Chapter 25

Thank you again today ('ω')!

I hope you enjoyed it.

"Watch out, there's a trap there. Be careful."

We carefully walk through the third underground level where the light from the collapsed ceiling barely reaches.

From here on, the environment is not very good.

The possibility of monsters jumping out from the darkness increases, and their strength also rises a bit.

However, for the adventurers around here, this is just a passage to the main dungeon, the 'Aul-Dread City Labyrinth,' so it's not as scary as that.

"By the way, there's no floor boss here, right?"

"Yeah, apparently there used to be one before the 'Aul-Dread City Labyrinth,' but it hasn't been observed for about ten years. I heard that multiple creatures called 'Shadow People' used to guard the door."

I read the records as preliminary information, but I haven't actually seen them.

At that time, the magical devices for transmission hadn't been developed yet, and by the time I explored, they were no longer confirmed to be present.

"Hey, what kind of creatures are they?"

"They're described as black mannequins with only their eyes glowing brightly..."

"Like that?"

Marina pointed to a small room visible a little ahead.

There, a figure stood alone, completely black with eyes glowing like a cat's at night.

"…!"

A chill ran down my back.

"Everyone, stop. It's looking at us…!"

The three of us, who had stopped at my words, checked our surroundings with tense expressions.

Especially Silk, as a spirit user, can easily secure visibility in the dark with the power of the spirit of darkness.

"It seems to be just that one…!"

"Keep your guard up."

It's an unknown creature. We don't even know if it's hostile or friendly.

Given that it lives in a dungeon, it should act to eliminate intruders.

"…"

The silent stare-down continued, but it suddenly disappeared into the small room.

What should we do now?

Should we chase it into the small room and defeat it?

Or should we aim for the stairs as is?

Its intelligence level is unknown, but it seemed to be observing us.

There are records that it appeared as a floor boss in multiple forms, and it might be planning an ambush or a strong attack by calling for reinforcements.

However, strangely, it didn't show any hostile behavior.

It just seemed to be watching us.

"Let's take a vote. Chase or ignore?"

"I think we shouldn't touch it."

"Me too. If it doesn't attack, let's leave it alone."

Rain, after some hesitation, supported the chase, saying, "It's an undead."

"It's two to one. Rain, got it?"

"Yuk, what about you?"

"I couldn't decide, so I asked you guys."

I smiled lightly.

"Still, let's stay alert. Move forward while sprinkling holy water."

"Okay. It doesn't seem hostile, but it's an undead, so there's a possibility of an attack."

"But, 'Shadow People.' I've never seen the real thing before."

The report said they are quite strong.

I'd rather not encounter them again.

Especially since undead are hard to weaken with debuff spells, making it difficult for me to support.

"Let's decide on a strategy first. If it comes to combat, aim for physical suppression first."

"What about 'Turn Undead'?"

In response to Marina's question, I shook my head.

"According to the materials I read before, it doesn't work unless they are significantly weakened. Consider that they can do anything to us humans."

"Does that mean magic too?"

"Yeah. There are records that they used dark magic."

Dark magic is a type of magic that brings about the opposite mechanism of the holy magic used by 'Clerics.'

It opens wounds, raises the dead, and spreads disease and misfortune...

It is a type of magic that is illegal to learn and is said to be used by borrowing the power of evil or dark gods.

"Can we handle it?"

"We can."

I stated firmly.

Silk's virtue of being cautious can sometimes narrow the field of vision.

Sometimes, it leads to negative suggestions that hinder action.

"If anything happens, I'll take care of it. Trust me."

"If you say so, Mr. Teacher."

Silk nodded, looking relieved.

"Indeed, with Yuk around, it feels safe."

"Yeah. I feel safe too."

It's good to see the tension ease.

I, on the other hand, feel a bit more anxious, which is making my stomach churn.

However, we did have a gain.

We were able to capture the appearance of the 'Shadow People,' which hadn't been observed for over ten years, in the transmission.

This is a valuable record that can be submitted.

...In other words, we can expect an increase in adventurer credibility.

"Be prepared for a battle in front of the door. Let's stay focused."

"Understood."

"Got it! Let's do our best!"

"Okay."

The three of them nodded at my words and faced forward.

They are neither overly tense nor relaxed.

Good, they are in the right condition.

"Let's get going."

I reapply the enhancement spells as a precaution and start walking.

Although it's not mentioned in the records, there is a possibility of a surprise attack... we need to be more careful than before.

However, why did the 'Shadow People' suddenly appear now?

There might be some change happening in this dungeon complex.

Was the disappearance of the 'Shadow People' ten years ago the change, or is their reappearance the change?

We won't know what's right until something happens.

Still... we need to keep in mind that things are different from before.

While thinking this, I feel a chill increasing as I walk through the dungeon and reach its edge.

"Alright, the stairs. Next is the final level. Let's take a break first."

From the stairs leading to the fourth underground level, a strange and quiet presence seems to be leaking out.

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