Chapter 246
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 246
Chapter Title: Rockwind Plains (3)
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Kriieeek!
Dozens of Stone Goblins charged in all at once.
In their midst, Aiden's sword danced in a brilliant flurry.
Enveloped in blood-red aura, the blade carved vivid trails through the darkness, and with every swing, a Stone Goblin's head inevitably tumbled to the ground.
Meanwhile, around Maya, monsters lay collapsed amid a shower of fallen needles, not even twitching.
"Phew... That was close."
Those were Aiden's words after they'd slain all the Stone Goblins.
"Ugh... Yeah, tell me about it."
In the meantime, Eleanor was tending to her bleeding shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Lady Eleanor..."
"No, it was such a sudden ambush."
Stone Goblins.
The "goblin" in their name made them seem easy, but they were natural-born hunters.
They used the camouflage of their rocky skin to launch ambushes that were incredibly threatening.
At first, Eleanor and Maya spotted them right away, but after repeated retreats like that, this time they'd clung to the ceiling.
From there, they fired stone spikes, each one powerful enough to crater the ground.
Thankfully, Maya—sensitive to presences—reacted instantly to protect Eleanor, but even so, her shoulder had been grazed.
"Still..."
"I said I'm fine. Focus on what's ahead. We've confirmed it's no walk in the park."
"...Understood."
The good news was that, unlike the Black Forest goblins, these didn't use poison.
"That's why the captain said this would be tough."
Jun nodded at Eleanor's words as she finished healing her shoulder wound.
"Monsters here come in all varieties, so you have to grasp their traits perfectly."
"How many more types like this are there?"
"Pretty much all the ones that usually live in forests."
"...You don't mean that one too?"
Did something come to mind at the mention of forests?
Eleanor asked with a grave expression, and Jun nodded.
"It's here. It's one of the sources of the curse."
"Damn it all."
"We're on layer seven, after all."
"Right, layer seven."
Imagining the battles ahead, Eleanor shuddered for a moment.
"No time for whining."
It would be a grueling stretch, but that's exactly when you needed to keep your head straight.
Jun rolled up his sleeves for the first time in ages and got to cooking.
"In a dark place like this, with nonstop fighting, stress builds up without you realizing. A little can fuel your battles, but too much just scatters your focus."
He recalled the various recipes he knew.
Surprisingly, his comrades loved his cooking.
"Captain. What's... this dish?"
"Cheese tomato pasta. Boiled noodles topped with tomato sauce and fragrant cheese."
"The mix of flavors gives it such an interesting texture."
"Right?"
Using ingredients from his dimensional bracelet, he managed his team's morale that way, easing his own tension too.
During short breaks, they always chatted about all sorts of topics.
Sometimes debating magic with Eleanor.
Aiden would ask questions whenever curiosity struck, even if he didn't follow it all.
Maya dozed nearby.
Those small things did wonders to ease the mental strain.
"One downside of this godforsaken tunnel is this pitch-black darkness."
The expedition had dragged on for over four days now.
No sunlight at all—just occasional glimpses of Eleanor's golden holy power or the [Hour Sun] Jun summoned himself.
And so it went for a while.
Then the party spotted a massive cavern in the distance.
"There. The curse's energy feels strongest from that direction."
"Boss room. Everyone, stay sharp."
They started at full strength from the get-go.
Jun and Eleanor immediately buffed the two up front with support spells and holy magic, then prepped their next casts.
The being that emerged from the cavern was a colossal monster at least five meters tall.
A Stone Troll.
"Aiden, focus on support! Maya finishes it off!"
"Got it!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Stone Troll swung its massive rock club with agility belying its huge bulk.
The sheer destructive power sucked in the air with its passing wind pressure.
Boom!
Just slamming the club down cratered the ground massively.
Aiden, who'd been there a second ago, had dodged far ahead and was charging [Gale Fury].
Kraka kaka kag!
His sword, wrapped in red aura and wind, slashed at the Stone Troll's ankle.
Crimson sparks lit the area, carving a huge gash there.
'Not enough for a one-shot!'
For a split second, he'd thought he could shatter it, but the feedback from his blade felt off.
He couldn't afford to lose his weapon here.
He had a spare iron sword, but it'd shatter before landing a solid hit on the troll.
'Fall back for now.'
Fortunately, Maya had shadow-stepped behind it in the interim, landing several solid blows.
"How many more?"
"Nine to go!"
It needed over ten strikes.
A testament to the Stone Troll's power.
Kuugaahhh!
But had it sensed danger from Maya's attacks?
It suddenly flailed its club wildly with its long arms, forcing the two back.
A brief stalemate formed.
Then the thing glanced around and started gobbling up scattered rocks.
"...!"
The moment they sensed it doing something, Aiden and Maya lunged—but too late.
The already enormous Stone Troll's body swelled even larger.
Like stone skin clad in armor.
"Bigger just means more openings!"
Maya swung Akandus's fangs, wrapped in spirit energy, undaunted.
Clang!
But the blade that should've pierced its flesh sparked and bounced off.
"What...?"
"That's not its skin! It's literally armored up!"
Eleanor's voice rang from behind.
Swinging at thick, lifeless rock meant [Spirit Swarm] wouldn't work.
As Aiden reared back to smash the armor—
Kwaaang!
The troll kicked back with a massive foot, checking him.
Then slammed both heavy arms into the ground.
The threatening roar and vibrations made it seem like the tunnel might collapse.
Just before the shockwave hurled Aiden and Maya away, a holy golden glow erupted between them.
[Block of Light]
"Th-thanks!"
"Nice timing!"
The golden barrier blocked the shockwave as they leaped back.
Jun, watching it all, frowned in annoyance.
"Didn't see that pattern coming..."
It wasn't one he'd encountered in the game.
Probably triggered by specific conditions.
'Armored up, but its movements are noticeably slower. It knows that weakness. It's a skill it rarely uses—aimed to check Maya specifically.'
Jun eyed Aiden and Maya's states.
"Aiden, Maya—withdraw for now."
"Huh? But..."
"Need to rethink the strategy."
"...Got it."
They nodded reluctantly.
But the Stone Troll had no intention of letting them go, lumbering forward with its heavier bulk.
But.
"Catch you later, rockhead."
[Volcanic Tornado]
[Enchantment: Flame Probe]
A massive fiery storm roared through the dark cave.
Ancient magic flames engulfed the troll so fiercely its form vanished, and in that time, Jun and the others retreated safely.
Kuwaaaaaah!
Its distant roar echoed—furious at losing its prey.
Half a day away, at base camp.
"Huff, huff..."
"Hah, hah..."
Aiden and Maya, who wouldn't tire after half a day of fighting normally,
breathed raggedly, excessively so.
"You're beat."
"Hah, hah... Why... does my sword feel... so heavy..."
"My body feels... unusually heavy..."
As Jun clicked his tongue at their state, Eleanor explained.
"Can't be helped. You've been fighting nonstop in this pitch dark for days."
"But we rested plenty, didn't we...?"
"Your bodies rested, but not your minds. How much sleep did you get these past four days?"
"...Two hours a night."
"See? Especially you two. You sparred while we slept."
They hung their heads at Eleanor's pointed words.
"Nothing but darkness all around, no sunlight. Constant combat in a place where ambushes could come anytime. And..."
Eleanor gazed at them with pity.
She bore some responsibility for their exhaustion.
'Damn. Shouldn't have let my guard down then.'
The Stone Goblin ambush injuring her had weighed heavily on them.
They'd fought sharper, more immersed than ever...
But now their bodies screamed the mental fatigue.
"I tried to ease it with food and downtime, but guess it wasn't enough."
This wasn't from any lack of skill on Aiden or Maya's part.
Just inexperience in prolonged combat—something Jun had overlooked.
'We've had it too easy till now.'
Maya and Eleanor might've slapped him for that thought, with Aiden watching sadly.
But that's how Jun saw it.
Sure, past crises had come from unforeseen variables, not their mistakes.
They'd never pushed this hard in straight dungeon crawls without incidents.
'Knew it'd happen eventually.'
But he hadn't expected it to hit this hard without tolerance built up.
'So... how to fix it?'
No matter how he pondered, one answer.
Let them overcome it naturally.
That was it.
Living as the Hero Party's Mage Chapter 247