Chapter 83

As we emerged behind the statue of Luluye, the boss <Luluye> did not pursue us. It seems that this passage is completely disconnected from the boss room.

...I didn't know such a place existed.

I thought it had been here all along—but perhaps there are other factors that have opened this path. For example, my <Maiden> class quest or Tithia's <Pope> related events. Or maybe it's a new patch in the game. There are many possibilities, and it seems endless to think about them.

The passage was very clean and well-maintained, unlike the ruined interior of the abbey. Pillars and lights were evenly spaced, making it easy to walk.

"Where does this lead to?"

As Leroi looked around and said this, I visualized the map in my mind.

"...The areas surrounding the <Eternal Abbey> are the <Dark Cave> and the <Burnt Plain> within the borders of Erentsi. Since this dungeon is on the border, on the Farbloom side, there's the <Faded Lighthouse> to the south and the <Flower Dump> to the east. The Farbloom side isn't that dangerous, but if we get to the <Burnt Plain>... there are some very strong monsters."

"I see..."

I'm exiled from Farbloom, but if we end up there, it would be an act of force, right? Please, someone say that's true...!

But if we really do end up in Farbloom, I'll secretly register the <Transfer Gate>.

"Where do you think this leads, Sharon?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure, but maybe the <Burnt Plain>. It's a place that originally had a path leading here."

It's just a guess, and it might lead to an unexpected place. There could be a gate that connects to a completely different and distant land.

"Ah, there's the exit!"

"---!"

At Blitz's voice, everyone looked ahead. There was an entrance leading outside. Without a door, a hot wind blew in, making my hair flutter.

—This is the <Burnt Plain>!

It seems our guess was correct. I won't admit that I was secretly excited about the possibility of a new, unknown land.

"This is... even worse than I heard."

A bead of sweat rolled down Leroi's cheek as he looked at the plain. The <Burnt Plain> is, as its name suggests, a plain where the ground is burning. Most of the vegetation has been burned away, and the remaining sand and rocks are heated. Just walking here drains your stamina, and the heat from the ground will quickly dehydrate you.

While Leroi and the others seem to be seeing this situation for the first time, they appear to have known about its existence.

"It's really hot... meow..."

"Can we even walk through a place like this...?"

Tart's ears drooped, and Tithia looked uneasy. Blitz cautiously touched the ground and exclaimed, "It's hot!"

"Can we really walk through a place like this?"

Mimosa looked ahead anxiously, and for some reason, Leroi looked at me. Tart is also looking at me, as if they think I have a solution.

...Well, I do.

"There are a few ways to walk through here."

When I said this, everyone exclaimed, "Oh!"

"First, we can equip ourselves so that walking here is manageable. We could use items, but unfortunately, we don't have any. This is not possible."

So, this option is out.

"Second, we can use water or ice magic skills to freeze the ground as we walk. It's difficult to adjust while fighting monsters, but it's not impossible. ...The problem is that none of us have those magic skills."

Everyone's spirits visibly dropped. There's nothing we can do about that. If Cocoa were here, she could use water magic skills to help, but unfortunately, she's on a different mission.

"Third, we can use Leroi's and my support skills to push through."

"Support... like <Guardian of the Goddess>?"

While Leroi said this, he tilted his head and asked, "Can it protect against things that aren't attacks?"

"No. We'll use <Body Enhancement> to boost our base stats, <Resistance Enhancement> to increase our fire resistance, and endure while walking, recovering our stamina before it runs out."

"..."

Leroi held his head at my seemingly reckless suggestion. But given the current situation, there's no other way to get through. Our only option is to quickly move from the plain to a peaceful meadow. The problem is that the enemies here are strong and numerous, but we'll just have to level up and push through. Compared to facing <Luluye>, this will be a hundred or a thousand times easier.

"Let's get started. <Body Enhancement>, <Attack Enhancement>, <Defense Enhancement>, <Resistance Enhancement>, <Indomitable Spirit>, <Guardian of the Goddess>, <Regeneration>, <Mana Regeneration>... and so on."

As I began casting support spells, Leroi did the same. When he finished, he squatted down and turned his back to Tithia.

...What's he doing?

"Tithia, please get on my back. The ground is hot, and you might get hurt."

"No, I'll walk. Thank you, Leroi."

A piggyback ride!

Indeed, the heat here would be tough for Tithia and Tart. Both are short, so the heat from the ground would reach their heads more easily than ours.

"...Should I carry Tart on my back?"

"I can walk by myself, meow!"

I said it seriously, but Tart quickly refused. Her face turned red, and her cheeks puffed up, so maybe she thought I was treating her like a child.

"Hmm... But the ground is hot, so if it gets too painful, please let me know. The monsters here are very strong."

"Okay, meow."

Seeing Tart nod, we started walking with Blitz in the lead.

"<Potion Throw>!"

"<Sanctuary of the Goddess>!!"

Tart used her skill to explode the <Flame Lizards> that were approaching. They look like alligators, have high HP, and are difficult to defeat, especially since they are numerous and can breathe fire.

This area is full of fire-type monsters, so the effectiveness of Tart's <Potion Throw> is limited. Of course, it's still powerful, but...

After somehow defeating them, Blitz sighed.

"The area where Tithia's skill is active is cool and comfortable."

"Yes, without it, it would be very difficult."

Mimosa agreed wholeheartedly with Blitz. As the front-line fighters, they move the most, so their stamina drains quickly.

<Flame Lizards>, <Magma Fairies>, <Blazing Apes>, <Poison Vial Snakes>, and <Heatwind Dragons> appear. As you can guess from their names, they are all hot. Really, really hot. Honestly, I want to jump into a river or something.

"Ah, there's a vial ahead! It's a <Poison Vial Snake>... Be careful of the poison."

Mimosa drew her sword, kicked the ground, and closed the distance to use her skill. The snake won't come out of the vial until it's broken, but it can still attack even if the vial isn't broken, which is annoying.

Once the vial is broken, everyone attacks at once. Once the vial is broken, the snake has low HP and is relatively easy to defeat.

"<Regeneration>! ...We're about halfway there, I think. I want to get to the meadow soon—"

As I said this, drenched in sweat, a loud roar echoed around us. This voice...!!

"What is it!?"

"The ground is bulging over there!"

"<Guardian of the Goddess>! Tithia, behind me!!"

Blitz stepped forward, sword at the ready. Mimosa scanned the area, on guard, while Leroi and I recast our support skills. Tart and Tithia prepared to attack at any moment.

Then, the boss of this field appeared—<Hydra>.