Chapter 175

Chapter 175

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 175: The Underground Labyrinth (3)

The murderous intent clung to the skin like sticky phlegm. After a brief rest, the mercenary group began walking in formation again.

In the spacious cavern, several passages were sporadically opened. If it weren’t for the Blind Saintess, they would have had to explore each one of them individually.

“This way…”

Ordnung followed the string connected to the doll, leading to a passage. Those experiencing her skill for the first time looked puzzled. Indeed, seeing energy with one’s eyes wasn’t an easy ability to believe.

Huff huff.

The sound of footsteps treading over the uneven, rugged stone floor, combined with the more than twenty rough breaths, heightened the tension to an extreme. The mercenaries were on high alert, nervously rolling their eyes in all directions, unsure of when and where a monster might suddenly spring out.

In the passageway where the mercenary group had entered, unidentified corpses lay decaying in a corner. Some were so old that only white bones remained, while others still had flesh clinging to them.

The mercenaries, projecting themselves onto these sights, felt tension so tight it clenched even their insides. They were already on edge, having the recent case of a fellow female mercenary torn to shreds like minced meat by a monster…

The large, rounded, arch-shaped corridor was filled with all sorts of foul odors. Particularly from the corner, where the decaying excrement of a monster emitted an indescribably awful stench. Occasionally, among the mercenaries walking in two lines, the sound of dry heaving could be heard.

…The air felt as if it were growing sharper and stickier. Even Allen, who wasn’t particularly sensitive to such things, could feel it.

There’s something inside there.

It was a feeling close to certainty.

On both sides of the corridor, there were cages made of very thick iron bars, just like earlier. Naturally, there were human prisons as well. There seemed to be a lot of children here, as the skulls were noticeably smaller.

After briefly inspecting the inside of the prison and just as they were about to move forward again…

“Group Leader!”

As the Blind Saintess’s cry erupted, a monster suddenly leaped out from the darkness in front of the passage. Having faced this situation once already, they quickly formed a formation to confront the charging monster much faster than before.

Fortunately, the monster itself wasn’t that strong. Even Newbie Kori could handle it with ease. Of course, it might also be because it was too starved to exert its full strength.

“You damn! Bastard!”

Newbie Kori, whose belly had been pierced by the monster earlier, vented his frustration by repeatedly smashing its head with a club, recalling the time he had wet himself in fear.

Perhaps due to the noise, more and more monsters began to attack the mercenary group. As the number of monsters recklessly charging increased, the group’s stamina gradually dwindled.

“Drink the potion moderately! Manage your stamina yourselves! Don’t get knocked out in one hit!”

Allen also gulped down the potion, enduring the forced march with the heat that warmed his stomach.

The passage was immensely deep. So much so that Allen had to reconsider his plan to break through in one go.

“Take a short break!”

They paused for a moment in the middle. Everyone showed clear signs of exhaustion. In a place where their vision was limited, trying to keep other senses as sharp as possible naturally drained their stamina. Moreover, having experienced instances of being caught by monsters due to a slight mistake, the tension was high.

Allen approached the Blind Saintess leading the way and asked how much further they had to go.

“…It doesn’t seem too far. If we go as far as we’ve come, we should be there.”

“Alright, got it.”

-Kyaaaah!

The eerie screams from the doll, as if it were having a seizure, heightened the sense of fear even more. Each time, Pergamond would bang on the box lid with his pan-like palms, shouting for it to shut up, but it was hardly effective. If such threats were going to work, they would have worked long ago.

After a brief rest, the mercenary group reformed their formation and marched on.

The air, already filled with a sense of murderous intent, now felt damp. In fact, the walls of the passage were moist with condensation. There were even places where water puddles had formed.

Though the water appeared clear, Allen warned them never to drink it. Surely, the monsters also used these puddles, and if they accidentally ingested the saliva of a monster and got infected, it would be disastrous.

“We’re at the end of the passage!”

They defeated two more monsters and finally arrived at the end of the passage. Of course, no one was foolish enough to celebrate it as the end. They hadn’t even come across the source of this disaster, so there was no reason to relax.

What awaited them after they emerged from the passage was another gigantic cavity… However, it was different from before.

An enormously intense killing intent and ominous aura were swirling within the cavity. To the point where even Ordnung, who could see such auras, was slightly surprised.

“Group Leader…! Over there…!”

Ordnung pointed directly at somewhere in the darkness that was not yet visible to the naked eye.

“Is that what we’re looking for?”

“…It seems so.”

Allen instructed his members to prepare for battle. The Luis-Mercenary Group also got into combat formation.

Allen instructed Elena to be ready to cast her spell at any moment. She had to be prepared to unleash a spell if necessary.

And the mercenary group advanced slowly in the direction indicated by Ordnung.

Then, a scene gradually unfolded.

!!!

An enormous number of monsters were lying prostrate, as if bowing towards something, completely still. Some were already dead and decaying.

“Gasp.”

At the shocking sight, a few of the more timid mercenaries took a deep breath. They never imagined they would see such a fanatical display of worship from monsters.

!!!

Everyone held their breath and looked at Group Leader Allen, wondering what they should do about this.

However, he raised a finger to his lips and gestured for silence. The mercenary group moved quietly, suppressing even the sound of their footsteps, as they stealthily passed between the monsters, prostrated as if in a bow.

Soon, strange root-like things began to appear on the ground. The reddish, vein-like, translucent objects shimmered as light touched them. Stepping on them felt like stepping on a squishy water hose.

These root-like strands exponentially increased in number as they moved inward, soon covering the entire floor. The slippery and sticky unpleasant roots clung to the flesh of the prostrated monsters like leeches, sucking out their essence. The monsters, left as mere skin and bones like mummies, must have been drained completely by them.

“Damn it…”

Someone mumbled softly as if talking to themselves. It was indeed a sight that would make anyone curse involuntarily.

Numerous roots gradually converged into one place, forming a massive colony. Soon, it became a colossal pillar that rose upward, turning into a single enormous trunk. Like a gigantic World Tree.

In the light cast by the magic orb, the mercenaries were momentarily frozen by the horrific and terrifying sight of the enormous blood-red tree.

At the center of the giant blood-red tree, there was something embedded that resembled an oval crystal, and inside that crystal, a mass that looked like countless tangled Gordian worms was writhing.

That’s it!

The dreadful core of the soul inside the doll.

Once again, the doll let out a piercing scream. Then, the mass inside the crystal squirmed more violently. Simultaneously, the box rattled.

“Elena!”

Allen had no desire to delay it any longer. He planned to start the fight by landing a big hit on that dreadful monster still in its defenseless state.

Of course, the moment it would get hit, the surrounding monsters would rush to protect their master. A rough battle was surely to be expected.

The Milk-Jug Mage nodded as if ready to cast a spell at any command. Confirming this, Allen signaled to Group Leader Luis that it was time to prepare for battle.

“Everyone, form up! Prepare for combat!”

The two mercenary groups each formed a tight circular formation. Then, the powerful magic of the Milk-Jug Mage flew toward the blood-red tree and exploded.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With a tremendous explosion, the tendril that stretched up to the ceiling was torn apart. It collapsed sideways, spewing the monster’s ichor everywhere.

-Kyaaaaaa!!!!!

Simultaneously, the doll’s scream grew sharper and louder.

Soon, the lid of the box burst open with a bang, and the doll leaped out. As it was about to head towards the blood-red tree, the Blind Saintess swiftly snatched it mid-air.

“Ugh!”

Her palm blistered and seared in an instant.

“Don’t let go!”

Allen thrust his silver sword into the doll’s body lying on the ground.

-Kiiiieeee!!

The doll, dyed entirely red, struggled in agony.

At the same time, the numerous monsters that had been lying prone began to tremble and rise one by one.

“You’re all dead, you bastards…!”

Furball Geese spat on both palms and gripped his weapon tightly, steeling himself for battle.

Old Dog Kalisman, tense beside him, patted the back of the slightly trembling Balding Kancho and said,

“Don’t worry. Trust your comrades behind you and only look forward.”

The members all steeled their hearts in their own ways, readying themselves for the fight.

Meanwhile, Elena prepared another spell.

“Hit it with one more!”

The Milk-Jug Mage’s powerful elemental magic struck the blood-red tree again, causing it to explode. Blood-red sap splattered everywhere…!

The mercenaries couldn’t avoid the splattering drops and ended up drenched in a significant amount. They looked like demons even before the fight began.

Soon, the monsters charged at them.

“Kill them all!!!”

The bloody battle between the mercenaries and the monsters began.