Chapter 197: Into the Dungeon
After a while, when they were far enough from the stronghold, Ryn finally slowed slightly breaking the silence.
"Alright."
That got everyone’s attention.
He turned just enough to face them as they walked.
"Quick rundown again."
Arthur folded his arms loosely.
Here we go.
"We’re not here to fight everything we see," Ryn said. "Priority is the cause."
He looked at each of them as he spoke.
"We avoid unnecessary conflict. We move clean. We don’t get dragged into long fights."
Arthur nodded slowly.
Makes sense.
The longer they stayed engaged, the more time the dungeon had to change.
"We find what triggered the mutation," Ryn continued, "and we deal with it fast."
"And if we can’t?" someone asked.
Ryn’s answer came calmly.
"Then we get out and report."
There was no hesitation. As well as no pride in it.
Just logic.
Ryn continued.
"The dungeon itself.. is a wolf type dungeon."
Arthur’s eyes sharpened slightly.
"...Interesting."
"Black wolves," Ryn added.
That got a few reactions.
Arthur tilted his head slightly.
"Variant?"
Ryn nodded.
"Yeah. Pack hunters. Same as normal wolves, but smarter."
He paused briefly.
"And they don’t fight fair."
Arthur chuckled.
"Do any of them?"
Ryn ignored that.
"They thrive in low visibility. Tight spaces. They’ll stalk you before you even know they’re there."
Arthur’s grin faded a bit.
Ambush type.
Good to know.
"They aim for weak points," Ryn continued. "Neck. Joints. Anywhere you’re open."
Arthur rolled his shoulder once.
"...So we don’t get sloppy."
Ryn’s gaze shifted.
"To avoid that, we rely on scouting."
And just like that..
Everyone’s eyes moved.
To Nox.
She froze slightly under the attention.
Arthur noticed it immediately.
Her grip tightened just a little.
"...You good?" he asked, his tone casual.
She blinked, then nodded quickly.
"I... I can do it."
Her voice shook a bit.
But she said it anyway.
Ryn gave a small nod.
"That’s all we need."
Simple.
Direct.
No pressure added.
Just trust.
Arthur glanced at her again, then smiled lightly.
"Hey, just don’t let them sneak up on me, alright?"
She looked at him, a bit surprised.
Then nodded again.
"I won’t."
"Good," Arthur said. "Because I’m not trying to get bit today."
A few of them let out quiet breaths.
Not quite laughs.
But close enough.
The tension eased just a little.
Ryn continued like nothing happened.
"The commander picked you for a reason," he said to Nox. "So do your job."
She straightened slightly.
"Yes."
Arthur nodded to himself.
She’ll be fine.
Ryn shifted back to the rest.
"As for mutation cases..."
His voice changed slightly.
More serious.
"We’ve seen different patterns before. Rapid spawning. Increased aggression. Structural shifts."
Arthur listened closely now.
"The worst case," Ryn said, "is full repopulation."
Silence.
Arthur’s expression didn’t change, but his thoughts did.
That fast?
"That means the dungeon fills up again," Ryn continued. "Faster than it should."
"And if that happens?" Arthur asked.
Ryn looked at him.
"We leave."
Arthur nodded.
"Fair."
"This is not a clearance mission," Ryn added. "We don’t play heroes."
That one landed.
Arthur huffed lightly.
"Wasn’t planning to."
Ryn’s gaze lingered on him for a second.
Like he was making sure.
Then he nodded once and continued walking.
"Our lives come first."
His voice wasn’t loud.
But it carried.
"If it gets out of hand, we pull back."
Arthur’s expression softened slightly.
That was the kind of leader he could follow.
Not reckless. Not scared either.
Just clear.
Ryn slowed again, just enough to face them properly this time.
"And listen," he said.
Everyone focused.
"This is our first mission together."
A brief pause.
"We don’t know everything yet. Not about each other, not about what we’ll face in there."
Arthur watched him quietly.
"But that’s fine," Ryn continued. "Because we don’t need perfect."
His gaze moved across each of them.
"We just need to trust that the person next to us will do their part."
Arthur nodded slowly.
"That we’ll cover each other when it matters."
A few of them straightened slightly.
"And that we won’t freeze when things go wrong."
Arthur smirked a little.
"Yeah... that part’s important."
Ryn didn’t smile.
But his voice held steady.
"We go in. We do the job. We come back."
He said simply. But it hit.
Arthur let out a breath.
"...Sounds good to me."
Others nodded.
Some spoke.
"Yeah."
"Got it."
"I’m in."
Nox nodded too, quieter than the rest.
But she didn’t look away this time.
Ryn turned back forward.
"Then let’s move."
And they did.
The pace picked up slightly.
No hesitation now.
Just focus.
After a while, Ryn spoke again.
"Check your gear."
Arthur didn’t need to be told twice.
He reached down, adjusting his weapon, checking the balance.
His other hand brushed against his potions.
Still there.
Still intact.
"Good," he muttered.
Around him, the others did the same.
Armor adjusted.
Weapons drawn.
The air shifted again.
More alert now.
More ready.
Arthur’s senses sharpened naturally.
His steps became quieter.
Lighter.
"...We’re close," he said.
Ryn nodded.
"Yeah."
They moved a bit further.. then they saw it.
The dungeon gate stood ahead.
Still.
Silent.
But..
Different.
Arthur slowed.
"...You feel that?"
No one answered right away.
But they all felt it.
The air wasn’t normal.
It was heavier.
Thicker.
Like something was sitting on it.
Arthur’s eyes narrowed.
"...Yeah. That’s not good."
The closer they got, the clearer it became.
The space around the gate felt... wrong.
The tainted mana.
Arthur exhaled slowly.
His grip tightened slightly.
The mission had fully started now.
Ryn raised a hand making them stop.
No one spoke.
No one moved carelessly.
Every eye was on the gate now.
Every sense alert.
Arthur’s grin came back.
Small but sharp.
"...Alright."
His voice was low.
"Let’s see what’s waiting for us."
Ryn gave the signal, and they stepped through the gate.
The moment Arthur crossed over, he felt it.
The pressure that had been sitting outside the dungeon felt like it was nothing compared to this.
Arthur blinked once.
"...Huh."
He rolled his shoulder slightly, relieving himself of the heaviness.
"The air feels heavier now."