WebNovels

Chapter 37 - Second Leg of the Expedition [5]

"Everyone, the second leg of the expedition officially begins now." Finn's voice cut through the chatter.

'Finally, the second half of the Middle Floors... and into the Lower Floors. Here I come!'

I made my way to the second group's gathering point, Raine trailing behind. And among the adventurers already assembled, I recognized a few familiar faces.

--------------------------------------------

The werewolf, Bete Loga, Level 3 captain of the Vidar Familia, stood with arms crossed, his foot tapping impatiently against the ground. He looked thoroughly bored, eyes scanning the crowd like he was daring someone to start a fight with him just to kill time.

A few paces from him stood Selenia, Vice-Captain of the Vidar Familia. Her long brown hair cascaded like silk to her waist, her expression calm and focused. I'd only seen her once or twice before, but even at a glance, she carried the quiet air of someone who one could depend on.

Then I saw her. A dark elf with tanned skin and vibrant green eyes, her face so beautiful that even some goddess paled in comparison to her. She was dressed in a yellow dress with armor, but even that stood out against her skin. Her hand held a wooden staff with a bright green gem at the top.

Her dark hair flowed freely to her waist, swaying with her every motion. She was laughing softly, chatting with someone nearby, her wide, easygoing smile bright against the gloom of the dungeon floor.

Nernatti, the only blessed of the Goddess Hathor and a Level 4 mage, skilled enough to take on someone even a level above her without flinching.

She'd been around since the era when the Zeus and Hera Familias undertook the Three Great Quests… and vanished after failing to achieve the same. 

Another familiar figure stood nearby, the elf captain of the Dionysus Familia, also a Level 4. Even though I'd seen him a few times before, I'd only recently learned his name: Rozen. He was flanked by two adventurers, both Level 3s bearing the Dionysus Familia crest on their gear.

Two more stood off to the side, battle-ready and quiet. I didn't recognize them, nor did I see any crests on their cloaks.

I did a quick headcount. Ten of us in total, including Raine and me. Our job was simple: trail behind the main party, carrying the supplies, take of any monsters left but the main one- pick up magic stones following the main party.

After chatting with one of the unnamed Level-3. I found out that surprisingly the leader of the second group was none other than the dark elf, Nernatti.

I was still thinking about why she could have been closed as the leader when I felt someone stare at me. I turned slightly, letting my eyes wander trying to see if I could find the person staring. 

The main party was gathered a short distance away.

Finn and Gareth, both Level 6s from the Loki Familia, stood at the center, deep in conversation with two other Level 3s who also had the Loki Familia emblem on their armors.

Not far from them, Ryu and Lyra were chatting with Alise, the redhead's gestures animated, maybe trying to explain something. Neze stood beside them.

Iska and Maryuu were checking their weapons and packs. And surprisingly, Airmid stood among them.

Despite being a Level 1, she seemed perfectly at ease, her white robe neat and spotless, as if the she was not in the dungeon but on the surface.

And then I saw the person who was staring at me.

Kaguya, I met her eyes and gave a small nod. After a second, she returned the gesture, her expression unreadable, and turned away.

Moments later, I felt it again, that feeling of being stared.

I glanced again to find it was still Kaguya.

'Did I do something?' I tried to remember if I had done anything to warrant being stared at.

Even after breaking my head over it for quite some time, nothing came up.

....

"Yo~" A sudden voice disturbed my thoughts. I turned towards the speaker.

The speaker was Nernatti, or "Nelty-tan," as Airmid affectionately called her. The dark elf waved lazily at me with one hand while munching on a piece of dried fruit with the other.

I blinked, then instinctively glanced behind me. No one. Was she… perhaps talking to me? 

"No need to look around, I'm talking to you only." she said casually, closing the distance with quick steps.

"Airmid kept talking to me about you, your name is Light, right? About how you helped her leave the camp and go look for some herbs?"

I nodded at her, remembering the small excursion into the 18th floor with the healer.

She gave me a once-over, then leaned in slightly to whisper in my ears. "Now, can you explain to me why two Level 1s thought it was a good idea to wander the 18th floor like it was a picnic spot?"

Her tone, still casual and easygoing, suddenly made me feel like I was one step away from being frozen. It depended on whether my answer would satisfy her or not.

I scrambled for a reply, trying to come up with some sort of answer which would satisfy the dark elf.

But before I could say anything, she burst into a soft laugh.

"Haha, oh gods, that look at your face. I was just joking! No need to feel nervous."

"The 18th is relatively safe; monsters only pop up once in a while. You're fine."

I exhaled sharply, only now realizing I'd been holding my breath.

"I just saw wanted to mess with you a little," she added, finishing the fruit in her hand.

"But really, this is still the dungeon. Even if you're just a supporter right now, you'd better stay sharp."

She gave me two firm pats on the shoulder, then turned and walked back toward the front of the group, her hair swaying behind her.

I stood there for a moment longer, cheeks flushed with a mix of relief and embarrassment.

'Ahem. Right, stay sharp.'

...

Dungeon, Floor 22

The walls, ground, and ceiling were all made of wood. The only light came from patches of faintly glowing moss scattered across the ground. A group of adventurers were locked in battle with monsters.

Four fought on the frontlines, while four held their ground behind them, swords drawn but not rushing forward.

Behind those four stood two more, each weighed down by massive bags and dragging two fully loaded carts. 

The second party.

We had set off twenty minutes after the main party, following their trail, collecting magic stones and dropped items, and clearing out any newly spawned monsters along the way.

At the front were Bete, Selenia, Rozen, and the two adventurers from the Dionysus Familia. Behind them were Nernatti and two more. Raine and I took the rear, walking alongside the two supply carts.

Floors 19 through 21 had been smooth sailing. Even the start of Floor 22 gave us no trouble, until we passed through a narrow cliffside path. That's where we came across a monster party: twenty Sword Stags, twenty Mammoth Fools, and forty Deadly Hornets.

"Bete, take the Mammoth Fools. Selenia, support your captain."

"Rozen, take your Familia members and deal with those stags."

"I'll handle the Hornets."

From the back, Nernatti barked out the orders before raising her staff and chanting:

"May dust answer my call."

"Bind the enemies before me."

"-Sand Cage."

The ground split open, and two gigantic hands of sand erupted upward, crushing all forty deadly hornets at once, magic stones and all.

The monsters were clearly stronger than usual, but against seasoned second-tier adventurers, they didn't stand a chance. They were cut down easily, leaving only more stones in their wake.

I stood at the back, watching them tear through the monsters. I made mental notes of their abilities, searching for anything worth using adding to Mimic. But aside from Nernatti's magic, nothing really caught my eye.

But I couldn't copy any magic's.

…...

Orario, Guild Headquarters.

"Ouranos, it's just as you predicted. The monsters are stronger than expected, only Level 3 and above adventurers were able to proceed."

"Did lifting your suppression on the dungeon for just thirty minutes really make them this much stronger?"

In the Room of Prayers beneath the Guild Headquarters, the black-robed Fels raised his head toward the God King seated on his throne.

"Be grateful it's only their strength that increased, and not monsters overflowing from the Dungeon. Do you really think the Tower of Babel alone could keep the dungeon sealed?"

"No, it was my suppression keeping it in check, allowing adventurers to explore freely."

It seemed even a God King enjoyed boasting every now and then. Only a villian-like laughter was missing, and the scene would be perfect.

After indulging in his self-praise, Ouranos spoke again.

"Ahem. Enough of that. Keep an eye on the adventurers. And if possible, have your friends in the dungeon scout the deep floors through the hidden paths."

"I need a clearer picture of how much stronger the monsters have grown. No matter how I think about it, something feels wrong. I lifted my suppression, and the only result is monsters gaining roughly one Level's worth of strength?"

He then waved a hand dismissively. "Okay. You may leave now."

"Understood," Fels said. "I'll contact the Xenos first, then check on the adventurers. In any case, with Braver, Elgarm and the Astraea Familia present, nothing too disastrous should happen."

Ouranos only hummed in response, watching silently as the black-robed figure vanished.

...

Dungeon, Floor 23.

"Finn, leave the rear to us! We'll handle those newly spawned monsters monsters!"

The red-haired girl shouted to the pallum, who was glancing at a fresh wave of monsters spawning from behind.

"Come on, girls! We're steamrolling these monsters!"

"Aye-aye, Captain!"

Her companions replied in unison, charging after Alise, who had already cut down a Deadly Hornet, her sword blazing with flames from her magic.

"Gareth, don't you think the number of monsters has increased here on the 23rd floor compared to the earlier floors?"

Finn drove his spear through a Gun Libellula, a giant dragonfly monster about to fire projectiles from its abdomen. Without waiting to confirm the kill, he tore it apart and swung his oversized spear again, this time skewering a Mammoth Fool through the head.

"Now that ya mention it, yes," Gareth replied, fending off two more Mammoth Fools. "At first, I thought it was just dungeon mutation at work, but the numbers here really are abnormal."

The towering, seven-meter-tall creatures with dark red fur were nothing against the dwarf. He grabbed one by its spear-like tusks and wrenched it downward,

BOOM.

The mammoth's head slammed into the ground, its legs buckling. It had no chance to resist before Gareth's fist crushed its skull, blood spraying everywhere. The other one met the same fate seconds later.

But there was no end to the swarm. Monsters kept spawning, pouring in from nearby rooms, drawn by the smell of blood and the noise of battle.

The main party had been fighting non-stop for over an hour. Their only saving grace, they were near the stairs to the 24th floor.

Meanwhile, the second party had just reached the stairs leading into the 23rd floor almost a entire floor behind the first party.

The front-line adventurers, were fighting against waves of monsters. Even after the main party had slaughtered so many, the dungeon showed no signs of stopping. The number of enemies swarming us only grew as we pressed on.

Even the two adventurers stationed at the rear had to step into combat.

It was still manageable thanks to Nernatti's wide-area magic, but our group was drifting further and further away from the main party, a worrying thing due to the magic stones littering the ground.

Another thing, we had to stop constantly to collect magic stones, which only widened the gap even more.

One cart was already filled to the brim with magic stones, making it harder to drag forward.

After clearing the last group of monsters, Raine and I gathered the magic stones while the frontline collapsed into brief rest. Their faces were tight with exhaustion.

"Damn it, why are there so many monsters? Did the main party let some slip through?" one of the extra Level 3 asked, glancing at Nernatti.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, surveying the ground littered with magic stones. "But judging by the amount, it doesn't look like they let any pass. If anything, it seems like they took down even more than us."

She then smirked, raising her staff. "Don't worry. You just focus on fighting. If it gets too much, I'll launch a few more wide-area spells. After all, I am the most powerful mage in Orario, well, except for Riveria-sama. Hahaha!"

Her confidence and laughter immediately lightened the mood, removing the tension from the group.

Somewhere on the 24th floor, a few people were standing in the shadows.

"Begin laying the trap. Draw the monsters from the upper floors."

"The two groups are far apart now. I can't wait to see the look of distress and loss on my dear Finn's face."

The pink-haired woman spoke with a wicked smile, staring at a piece of paper in her hand while the figures behind her remained silent.

"Bohoo, finally the 23rd floor." Raine slumped to the ground beside me, exhausted.

"Light, your turn."

We had agreed to take turns dragging the carts, two floors each before switching.

Trying to drag those heavy carts was indeed a tough task, but it was easier for me as I was stronger than him.

'But still, these carts are ridiculously heavy. Maybe I could try using Float on them? The description doesn't say it only works on living things…'

'FLOAT.'

Gripping the bar of the cart, I activated the spell. At first, nothing happened, then suddenly the weight vanished.

Testing with my foot, I realized the wheels weren't even on the ground.

Cutting off the spell, I let the cart drop, forgetting that it was floating. 

BAM! It slammed onto the floor with a crash.

Everyone jumped at the sound, immediately pulling their weapons, staring at the cart.

Somehow, I managed to talk it out that it was my first time dragging a cart, and I messed up a bit.

Too drained to question it, the Level 3 and 4 adventurers just nodded and turned away, everyone except the dark elf, her eyes lingering on me and the cart for a few more minutes.

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[A/N: Sorry for not posting a chapter; I was busy with my other books :)

Another thing was that I was not sure how to go about this expedition. Light is still a Level 2 and it's not like he can fight the monsters in the the Water City and below.

I first wanted Light to step back at the 18th floor and return back, but I felt like it would be a waste when I thought more about it.]

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