Dungeon Investigation

Vim and his companions stepped into the estimated S-rank dungeon.

Their formation placed Hana at the front, followed by Vim, with Misa bringing up the rear. Vim’s role was to provide tactical fire support with his magic. This time, he fully intended to hold back and avoid letting his power run completely wild.

Well, that was the intention, at least.

“Alright, let’s move out.”

They systematically advanced deeper into the dungeon interior.

“Light.”

Vim deployed his light magic to illuminate the path ahead. Because this dungeon was entirely unmapped, the terrain was completely unmaintained and thoroughly rugged. Considering the entryway was already in this state, it was highly anticipated to become increasingly hazardous as they drew closer to the deepest sector. Simultaneously, he cast and expanded his detection magic.

“Watch your step, everyone.”

“Understood!”

“Got it!”

Even with the path illuminated, the footing could by no means be classified as secure.

“The mana is incredibly dense here…”

He had sensed it the exact fraction of a second they crossed the threshold, but the concentration of atmospheric mana inside was overwhelmingly dense compared to the outside world.

“Are you two holding up alright? The mana density in this sector is exceptionally high.”

Because the absolute volume of mana stored inside Vim’s own body was vastly superior to the atmospheric concentration, it didn’t pose a single problem for him. However, for a regular human lacking a proper resistance threshold, an environment this dense could be incredibly grueling.

“I am perfectly fine,” Hana replied, a completely relaxed expression playing on her face.

“You don’t need to fret about my boundary either,” Misa chimed in. “Back during my days with the Order, I frequently dived into sectors with a far more suffocating mana density than this.”

It appeared he had absolutely zero reason to worry about his companions. Holding an A-rank qualification intersected with an elite background in the Holy Knights meant they had undoubtedly triumphed through a barrage of deadly situations.

“In that case, let’s press forward.”

Vim continued their advance, keeping the path illuminated. Multiple magical beasts had already registered within the perimeter of his detection magic, but fortunately, none of them seemed to have caught wind of our presence. He highly hoped to maintain this momentum and slip straight through to the second floor.

“Lord Vim, there is a staircase directly ahead,” Hana announced from the front of the vanguard.

True to her observation, a structural descent continuing downward loomed into view.

“That leads straight to the second floor.”

Dungeons systematically unfolded in a series of subterranean strata like this. As a party drew closer to the absolute deepest domain, the atmospheric mana turned increasingly dense, and the power parameters of the local magical beasts escalated accordingly.

“For the time being, let’s descend to the second floor.”

“Yes, sir.”

Navigating the steps, Vim and his companions formally set foot onto the second floor. He immediately registered a subtle spike in the ambient mana density. Granted, at this particular depth, the fluctuation fell completely within the margin of error.

Upon entering the second stratum, Vim slightly narrowed the effective operational radius of his detection magic. This calculation was mandatory to prevent the heavy ambient mana from systematically distorting the structural efficacy of his scanning array.

“Hostiles approaching from the front!”

They had only just breached the perimeter of the second floor, but it appeared they were destined to engage in immediate combat. A cluster of multiple magical lifeforms was closing the distance toward their coordinates at an exceptional velocity. Operating in a pack explicitly indicated a pack-hunting species of beast.

“Black Wolves, huh?”

A pack of seven Black Wolves, each boasting a physical mass comparable to a massive hound, materialized directly in front of Vim’s party.

“Engaging!”

Hana and Misa unsheathed their blades in a single split second, charging straight into the pack. They began systematically taking down the Black Wolves with a magnificent display of swordsmanship.

“Cleave.”

As Vim muttered the trigger word, a violent blade of compressed wind cleaved through the air toward the beasts, cleanly severing the neck of an approaching wolf.

“Thank you for the assist, My Lord.”

“Don’t mention it. Alright, let’s clear the path and move on.”

Dragging the carcasses of the Black Wolves to the edge of the corridor, Vim and his companions resumed their steady advance through the dungeon.

The continuation of this story is scheduled to be published tomorrow.