After Ethan and Emily efficiently dealt with the remaining monsters, we continued to move deeper into the dungeon. However, our progress was soon interrupted by a piercing scream that seemed to be very close. Chuck! As a skilled ranger, my instincts should have picked up on any nearby threats, but the scream seemed to come out of nowhere, and it made me uneasy. 'It was so close, but I couldn't feel it. What's going on? ' I was confused, trying to understand the mysterious nature of this scream. Anya, with her greater experience, gave some explanation. "There is a tribe of goblins nearby. The sound is just an illusion, used to scare away approaching monsters." "Is it the Goblin Shaman?" I asked curiously. "Yes. Only they can perform such magic." Anya confirmed. After realizing that it was an illusion, I breathed a sigh of relief. "I see. If it was an illusion, then that would explain why I didn't feel any pressure, since there wasn't anything powerful nearby." Actually, I know about Goblin Shaman and the monsters in the tribe. But this is the first time I heard that Goblin Shaman would use illusion magic to create this situation. The game does not mention this. "What level is a Goblin Shaman?"
"It depends. But since they are a tribe, they should be low-level intermediate 3rd level." "Understood." With this information, we continued our exploration, alert for possible threats ahead. On the way, I used my [Sharp Eyes] skill to try to spot potential threats or gain insight into the layout of the dungeon. However, the dense forest limited my vision to a certain extent. Snap! Snap! Snap! As time went on, the forest began to be flooded by the constant rains. Our progress was soon blocked by a mysterious barrier. Anya stepped forward and her hand touched the shimmering barrier. "We've reached the first stage of the barrier," she confirmed, moving her hands slightly. This dungeon is a staged dungeon, unlike any I've explored before. A staged dungeon is a dungeon that requires you to advance level by level, and the scope of free exploration will be limited. To pass each stage, you must obtain the corresponding dungeon fragments to remove the barrier. This dungeon has two stages; the first is the goblin horde, and the second is where the boss is. This does not include the hidden stages, which I will explore on my own. These types of dungeons are also quite rare. This is why Emily insisted on not giving up the rights to this dungeon until she was in dire straits. Anya turned her gaze to me and asked if I had any reconnaissance skills. "Morse, do you have any reconnaissance skills?" I paused, thinking about how to respond. I needed to maintain the illusion that I was limited, so that Fred would be less wary of me and not doubt my true abilities. "My reconnaissance capabilities are somewhat limited in this environment," I said cautiously. "The dense forest and rain obscure my vision, making it difficult for me to use my skills effectively." In fact, this is not entirely wrong. My [Sharp Eyes] skill is indeed limited, and [Insight Perception] is not omnipotent. Besides, they probably didn't need my skills since in the game, players usually tackle dungeons by brute-forcing their way through them. "I see." Anya nodded. "As expected, we will need to force our way in. Judging from the level of the dungeon and the concentration of mana, the Goblin tribe should not be a problem for our team." However, not everyone agrees with Anya. Emily and Faye were skeptical of my ability and couldn't help but make a "tsk" sound to me.
"You shouldn't expect too much from a newbie," Emily muttered, her words full of sarcasm. She and Fay exchanged a knowing look, and Fay also showed an equally disapproving expression. Faye was a girl who didn't talk much from the beginning, unlike Harry. She didn't take the initiative to communicate, but it seemed that the effect of Fred's skills had begun to show. I didn't respond to them, but just quietly entered the formation. After all, this wasn't the first time I was looked down upon. Snap! Snap! Snap! As we went deeper into the forest, the rain continued to pour down, soaking our entire bodies. Anya seemed unfazed by the weather, and her determined pace did not falter. The other team members could not help but express their frustration. Emily's brown hair was pressed against her face, and she said in an irritated tone, "Ugh, this rain is so annoying. Can't it stop for a while?" Faye chimed in, her normally calm demeanor seeming to waver a little at this moment. "These goblins... are so disgusting. I can't stand looking at them." Anya nodded, though her anger was more subtle and directed more at the current situation than the monsters themselves. "We should deal with them as soon as possible and move on. This rain makes everything more difficult." 'Even Anya is beginning to be affected, although she is much slower to react.' Their complaints seemed to extend to every aspect of the journey, from the weather to the monsters they encountered. It was as if they were actively looking for reasons to be dissatisfied, and their dissatisfaction grew as time went on. Considering that Fred sparked suspicion among the team after everyone got through the first stage of the game, I knew we were safe for now. After what seemed like an endless trek through the rain, we finally encountered the first goblin patrol. "Seven goblins? I guess our captain arranged this battle to warm up the members." Anya assigned the task to two members of our team. "Harry, Faye, take care of these goblins. We need to clear them out fast." Harry, a skilled warrior with two swords, stepped forward confidently. "Leave it to me. They won't know how they died." Faye, temporarily forgetting her irritation, became determined in the battle atmosphere. "I will make them regret standing in our way." The two quickly approached the goblin patrol, their weapons gleaming in the rain. The goblins didn't notice them at first and were caught off guard by their sudden attack. whoosh! Harry rushed forward quickly, swung his swords like lightning, and hit the target accurately. Crack! Plop! Puff! A goblin fell, clutching his throat tightly, blood spurting out between his fingers. Chop! Plop! The other goblin tried to fight back, but before he could do anything, Faye rushed over, swinging her greatsword in one swift sweep that split the goblin in two. The rain quickly turned the ground beneath them into a muddy mess, sending dirt flying with every blow. Chuck! The remaining goblins realized they were under attack and raised their weapons to defend themselves, wielding crude weapons—rusty blades, wooden clubs, and even makeshift slingshots. But they reacted too late. Anya made a wise decision in choosing Harry and Faye to deal with these monsters. Their teamwork was perfect.
'They are a very coordinated team. Their movements are also quite smooth, and Harry is obviously much stronger because he has been well trained.' Harry engaged the goblin in close combat, while Faye kept his distance, using the length of his greatsword to his advantage. Whoosh! Plop! Harry ducked to avoid a clumsy swing from a goblin, and quickly countered with a stab from below. Another goblin came from the side, but Faye had anticipated its move. With a precise swing of her sword, she severed its arm at the shoulder. In a matter of moments, the battle was over. The goblin patrol lay dead on the muddy forest floor, their crude weapons scattered everywhere. Anya nodded with satisfaction. "Well done, both of you. Keep going. The Goblin Tribe should be just ahead." After the battle, the two returned to the team. At this time, Ethan walked towards me. "Hey, Morse. Don't you think anything's weird?" he asked. 'It seems he's finally starting to see things.' "What do you mean?" I asked, pretending to be confused. I could see Fred's eyes on us, but Ethan didn't seem to notice. "I feel like my senses are dulling... I can't really explain it... It's a bit strange." In the game, this line is also a foreshadowing, hinting at Fred's betrayal. Sure enough, the protagonist is the protagonist. "I feel the same way, but it may be because this is our first time entering a dungeon, so I might be a little nervous." I shrugged and interrupted him. "Anyway, don't think about it anymore and focus on the matter at hand." "All right." Soon after we dispatched the goblin patrol, another wave of goblins appeared. But they posed no more threat, and several of the monsters were quickly killed. Just like that, we finally arrived at the edge of the goblin tribe. There were shanties and crude fortifications hidden in a thick forest. The rain had eased a little, but the ground was still slippery and muddy. Anya signaled us to proceed carefully. "Remember, our mission is to wipe out this tribe. We can't waste too much time. Don't forget the formation." Usually, when attacking such a horde, you need to make a plan in advance. After all, although we can defeat these monsters overwhelmingly, there is another stage to clean up here. Apparently, Anya's judgement was beginning to be affected as well. We moved forward carefully, not wanting to alert the goblins. Anya, Faye, Harry, and even Emily were all very skilled, their experience evident in every step they took. Anya turned to look at me. "Morse, from here you should be able to see how many monsters are around." We are now in a relatively open area, and my vision is not obstructed. As we all know, archers tend to have sharp eyesight, and even though my class is Weapon Master, this also applies to me. I began to observe, using my [Sharp Eyes] to scan the tribe. "There are 40 common goblins, 8 goblin warriors, and a goblin shaman. The goblin shaman and 6 goblin warriors are staying in a shed in the middle of the tribe, and two goblin warriors are guarding the entrance." Anya nodded and listened to my report. "How many scouts and patrols are there?" "This tribe is not advanced. They haven't built any reconnaissance towers, and there are no traps to be seen from here. Either their traps are well hidden, or they are not set up at all." "Good. We should be able to clear them then. The rain is starting to slow down, so fire skills should be more effective. Harry, how are your skills?" Harry raised his hand and swung out a small flame. "No problem, it's better now. The moisture in the air seems to have decreased."
"Tell me, how much power can you use?" “About 80 percent.” "That's good." After saying this, Anya looked at our faces. "Get ready. We're about to begin." And just like that, the first challenge of the dungeon began.