Episode 40

After a short break, the group lined up in two rows and moved again.

The moment they realized that this place was already completely infringed upon, the air felt even more murderous. Somehow, the thought that a monster might be crouching somewhere in the darkness, unseen as it targeted them, arose….

However, being too tense could eventually become a hindrance. So, Allen periodically looked back at his team members and casually threw a light joke here and there.

“Are you all okay? Don’t shake so much that you drop your balls or breasts. Check if they’re still there.”

Then, a small laugh would come out, and their stiff bodies would relax a bit. Since Allen couldn’t fight for them directly, he had to manage their mental state in such a way. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if they fell into a [Confusion] state. …Dmitris, especially, would need a bit more attention.

The group walked for a while and arrived at the second cave. The musty air inside the mine, mixed with a foul odor, created a strange smell. It felt as if their lungs were being polluted with every breath… And since they couldn’t just hold their breath, they had no choice but to swallow that unpleasant air. Because of this, the mercenaries spat phlegm onto the ground more frequently.

Having encountered a monster in the previous cave, the group stepped cautiously through the dungeon. However, this time, fortunately, there was nothing. Viola confirmed the surroundings were clean and ordered another rest.

The members, already seeming tired, flopped down onto the ground and hardly spoke anymore. Entering a sunless tunnel and staying there definitely felt different from other missions. Allen was also keenly feeling that difference right now.

‘……This really sucks…….’

He was starting to understand why the penalty for abnormal status was greater than other missions. It had just started, but the feeling of utter shittiness was already creeping up.

However, if even the group leader, who should be setting an example, became utterly discouraged, what would become of them? Allen forced himself to muster up strength for the promised rosy pussy… no, future. ……The fact that inappropriate thoughts popped up at the most random times was an unavoidable trait of this damned body….

“Break’s over—!”

The break was short this time, too. “Ah, fuck—.” And from here and there, colorful curses burst out as if lamenting their fates.

“They dug damn deep. Shit, at this rate, we might as well go straight to hell alive.”

“Kuhuhu, blaming it all on the monster seems a bit too much, fuck.”

Everyone chuckled softly. Allen somewhat agreed. He hadn’t expected it to be this deep either.

And finally, the third cave appeared. Viola raised her hand even before entering the cave. The people following her stopped in a wave.

The mercenaries even killed their breathing as much as possible to the point where the sound of their pounding hearts was louder.

Viola’s eyes marked several places in the darkness once each. The monsters her monster-like senses caught were three in total. Probably all of the same kind. That’s why they were gathered peacefully in the same space.

She turned around and pointed to three places with her finger.

Tap, tap, tap.

Then, she quietly led the people into the cave.

She roughly divided them into thirds by eye and had them wait in each direction. They had enough experience in this field, so they understood without needing words, just by intuition.

As soon as she confirmed that the battle preparations were complete, right before she could issue the next command, suddenly, with a bizarre scream, the monster charged.

‘Damn it.’

“Here it comes, get ready!”

Allen immediately shouted to his team members to prepare for battle. Since none of them were new to mercenary work, they quickly formed ranks without panic.

And just as the monster became visible beyond the faint light, it swiftly pounced on the mercenaries.

——!!

A fierce headbutt. Several mercenaries right in front of Allen’s team were thrown into the air, crashing into walls and the ground. While not fatal, the impact made it difficult for them to return to battle immediately.

The monster looked like a lizard. Allen knew it at first glance.

A creature that pops out of dungeons when bored, with unparalleled reproductive ability. Allogra—.

Compared to other monsters, they were not the strongest species, but their numbers were plentiful, and they were agile, making them one of the more annoying creatures. Moreover, the fact that they would run away without looking back when they sensed danger meant that if you missed them, you ended up frustrated without gaining any experience points, which was an added annoyance. Of course, there might not be such a thing as experience points here, but still, missing them would be just as infuriating.

Since they were quite famous, some of the group leaders who recognized these creatures ordered their members to counterattack at the moment they attacked. Allen did the same.

“Don’t chase after them. Counterattack when it attacks—!”

After headbutting, the creature backed off, only to charge again towards the mercenaries with a thunderous roar. It seemed that axes would be more effective than swords or blunt weapons, so the veterans Kalisman and Cabrioldi took the front line. As they collided with the beast, they minimized the impact with their round shields and then dug into its flesh with their axes.

“Kuh, damn…!”

Then, the rest of the mercenaries, who had been waiting, rushed in all at once, attacking the momentarily staggered monster’s front and back legs first. After immobilizing it, they beat the thrashing monster’s torso into a pulp.

“Hooo, shiiit…!”

After turning one of them into mush, Allen looked around and saw that the others had been dealt with almost simultaneously. It seemed the battle was over, so Allen instructed Dmitris to tend to the members’ wounds and approached Viola.

She wiped the liquid off her sword with a cloth, and the leaders gathered in front of her, each reporting their damages. Fortunately, there were no fatalities or those unable to move.

“Understood. We’ll take a longer rest this time. There’s said to be a hole leading to the dungeon in the next passage. …Of course, we mustn’t let our guard down. We never know when monsters might attack. Got it?”

“Yes, Group Leader.”

“Dismissed.”

Allen returned to the members already sitting and resting on the ground. He decided it was time for a meal during the long break. Of course, the meal was nothing more than dried meat.

“Shit, it’s so damn hard. I’m gonna break a tooth. And it’s so damn salty too.”

Superstitious Nola chewed on the tasteless jerky while muttering to herself. Dmitris also seemed to find it not to his taste, barely managing to take two bites before giving up.

Surprisingly, the milk-jug mage followed every order without a single complaint or sign of displeasure, steadfastly and well. Allen thought she definitely had the potential to achieve great things, feeling of pride welled up in his chest. If she continued to grow like this, she could lead the mercenary group as the vice group leader even in his brief absence.

Since the break was a bit long, the members took turns sleeping for a while. Although it was a short nap, it seemed to make them feel somewhat alive.

After a while, Viola shouted again that the break was over. The mercenaries groaned as they forcibly lifted their heavy bodies.

In fact, up to this point was just a taste of the dungeon. Now, it was time to enter the real monster’s den. The group knew this, so the tension was definitely different.

In the cave, several paths branched off, and the guide led them down one of them. It seemed to be a newly opened area, as the passage was noticeably narrower than before.

As they entered the passage and moved a bit further, they finally saw a hole resembling the gaping maw of a pitch-black hell. The entrance was as big as the passage itself. Originally, it might not have been this wide, but it had probably been worn away by the monster moving in and out.

Viola deliberately stopped once in front of the dungeon entrance. She didn’t say anything about being careful or on alert, but by stopping once, she threw a silent warning.

The group slowly entered the dungeon. At around the height of a young child was the bottom of the dungeon’s entrance. Fortunately, it was slightly sloped like a ramp, so there was no need to jump down.

Allen was escorted down by Kalisman. And for a moment, he was astounded by the scale of the monster’s lair, which was beyond imagination. If the passage was this big, how big was the whole thing?

‘…It’s freaking huge…’

It was clear that this monster den had existed for a long time. …Allen thought, first and foremost, that purifying this place would be damn hard. And the others may have also had similar thoughts, as many of their faces held the same expression—that they were screwed.

And then, the choice between two paths, front and back, faced right from the start.

Viola decided to split the group into six teams for a smoother mission. After all, with about fifty people, they could easily handle most situations.

So, the group was divided. The Allen-Mercenary Group chose the same front path as the Viola-Mercenary Group.

“Six days later. Exactly six days later, we meet at the cave we just entered.”

The divided groups flipped a one-day hourglass simultaneously. This would be flipped five more times, reaching the last of the six days.

“Good luck.”

“Then, see you in six days.”

The two groups moved in opposite directions.

The timid believer, Dmitris, clasped his hands tightly and prayed fervently.

“-Please, let there be no trouble—.”

And this time,

Allen felt the same way.