Ch.221Danger Stirring in the Distance

# In the Land of Grantis, a realm of mystery and opportunity, countless adventurers roam far and wide each day, their hearts filled with dreams of striking it rich.

Even though they risk their lives against ferocious monsters and perilous dark magic, just one big score could completely turn their fortunes around.

Of course, among those adventurers who eagerly burst through the western city gates with hearts pounding, only a blessed few achieve remarkable success.

Most end up making a living by fulfilling collection requests for animal hides, magic stones, or monster materials, while some meet lonely deaths in unknown places or descend into lawlessness.

Despite this harsh reality, the reason many still cling to their dreams of adventure can be attributed to the existence of “dungeons.”

Even without special skills or tools, monster materials drop directly into one’s hands, and depending on the environment, gold and silver treasures may be exposed right on the rock surfaces.

Treasure chests found throughout dungeons contain valuable magical items or formula fragments, and defeating dungeon bosses has a high probability of dropping artifact-grade items.

With luck, one might even obtain a magic core and earn a place in the history of western pioneering. Truly, dungeons themselves are the embodiment of the land of opportunity.

However, lucrative places naturally attract crowds, intensifying competition.

Famous but small-scale dungeons are often cleared out within a month of discovery, leaving latecomers without even a chance to enter.

That’s why fortune-seeking adventurers continue to wander Grantis in search of new dungeons.

They seek to conquer undiscovered dungeons by themselves, to monopolize all the wealth and glory contained within.

“I-it’s here! It’s really here!”

“To think the map those outlaws had actually marked the entrance to a hidden dungeon… we got lucky.”

And here is a group of adventurers who have seized this golden opportunity.

After subduing some outlaws they encountered by chance and searching their possessions, they found a map with an X marking a spot on a mountainside far from the city.

Following their instincts, they quickly prepared and rushed to the location, only to discover the distinctive purple glow of a dungeon gate seeping through rocks that had tumbled down in a landslide.

The outlaws had probably determined they couldn’t conquer the dungeon alone and were planning to either join forces with other outlaws or hire outside help.

Most outlaws only think about attacking people for money; those with the capability to explore and conquer dungeons are extremely rare.

“Hey, have you heard anything about a dungeon being discovered around here?”

“Not at all. This area was unexplored territory until just a week ago. Unless those outlaws have been spreading the word everywhere, there’s a very high chance that we’re the only ones who know about this dungeon right now.”

Upon hearing their companion’s confident answer, the adventurers’ smiles spread from ear to ear.

Even the party leader, who habitually cautioned against premature excitement, couldn’t contain the overwhelming joy in this moment.

“Hehehe! Hahahaha! We did it! This is our ticket to turning our lives around!”

“See! I told you we should check it out ourselves before taking the map to the Pioneer Bureau!”

“That’s right, Terry! You amazing friend! You’re the hero of this discovery!”

When the X-marked map was found on the outlaw leader, most of the companions, including the party leader, had argued for turning it over to the sheriff’s office or the Pioneer Bureau.

But Terry, the party’s sniper, desperately convinced his companions to investigate it themselves first, and that decision had paid off in the best possible way—the discovery of an undisclosed dungeon.

“Money! Rare materials! Artifacts! Maybe even a magic core… Terry! We’re going to be rich! Hahahaha!”

Andy, the somewhat frivolous but undeniably skilled scout, patted Terry’s shoulder and gave him a thumbs up.

Terry was about to tease him, pointing out that he had been the one most vehemently opposed to this expedition until the very end.

But that playful jab never left Terry’s lips.

His sharp eyes, honed from years as a sniper, had spotted something among the pile of rocks below.

“Terry? What’s wrong?”

Without time to answer Andy’s question, Terry stared intently at the rock pile at the bottom of the valley, his expression grave.

His companions, who had been rejoicing over their exclusive dungeon find, sensed the ominous atmosphere and gathered around Terry.

“Terry…?”

Time remaining until dungeon overflow: 10 seconds.

~ ~ ~ Protagonist’s Party Perspective ~ ~ ~

After spending our last night in Moon Lake with a bang, we headed toward the 7th Western City and were now resting at a small outpost called “Leatherwork,” about 70km to the west.

It took us roughly 3 hours and 30 minutes to get here by carriage.

Considering we had two encounters with monsters along the way, it was a fairly decent marching pace.

“Leatherwork… what an interesting name. Is it a place that specializes in leather products?”

“That’s right. This area is home to various animals like bison, deer, bears, leopards, and even alligators. Their main source of income comes from making and selling various leather products from these animals.”

“Hmm…”

Looking around the outpost after hearing Jessica’s explanation, I noticed that most buildings were shops dealing in leather goods, except for the inn and restaurant in the center.

Alligator leather wallets, bear fur cloaks, jackets made from snakeskin, and even some risqué leopard-print underwear.

“…Is there really a demand for men’s leopard-print V-shaped underwear?”

“W-well… I’m sure someone somewhere has that taste.”

“I absolutely love them♡”

“Big sis…”

Fortunately, except for someone with slightly twisted tastes, it seems no one wants me to wear those undergarments.

Aren’t animal print underwear supposed to be exclusive equipment for sexy older women characters?

Muttering such complaints to myself, I entered the restaurant, sat down at a large table with everyone, and ordered food.

Around us, wild-looking men who appeared to be hunters sat in groups, creating a boisterous atmosphere.

“We’re leaving right after we eat, right?”

“Yeah. It’s only noon, so I don’t think we need to stay here overnight.”

“To be honest, I’d like to push on a bit more today and then sleep in the carriage.”

“Ahaha, I get it. I’m secretly looking forward to camping in the carriage too.”

We were having this conversation and filling our stomachs with delicious food, just about to resume our journey.

‘BANG!’

“Kyaah!?”

Suddenly, the restaurant door burst open violently, and a blood-covered man staggered in, causing the waitstaff to scream and drawing everyone’s attention.

“Dun…dungeon…”

“Huh?”

“Dungeon overflow…monsters…urgh.”

The bloodied man who had entered the restaurant mumbled these words in a cracking voice before rolling his eyes back and collapsing.

Though his voice wasn’t particularly loud, the words he muttered reached the ears of everyone in the restaurant clearly.

“Hey, did he just say ‘dungeon overflow’?”

“There shouldn’t be any dungeons around here!”

“What’s going on? Hey! Someone wake that man up!”

“What are you talking about? He’s covered in blood! We need to call a doctor first!”

The news brought by the bloody intruder immediately plunged the restaurant into an unsettling atmosphere.

Dungeon overflow.

I’ve heard it’s a phenomenon where a long-abandoned dungeon goes berserk and spews out massive numbers of monsters.

The number of monsters that appear can reach hundreds, or in worst cases, over a thousand. If a dungeon overflow has really occurred nearby, this is nothing short of a first-class emergency.

“…Looks like we have a serious situation. I’ll go cast some healing magic on him.”

“Yes, we need to hear the details.”

“Are you thinking of fighting? Against the monsters from the dungeon overflow…”

“We need to hear the story first before deciding. We can’t flee without information and risk charging straight into a horde of monsters.”

While I’m not exactly a champion of justice who helps everyone in need without question, I do want to lend a hand if a crisis is approaching and I can help resolve it.

But even though our party has grown stronger, there are limits to our destructive capabilities, and I have neither knowledge nor experience regarding the severity of a dungeon overflow situation.

First, we need to wake this man and get detailed information. Whether to fight or flee is something we’ll discuss with everyone afterward.

‘A dungeon overflow at this timing… I hope this isn’t related to our victory against Royce Reich…’

Trying to ignore the uneasy feeling rising in a corner of my mind, I stroked Seti’s head as she leaned against me with a tense expression.