Chapter 34: Guild Quest
Chapter 34: Guild Quest
The hunt began in earnest, and Guwon once again unleashed a flurry of punches imbued with the Saint's Touch, causing the goblins' dicks to explode.
Of course, Guwon didn't repeat his earlier mistake of striking a pose and quickly stepped back to avoid the disaster, but Kanna and Serena couldn't escape getting doused in semen from the face down once again.
“Hey! Are you messing with us?!”
“Once might be a mistake, but a second time feels intentional….”
This behavior, which satisfied both Guwon's hobby and his practical interests, drew protests from not only Kanna but Serena as well, but Guwon already had an excuse prepared.
“It’ll disappear as soon as we remove the magic stones, so just bear with it for a moment. If we drag this hunt out and reinforcements from that garrison show up and surround us, we’ll be the ones in trouble. We need to finish this as quickly as possible. To do that, this is the best way. Please understand.”
“Ugh… I guess so….”
“Hah… I suppose we have no choice.”
Of course, he wasn't worried about reinforcements at all.
If they really did come, he could just quickly knock down the ones he was fighting and run away.
But since Guwon said it with such a serious expression, it must have been persuasive enough, because Kanna and Serena accepted it.
I'm seriously worried you guys are going to get scammed somewhere.
No, Kanna aside, Serena didn't seem that simple-minded. They were probably just letting it slide because hunting faster meant more income for them, which was a good thing.
And so, from the next hunt onward, Guwon continued to explode goblin dicks to his heart's content.
But Kanna and Serena were adventurers, too.
They might get fooled twice, but not a third time.
Naturally, getting goblin semen on their faces was the most unpleasant part, so the moment Guwon attacked, they immediately shielded their faces, successfully defending them.
Damn it. I'm fighting so hard for them, the least they could do is give me some eye candy. It disappears right away, anyway.
Of course, there was no way he could say that out loud, so Guwon just sulked by himself.
Moreover, as the battles continued, Kanna and Serena started to get the timing down and began to dodge. Eventually, they developed to the point where, just like Guwon, they could end a battle completely clean, without getting a single drop on them.
While Kanna and Serena’s evasion skills were improving, the group finished clearing out the goblin packs loitering near the entrance.
The goblins were so empty-headed that not a single one came from the garrison to check on the situation.
“How have those things managed to survive without going extinct with brains like that?”
“It’s because their numbers are so vast. This is true for most monsters in the dungeon, but their reproductive ability is astounding. No matter how many you kill, they just keep popping out from somewhere.”
“Well, there’s that. But you’re also just too strong. Thanks to you, this is easy for us, but normally those things are pretty tough, you know? Why are you guys even on these upper floors?”
“I-Is that so?! Ah! But earlier, there was a hobgoblin carrying a sword. How do such stupid creatures learn blacksmithing?”
At Kanna’s piercing question, Guwon blatantly changed the subject.
Damn it. She has a knack for hitting the nail on the head in the weirdest ways.
Normally, Guwon’s party would be at just the right level to hunt hobgoblins, let alone regular goblins.
It was only because Guwon had power-leveled like crazy last night that he could take down hobgoblins this easily.
Guwon glanced at Sara.
She didn't notice, did she?
Right. She came from the countryside, so she lacks common sense. She probably didn't notice.
“Goblins lack the intelligence to learn blacksmithing. All the iron equipment they carry is taken from the corpses of adventurers.”
…I see.
Guwon was hunting comfortably, feeling like he was halfway playing a game, but for people who made their living as adventurers, it was a matter of life and death. It was only natural that some would die.
“Still, it’s ironic that ordinary equipment becomes imbued with magic and increases in value when a monster picks it up.”
Guwon deliberately spoke in a cheerful tone, as if to shake off the slightly somber mood.
“Mm. Is that not the very magic of the dungeon that endlessly draws adventurers in?”
Ooh. When she says things like that, Diana almost sounds like a renowned philosopher.
And here she is, a runaway archmage who ditched all her responsibilities.
“Alright, now that we’ve cleared the surrounding area, shall we go and pick a fight with that garrison for real?”
“Do you have some kind of plan?”
“It’s not grand enough to be called a plan… but how about you guys wait a short distance away while Diana and I go lure a few of them over?”
“Hmph. It seems it is time for this one to use Explosion again….”
“No, we’re good on that. Don’t blow everything up, just use some appropriate magic.”
“…I see.”
Is that something to be disappointed about? What a troublesome girl.
“Anyway, when we lure a decent number over, hide in the middle and ambush them. If it looks like we’ve pulled too many, we’ll run and shake them off, so just stay hidden.”
“Sounds good.”
“Won’t that be too dangerous for you and Diana?”
“What could happen?”
If I run at full speed, the goblins won't even be able to keep up.
So, he had Kanna’s group and Sara wait in a suitable spot, and he and Diana returned to the garrison alone.
“Got it? This time, use something lighter than Explosion. We don’t know how many more times we’ll have to do this. Don’t use up all your mana. Moderation. Do it in moderation.”
“I know, I know. You’re a young man, yet you nag so much. What do you take this one for?”
What do I take you for? For someone who got all sulky when I told her not to use Explosion.
And don't say things like "young man" with that face. The cognitive dissonance is insane.
Following Guwon’s orders, Diana completed her spell with only a light gesture and a short incantation this time, launching a single burning fireball at the goblin garrison.
The fireball didn’t cause a massive explosion like her other spell, but it did set fire to one of the huts made of branches, creating a fair bit of chaos.
“Ooh! Nice one!”
“Hmph. This much is basic.”
As Guwon saw a good number of goblins swarm out again and was about to run, Diana spread her arms toward him.
“What are you doing?”
“Should you not carry this one as you did before?”
“You can still run, can’t you?”
“The key to this strategy is this one. Is it not better to conserve as much stamina as possible? You followed me for that very reason, so stop hesitating and carry me. The ride was quite comfortable, you know.”
It was true that he’d followed her with the intention of carrying her if she looked tired, but hearing her say it herself was somehow infuriating.
And what’s this about a ‘ride’? Am I a horse?
Of course, regardless of his rebellious feelings, she was right about everything, so Guwon picked Diana up and ran.
His personality was the type to push back when pushed, so he felt a brief moment of defiance, but it wasn't like he felt bad about holding a beautiful girl like Diana.
“Good boy, good boy.”
Diana once again stroked Guwon’s head with a sly expression.
Hey, touching is fine, but don't mess with my hair.
How can someone so dangerous if I hit her even once have zero sense of tension?
The spot where he’d left Sara and Kanna’s group was perfectly chosen. By the time Guwon arrived, just the right number of goblins had been shaken off.
Not only are they stupid, they have no grit either.
The only ones still following Guwon were the hobgoblins, who had slightly better stamina, just like before.
“Nice! Well done!”
As Guwon passed the designated spot, an arrow suddenly flew from between the trees and struck a hobgoblin with perfect accuracy. Immediately after, Kanna and Serena burst out from the side and launched a surprise attack.
After that, it was a foregone conclusion. He finished them off with his fists, empowered by the Saint's Touch, just as he had been doing all along.
“Alright. This is good. Let’s keep this up.”
It was a goldmine. They could fight continuously as long as their stamina held out, without needing to wander around searching for monsters.
Furthermore, the relatively weaker goblins would drop off midway, meaning they could expect a higher income from their loot. It also had the effect of selectively hunting only hobgoblins, which was more efficient for raising job level proficiency.
After a few more round trips, Kanna and Serena ran out of stamina.
Amy had been using fatigue recovery magic on them intermittently, but it seemed her holy power had reached its limit as well.
“Let’s… let’s rest for a bit.”
Kanna let out a pained groan, and while Serena tried not to show it, her heavy breathing made it clear she was struggling.
Guess we’ll take a break here. I’m starting to feel like I could use one, too.
A quick glance to the corner of his vision showed that a fair amount of time had passed.
Guwon decided that since they were resting anyway, they might as well have a slightly early dinner.
“Whoa?! What’s that?”
When Guwon took steaming soup and freshly baked, warm bread out of his inventory, Kanna smelled it and rushed over like a predator.
Seriously, with her looks and behavior, did she grow up in the wild or something?
“Hmph. This is the technological prowess of an otherworldly person. What do you think? See me in a different light now?”
He was just using the rule that items taken out of the inventory retain the state they were in when put inside.
At first, he’d thought, Adventurers live on jerky! and had stocked up on nothing but that. But now that he had some money to spare, he’d decided to pack some proper food.
From now on, jerky would only be for staving off hunger when there was no time for a leisurely meal like this.
“You’re actually a decent guy, aside from your lack of common sense!”
Leave out the part about lacking common sense.
I don't lack common sense. I'm just not bound by stuffy old conventions.
“K-Kanna, that’s rude.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. There’s still plenty. Serena and Amy, come eat with us.”
Serena tried to stop Kanna from reaching for the bread Guwon had set out, but Guwon acted magnanimously.
He had more than enough left in his inventory, and doing this would only increase his value as an adventurer.
He wasn't sure what kind of ripple effect word-of-mouth from Kanna's group would have, but soup and bread weren't expensive. This was nothing.
And so, they finished a leisurely meal that seemed out of place inside a dungeon.
After eating, Amy, having recovered some of her holy power, cast fatigue recovery magic on Guwon as well.
The feeling of all the fatigue in his body vanishing in an instant was an experience hard to describe in words.
Ooh. So this is the power of holy magic.
Fatigue recovered and preparations complete, he and Diana went back to the goblin garrison, only to find that something felt a little off.
A group of goblins, clearly on guard for them, had gathered together. They were better armed and were restlessly looking around.
So the idiots finally figured out what's going on.
He scanned them to see if a boss had truly appeared, but while their gear was a bit better than the others, he didn't see any that were overwhelmingly large like the Transcendent Species wolfdog.
“Diana, do you see any Transcendent Species among them?”
“Doesn’t seem like it. A Transcendent Species has a distinctly different mana signature, so it would stand out immediately.”
If Diana, who was sensitive to mana, couldn't see one, then there really wasn't one.
Not wanting to deal with a troublesome fight, Guwon left them be and returned to where Sara and Kanna's group were waiting.
“What? Why are you back already?”
“They’re finally on alert. In that case, we move to Plan B.”
A garrison that large couldn't possibly have only one adjacent passage.
And of course, while sweeping the area, Guwon had already found several others.
The area around here was a maze of paths branching out in every direction, but with a map, Guwon had no trouble finding another route.
When they arrived at the new location, the goblins were, as expected, completely off guard.
Stupid bastards. Do they really not have a single thought in their heads?
Guwon repeated the process of luring mobs until they became alert, then moving to a different location to hunt again, continuing late into the night.
In what was essentially a situation of infinite respawns, he raised his job level quite a bit and collected enough magic stones and items to expect his highest income ever, but in the end, the boss monster never appeared.
Is there not one here?
No, the wolfdog boss only appeared after several days of slaughter. It was too early to jump to conclusions.
He decided to leave the rest for tomorrow and exit the dungeon for the day.
“You know, for a guy, you’re pretty decent. How about it? Want to join our clan?”
“A clan?”
“Yeah. Well, we’re just low-ranking members, so we can’t just get you in. But with your skills, you’d definitely be able to pass the entrance test. What do you think?”
A clan…
It was an unexpected offer.
The fact that there was an entrance test must mean it was a fairly large clan.
Seeing Guwon hesitate, Kanna excitedly began to promote her clan.
“What’s there to think about? Our clan is pretty famous, you know? Everyone here knows the Arachne Clan….”
“Hmph. That is a matter we will need to discuss amongst ourselves.”
Diana, who usually left party matters to Guwon and remained carefree, cut her off flatly.
Ah, since she's an Archmage, maybe it's a bit much for her to just join any random clan?
“Absolutely do not join.”
Diana whispered, her voice so low only Guwon could hear.
“What? Why? Is it a bad place?”
“No. It is true that they are a famous clan that operates on the front lines of dungeon conquest. However, they are also famous for their male clan members withering away and dying unusually early.”
Guwon suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and shivered involuntarily.
Haha. I’m a Saint. I’ll be fine, of course. I mean, I’m a Saint. I have to be fine. I’ll be… fine, right?
Suddenly, the gazes of not only the enthusiastic Kanna but also the quietly watching Serena and Amy began to look like those of hawks eyeing their prey.
…Let’s just refuse the clan invitation for now.
Of course, I wouldn't have any problems, but it's still too early to join a clan. How long have I even been here?
Yep. This is definitely not because I'm scared.