Chapter 65

Without wasting time, he opened his inventory to check the newly received item.

〈Brass Compass〉

• Category: Time-limited Equipment
• Rank: Quest-exclusive
• Description: A compass that points toward the nearest dungeon. If obstacles block the direct path, it will guide you to a detour. It doesn’t reveal the location of treasures and won’t function inside dungeons. It will automatically disappear once the quest ends.

“…!”

His eyes widened at the description.

In the game, finding a dungeon required physically scouring the land, but this compass would lead them straight to one. Though it was unfortunate that the compass wasn’t exclusive to him and was time-limited, it was still a massive advantage—especially since his team had a Scout.

“If it’s purely about finding dungeons, a team with a high-level Scout will have an overwhelming edge.”

And as far as he knew, no other team had invested in leveling up their Scout class this much. The essential skill for dungeon exploration, Trap Detection, was only unlocked at level 20. Even for someone like Nathan, who had been intentionally trained for this role, it had taken considerable effort to reach that threshold.

“A new quest—finally!”

“God, I’ve been waiting forever for this!”

“Boss, what’s the plan? Do we head out right now?”

Amid their cheers, Nathan turned to Justin, holding a compass identical to his own. Despite missing the initial quests, reaching level 20 had automatically granted him an inventory—clearly, the system recognized pioneers as proper players only after hitting that milestone.

Surrounded by the eager gazes of his companions, Justin nodded decisively.

“Of course. We’ve got enough time and energy left today. At the very least, let’s scout out the location.”

There was no need to waste a full day resting since they had just started their hunt. If the dungeon wasn’t too far, they could even attempt an early clear.

Without further delay, they set off, following the compass’s direction.

A little while later…

“Holy crap…”

Ethan stared blankly at the sight before them, his expression mirroring that of the rest of the group.

Just recently, this area had been covered in thick, impassable undergrowth. Now, half of it had vanished.

“So that’s what the earthquake was about…”

The tremor must have been the system forcibly clearing the land to create this new area. It was the same overwhelming scale they’d seen when an entire village was relocated.

“Let’s go,” Justin ordered, shaking his stunned companions out of their trance.

The compass pointed deeper into what had once been dense forest. After traversing a long passage, they emerged into the newly unlocked Hill Zone—a sprawling expanse of rolling hills.

The drastic change in scenery left everyone glancing around in awe.

“There are so many hills… This would be a perfect place to hide something.”

“No kidding. Without a compass, we’d never find anything here.”

Trying to climb each hill individually would have been pointless with so many potential hiding spots. They would have to rely entirely on the compass for guidance.

Fortunately, the Brass Compass didn’t just stubbornly point toward one location—it adjusted dynamically, recalculating the most accessible route and even avoiding unnecessary climbs.

“This thing’s incredible. If they sold it in the shop, I’d buy it in a heartbeat.”

It was a shame it was only temporary.

After some time, the compass’s needle stiffened, pulling taut toward a fixed direction.

They stopped and began searching the area the needle indicated.

“…Found it!”

At the base of a hill, cleverly concealed, was a hidden door. It blended so seamlessly into the surroundings that it created a visual illusion—without the compass, they never would’ve found it.

Without hesitation, Justin pushed against the green door.

RUMBLE.

With a deep groan, the massive door slid open, revealing the darkness beyond. At that very moment, the torches lining the walls ignited one by one, flooding the stone corridor with warm light.

“Wow, atmospheric.”

“Atmosphere doesn’t mean it’s safe. Weapons ready.”

His words snapped the team back to attention. They drew their weapons and tightened their formation.

Justin turned to Nathan.

“Nath..-, trap detection?”

“I can use it anytime.”

As Nathan blinked, his pupils briefly shimmered purple—a sign of his Trap Detection skill, unlocked at level 20. The ability revealed both the presence and location of traps within his field of vision.

After scanning the area for a few moments, Nathan’s eyes returned to normal.

“Ugh, this makes me dizzy.”

“Dizzy? Why?”

“Things… look different. Like staring through a concave lens with infrared vision or something.”

“So, that’s a side effect…”

Justin had initially planned to keep the skill activated at all times, but that clearly wouldn’t be feasible if it distorted his vision this badly.

“Alright, just activate it when I tell you to.”

“Got it.”

“Good. Everyone ready? Stay sharp—”

SKREEEE!

Before Justin could finish speaking, a screech echoed from deeper within.

Without waiting for orders, his team moved into formation. The warriors—Rachel, Derek, and Ethan—immediately took the front, shielding Justin. Nathan readied his bow from the side, while Justin himself gripped his staff tightly.

Soon after, a horde of monsters surged out from the darkness.

“Goblins? Seriously?”

“I thought we’d get something stronger…”

It was almost anticlimactic. A pack of ten goblins wasn’t remotely threatening to a group that had been casually slaughtering gnolls.

But there was one notable exception.

Among the goblins, a massive figure loomed, hefting an enormous axe over its shoulder.

The sight made Justin’s breath catch in his throat.

“An Orc!”

Green skin, tusks jutting out like a wild boar’s, and a body rippling with muscle—larger than a gnoll and radiating the same oppressive presence.

Anyone familiar with World Breaker froze the moment they recognized the monster’s true nature: an Orc.

The only exceptions were Rachel and Nathan, who had never encountered one before.

“A new monster? Is it strong?” Rachel asked, tightening her grip on her weapon.

“Should I try shooting it first?” Nathan added, raising his bow.

“No! Take care of the hobgoblins first!” Justin barked suddenly.

“Uh—y-yes, right!” Nathan, startled by the urgency in Justin’s voice, hastily fired an arrow at one of the hobgoblins.

“Black Missile!” Justin followed up, wasting no time unleashing his magic.

Thud! Thud!

The barrage of arrows and spells shredded through the hobgoblins in seconds. But in the midst of their offensive, the orc closed the distance, raising its massive axe.