97 – Dark Forest (2)
“Uracha!”
Hollower attacked a bear-like monster targeting his comrades.
Afterwards, even if the support of his colleagues was delayed even a little, he would be in danger, but there was no hesitation in his movement.
If he hesitates, the comrades targeted by the Witchbeast will be exposed to danger.
Thanks to this, his comrades were able to engage in battle without any burden, and were able to support him at the right time without being shaken.
A monster whose movement was blocked by Hollower.
Hollower’s allies showered it with a baptism of violence.
With perfect breathing, the steel-skinned bear, a level 5 monster, was subdued in one fell swoop.
“after!”
After clearing the area like that, Hollower let out a satisfied sigh.
From noble mtl dot com
“Young people cooperate, so it’s so simple!”
Dorn, a wizard with a weak impression.
Irene, a sleek woman with a bow on her back.
Derek, a barbarian warrior with a huge halberd.
Hollower’s colleagues looked tired of his words.
‘The reason why things are so simple is because you’re so good at playing the front line. Do you think it would be simpler if we brought in those young people and cooperated with them?’
It was as if those words had reached his throat.
Since they were colleagues who had been with Harlow for a long time, he was well aware of how foolish it was to persuade him as a subordinate.
They used to pray every time they went on a mission with the Hollow.
I hope that Hollower will show his incompetence in this mission.
Show me your greed!
If you do, you’ll be able to leave this party without any regrets!
but.
Every time that happened, the human named Hollow showed exemplary behavior as a party leader without fail.
Without sacrificing one’s own body, the profits obtained at the party level are equally distributed as equal party members.
There is no such thing as accepting an unreasonable mission in order to increase performance.
It is always stable and picks out honey-like missions well.
Adventurer companions often envied them as they were Hollow’s companions.
It is said that the least injury is the least, and the best is the punishment.
Hollower’s allies used to feel the presence of a just God because of his presence.
I heard that a fair God made the character Hollower so perfect that he gave him that irritating personality to balance it out.
“Yeah, that’s right… It’s as Mr. Harlow says…”
“Mr. Harlow is always right…”
“As expected, Mr. Harlow…”
they murmured with dead eyes.
“hahahahaha! What did I say! If you listen to the adults, at least you won’t get hungry! Lady!!! It’s all sorted out!!! You can come!!!”
Hollow, who was very happy with his colleagues’ Dungadunga, kicked the beasts’ corpses into a corner for the lady who would arrive soon.
And stared straight ahead.
There was a fork in the road.
Choosing the wrong path can cost you at least time, and at worst, lead you into a trap.
But don’t worry.
Every adventurer knew what to do when faced with a crossroads in a dungeon.
Harlower took a coin from his bosom.
The coin contained a mystery beyond magic.
Faith!
It was a lucky coin.
Hollower tossed a coin, caught it with the back of his hand, and immediately covered it with his palm.
Right side if front.
On the back side, on the left.
Harlow raised his palm to check the coin.
“Lady Luck is going to the left!”
“Are you sure that’s what Lady Luck said?”
“Last time I was the devil of misfortune, so this time it’s the goddess of fortune’s turn to bestow grace!”
It was the time when the Hollow Party was about to enter the left path without delay.
“Mr. Hollower?”
Ceylon, who joined later, spoke to Harlow.
“Hmm? What’s going on, Mr. Ceylon?”
“Well, according to the information I have, it is correct to go the right way here.”
“hahahaha! It could be. But Ceylon-kun, didn’t you say you would respect my method in this dungeon raid?”
“I apologize if you were offended. However, if the information I have is correct- if you take the left path, the square shield party could get into big trouble, so I told you.”
Dorn, Irene, and Derek.
The three of them looked at Hollower with expectant eyes.
“Um… no! My adventurer intuition is telling me! Left is right!”
The three of them nodded at Harlow’s decision to trust his intuition rather than trust the boy’s information.
also!
I thought so!
I can’t wait anymore!
“In that case, can I accompany you from a distance just this time? I want to check if the information I have is correct.”
“hmm…”
“In addition, I want to watch Mr. Hollower’s battle for the younger students.”
Ohh.
His eyes lit up at Ceylon’s accentuated words.
Mr. Harlow, whom all young people loathe, has always been hungry for the respect of young people.
“As long as you promise not to intervene in battle no matter what, and put your safety first.”
“Sure.”
“Ha, you are very stubborn too. I see!”
‘Who the hell is that stubborn?’
Those who watched the conversation from the side had the same thought in their hearts.
***
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a steady young man!’
Harlower changed his assessment of Ceylon.
From a young man with a frivolous atmosphere who can’t be trusted at all.
A young man with a bright future.
How long has it been since I met a young man who respected the elders and sought instruction!
“Ceylon-kun! Take a good look, here-“
“Ceylon-kun, why did I act like that just now-”
“Ceylon-kun, Irene’s movements-“
Hollower continued to teach Ceylon, who was watching the battle from far behind.
“Aww…”
“Someone asked to bring him…”
“The nightmare of when you just joined the party…”
Seeing Ceylon listen to even the party members with whom Hollower was accustomed, even in the midst of a nagging storm, Hollower’s liking for him increased even more.
“Wait, Ceylon! You’re getting too close, move away!”
Even so, it was a time when I still maintained a sense of distance, ‘I’m an adult, and you’re a young person’.
“what?”
The road is cut off.
It was a dead end.
In other words, the road to the left was a bang.
“this-“
Before the Hollower Party had time to regret it, the mana curtain that suddenly opened swallowed them up.
They were in the middle of a swamp before they knew it.
“Don’t rest your feet!”
The swamp tried to swallow it, so I had to move my feet without stopping for a moment.
“Mr. Hollower, there-“
The battle begins in such unfavorable terrain.
-Kuuuh!!!
From both sides, a 5th grade monster, a steel skinned bear that was difficult to deal with, was approaching.
“Kyaaak!”
“Ouch, get out of here!”
A second-class beast in the form of a bird, a stone beak flew around and distracted them.
“Damn it, is it a barrier…!”
“Oh, that’s annoying!! Last time I was bad, but I’m bad again!? There’s always a reason why I always lose when I play dice!?”
“This is why I don’t believe in mischief like the goddess of fortune.”
They pretended to be relaxed and made jokes, but their expressions clearly showed a hint of unhiding difficulties.
It was going to be the toughest battle of the day.
“Today’s dungeon raid will end here.”
It was the moment they were about to engage in battle with the intention of pouring out all their strength.
“uh?”
“This-“
The space, the barrier collapsed.
What unfolded in front of my eyes was not a swampy area, but a blocked road.
Before they knew it, they were back to their original place.
Since no one had eyes to see, Ceylon liberated the power and destroyed the barrier with a dispel that denied it casually.
He smiled and welcomed the Halloween party.
“Ceylon-kun, you again…?”
Ceylon nodded at Dorn’s question.
“Fortunately, it seems my information was not incorrect.”
Ceylon pointed in the corner.
The stone ornament, presumably the core of the barrier, had already been destroyed.
“I promised I would never intervene, but I’m sorry I broke my promise on my own. Mr. Harlow would have been able to solve it enough, but I wonder if I’ve been fooling myself out of concern-“
Ceylon laughed bitterly.
That smile, filled with regret, felt like he was mockingly laughing at me for some reason.
“By the way, this is the information I have. Wouldn’t it be pretty reliable?”
oh.
Sensing Ceylon’s intentions, the three carefully looked at Hollower.
“…”
It turns out that Ceylon was right and he was wrong.
along with the fact that he was stubborn.
“…”
Whoa.
Harlow let out a deep sigh.
He lowered his head and spoke in a somber voice.
“It seems like that. If it’s okay with you, can I ask for guidance for this dungeon?”
Dorn, Irene, and Derek all three doubted their ears.
‘Our adults have changed…!’
***
Daltasian assisted them as much as possible without disrupting the flow of the Hollower Party.
When the information of Ceylon was added to it, the dungeon raid, which had previously been stable, sped up and proceeded in a flash.
“Can we still camp?”
Huivien asked Elysia carefully.
“At this speed, wouldn’t it be possible to leave the dungeon before sunset?”
The expression of the two women who regained a warm bath and a clean bed turned bright.
“As I’ve heard, your skills are considerable, Ms. Elysia.”
“Daltasian babe, didn’t the rumor spread for nothing?”
“Um, bald. Pretty good.”
The party members of the square shield lavished praise on the Daltasian party.
As if the hallows were listening.
In the hope that the cruel circumstances (?) in which these young people were forced to surrender (?) acted as growing pains for Harlow, giving him some flexibility.
“…”
Perhaps thanks to this, Hollower had a sad expression on her face, like a parent who is upset because their children broke their dinner date.
As Hollower silently expressed his resentment to the monsters, the dungeon clearing speed was further accelerated.
soon.
They reached the deepest part of the dungeon.
last zone.
The entrance was blocked by a stone gate similar to the one guarding the entrance to the dungeon.
“Now, as long as you destroy the barrier on this stone gate-“
Rewards await.
It was the time when Ceylon was trying to destroy the barrier that was caught in the stone gate once again based on the contents of the strategy he had read.
“uh?”
Ceylon felt uncomfortable.
I felt an ominous aura from the stone gate.
‘This-‘
It was none other than the energy of black magic.
It’s also very powerful.
No matter how you look at it, it wasn’t something you would encounter in a level 5 dungeon.
‘This sh*t, is it you again!? The gap between reality and the game!?’
Ceylon sensed something was wrong.
“Everyone back off-“
Ceylon immediately tried to destroy the magic on the Stone Gate.
One beat late.
As they approached from afar, Stone Gate was already preparing to devour them.
The coercive yet ominous hand of mana reached out to lead them to another place.
Ceylon was able to shake off the touch, but accepted it purely.
He decided that it was dangerous to send only his party to ‘there’.