Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 43: The Mining Dungeon (5).

There was no opposition. Even Alex, who had been lost in thought for a moment, seemed willing to follow the others’ intentions and showed a team member’s appropriate behavior.

Allen first looked around this wide space filled with a thick layer of slime. …Upon focusing, there wasn’t just one or two passages like the one they had fallen through. There were dozens visible to the eye. Every place where the slime was piled up like frogspawn was the exit of a passage. Perhaps, all these slide-like passages throughout the dungeon were connected here.

‘…Why? For what reason?’

It definitely wasn’t natural. All of this was undoubtedly the work of a monster.

Allen’s mind, which had been jammed due to the monster’s surprise attack, started to work in earnest. And after quite a long period of contemplation, he roughly inferred that this place was the queen’s feeding ground.

If the susalber which were spread throughout the dungeon corners, put their prey into that passage, they would flow down here and pile up neatly.

Considering the queen’s characteristic of not leaving once it chooses a habitat, there was no other explanation.

‘…Wait a minute. That means…’

“Did you discover something…?”

Alex asked, seeing Allen’s slightly surprised expression.

“This place…, it is possible that this is where that queen monster might be.”

Hearing that, everyone’s expression turned to surprise. And various emotions appeared on their faces.

The middle-aged Group Leader, who was bargaining for his life earlier, asked with a trembling voice.

“Then, what do we do?”

“What do you mean what do we do?”

Allen scanned the members with determined eyes.

“We have to fight.”

——!!

The reaction was even more violent than before. The frightened mercenaries started whining before even starting.

“Among ourselves, can we win? You said she’s a queen.”

“We’re too short on power. It would be better to plan for the future…”

However, Allen shook his head firmly. He wasn’t doing this simply for the sake of public duty. Already having fallen into the middle of the monster’s den, if they couldn’t catch the queen, escaping was almost impossible.

“If we can’t catch the queen, we can’t get out either. Even if we find a way out, do you think we can break through with just us against their numbers?”

No one could argue against that. Because it was a hundred times true.

“We just need to catch the queen. Then the rest become idiots. They turn into mere pieces of meat that breathe, that’s what I mean. Then we find the passage. …It must be somewhere.”

“Then…!”

Hope, which had crashed to the ground, surged upwards again. Because there was at least a little possibility of surviving.

“However—!”

That’s when Allen slightly raised his voice, capturing the attention of the members.

“You must have the courage to overcome, to live.”

He looked each of them in the eye, his gaze overpowering the room.

“Do not be afraid. The moment you fear, you are as good as dead. If you follow my orders and act until the end, you can definitely survive. I guarantee it. I promise.”

The members were only responsible for their own lives, but the leader had to take responsibility for all their lives. …He wanted to get out alive with everyone. Truly. Desperately.

“Understood—?!”

“Understood.”

That desperation reached the members as well.

With that, they became one in heart. United by the belief that they could live, everyone became one.

“Let’s move.”

The group slowly began to cross the mucous swamp. Each breath polluted their lungs with a terrible stench, but they bravely endured. The desperate struggle of humans wanting to live had a power that far surpassed the limits they thought they had.

At this moment, everyone forgot their hardships and fatigue and moved as if they had awakened.

The magic wand of the milk-jug mage was much brighter than a torch, illuminating even the far-off distances. Thanks to this, they avoided unnecessary waste of energy.

‘…It must be somewhere here. I’m sure of it.’

Allen, who had plundered every dungeon there was in Guild Master, knew all too well the characteristics of each boss. He gradually remembered the area where Queen Susalber had been was filled with this kind of slimy substance… Of course, back then, he didn’t arrive here by sliding down a slide.

…How long had they walked?

Alex was the first to notice something quite massive crouching in the distance. It slowly began to reveal itself in the bright light of the magic wand.

——!!

A monstrous creature, easily dozens of times larger than any caterpillar monster, was disgustingly wriggling its body.

‘Finally, found it—.’

The initial thought was the same for everyone. The thoughts that followed, however, branched off in different directions again.

Allen hurriedly looked around. …Fortunately, there seemed to be no other monsters. Of course, if the attack started, they would undoubtedly come to protect the queen.

‘We gotta kill it before that happens—.’

Suddenly, he felt a sudden fear of death. It was a fear of a different dimension from what he had felt in the canyon before.

Who wasn’t afraid of death? Especially when the blade of death was actually right in front of the Adam’s apple, the feeling was indescribably terrifying.

…However, it was now do or die. After all, if he died, it would just mean the end of a useless gamer’s life. In fact, it was a life that wasn’t much to speak of.

Hooo.

After taking a deep breath and calming his emotions again, Allen quickly racked his brain.

It was clear that a few slashes at that huge body wouldn’t have much effect. Magic was needed. And fortunately, here was a mage of the elemental magic type, arguably the most powerful in terms of destructive power.

Allen approached the milk-jug mage with ease.

“Elena. How many times do you think you can use your magic? Please answer as accurately as possible.”

The milk-jug mage, already sensing the importance of her role, swallowed once and answered.

“…Three, no, four times.”

“Are you sure? Four times?”

“If I scrape everything together, I think I can do it up to four times.”

“Thinking you can isn’t good enough! Tell me if you can or can’t, for sure.”

“…I can.”

“Good.”

“But on the fourth time, I won’t be able to maintain the light.”

“Got it. I’ll take that into account.”

Allen then moved on to the members armed with weapons.

“You must focus your attacks on the areas blasted by the magic attacks. You need to widen the wounds as much as possible, you need to maximize the damage.”

“So, you mean to say, tear open their bellies and pull out their innards?”

Everyone chuckled at the explicit description.

“Yes. That explanation is easier to understand.”

Allen also smiled faintly and nodded once.

“When the fight starts, it will undoubtedly call its offspring. We must kill it before we’re surrounded by the monsters. Understand?”

“Yes, we understand.”

“This is a battle against time. Whether we live or die depends on it. Even if you’re tired to the brink of death, hold on until the end. That’s how you’ll be able to survive.”

He paused for a moment to breathe, then continued.

“…When the magic is ready, I’ll let you know. At that time, step back for a moment. Don’t get caught up in it.”

“Yes, Group Leader.”

“Then let’s get ready now.”

Everyone braced themselves and prepared for battle. Only the middle-aged clan leader, a non-combatant, stood side by side with Allen next to the milk-jug mage.

“I wish you good fortune…!”

All the middle-aged clan leader could do was pray for everything to end safely.

Allen, seeing that preparations were complete, gave the milk-jug mage a heavy nod.

As the light from the wand in her left hand gradually dimmed, the pale blue mana gathering in her right hand became increasingly intense.

Soon, the milk-jug mage cast a spell towards the queen monster.

…And then, an explosion.

—————————————!!!!!!!

The shell hit by the magic burst open with the explosion, and something like innards began to spill out. At the same time, the queen monster let out a monstrous scream.

“Again—!”

As the milk-jug mage prepared her second spell, the members quickly ran and tore the burst area even wider. Moving swiftly was quite difficult due to the knee-high slime, but they still clenched their teeth and exerted strength.

While they were tearing the wound further, at Allen’s shout of “Move aside—”, they quickly dispersed to the sides.

And then, another spell was launched.

————————————————!!!!!!!!!!!!

The direction deviated quite a bit from the initially hit area. Since the attack was thrown by hand, the problem was a lack of accuracy, but the impact was certain.

Just as the members were staggering and desperately running again, suddenly, something started pouring out from all directions.

‘…This damn shi—!’

What burst out from dozens of feeding passages were susalber. Not just one or two, but dozens, hundreds of them.

“Kill it, kill that bastard quicklyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!”

Honestly, this was a situation even Allen hadn’t anticipated. He never imagined that so many monsters would suddenly appear. And through the feeding passage, no less.

‘Damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it————.’

No matter what, it was hard to keep a clear mind. The team members felt the same. They slashed wildly like madmen, trying to kill the queen monster.

And then, the third magic of the milk-jug mage was completed.

“You have to shoot accurately. You can’t miss. No, don’t get excited. Don’t get excited. Calmly. Shoot calmly——!!”

Although Allen was jumping around excitedly, the milk-jug mage was surprisingly calm. She took a deep breath and focused precisely on where to cast her magic, as if she was betting everything on this one shot.

…And then, the magic left her hands.

‘Pleeeeease———————.’

It hit exactly the same spot where the first magic had struck earlier. The powerful mana ball burrowed into the innards of the queen monster, exploding from within.

———————————————————————!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Simultaneously, the monster’s body burst open.

The fragments that flew into the air fell like rain. Everyone was momentarily dazed as they were hit by it all over.

The susalber that were crazily rushing towards the intruders suddenly started glowing on the spot and then collapsed, motionless as if dead. The monsters still streaming out of the passageway fell to the ground like trash, piling up haphazardly.

………It was over.

The queen monster was dead.

Allen stood still, panting harshly for a long while. Then, slowly turning his head, he looked at Elena, who looked back at him with a half-dazed expression.

“……Damn……”

Without anyone starting first, they both lunged at each other and hugged tightly as if to crush one another. He patted her back a couple of times and then gently stroked it.

“Well done. You did well. Really well done. Well done, Elena. Really…, really…”

And the lingering sentiment of their survival,

Shaped into droplets of tears.