Arman Abandoned Mine (1)
A path used by the bandits was visible next to their hideout.
I was about to follow it straight ahead when something odd caught my eye.
The mountain trail, which should have been trampled by the frantic bandits, looked pristine.
In my memory, we were supposed to head the other way, but the path stretching before us led straight ahead.
I raised a hand to stop Beth.
"……?"
Beth tilted her head at my action, then seemed to catch on. She drew a dagger from her bosom and climbed a nearby tree.
As if gathering her senses…
"Found it."
Shhk—
Her dagger shot forward in an instant, slicing through empty air. The forest backdrop crumpled and fell away like melting paper.
Inside that painted scenery…
"A totem?"
A totem emitting green light stood there.
This was Totem Master Pufu's illusion totem, designed to naturally lead us astray.
But the fact that the totem was still active meant the totem master hadn't gotten far.
I cast Eye Opening.
【 Eye Opening 】
― Awaken the third eye.
⟨ Third Eye Awakening ⟩
Through the third eye, a stream of blue mana flowed above the totem.
Without a word, I pointed in the direction the mana was coming from, signaling Beth.
She confirmed it, activated stealth, and I moved toward the source.
A short walk later.
Woooong—
Suddenly, four totems materialized at once.
Behind them stood Totem Master Pufu.
"You came alone? What a shame. I wanted to sweep you all away at once."
Pufu cackled.
"Totem master. Did your boss head to the waterfall?"
"You still don't get it, do you, Rockhart Merchant Group's dog?"
Pufu raised his hand, and the center of the totem before us split open with a clunk.
Mana gathered there, soon flashing with red beams.
At the same time, two brown-glowing totems rose behind me.
Inflicts status ailment: Weakness.
― Resisted.
The totems a totem master uses each hold power comparable to their own.
With six of them… it would have been deadly against peers.
But the level gap with Pufu made it negligible for me.
Thinking he'd seized the advantage, Pufu swung his arm confidently.
The energy gathered in the totems fired all at once.
"Don't hold a grudge! At least I'll send that woman trailing you along—"
Tsss—
I countered with Splitting Ray, decomposing the totem energy on contact.
The totems crumbled without resistance, rolling on the ground riddled with holes.
Pufu stared blankly, then turned to flee.
Shwick—
Before he could step, his head flew into the sky.
Blood sprayed around, vanishing midair.
"Let's go."
Beth reappeared, her clothes stained vivid red.
She roughly bundled Pufu's severed head and head toward where the waterfall should be.
Not long after.
Roooar—
The roar of the waterfall tickled our ears.
We scanned the surroundings silently.
"…Looks like he ran."
Beth pointed to footprints leading under the waterfall.
They seemed to plunge desperately downward at first glance, but…
I beckoned Beth to follow and approached the waterfall.
Plop.
Stepping on the cliff edge, dirt crumbled away.
Peering down, I spotted a narrow crevice between the cliffs—one you could descend carefully.
It led right to the waterfall's front, and at its center…
"There's a space."
I stepped into the crevice first, advancing toward the waterfall.
Glancing back, Beth had vanished into stealth, trailing me.
Reaching the waterfall's heart, I leaped inside.
Thud—
My body crashed into the hidden space, shaking the cave with a loud boom.
There stood bandit leader Hassen, sword drawn.
Around me, dozens of explosion stones were embedded in the cave walls.
"You came?"
Hassen's eyes gleamed as he spotted me.
The explosion stones began to glow—
"Then die!"
Boom—!
They detonated in unison with a deafening roar.
I swiftly activated Thought Acceleration and Blink+ to escape the blast.
【 1st Hierarchy: Blink+ 】
【 Grade: Legendary 】
― Teleport up to 15 meters in the direction gazed upon. Ignores obstacles.
Outside Labyrinth City, spells like Blink were fair game.
Slipping behind Hassen through space, I channeled mana into the Corpse Lord's Bloodstone.
Woooong—
As the bloodstone emitted black light, dark energy enveloped Hassen's body.
His form began to levitate.
"What the—!"
"Shh."
Beth finished Hassen off and set his severed head neatly on the ground.
I released the mana from the bloodstone, and his body tumbled down the waterfall.
"I'll have them collect this later."
Beth eyed Hassen's head.
We searched the area for whatever the bandit leader had stashed, but…
"…Nothing special?"
Disappointingly, no noteworthy items turned up.
We exited the waterfall and climbed back to the cliff top.
The hidden space at the waterfall's core had soaked us, so we stripped off our wet clothes to dry without a word.
I gathered branches nearby and lit a fire.
【 1st Hierarchy: Fireball Scroll used. 】
Fwoosh—
Holding the fireball orb at my fingertips to the branches, flames caught instantly.
I offered it to Beth, then used a fresh Fireball Scroll on my own clothes.
"…You can just do that?"
"Got Fire Resistance."
The outfit from the magic tower last time was made of flame-resistant material.
We sat chatting idly, drying and redressing in our half-dry clothes.
"Head back first. I'll look around a bit more."
Beth said she'd catch the stragglers on her senses and leaped over the waterfall.
Perfect timing—I had business too.
I tidied the campfire and returned to the bandit leader's original cave.
Following the path at its rear…
"There it is."
A thicket of thorny vines came into view.
The thorns were poisonous, but my resistance could handle it.
Burning them all would destroy the plant inside too.
I stepped slowly into the vines.
Sharp thorns pierced my clothes and skin, sending stinging pain through my body.
Poison spreads through the body.
― Status Ailment: Deadly Poison
Healing status ailments.
The poison healed instantly, but fresh stings came with each new prick, the pain persisting.
Enduring it, I reached the center: a flower blooming with soft light.
As I reached out…
◈ A flower with spirit-like ecology. Dramatically boosts growth speed for all developing spirits.
"As expected…!"
The Spirit Herb shrank into a small orb, floating above my hand like a sprite.
In the Thorn Vine Zone, flowers bloomed randomly in time and type.
Higher-grade ones replaced lowers.
Spirit Herb was the pinnacle here.
No one knew of this spot, so it'd gone unharvested.
I carefully stored the Spirit Herb in my inventory and exited the vines.
"Back?"
Returning to the bandits' camp and wagons, Beth greeted me—she'd already returned.
Climbing aboard, I saw the Rockhart Knights arriving.
Beth gave them a brief rundown and boarded.
Bail sighed shortly at the sight, then explained details to the knights.
Bail took the reins, and our wagon rolled out.
"So… next job too?"
As the wagon started, Beth sat across from me.
Only Arman Abandoned Mine left.
No reason not to join, so I nodded lightly.
"No hesitation."
"It's not dangerous, right?"
"Ah… You don't know what went down at Arman Abandoned Mine?"
What happened?
Reading my face, Beth grinned.
"Heard undead came out recently. And… those undead faces? They were the revolutionaries who took over."
"…Meaning."
"Yeah. The original Kingdom revolutionaries? All dead, pretty much. And…"
Beth pulled a bloodied Kingdom seal from her bosom.
"Maybe these guys were involved?"
She tucked the seal away and continued.
"Head to the guild first. Details from that guy. That's all I know."
"…Got it."
Undead could spawn naturally or artificially.
Black Mages.
Those infiltrating the Kingdom seemed likely culprits.
I nodded in understanding.
Needed more info for the rest.