episode_0028
by admin“This morning’s assembly will be concise as there is no suitable location and time.”
Monday of the 3rd week.
Before I knew it, the dungeon attack practice that I had been planning and preparing for had become the task of the day.
The surroundings resembled what they looked like just before leaving for a school field trip.
Many cadets were gathered together with their respective groups and talking about various things.
“The dungeons you conquer are all real dungeons. Please carefully check the artifacts provided.”
As soon as they heard Professor Caria’s words, each cadet checked the badge-shaped artifact attached to the outside of their chest.
In case of serious injury, basic first aid measures and spatial transfer to the health room were built-in artifacts.
I once again felt like I was entering a dungeon.
Although it is called practice, a dungeon is a place where you never know when or how danger will strike.
In the game, all you had to do was press the respawn button and start again from the save point, but now that it is a reality, you may not only get seriously injured during the attack process, but even die.
This badge-type artifact has a special magic built in to prevent such situations.
“I hope you always be careful and make wise decisions to achieve a successful attack.”
With those words, Professor Caria dismissed the captured first year and second class cadets.
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.
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The site of Eden is so large that it covers an entire continent.
Therefore, the gates created in Eden also boast a considerable number.
Most gates are closed after the attack, but sometimes the gate is intentionally left open after the attack.
“Did everyone pack their bags well? You will have to live at the base camp in front of the gate for the next week, so check carefully.”
These are the things that are left to be used in the dungeon strategy practice schedule like now.
We set up a simple base camp around the gate and use it as a stage for dungeon strategy practice a couple of times a semester.
“If you have everything, let’s go.”
Although there is only one dungeon managed within the grounds of Eden, the grounds of Eden encompass the entire Australian continent.
In other words, there is a considerable amount of time wasted in commuting by general means of transportation such as cars or trains.
“A total of 14 people were confirmed, including Cadet Sehee Han, Cadet Yujin Seong, Cadet Hermod Beowulf, and Cadet Miguel Loenzo.”
So the method adopted is spatial movement through a gateway.
The gate terminal manager confirmed that I was a member of Group 14 and connected the gateway to the location of the assigned dungeon.
This is my second time seeing the gateway in person, but it is still majestic and amazing.
“You can pass.”
I briefly said hello to the manager who stepped aside and crossed the gateway.
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.
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The campsite we arrived at after crossing the gate was in better condition than expected.
Compared to Eden’s living quarters and other facilities, it was not very attractive, but it was enough to provide food, clothing, and shelter.
Now, everyone is unpacking their belongings and preparing to enter the dungeon right away.
“Did you all take your weapons and equipment?”
Before entering the dungeon, we began a final inspection.
After carefully checking weapons, equipment, emergency medicine, food and water for emergency purposes, fortunately, there were no problems.
“Let’s enter.”
According to the plan prepared in advance, my role was to support the rear and understand the situation, but on the contrary, I was the first to enter.
Unlike me, who is always deploying a complex barrier engraved with detection and defense techniques, all other party members have to rely on their bare bodies and reflexes.
The role of checking for any surprise attacks immediately after entry and creating a platform so that party members can move comfortably is a role that only I can perform.
I entered the dungeon carefully. The surroundings were quiet. There was no need to worry about preparing for battle with monsters from the beginning.
He put his shoulder halfway across the gate, stretched out his arm, and gestured.
The party members who saw my signal crossed the gate one by one and entered the dungeon.
“Whoa, the air is stuffy.”
“Because it’s a swamp. Seong Yu-jin even provided me with a foothold, so I can tolerate the humid air.”
Miguel frowned and grumbled. Han Se-hee said there was nothing she could do and started looking around.
Since the detection barrier was deployed, there was no need to lose stamina to the sand bar, but there was no need to stop it.
It is always better to be vigilant and prepared.
“First of all, our goal is to simply subdue and attack monsters without gathering or securing target points.”
This is something that can at least be comforted.
In other dungeons, there are tasks to complete such as collecting some of the vegetation that grows in the dungeon or repairing abandoned bases within the dungeon, but the swamp dungeon does not have such tasks due to its geographical characteristics.
“According to what was decided in the chat the day before, we will give priority to defeating the dungeon master and postpone subjugating other monsters. If you encounter one during the process, you will be defeated, but please do not chase after the monster or deviate from the progress path.”
Everyone nodded at what I said. I nodded as if confirming their answers, then gave instructions to Miguel, who was standing in the front line.
“Miguel, please take the lead and head to the location where the dungeon lord is located.”
“I understand.”
As we discussed in advance, Miguel and Hermod search for the path ahead, and I search for monsters that approach from time to time.
The detection barrier, which was usually set at about 15 meters, was expanded to around 100 meters.
Tingling-.
An electric current ran through my mind for a moment. When the barrier returned to its original, familiar size, the stinging headache subsided.
My head rang, but it wasn’t all for nothing. I received a lot of useful information that was worth the brief headache.
“After expanding the detection barrier and looking through it, at least there are no monsters on our path.”
“Then we can speed up a bit more.”
Miguel nodded after hearing my report and increased his speed.
I think I walked around the swamp for about 20 minutes, looking around. Before we knew it, the initially tense atmosphere had eased.
We expanded the detection barrier from time to time to check our progress route, but there were still no monsters interfering in the direction we were moving.
Thanks to the scaffolding made of barriers, the forward speed was also very fast.
From the moment I entered the dungeon until now, everything has been smooth. If you walk forward for a few more minutes, the dungeon owner who takes on the role of the boss monster of this dungeon will appear.
“… But, does it make sense that there are so few monsters?”
Hermod, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly opened his mouth.
I had left it alone because I was willing to stay calm and not cause trouble, but Hermod’s voice, which had only now begun to open his mouth, was quite serious.
He looked around and put his hand to his chin. Hermod remained silent for a moment as if he was thinking about something, and then his mouth opened.
“Sung Yu-jin… Seed? You said the monster’s path will never overlap with ours, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then please check the number of monsters.”
The moment I heard Hermod’s request, I understood what he wanted to say to me.
Sometimes that happens. Although the number of monsters inside the dungeon is small, it rarely happens that each individual possesses strong power.
I thought this wasn’t completely wrong, so I tried expanding the detection barrier again.
‘… little.’
The barrier was expanded to a radius of 150 meters, but the number of monsters captured inside the barrier was significantly small.
Because the dungeon that cadets enter has been previously conquered, there is a guidebook for dungeon strategy practice.
Of course, there was a guidebook for this dungeon, and of course everyone entered after familiarizing themselves with the contents.
Generally, the monsters created inside this swamp dungeon are large amphibians and large insects.
Among them, the monsters that appear most frequently are Giant Toad and Horrible Spider.
As the name suggests, they are ferocious and huge frogs and spiders.
“… From now on, I will raise the level of dungeon caution by one level.”
Giant Toad and Horrible Spider are not individually strong monsters.
Not only is it annoying because of the terrain of the swamp where it lives and its unique weight class, but in fact, even if you are a level 5 hunter who is a hunter in name only, it is possible for one person to kill two or three individuals.
The problem is quantity. These guys aren’t exactly the type of monsters that gather in groups, but since they are spread out here and there, they naturally end up bumping into multiple entities one after another.
“Is this a serious situation?”
“Most objects are missing. Because it happens so rarely, I didn’t even pay attention when I detected it.”
But now it is strangely peaceful.
It is not much different from simply taking a walk in a wetland park created in a village near the city center.
Monsters consume the magical energy inside the dungeon and increase their strength.
Therefore, the magic power of the dungeon is like a blessing to monsters.
However, if a few monsters monopolize the dungeon’s blessings that should be shared between multiple entities, the population of monsters inside the dungeon decreases rapidly, but the level of remaining entities rises exponentially.
In the world, such a phenomenon is called the eliteization of dungeons.
If the one who benefited from such a situation was not an ordinary monster but a monster that was the owner of a dungeon… .
“Let’s think positively. The dungeon owner may have gotten stronger, but in other words, if you catch just that one guy, you’ll be off for a week, right?”
“… Miguel is right.”
That should be easier said than done.
The strength of Dungeon Master is so great that a single entity can fight and win against all monsters in the dungeon.
Such an entity monopolizes even the dungeon’s evenly distributed blessings?
Unless a hunter raid team of a higher level than the level of the dungeon in question has been deployed, you must run away quickly if you want to survive.
It’s like going out to catch bees in a local flower bed and encountering a wasp.
ping-!
“Stop.”
Standing tall, everyone stopped in an instant at my one word.
“Dungeon master’s magic has entered the inside of the detection barrier.”
The tension was evident in the expressions of Han Se-hee, who was following me, and Hermod, who was laughing.
Miguel’s expression, who had been trying to encourage positive thinking just a moment ago, suddenly hardened.
Unfortunately, there was one more negative news to give them in this situation.
“… Everyone ready for battle! Coming!”
A concise sentence with no subject or object, shouted urgently.
But there was no fool who asked what was coming from that cry.
Deddude-.
The mud in the swamp shakes and the sparsely visible puddles vibrate.
The heavy leaping of a body coming from the other side approaches us, making a heavy sound that matches the vibrations of the swamp.
At the end of the gaze, a pile of moss-covered dirt and spray of water are mixing together and scattering.
The greedy dungeon owner approaches.
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