Evan D. Sherden. Enters the Dungeon (5)
Throwing could be performed with bare hands, so it was something that did not require aptitude, as much as fighting skills. There may be a difference between people according to their natural sense, but that meant that it was a skill whose peak could be reached by anyone if they wanted to learn it.
Indeed, it was a great skill that would come in handy to anyone who set their mind on learning it.
"Get ready… Shoot!"
The Battle Bead thrown by Evan landed in a place far away from the goal as if proving that the throwing skill had not yet been properly learned. But what was up with Evan's power?
It turned out that he planned to use the Battle Bead, which was shot in a straight line like a laser, to intercept a group of goblins advancing towards them.
However, instead of hitting the group itself, the bead embedded itself deeply within the wall just in front of the goblins, making the wall crack with terrible vibrations. That was enough to scare the goblins.
[What, damn!]
[That magic…!]
[It's a scary human!]
"Shit, again!"
If he knew it would be like this, he would have practised throwing before entering the dungeon, but there were so many other things he had to do. He had felt confusion when he first threw a bead, not confidence.
Evan proceeded to throw the second round, vowing to diligently train this skill by reducing the physical training time from now on.
Perhaps it was thanks to the goblins trembling while standing in place because this time; fortunately, he managed to hit a goblin's abdomen, the one who was at the forefront of the group!
[Badum!]
[Kiaak!]
With a terrible roar, its body burst into pieces, and even the goblins behind it were obliterated in the aftermath of the shockwave produced by the Battle Bead. It was a one-shot-all kill.
"Huh?"
Evan just blinked because he couldn't believe the outcome of his actions.
Of course, he knew that a Battle Bead would explode upon impact, but what he threw just now was an ordinary iron ball. Why then did the goblins burst?
Why was there a shockwave?
"It is because you're so strong. So, how is it? Do you feel like admitting the reality now?"
He had been slime training for three years, so he thought that he could easily hunt goblins. If that didn't work, it would be unfair, and he would be unable to sleep at night.
… It was really surprising that the rest of the goblins died in the shockwave.
"Yes, slime training worked. I think my level of existence has risen from it."
"It should be quite enough for the dungeon."
Evan thought for a moment but nodded. He wasn't denying reality in the first place, but because he truly, and initially, thought he was weak, he had no intention of denying it after seeing the results with his own eyes.
"Still, the goblins in the dungeon are weaker compared to before if they die with just a shockwave… "
"No, Master."
"Yes, yes, fine. Then I guess I can easily kill the goblins."
Evan finally convinced himself of his power, even though it was very limited. The rest of the party thought it would be easy for him to exterminate the Goblins in the first place, but of course, they didn't say anything.
"Then, I will hunt goblins a few more times, and then we will change turns afterwards. It would be great for everyone to manage both stamina and mana. However, Raihan must consistently be in charge of aggro… "
"I don't know if this also adheres to Shine, but if Master or Belois come up and the battle ends without me doing anything, there is no time for my stamina to fall at all."
"Okay, then the battle is going to be like that… "
Evan had just searched for the path where the goblins came out and added the information to the map he had drawn. He then compared it with the map of the first floor of the dungeon he had. Soon a smile formed on his mouth.
"I was lucky. I think we've found our current location. Presently, we are conquering the first floor."
"It's the entire map of the dungeon, so it wouldn't even be available in the upper battle guild, but… "
"It's still possible, Shine. Naturally, Master knows. It's him, after all."𝘧𝑟𝘦𝘦𝑤𝑒𝑏𝘯𝑜𝑣𝑒𝘭.𝑐𝑜𝘮
While Shine and Raihan had a futile argument, Evan quickly drew the best route on the map with the utmost concentration. No matter how wide the dungeon was, it only took a minute for a route to be formed under his scrutiny.
"We can move like this. There are no traps on the first floor, so we can just run anywhere we like. However, there are boundaries in place to stop us. If you see a monster, immediately report it."
"Anyways, isn't it faster for you to discover the whole dungeon by yourself?"
"I've just been lucky so far."
That was an understatement. He had successfully been crafting the layout while battling goblins at the same time.
These were the thoughts of the party concerning Evan, who seemed to be able to kill enemies, scout by himself, and possibly do enough solo tanking, even discovering and destroying the traps alone.
'Who the hell is protecting who right now…?'
From that moment on, the party started running through the dungeon. Anxiety, weakness, fear, and tension, all disappeared. There was only one goal laid out for them, and that was to move quickly to the target point.
"I daresay that there are traps on the second floor, so this should not be done there."
"No, I bet it's going to be like this on the second floor. We have Master, he will make things easy for us."
Evan, who ran side by side with Shine, pondered about the guy's blade techniques.
It was said that traps were starting on the second floor, but it was still just a lower, floor trap. Even without the trap detection skills of a thief-type job, it was too insignificant to be recognized at a glance.
'And even if I improved my alchemy skills and was able to detect traps… There must have been a thief in Yo-Ma Great War 2, as his job was not something that could be done by Bernard… So it was not possible to have only Leo and Bernard killing the last boss.'
He didn't know if it was possible. However, Evan shook his head nonetheless. How would he know?
"No. We go safely. I'm going to give up on the quick attack and achievements on the next floor."
'Well, you would, of course, say that now.'
Shine thought this with a defeated expression. Meanwhile, Evan stopped walking. The path they had taken had proved to be a dead end. It was also where the hidden elements of the dungeon were.
"It may look like this, but if you look next to it… Alright, found it."
So unlike his cute expression, Evan awkwardly swung his fist. He struck the wall to the left area of the dead end.
"Oh, oh, oh…?"
He hit the sidewall, and, curiously, the wall in front of them collapsed. A corridor with a visor appeared as if it was such a structure from the very beginning.
Moreover, beyond that, they could see a faintly-lit light. It was not just a corridor, but a 'room' of the dungeon built for a specific purpose. Whether there was a treasure, trap, monster, or all three, something was there.
Finally, the dungeon's hidden elements had been found.
"We've just found a secret. Oh, it's strangely clean and no one discovered it so far; we're the first discoverers. There are ten goblins in the room at the end of the corridor, and there is also an elite monster called Goblin Fighter," Evan looked around to make sure his comrades were listening. "Our strategy will consist of Lua and I being the first to attack, to reduce their numbers a little. That's how we'll start the battle."
"Okay."
Belois approached Shine whilst silently chanting a spell. Evan was amazed to see five, sharp ice crystals blooming above her head.
'Although I've already heard about it… How did she get to learn ice magic, as she only dealt with fire in the game?'
If she had an aptitude, here, wasn't it normal for it to appear in the game? If one were to look at her now, she appeared very skilful with ice just as well as fire. It meant that she had the aptitude for both attributes.
Maybe that was the power of witches? Evan didn't even know this until that point. However, from his point of view, when he learned how difficult it was to deal with opposite attributes at the same time while growing as a wizard, it was an amazing sight.
"Okay, let's enter slowly."
"Yes."
Although Evan and Belois were the ones attacking, it was primarily Raihan who took the lead at such times. As he walked out, neither fast nor slow with his shield in front, Shine stood next to him. Belois and Evan, who were holding a Battle Bead, trailed a little behind him.
'It seems like it will be over if the Master throws a marble.'
'Is it my turn?'
'I must use the shield or I won't use up any stamina at all.'
At that time, the three except Evan had their thoughts, and Evan was vainly thinking that the Battle Bead he was throwing would work for the Goblin Fighter.
Finally, at the end of the passage, the aforementioned monster came into sight.
[Huah… ]
"…Huh?" Evan was surprised to see it there. Why was it out here instead of where it was supposed to be…?
Of course, all monsters born in dungeons periodically patrolled the corridor and attacked explorers indiscriminately, but monsters born in rooms were different.
They never went outside. Instead, they quietly waited in them for the enemy to come. But… what was this? Upon closer inspection, the monster's torso was covered in blood. Was it because of its anger?? It was not only bloody, but it also looked like its body was burning red…
[Kick… Kaha, ahhhhhh!]
The goblin fighter, upon releasing a tremendous roar, soon found their location and began to run towards them with terrible rage. The blood-soaked scimitar in its hand shone fiercely.
"Master, it's dangerous!" Raihan shouted as he raised the shield. Evan stepped back and threw a Battle Bead at it.
This time, he need not worry about his aim. The bead flew in a straight line and stuck to the head of the Goblin Fighter. Its head exploded upon impact.
"Wow, it wasn't a big deal," Evan wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead and sighed in relief. The sight of the enraged Goblin had shaken him, especially in its bloodied and frenzied state.
Sure, it was one of the high-ranking Goblins, Blood Goblin; nevertheless, there was no way that the guy who appeared beyond the 20th floor of the dungeon would be hit by a Battle Bead and die!
Moreover, if one were to think about it calmly, it was unlikely that such an absurd higher-level species spontaneously formed right on the first floor of the dungeon.
Although there was a bug in which the Goblin Fighter came out of the room, it wasn't that there wasn't a bug in the world of Yo-Ma Great War originally, and this arrangement could be seen as an exception.
'It isn't a big deal,'?Evan thought.
"I just had goosebumps all over my body. It wasn't an ordinary goblin. It was also very big and muscular… "
"…This was different."
"I guess he was just a strong guy among the Goblin Fighters. Now, let's check the body. Goblin Fighters sometimes have a useful scimitar."
Evan went excitedly to loot the Goblin Fighter's body, but the other three couldn't. Unlike the goblins that could be effortlessly cut by them, the Goblin Fighter, who showed terrible momentum, was still overbearing for them even when it was already dead.
"…I have to get stronger."
"Damn, I've only entered the first floor of the dungeon, but I already feel so relaxed."
"Silly Shine said the right thing."
The monster they were all so terrified of, was defeated by their Master in less than a minute! They were supposed to protect him, but how could they when they could not even catch up with half the level of their Master?
"Master, you don't know if that kind of monster is hiding ahead. Don't proceed alone!"
"No, there are no monsters in the room over there!"
"And how do you know that?"
Shine first ran after Evan. Belois and Raihan also briefly exchanged glances then nodded and followed.
The dream team found themselves moving towards an area in the dungeon that no one had ever come across before.