Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] Chapter 66: Chapter 62: Dungeon Prep

Read chapter 66 of Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Chapter 62: Dungeon Prep Chapter 62: Dungeon Prep Alex made it only a few steps down before it happened. His vision seemed to blackout for a moment, like his brain was quickly refreshing itself and flipped his eyes off, then back on again really quickly. Once he could see again, his surroundings had changed. The staircase was gone, and instead Alex stood in a small stone room made of stacked blocks of square stones. It was like he was in a room plucked straight from the imagination of some Dungeons and Dragons campaign writer. He couldn’t focus on that too much, as The System deemed it necessary to provide some information in the form of a message screen that took up most of his field of view. “Well, this is a new one for sure.” He sighed. It wasn’t good news for Alex. You have entered: Dark Den – Trial of Descent ‎ Recommended Party Size: 3–5 ‎ Status: Solo Entry Engaged ‎ Modifiers Applied: Lone Challenger (x1.25 Experience Points, x1.5 Dungeon Points), First-Time Challenger (x2.0 Dungeon Points) WARNING: You are under-powered for this Dungeon. This will probably kill you! Underpowered, no shit. He swiped the message screen away and looked around. A low hum vibrated through his feet. Not sound, or aether , but s omething was sending pulsing energy through the stone. The moment he crossed the threshold, the very air had changed. Old, stale, like it was some sort of ancient battlefield and smelling of death, but breathable. A faint blue flame flickered to life in the sconces lining the chamber, guiding him toward an open archway. He took the cue and stepped into a small stone antechamber . The room was hexagonal, with six walls and six pillars. One closed stone door faced ahead, carved with the image of a massive dragon devouring a spiral of corpses. Classic. The stone beneath his feet thrummed with potential, the energy even more powerful in this room. If he could draw from it here, his cultivation could be amazingly fast. Alex looked forward to working on his [Aether Attuned Body] in here. Then— You have entered a Dungeon Preparation Chamber. ‎ Dungeon Start is irreversible once initiated. Prepare your gear, spells, and soul. Enter the doorway to proceed. The door across from him slammed open, making Alex jump slightly. In the doorway was a swirling mass of azure energy that he didn’t dare try to look at with his [Aether Sight] ability fully active. So that answers the question of which doorway it wants me to enter. He looked about, finding the room pretty bare bones. Various worktables and tool benches sat against the six walls. If this was the preparation room, then it looked like he had a bit of Glyphcrafting he needed to get done before he approached that portal. “Hey Obby,” he placed the enchanter’s plate on a bare table and started to retrieve his tools from inside his bracelet. “You’re my sentient rock of world narrative. So tell me what you know about dungeons. What are these dungeon points? How do you leave a dungeon? Things like that.” Obby’s voice vibrated through Alex’s mind like an old shit-box car rattling down the street. He guessed the sentient rock was trying to mimic the dark ambiance of the dungeon prep room. It wasn’t a good attempt. Alex just rolled his eyes and listened to the dramatic retelling, focusing on what was actually being said. " No one truly knows the origins or the motivations for the dungeons. Scholars across time, and space have tried to unlock the secret, only to find the truth more closely guarded than a jealous narcissistic boyfriend guarding his girlfriend’s social media contacts. The running theory is as follows; Dungeons are crystallized memory-fragments of the Aetherios System itself. Think ‘history’s blooper reel,’ but repackaged into a theme park ride that really wants you dead. They’re not real-real. Just... lethal metaphors. Maybe. Again its all speculation. " Obby’s voice returned to normal the longer he spoke, like he too wasn’t buying the attempt and gave up. “Great,” Alex mu