Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Breakthrough #2
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[Dragon Scale Greaves]
[A-Rank]
[Fire Resistance Lv. 3, Fire Absorption Lv. 3]
[Strength +5 / Agility +10% / Kick Attack Power +5%]
[Greaves made from the hide and scales of a red dragon. Crafted from the hide of a fire-wielding red dragon, they not only boast immense fire resistance but can also absorb flames. The more fire absorbed, the greater the increase in kick attack power.]
[Special Skill: Flame Enhancement]
[For each level increase in Flame Enhancement, kick attack power increases by 5%. (Max Level 5. Without additional fire absorption, the level can be maintained for up to 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the level will decrease, returning to Level 0.)]
Inside a carriage heading toward the gold mine where Thunder Doom Fortress was discovered.
Juingong read and reread the long text floating in the air, a satisfied smile on his face as he fiddled with the greaves strapped to his shins.
“These are good.”
They were truly good. The strength stat increase was a bit low for an A-Rank item, but the agility boost was beautiful. A 10% increase, not a flat value. A percentage-based increase meant that the stronger Juingong became, the more his agility would rise.
This alone was satisfying, but the special skill embedded in the greaves made Juingong even happier.
*So it was red dragon hide.*
Fortunately, the greaves weren't bright red. They were more of a dark, crimson-black. The red dragons in *Knight Saga* almost always had hides of a primary color, which made this a little strange, but for Juingong, it was quite fortunate.
*I can just charge the flames with Fire Arrow.*
Of course, it would be a considerable grind, but that grind would in turn lead to leveling up Fire Arrow, so in a way, it was killing two birds with one stone.
Juingong stroked the greaves again, imagining himself delivering literal flaming kicks. Green Wind whispered to him.
*Master, I am far better than those greaves.*
A faint green light emanated from White Eagle, which he had taken out earlier since it was difficult to explain to Felicia's group.
Instead of looking over, Juingong kept fiddling with the greaves as he replied.
“That's White Eagle, not you.”
*White Eagle and I are already one. Therefore, White Eagle's excellence is my excellence.*
At this strange logic, Juingong looked up. A translucent Green Wind sat atop White Eagle with her arms crossed, wearing a determined expression as if to say, 'Isn't that right?'
Juingong sighed without realizing it.
“I thought you were pretty cool at first. Kind of divine.”
*Master?*
“No, I mean, you're the best.”
Putting on a business smile, Juingong used the hand that had been stroking the greaves to caress the surface of White Eagle.
*Mmm, again, it feels strange yet good. Please continue.*
As if feeling her head being patted, Green Wind gently closed her eyes and spoke.
Felicia, who had been quietly watching Juingong's one-sided conversation, glanced at White Eagle and asked.
“Are you talking to Green Wind?”
“Yeah. She's getting a little jealous.”
*It is not jealousy. I am merely stating a fact.*
Instead of replying, Juingong stroked White Eagle a little more gently, and Green Wind fell silent with a pleased expression. As if reflecting her mood, the green light from White Eagle grew even fainter.
Felicia asked.
“Can you make her visible to us?”
“Probably.”
After inhabiting White Eagle, Green Wind's power had been recovering at a fairly rapid pace. By now, she could probably even maintain a fully corporeal form for a short while.
“What about you, Karma?”
At Juingong's question, Karma, who was sitting in a corner of the carriage, furrowed her brows and spoke in a troubled voice.
“I feel like I want to see her, but at the same time, I don't.”
She wanted to see Green Wind, the guardian spirit of the Anger Plains, but she had a feeling that if she saw her now, all the faith she'd held would vanish.
“I understand.”
Karak clicked his tongue and patted Karma's shoulder.
Felicia chuckled, then gestured to Juingong with her chin and asked.
“How's the new armor?”
“I quite like it. It's not restrictive at all.”
While not on the level of the Dragon Scale Greaves, the new leather armor he'd acquired from the Demon King's armory was also quite good.
It was B-Rank. Being leather armor, its defense wasn't very high, but thanks to a weight-reduction enchantment, it felt like wearing just an extra layer of clothing. He was also very pleased with the enchantment that increased his health recovery speed by 10%.
*And various elemental resistances, too.*
It had basic resistance to fire, frost, and lightning. It couldn't absorb flames like the Dragon Scale Greaves, but it would significantly reduce the impact of basic magic.
Felicia suddenly leaned back and looked Juingong up and down.
“You're secretly decked out, aren't you?”
Enchanted leather armor from the Demon King's armory.
Greaves made from the hide and scales of a red dragon.
The magic shield, White Eagle, inhabited by the nature spirit Green Wind.
The gauntlet, Earthquaker, which had already proven its power several times.
And on top of that, the Tear of the Dark Elf, which boasted absolute defense against mental magic.
“I guess so. All I need now is a helmet, right?”
Juingong replied playfully, but his inner thoughts were completely different.
*It's still not enough.*
A fact known only to Juingong and Green Wind among the group, but both Earthquaker and White Eagle were Elder Dragon artifacts.
Juingong planned to collect four more Elder Dragon artifacts, and he had no intention of being satisfied with just one necklace for an accessory.
*Bracelets, rings, earrings—I'll wear everything I can.*
Unlike a game, there were no equipment slot restrictions, so the more he wore, the better.
*It’s all about the gear.*
Since it had come to this, he would gear up properly.
Karak and Karma also planned to increase their combat power with items for the time being.
Clenching his fists, Juingong's eyes burned with ambition for the first time in a while.
Meanwhile, Felicia, who knew the materials and origin of the Dragon Scale Greaves from Juingong, quietly looked at his shins and gently shook her head.
This was something to congratulate, not to be jealous of. After all, didn't she have the reliable backing of her 'Dark Elf' maternal family? It was only right to be happy for Juingong, who received a little support from his paternal Sura family when he effectively had none from his maternal side.
Moreover, he had kept it a secret from Daphne and Delia but had been honest with Felicia herself.
Steeling her resolve, Felicia lightly tapped her cheeks with both hands and brought up a new topic.
“This might be sudden, but let's go over the plan one last time before we arrive.”
Everyone's attention naturally turned to Felicia. She looked at Juingong and said.
“Shutora, as you know, there are two main ways to clear a dungeon. Either push through with numbers, or break through with a small, elite team.”
The first method was truly brutish and cruel. It involved recklessly sending in troops to disarm traps with their bodies, like using cannon fodder on a battlefield.
For Felicia, who cherished her people dearly, this method was utterly unthinkable.
“Obviously, we'll be taking the small, elite team approach. So I think we should limit the party members to those in this carriage.”
Felicia first pointed to Delia, who was sitting beside her.
“Delia will take the lead. She's also taken treasure hunter lessons, so she's skilled at finding and disarming all sorts of traps.”
In RPG terms, she was the rogue.
Delia gave Juingong a nod as if to say 'leave it to me,' and Felicia pointed to everyone in the carriage one by one as she spoke.
“Daphne will be in charge of healing and buffs, and I'll provide support from the rear as usual. Shutora, you and Karak will protect us.”
“Got it.”
“Leave it to me.”
“And…”
Felicia trailed off slightly and looked toward Karma. Karma waited for Felicia's words with an eager expression.
After briefly pondering Karma's role, Felicia forced a smile and said.
“I'll need you to look after the luggage and Daphne. Stay by their side and protect them.”
“Understood. I'll do my best.”
Once the roles were all assigned, Felicia looked at Juingong again.
“Not much is known about Thunder Doom Fortress yet. General Kashubal died while exploring the entrance where the mine shaft connects to the fortress, and the excavation was halted after that.”
In short, almost no excavation had been done.
“There's no time limit, so I plan to take it slow and steady. And this is essential for the expedition.”
At Felicia's signal, Delia pulled out a long bag she had stored under her seat. Opening it revealed several small, oxygen-mask-like items made of black leather.
“What's this? Some kinda face guard?”
As Karak blinked and asked, Felicia smiled and took out one of the masks. She brought it to her face, and it completely covered her nose and mouth, like an emergency oxygen mask on an airplane.
“It's a device to block the poisonous gas emitted from the mine. It also has a detoxification function, so even if you inhale a little, you'll be fine as long as you're wearing this.”
When Felicia gestured to the box as if telling him to try one, Karak carefully brought a mask to his face. Karak's face was incomparably larger than Felicia's, but he somehow managed to cover both his nose and mouth.
Delia smiled faintly at the sight of Karak, then turned to Juingong.
“General Kashubal's official cause of death was being caught in a trap while poisoned by toxic gas, but there's a high probability that various monsters are living inside the fortress. I've compiled a list of monsters we might encounter based on those that appear nearby.”
The report Delia handed him contained a drawing and description of a monster on each page.
Since Juingong already knew the names and weaknesses of all the monsters in Thunder Doom Fortress, reviewing the report was more of a confirmation process for him.
*It's more or less the same.*
Juingong picked out the monsters that appeared in Thunder Doom Fortress and added some explanations about their general weaknesses and how to fight them. He used the excuse of having read about it in a book again, and thanks to his track record, no one seemed to doubt him.
And after some time had passed, the carriage came to a stop.
&
The mine where the passage to Thunder Doom Fortress was discovered had been effectively abandoned due to poisonous gas rising from underground.
It hadn't been this bad before General Kashubal's death, but afterward, it had apparently become so severe that even approaching it was difficult.
*Is that how he got caught?*
*Because the poisonous gas he'd thought was trivial suddenly became severe?*
Juingong was the leader of this mission, but that didn't mean he had to handle everything himself. Felicia handled various administrative matters with the remaining forces of the 27th Exploration Team still stationed there, while Delia began another investigation into General Kashubal's cause of death.
Juingong, sticking to his philosophy of leaving things to the experts, retired to his quarters early to rest.
And the next morning.
After informing the local manager and the 27th Exploration Team of their rough excavation plans and the upcoming visit from the Dark Elves, Felicia came to find Juingong. Fully prepared and waiting, Juingong headed straight for the mine.
“Let's go.”
Unlike her usual attire, Felicia was dressed in a jet-black leather outfit that could be called a full bodysuit, with no skin exposed. She took the lead and put on her mask. It seemed to be a dungeon-delving outfit, as it was covered in pockets.
Led by Delia, who held a light source, the party entered the mine. It was a single path, so they didn't need a local guide.
The thought of walking into poisonous gas that pooled thickly almost up to their waists was unnerving, but numerous clinical tests had already shown that mere skin contact posed no significant problem. Thanks to the masks Felicia had prepared, breathing was easy.
But Felicia didn't let her guard down. Instead of rushing right in, she tested the masks' stability several times near the entrance before ordering Delia to advance.
After descending about fifty meters underground along a gentle slope, they saw a large hole revealed by a cave-in. It was the entrance to the passage leading to Thunder Doom Fortress.
Delia glanced back at Juingong and Felicia once before entering the hole. At first, it was a narrow cave, but at some point, it opened up into a fairly large cavern.
“I think it's over there.”
Through the thick, fog-like poisonous gas, Felicia pointed to a hole in the distance.
Juingong checked his mini-map and nodded. The area beyond that hole could certainly be considered Thunder Doom Fortress.
With their destination just ahead, Delia and the rest of the party naturally quickened their pace. And just as they had crossed about halfway through the cavern.
“Gah?!”
Karak suddenly let out a choking sound and staggered on the spot. Next, Delia, who was leading the way, clutched her chest in pain, while Karma and Daphne at the very back bent over and gasped for air almost simultaneously.
Felicia was the quickest to react to the simultaneous incident. Even as she stumbled, she spread her arms wide and cast a spell.
“Wind!”
A wind originating from Felicia pushed away the heavy poisonous gas. But it was no use. Before Felicia could even cast a detoxification spell, the gas surged back in, and she collapsed with a sharp cry.
The type of poisonous gas had suddenly changed. No, a new toxic substance had been added to it.
Delia, too, could no longer hold out and slumped to the ground. Karma gasped while holding Daphne, then fell on her bottom, and Karak dropped to his knees.
The poisonous gas that had filled the cavern floor had now turned from gray to a deep yellow. And from within that transformed gas, jet-black, emaciated figures emerged.
They had hunched postures, long arms, and large hands. Their entire bodies were black, except for their yellow eyes, which seemed to glow fiercely in the darkness.
There were six of them in total. One of them, who had been quietly watching the fallen party, raised its hand, and the other five began to move in unison. In their hands, they all held shards of animal bone that resembled daggers.
And just as the first one reached Delia.
*BOOM!*
A pure white aura exploded from within the yellow poisonous gas. While the creatures flinched at the loud noise, a green light drew a white arc.
*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*
With a sharp noise, two of the creatures were knocked to the ground. White Eagle, having struck their heads in succession, didn't stop, and neither did Juingong.
By the time White Eagle locked onto a new target, Juingong had already reached the fourth creature. Instead of letting it open its mouth to scream, he delivered a sharp uppercut.
The creature, struck on the jaw, flew into the air and traced a short arc before crashing to the ground. Two remained. White Eagle slammed into the back of one. Juingong launched himself at the one that had raised its hand first. It was an explosive movement befitting the Beast God Fist.
“H-How?!”
The last one standing cried out in shock. A surprise even greater than the fact that five of its minions had been defeated in a matter of seconds dominated its thoughts.
This was a potent poison that had eventually incapacitated even a mid-level general from the Demon King's castle. How could he move so freely in such a deadly poison?!
“Because I'm the protagonist.”
[Protagonist's Body Lv. 2]
[Additional Effect: Poison Immunity Lv. 1]
[Significantly increases resistance to poison.]
Juingong's fist smashed into the creature's face.
&