According to the plan that Elincia and the others had discussed, the one who would mostly make the calls in battle was the tanker, which in this case was Skywarden. Although the overall plan would be discussed together, during critical battles, the tanker’s role was crucial. If the tanker fell first, the entire party could collapse, so each member respected their own position.
They got off the carriage and arrived at the dungeon’s entrance, situated in the middle of a desert, marked by a large, floating circular portal. Several players from the guild association were there, securing the entrance. This association was created to manage dungeon allocations across the Dissidia Kingdom.
High-level dungeons like the one they were about to explore today weren’t popular among lower-level players due to their difficulty. Only large guilds like the Ass Guild dared to explore them.
They approached the portal with Skywarden leading, standing beside Charmelyn, while Starfall and Elincia were in the middle. Broken and Livelywood took up positions at the back to secure the group.
Each member of the Ass Guild party was quite independent and capable of defending themselves. Elincia, with her floating skill, could easily avoid danger, and Starfall, with her set of defensive skills, was not easily taken down. However, in large and intense battles, a dedicated tanker like Skywarden was still essential.
Skywarden paused before stepping into the dungeon and looked back. “I want this dungeon run to go smoothly, so,” he glanced at Broken, “stay away from me and don’t hinder me!” he said, then turned forward again.
Elincia raised her eyebrows and also glanced at Broken. “Don’t mind his harsh words,” she said with a smile.
Livelywood, standing next to Broken, glanced at the sword in Broken’s hand-it was the Thorned Vindicator Sword.
“You’re not going to fight using the Legendary weapon, Broken-san?” he asked.
Broken turned to him with a cheeky grin. “I want to learn more about sword fighting. So, while you’re here, I want to observe you in action and practice during real combat.”
“Ah ha ha,” Livelywood laughed awkwardly. “I’m not that great… but I can spar with you during breaks inside the dungeon if you’d like.”
“Thanks,” Broken said appreciatively.
They stepped through the dungeon portal and immediately found themselves in a similar environment—a vast plain with scattered trees, and a few highlands and caves. As they entered, they felt the ground tremble beneath their feet, accompanied by roars from various directions. It was a level 200 dungeon, so the difficulty was undoubtedly high.
This dungeon allowed up to 10 players to enter, but they were tackling it with just six. Though their numbers were small, they were used to doing it with just five people. Elincia valued Broken’s significant combat potential, especially with the two Legendary-grade weapons he possessed, making this dungeon run manageable.
A monstrous creature emerged from the ground-a giant worm, revealing only half its body. Its mouth gaped open, splitting into four sections lined with hundreds of teeth.
Other monsters also appeared, including beetles and scorpions. But one question lingered, Why did the worm have to be so enormous?
[Rare Sand Colossus Lv. 215]
[Sun Beetle Lv. 205]
[Sun Beetle Lv. 203]
[Scorched Scorpion Lv. 212]
[Scorched Scorpion Lv. 215]
It was a rare-grade monster. Skywarden immediately shouted, “Slaughter the smaller monsters first! I’ll handle the damn worm.”
They sprang into action. Elincia crackled with electric energy and floated into the air. Charmelyn dashed forward, spreading out with her clones, while Livelywood stayed close to Starfall. Broken positioned himself near Starfall as well, aiming to protect her alongside Livelywood.
The battle commenced fiercely. Elincia rained down bolts of electricity on the smaller monsters, instantly frying several beetles and scorpions. Charmelyn and her clones moved swiftly, slicing through the lesser creatures with precision. Livelywood’s swordsmanship was unmatched, cleaving through enemies with powerful strikes, while Starfall unleashed versatile spells to both attack the monsters and heal her teammates.
Broken focused on using only his sword, reserving his Mana and Stamina. With agile movements, he parried and struck the smaller monsters, ensuring none got too close to Starfall.
Skywarden faced the giant worm head-on, his shield up, taking the brunt of its attacks. The worm lashed out with its toothy maw, but Skywarden held firm, countering its blows and keeping it at bay.
Within minutes, the first wave of monsters was defeated. The smaller creatures were either reduced to charred remains or had vanished completely. Despite the variety and number of enemies, the team’s coordinated efforts made it seem easy.
Broken’s strategy of holding back and using just his sword had paid off, conserving his energy for the tougher battles ahead.
“That was just the welcoming committee,” he thought, knowing the deeper they ventured, the more challenging the dungeon would become.
They continued to explore the area, searching for a suitable place to rest and take cover later. Moving as stealthily as possible, they only engaged the monsters they encountered, whether in small or large numbers. Their goal was to quickly eliminate the monsters before drawing the attention of a larger horde.
Throughout the dungeon exploration, the team communicated minimally, moving swiftly and silently with each attack, as if everyone knew their roles perfectly. Broken found himself learning a lot about positioning, knowing when to advance or retreat.
He had never been involved in such a high-level or serious dungeon exploration before. This experience was teaching him valuable lessons.
They took short breaks in sheltered areas beneath trees to restore their Mana, heal wounds, and recover Stamina. After resting, they kept moving, trying their best to thin out the monster population in the vast area whose full extent was unknown.
As night fell, they found a cave to use as their shelter for the night. It was quite spacious, with a small stream running through it, forming a pool that flowed outwards-a perfect place to set up camp and rest. The low entrance to the cave made it ideal, as it would prevent large monsters from entering.
Inside, they set up their makeshift camp. The sound of the flowing water provided a calming backdrop, helping to ease the tension from the day’s battles.
They sat around the campfire they had built, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames, settling on the nearby rocks. As they savored their dinner, it was evident that they belonged to a well-to-do crowd. Broken couldn’t help but notice Elincia and Starfall indulging in what
appeared to be gourmet meals, looking delicious even from a distance.
Meanwhile, Broken munched on the dried meat he had prepared for himself.
“Where’s the special food your wife usually makes, Broken?” Elincia teased with a playful
giggle. freёweɓnovel.com
Broken smiled and shook his head. “We left too early, and I forgot to ask Ivana.” Livelywood laughed awkwardly. “Broken-san, sorry, but are you really married to her?
Hehe.”
Starfall chuckled softly at Livelywood’s comment, and Elincia joined in with a smile.
“Why?” Livelywood looked confused, glancing between them. “Did I say something wrong?”
Elincia said, “I said ‘your wife’ to Broken, and he immediately named Ivana. So maybe that’s why Livelywood thought you were actually married to her.”
Broken grinned sheepishly, his mind catching up to the misunderstanding. “Ah, no… not married,” he stammered, unsure of how to clarify further.
At that moment, he noticed Charmelyn staring at him intently, her gaze fixed as if lost in thought. When he met her eyes, she quickly looked away, refocusing on her piece of bread. “What’s up with her? Did I do something wrong?” he wondered. “The last time we spoke was after the Raid Boss Vine Horror Treant. We haven’t talked since then.”
The atmosphere inside the cave was noticeably subdued, with Elincia being the only one actively breaking the silence. Starfall spoke sparingly, keeping her words to a minimum. Livelywood laughed at nearly everything, including yawns, as if he found humor in even the smallest things. Charmelyn remained quiet, keeping to herself, while Skywarden took every opportunity to complain.
After a sufficient rest, Elincia stood up. According to their plan, she would venture out to scout the area. She was the most agile among them, naturally suited for the task, whether by her ability to fly or Charmelyn’s assassin-like scouting skills.
“Don’t cause any trouble while I’m gone,” she said, casting a pointed glance at Skywarden. “Shut up, Elincia. Do you think I’m a child?” Skywarden shot back.
“I wasn’t necessarily talking to you,” she replied with a smirk, before stepping out of the
cave.
Skywarden continued eating his meal without so much as glancing in Broken’s direction. The group fell back into a tense silence, the only sounds coming from the crackling fire and the
faint rustling of nature outside.