The abandoned settlement of Greywatch stood silently beneath the afternoon sun.
Noah walked through its broken streets, observing the remains of buildings that had once belonged to hundreds of miners and their families.
Some houses had collapsed completely, while others still retained their stone walls and wooden doors.
Old mining carts lay overturned beside the streets. Rusted tools were scattered everywhere, and thick vegetation had grown through the cracks in the stone pathways.
"Two hundred years of abandonment..."
Noah stopped beside an old fountain.
A statue of a dwarf miner stood in its center, holding a pickaxe with both hands.
He examined the statue.
[System Analysis]
Object: Greywatch Founder's Statue.
Material: Ordinary Granite.
Historical Age: Approximately 190 Years.
Magical Properties: None.
Noah continued exploring.
He discovered an old marketplace, a ruined blacksmith workshop, and several abandoned houses.
There was nothing particularly valuable in the buildings.
However, the underground magical energy became stronger as he approached the mountain.
Eventually, he reached the main mining entrance.
A massive stone archway stood at the mountain's base. Its wooden support beams had partially collapsed, but the entrance itself remained intact.
A faded inscription was carved above it.
GREYWATCH ROYAL MINING COMPANY — NORTHERN SHAFT
Noah activated his Absolute Dragon Eyes.
Golden light passed through his pupils.
Immediately, he could see several underground tunnels extending deep into the mountain.
Some had collapsed, while others remained accessible.
At the deepest point, a large circular chamber was surrounded by strange magical formations.
"That's probably what I'm looking for."
He stepped inside.
Greywatch — Main Mining Shaft
The tunnel was wide enough for several mining carts to travel side by side.
Noah walked forward, occasionally examining the walls.
Small mineral deposits remained embedded in the stone.
Most were ordinary iron and copper ores, but a few contained traces of mana.
He touched one of them.
[System Analysis]
Resource: Low-Grade Mana Ore.
Quantity Detected: Approximately 120 kilograms.
Market Value: 15–20 Gold Coins per kilogram.
Noah smiled.
"Not bad for an abandoned mine."
He stored the ore inside his Primordial Spatial Ring.
Further ahead, he discovered an old mining cart.
It was damaged, but several sealed containers remained inside.
He opened the first container.
[Items Discovered]
- Iron Ore ×85 kg.
- Copper Ore ×42 kg.
- Silver Ore ×18 kg.
- Mining Equipment ×12 pieces.
Noah stored everything.
The remaining containers were empty.
He continued deeper.
After approximately fifteen minutes, the tunnel divided into three separate passages.
Noah examined each one using his Absolute Dragon Eyes.
The left passage had completely collapsed.
The middle passage contained ordinary mining tunnels.
The right passage, however, was surrounded by faint magical energy.
"Of course."
He entered the right passage.
The deeper he went, the colder the air became.
Strange symbols began appearing on the walls.
They were similar to the markings he had discovered on the sealed hatch outside, but considerably more complicated.
Noah stopped in front of one.
[System Analysis]
Ancient Script Detected.
Language: Unidentified.
Translation: Incomplete.
Estimated Age: Unknown.
Noah touched the inscription.
A faint golden pulse passed through the stone.
Suddenly, the entire tunnel trembled.
[Warning!]
[Ancient Formation Detected.]
[Foreign Energy Signature Recognized.]
Noah stepped back.
The symbols illuminated one after another, revealing a massive circular door at the end of the tunnel.
It was made from dark metallic stone, with seven circular slots arranged around its center.
Noah approached it.
[System Analysis]
Object: Ancient Dungeon Entrance.
Classification: Unknown. Visit novelping.com for the full chapter.
Current Condition: Sealed.
Required Activation: Seven Energy Keys.
Remaining Energy: 12%.
Noah examined the seven slots.
"Seven keys? That's inconvenient."
He tried using his own mana.
The door remained motionless.
He tried a small amount of dragon energy.
This time, the symbols reacted violently.
Golden and blue light spread across the surface.
[Warning: Incompatible Activation Method.]
Noah immediately stopped.
"Okay. So it doesn't want my energy."
He stepped away and inspected the surrounding walls.
Several ancient containers were embedded inside small stone compartments.
He opened them one by one.
Most were empty, but three contained something.
[Ancient Storage Compartment Opened.]
- Weathered Bronze Key ×1.
- Ancient Silver Key ×1.
- Blue Crystal Key ×1.
Noah examined the objects.
[System Analysis]
Weathered Bronze Key: Ancient Dungeon Key.
Ancient Silver Key: Ancient Dungeon Key.
Blue Crystal Key: Ancient Dungeon Key.
Compatibility: Confirmed.
Noah smiled.
"Three out of seven. Better than nothing."
He placed them into his ring.
There were four remaining slots to investigate.
He returned to the main passage and explored the other tunnels.
First Underground Chamber
The first chamber contained an old storage room.
Broken wooden shelves stood against the walls, and several metal containers had rusted shut.
Noah opened them carefully.
He discovered:
- Ancient Silver Coins ×340.
- Ancient Bronze Coins ×620.
- Iron Ingot ×45.
- Silver Ingot ×12.
- Small Mana Crystal ×8.
The coins were old but still valuable to collectors.
He stored everything.
Second Underground Chamber
The second chamber was considerably larger.
It contained several mining machines powered by magical crystals.
Most had stopped functioning long ago.
Noah examined one of them.
[System Analysis]
Object: Ancient Mana Extraction Machine.
Condition: Damaged.
Function: Extracts concentrated mana from mineral deposits.
Technology: Unknown Ancient Civilization.
Repair Possibility: 43%.
Noah looked at the machine.
"Interesting technology."
He didn't have enough information to repair it yet, so he stored several detachable components for later study.
Third Underground Chamber
The third chamber was different.
A large stone skeleton lay in the center of the room.
Noah immediately recognized it as a monster.
Its body resembled a giant underground lizard, but its bones were considerably larger than those of the Cave Stone Drake.
He approached it.
[System Analysis]
Species: Ancient Rock Wyrm.
Classification: C-Rank Magical Beast.
Estimated Age at Death: 870 Years.
Cause of Death: Unknown.
Remaining Energy: Extremely Low.
Noah examined the skeleton.
There was something embedded inside its chest.
A small golden crystal.
He carefully removed it.
[Item Discovered]
Ancient Wyrm Core ×1.
Grade: Rare.
Properties: Earth Element Concentration, Physical Reinforcement.
Noah stored it.
As he turned around, he heard a faint clicking sound.
Several stones moved near the entrance.
A creature with six legs, dark stone armor, and glowing red eyes.
[System Analysis]
Species: Underground Stone Guardian.
Classification: C-Rank Construct.
Quantity: 3.
Core: Ancient Mana Crystal.
Primary Function: Dungeon Protection.
Noah raised an eyebrow.
"Guardians, huh?"
The three constructs rushed towards him.
He raised one hand.
A small lightning sphere appeared above his palm.
He flicked his finger.
The sphere split into three thin bolts.
Each bolt struck a guardian's central core.
All three constructs collapsed immediately.
[Three C-Rank Constructs Destroyed.]
[Rewards Received]
- Evolution Points ×1,200.
- Ancient Mana Core ×3.
- Guardian Stone Plates ×18.
- Guardian Crystal Eyes ×6.
Noah collected everything.
He then examined the chamber more carefully.
Behind the skeleton, he discovered another hidden compartment.
Inside was a small metal box.
It contained:
- Ancient Dungeon Key — Green ×1.
- Ancient Dungeon Key — Red ×1.
Noah smiled.
"Five keys now."
He continued exploring for another hour, but couldn't locate the remaining two.
The underground passages eventually led to a collapsed section that blocked further progress.
Noah returned to the circular door.
He inserted the five keys into their corresponding slots.
The door reacted immediately.
Five symbols illuminated.
However, the final two slots remained dark.
[Dungeon Activation Progress: 5/7.]
[Remaining Keys: 2.]
Noah stepped back.
"Looks like I'll need to search somewhere else."
He examined the door one final time.
A small inscription appeared beneath the seven slots.
The System attempted to translate it.
[Partial Translation Available]
"Seven seals guard the inheritance of the First Architects."
Noah's expression changed slightly.
"The First Architects?"
He had never heard that name before.
Were they the ancient civilization responsible for this dungeon?
And why had they built something beneath an ordinary mining settlement?
He looked towards the dark tunnel behind him.
There were still countless unexplored chambers beneath Greywatch.
Noah smiled.
"Well, I guess this place is going to take more than one visit."
He stored the collected materials and returned towards the surface.
As he emerged from the mining entrance, the sun was beginning to set.
He looked towards the abandoned settlement.
Greywatch was no longer just an abandoned mining town.
It was the entrance to something much older.
[System Notification]
[Hidden Location Discovered: Greywatch Ancient Dungeon.]
[Exploration Record Updated.]
[New Mission Available]
Mission: Discover the remaining two Ancient Dungeon Keys.
Reward:
- Evolution Points ×5,000.
- System Gold Coins ×100,000.
- Ancient Treasure Chest ×1.
Noah accepted the mission.
"Five thousand points and a treasure chest. Sounds good."
He opened a portal to his Personal Dimension.
Before stepping through, he glanced back at the mountain.
The ancient door remained sealed deep beneath the earth.
Its seven slots waited for the remaining keys.
Noah disappeared into the golden portal.
His next adventure would begin with finding the missing keys.
End of Chapter 10