Chapter 322: The Difficulty of the Dungeon
After descending about five meters, the staircase came to an end, and we arrived safely at the first level without encountering any other traps. It seemed that the initial pitfall was not a trap that spanned multiple levels. Relieved that it wasn’t as cruel as I had feared, I carefully observed my surroundings.
The appearance of the dungeon was no different from the staircase outside, but the air felt cool and crisp. The walls and floor were evenly leveled, resembling artificial construction. With no light present, Rio cast her illumination magic in various directions to secure our visibility.
Just like during our investigation of the Forest of Enchantment and our previous dive into the dungeon, I executed a scan of the current level. A moderate number of monsters showed up on the radar, and it seemed a few were lurking nearby as well.
This level appeared quite expansive, and I couldn’t scan it entirely. Although it was the first level, the corridors twisted and turned, resembling an ant nest.
“Oh?”
Rio reacted, noticing that the lights she had cast into the distance had been extinguished by something. The disappearance of the magic power signature coincided with the location of a monster, so it was undoubtedly the work of a creature.
“Grrr…”
Nil seemed to sense it too, letting out a low growl.
“What’s that? Is a monster coming?”
“Looks like it. It seems pretty strong, so I’ll take care of it. You all stay back.”
This was indeed the dungeon of the Forest of Enchantment. I had thought that even Ivan could handle the weaker monsters, but it seemed I needed to reassess my expectations. Phonia, who was gearing up for a fight, looked disappointed, but I hoped she would understand the danger.
As I walked slowly, meticulously examining the ground, walls, and ceiling with various spells and skills, I eventually reached a crossroads about fifty meters ahead. So far, there had been no traps, but I could sense a monster approaching from the right corridor. No signs of anything coming from the other paths.
“Here it comes.”
Soon, a shadow of a four-legged monster emerged from the depths of the corridor. Its silhouette had sharp angles, but upon closer inspection, its body appeared to be constructed of metal, resembling a robot.
I crouched down and readied the gauntlets on my hands. Upon appraisal, it was identified as “TYPE 0135.” The name was puzzling, but that wasn’t the main concern. Its agility status was nearly twenty thousand. Wasn’t that a bit too strong for a first-level dungeon monster?
As I cursed silently in my mind, the creature’s eyes glowed upon recognizing me. It charged forward with a speed that seemed to erase its form.
It was fast, but perhaps not as fast as Nil when enhanced by magic.
Simultaneously, I deflected the wind magic it cast with my left hand and struck its face with my right fist as it lunged at me. The metallic head crumpled, but the momentum of its charge didn’t wane. Without losing the force of my right punch, I twisted my body and kicked its torso with my leg, sending it flying toward the front of the crossroads.
Upon landing, countless spears shot out from the floor, ceiling, and walls, mercilessly piercing its metallic body and pinning it in mid-air.
“Whoa…”
“Wait… this dungeon is insane.”
Like the others who were watching from behind, I was taken aback. I hadn’t checked for traps further down the corridor, but to encounter such a lethal trap right after entering the first level was shocking.
Confirming the monster’s inactivity through appraisal, I turned my gaze toward the left corridor, which had yet to be traversed. I strained my eyes to look for any traps, but they weren’t easy to spot. Using spatial magic for a more detailed investigation, I discovered that part of the floor was thin, revealing a void beneath.
“The bottom of the hole is a pit of swords…”
Letting out a deep sigh, I noticed the other members cautiously approaching the crossroads.
“…What on earth happened? It looked like Shu was doing something, but suddenly a trap activated on the other side, and the enemy was skewered.”
Ivan pointed toward the depths, but it seemed the rapid exchange between me and the monster had been too swift for them to see. Given the difference in our statuses, that was understandable.
“Ah, yeah… seriously…”
After I explained in detail, he pondered for a moment, and it seemed he reached a conclusion.
“I think this is a bit too high of a difficulty for me; I want to go back.”
“Yeah… I feel the same…”
Phonia, who had been in shock, also had her ears droop in defeat.
“Right… I’m not sure if I can navigate this while keeping everyone safe.”
Excluding the Earth Dragon and other special creatures, this monster felt stronger than any I had faced in the Forest of Enchantment. If this was what awaited us on the first level, I couldn’t see how I could bring Ivan and Phonia further in… and of course, Nil as well.
“Indeed… I saw it, but I’m anxious because I don’t fully understand the strength of the monsters here…”
“Woof woof!”
While Nil seemed eager, the previous monster could likely match her in terms of status. Moreover, it was unlikely that only the first monster we encountered would be strong while the others were weak.
“Shall we regroup and come back later?”
As I muttered this, not a single member opposed my suggestion.