Chapter 81

【〈Lamenting Tomb〉: Recommended Level: 70】

As soon as we stepped inside, a message echoed in my head.

The gloomy stone corridor was lined with statues resembling angels and skulls, and crosses stood in rows. Although I knew this place was created by the nightmare of a god, it was still unnervingly eerie. I had seen such places countless times in the game, but the presence of an actual place was entirely different.

Luze seemed to agree, as she walked closely behind me.

"Ugh, I don't know how to look for suspicious things in a place like this... Even a single gravestone seems to hold deep meaning..."

Ordinary adventurers should only have the necessary knowledge and awareness as adventurers regarding the Dream Holes. Information sharing about each Dream Hole is not as detailed as it was in the game era. It would be difficult to pinpoint something suspicious without a clear direction.

However, if something different from the game era is happening in this Dream Hole, I might be able to notice the difference.

"We are adventurers, not scholars. Our main goal is to thin out the monsters and handle the Dream Hole, so there's no point in overthinking it. The guild expects us to do what we're told and report what we see," Meabel said.

Meabel was right; the guild's expectations were probably just that.

"Hey, heavy knight, move to the front. What will you do if the healer gets attacked first in a surprise attack? Sigh... You need to understand your role better. Don't hold us back too much."

Celt criticized my actions.

...What's the point of a slow heavy knight leading the way? The risk of being surrounded or unable to escape is high. It would also take time to regroup with the other three, potentially losing the party's advantage. Besides, what Celt really wants to protect from surprise attacks is not the healer Meabel but himself, the low-defense ranged hunter.

However, while Celt's words were flawed, they were within the scope of differing strategies and priorities, making it hard to argue. If he were just selfish and narrow-minded, it would be easier to deal with, but he intentionally manipulated the situation to his advantage, gradually creating an atmosphere where he could give orders.

...Then, from ahead, came the sound of countless footsteps.

"Monsters!"

I shouted and moved forward. Everyone readied their weapons, and Luze stood beside me.

"Ge... Ge..."

"Ge..."

Four monsters, each about a meter long and resembling bundles of bandages, appeared. They oozed a rotten fluid from the gaps in the bandages and moved unsteadily on all fours.

"It's a Larna," Luze said, relieved. These were the mascot monsters, the undead version of the Larna, familiar from *Magic World*.

"...I understand why you feel relieved seeing a Larna, but their stats aren't that cute."

Larnas are the most famous common monsters in *Magic World*. There are various derived species, such as the rich Larna and bonus-type or gag-type variants.

However, they are not all weak.

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Monster: Mummy Larna

Lv: 55

HP: 147/147

MP: 99/99

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Mummy Larnas have high HP, making them a bit challenging to defeat. They are also quite fast for undead creatures. They can wear you down in a prolonged battle and launch ranged attacks when you lose focus. Additionally, their dull pain receptors mean they rarely flinch, making it easy to be counterattacked if you make a mistake in your attack method.

However, their attack power is low, and their attack methods are not tricky. The key is to fight carefully and minimize damage.

"Shadow Step!"

I stepped on the shadow of a Mummy Larna that was focused on the back row, stopping its movement and forcing it to target me.

"Shield Bash!"

I then knocked another Mummy Larna backward, reducing the number of enemies I had to face simultaneously.

Due to the effects of Shadow Step, I didn't want to be flanked.

"Luze!"

"I know!"

Luze, using the jester's agility, preemptively restrained the Mummy Larna that was trying to flank me.

"Hmm, that kid, who defied me, can at least fulfill the minimum role."

Celt said, seemingly satisfied.

"Facing four of this level is tough for the frontliners. I should support with magic attacks to reduce their numbers..."

"No need, it's a waste of MP. Stick to white magic."

Celt said and stepped forward.

"You shouldn't get too close. That distance is within the hunter's range..."

"Who are you telling what to do? If the frontliners are functioning, there's no problem. Closing the distance will increase the rotation and accuracy of my arrows."

Celt's arrow cleanly hit the forehead of a Mummy Larna. However, critical hits are less effective against undead creatures. The Mummy Larna ignored the pain and charged at Celt.

"Hey, we can't cover that distance, Celt!"

I shouted.

Celt quickly drew a knife with one hand, stabbed the Mummy Larna's abdomen, and kicked the hilt to drive it deeper while maintaining distance. He then immediately shot another arrow at the Mummy Larna's chest.

"Ugh!"

Even the Mummy Larna let out a cry from this attack.

"Don't just stand there, cover me, jester."

Celt didn't let Meabel use white magic and closed the distance to increase his arrow rotation, not for the party's benefit but to earn more damage and item drops.

However, he had his reasons for becoming a B-rank adventurer in this world. Despite being arrogant and cunning, he was indeed highly skilled.