Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Demon Army's Forward Base
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"Oh."
There are so many people!
Today was the day the elite dungeon for the third region finally opened, and a huge crowd had gathered in front of the 'Demon Army's Forward Base'.
At a rough estimate, there had to be several hundred people gathered at the entrance, located in a wide, rocky mountain basin.
It seemed like nearly every top dungeon-clearing team from Astria Online's Korean server was here.
And this surely wasn't all of them. People forming parties on the spot would be trickling in, and the latecomers would arrive soon after.
That meant the window for reaping the rewards of an early clear was getting shorter.
But if we were all at the same starting line, my 100% synchronization rate would give me an advantage.
I had a moment of doubt, wondering if it was right to use my heroic senses and combat experience for something like this, but this was largely the gods' fault.
In my despair, I might have said I didn't need anything, but they should have taken better care of me.
They could have at least sent me back in one piece.
Shaking my head.
I pushed the fleeting thoughts away.
It's better not to dwell on the past. It only makes me depressed.
Still, ever since I started playing Astria Online, I'd been able to smile more often.
I enjoyed this world with the feeling of being a child again.
It might just be a game setting, but ahead lay a forward base for the Demon King's army, which sought to invade the Astria Continent.
As a former Hero, I couldn't just turn a blind eye.
This time, I hadn't sacrificed sleep to level up, and I was well-rested.
I wouldn't pass out right after clearing the dungeon.
Peeking out.
I cautiously peeked out from behind a pile of rocks, looking toward the base's entrance.
Right now, the dungeon entrance was crowded.
If someone with a small frame like me wandered around without a party, I might attract unwanted attention.
I'd just have to wait until most of them went inside and then follow.
As I scanned my surroundings, a tall, red-haired woman came into view.
"Ah."
It's Chris.
She stood confidently before the sealing magic circle, a self-assured smile on her face.
To Chris's right was a pink-haired female Mage.
The Mage was short. Taller than me, of course.
To her left was a large, muscular man with brown hair—a Spirit Master.
I caught a glimpse of his profile and felt like I'd seen him somewhere before, but it was probably just my imagination.
And standing a little way behind the group was a tall, black-haired man.
With his arms crossed and eyes gently closed, he was practically radiating an intense aura, so I figured he was a Fighter.
I couldn't see any gauntlets, but Fighters often postured like that.
"A well-balanced four-person party."
They must have been clearing elite dungeons with impressive skill as a vanguard team.
While observing Chris's party members, I briefly turned on the area announcements, which I usually kept off.
I needed to check how much time was left until the elite dungeon opened.
[Level 30 Elite Dungeon, 'Demon Army's Forward Base' opening in 10 minutes]
After checking the time, I turned the announcements off again. All I needed were the combat announcements.
The ten minutes passed by slowly.
I remained hidden behind the pile of rocks, peeking out to watch the crowd.
And then, finally.
*Vwoooom.*
The magic circle at the entrance rumbled loudly, and the sealing barrier dissipated.
"The dungeon's open!"
"Everyone prepared? Let's go!"
The parties crowded at the entrance began to disappear one by one as they entered their own instanced dungeons.
Even Chris, whom I'd been watching until the end, soon vanished from sight.
The massive crowd of players vanished in an instant, leaving only a few behind at the entrance to the forward base.
*Scurry.*
I quickly scurried to the dungeon entrance and hopped inside.
[Entry Level: 30]
[Elite Dungeon (4-Person Party Recommended)]
[Demon Army's Forward Base]
***
Once I passed through the area where the magic circle's seal had been broken, the few remaining players disappeared. I had entered the instanced dungeon field.
A massive fortress unfolded before my eyes.
*Stomp, stomp.*
I walked confidently toward the fortress and looked around. Then, I tilted my head.
"Huh?"
It was no wonder I let out a puzzled sound.
Despite being in front of a fortress called the Demon Army's Forward Base, there was no one in sight.
Should I call out, "Is anyone home?"
"Hmm..."
I stroked my chin and paced back and forth near the fortress gate.
The gate was wide open, as if to welcome any players challenging the dungeon.
A faint smile touched my lips.
This is a trap.
If I were to walk straight in, I'd surely be met with a grand welcome from a huge number of demons and monsters.
It's a ploy by the game developers to drain players' energy before they even reach the named bosses.
With a structure like this, there had to be a 'shortcut' that led quickly to the boss area.
After walking along the wall for a bit, I soon found a hole just big enough for one person to squeeze through.
The wall was, as expected, very shoddily built.
Fitting for a forward base, it must have been hastily constructed.
Crouching low to the ground, I carefully slipped through the opening in the wall.
As I emerged on the other side, I grumbled quietly.
"This brings back memories."
In reality, the Hero's Party's role wasn't to fight on the front lines, either.
We often infiltrated like this when we went to take down corps commander-level demons in occupied territories.
A route I knew because it was familiar.
And when I finally stood up, the scene that unfolded before my eyes was...
An army encampment?
"Oh."
The interior of the fortress looked like a large military encampment simply surrounded by a flimsy wall.
Perhaps they were relying on the magic circle that enveloped the entire base, because there was no external security whatsoever.
However, the internal security around the densely packed barracks was tight.
Here and there, demon sentries patrolled, standing guard.
It was kind of funny.
There's no one on the walls, so what's the point of guarding against people who are already inside?
If it weren't for the instanced dungeon setting, this shoddy forward base would have been wiped out by players in no time.
"Then again, maybe it wasn't that strange."
The demons of the Astria Continent also had a tendency to be reckless, relying solely on their physical bodies and strength.
They had no tactics or strategy; they just attacked, trusting in the firepower of their commanding demons.
From here on, it's a stealth mission.
Though they were just sentries, they had humanoid forms and horns, suggesting they were one of the key forces capable of using demonic energy. They wouldn't have entrusted guard duty to just any riffraff.
I just needed to stay out of their detection range. Getting spotted would lead to a tedious extra fight.
Thankfully, the stacked military supply crates around me provided excellent cover.
*Tip-toe, tip-toe.*
*Whoosh.*
A demon sentry passed by with only a single crate between us. Luckily, it didn't seem to have spotted me.
This shortcut would be pretty difficult for a four-person party.
I moved cautiously from crate to crate, making my way toward a large barracks.
After a certain point, the sentries were no longer in sight.
I straightened up from my crouch and looked at the barracks before me.
"Oh."
A large barracks that stood out from the others, as if screaming, 'The boss is in here'.
The first named boss had to be in there.
There were no sentries near the large barracks, which was surrounded by smaller ones.
Then again, when you play games where you clear castles floor by floor, you do wonder, 'There's a huge commotion on the first floor, so why isn't anyone from the second floor coming down?'
It was all just part of the game's logic.
Anyway, it was a relief that I could focus solely on the boss. Though, some adds might join in once the fight starts.
*Tap, tap.*
I entered the barracks with timid steps.
Directly ahead, seated on a chair, was a male demon with large horns on his head.
He was about the height of an adult human male.
Blue skin.
A body covered in powerful muscles.
An expression of deep thought, his chin resting on his hand.
Compared to the 'Sealed Demon' from the last elite dungeon, this demon looked rather unimpressive at first glance.
But the overwhelming power contained within was clearly revealed by his HP bar.
The number was three million.
*Beep.*
As soon as I entered the barracks, I naturally entered his detection range.
The demon, who had been sitting on the chair with his eyes closed, opened them and stared directly at me.
The corners of his mouth lifted as his voice flowed out.
"What are the guards doing? A little human rat has snuck in. Even in this age, when the Hero's line has ended, there are still those who would oppose the Demon King's army."
Wow, the AI technology is amazing.
It even recognized that I came in alone.
And he's a named boss you can talk to.
What should I say to him?
How about, 'If you hand over the accessory peacefully, I'll spare your life'?
*Vwoom.*
He seemed to have no intention of waiting for me to figure out how to start the conversation, as a powerful energy began to gather around him.
"I was getting bored. This is perfect. Starting with your life, I will announce to this land that the Demon King's army has arrived."
*Rumble, rumble, rumble.*
The barracks shook. The boss fight was starting.
I quickly drew my sword.
*Whoooosh!*
"Kuh!"
A fierce wind suddenly whipped up. I lowered my body to brace against the gust.
*Rip! Tear!*
A powerful shockwave erupted from him, tearing the entire barracks to shreds.
The sky was clearly visible.
I stared blankly at the wide-open space where the barracks had been.
If it was just going to do this at the start of the fight, why even bother making the barracks in the first place?
*Thump, thump, thump, thump!*
Elite demon soldiers rushed out from the surrounding smaller barracks to join the named boss.
There were four of them.
"Eek!"
I jumped in place.
Another named boss that starts with adds.
"Kahahahaha!"
His body, wreathed in sinister demonic energy, shot toward me at high speed.
[First Named Boss]
[Level 33 Adjutant Kraksas of the Forward Base]
[HP 3,000,000/3,000,000]