Chapter 80

Avoiding the undead that wandered around, and sometimes engaging in battle, I finally reached the entrance to the <Tomb of Lament>.

"…It’s just as expected."

The <Tomb of Lament> to be explored this time… it was located deep within a dense forest. The sky was dimly covered by dark blue leaves, and around it, decayed tombstones stood irregularly. It was a place that made one feel depressed just by being there.

In the center of the tombstones, a rainbow vortex floated. It was the entrance to the familiar <Hole of Dreams>.

A <Hole of Dreams> that appeared in accordance with the nature of the mana of the area. The appearance of a <Hole of Dreams> where undead monsters wandered in the remains of a graveyard was probably due to the influence of the impure mana of the abandoned dead.

Of course, in the <Magic World> era, such things were just for show, and had only the significance of flavor text.

"Couldn’t it have been a bit more elegant…? After all, even a <Hole of Dreams> like this has appeared."

Lucy gazed at the tombstones and muttered.

"There might have been a village nearby in ancient times, but it was destroyed… or perhaps the people were relocated and protected by the city of Lacorina."

In this area, where high-level monsters roamed, it was impossible to move the tombstones leisurely. Even if the influence of the wandering spirits in this forest had not been there, a different type of <Hole of Dreams> would have appeared.

"The investigation of the <Tomb of Lament> will be carried out by five teams of four people each. To conduct an efficient investigation, each team will take a different route inside and meet up at the back."

Carlos, who was in charge of this mission from the guild, explained to us. He held a stack of maps.

Even <Holes of Dreams> with the same name have significantly different internal routes. They are randomly auto-generated. From prior investigations and information sold to the guild by other adventurers, the general layout of the <Tomb of Lament> seems to have been determined.

The remaining task is to thoroughly investigate the reason for the frequent abnormal occurrences in this <Tomb of Lament>, which is relatively young, with a team of twenty people. Once the investigation is complete, they will use a sea of people to defeat the <Lord of Dreams>.

In the <Magic World>, there is no limit to the number of people who can enter a <Hole of Dreams> at the same time, and it is possible to defeat the <Lord of Dreams> with sheer numbers. This is the same in this world. However, since the reward is ultimately divided among the participants, there is no additional benefit beyond the extermination of the <Hole of Dreams>. Such missions are not very profitable unless they are commissioned by a city.

Moreover, the <Lord of Dreams> is not easily defeated by sheer numbers. They are often more troublesome due to their attack power, defense, speed, and diverse skills rather than their HP or MP.

Of course, the more people, the better, but bringing along those who are not up to the level will result in a pile of corpses. This time, except for the healers, all the adventurers are B-rank or higher. The goal is not to defeat the higher-level <Lord of Dreams> with numbers, but to handle it as safely and surely as possible, which is a different story.

"The <Lord of Dreams> in the <Tomb of Lament> is a Bone Knight… Knightborne. [Lv: 70], so if the adventurers here form a group, they will hardly lose. Some might even be able to defeat it alone."

Carlos continued his explanation.

Knightborne is a skeleton clad in red armor, standing over two meters tall, and wielding a heavy greatsword. Its high damage output is troublesome, but it lacks ranged attack skills, so there is less risk of accidents in that regard.

Indeed, it is one level lower than the evolved form of the Rock Centipede, Death Armed, which was [Lv: 75]. Even without a group, it seems that Knightborne can be handled by Lucy and me.

"Still, this <Hole of Dreams> is in a state where anything can happen. I want you to avoid rushing into the Lord’s chamber. If you do, I will report to the guild that you have disrupted the discipline of the large-scale mission."

Of course, the primary goal of this large-scale mission is investigation. If someone goes to the boss room and defeats Knightborne on their own, it would be a disaster.

"Regarding the five teams, I have considered them based on class, level, and existing relationships."

Carlos announced the teams and handed out maps with the routes marked.

My team consists of Lucy, the cleric Meabel, and the hunter Celt. It is reasonable to have two B-rank newcomers with a healer and a seasoned B-rank adventurer. However, my honest thoughts are that it’s Meabel, and especially Celt.

"Hey, you brats from earlier. Don’t drag us down."

Celt, despite his words, had a relaxed smile. He seemed completely unconcerned about being paired with me, who had once exposed his true nature. Perhaps he thought that someone of my level was no problem for him. Lucy positioned her arm as if to threaten Celt and glared at him sharply.

"Oh, I’m so happy to be with the people we talked about earlier. Elma seems kind, and Celt seems reliable. I’ll leave the strategy to Celt."

Meabel said this with a smile.

"You understand well, little girl. Of course, it’s only natural. As long as we act together, my judgment is absolute. No objections are allowed. After all, the experience in diving into <Holes of Dreams> is different."

Celt whistled in satisfaction, took the map from Carlos, and headed towards the entrance of the <Hole of Dreams>. Meabel watched Celt’s back with a faint smile.

"Of course, I will listen carefully to the experienced Celt. As you said, I will conserve my MP for Celt slowly and steadily."

Meabel whispered this softly, smiled slightly, and then followed Celt.

She really has a good nature…

"…Elma, is that kid going to be okay?"

"…As long as we don’t betray her, she won’t do anything rash."

I replied to Lucy’s words.

"It’s an honor to accompany you, Master! So you do recognize me!"

"Because I never intended to be your master… If I had pushed you onto another team with your scythe, you might have become a burden. I couldn’t just push you off."

Turning to Hilde’s loud voice, I saw Carlos giving her a rather harsh response.

"Master, if you feel that way, could you give me a sword…?"

"The current mission has enough manpower. It’s better that you can’t rush ahead with your scythe."

It was a harsh evaluation. Originally, Carlos did not seem to want to bring Hilde on this large-scale mission, so it might be inevitable.