Chapter 45

The scale of a dungeon is said to be determined by its distance from the "Gloomy Great Pit." The closer it is, the deeper and larger it becomes; the farther it is, the shallower and smaller it becomes.

Naturally, the smaller and shallower dungeons appear more frequently, and due to their capacity, they tend to fill with miasma more easily. This also makes it easier for monster swarms to occur.

The goblin cave that appears within a three-hour walk from the border town will overflow with monsters if left unattended for about a month. Therefore, it is stipulated that it must be cleared within a month.

Specifically, up to three F-rank parties are allowed to challenge it, each with a ten-day deadline. If all of them fail, the request for conquest is passed on to higher-ranked parties.

Importantly, while this goblin cave is a troublesome disaster for the border town, it also serves as a makeshift mine that appears monthly. Unlike regular mines, it requires no laborious digging and causes no pollution to the surrounding area. Furthermore, there is no need to fill it in after the resources are exhausted; it disappears on its own. Additionally, although the quality is not exceptional, the ore grade is quite high, providing more than enough for the town's needs.

Therefore, a strange contradiction arises where the dungeon's master should not be defeated until a certain amount of ore has been extracted. The Adventurer's Guild dispatches adventurers to temporarily remove the danger from the dungeon, making it easier to mine the ore. The Blacksmith's Guild, which buys the mining rights from the guild, hires miners to gather the materials they need. Incidentally, the lumberjacks are also dispatched by the Carpenter's Guild, which buys the logging rights.

In the case of the goblin cave, which appears and disappears, the mining rights are sold on a daily basis. This means that if the dungeon's clearance takes too long and the miners' work progresses slowly, the Adventurer's Guild profits more. As a result, parties that challenge the goblin cave are prioritized based on their lack of experience or skill, ensuring that the initial groups are the ones who are more likely to fail. By the time the later groups come, the map and mining have progressed, significantly reducing the difficulty. This is why, despite the priority given to the discoverer, Thor's party was able to challenge the dungeon so easily.

If a party fails, their priority to challenge the next month's goblin cave is lowered. This seems to be a consideration to allow them to build up their strength, but it almost delayed Thor's promotion by over a month. In this sense, the Adventurer's Guild is indeed a formidable opponent.

If the usual ten-day limit for three parties had been in place, the chances of Thor's party failing would have been high. The limit was extended to fifteen days because only two parties were challenging this month.

"Well, it's the final day. Do you have a plan, Mr. Unsung Hero?"

"Did you come to see us off?"

"Yes, of course. After all, you're a worthy opponent."

"We haven't done anything to deserve such a title, but your consideration is greatly appreciated, Miss."

"Are you making fun of me? You are, aren't you?"

The red-haired woman, hands on her hips and chest puffed out, and the young man of the Teak race standing behind her. It was clear that the challenge was limited to two parties thanks to the negotiations of these two, whom Thor had met at the Adventurer's Guild. Although he should have thanked them, Thor scratched under his chin, fearing they might get angry.

"Hello, Bettina."

"Are you doing well, Sora? Oh, that vest looks quite good on you."

"Hehe, really?"

"Yes, it's a fine piece. Could you introduce me to the shop next time? And please call me Bettina."

"Sure, let's go together, Bettina."

Sora and the others were already familiar with her, as she had visited once before under the pretext of gathering information.

"Mu seems to be doing well too. Still small, though."

"Boo!"

"Ouch. Why does this kid always hit me?"

"Mu doesn't make friends with rivals!"

"That's a great attitude, Mu. Here, have a candy as a reward."

"Godan is a good guy! You can be my subordinate, Mu."

"That's a very tempting offer, but I am a servant of the young lady."

Moo, munching on a candy given by the young man, and Sora, chatting happily with the red-haired woman, seemed to have completely relaxed from the tension of facing the dungeon's master.

Grateful to the duo, Thor turned towards the cave for the final exploration. The chief miner had already reported that the necessary amount of ore had been extracted, saving a significant amount of time and resources.

"See you later."

"See you!"

"See you!"

"Be careful!"

"Good luck, old man!"

"I believe you'll be fine, Thor, but don't overdo it."

"Well, I don't think you'll lose here, but do your best."

"Your kind words are appreciated, but if Thor wins, we lose for sure."

"Hmph, then we can just challenge you again!"

With various farewells, Thor and his party ventured into the darkness. They quickly cleared the familiar first floor, then, after recovering their magic and skills, descended to the second floor. They spent an hour patrolling and defeating all the hobgoblins.

After fully recovering again, they headed towards the southeast passage. The path led to a slightly larger chamber, which seemed to be the only room on the third floor.

The moss on the walls and ceiling emitted a faint light, making the entire area visible without the need for a magic stone lamp. The ground was flat with no noticeable holes or protrusions.

At the back of the chamber stood a towering monster—the Hobgoblin Chief. As before, it was clad in the fur of an armored boar and wielded a bone club.

The moment Thor saw the black hole behind the monster, his body trembled slightly. The ground seemed to have been cut out in a perfect circle, replaced by something darker than darkness.

Frowning at the ominous aura, Thor was certain it was a miasma pit. He also understood that this hole, which generated miasma, was an existence that could never coexist with living beings.

"Shall we begin? Mu, I'll leave it to you."

"Okay!"

The child, who had been looking around, activated <Thunder Needle>. Shortly after, she summoned the purple snake, <Electric Thorn>. Over the past fifteen days, Mu's skill points had exceeded a thousand, allowing her to use both skills simultaneously.

"Sora, you're too enthusiastic."

"Aww, I was so excited!"

Thor smiled slightly at the pouting girl, then drew his sword and let it dangle. Without another word, he walked steadily forward.

The Hobgoblin Chief, standing two heads taller than Thor, had a significant reach advantage.

Physically, the difference in weight was also apparent. A single blow from the monster could be twice as heavy.

The thick muscles and tough boar fur made the Chief's durability potentially superior to iron armor.

Thor's only clear advantage was his speed and the sharpness of his sword. But that was enough.

Noticing the approaching intruder, the monster slowly moved. Its eyes rolled and locked onto Thor.

Ignoring the threat, Thor continued his steady approach, stepping into the monster's range without hesitation.

The bone club descended with a thunderous crash. A direct hit would have made Thor explode like a blood-filled balloon.

At maximum speed, Thor closed the distance in an instant, stepping into his own range while still in a half-crouch.

Gripping his iron sword with both hands, he struck the Chief's wrist, which held the club, with a sharp blow. Seizing the momentary pause, Thor's blade flashed in the air.

Using the momentum from the wrist strike, he slashed upward from below, aiming for the jaw. Instantly reversing his grip, he changed the trajectory to a thrust.

Feeling the blade sink into the neck, Thor immediately kicked off the ground and retreated. A moment later, the club swung past where he had been standing.

The strategy was similar to before, but the result was different. Green blood flowed quietly from the Chief's jaw, neck, and the side of its abdomen, which had been cut on the way down.

"...This settles the score."

Thor muttered, having successfully executed the three strikes. The words seemed to provoke the monster, which bared its teeth and shook its head. The blood flow stopped, and the flesh swelled to seal the wounds.

If the conditions were the same as before, Thor could have used the hole in the outer wall to hit the Chief's head with a stone wall. But there was nothing here to use. Without dealing a fatal blow, Thor had no chance of winning.

"Go for it, To-chan!"

At Mu's sudden cheer, Thor glanced back. The young child was waving her hands, earnestly cheering for him. Beside her, Sora, gripping her staff firmly, watched with a serious expression.

Thor felt the support of his companions, who had followed him through the harsh hunting of the past half-month without a single complaint.

Suddenly, the Hobgoblin Chief, oblivious to the atmosphere, swung its club. The blue-striped mantle fluttered, wrapping around the club with a deadly intent.

The mantle, which would normally have been torn to shreds, easily withstood the club's attack. Purple electricity coursed through the point of contact, wrapping around the monster's arm. The Chief let out a strange cry from deep in its throat, surprised by the sudden pain.

The blue-striped mantle, made from the hide of a giant snake, had corrosion resistance but was not particularly strong against physical attacks. The reason it did not break was that Thor had restored it to a near-perfect state just before the attack.

When hit by the <Corrosive Bullet> from the Hobgoblin Shaman, the armor would corrode and lose its defensive properties. Sora's <Reversal> could then maintain the armor in a reinforced state for two minutes.

Thor had repeated this process, over and over.

Each time the Shaman fired a <Corrosive Bullet>, Thor would restore the mantle to its reinforced state and have Sora reverse it. The next time, he would restore it to an even more reinforced state. This process was repeated dozens of times.

Thor's mantle now boasted a toughness that could rival dragon hide for two minutes. He had applied the same treatment to another piece of his equipment.

Stepping into range, the Hobgoblin Chief swung its club. Thor's sword met the blow.

Up to this point, everything was the same.

In the next instant, the monster's hand was cleanly severed, flying through the air. Simultaneously, Thor's blade sliced from the jaw to the top of the head, followed by a horizontal cut across the neck.

The thick neck rolled to the ground, and a moment later, green blood spurted violently. Thor quickly retreated, avoiding the spray, and sheathed his razor-sharp iron sword.

A satisfying click echoed through the chamber.