Chapter 75: The Loot Went Kaboom
The enormous body made of rocks and moss lunged toward the group.
Lydia immediately positioned herself in front of Liam.
Her body began to deform, preparing to use her abilities.
"Lydia, use your tentacles. We need to stop it and buy some time."
Lydia nodded.
Behind them, Lucas and Steve ran back and forth through the various passages of the cave, collecting all kinds of materials they found.
"I found another gem!"
"I found some crystals!"
"Bring everything! We don’t know how much time we have!"
Liam sighed.
They had missed their chance to enter the C-Rank Dungeon, so at the very least, he wanted to make sure this raid was worth it.
Lydia stretched several tentacles from her body and launched them toward the boss.
The tentacles wrapped around the monster’s rocky legs and pulled with all their strength.
The golem lost its balance.
"Now!"
Lydia made one final effort, and the monster crashed to the ground in front of Liam with a thunderous boom.
But the rocks that made up its legs began to separate.
Liam stepped back.
The stones moved across the ground and came back together.
The boss’s body reconstructed itself in front of them.
’This is strange.’
Liam narrowed his eyes.
It wasn’t just that the rocks could move. There was something else.
The moss covering the monster’s body was moving.
Not like a normal plant. It was as if it were alive.
"Lydia..."
A stone hand suddenly appeared in front of Liam.
The hunter barely had time to react.
But an explosion of colors appeared in front of him.
The stone hand was completely deflected.
Liam turned around.
Eve was standing behind him with both arms extended.
"Are you okay?"
Liam blinked.
"Yeah. Thanks, Eve."
Eve smiled.
"You’re welcome, boss."
Another group of stones began gathering around Liam’s feet.
Lydia reacted immediately, creating an acid bubble in front of herself and throwing it at the rocks.
[Acid Bubble.]
The stones began to dissolve.
Liam took advantage of the moment to jump backward.
"Lydia, we still can’t finish it!"
His wife immediately understood.
She looked toward where Lucas and Steve were.
A huge pile of gems, crystals, and rare stones was accumulating on the ground.
And the two hunters were still running back and forth.
"I found more!"
"Me too!"
Liam shook his head.
"We need to buy them some time."
Lydia looked back at the golem.
"Okay, honey."
Her body stretched once again.
"I’ll just keep it busy."
◇◆◇
The golem advanced again, but Lydia stepped in front of it.
Her tentacles collided with its enormous rocky legs and wrapped around them.
The monster tried to break free, but Lydia pushed against it, and the stones began to fall.
But they rose again.
"It’s regenerating!"
Harper shouted.
"Not exactly!"
Liam replied as he watched.
The stones fell, and the moss stretched.
The stones began moving again.
’The moss...’
Then it happened.
The stones fell to the ground again.
But this time, they didn’t get back up.
Lydia stopped moving.
Liam stared at the disassembled golem.
The rocks were completely motionless.
The moss that had been holding them together began to peel away.
Liam’s eyes widened.
"Wait!"
Everyone stopped.
The moss began sliding across the ground, moving far too quickly.
"The boss isn’t the golem!"
Liam pointed toward the ground.
"It’s that moss! The moss was controlling the rocks!"
Harper immediately understood.
"It’s heading toward the loot!"
Liam turned his head.
The green moss was moving directly toward the huge pile of gems Lucas and Steve had gathered.
"Shit!"
Lucas turned around.
"What?"
"It’s trying to get to the gems!"
The moss moved even faster.
Lucas and Steve tried to get in front of it, but they were too far away.
Eve didn’t hesitate and extended both arms.
"No!"
An explosion of colors illuminated the cave.
Eve’s fireworks struck the pile of materials directly.
The gems flew through the air, the crystals shattered, and the rocks collided with one another.
Part of the loot was completely destroyed.
But the explosion also hit the moss.
The small green organism began to burn and writhe across the ground.
Liam stared at the scene, unable to say a word.
Then a window appeared in front of his eyes.
[Dungeon Boss, Parasitic Moss, defeated.]
Liam’s body went rigid.
Another alert immediately appeared.
[The Dungeon has been completed.]
[The Dungeon will begin to disappear.]
Liam put both hands on his head.
"No..."
Eve lowered her arms.
"I’m sorry! I acted without thinking!"
"We don’t have time for that!"
Lydia said.
"We have to get out!"
Liam nodded.
The cave began to shake.
"Lucas! Steve! Move!"
The two hunters looked at each other.
"We need to take as much as we can!"
"Yeah!"
Lydia transformed back into a small gelatinous mass and launched herself across the ground.
Everything she found that was still intact disappeared inside her body.
Crystals.
Gems.
Strange stones.
Lydia quickly stored them away.
"Lydia, don’t take too long!"
"I know!"
The cave shook again, and a chunk of the ceiling fell behind them.
Harper grabbed Eve by the arm.
"We have to go!"
"Yeah!"
In one of the openings in the cave ahead of them, a distortion began to appear.
A portal.
The exit.
Liam smiled.
"There it is!"
Then Lucas and Steve came running from the other end of the cave.
Both had their arms full of crystals and gems.
They were running as if they were competing in a race.
"MAKE WAY!"
"WE GOT ALL THIS!"
Liam’s eyes widened.
"You’re still picking things up?!"
"We can’t leave it behind!"
Lydia jumped.
Her small gelatinous body passed over both hunters.
Everything they were carrying disappeared inside her.
Lucas froze.
"..."
Steve looked at his empty hands.
"..."
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
Lydia transformed back into her human form.
Then she stretched her arms forward.
[Gale]
A powerful gust of wind struck Lucas and Steve.
"AAAAAH!"
The two of them were sent flying toward the portal.
Liam burst out laughing.
"Good idea!"
"Thanks, honey!"
Harper and Eve were already standing beside the portal.
"Let’s go!"
Liam took his wife’s hand.
Lydia smiled.
The two of them stepped through the portal.
Light enveloped them.
And, one after another, the hunters left the Dungeon.
◇◆◇
A few minutes later, the group was gathered at the place where the Dungeon had previously stood.
Now, only a few traces of disturbed earth remained.
The group had taken out all the loot Lydia had managed to store before escaping.
Lucas and Steve stared at the gems.
Then they looked at Eve.
"We lost almost half of it,"
Lucas said.
"I know..."
Eve lowered her head.
"I’m sorry."
Steve sighed.
"That wasn’t exactly the best time to destroy everything."
Eve picked up one of the bags.
"You can have my share."
Lucas and Steve looked at her.
But Liam shook his head.
"No."
Everyone looked at him.
"It was my poor planning."
Eve raised her head.
"Yours?"
"Yeah."
Liam pointed toward the gems.
"If Eve hadn’t destroyed the loot, that moss would’ve reached it and used the gems to form another body."
Lydia nodded.
"And then we probably would’ve had to destroy everything anyway."
"Exactly."
Liam smiled.
"So you don’t have to feel guilty."
Eve seemed a little more relaxed.
Lydia walked over to her.
"Besides, you could say that you landed the final blow on the boss."
Eve’s eyes widened.
"Me?"
"Yeah."
Lydia smiled.
"You did great."
Eve blushed slightly.
"Thank you..."
Lucas sighed.
"Well..."
He looked at Eve.
"Sorry for giving you a hard time."
Steve nodded.
"Yeah. We went a little overboard too."
Eve smiled.
"It’s okay."
Liam looked at the group.
It hadn’t been the most profitable raid.
Nor had it been the easiest.
But they had all made it out together, safe and sound.
Lydia took his hand.
"Should we go home?"
Liam smiled.
"Yeah."
"I want to rest."
"Me too."
Lydia rested her head on his shoulder.
"And then we can make something delicious."
Liam looked at her.
"You or your copies?"
Lydia smiled.
"All of us."
Liam let out a small laugh.
After splitting the loot, Lydia and Liam said goodbye to the group.
They went their separate ways, each heading back to their own homes.
And so, another day of Dungeon raids, gathering materials, and...
...training for the squad selection came to an end.