* * *
In the same dungeon, several meters away from the border where the Cave Goblins were all defeated, the terrain was filled with grassy and moldy rocks, while the next part of the dungeon contained its own monsters.
However, what made this part of the dungeon much different was the fact that there were many holes on the ground that filled with immediate death the moment you stepped close to them.
Upon having a closer look at the same part of the dungeon, blood could be seen splattered and dragged all over the place.
All of this blood did not belong to the adventurers who were trying to conquer this dungeon, but to the monsters that would come out of the holes and attack them.
These monsters, which were easily defeated, were called 'Dark Rabbits' and as the name implies, they were rabbit-looking monsters that could jump from one place to another and use their velocity to cut down their prey.
But despite their stealthy attacks, they were easily defeated by one certain white-haired adventurer who was running, using their speed as a way to slay quickly.
'There is no end to them…'
Aya continued slaying the fast Dark Rabbits that were coming towards her face.
Once she was done resting at the same safe spot where Hiroki had suggested, she decided to advance forward in order to find out where her benefactor had gone.
Even though she was told to wait, her patience didn't last long before she decided to look for Hiroki.
She went through hundreds of Dark Rabbits until she was finally challenged by the boss of the rabbits, which was a giant version of the monsters laying in that terrain.
Aya fought the massive rabbit for several minutes while using her speed to her advantage to get to the rabbit's blind spot and kill it. While she struggled a bit since Hiroki wasn't there, she still managed to win in the end with a few scratches.
"Hiroki….. where are you?"
She questioned with her eyes, which remained almost emotionless after she had managed to conquer a part of the dungeon by herself.
Her question wasn't going to get answered on its own, which is why she continued going deeper into the dungeon.
The next part of the dungeon was somewhat similar to the rocky terrain where the goblins were.
Aya was cautious the entire time, and her eyes, which could see through the darkness, adapted to the dangers that this dungeon presented to her.
After defeating several wolves that were in that terrain, Aya continued walking forward until she decided to take a small break once again to catch her breath. She didn't know how long it would take to locate Hiroki, which is why she decided to conserve her strength for the worst.
The whole place around her was very empty, but what made her ears very sensitive was the fact that the place was very quiet.
The only things that could be heard were dripping noises from a certain rocky part of the cave, which was releasing some sort of liquid. But the creepy cave sounds didn't bother Aya until, in the next second, her eyes immediately turned to her side, making her flinch and take out used daggers.
"We are adventurers that entered after you. There is no need to be on your guard."
One male voice was heard through the darkness until three other guys wielding swords and a woman in slightly revealing clothes revealed themselves to the white-haired girl.
The characteristics of the party of four were very basic, and their armor was pretty good compared to most of the newbies. That's how Aya knew that these adventures were already used for working in the guild as hunters.
"What do you want from me?"
Aya inquired without letting her guard down. Her eyes, even though it was dark, still remained on the party of four who were holding a torch, lighting the pathway.
"We followed the trail of all the defeated monsters on the way here until we found you." The same guy who was holding the torch explained with a wry smile on his face.
"We were surprised to see that not only did you accept paying such an amount to enter the dungeon, but you also didn't take any of the materials from any of the monsters."
"Many of the other guys waiting outside still won't pay for the toll entries, so we decided to enter and gather any materials before any of them." The black-haired woman with revealing clothes added an interesting smile to her face.
Once Aya saw the group of adventurers that were several meters away from her, she took a small breath before relaxing her arms that were holding the daggers and turning her back on them.
"You can keep all of the remaining materials." And as the white-haired girl stated, she attempted to walk away from the adventures.
"Ah, w-wait, hold on!"
"What is it?"
Once the woman saw how uninterested the white-haired girl was in conversing with her, she tried another shot at talking with her. But Aya still replied with a cold tone in her voice as she turned around from where she had attempted to leave.
"This dungeon is pretty much new and unknown to anyone, so shouldn't it be more wise for you to be accompanied by at least someone?" The woman asked with a rather concerned tone.
"..."
Aya remained silent for a moment before looking back up, half of her face visible from the light source.
"I appreciate your concern, but anything that happens to me only matters to me. That's why you should mind your own business."
And once Aya was clear on what she wanted to say, she used her speed to escape any further suggestions from the party of four.
"She just left…."
".....like that…."
Two of the guys with the swords on their hips looked on with surprised looks at the way this young girl behaved at their kind request.
"That was unexpected…" The black-haired woman said with a stern look on her face,
"What should we do? She clearly doesn't want us to accompany her…"
After the woman thought for a moment, she looked back at the guy holding the torch, who was waiting for another suggestion.
"...We'll follow her."
The woman with dark hair narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms before making a final decision.