Chapter 33: Guild Quest
Chapter 33: Guild Quest
“The settlement is just around this corner. We should prepare ourselves.”
“It’s not like we’re charging in. I’m just going to take a look first.”
Whether we fight or not would depend on their numbers.
Guwon peeked around the corner of the path, sticking only his head out.
In the distance, he could see a horde of countless goblins.
…A settlement?
His field of view was narrow, so he couldn't grasp the exact scale, but one thing was certain.
That was definitely not something you could call a settlement.
“…Hey. Does that look like a settlement to you guys?”
“…To be honest, we ran into the goblins as soon as we turned that corner and had to flee, so we didn’t get a good look,” Serena said apologetically as she took Guwon’s place to peek around the corner.
Good grief, what a headache.
First off, charging in there was absolutely out of the question. It would be suicide.
Even if there was some kind of hidden item, it was better to give up.
But what about a hidden monster? For example, what if there was another Transcendent species here, like the boss of the wolfdogs? Was there a way to lure it out?
“Hmm. This is quite something. It’s enough to make one wonder if every single goblin in the dungeon lives here.”
Hearing that, a hypothesis formed in Guwon’s mind.
What if what Diana said was true?
No, it didn’t have to be that extreme. Even if not all the goblins lived here, what if this was their largest habitat?
“Diana, you see goblin hordes often on paths other than this one, right? Where do they usually appear?”
Guwon deliberately whispered to Diana so the others wouldn't hear.
“It’s not a range I can pinpoint to a specific location. You can assume they’re spread evenly throughout this entire layer. It wouldn’t be strange for a goblin to appear anywhere on this floor.”
“So you’re saying I could see goblins even if I took the route from the well-known dungeon entrance and went in the opposite direction from here?”
“Of course. Hmm? Don’t tell me you’re thinking…?”
It seemed Diana had caught on.
Right. This was Guwon’s hypothesis.
What if this goblin habitat could be reached from other well-known routes?
If that were true, it would mean Guwon could complete an incredibly large map connecting the others. If he sold it to the Guild, it would probably be recognized as quite valuable.
Most adventurers lose their sense of direction in the dungeon’s maze-like paths, and there’s a limit to the maps they can draw. If they advanced a long way from a completely different direction and passed near a place they’d been before, they would never easily notice.
Especially with a habitat that looked this vast.
It would be incredibly difficult to approach from another route and be certain it was the same place.
But Guwon had an easy way to find out.
All he had to do was zoom out on his map and check if there were any revealed areas far away.
He wanted to check right this instant, but the problem was that he was currently with Kanna’s group.
Guwon had no intention of sharing this kind of information with them.
The 50/50 split was established on the assumption that while Guwon’s party would be more active in combat, the information from Kanna’s party was more valuable.
It couldn’t be helped. For today, we’ll just finish up by wandering around this area, and I’ll check tomorrow.
It wasn’t like he thought someone would beat him to it if he waited a day.
He put the map business aside for later and focused on the task at hand.
Luring out the hidden monster.
In fact, after catching the Transcendent wolfdog, Guwon had thought hard about the cause and effect.
The Transcendent wolfdog had been protecting its territory from the goblin invasion with all its females.
But when Guwon started slaughtering the males in such large numbers over a short period, the Transcendent, facing a crisis of species preservation, began sending out females in small groups to scout and figure out the cause.
However, those females were also helplessly defeated by Guwon. In the end, unable to stand it any longer, the Transcendent itself led the females out to find him.
That was Guwon’s hypothesis.
He couldn’t think of anything else that made sense, and he figured it was more or less correct, even if not perfectly accurate.
If so, let’s assume there’s a Transcendent or a similar boss monster here, too.
Couldn’t he lure out that boss monster using the exact same method he used on the wolfdogs?
Of course, with so many of them gathered together, a mass slaughter like the one he’d carried out on the wolfdogs would be difficult. But there was no need to go that far. He just needed to provoke the boss monster enough to gently get on its nerves.
A monster is a monster, after all. They’re empty-headed, so if he kept pissing it off, it would eventually pop out.
It seemed well worth a try, didn’t it?
“Diana. Hit them with the most powerful destructive spell you can cast right now.”
His thoughts had been long, but his actions were swift.
Sara’s arrows were limited in number, so it was a waste to use them on a strategy like this where they couldn’t be recovered. He ordered only Diana to attack for now.
“Are you sure? A huge number of them will come rushing over.”
“It’s fine. If too many of them swarm us, we’ll just run.”
They were still quite a distance away, so he was confident he could escape.
Kanna’s group seemed to be held back by Amy’s speed, so Kanna and Serena should be fast enough. If Amy struggled, I could just throw her over my shoulder and run.
Diana began to draw a magic circle in the air, one far more complex than the one for Magic Arrow, and even started chanting.
Huh? He’d just assumed that, given her level, even her strongest spell wouldn’t be a big deal, but the flow of mana was quite unusual.
After a rather long incantation, something shot out from the magic circle with incredible force and exploded massively where the goblins were gathered.
“Ugh?! Lady Diana? What in the world did you just fire?”
“Explosion. When it comes to destructive power, it has to be explosion magic, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Are you insane?! You can use a spell like that at your level?!”
“Of course, it’s normally impossible. But who do you think I am? By refining my mana and maximizing its efficiency, pulling off a trick like this is possible if I pour every last drop into it.”
Come to think of it, she was a magic fanatic.
It seemed she thought her pride was on the line with his request for her "most powerful spell," so she had gone and done something spectacular.
Looking from a distance, several of what appeared to be huts had been blown away, and quite a few goblin corpses were visible.
That was all money, and she’d done something so wasteful that we couldn’t even butcher them.
Most of the surviving goblins were in a state of chaos from the scale of the explosion, but among them, a few who were equipped with decent gear for goblins started running this way.
“Everyone! Let’s bounce for now!”
“Hmm. I shall leave myself in your care.”
“What? Why, already?”
“I used up all my mana on that last spell, so I don’t have the strength to move. Besides, didn’t you say you’d carry me?”
“Collapsing after using explosion magic. What are you, a member of some red-eyed tribe?!”
Of course, complaining wouldn’t change anything.
Guwon scooped up the staggering Diana and ran.
“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to carry me on your back?”
“No way. What if you get hit by an attack from behind?”
It’s not like I’m some martial arts master. I’m not confident I can catch every single rock thrown from behind me.
I have a base defense and I’m wearing leather armor, so a few hits would just tickle, but if Diana got hit in the wrong spot, she could be seriously injured. This was the best way.
“H-harrumph. You’re quite something. A fine posture. Keep up the good work.”
As Diana said this, she casually stroked Guwon’s head with a relaxed attitude that didn’t fit the situation.
She really likes touching people’s heads.
“Kyaa!”
“Whoa there!”
And at that moment, as if on cue, Sara started to fall, and he immediately caught her and tucked her under his other arm.
Ooh, I’m amazing. I can run just fine even while carrying two women.
“Why am I…”
Tucked under his arm, Sara was muttering something in a small voice.
She’s not tense at all, either. Not that I’m one to talk.
After running for a while, he looked back and saw that the number of pursuers had dwindled.
Alright. This many, I can handle.
Guwon gently set Diana down and turned around.
“Alright. Everyone, attack!”
The ones still chasing them numbered five in total, and they all appeared to be hobgoblins.
Still no match for me.
It would be a bit tough for Kanna and Serena to hold the front line by themselves, but they only needed to hold out for a moment.
As Kanna and Serena clashed with the hobgoblins, their swords ringing, Guwon circled around to their rear and activated Saint’s Touch, just as he had always done.
He casually tapped each one without much thought, but something unexpected happened.
Amazingly, the hobgoblins trembled violently but managed to hold it in.
You bastards! You’re not premature ejaculators!
Guwon felt his heart swell with a strange emotion.
To think there were foes so close by who could withstand my technique.
“Hey! What’s going on?!”
“Don’t panic. My technique is invincible.”
Kanna looked flustered as the hobgoblins stood their ground, unlike the regular goblins, but Guwon wasn’t worried at all.
It was commendable that they endured it even once, but from the looks of it, they had only barely managed to hang on.
Guwon clenched his fists and gifted the hobgoblins a merciless rain of punches.
“Atatatatatatatatatata!”
After unleashing a flurry of blows, complete with the essential battle cry, Guwon stood tall, struck a pose, and pointed as he murmured softly.
“You are already cumming.”
Hmph. Perfect.
Guwon’s superior physical abilities had perfectly recreated a legendary technique passed down only through stories.
The hobgoblins, who had been taking the hits like punching bags, suddenly trembled all at once and collapsed, spectacularly spewing white fluid from their members.
“Ugh!”
“Kyaa!”
“Son of a bitch!”
These were guys who had barely held on once.
Guwon’s barrage must have been too much stimulation. They collapsed as if they were pissing themselves, and even after falling, they continued to powerfully spray semen from their things. Not only did Kanna and Serena, who were standing in front, get covered in it, but even Guwon, who had let his guard down while striking a cool pose, was caught in the crossfire.
“Hey! Don’t you know the meaning of moderation?!”
“Now, now, if we have time to complain, wouldn’t it be better for everyone’s mental health to carve out the magic stones as quickly as possible? Let’s hurry!”
Left speechless by Kanna’s complaint, Guwon quickly changed his tune and began carving out the magic stones with a serious expression.
Glancing over, he saw that Kanna and Serena had been splattered with semen even on their faces, looking like something out of one of those adult videos.
The fact that it was from hobgoblins was unsettling, but just looking at the scene itself… it was kind of hot in its own way.
Kanna and Serena, who had been overshadowed by the radiance of Sara and Diana, suddenly looked rather pussyy.
Guwon was a true connoisseur of pleasure in this day and age, one who knew how to enjoy any situation and create things to enjoy.
He decided in his heart right then and there to continue this way in the next battle.
Of course, he’d be careful not to get any on himself next time.
“About our schedule for today, how about we completely wipe out this entire area?”
Guwon hid his wicked intentions and explained his plan for what was next.
“This whole area? Won’t that be dangerous?”
“I think it’ll be fine. Here’s my plan. If we hunt the ones wandering around here, the habitat will send out a few more for reconnaissance. If we take them out too, they’ll send more scouts. If that continues, won’t we be able to hunt without having to move around so much? If they send too many scouts, we can just run away like we did just now.”
In game terms, they were in an area where monsters infinitely respawned.
It aligned with Guwon’s goal of provoking the boss monster—whose existence was still uncertain—and even if that failed, it would make for a great farming spot.
“Hmm. That should be fine. Goblins aren’t particularly intelligent creatures, after all. I approve.”
Diana, who had apparently recovered at some point, approached and said this while fiddling with a hobgoblin’s corpse.
What are you doing?
“Ahem…”
For a second, he was horrified, wondering if she had a hobby of playing with corpses like a mad scientist from a manga, but it seemed to be just part of her research into his Saint skills.
She touched it, examining the flow of mana or something, then soon moved away.
As soon as he removed the monster’s magic stone, an item dropped: the rusty sword the hobgoblin had been holding.
“You’re really lucky.”
“Really? It’s so rusty it’s unusable. Isn’t it useless?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You really have no common sense. You can melt it down and make a new weapon. Iron used by monsters contains a faint amount of mana, so it’s quite profitable.”
To think that even the iron was a good drop in this world.
No wonder adventurers were overflowing, no matter how dangerous the job was.
After they finished cleaning up the corpses, the joint party’s goblin extermination officially began.