62. Reversal of Roles
62. Reversal of Roles
A dungeon.
A dungeon is a location created when a region is warped by a distortion of space. Their numbers multiply exponentially as the world sinks deeper into chaos.
Ironically, adventurers consider these fragments of chaos their primary workplace. That's because a dungeon functions like a 'mine.'
Apart from the magic stones you can harvest from demon beasts, exploring the internal structures and objects often yields valuable treasures.
"Whoa, this dungeon's a total gold mine! Hey, Mr. Spearman, check over there—I bet there's a big one waiting just for you!"
A room resembling brick-lined underground ruins.
As they rummaged through the old furniture, the party quickly gathered armfuls of ornaments—none of them ordinary—and held them up for the others to see.
The faint aura and subtle vibrations on their surfaces made it clear every single trinket was imbued with magical power.
"Hmm, with this many gathered, some might even be artifacts we could use right away. Should we try putting a few on?"
"I'd advise against that. Artifacts found in dungeons haven't been verified, and they don't always have beneficial effects."
The monk calmly admonished the vanguard, whose curiosity was piqued.
He was right. Among adventurers, using artifacts straight out of a dungeon was a taboo.
Until you had them appraised, you had no way of knowing what function those finds possessed.
For example, one Hero I used to attend to once thoughtlessly put on a necklace he found in a dungeon. The moment he channeled mana, it exploded and blew his head clean off.
No matter how many times I told him, he stubbornly wore it because he thought being pretty meant it could be forgiven. In hindsight, what a stupid way to die.
"But even if we go back to the city for an appraisal, it's a bit much to lug all of this back. Let's just take the good-looking stuff and leave the rest here."
"What about stashing it somewhere out of sight?"
"Not a great idea. The dungeon's layout shifts slowly, except for the main pathways."
The monk's reply to the vanguard was accurate. No matter how limited your carrying capacity, hiding loot in a dungeon was inefficient.
Even if it did miraculously remain untouched, it was common for new traps or demon beasts to populate the same routes.
You could clear all of them out and reach your objective, only to find the dungeon's internal structure had shifted and buried the spot where you hid the goods. Few things would be more disheartening.
"Sigh, if I'd known it would be like this, I would've brought along a porter."
The mage let out a deep grumble while listening to the others' conversation.
Feeling needled by that, I pulled my mask down tighter and spoke in a sharp tone, holding back my real feelings.
"...Isn't our main objective this time reconnaissance and survival?"
It wasn't just because the mention of porters soured my mood.
If anything, it was because I'd learned a thing or two working as a porter, and I was trying to point out what needed to be prioritized.
"Focusing on greed in a dungeon where it's hard enough to protect your own life is a recipe for disaster. We're still early in our search, so I'd recommend surveying the dungeon more and focusing on gathering info for the report..."
"Absolutely! Getting back alive beats treasure any day!"
The sniper immediately backed me up.
He doubled as a scout focused on reconnaissance, and while his first impression screamed 'materialistic,' he actually showed restraint and sound judgment at every turn.
Fair enough. The fact that a guy who pushes deeper than the front line has survived this long means he's that cautious.
"Alright, then. Let's finish searching this room and move on to the next spot..."
The sniper was just about to step out of the room into the hallway when he flinched and froze in place.
Then, turning his stiffened face toward me, he quietly said:
"...Mr. Spearman. You catch that?"
"Yeah."
I smoothly thrust my spear forward and signaled the rest of the party.
Responding with nods, the party members took their positions.
That was when we felt the presence from the other side of the hallway.
-Thud, thud.
The sheer tremor from their movement shook us.
The weight behind it made it obvious how heavy these enemies were.
As if their bodies were made of stone.
-Grrrrrrr.
And that guess was right on the money.
Bipedal monsters made entirely of stone.
Their grotesque faces and the wings sprouting from their backs made them look like demons, but in truth, they were a staple dungeon monster—their bodies, even their insides, composed of rock.
-Krarara, kawaaaa...!!
Gargoyles.
True to their name, they were monsters born from the statues that inhabit dungeons. Created from transformed stone, their bodies boasted extreme durability that nullified most ordinary physical attacks.
And since their role was to eliminate intruders, they harbored outright hostility toward anyone who entered the dungeon.
When such creatures came in a pack, even a seasoned party couldn't afford to relax.
"Pretty sure arrows won't kill these things. Mind if we leave the cleanup to you, Miss Mage?"
"Fine, just buy me some time. It takes a while to use magic powerful enough to blow them all away."
As the mage began chanting under her breath, the scout loaded his crossbow.
The monk raised his fists to guard their flanks, and the vanguard and I stepped forward together, raising shield and spear.
A textbook formation, enabling the whole party to respond from every angle as one.
Under normal circumstances, we would have had to maintain that formation and fight against the oncoming wave of demon beasts.
Unless, of course, an irregular stepped into the fray.
-Craaash!
The next instant, chunks of the dungeon's structures were lifted by an eerie force and sent hurtling through the air, slamming into the gargoyles.
Crushed by a mass that overwhelmed their stone bodies, the gargoyles writhed for a moment, then went limp and still.
The disappearance of their signature glowing eyes signaled that their lives had been completely snuffed out.
The hardened gazes of the party members slowly shifted to the girl standing behind the horde, one hand extended.
"Uh, uhh... that was..."
Right. I'd briefly forgotten after seeing her timid side.
That girl's 'Object Control' was the power to pick up and hurl anything within her line of sight.
The weight easily exceeded the ton scale, and as long as the target wasn't a living being with a will, she could grab and throw anything.
Essentially, while others fought with cold steel, that girl was casually throwing siege weapons around as her basic attack.
"The instructor taught me to do this when demon beasts show up... D-did I... do something wrong?"
"Oh, oh, of course not~ That was brilliant, well done~"
Though Ga-ram was still anxious, the scout and the other party members began to relax, their admiration breaking the tension.
Anyway, it wasn't like getting the last hit gave you extra experience.
As long as the annoying ones were swept away, it didn't matter who did it.
* * *
After that, the dungeon exploration proceeded with remarkable ease.
True to its nature as a dungeon built on an old royal tomb, it was riddled with traps. But if you skillfully navigated them, you could collect treasures almost everywhere.
Of course, we had to leave most of it behind, but pocketing just one or two of the more valuable-looking pieces made our pouches feel heavier in real time.
The demon beasts that appeared in what was practically a treasure vault were also crushed by Ga-ram's overwhelming power. This place was starting to look less like a dungeon and more like an overflowing gold mine.
So much so that the party—every single member a combatant—had enough leeway to loiter behind Ga-ram, yawning and making small talk.
"It's getting late. Shall we call it a day and rest here?"
"Agreed~ Let's take it easy tonight~"
The dungeon exploration continued for a few more hours.
Once fatigue set in, the monk made his suggestion, and starting with the mage, the party members all secured a room within the dungeon and began preparing to camp.
Since we hadn't brought a porter, we had to sleep on thin blankets with our backpacks as pillows instead of bedrolls. But such rough camping was probably routine for adventurers.
"Everyone brought rations, right? Well, even if you did, it's just tasteless preserved food."
"In another dungeon, we might've foraged something to eat, but this place is nothing but gems and rocks, so self-sufficiency seems out of the question."
"The environment makes food procurement impossible, so long-term operations are difficult. To explore deeper, we must be careful about establishing supply routes and base camps... That's how I'll organize it in the report."
"Dammit... brought all this seasoning for nothing."
"Let's just save the feast for when we get back. A detailed report means a bigger reward, anyway. Oh, right—anyone want to help set up barricades in case we get ambushed during the night?"
The sniper gestured toward the corridors connected to the room, ignoring the grumbling mage behind him.
The monk and the vanguard moved to step up immediately, but before they could, someone else seized the moment and jumped at the chance, raising her hand.
"I'll do it!!"
"What? The Hero-nim...."
-Rumble, thud.
Ga-ram immediately used her ability to gather nearby structures and bricks, blocking the passage.
The amount she lifted in one go exceeded what several strong men could move, and she finished with incredible speed.
"Whoa, as expected of the Hero-nim. She handles things we couldn't do with ease!"
"Here, could you block this side as well?"
"Oh, yes! Leave it to me!"
Though the fine-tuning of the placement was a bit rough, that was something we could easily adjust ourselves once it was stacked.
While the vanguard and the monk showered her with admiration, the snickering sniper began walking over to me where I stood watch.
Was he here to help?
"Whew, thanks to the Hero-nim, things sure have gotten a lot easier~"
Nope, not that.
The way he leaned back without drawing a weapon meant he had some business with me.
"Speaking of which, Mr. Spearman. Now that we've got some breathing room, something's been bugging me. Mind if I ask a question?"
"...What is it?"
"Your name, I mean. I never heard it when you joined the party. Isn't it a bit awkward just calling you 'Spearman' when we're risking our necks together?"
...Out of everything, he had to zero in on the thing I was most concerned about.
I calmly ran a hand along my spear and replied.
"Unfortunately, I can't tell you right now. That was one of the conditions for joining this party."
Hiding my face with a mask wasn't an issue to maintain while working together, even if it dulled my ability. But the name was different.
The moment it reached someone else's ears, that name would be imprinted in their memory. Every memory tied to it would become sharper, and their assessment of me would change.
Especially since one of the victims of that name was standing right in front of me.
"Hoho, really now. We're supposed to trust each other, and yet you're hiding so much."
"...You got a problem?"
"Nah, as long as you cooperate well, that's all that matters. Let's just keep working together so we all get back alive."
With that, the sniper clapped me on the shoulder and stepped away.
Though he backed off after a quick probe, anyone watching could tell he found me suspicious.
Of course he would. I was hiding my face and made it a condition of joining that I wouldn't even give my name. It was natural to be wary.
Conversely, the fact that they'd recruit such a shady character into the party meant that the title 'Failed Hero' carried a pretty poor reputation among adventurers.
I saw that clearly just by watching the mage, who was in charge of meal prep, wave over Ga-ram, who had just finished setting up the barricades.
"Hero-nim~ If you don't mind, could you help me get a fire going over here?"
"A f-fire, you mean?"
"Yeees~ All you have to do is assemble this kit and strike the flint~ Oh, and I'd appreciate a hand preparing these rations, too~"
"Ah, yes. I'll help."
In that moment, a duty that had been assigned to her was passed off—not to another party member, but to the Hero herself.
If it were any other Hero, she might've smashed her skull in on the spot while asking if she was insane. But Ga-ram paid it no mind and stepped up to assist the mage.
Even though the cold sweat on her brow was proof that building the barricades had already drained her stamina...
"There's a lot of dirty dishes piled up. Think you could wash some at that fountain over there?"
But those unreasonable requests didn't stop at the meal prep. They continued right into the cleanup.
"Ehehe~ I'm a mage, you see, so I have absolutely zero stamina... What do you say? Could you help me out?"
"Ah, yes. I'll handle it. Washing dishes isn't a problem..."
...Yeah, I knew this was coming the moment they said they'd split the reward evenly.
That adventurers willing to party up with a washed-up, branded Hero wouldn't be approaching this with decent intentions.