"It's entirely possible. Focus! We won’t be entering through the official route. We absolutely do not go on the path others take." I emphasized once more.
The common knowledge that most hunters had about the Demon King's Refuge was utterly wrong. To put it simply, they were mistaken! This was the very reason no team had yet succeeded in taking down the boss monster, Kapagis, that resided in the Demon King's Refuge. In fact, they probably didn’t even know that Kapagis existed.
In advance, I had thoroughly researched the tales of hunters related to the Demon King's Refuge. The name that frequently came up as the main boss was Pleire, a mid-boss monster. The majority of hunters mistook this creature for the actual boss monster and then complained about not receiving any rewards. Naturally! What kind of good rewards could they expect from a mere gatekeeper?
If we used the official method, as Isabel said, even an A-rank hunter, which means those over level 200, would struggle to take it down as a group. So, there was but one way to go about it. As always, we would take advantage of bugs and tricks to win convincingly. Just as every dungeon in the game has its flaws, the Demon King's Refuge also had its weak points.
“Briefing! Please do the briefing!” Hayze raised both hands and called out excitedly. Her voice was filled with anticipation since this was her first time joining me on a raid. I wasn't particularly thrilled though. I could only imagine how dark her expression would become once she realizes how brutal the dungeon really is.
"Now, the first way we will tackle this troublesome dungeon is…" The in-depth briefing began.
The briefing that began in the morning continued for quite some time, until the sun was set high in the sky, heading towards the west. And as the sun slowly sank towards the western horizon, signaling the approach of a dark evening...
“Phew, we’ve finally arrived.” We reached the outskirts of the Kribia Territory, in the mountainous area, where we would set up our first camp. It was our first and final camping spot, just 1km away from the dungeon entrance.
The night past midnight turned silent as the warmth of the campfire gradually faded. One by one, everyone fell into sleep. Jarad, wearing Gorjas' necklace, wasn’t sleepy at all. Instead, he took a leisurely walk around the campsite, when he happened to bump into Rena, who couldn’t fall asleep.
[Rena – Lv. 69]
[Strength: 103]
[Health: 224]
[Magic: 19]
[Wisdom: 21]
[Agility: 29]
[Charm: 19]
[Physical Defense: 41]
[Magic Defense: 41]
[Special Traits: Tenacious Endurance S / Extreme Will A / Weakness Analysis B / Anomalous Defense C]
[General Traits: Training, Persistence, Focus]
Looking through my insight, Rena’s condition had improved tremendously compared to her past. Her initial Extreme Will at E grade had become A grade now, and Weakness Analysis had reached B grade. Additionally, the newly gained Anomalous Defense had risen to C grade. This new trait had surely come from her master, Ella. Ella had a trait called Anomalous Swordsmanship, and it seemed that a well-tailored training provided by her had blossomed this new trait in Rena.
Jarad spoke proudly, “Rena, you’ve really improved a lot. Back when I rescued you from the Illami underground mine, you were still such a novice.”
“That was over a year ago now. Thanks to you taking me in, I’ve grown this much.”
“Are you satisfied?”
“Not at all! I still see a long way ahead. I can still hardly withstand three blows from my master!”
“That’s to be expected. Your master’s swordsmanship is at an SS… No, it’s at a remarkable level.” Jarad almost unintentionally mentioned the rank of her special trait but quickly recovered. Of course, Rena wouldn’t catch on to the unique systems that applied only to him. Nevertheless, caution was still wise.
“I’m really happy to see you up close like this after such a long time. Honestly, I’ve really wanted to see you. I wanted to show you how much I’ve changed from before.”
“I see. I’ve been hearing about you all along. So even while being apart, I felt like we were together.”
“I did hear about you too, but there is no happiness like seeing you in person.”
“I apologize. I should have made more time for you. I’ve neglected you.”
“No! Not at all! I truly appreciate you providing me a place where I could eat and sleep, and finding a teacher who I may never meet again!”
Rena deeply bowed with her waist bent at a right angle, showing her manners.
"You've worked hard, Rena. I'm truly glad. Seeing you grow beyond my expectations fills me with pride."
Unconsciously, Jarad almost embraced Rena but hesitated, opting to pat her shoulder instead. Rena had turned sixteen this year. Jarad was cautious, worried that his encouraging hug might create an unintended misunderstanding.
The Wall of Wailing, Rena. If her steady growth continued, she might just earn that nickname from the past in the Demon King's Army!
“Lord.”
“Hmm?”
“Not just me, but many people in the territory respect and look up to you. Everyone says in unison that life in the territory has dramatically improved since you took charge!”
“Really? That’s the most welcoming news I’ve heard!”
“Would I lie to you in front of you, my Lord? It’s true! Those who starve, those worrying about famine, and those fearing invasions from other territories… they’re all gone now.”
“Is it finally becoming a place where they can sleep peacefully?”
“Yes! Everyone praises your generosity!”
Jarad had vaguely sensed this, but it felt strange hearing it directly from Rena. Until one personally experiences how happy it is to hear the praise from the people as a lord, they would never truly know.
“Rena.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“If we succeed in this dungeon raid, you will receive a useful, customized artifact. Let’s do our best so that everyone can grow together and come out of this dungeon.”
“Yes! I will do my utmost and dedicate everything for you and the team!”
Rena’s declaration brimmed with determination and passion.
[Rena’s loyalty significantly increases! Loyalty rises by 50! Loyalty has reached 200, entering ‘1st Awakening’ state!]
‘Thank you, Rena.’
With her feelings lifted, Rena had finally entered her first awakening, breaking the maximum loyalty threshold. Was it true that sincerity resonates?
Seeing a promising prospect like Rena breaking through her first limit made Jarad’s heart swell even more.
How reassuring! If the aspiring hunters grow steadily like Rena, the future of the Kribia Territory seemed far brighter ahead.
The next morning, our team’s raid began.
“Ugh…” As the other members groaned at the pungent stench they were encountering for the first time, I remarked, “The scent coming from the entrance is serious.”
There was someone beside me whose expression didn’t change. It was Lakis. Unlike a ‘promising youth,’ he calmly dealt with the unexpected situation. He was indeed a veteran.
I went ahead, with Lakis, to clear away a rotting corpse half-hanging at the entrance. Then, using Clean Magic, we purified the foul surroundings and odor. The stench mellowed significantly after casting Clean Magic.
“As I mentioned in the briefing, there’s no need to worry about not having a divine power buff. We are fighting under the same conditions,” I reiterated to my teammates, concerned that anyone might feel their spirits deflate in the dungeon’s unique chill.
At that moment, a whoosh of wind whizzed past. Mia, standing next to me, was deftly waving her delicate hands, creating a gust of wind. In terms of overall magic, Mia hadn’t yet graduated from 1st Class spellcasting.
However, her wind magic was another story. The wind magic she showcased had far surpassed the level of a 2nd Class spell. The magic wind she conjured just previously was a 2nd Class spell, much higher than the 1st Class spell Wind Way, which summoned a swift breeze in an instant.
I asked Mia, “Did you use Magic Wind to clear away the foul energy and chill of the dungeon?”
“Yes! This way, the smell will vanish a bit, and it’ll be much easier for the older ladies to enter!”
“Older ladies? Right… there are only Lakis and me here.”
I looked around, recalling Mia’s mention of the ‘older ladies.’ Indeed, she was right; there were many women. Just Lakis and I were the only men present. Mia referred to me as ‘my Lord,’ while Lakis called me ‘uncle.’ Thus, there was no one here who could be termed an ‘older brother.’ How tragic.
"Alright, let’s move quickly to the fifth stone chamber of the first underground floor. Since it's a place where hunters have often been, the number of monsters shouldn't be too high.”
“Understood!”
“Rena, stay right behind me to assist with the front line defense. No other member is to go ahead of me without specific orders!”
I stressed again. I had faced the Demon Knight, the master of this dungeon in Paradiso, countless times, but my teammates had not. The Demon Knight may move somewhat slowly but had considerable health and excelled at self-destruction.
Thus, the most ideal plan was to use magic and methods to continuously dribble while leading to self-detonation for eliminating the monsters. While that sounded simple, letting one’s guard down could easily lead to being surrounded and dealt a swift death by the Demon Knight.
Once the Demon Knight latched on, it would be akin to a fly stuck to a sticky trap, never to shake free. In conclusion? It often resulted in mutual self-destruction.
Therefore, even I, who usually wouldn’t feel much tension, wore a rather stiff expression as I prepared to enter.
Creak.
“Huh?” At that instant, I felt something solid under my foot just as I was about to take a step forward. I looked down to find a ring lying there.
[Ring of Luck: Pleire’s Curse]
[Classification Grade: 1-star]
“This ring bestows endless life and riches to the person who discovers it first in the Demon King's Refuge. However, from the second owner onwards, it starts to kill its master. This ring will consume all of your mind within sixty seconds, causing you to breath your last. To avoid this, you must put this ring on the hands of four persons within sixty seconds. It may sound like a superstition, but it's true.”
What is this?