The Second Phase
The moment I chanted the words filled with the blessing of the gods, 「Holy Shield」! A light veil spread out around Aria, deflecting all the arrows that came shooting towards us.
Then Aria's soft chant followed. 「Purification.」 A light descended upon all the party members, and the paralysis symptoms disappeared in an instant.
We didn't need to say the next part. Our only ranged dealer, the mage, always took the next action without being told.
「Fireball」!! As expected, Rene extended her staff and began shooting fireballs at the monsters on the hill. Boom! Bang! ...
"Kyueek—." "Kyeek!?" The monsters that were shooting arrows while flames erupted started to panic.
"Gael! Brom!" I signaled to Brom and Gael, who were in formation, to head to the hill. I wanted to charge with them, but I needed to leave a vanguard to protect Aria and Rene in case of any emergency.
"Kyuaaaaa—!!" Between the flames, a monster that had lost consciousness dragged a woman and, as if to show off, pressed a knife to her neck. Brom and Gael, who were running, had to stop, and Rene had to close her mouth that was chanting the spell.
Hostage!? Is she a villager? No, it's not the time to think about such things.
"Ki-ana." "Tsk, got it nyang." I sent a signal to Ki-ana in a whisper, and she melted into the darkness using her stealth skill to hide her presence. Although the irritating sound of clicking her tongue was annoying, it wasn't the time to think about it in this urgent situation.
"What do you want?" The monster couldn't understand human speech. Even knowing that, I asked the monster that had taken a hostage to stall for time.
"Kyihit..." What? But surprisingly, the creature answered by pointing to the weapon I was holding. Coincidence? Or had it read the meaning in the atmosphere?
"Kyihit!" Anyway, it was time to answer the urging shout. I nodded to the colleagues behind me and signaled, and they nodded back as if they understood.
Clang, thud... "Kyihihi..." The sound of the monster dropping weapons one by one made it let out a satisfied laugh.
"We only accidentally entered this dungeon! We have no intention of fighting you! If you release the hostage, I'll take her and quietly leave the dungeon!!" To persuade the monster. It was amazing even in my mind, but I didn't lie.
"Kruh...?" The monster, thinking I had surrendered, chuckled, then, feeling something suspicious, closely examined us and tilted its head slightly. Seeing that it noticed Ki-ana's absence sooner than expected, I felt urgency along with surprise.
"Ki-ana!" "Don't rush—." Ki-ana, who had secretly approached the monster holding the hostage to within striking distance without making a sound, revealed herself and raised her dagger.
"Nyang!" Slash! "Kaaat!!" The arm was cut, and the monster reflexively released the hostage it was holding. Seeing the falling hostage being caught by Ki-ana, I picked up the dropped knife and shouted.
"Charge!" Gael and Brom, who had been waiting near the hill, rushed at the monsters like lightning. Rene also started shooting magic again, assuming a range where allies wouldn't be hit.
"Kyuaaa—." "Wahat!!" "Hup!" Slash! Thud! From the hill, Gael and Brom were rampaging, and Rene's magic supported, and the situation tilted in an instant.
Since the monster's strength was at the level of goblins, without the variables like before, it was a fight they couldn't win from the start.
"Ki-aaa!!" "Kya!" The monsters, realizing the fact, dropped their weapons and started running in a hurry. Gael and Brom chased after them to catch them, but since we had to check the hostage's condition first, I shouted for them to stop.
"Huu..." Looking at the retreating monsters, Aria, leaning on her staff, knelt with a relieved expression. The other comrades, whose momentum had faded belatedly, sat in their places or collapsed, showing relief. I looked at such a group.
The damage was minor considering it was an ambush. Except for the exhaustion of stamina and inability to use a few important skills in the future, there was no damage.
Thank goodness. There were twists and turns. But the result. Victory.
"It's tough." After a round of combat, I told Seoha my honest impression. I thought I had prepared well, but when I didn't deal any significant damage, I slightly changed my perception of adventurers. Especially, I was amazed by the coordination of the party members who calmly navigated the disadvantageous situation I had prepared.
[People close to civilians, and the strength of a party that has accumulated experience and bonds, is definitely different. Even if they are beginners, adventurers are a special list for conquering dungeons on this continent. Of course, if we mobilize all the monsters in the dungeon, we can kill them, but the cost of doing so would be high. Moreover, in the process, women might not be captured.]
'What, I had some idea. I did this to accumulate experience on how to deal with being attacked by adventurers in a dungeon. Of course, if the end is my bad ending, it's a case of the tail wagging the dog, but...'
[Yeah, it was something I had to face sooner or later anyway. Through this experience, you can take what you can take.]
'In that sense, the second phase will be more interesting. It's the time when the screams of those adventurers will come out.'
[Are you talking about the custom traps prepared to conquer them? I was looking forward to that too.]
'That second phase has already started.'
[I know. As evidence, you are not there.]
'Right.' Upon Seoha's words, I smiled a deceptive smile towards those looking down on me in my mind.
* *
Whoosh... While watching the light coming out from my fingertips treating the unconscious woman, I felt a subtle sense of discomfort. What should I say... It felt like treating a person without any problem meaninglessly...?
There were wounds all over the body of the woman who had been a hostage. But strangely, the wounds were not being treated even with the skill I received from the goddess. It was a bit strange, but thinking it was because of my insufficient power, I focused even more on the fingertips.
"I can't keep stalling like this. Even if we take the hostage woman, let's move. Sorry, but the woman will be carried by Gael. Don't worry, if anything happens, I'll take the front line." Serena-unnie, seeing the woman who didn't regain consciousness, made a decision. I quietly raised my hand towards unnie.
"If that's the case, I'll carry her." Upon my words, unnie shook her head.
"No, you and Rene are basically weak in stamina. Even though you're a woman, being light, if you carry her, you'll get tired quickly. Then, in the crisis situation like before, you won't be able to respond immediately. Don't worry, if Gael gets tired, I'll take over and carry her." Unnie's reassuring smile made me understand and smile back the same way.
"Some people are good at not moving a finger when fighting~ And this time, I passed the troublesome task to someone~ The leader is great~." From the party members preparing to rest and move, a sarcastic voice flowed out. Ki-ana, who had her hands clasped behind her head and was pretending, was glared at by unnie without a word. As an uneasy atmosphere began to flow between the two, I alternated between them, not knowing what to do. Not only me, but the other party members were holding their breath and watching the two's cues.
"Huu—" Looking at Ki-ana, unnie exhaled a long breath and opened her closed eyes.
"Ki-ana, I know you have a lot of complaints about me. But let's talk about that after we safely return from this dungeon." "Got it nyang~ It was just a monologue~ Sorry nyang~." Ki-ana was still not hiding her sarcasm. I understood her heart and situation, but such behavior was definitely not good for the party. In a situation where even all of us were lacking, discord among party members would only worsen the situation. That said, it didn't seem like talking to her would help. It was my fault for not being virtuous.... For the two of them, all I could do was pray to Serena-nim. Please, let this hardship end smoothly... . And with the heart hoping the two would reconcile again, I prayed to the god in my mind.
"Let's start." Upon unnie's words, everyone started moving out of the dungeon again. In the dark, humid situation where we didn't know when or where traps would occur or monsters would come, we moved with heavy steps, full of tension.
"This is the second room." After safely walking the long corridor, luckily the next room appeared. A room where dim light shone from the cave ceiling. We observed the room, which was not different from the first, with cautious eyes. Ki-ana, who was checking the trap next to Gael, said there was no trap, so we finally relaxed. And the evil dungeon did not miss the moment when adventurers are most relaxed.
Kwaaang—!! "Kya!?" In the blink of an eye. In the instant when there was no time to react, a heavy wall from the ceiling came down, blocking the view. With the heavy sound of falling, the party was instantly divided. Left with me and Rene in front of the wall, we pounded on the heavy wall blocking the way or shot magic, but nothing happened. We called out to the missing comrades beyond the wall, but there was no answer.
"Ah... No." When all efforts came to nothing, Rene's face turned deathly pale. I also had my mind go blank, and fear began to rise. At the same time, I realized. That we had fallen into a trap, and that the dungeon's cruelty, which swallows adventurers, had truly begun.