Mice dominate the dungeon

The large ears, hidden in the shadows of the mine wall, peered through the cracks with wide eyes.

George's hands trembled involuntarily, his face and lips turned deathly pale, and he was on the verge of collapse.

The reason Big Ears asked that question was simply to try and trick George, but he didn't expect the other party to react so strongly, as if he was about to cry.

Is the pressure really that great...?

I had originally planned to continue scaring George's big ears, but I gave up the idea. I was really afraid that I would scare George into having some kind of mental problem...

After a moment's thought, Big Ears feigned confusion and said:

"It seems there's some misunderstanding between us."

"Mr. George, I didn't mean to scare you." Big Ears paused, then asked in a deep voice, "Or perhaps you misheard me..."

"Huh?! Did I hear that right?!"

"I think so!" The big-eared man, hidden behind the mine wall, nodded his little head without changing his expression. "It's just that I didn't have time to tell you more back then..."

Upon hearing Dardo's reply, George froze on the spot, completely bewildered.

George's initial plan was that, regardless of whether he had offended Dardo, he would choose to compromise and apologize to Dardo in order to settle the matter and let it go.

Even in countless late nights, George couldn't help but imagine the worst-case scenario: how he would escape the Black Forest town with his wife and where they would find refuge.

But now Dardo tells himself that he meant no harm!

A sudden wave of happiness washed over George, making him feel dizzy.

Perhaps, as Dardo said, I was too nervous at the time and misunderstood what the other person said.

That's right!

A high-level adventurer of the Emerald rank has no reason to make such a stupid joke about a low-level adventurer like me on the roadside!

So that's how it is. I misunderstood Lord Dardo!

At this moment, all the logic became self-consistent in George's mind, and the doubts buried in his heart gradually dissipated.

But a feeling of regret began to surface in George's heart.

It was all because I was too scared at the time. Before Dardo could even talk to me, I ran out of the mine in a panic, causing me to miss a great opportunity to make friends with a high-level adventurer!

Fortunately, Lord Dardo did not hold his rudeness against him and was willing to continue the conversation.

Now that he's back to square one, George feels he has to seize this precious opportunity.

"Lord Dardo! When you came to me, was there anything I could do for you?" George asked humbly, using respectful language.

Big Ears had originally planned to subtly try to get some information from the other party, but he didn't expect George to be so proactive.

This rendered its prepared lines useless...

Big Ears briefly recalled the tasks that Boss Twitch had previously assigned to them.

Then, he asked:

"I'd like to ask you some questions, specifically about the town above ground and the underground city."

Upon hearing Dardo's question, George was initially puzzled, but then he quickly understood.

As an outsider, it's normal for Dardo, who has just arrived, not to know much about the Black Forest town and the Ashes Dungeon.

"Ask away, I assure you I'll be completely open with you!!" George replied to the depths of the mine.

Having learned his lesson before, George no longer dares to lie to Dardo.

He even suspected that the other party possessed some kind of "mind" magic that allowed them to directly read his inner thoughts.

"What interesting things have happened lately?"

George quickly went through the various news and intelligence he had recently heard in the tavern and guild in his mind, and then selected the few things that were most reliable.

He explained these things to Dardo in the simplest and clearest way, incorporating local customs and traditions.

"Recently, caravans and adventurers entering and leaving the Black Forest have been frequently disappearing. Traces of torture have been found at the sites, and the Adventurers' Guild has launched a bounty investigation..."

"With winter approaching, the demons on the border, who are not afraid of the cold, are becoming restless, causing trouble near the border from time to time. Friction and fighting are becoming more frequent, which has also affected our Black Forest town..."

"Things outside the town have been unsettling lately. Many adventurers have chosen to go mining in order to survive the harsh winter and have enough to eat..."

"Perhaps it's a blessing from heaven for us adventurers. Recently, the original inhabitants of the western section of the ninth level of the dungeon, which is where we are now, the 'Frogmen' and 'Beetles,' seem to have disappeared into the mines. This has greatly improved the living conditions for adventurers who come here to mine..."

Upon hearing this, the big-eared man's ears immediately perked up.

Ok? !

Those despicable frogmen and annoying beetles were reduced only because Boss Twitch sent troops to suppress them, weren't they?

I deserve some credit for this!!

How did it become a blessing from heaven?!

"Excuse me!" Big Ears, puffed up in a huff, then spoke up.

"The disappearance of the Mad Frogmen and the Beetles is not due to your good luck or divine favor."

"Rather, they offended some great being and were punished accordingly!!"

So there was this hidden story. It seems the western mining area isn't as simple as I thought... Upon hearing this, George's heart skipped a beat.

Immediately, he solemnly bowed towards the depths of the mine and said:

"Praise be to the great being! Praise be to your kindness and mercy!!"

He then thanked Dardo, saying, "Thank you for informing me of such a secret, sir!"

"It's nothing..."

Although Big Ears spoke calmly, an uncontrollable smile appeared on his face.

"Oh~ the number of rats in the mine seems to have increased significantly!" Unaware of the situation, George asked curiously, "Lord Dardo, do you have any clues?"

Upon hearing this, Big Ears instinctively shrank his head.

After a while.

A vague response finally came from inside the mine.

"Don't offend those rats, be friendly to them..."

George, who had only asked casually, couldn't help but take a deep breath, never expecting that even a high-level adventurer like Dardo would take it so seriously!

He had initially thought the increase in rats was simply due to changes in the underground city's ecology, but now it seemed that things were not as simple as he had imagined.

For some reason, when George looked at the dark and familiar mine again, a chill ran through him.

The mining area that I had always thought was safe and secure seemed to be a behemoth cloaked in layers of mimicry, leading those adventurers who had let their guard down step by step into the abyss!

George couldn't help but exhale a suffocating breath.

Fortunately, thanks to Dardo's insight, he was able to glimpse a sliver of the truth!

At that moment, George had a feeling...

I seem to be at a turning point in my life!