Dungeon of Fire - 5

The dungeon entrance wasn't any more crowded than the last time I came—no increase in the number of tents, no bustling activity.

It seemed that those who had heard rumors of progress in clearing the dungeon had come hoping to get a piece of the action, but were quickly overwhelmed by its difficulty.

Before I knew it, guild staff had appeared, managing the dungeon as well.

"Let's set up our tents first, just like before. We can wait until tomorrow to launch our attack, right?"

When Alex said that to everyone, we all nodded.

This time, we’ll prepare thoroughly. Though the enemy numbers have decreased, they’re still troublesome as ever.

Just like last time, if I get too close or run out of crossbow bolts, I’ll be helpless. So the only option is to keep them at a distance. I carefully adjusted the crossbow and the magic stone lamp.

The next day, early in the morning when a faint mist hung in the air, we arrived at the dungeon's entrance after preparing beforehand. It was a bit chilly, perhaps.

Adventure seekers who had also set out early were gathered at the entrance. Amidst them, we stood out strangely—carrying our peculiar three-wheeled cart—and drew odd stares.

At that moment, a few people hurried back from the entrance. They appeared to be those who had been attempting the dungeon for several days now. Their worn-out clothes made it clear they had been inside for days.

They were in terrible condition. One was being carried by a companion. Though they had fewer visible injuries than the others, their complexion was pale—possibly poisoned or affected by some other hazard. They quickly entered the medical room prepared by the guild. A murmur spread through the crowd around them.

"Are those guys well-known?"

I don't know much about adventurers, so I asked Alek.

"They've been active around the capital for a long time. I believe one of them has cleared a dungeon. They didn't have any special abilities, but all members are highly skilled through years of experience. Their rank is all 3."

"If those guys came out of a dungeon looking like that, I'd be surprised..."

"Perhaps our team is actually stronger than theirs."

"Huh~ It's rare for Alex to praise our side like that. You've changed, haven't you?"

After giving Clara a look as if she'd seen something unusual, she grinned and spoke.

"Changed my mind. Let's stay focused."

Saying that, she walked briskly inside.

For a while after entering, the number of enemies decreased, making progress easier—just like in the thicket. But some still attacked.

"If there are enemies coming at us, there might still be that egg-shaped space-like area somewhere."

"That's right. There might be around two more left."

While speaking, Alex wiped the beast blood off the unusual battle axe he was holding. It felt sharper than his usual weapon, yet he seemed to struggle with it more than usual. Was that just how it was supposed to be?

The other two also seem more stable than last time. Clara hasn’t used her gun yet, but thanks to her monocle, she’s accurately hitting vital points with her magic bow. My basic gear hasn’t changed, but I still have another piece I haven’t deployed. I just hope I never have to use it—better safe than sorry.

Returning to the spot we reached last time was surprisingly easy. It had become that simple. I wonder if this ease is just another source of stress...

The area around the pit we fell into last time had been neatly tidied up and was now much easier to enter. Although not as prominent as the entrance, a cluster of tents had formed. The Monster House had become brighter, and there were signs of minor excavation on the surrounding walls.

Apparently, someone had heard rumors that larger crystals might lie within the wall's smaller fire crystals, so they tried digging there.

Apparently, the space there seemed to have a large crystal. Since every spot felt the same, they decided to stop digging. Hmm, no fire crystal? I sure hope there's one deep inside...

They chose not to proceed with the assault that day and rested instead.

I was tidying up the tools I'd used inside the tent I'd set up. Starting tomorrow, we'd be venturing into uncharted territory. According to rumors, it would likely be another sudden battle, just like before. Though resources were more abundant than last time, we couldn't afford to be careless.

This time, I'd brought along two additional tools besides the magic three-wheeled device. Let me try one of them out.

There was a time when I panicked, unable to reach a shark-like monster that had fled to a spot out of range of my hemp rope. Since then, I'd been continuously refining it, striving to enable lightning attacks without relying on the hemp rope.

After gradually making improvements, I finally managed to get it to work.

When firing an arrow, slide it along a rail-like processed light crystal to charge it with electricity. Since this alone wasn't enough to generate sufficient current, I developed specially crafted arrows with attached light crystals. When fired, these arrows become charged and deliver an electric shock upon impact.

I originally tried aiming for something like a railgun, but it didn't work out—materials weren't strong enough, the crossbow started overheating and even catching fire, and although I managed to fire a single shot, it left me utterly drained. Still, through that struggle, I came up with the idea of using charged projectiles. They're faster than normal arrows, so that's more than enough.

You've got to try everything once.

I attached the light magic stone attachment I had crafted to my crossbow. I'm not sure how effective it'll be, but it should come in handy.

The next day, I advanced our expedition into uncharted territory.

At the same time, I was assigned to investigate a previously attempted team that hadn't returned. It was just after I'd begun the investigation.

The magic stone lamp reacted.

"Forward, four units, 30 meters away! Species unknown!"

"Ugh, let's move already!"

"They might be ahead of us. Hold your positions and wait! Attack only after the enemy comes into view."

Alex's voice rang out. Clara grumbled as she nocked her magic bow. I set up my crossbow, while Kenny stepped forward and raised his large shield. Behind him, Alex held his battle axe ready to swing at a moment's notice.

A white mass leapt out from the side. A beast-like creature shaped like a wolf, with a gemstone growing from its back.

My attack was the first.

Thanks to the crossbow's already rapid projectile speed, enhanced further by electromagnetic effects, the arrow flew incredibly fast.

The arrow struck the wolf-like creature. Though it managed to dodge the shot with its high agility, the sheer speed of the projectile still caused it to hit the creature's torso.

The sub-beast attempted to take another step, but the streak of purplish color running across its body revealed that the lightning attack had struck home. The creature collapsed right where it stood.

Got it! It worked...

But from behind, three more creatures attacked. Kenny stepped forward and blocked the charge of two. He slashed one and delivered the final blow. The other dodged Kenny’s head and was pierced by Clara’s arrow, which had been fired. Since the creature was airborne, the arrow struck with full force and embedded itself into the wall. An incredible combination from the two of them.

The last one... had already been cleaved in two by Alex long ago.

We safely weathered the enemy's attack. I was retrieving the arrow I'd shot. Since these arrows are precious, I try to reuse them whenever possible.

"That crossbow of Taro's was incredibly powerful."

Kenny complimented me.

"Thanks, though it's still an unstable prototype."

"It really was impressive. Its power almost matches that of my magic bow..."

Clara pouted as she spoke up.

"Since it can't fire repeatedly, my magic bow is still better."

"That's right! My magic bow is amazing!"

With that, Clara brightened up and went off to clean up after the battle. She continued to fight steadily afterward.

The progress of the assault went smoothly. I studied the detailed map I had made myself. The cave was shrinking much more sharply than last time.

"Is it about time?"

Ah, we're about to hit the same pattern as last time. The Monster House might show up soon.

Let's proceed with caution.

I pulled out the small barrel filled with detonation crystals. A long rod was attached to the barrel. I activated all the crystals inside, then extended the rod to its maximum length and pressed the barrel firmly into the ground. The detonation crystals shot out from the barrel and sank into the earth—but that was all. They stopped there, embedded in the ground.

"It seems the surrounding area is safe, then."

This was something I'd thought of based on my previous experience. The logic was simple: instead of stepping on the ground, I'd strike it with a burst gem to check whether the ground was fragile or not.

Simple, yet reliable. With this method, I could advance while checking the ground's stability to some extent.

After walking down the pitch-black path for a while, I suddenly discovered a brightly lit area. Upon approaching, I found it was a light gem someone had scattered.

Nearby, the ground was clearly collapsed, leaving a large hole. Around the magic stone, other belongings were scattered about.

"Taro, this is... "

A monster house.