Legends and Dungeons, Merfolk and Fishmen – Part 04
“Paula!”
Hikaru felt an urge to immediately turn back, but he changed his mind. His current priority was getting Angela out. Moreover, the murderer seemed to prefer silent kills. The belongings of the deceased adventurers were undisturbed, suggesting that no one had stumbled upon them.
“But something’s odd. The female adventurers were hidden properly, but they didn’t bother much with this guy. I could see his feet from the corridor.”
No, Hikaru shook his head.
“That doesn’t matter right now. Gotta move it.”
Hikaru readjusted his grip on the magic lamp and resumed running, this time at full speed. He didn’t bother checking the marks. Instead he relied on Mana Detection to locate the traps as he swiftly navigated through the small rooms.
Adventurers were receiving treatment for injuries in some of the rooms, their eyes widening upon seeing Hikaru.
“It’s up ahead.”
His Mana Detection confirmed their presence. Scorching Goblet was in the midst of battle ahead. Had the other parties withdrawn?
Hikaru turned off his magic lamp and activated Stealth. Relying on the faint light, he advanced further down the passage.
“…”
He found himself in a large cavern—no, a great hall.
Unlike the first floor, the second floor felt more artificially-built, and this area highlighted the impression to the extreme.
Stone columns planted on the flagstoned ground supported a high ceiling. Glowing with magic, these pillars were marked with unfamiliar golden characters.
In the vast hall spanning over 200 meters from end to end, Scorching Goblet was strategically deployed, locked in combat.
“The right flank is being pushed back! Put some more effort into it!”
“Lark, withdraw and get yourself healed!”
“Thanks!”
Five tanks equipped with large shields stood in front, and behind them were damage dealers wielding long spears. Archers and spellcasters provided support at the rear. The formation was flawless, showing no signs of breaking down.
But there were too many enemies. Over a hundred fishmen were closing in. These fearless dungeon monsters sprang at them with spears and swords. Some dark-red variants among them exhibited vastly superior physical abilities.
“Master Zappa, the center is clear!”
“I got this!”
Gripping his battle axe, its blade the size of a small table, Zappa charged toward the opening. He kicked away mounds of ash, remnants of the numerous fishmen they had killed, planted his feet firmly, and roared as he cleaved his way through the surging horde.
Zappa effortlessly swung the weapon around, cutting through the half-fish creatures with comical ease.
“Follow him!”
“Haaaah!”
Melee DPS’s with swords killed the fishmen that Zappa missed.
They’re good.
For the first time, Hikaru discovered the true prowess of Scorching Goblet. Their strength lay not in individual strength but in their collective power.
Zappa’s movements were rough and unrefined, but the party moving around him would likely be much stronger than soldiers of equal number.
To put it into perspective, while Zappa alone might not win against the Confederacy of Einbiest’s leader Gerhardt or Knight Commander Lawrence, Zappa’s party might be more than capable of victory.
In a much larger battle, like a war with thousands or tens of thousands on each side, it might be different, but when it came to clearing dungeons, Scorching Goblet would undoubtedly exhibit unparalleled strength in terms of size and strategy.
A party formed for this purpose… A group assembled to achieve the maximum results as adventurers.
Hikaru had been puzzled about why a Rank A party took on the task of escorting a guild receptionist, but now he was fully convinced that this was their true mission—to clear an untouched dungeon before anyone else. And they were seriously aiming for the deepest part, believing they possessed the power to clear it.
“Are they going to be okay?” Angela asked. She was at the entrance of the grand hall. “What if Lord Zappa got hurt?”
“They’ll be fine,” a man replied as he tended to the injuries of fellow members. He appeared to be Scorching Goblet’s doctor. “Even if he got injured, we’re here to help.”
There was a Healer as well, but they were not actively engaging in treatment, choosing to instead conserve their mana.
Support members are near the entrance, probably ensuring they can retreat at any time.
Suddenly, Skaer turned to look in Hikaru’s direction.
Hikaru quickly hid in the shadows of the entrance. His Stealth was active, and he had set the Blessing on his guild card to Stealth God: Cloaked in Darkness. He shouldn’t have been spotted.
“…”
Skaer kept staring at his direction, then quickly returned his gaze forward—to Zappa.
Phew.
He had no reason to hide, but Hikaru felt embarrassed about secretly observing their way of fighting, so he ended up concealing himself.
Since there were no other adventurer parties here, Zappa and his team were likely employing their original tactics. Hikaru was glad to have witnessed it.
But why did Skaer look over here? Does he have Instinct? If he does, it’s pretty high-level.
Skaer was about twenty meters away. To check his Soul Board, Hikaru would have to walk into the well-lit hall. He decided it could wait.
Right now, I need to figure out what to do with Angela.
His initial objective was to secure the guild receptionist, but Scorching Goblet seemed poised to gain total control of the grand hall.
I could just talk to her after they’re done. If they can secure the second floor, we might not even need to bring Angela back. For now, I’m just gonna observe how Scorching Goblet fights.
Hikaru’s Mana Detection suddenly picked up a powerful signature. Magical energy was converging at the farthest point opposite Hikaru’s position.
Several steps led to a stage that looked like it could host a dance. And from the back of the stage, a monster emerged slowly, as if peeling off the wall.
“Master Zappa! It’s a Boss!” Skaer shouted.
“Wh-What is that?!”
“It’s humongous!”
“Can our shields protect us?”
Even from Hikaru’s distant vantage point, the creature’s monstrous size was apparent—a gigantic, ferocious fishman about ten meters tall. Each of its purple scales was larger than a human hand, and the trident it brandished was as massive as an entire tree.
The monster—deserving of the title Boss—roared. The air trembled, and several fishmen near it were knocked back by the sound pressure, rolling on the ground.
Stones broke under the fishman Boss’s feet as it advanced towards the humans. It was more intimidating than a train charging straight at them.
But Zappa didn’t panic. “Shield!” he bellowed.
“Right here!”
The support team swiftly brought over a shield big enough to conceal Zappa’s entire frame. As soon as he took it, he plunged his battle axe into the ground before him, freeing up his hands to firmly grip the imposing barrier.
“Come, you monstrous beast!”
The Boss stopped about ten meters away from Zappa—or so it appeared. It was merely preparing for an impending attack.
“Gwwooooaaaahh!”
The trident thrust forward from its hip, hurtling toward Zappa with alarming speed. Hikaru envisioned a battering ram, a strategic weapon possessing sheer desctructive force capable of breaking a castle gate. Zappa caught it head-on.
Bang!
The air reverberated, and Zappa’s body was pushed backward. He roared as his metal boots dug into the flagstones, fracturing them, leaving behind what looked like wheel tracks. But the ruts were only a few meters long.
Zappa stilled. He had stopped the attack of a creature five times his size.
“I’m completely fine, you monster.”
Monsters should be devoid of emotions, but Hikaru detected a fleeting astonishment in its expression.
“H-H-Holy shit!”
“That’s Master Zappa for you!”
“Don’t celebrate just yet. Incoming!”
“Sir!”
As the melee DPS observed the situation, archers and mages unleashed a barrage of attacks against the Boss monster. Arrows struck, and spears of ice and rock inflicted wounds upon the creature.
“Gwooahh!”
“Whoa there.”
As the monster roared, its shockwave swept away everything nearby. Zappa placed himself in front of his allies, using his massive shield to diminish the impact.
It’s a special shield imbued with magic.
Hikaru’s Mana Detection clearly detected the incredible amount of magical energy contained in the weapon. Some intricate spell was currently active. It was likely this spell that thwarted the Boss’s assault and neutralized its roar. Taking that roar up close could do more than rupture one’s eardrums.
“The minions are thinning out! Let’s end this in one sweep!”
The Boss’s roar had knocked back its fishmen subordinates, reducing some to ashes and creating a clear space around the creature.
“Attack!” Zappa commanded.
“Follow Master Zappa!”
One after another, the melee DPS of Scorching Goblet began closing in on the Boss. At the core of the assault was, unsurprisingly, Zappa.
Hikaru grasped that the party centered around the star adventurer Zappa, and the members’ loyalty to him upheld order within the group.
Looks like they got this. But one thing’s bothering me.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
Rule Breaker (Light Novel)
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 70 hours
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