then, I couldn’t just take over the operation, so I had to let them proceed cautiously.

Now that I was solo, I could fully utilize Eve’s abilities, which naturally sped up our progress.

“Still… something feels off.”

『What do you mean, Master?』

Several hours had passed since we entered the dungeon. Given how many traps we had disabled and how quickly we had progressed, we had likely passed the halfway point by now.

“We’ve been triggering traps left and right, making a ton of noise, and yet… we haven’t encountered a single monster.”

Normally, by now, the commotion should have drawn in a swarm of monsters. Yet, there wasn’t even the slightest hint of movement from deeper within the dungeon.

『This dungeon appears to be a Rank V dungeon with fire and earth attributes… but ever since we entered, something has felt off.』

“What do you mean, ‘off’?”

『Each dungeon core has its own personality. Typically, dungeons are designed to alternate between traps and monsters, strategically guiding intruders deeper inside. But here, it’s been nothing but traps.』

Eve continued,『Without monsters, there’s no loot from defeating them. That means explorers wouldn’t gain anything from fighting their way through—making this dungeon a terrible risk-reward scenario. Most people would just give up and leave.』

She had a point.

Without Eve, it would take hours just to identify a single trap. Clearing this place would take weeks at best.

“So, what’s your conclusion?”

Eve answered,『I suspect something other than the dungeon core is interfering here.』

“In the end, we never figured out what was interfering, huh?”

Several more hours passed, but we had yet to find any solid evidence to support Eve’s theory.

However, we were now nearing the dungeon’s final chamber.

Despite not encountering a single battle thus far, I held my short sword tightly and remained on high alert as I stepped forward—

『Master, there are enemies up ahead… Their total count is 512.』

“…What?”

I couldn’t help but ask again, just to make sure I had heard her right.