Dungeon of Fire - 2

After setting up the tent, I had nothing to do until bedtime, so I decided to gather information.

There were people I'd spoken with at the guild. Have they taken on the challenge yet?

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Hmm? Taro? You're heading into the dungeon too? Unusual... You don't seem to be doing well. You can't tell where the enemies are coming from, which is why you're not making much progress. Still, the deeper parts seem pretty extensive. I wish I had some kind of cart or tool to help carry my gear."

Although I was happily given the information, it wasn't something that made me feel cheerful.

It seems really difficult, after all. Even if I had my exploration magic, I wouldn't be able to handle it if I couldn't respond properly.

I should probably use magic sparingly—after all, we're inside a cave...

After talking a bit more, I learned something important: no one knows where the enemies in the thicket are appearing from. They've been staying right in front of the dungeon entrance, but there's no sign that the sub-beasts have come out.

Perhaps there's another tunnel... I returned to the tent, lost in thought.

Of course, I'd take the Light Gem, but I wouldn't carry the Fire Gem too far. If I had to pick, maybe a Burst Gem, a Healing Gem, and a large number of iron arrows. I also grabbed a few items I wanted to test, and finished preparing. After that, it was just a matter of facing whatever came next.

I rested thoroughly that night, preparing for the next day.

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We're now standing in front of the cave.

"Clara has gone partway in before, right?"

"That's right. But since I don't know how far it goes, it's not much help."

"Well, we'll just have to find out as we explore."

After walking for a while, the interior grows dim, and it's hard to judge the space, but it seems surprisingly spacious. There's no natural light—our only source is the light we carry ourselves.

"Front, sub-beast! Number unknown, thirty meters ahead."

The dungeon was even more chaotic than the thicket forest had been.

The enemy type remained the same, but the space was narrower and the path twisted more intricately, making it difficult to judge distance accurately.

We didn't realize how close they were until we were almost upon them. Still, the difference between being prepared and unprepared for battle was like night and day.

We managed to keep up with the situation and advance through the dungeon without taking any damage.

"Still, the enemy numbers are truly overwhelming. There are holes all over the walls, clearly dug by sub-beasts, and we can expect to face a considerable number of foes ahead."

As Alex pointed out, the number of enemies was unprecedented—far more than we'd ever encountered before.

"Hmm?"

"What's wrong, Taro?"

"Well, I was just wondering why there are so many of them?"

"That's just because it's a dungeon, you know."

Kenny unusually answers.

Clara looks over at him, her expression clearly showing she doesn't understand what he means.

"We're definitely pushing deep into the dungeon. So the sub-beasts must be digging holes in the ground and burrowing too, otherwise they couldn't be waiting for us ahead of us."

"You're right, but aren't they actually burrowing underground instead?"

"If that were the case, wouldn't there be many more holes on the surface? It's possible they're sharing a single hole, but it's hard to believe the sub-beasts are that rational..."

"What are you trying to say?"

Clara was urging him to speak faster.

"Let's just say it's a hypothesis—but what if we've been assuming it's a single path, when there might actually be another route? Or perhaps there's a space where the sub-beasts are being created?"

"So you're saying the sub-beasts are being supplied from that space by digging holes from it?"

"That's right. We still don't understand how ordinary creatures transform into sub-beasts.

But if such a space exists, countless sub-beasts should be emerging from it."

"Hahaha... Taro, you're joking, right? If there were a place that big, it would've been discovered long ago."

Clara was laughing, clutching her stomach. Kenny was trying to calm her down.

"Maybe so. People tend to be overly cautious, avoiding touching walls and such, which might have led to insufficient investigation."

With that, I picked up some soil from the ground. The earth was damp and sticky. Probably soil from around this area. As it slipped from my palm, it stretched like threads.

"Either way, it seems the sub-beasts will keep coming. We'll proceed by filling in the holes they've passed through."

We continued advancing through the course.

By combining the distance and time we've traveled with the results from the reconnaissance magic, I roughly figured out where we are. Right now, we're somewhere around the middle of this underground cavern.

I tried estimating the general distance using reconnaissance magic, but this method definitely needs improvement. Still, if I can perfect it, it might turn out to be quite useful.

Let's just be satisfied with knowing the information up to the deepest part. After telling this to Alex and the others, we decided to take a break here.

"This dungeon has remained undiscovered all this time—remarkably well hidden."

Alex murmured, impressed.

"Yeah, I guess it means there must be some massive creature capable of creating such a large cavern. The thought of conquering the deepest section is kind of daunting..."

"Carefully scout the area, and if it looks too dangerous, just turn back and call for backup....What's with that face?"

Clara wore an expression as if she'd just seen something rare. Then she quickly smirked.

"Back in the day, Alex would've been all about striking first before anyone else got there. People really do change, huh~."

"Yeah, I've learned a lot too. You, on the other hand, haven't changed at all—still mocking people like always. Ah~ some people never change."

"What was that?! Come here and I'll teach you a lesson!"

Kenny held Clara tightly in a bear hug from behind, seemingly their usual way of handling things.

"By the way, Taro. What exactly have you been doing all this time?"

"I'm making a detailed map. Look at the map the guild gave us—the entrance is wide, but it gradually narrows. If it keeps narrowing at this rate, by the time we reach this spot, it'll be about the same width as our height, or even narrower. But what's the reality like? It's quite wide here, isn't it? The space suddenly expands sharply from a certain point onward."

"So you've been drawing a detailed map like that?"

"That's about it, but I can't figure out anything else. How on earth did someone create a dungeon like this?"

"Normally, it's said to form naturally, you know."

Clara answered with a look that said, 'You should know this,' leaning against Kenny.

But unfortunately, if it were that simple, I'd already have answers. The problem is that this cave isn't natural at all.

It's the walls—perfectly flat, as if someone had pressed them smooth.

Moreover, the cave is unusually warm, yet the ground remains dry. Of course, groundwater is a possibility, but it's inconsistent—sometimes damp, sometimes not. We must proceed with caution.

"Everyone, we must move even more carefully from now on. The enemy's appearance has become unpredictable, the path more complex, and exploration is slowing down. Be prepared to retreat if necessary."

Understood. "Eh—"

Two responses came back.

Alex and Clara. Alex, having experience forming parties before, listens carefully to my opinions and considers them thoughtfully.

But Clara—whether she's excited about progressing further than before, or just brushing off my opinions casually—was hard to tell, but she seemed unusually cheerful.

"Clara, it's better to follow his opinion here."

Unusually, Kenny tried to reason with Clara.

Clara pouted slightly and began preparing.

Advancing cautiously, she kept her guard up.

Something was off—beasts of the lesser kind had vanished. Just a moment ago, they'd been fighting nonstop, but now their presence had abruptly disappeared.

"Shall we rest here again?"

Alek suggested.

He had been drenched in a large amount of backlash blood when he defeated the sub-beast that attacked just a moment ago. Probably trying to wipe it off. I have no objections, so I silently nod. I'm definitely starting to feel the fatigue.

Clara, still a bit sullen, leaned wordlessly against the wall.

The area behind Clara turned pitch black.