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Episode 84
Into the Dungeon (7)
The leader who had led the mercenary group for several years passed away.
But no one dared to mourn his death.
Because they were burdened with even taking care of their own lives right away.
“Kwaaaaak!”
“Ugh, ugh… … .”
Cries of pain could be heard from everywhere.
And even a sharp, piercing sound that pierces the eardrums.
Wheeeeeeeek─!
Wedge─!
Arrows were pouring down from all directions.
Mercenaries who were hit by the enemy fell down like puppets with their strings cut off or rolled out of the carriage screaming.
A path in the forest that has become a paradise.
It’s okay to figure out the situation later.
You have to live first to see it.
I spoke to Riley quickly in a low voice.
[Bow down. Quickly.]
Riley immediately lowered his posture and pressed his body against the wall of the carriage.
Pavababak─!
Just then, arrows struck the spot where Riley had been.
From the side, I could hear someone swallowing their breath and saying, ‘Huh!’
When I turned my gaze in the direction where the breathing sound had come from, I could see the mercenaries clinging to the wall of the carriage just like Riley.
As expected, it’s the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group.
After decades of being in the field, you can remain calm even in such an attack.
Oh, of course.
Not everyone was this rational.
“Ugh, ughhhhh… … !”
The corner of the carriage.
Philip was curled up and shivering.
“fizzle.”
Riley quickly grabbed Phillip’s arm and put a finger to his lips.
“Master, please be quiet.”
“… … .”
“If you make noise for no reason, you might become a target for enemies.”
Nod, nod, nod─.
Hearing that, Philip nodded his head madly.
A guy who keeps his mouth shut.
He must have been so scared that his body couldn’t stop shaking.
Rattling, rattling─!
By the way, why has the carriage been rattling like this since a while ago?
Even if it’s a forest path, this is too much.
I looked straight ahead with an anxious mind.
[Oh, no… … .]
As expected.
The mercenary driving the carriage was sprawled out on the driver’s seat, helpless.
With an arrow stuck in his head.
Hehehehehe!
When the coachman driving the carriage died, the horses, out of control, began to run wild.
A carriage gradually leaving the main road.
One of the mercenaries who witnessed the scene opened his eyes wide.
“Shit, shit! It’s colliding! Everyone hold on tight… … !”
Kwaaaaang─!
Squeak───!
Before he could finish his words, a terrible crash was heard.
The carriage, which had hit something, rose into the air and then began to plummet toward the ground.
Boooo …
The floor has already come right up to my nose.
For a moment, I had the illusion that the world had slowed down.
No, it wasn’t an illusion, it was reality.
In reality, the world was moving slowly.
Because at that split second, Riley activated “Thought Acceleration”.
Booo …
Even so, the ground and the body were getting closer by the second. Even with “Thought Acceleration” activated, the speed of the fall was very fast.
shit.
At this rate, I’ll die without even being able to pick up my bones.
Swish─.
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It was then that Riley took something out of her bosom.
Skull shaped necklace.
It was an artifact that was received from Lich and had high-level “Shield” magic built into it.
‘I never thought I’d find this precious artifact useful in a place like this.’
[Just write it quickly.]
It’s better than being dead.
‘Okay… … .’
But at the very moment Riley was about to activate the artifact.
“… … Above, “Wind-momentum”!”
With Philip’s spear, wind-type magical power began to swirl.
Hwaaaa …
The speed of our fall suddenly slowed down. Just before the carriage hit the ground, a strong current of wind lifted us up.
A carriage stopped in mid-air.
After finishing his order, Philip gasped and screamed.
“Get down! Now!”
The mercenaries who heard his shouts quickly jumped down from the carriage.
Riley followed them, stepping onto the ground.
Crunch─!
The dirt floor was damp.
So much so that mud splashed up with every step you took.
But Riley and the mercenaries paid no attention to this and hid behind the trees surrounding Hurdle.
“Haa, haa… … .”
There were exactly six people who jumped off the carriage with us.
Ermin, Philip, and four unnamed mercenaries.
They looked around, gasping for breath.
“… … .”
“… … .”
Saaaa …
The forest was eerily quiet.
It’s hard to believe that just a moment ago, arrows were flying from all directions.
‘… … That’s strange.’
Riley, who had figured out the situation, spoke to me.
‘Even though we’ve strayed off the main road and are isolated from other carriages, it’s ridiculous that the surroundings are this quiet.’
[huh.]
Screams and shouts.
The neighing of horses.
And a hail of arrows flying from all directions.
Just a few seconds ago, this forest was a battlefield.
But the moment I got off the carriage, all that noise disappeared in an instant, as if it were a lie.
It was as if I had been suddenly dropped into a completely different place.
Of course, we weren’t the only ones who noticed this unusual phenomenon.
“hey.”
“why.”
“Don’t you think it’s too quiet around here?”
“Putting aside the fact that it’s quiet… … .”
A mercenary looked around and spoke.
“… … Since when has the fog been this thick?”
It was just as they said.
At some point, the forest was covered in a hazy fog.
Because of the thick fog, you can’t see even an inch ahead.
Because of the moisture, the forest floor had long been muddy.
It was at that moment that Ermin, who had been silently listening to the situation next to us, opened his mouth.
“Perhaps this is fog caused by a ‘magic anomaly’.”
“… … Magical anomaly?”
“yes.”
Ermin nodded and answered.
“I heard rumors about the territory of Grotes from other priests I met while on my pilgrimage. They said that a ‘magic anomaly’ was occurring in some areas of Grotes.”
“… … .”
“I never would have imagined that it would happen right near the dungeon we were planning to conquer.”
The mercenaries let out complicated sighs upon hearing those words.
Ermin continued talking, regardless.
“I apologize for being presumptuous in saying this since this is my first time accompanying the Blood Wolf Mercenaries, but it seems impossible to push through with this mission due to the thick fog.”
“… … .”
“First of all, there is no visibility at all. There is a very high chance that you will be attacked by enemies again before you even reach the entrance to the dungeon.”
The other mercenaries nodded as if they agreed with Ermin’s words.
“More than anything, we don’t even know who our enemy is right now.”
“… … .”
“The most reasonable inference is that a dungeon outbreak occurred and the monsters came out of the forest, but if that was the case, the guards wouldn’t have sent a ‘nothing unusual’ message today… … .”
“Mr. Ermin.”
Riley quickly interrupted Ermin.
“The captain was anxious today because the guards were late in contacting us.”
“… … .”
“Of course, the ‘no problem’ signal came right away the next moment, so I didn’t think much of it at the time, but looking at the current situation, it seems difficult to view that contact as a normal ‘no problem’ signal.”
Ermin’s expression darkened even more after hearing Riley’s words.
“Then, we should assume that the guards were already attacked by the enemies this morning.”
“… … .”
“Also, the enemy that attacked us must be intelligent enough to be able to manipulate the communication crystal ball.”
Ermin took control of the party in an instant.
But no one objected to this.
After the death of the leader who was the real power behind the mercenary group, a leader who could lead these people temporarily was needed.
The weight of a leader is enormous.
The mercenaries knew this too. There was no reason to refuse someone else who was willing to step forward and shoulder the burden.
The mercenaries who had been silently listening to the explanation naturally followed Ermin and joined in the deduction.
“The coachman who was driving the carriage was killed when his head was pierced by an arrow. Captain Copson was also hit by an arrow and died on the spot. This shows that the opponent’s tensile strength was considerably superior.”
“Well, if it can see through this fog and aim at us with its naked eye, doesn’t that mean it must have developed other senses besides eyesight?”
“Umm… … .”
Ermin, who had been silent for a moment, summarized all the inferences we had drawn so far.
“To sum it up, the enemy that attacked us is highly intelligent, strong, and has senses that far surpass those of humans.”
He added with a snicker.
“This is an enemy I absolutely do not want to encounter.”
The mercenaries nodded in agreement with his words.
“I guess I should withdraw.”
“Yes. It’s a dungeon raid, and I value my life the most.”
“Damn, how did I get involved in this fucking shit right after returning to my first mission… … .”
No matter how important money is, risking one’s life in such a dangerous situation is nothing but reckless behavior.
As veterans who had been serving as mercenaries for many years, the mercenaries belonging to the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group were also well aware of this fact.
Naturally, their opinions leaned towards giving up on conquering dungeons.
“Okay. Then let’s withdraw from this mission here.”
Ermin continued speaking, taking out a compass and a map from his bosom.
“I have the compass, so I think we should just follow the direction written on the map. For now, we should just go west along the main road and head towards the castle of Grotes.”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
Ermin turned his head towards Philip.
“And Mr. Philip… … .”
“I see. You want me to do ‘Pathfinding’ in case the enemies attack again?”
“Oh, yes.”
Ermin nodded.
Then Philip closed his eyes and answered.
“I was going to do that anyway. Just wait a minute.”
Woof, woof─.
As soon as he finished speaking, he vaguely felt a magical aura spreading around him.
Of course, he wasn’t the only one doing “pathfinding”.
No matter how much of a Pathfinder Philip was, his level was still low. It was naive to blindly trust his abilities.
So Riley also followed behind Philip and slowly began to use her pathfinding magic.
“… … .”
Wiggle─.
Riley, who had her eyes closed and was scanning her surroundings, frowned every moment.
[Do you feel something?]
‘yes.’
Riley nodded at my question.
‘I can sense a faint magical effect from afar.’
[……what?]
The moment I heard her words, I couldn’t help but freeze.
[What is that… … .]
Just as I was about to ask Riley another question,
Rustle─.
Right then.
I felt a presence behind me.
The mercenaries, including Riley, all turned their gaze in the direction of the sound.
“……ah!”
The mercenaries who confirmed the identity of the sound let out a sigh of relief.
“Whew, it was you! I’m so glad you’re alive!”
Those who appeared between the bushes were members of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Corps.
A man who noticed the wolf symbol engraved on their armor approached them with a welcoming smile.
“Okay, wait a minute… … !”
at that time.
Philip, who had his eyes closed, shouted to stop him.
“What, something is strange! I don’t feel any signs of life from them!”
“……ok?”
The man tilted his head.
“What do you mean, Philip? You don’t feel any sign of life.”
“That, that… … .”
“So are you saying those guys over there are ghosts or something? Hahaha! That’s not even funny… … .”
Wedge─.
Crunch──!
The man’s words were cut off by a terrible crash.
dump.
The man fell to the ground and died without even being able to scream.
“Huh, huh?”
The one who killed him was none other than one of the mercenaries who had just appeared.
The mercenary was holding a longbow with a bow attached.
“… … .”
“… … .”
Ssuk─.
The mercenaries approached more and more silently.
Only then did I begin to see the details that had been hard to see because of the fog.
The mercenaries were all covered in wounds.
It was hard to find a sane person.
There were some who had suffered injuries that would not have made it strange if they died at any moment.
And above all, that is… … .
“…gentle?”
A mercenary muttered.
As he said, maggots were wriggling between the skin of the mercenaries who had just emerged from the bushes.
“……ah.”
Only then could we realize.
They were not mercenaries of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Corps.
no.
He may have once been a member of a mercenary group.
But at least not now.
“Krrrrr!”
They were all corpses.
A corpse that lost its life a long time ago.
And there was only one case where hundreds of corpses could move as if they were alive.
[That’s… … .]
A corpse-wielding magician who uses forbidden magic to manipulate corpses.
A notorious black magician who worships the evil god.
An entity that disappeared hundreds of years ago, and despite the best efforts of the Great Temple, all records have been erased… .
[… … Necromancer.]
As I muttered the name of that evil spirit, the mercenaries’ eyes widened.
“T, run away… … .”
One of them opened his mouth with a trembling voice.
“Run! You piece of shit! Run! Right now!”
Although necromancers have been forgotten in history, mercenaries have been able to intuitively realize this through their survival instincts developed over the years.
The fact that even if they die, they cannot defeat that being.
