This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 232, Question 231: What happened to the boss?
On the vast sea.

A cargo ship with a hull covered in repair marks and sails that looked a bit worn was slowly sailing towards the port city of Angus, whose outline was already faintly visible in the distance, rising and falling with the waves.

Having been hunted in Clark, Dylan didn't know if he was wanted by the lord there. To be on the safe side, he chose a merchant ship heading to the northernmost port city of the kingdom, a journey that took much longer than before.

This voyage was not without its challenges.

It wasn't something as deadly as encountering pirates or fog, but rather that the mage on the ship who was responsible for condensing fresh water had died of old age.

It's unclear whether the captain was trying to save money, but the water-making mage on board was an old man with only second-tier magic skills. Given his age, it wouldn't be surprising if he suddenly died of old age.

The old monk passed away peacefully, but the entire ship was plunged into a freshwater crisis.

The reserve of fresh water was insufficient to sustain the remaining voyage, so the captain was forced to find a deserted island marked with a freshwater spring on the map and detour to fetch water.

Misfortune struck again when the ship ran aground while circling unfamiliar waters. Fortunately, the reef was not fatal, and the sailors worked hard to plug the leaks and make repairs, so the ship did not sink.

However, this series of accidents greatly delayed the trip.

As the outline of Angus Port gradually came into view, everyone was overjoyed, feeling that although they hadn't escaped death, they had finally overcome their hardships!

Except for Dylan.

"Boss? Boss, say something!"

In the cramped sleeping compartment of the ship's cabin, Dylan held the scout's slumped body, feeling a headache coming on.

A few days ago, the boss suddenly went silent, and the scout Puji also disappeared from its mimicry for unknown reasons.

Dylan initially held onto a sliver of hope, but within a few days, Puji's body withered, turned black, and hardened, emanating an aura of decay. Now it seemed... he was clearly dead!

In the end what happened?
Dylan desperately tried to recall the last message his boss left before they went missing—

"I'm...I'm going to be sucked in!"

Dylan scratched his thinning hair. He had no idea what this last message from his boss meant!
"Calm down! Think back to earlier..." Dylan tried to recall their earlier conversation.

"Dylan, let me tell you, our dungeon is so much fun now, it has everything. It's a pity you probably won't see such a spectacular scene when you come back. I'm going to do some minor repairs now."

boom!
Dylan slammed his fist hard against the hard wooden bed frame.

"Boss! What happened to you?!"

The boss's fate is currently unknown, and judging from the situation with scout Puji, the situation is not optimistic. Dylan feels that he must get back as soon as possible!

Dylan knew his own limitations; he was an adventurer who barely managed to reach the gold-level threshold thanks to his boss's enhancements and equipment.

If even the boss can't solve this problem, I'd probably be nothing more than cannon fodder if I went back.

But... what if?! What if it could be of some help?!
His boss had saved his life and helped him find his daughter; he couldn't just stand by and do nothing knowing his boss was in trouble. He had to get back quickly!
The ship had barely docked at the Angus Port pier, and the deck wasn't even fully secured, when Dylan pushed aside the captain and sailors who were still arguing with the port guards who were demanding bribes.

As for the dead scout Puji, Dylan could only give it a tearful sea burial.

After asking a friendly-looking porter at the dock for directions, Dylan headed straight for the local adventurers' guild's horse post station, only to be met with a cold shoulder.

"Silver rank?" Behind the counter, a tall, thin man in a guild uniform lazily held the adventurer's badge Dylan handed him, not even lifting his eyelids before casually tossing it back. "Sorry, no luck. New rule: those below Gold rank traveling alone are not eligible for rentals."

"Why?" Dylan was a little confused. "This rule didn't exist a few months ago!"

"So that's why it's a 'new' rule!" The tall, thin man clicked his tongue impatiently, finally giving Dylan a proper look. "It's chaos outside lately! There's the arrest of demon spies, the food shortage, and bandits in the wilderness more numerous than wild dogs! If you, a silver-rank, get robbed and killed while alone, who are we supposed to turn to? That pittance of a deposit, is it even enough to compensate for a good horse?"

"Can't you make an exception?" Dylan quietly pushed two silver coins across the counter.

The tall, thin man flicked his finger, and the silver coin disappeared in a flash. His expression softened a bit, but he still shook his head resolutely: "Brother, it's not that I don't want to help you, but the rules are strict. No matter how much money you offer, no one will dare to take the risk. Your job is more important."

Just as Dylan was about to curse, the tall, thin man leaned forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Here's the thing... at the very back of the stable, there's an old chestnut horse. It's old enough to be retired and used for plowing, but it's still quite strong and can run long distances without a problem. If you need it urgently, go talk to the old cripple who manages the stables. You should be able to get it for six or seven gold coins. That's more than the deposit, but if you resell it later, you won't lose too much."

Having said all that, Dylan could only nod.

But the problem is... he doesn't have that many gold coins!

Later, the expenses along the way were barely covered by the scout Puji who "found" money bags anytime and anywhere. Now, he only has three gold coins on him, which is more than half of what he needs!

This amount of money would be more than enough to travel back slowly in a caravan, but that would be far too slow.

"Damn it..." Dylan clutched his empty money pouch, staring in the direction of the stables, his brows furrowed. "Where are we going to get money from here?"

Think, think quickly, Dylan!
What quick ways to make money have you learned in your forty-plus years of life?

Thoughts raced through my mind, and the first idea that popped into my head was: find the hidden demon spy stronghold, impersonate an accomplice, and swindle some operating funds...

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Dylan slapped himself hard across the face – this wasn't the way to court death!

In the end, Dylan pawned the Phantom Cloak with tears in his eyes.

Now we can afford not just an old horse, but a warhorse!
In the end, however, he still led away the chestnut horse. The tall, thin man was not lying; it had a sturdy frame, gentle eyes, and its four hooves pounded the ground with a steady force. Dylan patted its glossy neck, thus acknowledging it as his companion.

Without delay, Dylan casually prepared some dry food, and according to the boss's plan, he selected four Red Reef Fruits with relatively intact skin and no obvious rot or crush marks to take with him.

After packing up, he set off to find the local semi-gangster fishing gang. Amidst the clinking of silver coins, the transaction was quickly completed.

Before long, an inconspicuous little sampan carried Dylan to the outskirts of the city.

What Dylan didn't know was that if he had arrived just one more day later, he might not have been able to leave...

(End of this chapter)