Chapter 42

Lukius' absence, Sebasta's downfall, and Gil's rebellion—due to the repeated internal strife, the members of the "Golden Eagle" guild had one after another failed in their status adjustments. Amidst this, there was one unit that alone maintained its former strength and authority.

It was the main first unit of the "Golden Eagle" led by the versatile mage Alik.

He had forbidden his subordinates from participating in these internal conflicts and had them focus solely on status adjustments.

"Let's leave the 'Golden Eagle.' This guild is finished."

One of his subordinates said to Alik.

"Lukius only thinks about money. Furthermore, the frequent disturbances have caused this. Look, it's a mess. Training can't even be done properly. Let's start over in another guild. We don't even have to pay a penalty. We've done enough for this guild. Yet Lukius never acknowledges our contributions, not in the past, and not in the future! ...Let's get out of the city. If you say you'll go, we'll follow you."

"No. It's true that as long as I stay in this guild, I might not be recognized any further."

"Then..."

"But, what if I quit now? The guild will only become more chaotic."

"..."

"Then, the remaining members will suffer even more. I can't abandon my responsibilities and pass them on to others."

"Alik..."

"If you want to leave the 'Golden Eagle,' I won't stop you. But I have no intention of leaving. I will stay and fight to the end."

"You are..."

"Captain. The unit is ready."

Alik, who had been lost in thought, opened his eyes at the words of his subordinate.

"Hmm. Good work."

Alik stood up and confirmed the lined-up unit with his own eyes.

This was in front of the "Mine Dungeon."

Alik and his team had just finished gathering to explore the newly appeared dungeon.

The team members were all B-class adventurers, equipped with B-class gear, and Alik's unit had returned to its original form.

Alik, while looking at the assembled unit, recalled the bitter experience of being defeated by Lilianne last time.

(Last time, I was unexpectedly put at a disadvantage when Lukius took away the B-class adventurers. But this time, there's no need to worry about Lukius interfering. With this, I shouldn't fall behind even a fully powered Lilianne! I'll settle the score from last time!)

"Alright. As soon as we get permission to enter the dungeon, we'll go in one by one... Hmm? What's this cheering?"

"That's... The 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' have arrived, it seems."

Alik's subordinate said.

"The unit leader... isn't it Lilianne? That's..."

(Roland...)

Alik recognized Roland at the front of the unit, and Roland also noticed Alik.

(Alik. So you've come to the "Mine Dungeon" too.)

(I never thought I'd end up fighting you, Roland.)

Alik recalled the time when Roland was just a lowly trainer for new members in the "Golden Eagle," and no one paid attention to him.

But Alik knew.

He knew who was responsible for the sudden appearance of A-class adventurers in the "Guardians of the Magic Tree."

The two exchanged a brief glance and then turned away, returning to their units' preparations.

"To bring a newly formed unit to such a crucial battle. Does the 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' not prioritize the 'Mine Dungeon'?"

"Lilianne just became the guild leader. She might not be able to leave the headquarters."

"Don't underestimate them too much."

Alik warned his subordinates.

"Roland's unit, though newly formed, is highly regarded. After all, it has three adventurers who are on par with A-class. They are formidable opponents."

The subordinates fell silent at Alik's words.

(To train three A-class adventurers in such a short time. Your training ability is truly remarkable, Roland. In terms of overall strength, there might be no unit in this city that can match you. But in terms of unit management, I still have the upper hand.)

Alik looked at his unit again.

They were all familiar faces, not just seasoned veterans but also highly coordinated.

They were probably the most well-organized unit in the city.

(The adventurer class isn't everything. I'll show you that.)

"Alik! Hey, Alik!"

Alik turned at the sound of his name being called.

"Lukius... What are you doing here?"

Alik was surprised to see Lukius.

The guild leader coming to see off the units before they entered the dungeon was unusual enough.

But what shocked Alik the most was Lukius' haggard appearance.

His face was completely worn out, as if he had aged ten years in just a few days.

"Alik, everything will be alright, right? You can definitely conquer the 'Mine Dungeon,' right?"

Alik's unit members looked at Lukius with cold eyes, as if to say, "Here he comes, causing trouble again."

"Lukius, just leave it to us. You have other things to do, right?"

"What good will it do to do other things now! If we don't take the 'Mine Dungeon,' nothing will be alright. Do you understand?"

"...Yes, I understand. I understand. There's no point in arguing about it now. Come, get back to your work."

"I'm counting on you. You're really the only one I can rely on!"

Alik looked at Lukius with a pained expression.

(Truly, it's a sight I can't bear to see. To think that such a strong-willed person would come to this. To be unable to control one's own fate can weaken a person so much.)

By the time Alik and his team were ready to enter the dungeon, Roland and his team were also hurriedly preparing.

"Alright, everyone, do a final check of your equipment and items by team. If there are any issues, report them to your team leader immediately."

"Roland!"

"Ranj!"

When Roland turned to the direction of the call, he saw Ranj and the members of the "Spirit Workshop" carrying heavy cases on a cart.

"Roland, the new equipment you ordered is ready."

"Great! Monica, Shakma, Yufine, Rick, Rellio, Marina. Take off your equipment and come over here. The new equipment has arrived."

When Roland said this, six people gathered.

"Are we changing to new equipment now that we're here?"

Rick looked puzzled.

"Just try it on, will you?"

"But, isn't it risky to change equipment right before a battle? What if there are problems?"

"We'll test to see if there are any problems."

"This is armor made by mixing orc skin with iron. It's thicker, so the defense is significantly higher than before."

Ranj opened one of the cases and took out the armor.

The staff helped Rick put on the armor.

"This is..."

(The weight and feel are not much different from the armor I've been wearing. No, in fact... it's easier to move in?)

As Rick moved his limbs, his face, which had been skeptical, gradually changed.

"Hmm. It doesn't seem to lower your stats."

Roland said while checking Rick's status.

"Captain, is this really thicker than before? It's not heavier, but rather easier to move in..."

"Yes, it's definitely thicker. Chial, explain it to him."

"Sure!"

At Roland's urging, Chial came to Rick.

"This armor is not only thicker but also more durable than the previous one. Rick, here's this."

Chial took out an oil applicator from his pocket and handed it to Rick.

"What is this?"

"It's oil extracted from the skin of an 'Armor Lizard.' The oil makes blades slide, but it dries out during battle, so you need to apply it frequently for maintenance. And this sword..."

"This is..."

The sword Rick received had a gem embedded in the hilt.

"The gem is made from a jewel taken from a fox that uses summoning magic. If you hold the sword in reverse, it can be used as a staff to cast support and healing spells."

"Rick, you have the potential to be a magic knight who can handle both frontline and support roles. With this sword, you should be able to seamlessly switch between these roles. I'm counting on you."

"Yes, I'll do my best."

Rellio tried out the bow and arrow he had received.

"How does it feel when you draw it?"

Ranj asked Rellio.

"Pretty good, I think."

(Light. And very flexible. A wooden bow that's lighter and more flexible? What is this bow...?)

"This bow is made from the wing bones of a bird that can summon storms."

"A Stormbird!? I see. That's why it's so light and flexible."

"Since I heard that Rellio is a traditional archer, I focused on agility rather than power. This bow should have less hand shake and not require you to brace, so you should be able to shoot while running."

"Shoot while running! That's amazing."

"It's also designed to give you a wide field of view so you can use 'Status Identification' during battle."

"Rellio, try using 'Status Identification' while drawing the bow."

"Sure. ...I see. The bow doesn't obstruct the status display. It's well-designed."

"Good."

"But, I'll have to test shooting while running in actual combat."

"Alright, let's test it in actual combat."

Marina received a staff with a bag at the tip.

"What is this? It's not just a staff for casting attack spells, is it?"

"The bag is made from the stomach of a cold-breathing hippo."

"A Blizzard Hippopotamus?"

"Yes, the stomach of a Blizzard Hippopotamus is also used as a material for item storage bags. So this bag can also be used for item storage."

"For item storage..."

"Exactly. This staff can not only cast attack spells but also transfer items and equipment."

"I see. This is indeed convenient."

"When you cast an attack spell with this staff, the item will be transferred to the location where the spell is cast."

Monica, Shakma, and Yufine's weapons were also upgraded.

"Monica, I've not only upgraded your bow but also your arrows."

"My arrows too?"

"Yes. In addition to the usual arrows, I've prepared a special arrow called 'Skewer.' It's heavier, harder, and sharper, significantly increasing your attack power. With this, you should be able to take down orcs in one hit."

"Got it. Thanks, Chial. I'll definitely take down some orcs."

"The special arrows 'Skewer' are stored in Marina's staff bag. Please ask Marina to hand them to you when you need them."

"What about my armor? It doesn't seem to have changed much..."

Shakma said, looking suspicious as he put on his new armor.

"Shakma, your armor can become heavier based on your will."

"My will?"

"Yes. There's a switch at the neck. When you press it, the armor becomes heavier."

"Hmm. I see."

"I heard that you were able to control your impulse to charge in the last boss battle."

"Yes, that's right."

"So this time, I'll leave it to your judgment. If you feel it's dangerous, press the switch at your neck."

"Understood."

"Yufine, your staff has a function to save mana."

"Save mana?"

"Yes. Since your 'Area Healing Spell' is now A-class and doesn't need to improve its accuracy, what you need now is to cast healing spells more often."

"I see. That makes sense."

"By equipping this staff, you should be able to save mana. Please continue to focus on your healing role as you have been."

"Understood."

"Alright, everyone, please enter the dungeon in the order that was decided."

The quest receptionist guided the guilds, who were gathered in front of the dungeon.

The first to enter were the guilds that had conquered the dungeon last time.

After that, they entered the dungeon in order of their size.

So, the "Guardians of the Magic Tree" entered first, followed by the "Golden Eagle."

As soon as Roland and his team entered the dungeon, they started running.

Thus, the battle began.

As soon as they entered the dungeon, a swarm of flesh-eaters appeared.

"Monica, try out your new weapon."

"Sure."

Monica, who was at the front of the unit, stopped and drew her bow.

She didn't have any arrows.

"Marina, transfer the 'Skewer' to Monica."

"Sure!"

When Roland spoke, Marina pointed her staff at Monica's hand.

A special arrow 'Skewer' appeared in Monica's hand, and a silver bow that seemed too long and heavy for it was drawn.

This was Monica's new equipment, the 'Silver Iron-Breaking Bow with Skewer.'

Chial, who felt that the bow's strength had reached its limit, came up with the idea of strengthening the arrows instead.

The main issue was the inconvenience of carrying the arrows, but this was solved by using Marina's 'Equipment Storage' skill.

The arrows, which were now as long and heavy as spears, were launched at high speed by the tension of the 'Silver Iron-Breaking Bow' and Monica's strength, capable of piercing through tough bodies and hard armor to kill enemies.

Marina's 'Equipment Storage' skill had improved to A-class during dungeon management, allowing her to store up to 100 pieces of equipment in a magical bag.

With a Strength of 90-100, Monica could easily draw and release the heavy, long arrows.

The arrow, launched like a spear, not only pierced the chest of the leading ghoul but also penetrated and killed the three ghouls behind it.

"Next!"

As Monica said this, Marina generated another 'Skewer' in Monica's hand.

Monica shot arrows one after another, piercing and eliminating the ghouls.

In no time, she had wiped out 12 ghouls alone.

(This is the power of the 'Silver Iron-Breaking Bow with Skewer.' Amazing... But it works! I can handle it!)

(At least the first stage of the test is a success.)

Seeing Monica's shooting, Roland tentatively evaluated it as such.

(The next step is to see if it can take down more powerful enemies, like orcs and golems on the 10th floor and beyond. If it can, I might be able to aim for the first place in the number of kills as an archer!)

"Alright. The test for the 'Skewer' is over. From now on, prioritize marching speed. You don't need to eliminate all the enemies. Just scatter them and move on."

Roland's unit used Monica's arrows to create a gap in the next group of ghouls and goblins, then broke through and scattered the enemies to advance.

The monsters attacked from behind with ranged weapons, but Roland's unit, which had significantly improved its defense since its establishment, was not affected by ghouls and goblins, even if they were ambushed from behind.

There was no need to use Shakma's support magic or Yufine's healing magic.

Thus, Roland and his team advanced through the dungeon at an unprecedented speed.

Every time they broke through the enemies in battle, Roland glanced at Shakma.

(We're advancing quite aggressively, but so far, there's no sign of him losing control.)

Shakma's profile, as seen from Roland, was calm.

(Must be the result of gaining mental strength from dungeon conquests.)

"I found it! The teleportation magic circle."

Monica informed Roland that she had found the magic circle with 'Hawk Eye.'

"Alright, let's hurry."

As Roland and his team approached the magic circle, Alik's unit arrived from behind.

"Alik's unit!? Already here?"

Yufine's eyes widened in surprise.

(We came the shortest route with Monica's 'Hawk Eye,' yet...)

Moreover, Alik's unit seemed to have suffered less than Roland's.

(As expected of Alik's unit. They are the most experienced unit in this city.)

Roland was once again impressed by the high level of Alik's unit.

"Let's go through the magic circle. Hurry!"

As Roland and his team went through the magic circle, Alik's unit immediately followed, chasing after them.