Chapter 154
"By the way, what's the situation with confidentiality obligations?"
While understanding that full service depends on money, it seems using these facilities will have to wait until after dungeon conquest.
As I inspect my usual equipment, I ask Hurley about the concerning points.
"Within the scope of not being involved in crimes, we have no obligation to report. Also, while user records of this place are kept, only His Majesty and the Prime Minister have permission to view them. Even ducal families require permission from His Majesty and the Prime Minister to view records. The recorded content only includes users' names and which dungeons they challenged. Regarding what is witnessed here, unless it involves crimes, a divine contract prevents disclosure without mutual consent."
"Hmm, I see."
The response seems to leave various loopholes.
The phrase "unless it involves crimes" is particularly concerning.
Depending on interpretation, my actions could potentially be judged as criminal.
Thinking like this, it's inconvenient not having land where I can freely deploy dungeons.
Should I perhaps cooperate with the Duke to secure that point?
Since I plan to conquer various dungeons from now on, having this surveillance makes things slightly difficult.
No choice today, but I'll need to think of a countermeasure.
"Liberta! We're ready!!""Alright! Then we'll be off""Wishing you good fortune in battle"
If everyone's ready, let's challenge it immediately.
My bow isn't the great bow I used with the Duke, but a makeshift one I got from Ganjii.
A Class 2 bow with Proof of the Weak and enhancement applied.
Firepower-wise, it's sufficient.
Since it's just about classing up and defeating the boss, my usual scythe spear is equipped on my back.
"Nell and Ingrid at the front. Amina and Claudia in the middle. I'll guard the rear as we enter the dungeon."
I confirm everyone nods in agreement to the prearranged formation.
This time, Angler is holding a large mace and shield, serving as a pseudo-tank.
Nell rides on its back, with Ingrid standing beside them - truly a contrast like giant and dwarf.
Ingrid's equipment is her usual broom, but since she'll only use sweeping attacks, there shouldn't be worry about killing blows.
"Let's do an equipment check just in case."
Claudia isn't leveling so has normal equipment, Amina is holding her microphone-shaped staff ready to sing.
Finally, I have the bow and spear combination. The equipment check is really just confirming we have potions and training bracelets.
In addition to this equipment, everyone has cloth masks covering their mouths and noses to prevent spore inhalation.
Ideally we'd protect our eyes too, but without proper goggles we'll have to make do.
Instead, I've prepared water bottles in magic bags for immediate washing.
After all, once we class up we must immediately equip training bracelets to prevent leveling.
I also check my regular waist pouch containing scavenged items.
"All good""Me too!""No problems here""Same"
After completing everyone's equipment check, I take out the dungeon key.
"Ingrid, deploy Air Clean""Understood"
Though spores shouldn't escape outside the dungeon, as precaution I have Ingrid deploy Air Clean.
The range has expanded with life magic, and skill level has increased enough to maintain during combat.
"Alright! Let's go!"
Enjoying the sensation of purified air, I take out the Matango dungeon key from my magic bag.
Feeling Hurley's gaze on my back, I quietly insert the key into space, feeling a click as I turn it counterclockwise, hearing an unlocking sound.
The dungeon entrance forms.
At that moment, I discreetly slip the key into my sleeve.
My hands are hidden so it shouldn't look like the key remains.
I just had a bad feeling - that's the only reason I did this.
"Let's go!""Coming with you""What kind of dungeon? Exciting!!""It's a forest-type dungeon"
Nell, full of fighting spirit, advances Angler into the dungeon first.Following her, Ingrid then Amina and Claudia, with me entering last.
The room transforms into a dim forest.
"Whoa, what's this"
Amina is first to exclaim.
Visible even in dim light - white powder floating in the air.
"Mushrooms everywhere"
And mushrooms clinging parasitically to trees.They're releasing enormous amounts of spores into the air.
"Good thing Ingrid's Air Clean is up, right?""Seriously, entering a place like this unprotected would be way too dangerous"
A few minutes might not be life-threatening, but over time it would cause health issues. The horror of this dungeon is that charging in blindly could make returning impossible.
But these spores too, upon entering Ingrid's Air Clean range, vanish as if hitting an invisible wall.
Breathing fresh air untainted by strange substances, I relax slightly.
"Amina, don't sing yet. Nell, move Angler slowly, avoid isolation and pay attention to our spacing""Got it"
Thanks to that reassurance, we advance with just the right amount of remaining tension as Nell moves Angler.
Following that movement, our party begins advancing slowly.
We proceed along the forest path at walking speed.
In open-field forest types like this, if confident about not getting lost, shortcuts are possible.
But forests aren't properly cleared, monsters can hide easily, ambush risks exist, and without specific builds, movement speed decreases making escape difficult when needed.
So following the dungeon's intended path is reasonable.
That previous human-faced tree was a case where we knew traps were placed on the main path, so we deliberately took a shortcut.
"Liberta""Oh, already?"
As Angler passes through, the path narrows to where side passage is impossible, and Nell slowly stops.
"Huh?"
On Angler, Nell points ahead. Called over, I climb up and look where she's pointing.
"Ah, definitely Matango"
Not "hide the head but show the tail" but "hide the body but show the head".
Mushroom caps peeking from the ground.
Three of them.
At Class 3, the experience table expands, making leveling up from single enemies harder.
Even with minimum experience table settings, more kills are needed compared to Class 2, so encountering groups like this is welcome.
"Amina, sing Cheer. I'll snipe to stop them. When Matango approach, Ingrid trips them, then Nell finishes. Got it?""Got it""Okay!""Understood"
Three at once might seem sudden, but we've done similar with orcs, and they're not as fast as orcs.
"♪~"
As Amina sings, I use Angler as support to aim at the Matango whose caps twitch in response to the song.
"Tch!"
One shot, two shots, three shots in rapid succession, arrows piercing straight into the Matango caps.
『『『Kyaaaaaa!!!』』』
Shrieking, humanoid mushrooms burst from the ground.
They violently shake their heads to scatter spores, but...
"Ingrid!""On it"
All are blocked by Ingrid's Air Clean.
"Continuing!""Stop singing! Moving out!"
Matango are ranged attackers - they won't close beyond a certain distance.
Ingrid dashes out, Nell follows, and with Amina stopping her song, Claudia guards our rear as we advance.
The Matango desperately keep releasing spores at our approaching party, but all are erased by Ingrid's Air Clean, leaving them visibly confused.
"Heh"
Meanwhile, Ingrid closes in and sweeps with her broom.
Tripping all three simultaneously, she gracefully retreats, yielding to the heavy footsteps' owner.
Shadow falls over the fallen Matango.
Looking up, they'd see Angler raising its massive mace.
"Ready... NOW!"
With Nell's battle cry, the descending mace crushes one Matango, its scream drowned by impact.
"Next!"
Pinning two struggling Matango with forelimbs, Angler raises and swings again.
"Last!!"
The desperately writhing Matango trying to release spores is futilely crushed by Angler's strike.
"Huh? No class up"
Normally we'd level up here, but three kills didn't do it.
Amina checks that training bracelets are equipped.
"At Class 3 experience tables, leveling isn't so easy. The experience split four ways makes it harder""Aw, disappointing""But Matango drops are valuable potion ingredients""Nice"
Perhaps feeling celebratory, Amina seems slightly let down by the anticlimax.
Thanks to Nell, we obtain brown lumpy drops - valuable potion ingredients.
Brown ones make paralysis-resistant potions, so we collect carefully.
"About three or four more battles at this scale should level us""Okay~"
Part of my role is keeping spirits up. Ruffling Amina's hair elicits pleased noises.
"Ingrid, mana consumption?""Within acceptable range. When extra spores were released, I felt increased load, but no need for breaks yet""Got it"
Our lifeline - Ingrid's mana consumption - is minimal compared to the human-faced tree, posing no issues.
Meaning we can continue fighting.
"Speak up if you need breaks. We'll adjust""Understood"
With no worries, we advance again with Angler's heavy footsteps.
"Enemy ambush from forest""Lure them to the path! Nell! Advance while guarding front!"
Besides hiding, they naturally patrol and ambush too.
Detected by Claudia's警戒网, four caps appear in the forest, trembling to release spores.
Fighting in the forest is unwise.
So I shoot arrows to draw aggro, luring them to clearer ground.
『『『『Kya!!』』』』"That screech still hurts my ears!!"
Four shots land true. Advancing, we hear rustling as Matango push through foliage toward us.
"Mushroom caps ahead! Five of them!""Got it! Keep advancing!"
At Nell's warning, I turn back, climb Angler, and see the caps but...
"Seven total!"
Hidden among caps are dug holes. I shoot the visible ones.
"Two Matango buried shallowly! Have Angler crush them! Amina! Tailwind song!!"
Priority is the front Matango.
"Shall I move too?""Not yet! Please guard Amina""Understood"
No need to deploy Claudia yet.
Arrows strike true as five Matango emerge, scattering spores instantly nullified when Ingrid accelerates into Air Clean range.
Now, this many kills should guarantee leveling up!
Time to get serious!