Chapter 40 Chapter 10.5 - First Dungeon
I am back from my project trip. From now on, updates will go as usual.
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After resting for a while and sleeping, I was now ready to go again.
'Stage 1 is cleared, and it will take at least one and a half days for the dungeon to respawn the monsters.'
That was how things went most of the time.
If the dungeon's mana level on one side was dropped by killing the monsters inside, then the dungeon would try to replenish those sides by cutting down on the mana supply of other parts.
In a way, it followed the principle of equilibrium from chemistry.
'Then, the only thing left for me is moving forward.'
I still had at least 6 hours more before I needed to clock out, thus I wanted to make the most of the time I would be spending here.
'Considering the amounts of Kobolds I had hunted, I think I made around 40k Valer alone.'
I thought. It was the amount of money I had borrowed from the academy.
'But that is only if I exclude the expenses of coming here.'
Instantly calculating the amount of money I would be spending and needed to cut off, it became evident that my haul was around thirty-five thousand.
Even though I got a bracelet that could breach any type of detection, I still needed to show some sort of haul so that I wouldn't look suspicious.
But a little and young hunter like me would be expected to hunt at most ten kobolds in this amount of time, and that would make them cut off around one or one point five thousand Valer.
And that was fine. However, aside from that, I also needed to buy some other bullets, potions, clothes and etc. That was the reason why being a hunter was not a free job.
The pay was good, but at the same time, it was expensive. Hunters are always putting their life on the line, so to protect them, they would never spare any money.
At least, that is what it is advised.
'And there is no way I could just use the arrows given by the academy, and arrows are a lot more expensive than bullets.'
Since arrows occupied more space and more material, making them with good mana conducting material was alone expensive.
Anyway, that was about to become my haul, but I still had more time, so I started venturing deeper into the woods.
The mana rain had finally subsided, leaving behind a fresh scent in the air.
The dense vegetation became even thicker, and the shadows of the tall trees stretched across the forest floor. The sound of my footsteps was muffled by the soft moss that covered the ground.
WUSH WUSH
As I walked cautiously, I noticed a change in the atmosphere. It was as if the forest itself held its breath. The chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves had ceased, replaced by an eerie silence.
Then, I heard it - a low, rhythmic sound, almost like a soft melody. It was a sound I had never encountered before, and I strained my ears to listen more closely. It seemed to be coming from deeper within the woods.
Immediately I understood the source of the sounds.
'To think that they would try to lure me there first.'
Harmonic Chatterers.
As I previously mentioned, they were a type of monkey-based monsters that were labeled as rank-2 intermediate monsters.
Even though their physical strength was weak, they had a rather different type of strength.
'Sound mana.'
They were known for their sound affinity, and their musical abilities were said to have strange effects on those who listened. Some hunters spoke of being mesmerized by their melodies, losing track of time, and wandering deeper into the forest, never to return.
However, I still decided to investigate the source of the strange sound. As I moved closer, the sound grew louder and more distinct.
'From the looks of it, they are not directly aiming at me. I think their focus on somewhere else.'
I concluded.
From the small traces that was on the ground and those marks on the trees, I could infer that the place I was in was commonly used by these monkey-types of monsters.
'But, it is mostly used for scouting and patrolling. This place is not their home.'
However, because the traces were rather faint, I could infer that not everyone used here every time of the day.
MELODY
Then the melody continued to enter my ears, whispering softly. It was trying to mess with my head, and if I was subjected to the sound longer, I would be seduced as well.
Then, slowly amplifying my mana into my ears, I blocked the sound affinity mana entering my ears.
SHRIEK SHRIEK
Thus resulting in pure sound coming.
It was an ugly shriek that one would expect from a monster. I could finally see their true colors.
'Hmm….But they are a lot louder. They really want to gather someone's attention.'
I was confident in my hiding abilities, which meant there was another group of people there.
I stealthily made my way toward the source of the sound, careful not to step on any twigs or make any noise that could alert the Harmonic Chatterers to my presence.
As I approached, I saw a clearing in the forest where the sound was originating from.
Peering through the dense bush, I saw a group of five individuals standing in the clearing.
They were armed and seemed to be seasoned adventurers. Their gear and weapons indicated that they were experienced hunters.
In front of them were the Harmonic Chatterers. They were swaying rhythmically as they played their melodies, and the hunters seemed to be mesmerized by the sound.
'Hmm? Are they pretending like they were bewitched by those monsters?'
Looking at their small body language, I thought. No person would shake his hands or grip their weapon with a lot of strength when they were bewitched. And they would also tense their muscles.
'Smart decision.' From their looks alone, it was not that easy to gauge their strength, but unnecessary conflict could prove to be fatal in this place filled with villains and criminals.
SHRIEK SHRIEK
As the Harmonic Chatterers approached, their swaying and melodies became more aggressive. The hunters were prepared for this and activated their own skills to counter the monsters' attacks.
One hunter lunged forward, utilizing their swift swordsmanship skill to strike at the Chatterers with lightning speed. Another activated their defensive stance, using a skill that created an impenetrable barrier to protect themselves and their allies.
Despite the monsters' agility and sonic attacks, the hunters' skills allowed them to dodge and deflect the incoming strikes. At the very least, they didn't seem like they were struggling.
They worked together quite well and efficiently, covering each other's weaknesses and exploiting the Chatterers' vulnerabilities.
The leader of the adventurers performed a tactical maneuver, using a skill that temporarily enhanced their senses. With this heightened awareness, they could anticipate the Chatterers' moves and plan their counterattacks more effectively.
It was a skill that I knew—Enhancement Zone.
A skill that enabled others as well as the user to move more sensitively.
As the battle continued, the hunters adapted their strategies based on the monsters' behavior. They used their unique skills to disrupt the Chatterers' attacks and create openings for powerful strikes.
However, that was just how it looked at first sight.
When I looked deeper and observed their fighting, I could easily infer their mistakes. The number of enemies was high, but rather than conversing their energy; they were using all their strength trying to finish this as soon as possible.
That was not a bad tactic if you could finish the battle fast.
Sadly they were not able to.
Moreover, their formation was bad from the start. They basically had four vanguards and one rearguard, but none of them tried to protect the rearguard; thus, the archer at the back was struggling to find effective shots.
"HEY, COVER ME!"
"FUCK ADRIAN! CAN'T YOU SEE THOSE MONSTERS!"
And when the strategy and brain part leaves the equation, the remaining ones would be the advantage of the monsters.
"SOMETHING IS CO-"
SHRIEK!
But just as the tide seemed to be turning in favor of the hunters, the Harmonic Chatterers unleashed a devastating sonic wave that caught them off guard.
"AAAHHH!"
The adventurers cried out in pain as the sound waves struck them, disorienting and staggering them back. The Harmonic Chatterers took advantage of this moment of weakness and lunged at the hunters.
'Hmm…. Their stats are around 1.7 to 2.5. But, in close combat, your stats need to be a lot higher. Especially if you are not used to using your weapons.'
I concluded after seeing the confrontation. My trait lets me see the essence instantly and take a grasp of it, and it was very helpful in this situation.
"I will take care of it; get my back." The Hunter, who looked like the leader of the group, shouted as he started channeling his mana.
CREAK SWOOSH
Following that, a wall of earth rose from the ground. It was a common skill for tankers that was widely used.
As the earth wall rose from the ground, the leader of the adventurers shouted to his teammates, "I will take care of it; get my back!" He stood in front of the wall, prepared to face the Harmonic Chatterers head-on.
The other hunters quickly took his command to heart and formed a defensive formation, protecting the archer as she took a few steps back to find a better vantage point. The remaining three hunters tightened their ranks, preparing to hold their ground against the approaching monsters.
However, as they readied themselves, I noticed that one of the hunters was missing from the group. It seemed that in the chaos of the battle, one of them had already made a hasty retreat.
'Cowardice.' I thought. 'A pretty common act one would display when they are in front of danger.'
The leader of the adventurers unleashed a powerful attack, using his Enhancement Zone skill to enhance his speed and strength. He clashed with the Harmonic Chatterers, striking them with precision and skill.
His teammates did their best to support him, landing hits whenever they could and defending against the monsters' attacks. But the monsters were relentless, their sonic waves becoming more intense and disorienting.
"Stay focused! We can do this if we work together!" the leader shouted, rallying his remaining teammates.
But the odds were against them, and their fatigue was starting to show. The monsters were wearing them down, and it was clear that they were losing their advantage.
Then, in a moment of desperation, the archer called out, "I can't get a clear shot! I need to reposition!"
The leader acknowledged her plea and gave the order to retreat. The hunters fell back, regrouping near the earth wall that the leader had created.
"We need to find cover and catch our breath," the leader said, panting heavily. "Adrian, where the hell did he go?"
"He ran off during the chaos," one of the hunters replied, frustration evident in his voice.
The leader gritted his teeth in frustration, but he knew they couldn't dwell on it now. They needed to focus on surviving and finding a way to defeat the Harmonic Chatterers.
As they caught their breath, I could see the exhaustion and fear in their eyes. They were skilled Hunters, but even the best could be pushed to their limits in the dangerous world of monsters and dungeons.
'It is a pity. Next time make a better judgment.'
I thought. I could help them, but that would simply mean I would lose the only advantage I had.
'Also, I don't care.'
I neither cared about the people here nor the monsters.
I was not a hero that would save the world. I was here standing on this tree for the sake of vengeance; that was it.
The leader clenched his fists, determination filling his eyes. "All right, we can do this. Stick to the plan and watch each other's backs. We'll make it out of this alive."
His teammates nodded, and their resolve reignited. They readied their weapons, preparing for another round of battle.
Though in the end, this was not enough.
Their fatigue accumulated too much, and the number of monsters did not decrease to the amount they could deal with.
"We can't keep this up much longer! There are too many of them!" one of the hunters shouted in frustration.
"Stick to the plan! We need to regroup and find a better strategy," the leader replied, his voice determined.
Their plan had seemed solid at the beginning, but as the battle wore on, it became clear that they were outmatched.
"Damn it! We can't hold them off any longer!" the leader growled, frustration and exhaustion evident in his voice.
One by one, the hunters fell, their bodies succumbing to the injuries and exhaustion. The archer tried her best to pick off the monsters from a distance, but she, too, was eventually overrun.
The leader of the group fought bravely until the very end, but in the face of the overwhelming onslaught, he, too, was brought down.
As the last hunter took his final breath, the Harmonic Chatterers ceased their attack. Their bodies swayed rhythmically as they emitted an eerie melody, seemingly celebrating their victory.
Though their victory was not going to be long, as every bit of them had already taken the position I had envisioned.
"Everything is set."
BANG!
And I started with a shot of gun…..
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