episode_0056

As its name suggests, an acute dungeon may arise when or where.

Even Ian doesn’t know about all the acute dungeons.

Memory correction doesn’t tell the whole story.

Therefore, the solution to acute dungeons was entirely up to the city or country that had jurisdiction over the area.

The ‘search team’ was also a position in the regional standing army created for that purpose.

When the search party discovered the E-class acute dungeon, the monster had already left the dungeon.

The good news was that the monsters that came out of that dungeon had very low mobility.

Even though it’s been a while since they started coming out of the dungeon, it hasn’t spread far.

-Thunk!

The search squad leader went far away.

The monster, the cave lizard, swung its tail and hit him.

Although it has low mobility, it is sturdy and strong.

Even though it looks small lying face down on the floor, it is bigger than an adult male.

The lizard’s head is about as high as a person’s knee.

“Squad leader! Are you okay?”

Another member blocked his path and hurled a spear.

The best way to use a spear blade was to scratch strong leather.

The search squad leader, who was a superhuman, could somehow deal with even F-level monsters, but not E-level monsters.

As a superhuman with no particular talent or strength, this was his limitation.

‘Is there still support for the warriors…? .’

It’s been quite a while since Pabal left for the E-class dungeon he’s conquering nearby.

It was their job to hold on until they came, but even holding on was not an easy task.

“Kwaaak!”

The members, who had lost strength, gradually collapsed.

It was a natural result since the members were superhumans who were weaker than the squad leader.

-Churrr .

A lizard, dripping with poisonous saliva, crawled towards a member of the crew.

The squad leader quickly threw himself, hugged the member, and walked away.

But he also had no energy, so instead of running, he collapsed with the crew.

“Squad leader… I was wrong… .”

“Don’t be unlucky.”

Before they knew it, a group of cave lizards, whose numbers had increased, approached them.

That’s what he said, but he knows it’s hopeless.

‘Is it the end…? .’

The moment when the feeling of defeat deepens and you want to give up.

-Quad!

The ice spear fell.

The ice spear, so large that it reminded one of a tower, fell vertically and crushed the lizards surrounding it.

It was so big that several animals were crushed at the same time by one ice spear.

“What… .”

It wasn’t even one.

Several ice spears fell, targeting the cave lizards surrounding them.

“Wizard… The wizard has arrived!”

“Well, I guess so… . But what kind of magic is this… .”

That wasn’t the end.

In the distance, along the path where the monsters from the acute dungeon were flowing out, a huge bolt of lightning rained down.

The squad leader once wanted to become a warrior, but has now given up.

Therefore, he was very interested in warriors, and due to the nature of his job, he had met warriors several times.

To him, such powerful magic was bound to be unfamiliar.

‘… Thunderbolt? Why is such a high-ranking wizard here… .’

The cave lizards exploded from the lightning that struck the ground as if it would turn it over.

The firepower was so strong that instead of cooking or burning, it just exploded.

The squad leader who saw the magic felt puzzled.

‘Thunderbolts fall from the sky, but they just fall vertically from a magic circle created in the air… . Surely it’s a lightning bolt… ? ‘Is this possible?’

Even the air here became hot due to the lightning that occurred in the distance.

“He seems to be a very powerful wizard. I can’t even see it yet… .”

“Wasn’t the nearby dungeon E-class?”

“Yes, I am.”

The squad leader became more puzzled.

It doesn’t have the firepower to conquer an E-class dungeon… .

“Are you okay? Ahhh-!”

With a loud shout from afar, a girl with flowing orange hair came running.

Judging by his clothes and equipment, no matter who he was, he was a priest.

Behind it, there was a woman who was clearly a wizard, running towards her with a face as red as her hair, covering her upper body with a large conical hat.

“You are seriously injured!”

The orange-haired priest who came nearby immediately began healing.

“Thank you. Malcolm, leader of the 5th squad of the Supevia Search Team… .”

“Don’t say! The wound opens up!”

“… … .”

A representative asked on his behalf.

“Thank you so much. Are you the warriors who came after hearing the news?”

“Yes! I am Helena!”

The red-haired wizard who arrived next put on a hat.

Malcolm realized why she ran with her upper body covered.

‘It must be hard to run… .’

The red-haired wizard and his companions also arrived.

An elf, a blindfolded silver-haired maid, a woman with pigtails who looked like a scholar, and a man who seemed to be a villain rather than a warrior.

It was a strange combination, but the squad leader had a hard time distinguishing which of them was a hero and who was not.

‘That man must be a warrior, and the maid…’ ‘What on earth is that?’

“I’m fine now, so please help me.”

“Okay!”

A cave lizard was seen escaping from the siege.

A hole appeared on the other side.

“Oh! The monster… !”

While Helena was confused, a man who looked like a warrior spoke.

“Helena continues to focus on healing. Vivian, please stop them from escaping first.”

“Yes.”

Malcolm quickly stood up and approached the man who seemed to be a warrior and representative.

“This is Malcolm, leader of the 5th squad of the Supevia Search Team.”

“This is Ian.”

“Thank you for your support, Warrior Ian.”

“… Ah, I am not a warrior.”

“Yes?”

“ is the party manager.”

Ian.

It was a name I felt like I had heard before somewhere.

***

Helena’s healing ability has been further improved.

Even more so than when I checked it at the training center.

It cannot be said that it is simply above average.

I’ve just completed a dungeon and am exhausted, but I’m in much better condition.

The reason was quickly apparent.

It wasn’t that she was tired, but Helena was extremely focused on the situation right now.

It could be because it reminds me of the past when my village almost suffered.

It may be that the excitement from the dungeon you just completed is still there.

Vivian was in a similar condition.

Although it pours out an incredible amount of firepower, the use of mana is precise and delicate.

It was a moment that once again proved that the two were much stronger in real life.

I asked Malcolm, who was seriously thinking about something.

“Are there monsters anywhere else besides here?”

“Yes. The search party has been widely deployed around the dungeon.”

It was the most basic response to acute dungeons.

Surrounding the monsters to prevent them from spreading.

After learning the location from Malcolm, I sent Carty.

[Organization completed.]

Since it didn’t spread out that wide, Kati came back soon.

“Fortunately, there were no deaths, and there is no place with as many monsters as here.”

“Yes? How… .”

He tapped the ring and explained briefly.

“Artifact. Anyway, they say the survivors will come here… .”

While we were talking, Katy came back.

The injured people recovered enough to stand on their own, and all the cave lizards that came out were cleaned up.

“Let’s start conquering the dungeon right away.”

“Ah, ah, yes. I understand.”

Malcolm, who had been dazed by the word artifact, quickly came to his senses.

“We will have several people wait outside the dungeon in case of any unexpected situation.”

Malcolm quickly gathered people, sent those who needed further treatment, and gathered those who were fine.

Meanwhile, I called Vivian and Helena.

“There is no time to waste, so I will explain quickly and get into it.”

“Yes.”

“Yes!”

“This dungeon also has two crossroads. The problem is, it splits and doesn’t come together. Even the last space is divided.”

It is a V-shaped fork, and is even divided into a cavity where the boss monster is located.

This is not a boss monster, but a different type, but it is a place where there is no room for cooperation.

“With the skills of the two of you, you can easily overcome it alone. However, since we have to be separated until the end, the problem is who I follow… .”

Vivian and Helena made eye contact.

“J… .”

Before Helena could say anything.

“I’ll go alone.”

Vivian spoke first.

“Oh… . no! Vivian… .”

“Vivian spoke first, so it’s over. I’m going with Helena. Instead, Vivian will be given Katy and Mercy. Because you never know what might happen.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Even now, the cave lizards will continue to try to crawl out, so I moved quickly.

Some of the survivors from the search party recognized this place and started whispering.

“… Are those people heroes? Is it a bit much?”

“The two people in the back are the warriors.”

“The two of us will solve this together… ? What level of warriors are they?”

Perhaps because the number of people was small, it seemed suspicious.

Malcolm stopped him right away.

“What are these bastards whispering to the people who came to help them?”

“… … .”

“Put in the heads of all the bastards who just muttered, carry out. You stay here until the very last. Did you understand?”

Leaving that little commotion behind, we entered the acute dungeon.

***

Ian continued to explain the dungeon until a fork in the road appeared.

The most important thing is about monsters.

Cave lizards often lie flat against the walls or ceilings of passageways.

Be especially careful because the color and texture of the leather is similar to the walls of the haunted cave.

There are quite a few temporary warriors who, in the blink of an eye, are pounced on by lizards that fall from the ceiling and die unexpectedly.

Ian advised us not to let down our guard as they could be hiding in the crevices of walls and floors.

At the point where the road splits, Ian emphasized again.

“Ceiling and walls. And wall or floor crevices. Everyone be careful. These guys are a bit slow in their actions, so if you go ahead, you could get attacked from behind.”

That was a warning to Vivian.

Helena went with Ian in the first place, so there was no need to emphasize it that much.

Vivian was a little happy at the sincere yet slightly impatient worry.

Even though I know that I have a mean heart.

“Yes. I will definitely be careful.”

“Vivian! You will do well! Don’t get hurt!”

“Helena too.”

“Whoever arrives first wins!”

“Yamma, Mercy. Do you know what kind of race this is?”

“Can’t be defeated!”

“It’s not racing, right?”

“Oh! Is that so!”

Helena, Ian, and Iris took the left path.

Vivian, Katy, and Mercy entered the path on the right.

*

Even though he knew that this was an environment where Vivian would be active, Ian repeatedly warned her to be careful.

Since you never know what will happen in real life, I couldn’t help but worry.

Those worries were unfounded.

As he expected, the environment of this dungeon was prepared for Vivian.

“Oh… .”

Mercy, who was following, was impressed.

Either it attaches to the ceiling and then falls, or it hides in a crevice and then surprises you.

It was all to no avail.

The ‘Automatic Interceptor Magic’ from the previously acquired artifact automatically defended against the cave lizard’s surprise attack.

Vivian’s enormous lightning bolt, which extended from the cloud-shaped magical body, was aimed precisely at the cave lizard.

Mercy and Kati were not harmed.

That was the ability to detect ‘hostility’ around him.

Even though it was her own strength, Vivian could not help but be surprised.

‘It even takes care of things I wasn’t aware of… .’

I once again realized how great an artifact is.

All Vivian had to do was move forward and take out any cave lizards she could see.

The artifact also reacted to the dripping saliva.

-phut!

The cave lizard that was falling from the air with its spit evaporated.

Vivian looked up and smiled with satisfaction.

‘Thanks to Ian… .’

If it weren’t for Ian, things that I couldn’t even imagine keep happening.

“If this continues, I’ll be first!”

Mercy shouted playfully from behind.

Vivian laughed and answered energetically.

“Yes! I will do better!”

*

Helena, who was about to go down the aisle, asked seriously.

“Ian.”

“Yes?”

“Do I need to finish this dungeon as quickly as possible?”

“Umm… . Since we have come in and blocked the road, there is no need to finish quickly. Well, there’s no reason to finish it late.”

“I… There is something I want to try.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, what should I say… . Pushing the road with protection… .”

Ian couldn’t figure out what that meant.

Anyway, there was no reason to refuse since I wanted to fight in a dungeon.

“Well, do whatever you want. Because I will be watching the back. But don’t let your guard down too much.”

“Yes… ! Okay!”

Helena spread the shield wide and slowly adjusted its shape and size.

To fit the aisle.

Afterwards, Ian realized what Helena wanted to do.

“Wooo much

Helena spread out protection exactly the size of the passage, then rushed forward and pushed forward.

The cave lizards that were clinging to the walls and ceiling were swept away by the protection.

It was literally sweeping away monsters like a bulldozer.

Because of its semi-elasticity, the cave lizard, once swept, bounced far away and repeatedly ran into the rushing guard.

Ian laughed when he saw that ignorant solution.

‘There is an attack method that uses semi-elasticity, but it is done in this way… .’

Helena ran through the dungeon at incredible speed.

It was Ian’s job to dispose of the lizards left in the crevices.

Iris wrote in her notebook as she watched Helena advance like a chariot.

‘Priest’s protection can also be used for attack purposes… .’

*

Malcolm firmly guarded the dungeon entrance with his crew.

The people who had spoken carelessly earlier were still lying on their heads.

“What’s going on inside…? ?”

one search party member asked.

Sure enough, not long after they entered, a loud roar came outside.

The sound of electricity tearing through the air and breaking walls.

And then there was the unimaginable sound of something huge pushing the ground with all its might and rushing… .

“They are outstanding warriors. We can do things that are difficult to imagine.”

Even though he came from solving an E-class dungeon, Malcolm was confident.

They must have already reached a higher level than that.

While I was waiting, I saw people climbing the hill in the distance.

They were the residents of a farmhouse near this dungeon.

“Malcolm! Are you not hurt?”

The old man in the lead asked.

Malcolm knew him, as he had patrolled this area several times.

“Elder, what are you doing here? Oh, of course, the priest treated all the injured people.”

“What happens? I heard that there are warriors who came to help, so shouldn’t I at least say thank you?”

“Ahaha… .”

“But why are these soldiers like this?”

“These people are gossiping about there being two heroes… .”

“Ugh, tsk tsk. I guess I’ll have to stay like this for a few more days.”

Even though the blood rushed to their heads and their eyeballs seemed like they were going to fall out, the soldiers could not stand up.

However, hearing that there were only two people made the villagers a little anxious.

It was a common sense reaction.

A hero’s party, no matter how small the number, is at least three.

Malcolm, who read that expression, grinned.

“You don’t have to worry. For the warriors who have entered now, two people will be enough.”

Only then did people feel relieved.

After Malcolm explained a little about the two’s activities, the people began to wait for the hero with anticipation.

Several people had gathered outside the dungeon waiting for Ian’s party.

*

The number of superhumans in the total population is 1%.

Among superhumans, 1% are heroes.

Those who become ‘official warriors’ are again 1%.

Only they can challenge dungeons of C grade or higher.

And, the current hero’s highest SS rank is a party of five.

The S just below is the column.

Below that, A stays in double digits.

In other words, for the ‘No. 1 Hero Party’, which ranks above all other hero parties, a grade A dungeon is nothing more than a walking path that can be passed with one’s eyes closed.

In that A-rank dungeon, Aria was injured.

“… … .”

She absentmindedly rolled up her sleeves and looked down at her forearms.

Even the expression, “I was hurt,” was a funny word.

It’s just a small scratch caused by a child falling while playing.

This is a nun’s uniform made by Ian that is sturdier than a plate with various enchantments.

Even if it had hit bare skin, it would have been slightly torn.

At that level, Aria can heal with just one breath.

That’s not what’s important.

The situation itself of getting hurt was allowed.

It’s not just because Sylvia is missing.

Carelessness and arrogance.

And, confusion.

Aria seemed to be in a daze from the moment she entered the dungeon.

Only envy and regret toward what I could not have filled my head.

With each miracle, his thoughts grew bigger.

A feeling of inconvenience that I didn’t feel when he was around.

That kept reminding me of Ian.

“… … .”

“Aria… .”

Kylie called her with mixed feelings.

“The title of the first party is luxurious.”

Beatrice sarcastically said.

Aria didn’t respond.

“… I’m fine.”

It’s not a serious injury either.

It’s not like I couldn’t clear the dungeon.

There is no reason not to be okay.

She stood up smiling and looked up at the high magic stone.

That’s something you can have.

If you want, you can.

So I didn’t want it.

It reminded me of things I couldn’t have, so it wasn’t even okay.

All three now had to admit it.

The vague cracks have become clearer.

The crack soon became Ian’s empty space.