Chapter 179 - 173. In a Dark Cave Somewhere
"Aah...finally!" the spearman, Zhan, inhaled deeply once they stepped inside the dungeon.
The air was murky and suffocating, just like how it felt in the borderland. But the bitterness and slight stinging sensation in their skin was the feeling that the spearman had missed deeply. It wasn’t the same as doing it in the simulator, and simply going to the end-zone wouldn’t invoke the excitement from expecting dangerous encounters with the beasts.
If it wasn’t for the disgustingly low salary of the borderland unit, Zhan would have enlisted there for a daily dose of battle. But he gotta earn to feed his big family and buy weapons, so...
This was why, his respect toward Zein skyrocketed once he found out the man used to work in the borderland. And the guide wasn’t just stationed there, but even frequently entered the Deathzone. Cool. Cool cool cool.
It wasn’t just Zhan that was pumped up. And even those who didn’t show their excitement looked calm and collected, observing their surrounding with a steady gaze without being stiff or anxious. They looked like they were simply strolling into an amusement park, but there was no hole in their defense.
So this was Anzus--Zein muttered inwardly.
He turned toward Nadine to check if she was fine with the suffocating pressure of the miasma level, but as expected of his protégé, she immediately gave an okay sign despite the slightly pale face. Once he made sure the porters and surveyors were okay, Zein proceeded to observe the dungeon they just entered.
The first thing Zein felt was familiarity. It was almost like going back to the borderland, due to the amount of miasma in the air. Their vision was limited by the murky air and the lack of light sources, but it wasn’t as dark as the Deathzone.
Thanks to Mortix’s new invention, the night-vision goggles had been replaced with night-vision contact lenses, so the guides didn’t have to wear those bulky headgear anymore. And from his new enhanced sight, Zein found out they were in a cave.
The entrance was located in an empty circular space with a single exit point. The floor, wall, and ceiling were made of hard soil and stones, high enough that it didn’t make them feel trapped and suffocated from the start.
"I’m going to check the passage," Kei, the scout, announced and moved immediately without waiting for approval from the commander. Not because she was being rude, but because it was a basic thing to do and they had been working together long enough to bypass verbal agreement.