Chapter 23: Sub-Dungeon #2

Chapter 23: Sub-Dungeon #2

Inside the Garden underground caves, the Vigilantes’ hideout.

‘The world revolves around me.’

Anyone who heard this would call it arrogant, but…

Dawson, the leader of the Vigilantes, genuinely believed it.

Everything was proceeding smoothly according to Dawson’s plan.

It started with this cave, which he discovered by chance.

‘Where else in the frontier could I find such a naturally gifted fortress?’

The entrance was cleverly hidden from outside view, and the passages extending in all directions within the cave were like a natural labyrinth.

It was the perfect place to secretly build power and plan great deeds without worrying about anyone else.

‘Soon, Garden will be at my feet.’

Plans that the pompous, posturing Guard Captain could never imagine were steadily progressing here.

Training elite Vigilante members. Stockpiling equipment for rebellion.

And, if he wanted, a ‘secret weapon’ capable of destroying two or three of Garden at once…

He couldn’t help but smile, but Dawson quickly became serious.

No.

Would he be satisfied with merely ruling Garden? With this much power gathered?

Dawson shook his head.

‘My capacity isn’t that limited.’

A strong body honed through real combat, sharp tactics that catch everyone off guard, and the charisma to captivate his subordinates.

What else could he possibly be lacking?

Dawson thought hard, but he seemed perfect in every way.

‘If needed, I can just smash this guy’s head with it, and anyone will be done for.’

Dawson’s most trusted friend, “Garden’s Meteor,” always stayed by his side.

This artifact had never disappointed Dawson.

‘Using Garden as a base, I’ll take over the entire West, and then…’

Perhaps.

Maybe even the throne of the Imperial Emperor, the supreme ruler above all men, high above in the imperial palace, might not be just a dream.

Indeed. A man born into this world with two testicles should have grand dreams.

Ambition grew like a weed in his chest.

‘Is there any law that says I can’t be emperor? There’s no such thing as a special lineage for kings and nobles. Yes, there’s no reason I can’t do it. I can do it.’

Dawson leaned against the cave wall, lost in sweet contemplation.

Golden wealth and glory enveloped his entire body, and fair-skinned women from the capital attended to him…

Drip.

A cold drop of water falling from a stalactite woke Dawson.

Immediately after, one of his oblivious subordinates approached Dawson, his footsteps echoing loudly.

“Captain!”

“⋯Bastard, you’re loud. I told you to lower your voice inside the cave, didn’t I?”

“Ah, sorry.”

“What’s going on?”

“You know that path I discovered before? I followed it all the way this time, and guess what, it connects to another area outside the cave.”

Dawson closed his eyes and listened with an annoyed expression, half-heartedly.

Dawson’s attention was entirely focused on the upcoming operation.

‘This frustrating bastard.’

‘The decision of whether Garden falls into my hands soon is about to be made, and he’s obsessed with exploring caves…’

However, even an idiot subordinate is a valuable asset to Dawson at this moment.

If he wants to reach the position of absolute ruler in the future, he can’t neglect practicing his art of managing people from now on.

Dawson mustered his patience and opened his mouth.

“So, where does it lead?”

“I think it’s towards the underground waterway. The smell is really foul…”

“Block it with planks.”

“Huh?”

“Block it with planks, you fool. Don’t make me say it again. If you leave it, dirty water will flow in, won’t it?”

The subordinate’s mouth moved like a goldfish’s, hesitating for a moment, then said cautiously.

“Um, by any chance… someone might be invading from there, right?”

“Ah, you really are…”

A thick vein bulged on Dawson’s temple.

The subordinate quickly shut his mouth.

“Who the hell is roaming around in the underground waterway, huh? Invading? Are rats swarming in? Don’t piss me off, damn it. Hurry up and take some men and block that damn hole.”

“Ah, got it.”

The subordinate didn’t argue further and scurried away from Dawson as if fleeing.

‘What a temper, damn bastard…’

He grumbled silently, but he was in a position where he had no choice but to obey.

Dawson’s authority within the Vigilantes was that absolute.

***

-Kishak!

As Mitchell’s fist landed, the Ratman collapsed pathetically.

This is the underground waterway.

Our party, with the addition of Mitchell and Wagner, has increased its strength and is continuing its hunt smoothly.

“What? It’s nothing special?”

Mitchell scoffed confidently.

It’s not wrong.

Ratmen were monsters that Flora and I could handle even by ourselves.

Now, with a tank and a damage dealer, Ratmen were no longer our match.

We didn’t even need strategies like setting up magic shields.

We just had to kill them as we saw them.

“Still, you never know, so always stay behind me.”

Wagner held up his shield protectively, and Flora and I trailed behind him.

It couldn’t be more stable than this.

If this were a mobile game, we could probably go to sleep after turning on auto-battle and still be fine.

‘The magic stones are dropping quite well too.’

The effect of the Magic Stone Collection rune on Flora’s gloves was shining, and the number of magic stones dropped by the Ratmen had significantly increased, which was also pleasing.

Every single one of these is precious experience points.

I left most of the hunting to Mitchell and Wagner and focused on collecting the spoils.

It feels like my current role is closer to an item-collecting pet than a party leader…

But from now on, things will be different.

We reached the entrance of the sub-dungeon, “Contaminated Deposit,” which we had marked on the map.

“Oh, kid. You found it? Not bad-“

Mitchell ruffled my hair roughly, as if trying to pat my head.

Discovering a sub-dungeon is considered a significant achievement.

If reported to the Guard or the Adventurer’s Guild, one can receive a decent reward.

However, I didn’t inform anyone.

Of course.

If I can monopolize such a great hunting ground, why would I care about mere achievement points?

「Entered Contaminated Deposit.」

「This is a dumping ground for experimental waste from ancient mages. Due to prolonged magical contamination, it has now transformed into a magical disaster in itself.」

「Danger Level: Medium」

The basic scenery is similar to the underground waterway.

Narrow, dark paths extend, and contaminated water flows alongside them.

However, the color of the water is different from here on.

A bright green wastewater that seems impossible in nature.

It’s similar to the color of the highlighter I often used for notes in school.

“Be careful not to step in the water. Absolutely.”

I reminded everyone to be cautious once more.

Contact with the contaminated wastewater in the deposit’ll cause poisoning, and there’s a low chance of contracting the “Mutation” status ailment.

Simply put, you might end up with three arms and two dicks.

Huh, two dicks…?

That sounds kind of appealing?

“Estel, what’s wrong?”

“⋯No. Let’s go.”

I put aside my useless fantasies and refocused.

Since entering the sub-dungeon, the party’s atmosphere has clearly changed.

Unlike the relaxed atmosphere when fighting Ratmen, everyone seemed a bit tense.

Naturally, without anyone telling them, a proper formation was established.

At the very front, Wagner, holding his large shield.

Behind him, Mitchell, with hawk-like eyes scanning the surroundings, ready for battle.

In the rear, the divine mage Flora and I.

Splash, splash.

Only the sound of our footsteps echoed hollowly in the waterway, where the fluorescent wastewater glowed faintly.

Then.

Wagner, who was at the front, stopped walking.

“There’s something.”

Soon, a strange shape emerged from the darkness ahead in the waterway.

A giant eyeball floating in the air.

And a lump of mud dragging itself across the floor.

It’s a “Translucent Eyeball” and a “Mud Monster.”

“So disgusting. Come at me, you bastards!”

Tada-

Mitchell kicked off the ground and leaped with all her might.

A kick in a semicircular trajectory struck the Translucent Eyeball, and the burst bodily fluids splattered everywhere.

Oh, with Mitchell’s kick, the Translucent Eyeball can be defeated in one hit.

This is good news, but the battle isn’t over yet.

“What the hell is this guy?”

Mitchell’s eyes widened.

The fleshy mass of the Translucent Eyeball gathered in the air, and after a moment, it split into two smaller eyeballs.

The troublesome characteristic of the Translucent Eyeball.

If killed by a physical attack, it splits up to two times.

Soon, one eyeball focused on Mitchell, and the other on Flora behind her.

“Ah, shit, what’s happening? My body-“

“Huh? Mine too, it’s weird!”

Another characteristic of the Translucent Eyeball.

The so-called ‘Grotesque Gaze’.

It slows down the target it gazes upon with its contaminated sight, or absorbs mana.

If exposed to its gaze for too long, you could even lose your life.

Meanwhile, the Mud Monster wrapped around Wagner’s leg.

“⋯Ugh.”

The Mud Monster doesn’t have any fatally dangerous skills, but its persistent clinging is annoying.

Wagner, who was rushing to help the party, found his ankle bound in place.

‘Well, even so, this is…’

While each of them struggled with their respective monsters…

I calmly observed the situation from behind, with my arms crossed.

Even though the situation could lead to panic and the party’s disintegration, they are coping with the crisis reasonably well for inexperienced adventurers.

It means they have potential.

‘Maybe they’re worth nurturing?’

According to the original plan, these guys were supposed to be used and discarded.

But looking at them, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to adjust the plan slightly.

“Hey, kid! Are you playing alone?”

Mitchell shouted, exasperated.

It’s probably about time I helped.

“Mitchell, don’t make eye contact with the eyeball.”

“What? What are you talking about-“

“If you don’t look directly at it, your body will slow down less. And after you burst the eyeball, don’t zone out; attack again immediately. That way, you can kill it instantly as soon as it splits, without giving it an opening.”

“Uh, uh? Got it.”

While giving advice, I fired a magic arrow at the eyeball tormenting Flora.

Fzzt-

The frost-infused arrow accurately pierced the eyeball’s pupil.

The Translucent Eyeball fell to the ground like fragments of a burst balloon.

“Relax your legs, Wagner. The more you struggle, the more it’ll stick.”

The Mud Monster reacts to the movement of living beings.

As Wagner followed my advice, relaxed his legs, and stood still, the Mud Monster wriggled its body and sought a new target.

I concentrated mana into my ritual dagger.

Frost Magic “Frost Blade.”

With the bonus from the “Elemental Amplification” option on the ritual dagger, the ice blade shone more brilliantly than before.

The Mud Monster, sensing my quiet approach, stretched its body like taffy to attack-

Slice.

The Mud Monster, without even touching a hair on me, was cleanly cut in two in mid-air.

The monsters in the Contaminated Deposit commonly have a weakness to frost attacks.

Normally, the mud monster would cling to the blade, but it was frozen by the cold and sliced apart, which is why.

“Thanks, Estel.”

After the battle concluded, Wagner expressed his gratitude.

“Phew- I was saved thanks to you, Estel. When that eyeball stared at me, my head suddenly started spinning… Phew-“

“⋯Kid, you’re quite something?”

Mitchell’s gaze towards me had clearly changed, as if she saw me in a new light.

It unfolded as expected.

‘As expected, they only appreciate it when they’ve experienced it firsthand.’

I could have told them the strategies for the monsters that appear in the deposit beforehand, but I didn’t.

People are fickle.

Even if I told them in advance, they wouldn’t feel as grateful as they do now.

They would just forget that I helped them and think it was their own skill.

Therefore, I plan to push our party a bit harder.

To gain combat experience,

And most importantly, to assert my authority as party leader.

“You guys, is that the best you can do?”

“Huh?”

Mitchell’s eyebrows twitched, but she closed her mouth, having no suitable reply.

She knows her performance just now wasn’t great.

“What was that display just now? You charge in alone, then you flail around unable to do anything.”

“⋯.”

Everyone just listened silently to my sharp reprimand.

It might seem funny to an outsider, seeing three adventurers unable to say anything in front of one young girl…

But the atmosphere is quite serious.

That’s right, this is how you take control.

I delivered the final blow with a stern, solemn, and serious expression.

“I’m very disappointed in you all.”