Chapter 523: Exploring Further.
“Unauthorized entry attempt detected. Please comply with identification protocol or face consequences.”
The mechanical voice emanating from the orb was cold and unsettling to the adventurers standing nearby. It issued from within the metal box, through which the strange, mechanical-looking orb's arm protruded. To the onlookers, it resembled a peculiar, lidless eye, and the words it spoke filled the two adventurers with unease.
“What is this thing? It knows my name!”
“Sir. Please just show us your identification, don’t make it more difficult than it has to. If you resist, you will be reported to the guild and also to the forces of our lord, Lord Arthur Valerian! “
The guards raised their weapons. Though they were no match for the two high-level adventurers, they stood firm, emboldened by the presence of their lord’s name behind them. For a moment, Roland feared he might need to intervene, but it seemed the situation was under control.
The construct with the orb was his creation, designed in collaboration with the dwarven union. It was a golem with limited functionality, built specifically to scan adventurer cards and verify their legitimacy. While a similar device operated above ground, this secondary checkpoint was established to track the flow of people entering and exiting the newly discovered dungeon. The system recorded not only the number of adventurers but also their classes, counting those who entered and those who perished.
These statistics were not only crucial for assessing the dungeon’s danger level and the threats posed by its monstrous inhabitants but also served another purpose: preventing murders committed by adventurers. Such incidents, like the attempt on his and Rastix's lives, necessitated stricter oversight. Through the golem’s scans and the sensors embedded in the walls, it would be possible to track individuals to some extent and confront them later if they attempted to leave the dungeon under suspicious circumstances.
‘I guess we won’t have to make a move’
Once the noble Valerian name was invoked, the two adventurers began to backpedal. They were likely unaccustomed to resistance in dungeons, which were typically lawless zones. However, the sight of the magical machine capable of identifying their names and ranks had clearly thrown them off guard. Begrudgingly, one of them fished out a shimmering adventurer’s card and handed it over to the guards. The other muttered something under his breath but eventually followed suit. The orb scanned the cards, emitting a strange mechanical noise before blinking green.