Chapter 148
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Sandwind Hill (2)
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Wearing lightweight robes highly effective at blocking out the sunlight, the group began traversing the desert.
"Fall back. It's a Scythe-Fanged Ant Legion."
At Jun's words, the party halted in unison and retreated.
The first monsters they encountered were insect types—ants that roamed in swarms of thousands.
Each one was the size of a thumb, with scythe-like fangs capable of shredding straight through bone.
A single moment of carelessness could leave someone carved up alive, so without a mage, the wisest choice would be to steer clear.
[Flame Rage]
[Instant incineration of ant swarms]
But that was just a distant tale for Jun's group.
The summoned spiral fireball erupted in a frenzy of flames, reducing the ants bursting from their burrows to ash.
"Whoa... It really does make things a lot easier."
"Come to think of it, haven't you been in other parties before, Lady Eleanor?"
"Yeah. There were monsters like these in other fields too, though they're rare."
Eleanor, who had once moved on church commissions, wasn't encountering these monsters for the first time.
"How'd you deal with them back then?"
"We usually avoided them. But if that wasn't possible, we'd douse them in poison."
"I see... Wait, then how'd you collect the loot?"
"Collect it? You don't. You just leave it."
For parties without a mage, fighting these things usually just led to losses.
"Summon."
But that didn't apply to Jun either.
A golem summoned from the 'Tear of Tayya' gathered the monsters' remains over the scorched path left by the spiral fireball, forming its body.
"Golem. Gather up the byproducts and put them in here."
Wuuung!
It grumbled as if annoyed at being called for such a menial task, but the golem obediently began stuffing the monster remnants—now part of its own body—into the leather pouch.
"...I'm realizing it more than ever, but Senpai, you're incredible."
"For this?"
Of course, Jun's initial plan had been to secure an easy ride in the party by handling chores well...
'But I don't think I've ever actually gotten that free ride.'
Wasn't tackling every hardship solo while handling combat like a pro the furthest thing from slacking off?
Of course, Jun wasn't the only one putting in the work.
"Hold up. I sense wraith energy coming from over there."
The direction pointed out by Eleanor, her eyes covered by a black eyepatch, was a small hill.
Jun immediately fired a spell toward it.
[Fire Ball]
[Mana-infused explosive strike]
The fireball, brimming with mana, struck the hill dead-on, and a mummy-like monster burst out shrieking.
Naide du matar!
Ancient Elvish for "meet your death."
"Maya, back him up!"
Aiden was the first to charge in.
About twenty desert wraiths erupted from the pit.
Half of them nocked arrows on bows made from rotten branches, preparing ranged attacks.
[Beast's Roar]
[Taunt effect redirects enemy aggression]
But Aiden activated his skill faster, preventing attacks from reaching the group, then dashed in like the wind and cleaved down two desert wraiths.
...Verdu ganshar!
"Maya, target the one with the ornate headpiece first!"
"Got it!"
Jun, who could decipher ancient tongues, quickly spotted the wraith leader.
A few that had fixated on Aiden's [Beast's Roar] snapped out of it at the leader's bellow.
At that moment, Jun's eyes gleamed.
He tore pages from a mana-infused tome pulled from his dimensional bracelet, flinging them into the air, and cast his spell.
A spell Jun had personally modified by observing Shylock's enchantments. The original [Shield] pattern was overlaid with patterns from the tome's pages, doubling the defensive strength.
Seeeek! Thud thud thud—!
A faint whistle preceded five arrows, all blocked before Jun's [Shield].
Realizing the attack had failed, the commander opened its mouth to issue new orders—
[Spirit Rush]
[Phased through sand for ambush]
Maya, now in spirit form, burst from beneath the desert wraith commander, piercing straight through the sand.
Normally, phasing through objects like that guzzled mana, but Maya had refined the technique with insights from the previous battle.
The commander, caught off-guard by Maya erupting from the ground, had its head severed by Acander's fangs and sent rolling.
The commander's death triggered an immediate collapse of their ranks.
Drudemes! Drudemes! Du vadaha!
The desert wraiths wailed the dead leader's name as their formation crumbled.
Ten minutes later.
Leaving the cleared wraiths behind, Aiden breathed heavily.
"Haa... haa... They were stronger than expected."
"They're fifth-layer monsters. Plus, their death shrieks hit mental fortitude hard in all sorts of ways."
"I see..."
Maya had strong resistance to such effects, so she was fine, but it had been a tough fight for Aiden.
"Still, you did great. No serious injuries after a full day of combat."
Aside from stamina draining faster due to the environment, the group had adapted to the field remarkably quickly.
"At this rate, we could stick around a bit longer..."
In truth, Jun had come here for more than just the Ancient Tower.
He needed 'World Tree Leaves' for the 'World Tree Roots.'
A hidden piece that dropped from higher layers.
If his comrades struggled to adapt, he'd planned to buy some at auction through Cloi later.
'But if they're handling it this well, might as well hunt for them.'
With that, Jun pulled out a map and a custom compass artifact.
'It's a detour, but close to the Ancient Tower. Straight shot from here. Unpopular field means no crowds, no incidents. Perfect.'
Eleanor and Maya would hate him for such thoughts, but Jun smiled in satisfaction.
The Altas Expedition had set off fireworks at the Adventurers' Guild last year by discovering 'Deidas' Viceroy Temple' on the fifth layer.
And the Altas Expedition's affiliate, the Mentrus Adventure Team, was currently handling an important mission.
"It's amazing, really. A 'World Tree Sapling' in a desert like this."
"Shh. Quiet. Why are you getting so worked up?"
"S-Sorry."
Mentrus scolded his team member, then unfolded a map away from prying eyes.
"We have to keep our real goal from the treasure hunters who came with us. If they find out, they might betray us."
"...I got too excited. Sorry."
Mentrus didn't soften despite the repeated apology.
The Mentrus Adventure Team had been wandering the fifth layer for years.
Talented enough to reach it, but stuck at the sixth-layer wall for ages.
To break through, they needed skillbooks or growth elixirs... which weren't easy to come by.
'Succeed in this mission, and Ron Kyler will reward us handsomely.'
The silver lining was their high chance of success.
His gaze shifted to the scholars keeping distance from the treasure hunters.
Scholars dispatched from the Isus Society.
Ones Mentrus had specially invited for this job.
The Isus Society had a bad rep, but no one was better for unearthing lost ancient relics.
The issue was their awful relations with his hired treasure hunters...
'Should've brought mercenaries instead, even if they're lower-tier.'
He'd brought them due to intel on traps around the World Tree Sapling site, but their friction was worse than expected.
It made sense, really.
How could relic-preserving scholars get along with tomb-raiding treasure hunters who wrecked ancient structures?
"Captain Mentrus. Sandstorm's brewing. Time to prep, no?"
"These idiot scholars. Didn't you say there were Seven-Poison Scorpion traces nearby? Camping here could mean facing a swarm swept in by the storm."
"Shut your trap, you moron! Scatter inkcap mushroom spores from the Black Forest, and they won't come near!"
"You think that'll scare off thousands of scorpions?! One sneaking in at night could wipe us all out—why can't you get that?!"
"Then you wanna head out and get blown away by the storm? It's like ignoring a safe road for a cliff!"
Every decision devolved into clashes like this between the groups. Headache-inducing.
But this time, Mentrus sided with the Isus Society.
"We don't know when the sandstorm hits, so prep for that first. The scholars' inkcap spores plus my enchants should block the scorpions."
"Why didn't you say so sooner?"
"Scholar's right this time! We'd have prepped already."
Grind.
His teeth ground together, but reality forced him to endure.
He'd push to the sixth layer just to spite them!
In the end, Mentrus's choice was wrong.
Buried in the sand, he finally understood why he'd lingered on the fifth layer for five years.
Lack of skill?
Distrust in comrades?
No.
This Blackout was a mad world!
'Who knew Dust Sand Rabbits would burrow right in!'
Dust Sand Rabbits were among the few docile creatures in Sandwind Hill.
They usually avoided humans like the plague... but as herbivores, the inkcap spores' scent from the Black Forest was pure bliss to them.
Drawn mad by the aroma, the rabbits devoured every spore.
Mentrus's enchants did their job, but not enough to repel all the storm-fleeing Seven-Poison Scorpions.
The group fled in panic, escaping through burrows.
They tied ropes together to weather the storm, but they snapped... and Mentrus blacked out in the gale.
And now.
Barely alive, but pinned to a sand dune in agony like his body was shattered, with no gear, no water, stamina depleted, and these wounds!
'This is how my life ends.'
Wrath and despair washed over him.
How he'd envied the White Whale Mercenary Corps from last season.
He'd dreamed of fame like theirs in this new season, only to fade so pointlessly.
As Mentrus cursed the world—
"Isn't that a guy?"
"Looks like it."
"Detection magic's been pinging. Must be him."
Strangers' voices echoed.