Chapter 26

"I'm thinking of going after an Armored Boar today."

In the depths of the forest on a mid-afternoon.

After finishing lunch, Thor informed the team of the day's plan.

"Boar! Yeah, that sounds like a feast!"

"Leave it to me, Thor!"

"It's not that easy of a target, though."

The Armored Boar is a massive beast, standing as tall as a person's shoulder.

Moreover, as its name suggests, the front part of its body is protected by a thick, bumpy skin composed of subcutaneous fat and coarse hair.

Its sturdy defense is nearly impervious to level 1 branch skills, whether they be martial or magical.

To defeat this boar, skills at level 2 or 3 are required, which is why slaying it signifies graduation from an apprentice to F-rank.

The recommended party size for the hunt is five people.

And for each tail, which serves as proof of the kill, only one person can be promoted.

Therefore, to get the required number of tails, multiple boars must be hunted.

If someone leaves the hunt midway, they might end up with an unflattering nickname like "Deserter Boar."

This is because the trial is not just about combat ability but also about cooperation within the party.

Through these consecutive battles, the bonds formed often last until the end.

In a sense, it's an opportunity to form a five-person party.

Thus, Thor never got the chance to hunt an Armored Boar.

He had attempted it three times alone, but each time he was forced to retreat without inflicting any significant damage.

But now, Thor has Sora and Moe, two reliable companions.

He has already tested his iron sword against Horned Moles and Goblins in the morning.

It's the right time to fulfill his long-held desire.

"So, if we defeat a boar, Thor's plate will turn blue, right?"

"Blue is good for Moe too!"

"Right, of course, we'll get them for everyone."

The Armored Boar is a solitary monster, but their territories often overlap, making it relatively easy to find the next one once you've found one.

They also have the habit of rubbing their tusks against trees, making their territory relatively easy to identify.

With Moe's <Radar>, it would be even easier.

However, two hours later, what Moe discovered was a strange cave entrance protruding from the ground.

"Thor, what's that? A boar's nest?"

"No, there are a lot of Goblins, so it's probably a Goblin nest, Moe."

Sora's words were not far off.

Around the hole, several larger-than-average Goblins, with green skin, were wandering.

What they found was a Goblin's cave—a time-generated dungeon.

An underground labyrinth is a hole leading to the depths of the earth and a den for powerful monsters.

In a sense, it is similar to the "Gloomy Great Pit."

According to current research, dungeons are akin to the "Gloomy Great Pit's" avatars, serving as vanguards or forward bases for the expansion of the miasma-infested lands.

Evidence of this is the miasma pit, a black spring found at the deepest part of the dungeon.

This pit exists in all dungeons and is said to be directly connected to the "Gloomy Great Pit."

The miasma pit, guarded by the dungeon's master, emits dense miasma, which fills the dungeon with monsters.

If left unchecked, the monsters will eventually spill out onto the surface.

When this happens, a large group of monsters will surge towards human settlements, causing a "Great Outbreak."

There is another type of "Great Outbreak," which occurs when the number of monsters on the surface continues to grow unchecked.

In the compressed territories, the monsters undergo further mutations and go on a rampage.

Worst of all, if the underground monsters spill out, the surface monsters' territories will be compressed, potentially causing both types of outbreaks simultaneously.

"......This is bad. They're about to spill out."

Upon spotting the Hobgoblins, a sub-species of Goblins, near the nest, Thor muttered.

Normally, you wouldn't see any of the dungeon's monsters near the surface.

It's possible that a significant number have already been released.

"Is it not good to eat, Thor?"

"Quite the opposite, actually."

Thor frowned as he responded to the child who waved his thumb up.

Dungeons that naturally occur at regular intervals are reported immediately upon discovery, and parties with the necessary qualifications challenge them.

However, due to the unpredictable appearance locations, they are sometimes overlooked and discovered late.

This seems to be one of those cases, but Thor's instincts told him it was more than that.

Thor's party, consisting only of G-rank members, has no right to challenge this Goblin's cave.

While they could hunt the Hobgoblins near the entrance without repercussions, hunting in a place where a large number of monsters could spill out at any moment is suicidal.

In such a dangerous situation, it's not the time to hunt leisurely.

Even bronze-level monsters can pose a significant threat in large numbers.

The best course of action for Thor and his companions was to immediately run to the nearest logging camp to report.

There are three logging camps for such emergencies.

"Alright, let's hurry back. If we don't, it will definitely turn into a 'Great Outbreak.'"

"That's serious! Yeah, let's hurry."

"Let's hurry!"

While giving the order to retreat, Thor fumbled in his backpack and took out one of the rewards from yesterday's labor.

It was a triangular pyramid that fit in the palm of his hand, with a wick protruding from the top.

This is a repellent incense that emits a smell monsters dislike.

It doesn't guarantee effectiveness and requires different blends for different monsters, making it a troublesome item.

However, since this one is for Goblins, it should also work on Hobgoblins.

After lighting it and confirming the smoke, Thor threw an empty conch shell into the bushes on the other side of the dungeon entrance.

Using the moment when the Hobgoblins' attention was drawn, he quickly threw the repellent incense into the dungeon.

Thor and his companions managed to buy some time and started running towards their destination, avoiding monsters with Moe's <Radar>.

At the same time.

A party was arguing in a corner of the forest, a bit off the forest road.

"Stop rushing, Rikkar. We were in danger too!"

"But attacking was definitely faster!"

The scolded boy pouted in protest.

Rikkar's slightly reddish hair was due to his father being from the Redtail clan.

Thanks to this, his skill tree was a red trunk blessed by the Fire God.

"That was just a fluke. You always fail, yet you still talk big."

"Hink is just too scared. You can't know unless you try, right?"

Hink, who was called cowardly, fell silent with a sullen face.

The tall boy with long black hair was aware of his indecisive nature.

This was why he couldn't fully utilize the bow and arrow skills granted by the Wind God.

"How long are you going to keep this up? Every time, it's the same thing."

The voice of complaint came from a girl with a dirty face and black hair.

Alesia, the girl, had her neck covered in translucent blue scales.

Among the four, she was the only one from another village, being a member of the Azure麟族 (Azure麟族 is a term that doesn't have a direct translation, so I'll use "Azure麟族" as is).

"Come on, Sisan, say something."

Sisan, the water user who was the party's lifeline, stopped and turned around.

The black-haired boy with a round shield on his shoulder smiled awkwardly.

"Let it be. Boys will be boys, you know."

The leader of the four, Sisan, understood the frustration and impatience of the other two.

Before, the party had occasional light-hearted banter but never such intense arguments.

However, the atmosphere changed completely after a few days ago when a new girl, who had just started adventuring, showed her achievements at the evaluation window.

The three childhood friends had left their hometown and reached this city, where they luckily added a magic user girl to their party over half a year ago.

They had the ideal team: a shield user, a swordsman, an archer, and a water user.

They had gritted their teeth and worked hard, believing that a high-rank, prosperous life awaited them.

But in reality, they were being easily outpaced by a middle-aged man they had looked down upon and a novice girl.

While Sisan didn't show it, he too was struggling with conflicting emotions.

It was impossible to remain calm when the actions he believed were correct turned out to be meaningless.

Most of all, what Sisan feared was the possibility that they lacked talent.

What should he do? What should he do?

The leader, unable to find an answer, was trapped in a cycle of thoughts and overlooked the dangerous signs.

It was a scrape on the tree bark, higher than it should be by about two heads.

The young men, who had been neglecting safety checks and shouting loudly, suddenly stopped when they felt the ground shake.

They exchanged uneasy glances and finally began to be cautious.

However, it was already too late.

"......Ah."

Alesia, who saw something impossible in the shade of the trees, let out a small, stunned voice.

The other members also shifted their gaze and lost their voices.

What the four saw was the massive form of a six-legged boar, far larger than any of them.