Chapter 65
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Major Crisis
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"Here it is."
"Phew... It's in quite a remote spot."
The members following Ian came to a halt.
They had walked for quite a while to reach this place, and now everyone stared at the dungeon entrance.
It was a dungeon where exploration had long since ended and foot traffic had dried up.
Rather than the typical image of a dungeon, it looked more like an abandoned ruin.
"Let's rest here a bit before going in."
This place had once seen fairly active exploration, enough that a small campsite had been set up near the entrance.
Though it hadn't been used in a while and was in poor condition, it was still fine for a short break.
At Ian's words, everyone set down their gear and sat to catch their breath.
Ian took one last moment of rest before entering the dungeon, looking over his members.
He had already explained everything before departure, but he went over it one more time for good measure.
"Let me explain one last time before we go in."
Everyone sat lightly resting and focused on Ian.
"Our goal is the final room on the third underground floor. We have a map, but we're not going to use it—we'll explore the paths ourselves."
Finding paths in a labyrinth was completely different from a dungeon, but they had planned it this way on purpose to maximize their time inside.
Wandering with limited supplies, enduring the stress of darkness.
Experiencing that came before speeding through exploration.
They'd probably spend a few days inside the dungeon.
They had heard this at the outpost already, so everyone just nodded without comment.
"All set."
"Me too."
They regulated their slightly ragged breathing from the trek here.
Everyone finished checking their belongings and nodded.
"Let's move out."
At Ian's words, they all stood and headed for the dungeon entrance.
Lia, equipped with her new armor and shield, took the lead.
One by one behind her, they slowly stepped into the dungeon's darkness.
They walked slowly through the barren dungeon interior, thick with dust and cobwebs.
It somewhat resembled the underground sewer, but while the sewer saw steady human traffic and maintenance, this place was closer to a ruin.
And the oppressive closeness of the much narrower passages.
Everyone advanced one tense step at a time.
"Ugh... It feels like no one's been in here for ages. Think there are even monsters?"
"I heard there are... but the last party that came was six months ago."
"It won't collapse on us, right?"
No signs of monsters, just endless dusty passages.
This was everyone's first time entering a dungeon, and it was far from what they'd imagined.
Ian and the members chatted quietly as they walked the passage.
"Still, it's a dungeon—maybe there's a hidden treasure room?"
"It's been discovered and looted ages ago."
"You never know. We might stumble on something no one's found..."
Even as they dismissed the idea, they couldn't help glancing at the floors and walls as they passed.
But this dungeon had been stripped bare, desolate enough to call it a wasteland.
It was now used only for tests like this.
Even if there were hidden rooms, no casual glances while walking would reveal them.
After a bit of pointless searching for nonexistent treasure, the Ian Mercenary Corps reached the end of the first passage.
"There's a room ahead."
At the passage's end, the first room emerged from the shadows.
Rin cautiously stepped forward a few paces to quietly check for presences inside.
She withdrew after a moment and whispered to Ian.
"...I hear something inside."
Ian nodded, lowering the small lantern he held. Tanya handed him a prepared torch from the side.
As Ian lit the combat torch, flames roared to life, greatly expanding their field of view.
The torchlight spread throughout the first room.
-Rustle...
Something stirred in reaction to the sudden light.
The clear presence of monsters.
The vanguard Lia stepped forward, blocking the party's front.
Sword drawn and shield at the ready, she scanned ahead for several seconds.
Something darted into Lia's view.
"...!"
The torchlight revealed several insect monsters.
With a chittering sound, the monsters that had retreated from the light slowly emerged from the dungeon shadows.
"Kyaaak...!"
Lia flinched back with a scream.
The large bugs were inching closer to her.
"Lia. Get ready."
"Y-you didn't say things like this would come out, eek...!"
"In a labyrinth, you never know what'll show up ahead of time. You can't freak out like this every time."
In a situation like this, there was no arguing against such plain logic.
Lia took position at the front with a tearful face.
The monsters, sensing the intruders, let out displeased noises as they charged quickly.
"Urk..."
She wasn't fully accustomed to shield tactics yet, but Lia's body moved as trained.
Stepping forward, she cut off the monsters' path and blocked their attacks.
At the same time, fiery mana rose from Lia's sword.
The monsters sensed the flickering flames and hesitated back.
"Rin! Bind the two in the back—start with the one up front!"
"Got it!"
Rin hurled a pre-prepared orb toward the rear.
It shattered, spreading glowing webs around.
The monsters instinctively dodged the incoming object, but the instantly extending webs caught their legs.
"Mika, time your next attack and cast a barrier on Lia."
Mika nodded and prepared her barrier spell.
The first spell she'd learned, practiced relentlessly since—it was now familiar enough for any situation.
As the frontmost monster lunged at Lia, Mika's barrier unfurled.
The moment Lia blocked the attack, she signaled Rin.
"Now!"
Rin surged forward from behind the shield, syncing with Lia in a brief delay to strike the monster.
Apart from Lia's odd noise at the creepy feel of slicing the insect, it was exactly as practiced.
First real combat in new positions for everyone, yet amid the slight chaos, their drilled teamwork clicked.
The struck monster thrashed noisily.
-Kieeeek!
"Rin. Behind me."
Lia shielded Rin with her guard.
The wounded monster flailed and charged, but its attack hit Lia's barrier first.
Bounced back by the repulsion, its stance crumbled, and Lia's counter followed instantly.
"Haat!"
Her sword swung in a red flash.
The first monster, hit repeatedly by Lia and Rin, collapsed to the floor.
"Got the first one!"
Rin fell back behind the shield as the rear monsters broke free and charged late.
Lia stepped up to block them.
"Tanya, bait! And resupply Rin."
"Yes!"
Tanya lobbed her prepared item far to the rear.
The noisemaker screeched as it burned, drawing the eyes of the monsters crowding Lia.
They used the gap to reform their slightly disrupted formation and finish preparations.
With no special abilities or habits, the fight repeated the same method.
One by one, the rest fell similarly, ending the dungeon's first battle swiftly.
"Hup!"
Lia's sword cleaved the last monster.
Its twitching on the floor gradually stilled.
"...All down?"
Rin muttered, watching the fallen monsters.
For how tense they'd been, the fight felt surprisingly controlled.
This had been practice formations for the labyrinth.
Against monsters this level, it was overkill strategy.
The pack was wiped before half the expected time.
"Last one?"
"Doesn't seem like more."
"None in the back either."
After downing the visible foes, they scanned but spotted no more.
"Captain. No other monsters."
"You all did great, just like in practice. Keep it up."
"...Phew."
No signs of more incoming. At Ian's words, everyone let out small sighs of relief.
They'd heard the monsters weren't that strong, but first dungeon jitters were inevitable.
Their first dungeon fight.
Today's expedition was labyrinth prep, so everyone had been extra tense, but now relaxed.
Relieved at the smooth first win, they chatted.
"That startled me. Lia screaming out of nowhere..."
"First time hearing her yell like that."
Everyone chuckled over Lia's cute scream, but she had no energy for it.
Face stiff, she turned to Ian.
"...C-Captain. Surely the depths aren't full of these too... right?"
"They are."
Ian finally answered what monsters lurked, which he'd deliberately withheld.
Mana depleted, no food growing in this abandoned dungeon.
Only prolific insects thrived here.
Lia wore a look of utter despair, as if entering a true labyrinth.