Chapter 166 – Retreating, But not Running Away
Chapter 166
Retreating, But not Running Away
Date : Day 15 of Lunaeve 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.
The sight before them was impossible.
Even Jackey—was completely speechless. His tabby cat tail, which was almost always swishing excitedly, had become perfectly still.
Hyoren forced himself to calm down.
Fear wouldn't help them. Information would.
His gaze settled on the goblin standing atop the raised dais—the Floor Guardian.
Simple Appraisal.
The familiar information appeared before his eyes.
Goblin Ruler — Level 18.
His pupils narrowed. Then his gaze swept across the countless goblins filling the massive platform.
Simple Appraisal.
Goblin — Level 12
Another one.
Goblin — Level 12
Another.
Goblin — Level 12
Everything was just level 12 ordinary goblins.
Hyoren's expression became even more solemn. The obstacle of this Floor Guardian wasn't the strength of a single monster. It was the army itself.
Then, his eyes stopped on the banner held by the Goblin Ruler. The purplish-black flag emitted a faint glow.
Hyoren narrowed his eyes.
That flag… It might have an effect… Like boosting the army.
Leader-type enemies often possessed Skills that strengthened the troops under their command. If that banner truly enhanced more than a thousand goblins—the situation was even worse than they had imagined.
Hyoren finally found his voice.
He looked at the overwhelming army again.
“These armies… What do we do...”
Elise immediately turned toward him. Her silver hair swayed sharply.
“Run!”
Her voice came out far louder than usual.
“Hyoren! Are you insane?”
Her emerald eyes were wide. Her breathing had become ragged. Her shoulders were stiff with tension.
She pointed toward the sea of goblins covering the platform.
“Are you suggesting...”
Her lips trembled before she bit them tightly.
“We fight...”
She gestured again toward the endless horde.
“Those?”
She slowly shook her head.
“No… No… We'll die!”
Hyoren tightened his grip on his shield.
He slowly nodded. There was no point arguing with Elise, who had lost her composure. He would try to reason with her later when she calmed down.
“Okay, Elise… Let's go back.”
Elise had already turned around before he even finished speaking. She hurried toward the archway behind them.
Hyoren grabbed Jackey's shoulder.
“Come on, Jackey.”
The beastkin finally snapped out of his daze. He silently nodded before following.
The three of them quickly reached the stone archway leading back to the second floor.
Hyoren placed his hand against its cold, solid surface. Instantly—Demon God Gidol's voice exploded inside his mind.
HAHAHAHAHA! DID THE PRETEND HEROES FINALLY REALIZE THEY WERE NEVER HEROES? HAHAHAHAHA!
A pause.
Just this much and you run away? Go on! I'll generously let you run away with your tails tucked between your legs! And don't bother coming back! Now I know the Pretend Heroes are nothing but pretenders! Weaklings! Xixixixi...
The mockery was different this time. Louder. Sharper. Filled with undisguised ridicule.
Even Elise and Jackey winced.
Hyoren simply closed his eyes for a brief moment. He pushed the grating laughter out of his mind.
Then silently answered.
Exit.
The world dissolved once more. The Floor Guardian Chamber. The Goblin Ruler. And its army of more than a thousand goblins.
Disappeared from sight.
***
The familiar dead-end chamber greeted them once again.
The pale blue glow of the magic lamps illuminated the quiet corridor. Outside the Floor Guardian Chamber—the silence felt strangely comforting.
Elise leaned heavily against the stone wall.
Her face was pale. Her body trembled slightly. She was breathing hard, trying to calm the storm raging inside her chest.
The sheer scale of what they had just witnessed refused to leave her mind.
“That's impossible...”
She whispered the words almost absentmindedly.
“So impossible… An army… More than a thousand goblins… How can anyone fight that...?”
Her emerald eyes suddenly turned toward Hyoren. There was disbelief in them. And fear.
“And are you out of your mind, Hyoren? Those are over 1000 goblins!”
She bit her lower lip.
“If you're suggesting we use the same tactic as the Monster Room before...”
She slowly shook her head. Her silver hair swayed with motion.
“No. It's impossible.”
She ran both hands through her silver hair in frustration.
“The bridge wasn't narrow like the corridor inside the Monster Room.”
She pointed toward the archway leading back to the Guardian Chamber.
“And we spent almost a whole day killing around 300 goblins inside the Monster Room.”
Her voice rose slightly.
“Now you're suggesting we keep fighting those over 1000 goblins??? Those would took us days! We will be tired withon few hours then overwhelmed instantly afterwards!”
She stared at him.
“You're insane!”
Her grip tightened around her bow until the wood almost creaked.
Hyoren remained silent. He let Elise continue.
“And there's still the Guardian! We know nothing about it!”
She gestured toward the archway again.
“The first Floor Guardian had regeneration. What if this one has some kind of skill to strengthen its army?”
She clenched her jaw.
“We don't know! We don't know anything!”
Her words finally came to an end. She lowered her head. Her breathing remained ragged.
Jackey also spoke. His usual confidence had disappeared. Even his tabby cat ears were flattened.
“Elise is right, Big Bro.”
He lowered both axes.
“Even I think it's an impossible battle.”
Silence followed.
Hyoren still didn't answer immediately. He wasn't panicking. He wasn't even discouraged.
His mind had already shifted into analysis. Every detail from the brief glimpse inside the Guardian Chamber replayed itself. The layout. The massive stone bridge. The deep rift. The position of the Goblin Ruler. The army. The banner.
He quietly pieced everything together.
Only after several moments did he finally speak.
“Please calm down, Elise.”
His voice remained steady.
“Take a deep breath. In… Out...”
Elise closed her emerald eyes.
Despite still being agitated, she followed his instructions. She slowly inhaled. Then exhaled. Again. And once more. Little by little—her breathing gradually became steadier.
Hyoren reached into his Storage Bag. He took out a waterskin before offering it to Elise.
“Here.”
She accepted it with slightly trembling hands. After taking several long drinks, she passed it to Jackey. The beastkin quietly drank as well before handing it back.
Hyoren waited. He didn't rush to speak.
He simply gave both of them time to calm themselves.
Only after their breathing had mostly returned to normal did the dead-end chamber fall silent once again.
***
Hyoren finally spoke. His dark eyes were calm. Filled with unwavering conviction.
“No, Elise. It's possible. We just need more preparation.”
He paused.
“And... maybe one more member.”
Elise looked at him in disbelief. Her emerald eyes widened.
“One more member? Hyoren... we'd need an army to fight an army!”
Hyoren slowly shook his head.
His mind was already working through countless possibilities. The Guardian Chamber. The bridge. The army formation. The terrain.
Everything he had seen was being reconstructed inside his head.
“No… We don't need to defeat everything at once.”
He began pacing slowly across the dead-end chamber. His hands moved naturally as he organized his thoughts.
“We'll use the same principle as the Monster Room. Kiting. Using the terrain.”
He gestured as if drawing the battlefield before them.
“We lure a small portion of the army away. Lead them toward the bridge. Then eliminate them. One group at a time. Slowly. Until the army is gone.”
Elise immediately frowned. She was about to object.
Hyoren noticed it and gently raised a hand. She stopped.
He continued.
“Those massive stone bridge wasn't as narrow as the Monster Room corridor. So yeah.. We can't recreate the exact same chokepoint.”
He smiled faintly.
“But it's still much narrower than the platform itself.”
He held both hands apart to illustrate the width.
“At most… Only around 8 to 10 goblins can cross it side by side.”
He looked directly into Elise's eyes.
“So we're not fighting 1000 goblins. We're fighting around 10 at a time.”
Elise's expression gradually changed. The panic slowly faded. She unconsciously began imagining the battlefield again.
Hyoren continued.
“However… If we keep repeating that strategy with just the 3 of us...”
He shook his head.
“It'll take too long. Days of continuous fighting. That's unrealistic. We don't have a mean to kill multiple goblins at same time. All of us three was specialized for boss fight and elite encounter."
He gestured once more.
“So… To make this plan feasible… We need someone who specializes in wide-area attacks.”
A grin slowly appeared on his face.
“We need a mage.”
Silence filled the chamber once again.
Elise stared at him. Her mind replayed every word he had spoken. Moments earlier—she had only seen an impossible army.
Hyoren had seen a battlefield. A problem. One that could be solved. Not today. Not with their current party.
But, with enough preparation. And the right fourth member. Perhaps—the impossible wasn't truly impossible after all.
Elise and Jackey stared at Hyoren.
The fear was still there. A cold feeling lingering deep inside their chests. But it was slowly being overshadowed by something else. The unwavering confidence of their party leader.
Elise was the first to smile again—it was small—but genuine.
“Everyone else would have tucked their tails and run after seeing that massive army.”
Her voice was soft. Filled with wonder.
“Even me...”
She lowered her gaze briefly.
“I would've done the same. I was ready to give up.”
She looked back into Hyoren. Her emerald eyes with his dark ones.
“But you… You're different. You saw a way to win.”
Jackey crossed his arms before nodding repeatedly.
“Elise is right! Big Bro is truly different! Best party leader in the world! WOHOO!”
Both of them felt it. Hope. Not certainty. Not confidence. But a hope—the feeling that following the man standing before them was the right choice.
Hyoren simply smiled. A small. Reassuring smile.
“There's always a way. You just have to be willing to look for it.”
He then turned his gaze toward the long corridor leading back into the second floor. His expression became practical once more.
“Let's go back first. We've already spent 6 days inside this dungeon. That was our planned diving time.”
“We also need to backtrack through the 2nd floor.”
He quickly estimated the journey.
“It'll probably take us 1 to 2 days.”
He looked at both of them.
“We'll postpone the 2nd Floor Guardian. Until we find a suitable member.”
Neither Elise nor Jackey objected.
They already understood. They had the information. They had a strategy. But they were still missing one crucial piece.
A new party member. A mage.
Elise nodded. She briefly closed her eyes. Inside her mind, Mapping reconstructed the entire second floor. Every corridor. Every intersection. Every chamber.
She traced the fastest route leading back to the Safe Room.
A few moments later, she opened her emerald eyes.
“Okay. I think we can reach the exit before the end of the day.”
Hyoren nodded.
“Good.”
He smiled faintly.
“Let's go, Elise.”
Their decision made, Freedom Party began the long journey back across the second floor.
Thanks to Elise's completed map, they never once took a wrong turn. She guided them through the shortest possible route.
Whenever an alternate path existed, they avoided unnecessary battles. Only when elite goblins blocked the only available route did they draw their weapons. Over the course of the entire return journey—they fought only 4 groups of elite goblins.
Eventually, the familiar swirling vortex door to the Starting Room came into view.
They entered it. And familiar sight greeted them. The raised platform. The blue-glowing teleportation runic array. The small pedestal standing at its center. Upon it rested the swirling crimson Teleport Orb.
The sight alone made all three of them relax slightly.
Without stopping, they walked straight toward it.
Hyoren placed his hand upon the smooth red orb. Its familiar warmth spread across his palm. He silently made his choice.
Exit.
The world dissolved. A moment later—Freedom Party appeared outside of the dungeon. In front of the Archway. Inside the Main Tunnel of Old Quarry turned waiting room.
The familiar sounds of Dungeon Town immediately reached their ears. Adventurers chatting. Merchants shouting. Equipment clinking.
The lively atmosphere was a stark contrast to the oppressive silence of the Floor Guardian Chamber.
They had returned safely. Not victorious. But not defeated either.
They now possessed something far more valuable than a reckless victory. Knowledge.
***
The air of the bustling waiting area of Dungeon Town greeted them the moment they exited the dungeon.
It was thick with the aroma of roasted meat, sweat, dust, and the faint scent of iron.
Voices overlapped from every direction. Merchants advertised their wares. Adventurers laughed loudly while recounting their dives. It was a symphony of chaotic life.
A complete contrast to the silent, oppressive atmosphere of the dungeon they had just left.
Hyoren, Elise, and Jackey weaved through the crowd.
Their bodies were tired after 6 days of diving. Yet their expressions remained satisfied. They had failed to defeat the 2nd Floor Guardian.
But they had accomplished something. They now understood what they were facing.
Suddenly—Jackey's stomach growled loudly.
“I'm hungry...”
Hyoren smiled.
He reached beneath his shirt and took out his watch. With a soft click, he opened its cover.
18:31.
“It really is almost dinner time.”
He closed the watch before tucking it back inside his shirt. Then he looked around the lively outpost.
“We need to report to Sherly first. Then hurry back to Akela before night deepen.”
He rubbed his own stomach.
“But Jackey is right. We'll need some energy for the run back. Let's buy something to eat first.”
Elise nodded. She tucked a strand of her silver hair behind her pointed ear.
“Yeah. I'm feeling rather peckish too.”
Her emerald eyes wandered around the waiting area.
It was packed with adventurers and street vendors. Some sold camping equipment. Others displayed diving gear.
Food stalls lined one side of the road. Roasted meat. Fresh bread. Squirrel karaage. Fried noodles served inside folded paper containers.
After a brief glance, Elise's gaze settled on one particular stall.
Horned Rabbit Skewers.
She smiled.
“Let's get skewers. They're quite filling. And we can eat them while walking.”
Jackey immediately threw both hands into the air.
“Yes! Meat! Meat! Meat! WOHOO!”
Hyoren and Elise couldn't help chuckling.
The three of them walked toward the stall.
Elise rummaged through her Storage Bag before producing a few coins.
“Mister… 3 skewers, please.”
The old vendor smiled warmly.
His broad frame was covered in old scars. His appearance looked intimidating. Yet the kindness in his eyes softened the impression completely.
He gave Hyoren the feeling of a retired adventurer.
“Right away!”
The old man brushed another layer of sauce over the skewers before holding them over the charcoal fire.
The meat sizzled immediately. The fragrant aroma became even richer.
A few moments later, he handed them over with a grin.
“Here you go. For the pretty elf and her friends.”
Elise blinked. A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
“Th-Thank you...”
Hyoren and Jackey exchanged amused glances before quietly chuckling.
The three of them thanked the vendor before continuing on their way.
Hyoren took a bite. The meat was juicy. The savory sauce spread across his tongue.
“Woah… It's good.”
Jackey immediately bit off a large chunk. His cat ears perked up.
“Yeah! I love the sauce!”
Elise chewed thoughtfully.
“I was expecting ordinary skewers...”
She smiled pleasantly.
“But these are actually delicious.”
The three of them continued eating as they walked. By the time they finished the last bite, they had already left the Main Tunnel behind.
A short while later—they stepped into the relatively calm interior of the Adventurer's Guild tent.
***
The familiar sight of the Adventurer's Guild tent greeted them.
Compared to the bustling streets outside, the interior was noticeably quieter. Behind the counter, the blonde-haired clerk was reading through a stack of documents.
Sherly looked up from her ledger.
The moment she recognized the Freedom Party, her professional expression immediately brightened.
“Freedom Party!”
She straightened her posture excitedly.
“Did you clear the 2nd floor? How many goblins did you kill this time? 1000? Or even 2000?”
Her eyes sparkled behind her glasses.
“Tell me more of your absurdness!”
Hyoren smiled wryly as he approached the counter.
“No, Sherly.”
He rested both arms on the wooden counter.
“We got our asses kicked. We ran away from the 2nd Floor Guardian.”
Sherly froze. The pen slipped from her fingers. It bounced across the wooden counter.
For several long seconds—she simply stared at Hyoren.
Then her eyes slowly widened.
“Wha...”
She suddenly slammed both hands onto the counter.
“What do you mean you ran away? The Freedom Party? The famous party pioneering Akela Dungeon?”
She vigorously shook her head. Her blonde hair became slightly disheveled.
“No… No, no, no. If your party couldn't even clear the 2nd floor… Then who could?”
She pointed directly at Hyoren.
“You guys are Akela's hope!”
Her breathing gradually became ragged.
Elise and Jackey exchanged stunned glances. Neither of them had expected such a dramatic reaction.
Hyoren could only chuckle.
“Calm down, Sherly...”
He raised both hands slightly.
“Take a deep breath. In… Out… In… Out...”
To everyone's surprise. Sherly actually followed his instructions.
“In… Out… In… Out...”
Little by little, her breathing steadied.
Hyoren smiled.
“Good. Okay, Sherly. We will clear the 2nd floor eventually. But not now… Because there are... complications.”
Sherly immediately shot one hand into the air.
“Okay! Okay! Please stop right there!”
She quickly grabbed a random stack of papers and began shuffling them as if trying to distract herself.
“I don't want to hear another complication and have another breakdown.”
She took another deep breath before looking at Hyoren almost pleadingly.
“Please… For the sake of my mental health… Report those complications to Senior Ina instead.”
She quickly adjusted her glasses.
“Just report your Dungeon Exploration Quest to me. Please… Only your kill tally! And loot! I only want to hear about how many goblins you killed! Or how many rusted weapons you get!”
She shook her head. Then pointed at Hyoren again.
“No Monster room! No hidden chamber! No Floor Guardian who kicked the best party in Akela!”
Elise couldn't help chuckling.
“Sherly... you...”
Hyoren smiled wryly.
“Well… Okay, Sherly… We'll only report our quest.”
He handed over the Guild Cards belonging to the three members of the Freedom Party to Sherly.
She accepted the 3 Guild Cards before placing them on familiar magic tools. She carefully checked the Dungeon Exploration Quest recorded on each card.
Her eyes gradually widened.
“Huh… Only 228 goblins in total?”
She looked back at the Freedom Party.
“Why so few? Is the 2nd floor really that difficult?”
Hyoren smiled.
“Not exactly, Sherly.”
He briefly explained how the 2nd floor worked. The encounters were much sparser than the 1st floor. However, instead of ordinary goblins, every battle was against elite variants with proper equipment and combat techniques.
Sherly slowly nodded.
“I see… No wonder… So the 2nd floor isn't very profitable then.”
Jackey crossed his arms.
“Yeah! Less goblins to whack!”
Hyoren chuckled before continuing.
“And it's not great for experience either. We'll report the details to Ina later. But that's the general idea.”
He then gestured toward Elise.
Elise nodded.
She opened her Storage Bag. One after another loot came out. Magic Stones rolled into the counting magic tools. Weapons piled neatly on the prepared place beside the counter.
Sherly blinked in surprise.
“Wha...”
She picked up one of the short swords.
Turning it over in her hands, she lightly tapped the blade before examining its edge beneath the light.
“I'm not a weapons expert… But this is… A decent-quality iron weapon. Not a crude one like everyone brings back…”
She looked back at the three adventurers.
“And all of these are the same?”
Elise nodded. Her pointed ears twitched slightly.
“Yes. Every enemy on the 2nd floor wielded equipment like this.”
Hyoren tapped his chin.
“Are they valuable, Sherly?”
Sherly gently ran her fingers along the flat of the blade.
“Hmm… You should ask a blacksmith for a proper appraisal. But they're in good condition.”
She looked between the pile of weapons and the Freedom Party.
“So? Are you selling them here? You might get slightly better offers from individual blacksmiths. Depends on each weapon appraisal result… But unlike the guild… You'll probably have a hard time finding buyers willing to purchase this many weapons.”
Hyoren rested both arms on the counter.
“We'll sell them here. We can't be bothered visiting one blacksmith after another.”
Sherly nodded.
“Okay. The guild will buy them for 50,000 Kres each.”
Elise tucked a strand of silver hair behind her pointed ear.
“That's a fair price. We'll sell all of them.”
Sherly smiled professionally.
“Alright. Give me a moment.”
She operated the counting magic tool before quickly writing down the totals.
After checking everything twice, she looked up.
“228 Magic Stones from Level 12 monsters. 2,736,000 Kres.”
She then gestured toward the pile of weapons.
“228 iron weapons. 11,400,000 Kres.”
She added the numbers together.
“Your total earnings… 14,136,000 Kres.”
Jackey's golden eyes widened.
“Woah! I thought the 2nd floor had bad loot! But these weapons made us rich too!”
He threw both arms into the air.
“I can go to the brothel again! WOHOO!”
Sherly visibly flinched.
Hyoren and Elise exchanged amused glances.
“So… the 2nd floor is not as bad as we thought…”
Hyoren smiled thoughtfully.
“Even though the Magic Stone income is lower… The weapon drops make up for it.”
Sherly quickly recovered before operating the processing magic tool.
A faint glow passed over the Guild Cards.
“Okay. I've updated your party account.”
She handed the cards back.
Hyoren accepted his before checking the balance.
Party Balance : 28,413,000 Kres
He nodded quietly.
The numbers immediately lined up inside his mind.
After their previous dive—the party had around 18 million Kres.
He had spent roughly 4 million Kres on his new armor and several magic tools. Meanwhile, Jackey had used around 2 million Kres for his own armor. Then came supplies for the manor upkeep and the current dungeon expedition.
Their balance had dropped to around 11 million Kres. Then Ina had later added 5 million Kres from her personal savings.
Now, their latest earnings had brought the party account to over 28 million Kres. A healthy reserve.
Hyoren put the Guild Card away. A quiet sense of satisfaction settled inside him. Numbers. They were tangible proof of the Freedom Party's hard work.
He smiled.
“Thank you, Sherly.”
Sherly's professional smile had completely returned. She bowed slightly.
“It was my pleasure. Good luck on your next dive.”
The Freedom Party thanked her before leaving the guild tent.
Outside—they rejoined the steady river of adventurers and merchants flowing through the newly built Dungeon Town.
The plan had already begun taking shape between the three of them.
It wasn't spoken aloud. Yet all of them understood. They needed another party member. A mage. Someone capable of wide-area attacks.
Someone who could turn an army of over 1000 goblins from an impossible obstacle—into something manageable.
Hyoren looked at his party members.
“So… Any idea how we should find a new party member?”
He crossed his arms.
“A good mage won't just appear out of thin air.”
Jackey nodded. His tabby cat tail slowly swished behind him.
“Yeah! Mages are rare! So how do we get one, Big Bro?”
Hyoren looked toward the bustling streets of Dungeon Town.
Countless adventurers walked past them. Veterans. Newcomers. Merchants. Porters.
His eyes quietly observed them.
“This new dungeon will attract many adventurers. Maybe we can scout around. Perhaps a lone mage came here because of the dungeon's wealth.”
Elise slowly shook her head. Her silver hair swayed gently.
“We could do that… but I think that's not really reliable. It depends too much on luck.”
She folded her arms.
“Let's talk to Ina. She should know who's available. And more importantly… Who's actually good.”
Hyoren nodded.
“That makes more sense.”
His eyes drifted across the crowd once more. He was looking at potential allies hiding in the countless adventurers in this Dungeon Town.
He looked back at the dungeon entrance briefly. The Goblin Ruler was no longer simply a Floor Guardian. It had become a problem. A puzzle. One that required the right pieces before it could be solved.
And right now—the missing piece was obvious—a mage.
Hyoren finally looked toward the road leading back to Akela.
“Okay. Let's head back.”
Elise nodded quietly.
“Let's go…”
Jackey practically bounced in place.
“Yeah! I'm hungry! I want dinner! Those earlier skewers are already gone!”
Hyoren and Elise couldn't help laughing.
The three of them began walking toward the road connecting to Akela City. Leaving the bustling Dungeon Town behind.
The dungeon remained inside the Main Tunnel of Old Quarry. The Archway remained. They are leaving it behind—for now. It stood tall. Not as a symbol of failure. But as an unfinished challenge.
Waiting patiently until Freedom Party returned with the final piece of their strategy.
The journey back to Akela was swift. The improved road made traveling noticeably easier than before. Before long, the familiar walls of Akela came into view.
After presenting their Guild Cards, the guards at the North Gate allowed them through without delay.
The lively atmosphere of the city immediately surrounded them. Merchants called out from their stalls. Citizens filled the streets. Adventurers moved.
The familiar bustle of Akela welcomed them home once again.
But Hyoren, Elise, and Jackey ignored them all. Didn't spare a single glance at them. They continued walking without slowing their pace towards their destination—their home in Wyvern Street.