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Chapter 69: Dungeon Conquest (1)

Mikhail was the first to react. Though he was part of a mercenary gang, compared to Aidan, who had trained in the burning darkness from a young age, and Karyl he was the weakest.

"Seems like I focused too much on magic training in Azor. Huff- Didn\'t expect my stamina to fall short like this. Huff..."

Mikhail tried to lighten the mood with an awkward laugh, attempting to break the heavy atmosphere.

"No matter how fit you are, a dungeon is always tough. It\'s only natural. Still, it\'s best not to use magic here."

"Understood."

"After all, we don\'t know what kind of monsters might jump out at us."

Following Karyl\'s advice, Mikhail nodded and leaned on his staff as they continued.

[How fascinating that I sense dark energy from inside the dungeon. It\'s a power rarely seen, even in the Magic Era. Could it truly still exist?] Allen Javius murmured as he observed their surroundings.

Is this your first time seeing one? I guess dungeons didn\'t exist in your era.

[Right. There were dungeons inhabited by monsters, but none where dark energy settled like this.]

What’s dark energy?

[It\'s a power slightly different from magic. Does the church still worship Yula?]

Yeah.

[Then consider it as a kind of power opposing Yula. It possesses properties completely opposite to divine energy. However, dark energy is typically found in the demon realm... This is quite strange.]

Karyl furrowed his brow. Then, could demons be related to Tarak?

[That’s unlikely. The Tarak are essentially remnants from a rift in dimensions, not of this world. Whereas demons are acknowledged by the gods.]

Hmm... Karyl nodded in agreement. Initially, humanity couldn\'t identify the source of Tarak and thought they were under the demons\' command. If they were unrelated, it would be a relief.

[However, the cunning demons are unpredictable. It’s very odd for dungeons such as these to not exist in the Magical Era. This place might actually be more related to the demons than to the Tarak.]

I see.

If it weren’t for Allen Javius, who had lived through the era when the magic and human realms were connected, Karyl might not have known about dark energy.

[In the past, there was not only the Human Realm but also the Demonic Realm of the demons, the Celestial Realm of the Nephilim, and even the realm beneath the Demonic Realm.]

Yet, now all realms except the Human Realm were closed.

Only the Elemental Realm remained connected, albeit barely, allowing a scant few elementalists to summon mid-level elementals.

We need to investigate further.

[Indeed. This is a change even I’m unaware of. Let\'s proceed with caution.]

"Wow, Karyl. Are these elemental stones scattered around here?" Mikhail exclaimed, interrupting the two’s conversation.

As they ventured deeper into the dungeon, they encountered an unusually bright area. The wall Mikhail was pointing at the wall, which was adorned with minerals emitting various colors.

"Those aren’t elemental stones, trilateral quartz. They are unique minerals that grow from the walls of dungeons like plants," Karyl replied with a faint smile. "If they were all elemental stones, the south would have been more developed than the north."

"Indeed..."

Aidan looked at the glowing minerals with wide eyes.

"It\'s fascinating. Aren’t they of any use? It’d be a shame to leave them here. We might be able to process them into jewelry for the nobility and fetch a good price."

Unlike Mikhail, Karyl responded with a practical thought.

“We could indeed turn them into jewelry... But what\'s currently popular among the ladies of the imperial palace are items made from gold or adorned with finely cut diamonds. So, it\'s hard to say how well they would be received.”

"Hmm..."

"Moreover, quartz is fragile and difficult to work with. It would be a challenge unless done by dwarves or gnomes."

"In that case, it will be quite difficult. Dwarves are proud beings, and since the fall of the gnome nation, encountering one of them isn\'t easy." Aidan sighed with a hint of regret.

Quartz will be necessary later. We can’t afford to waste it on extravagant luxuries now. Karyl thought as he observed the situation. In the world within the Pharel, there are monsters that can only be harmed by weapons made of quartz. We must preserve it carefully.

Karyl was well aware of the history that would follow the great continental war, which included the Oracle that was to be revealed. Obtaining the South was not solely for the sake of power but also a preparation for fulfilling the Oracle.

One of the many preparations involved sourcing quartz from the dormant dungeons of the south, a mineral unique to those dungeons.

[Huh? What? The gnome nation has fallen?] Allen Javius seemed taken aback by the conversation. [During the five entire centuries that the Magic Era lasted, despite the numerous wars and dimensional battles, those who hid underground like filthy rats vanished all of a sudden?]

The reason for their fall remains unknown. It happened before the empire was established. All that is known is that they were destroyed by demons.

[Ha... Demons usually lurk at the bottom of the dimensional hierarchy, rarely revealing themselves. How peculiar..." Allen murmured softly.

Still, they haven’t been completely wiped out. The bloodline of the gnome nation lives on. Besides, I know a gnome myself. Perhaps they’ll be revived.

Karyl thought of Calypson in Tatur, who had expressed willingness to go to the location Karyl mentioned when the time was right.

If he could lead a resurgence of the gnome nation, not only would the supply of quartz, but also the provision of items needed for the Oracle War would become smoother. Karyl couldn\'t spare much thought for the gnome nation, but he had faith that Calypson would not disappoint him.

"...!!"

All of a sudden Karyl halted in his tracks. He swiftly drew out his Freezing Talon, and with all his might, fiercely slashed through the air.

Surprisingly, his attack collided with something solid in the darkness, where nothing seemed to exist. Simultaneously, something round fell to the ground near Karyl\'s feet. It rolled down the sloped floor and came to a stop when it hit Mikhail\'s foot.

"...!!"

Reacting instinctively, Mikhail stepped back. The severed head of a monster rolled a few times before coming to a rest. It had large, eyeless sockets reminiscent of an insect, glossy skin, and teeth shaped like ant mandibles. It was an utterly bizarre sight, one they had never seen before.

"It\'s not over yet."

Upon hearing Karyl\'s words, both men swiftly faced forward, weapons at the ready. The growling from the darkness erased any trace of the previous calm atmosphere.

"Has it appeared?"

Aidan pulled a sharp dagger from his cloak.

"..."

Was it the tension that kept him silent? Karyl continued to stare at the monster\'s head on the ground, his sword still unsheathed.

What kind of creature even is this?

In his previous life, Karyl had raided the Twin-Headed Eagle\'s Nest to obtain quartz. Although the group he was with back then was far from impressive compared to his current companions, he had a thorough understanding of the layout of this place, the respawn points of the monsters, and even the weaknesses of the Twin-Headed Eagle. He knew enough to believe they had a chance.

With his extensive knowledge of the dungeon, Karyl was naturally aware of the types of monsters that spawned here.

Why is this here?

However, this was a first. Not just in dungeons but also in the Pharel, Karyl had never seen such a creature.

[That creature... it\'s a being from the demon realm,] Allen spoke up.

The demon realm? Do you know about this creature?

Allen nodded in response.

[Yes, it’s called the Agma.]

Curious to learn more about a name he had never heard before, Karyl awaited Allen’s explanation. At most, he expected to encounter trolls who, besides the Twin-Headed Eagle, are the strongest monsters here.

[Yes, I\'ve hunted them a few times. During the Magic Era, gates to various dimensions were open, and occasionally, beings from the demon or celestial realms would cross over into the human realm.]

Thud—

Heavy footsteps echoed, announcing the arrival of a formidable presence.

It stood tall on two legs, clad in armor that gave it a knight-like appearance. Yet, upon closer inspection, one would notice the absence of a head where there should have been one.

[Look closely. It\'s not a humanoid creature, but a mere insectoid. A bug that lives in the depths of the Demonic Realm,] remarked Allen Javius, making Karyl imagine a humanoid demon moving like an insect.

"..."

Karyl couldn’t help but shake his head in disdain. Despite having its head severed just moments ago, the creature\'s head had regrown as if it had regenerated.

No, it wasn\'t a head.

Click—

The weapon it wielded was no ordinary spear, but a long, horn-shaped weapon, its other hand firmly grasping a large kite shield. Both the weapon and the shield appeared to meld seamlessly with its arms, the only difference being their brownish hue.

“Grrrrrr......”

The half-human, half-monster creature bared its teeth, growling sharply at Karyl and his companions.

"Clearly, it\'s not human," Karyl commented, almost amused, as he saw Agma\'s chest splitting open to reveal a set of protruding red teeth. "We can\'t just leave it be now that we\'ve found it. Besides, we also need the Twin-Headed Eagle\'s heads from inside," Karyl stated with a slight nod.

Understanding what the signal meant without even needing an explanation, Mikhail positioned himself at the rear, and Aidan took a central position, forming their formation.

How does it compare to the monsters of the continent?

[It is hard to say. Perhaps its strength is on par with an ogre? Moreover, its shimmering shell... It has resistance to magic.] Allen Javius\'s explanation caused Karyl’s brows to furrow in concern.

But there was no time for hesitation. The Agma emerging from the depths of the dungeon did not wait any longer. A sharp, echoing noise filled the dungeon, causing Karyl to stagger as if suddenly pushed back.

"Kuh?!"

White steam rose from the Freezing Talon, which acted as a barrier against the creature’s lance.

“Grrrrr......”

The black shell on its face emanated the scent of sulfur, carrying a pungent heat as Karyl exhaled.

“What is that?!” exclaimed both Mikhail and Aidan, equally startled at the sight of the unfamiliar monster.

[Isn\'t this actually good for you?] In stark contrast to their tension, Allen Javius spoke with a relaxed voice.

[Opening up a meridian takes time. As it stands, it\'s difficult to instantly boost your mana. So for now, focusing on your swordsmanship would be the best way to become stronger,] he continued, pointing at the monster. [Didn\'t you say it yourself? Didn’t you say you needed real combat experience for your magic swordsmanship? So, isn\'t this creature an excellent opponent?]

“Grrrrrr......!!” As if in response to Allen Javius\'s words, the creature growled menacingly.

"That\'s right."

Karyl tightened his grip on his sword. The tension that was on his face had given away to a calm determination. Observing this change, Allen chuckled, as if he had expected it all along.