Chapter 198: First Blood in the Mission
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."
"Yeah," Torren muttered behind him. "That’s... not normal."
It wasn’t.
Arthur could tell right away.
The air inside the dungeon felt wrong and dirty.
Like breathing through something that didn’t belong in your lungs.
Arthur took a slow breath, then frowned.
"...Tainted."
Ryn nodded.
"Bad one too."
That confirmed it.
Arthur glanced around properly this time.
The dungeon stretched ahead in a narrow forest path, but the trees weren’t right.
They were tall, twisted in odd directions, their bark darkened like it had been burned and left to rot. Some of the branches hung low, almost clawing at the ground, while others reached out in uneven angles like they were trying to grab something that wasn’t there.
The leaves barely moved.
There was no wind.
And yet..
There was a faint sound.
Not quite a whisper.
But close enough to make you think something was always just out of sight.
Arthur clicked his tongue softly.
"...Yeah, this place is messed up."
The ground under their feet wasn’t any better.
Soft in some spots.
Too firm in others.
Like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be.
There were faint tracks scattered around, but they overlapped too much to make sense at a glance.
Arthur’s eyes narrowed.
Movement... a lot of it.
Which meant...
They were already late.
Ryn seemed to come to the same conclusion.
"We’re not early."
Arthur let out a quiet breath.
"No, we’re not."
There was no point pretending otherwise.
The mutation had already started spreading.
Which meant avoiding danger completely..
Wasn’t going to happen.
Still, they didn’t panic.
The tension shifted.
From uneasy... to focused.
They had expected this much at least.
And unlike a fresh explorer, they didn’t freeze up the moment things felt wrong.
Arthur rolled his neck once.
"...We move anyway."
Ryn nodded.
"We do."
Then his gaze shifted.
"Nox."
That was her cue.
She didn’t hesitate.
Arthur noticed it right away.
The nervous girl from earlier was gone.
Or at least, pushed aside.
She stepped forward slightly, her eyes sharpening as she took in the surroundings.
Her breathing slowed. Her posture changed.
Then..
Her skill activated.
Arthur couldn’t see it directly.
But he could feel the shift.
Her awareness spread.
Quiet and careful.
Like something brushing across the edges of the space around them.
She moved as she worked, her steps light, her head turning slightly at times as if she was listening to something only she could hear.
No one interrupted her.
No one spoke.
They all just watched.
Arthur folded his arms loosely, his eyes following her movements.
She’s good.
Not flashy or loud.
But precise.
Still...
He could see it on her face.
The way her brows pulled together.
The way her lips pressed slightly.
She didn’t like what she was finding.
That alone said a lot.
After a few more seconds, she stopped.
Completely still.
Then she spoke.
"...We’re surrounded."
Arthur’s eyes sharpened instantly.
"Distance?"
"Close," she replied, her voice steady but tight. "They’re set up already."
Ryn stepped forward slightly.
"Numbers?"
Nox swallowed once before answering.
"Two groups."
She raised a hand slightly, pointing without looking.
"Three on the left."
Then the other side.
"Five on the right."
Arthur exhaled slowly.
"...Of course it’s not simple."
They had planned to avoid fights.
Move fast.
Stay unseen as long as possible.
But this...
This was an ambush waiting to happen.
Which meant they didn’t have a choice.
Ryn made the call almost immediately.
"We take the three."
Arthur nodded.
"Faster clear."
"And cleaner," Ryn added.
Nox spoke again.
"They’re waiting for us to move deeper."
Arthur smirked slightly.
"Too bad for them."
Ryn turned to the group.
"Formation."
No wasted words.
Everyone moved.
Torren stepped forward, shield already up.
Althea shifted closer behind him.
Selene moved to the side, already scanning for angles.
Arthur adjusted his grip on his dagger, rolling it once in his hand.
"...Let’s get it over with."
They moved.
Careful. Controlled.
Every step measured.
Arthur could feel it now.
That faint presence at the edge of his senses.
Watching.
Waiting.
Yeah... they’re patient.
A few more steps..
Then it happened.
A blur from the side.
Fast. Low.
The first wolf lunged.
But they were ready.
Torren stepped in without hesitation.
The impact rang out as the wolf crashed into his shield.
A heavy thud.
But Torren didn’t move.
Not even an inch.
"Got you," he muttered.
At the same time, the others moved.
Two more wolves broke from cover, coming from different angles.
One went for Ryn.
The other..
Straight for Nox.
Arthur clicked his tongue.
"...Not happening."
He moved.
Not fast in a flashy way.
Just.. There.
He stepped into the path of the wolf, his body turning slightly as he met it head on.
The wolf’s eyes flashed.
Its claws came down.
Arthur slipped just enough to the side.
Then..
A clean motion.
His dagger moved.
No wasted effort or extra force needed.
Just precise as the blade slid across its side, cutting deep enough to draw blood but not slow it completely.
The wolf twisted mid motion, trying to recover.
Arthur was already moving again.
"...Too slow."
He stepped in closer this time.
Inside its reach.
Another strike.
Lower.
Targeting the joint.
Causing the wolf to stumble just for a second.
But that was enough.
Arthur’s eyes didn’t change.
He didn’t rush.
Didn’t force it.
He just followed through.
A final cut.
As the wolf dropped.
He stepped back as it hit the ground.
"...Done."
No noise or struggle accompanied.
On the other side, Torren held his ground against the first wolf, its claws scraping against his shield as it tried to push through.
Althea’s voice came calm and steady.
"Hold."
A faint glow wrapped around Torren.
His stance tightened.
Stronger.
More stable.
"Got it," he replied.