The Dungeon—a mysterious place that serves as the stage of life for every adventurer living in Orario.
They live in the Dungeon, and they die in the Dungeon.
The Dungeon was also the reason Orario had gained such renown. Naturally, countless adventurers stepped into that place where death always lingered.
And Ian had become one of those adventurers.
"At last, the Dungeon!"
"Is it really okay to enter the Dungeon when we’re in this kind of mood?"
Ian sighed, placing his hands on his hips.
Perhaps because their massive fight had happened only yesterday, the four members of the Loki Familia would not so much as look at one another.
At this rate, rather than returning in triumph, all four of them might come back out as corpses.
"Looks like you still haven’t made up. I know a method that works wonders in times like this."
"What is it?"
"A fighting pose!"
Raising her arms in a ridiculous pose, Loki gathered her children in one place.
Everyone looked utterly disgusted, their expressions thoroughly soured, but Loki made them stack their hands together anyway.
"You put your hands together like this, then say the wish you each want most."
"The wish we want most?"
Ian cocked his head, not quite understanding.
Was there really anything he desired that badly?
After thinking for a moment, Ian settled on one wish.
The others, it seemed, had already decided.
"...For the restoration of my people."
"...For a world I have yet to see."
"...For a scorching battle."
"...For strength beyond this."
"Let’s go!"
Loki jumped up and laughed brightly, and the Loki Familia, their moods somewhat lifted, finally set foot inside the Dungeon.
*
The Dungeon was an unpleasant place.
A pitch-black cavern, and the aura of death hanging thick in every direction.
And the smell of blood.
Ian’s experience told him that it did not belong solely to humans. There was monster blood here as well.
Ian’s instincts, enhanced by the Skill [Poritropos], were particularly adept at detecting even the presence of hostile living beings nearby.
"...Finn. Enemies."
"...Where?"
"Straight ahead."
Ian bent slightly at the waist and whispered to Finn.
Perhaps trusting Ian’s peculiar instincts, Finn immediately shouted.
"Enemies ahead! Gareth and Ian, take the vanguard! Riveria, fall back!"
"Don’t order me around!"
"Tch. I thought things had been too peaceful."
Gareth stepped forward, and Ian also shifted his feet to take position at the front of the formation.
There was no need to use magic against monsters encountered on the first floor, but Riveria fell back so as not to hinder the vanguard, while Finn positioned himself between them.
For a party made up of novice adventurers, they formed up remarkably well. Had anyone been watching, they would never have believed these were rookies entering the Dungeon for the first time today.
"Ian, how many enemies are there?"
"Uh, at least ten, but..."
Noticing something strange, Ian furrowed his brow.
It was not because those charging toward them were strong, but because they were absurdly weak and small.
"Children?"
"Children...? Ah, goblins."
What, so it was nothing much.
Finn clicked his tongue at having tensed up for nothing, then asked Gareth and Ian.
"Which of you wants to take them?"
"I’ll do it."
Shaking out his hands, Ian stepped forward and fixed his gaze on the charging goblins.
They were smaller than even the Pallum soldiers and child soldiers he had encountered on the battlefield.
Then he would deal with them the same way.
Just as Gareth was about to say something to Ian, who had not drawn his sword, Ian kicked the head of the foremost charging goblin.
In an instant, the head of the misshapen creature, its neck gone, rolled across the ground.
Perhaps accustomed to seeing a few of their comrades die, the other goblins did not falter in the slightest as they rushed Ian. But before Ian’s overwhelming skill, every last one died with some part of their body torn apart.
"You’re a demon in human form."
"I hear that a lot."
Brusquely shaking the clotted blood from his hands, Ian returned to the party.
He gave a casual reply to Gareth, who let out a hollow laugh in admiration, then looked at Finn again and smirked.
"It’s done, Captain."
"Good. Let’s move forward again. Riveria in the center, Ian and I in front, and Gareth, watch our rear."
"Understood."
They advanced once more, deeper into the Dungeon.
Their target floor was the tenth.
So far, it had been an easy expedition.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register