[Zone 3: Outer Fortress, North Side]
- Clear Progress: Normal Room 1/1, Boss Room 1/1
- Treasure Boxes Obtained: 2/2
Zone 3, all cleared.
There had been a minor mishap during the boss fight, but all things considered, the clearing was both swift and smooth.
The Golden Gargoyle didn't drop any notable equipment items, but instead, a whole heap of gold conversion items fell.
I scooped them up without much care, planning to sort them out later.
And from the boss room treasure chest,
[Screaming Robe (SR) Lv.30]
- Category: Cloth Armor
- Defense: 15-20
- Durability: 20/20
- Recovers 1% of lost MP each time an enemy is defeated.
> Set Effect: Must Scream (1/3)
- Inflicts an Area of Effect fear status each time an enemy is defeated.
(Requires 'Screaming Gloves' for set activation)
(Requires 'Screaming Orb' for set activation)
A Screaming set has appeared...
Since I had kept the magical orb, the Screaming Orb, from last time, all I need now are the gloves to complete the set.
"Oh dear, everyone went through so much trouble because of this old one, I'm not sure I should be so shameless as to accept this."
Jupiter, saying so, grabbed the robe with the speed of lightning.
Well, she did troll during the boss fight, but she handled nearly all the regular gargoyles.
Jupiter played a significant role in this defensive stage too. It wouldn't hurt to feed her good items.
'It feels a bit weird to reward someone who messed up...'
Anyway, the item collection ended, and the exploration of Zone 3 was wrapped up.
There were stairs leading down inside the boss room. It was a passage that led below the fortress walls.
"There's a safe point just ahead."
I informed the party members, who were resting briefly after cleaning up the battle.
"It's the biggest spot among all our stops so far. It's where the few people surviving in this dungeon often gather. It even has facilities like shops and blacksmiths."
Like a basecamp set up in the dungeon, it offers purchase of items that can't be obtained in the outside world, and magical enhancements.
"But today, our goal is to scout for new members."
I issued a reminder to the party members.
"If there's someone who seems friendly and capable, we're going to somehow convince them to come with us."
"..."
"Keep your eyes peeled, and see if you find any promising person."
Evangeline, who was eating preserved food, broke into a cold sweat.
"Do you think there'd be a person meeting those standards in such a gloomy underground cavern? Are there even 'people' to begin with?"
"...Well, even if they fall a bit short, it doesn't matter. Anyway, let's keep an eye out."
Even if it's not a person, even if it's a ghost, it wouldn't matter.
As long as they can kill monsters well, be it a ghost, a demon, or a zombie, I'm more than willing to take them in!
***
Having concluded our brief respite, we descended the staircase. The spiral staircase seemed to uncoil endlessly.
'I sure could use an escalator...'
Considering the height of the wall we had climbed earlier, the way down seemed just as daunting.
Still, being less exhausted than last time made the descent feel considerably lighter.
Thud!
We finally set foot on the ground.
And right next to the staircase we descended, there was,
"Wow..."
A massive door made of iron. Evangeline, seeing the door for the first time, couldn't help but utter words of admiration.
The Northern Gate of the Lake Kingdom.
The iron door, rusted red, stood firmly shut, still emanating an eerie aura.
"That's the same gate we saw when we first entered beneath the lake."
Back then we had viewed it from the outside, but now we were seeing it from within.
Because this gate was closed, we had to enter the city through a drainage path. After taking a lengthy detour, we had finally ended up at the main gate.
"It seems like we can't open it now, just as before."
Lucas said, examining the surroundings of the gate, his head tilted in thought.
"There are no pulleys or other mechanisms... How does this door open?"
"Since this is a magic kingdom, there's probably some sort of magical device."
I shrugged my shoulders.
"And to begin with, there's only one situation when this door opens."
"When would that be?"
"When their invasion begins."
Lucas's face hardened. I nodded.
"When the horde of monsters marches towards the human world. Only then."
Our party members swallowed dryly.
I gave a wry smile and gestured towards the city.
"Let's go inside. Our safe zone is just ahead."
***
As we moved away from the Northern Gate and followed the main road towards the heart of the city, we came across a vast square.
Almost the size of a sports complex, it was enormous. And in that square, gargoyles were neatly lined up in rows.
A perplexed Evangeline swiveled her head around.
"What are they doing here?"
"They are the ones who will invade Crossroad in the next defensive battle."
The hundreds of gargoyles lined up densely were bowing their heads as if they were asleep.
The square was shrouded in darkness, making it difficult to count precisely, but at a glance, their number was staggering.
"They're stacked up here, and when the time comes, they'll move to Crossroad all at once."
Lucas placed his hand on the longsword at his waist.
"Then shouldn't we attack now and wipe them out?"
"No way. Do you want us to be annihilated?"
They might not be moving, appearing to be asleep, but they would definitely respond if attacked.
Even now, other gargoyles flying in from different parts of the city were joining the ranks one by one.
Their numbers were increasing in real time.
"This is their stronghold. There are only five of us. If we attack now, it would be a slaughter."
"..."
"Let's do what we can now."
Taking a sidetrack off the square, I waved a hand. The party members carefully followed in my wake.
We left the main road, heading into a winding alleyway for about five minutes.
Suddenly, the surroundings opened up. A considerably wide clearing appeared in front of us.
Unlike the gloomy parts of the city, it was incredibly bright here.
Magic stones glowed like streetlights all around the clearing, and at the center, a large bonfire blazed.
"Here we are."
I turned to the party members and pointed towards the bonfire.
"This is the base camp. It's going to serve as a beacon for our dungeon explorations from here on."
Though it didn't compare to the square swarmed with monsters earlier, it was considerably larger than the safe zones we'd been in so far.
My party and I entered the clearing.
Coming from a pitch-dark place devoid of light into a suddenly brightly lit area, relief washed over us, and our tension eased.
"Ah, it's warm."
I held my hands to the bonfire, savoring the heat. It felt like we could live a little. This is what a base should be like.
That's when Lucas, who had been vigilantly scanning the surroundings, whispered to me.
"But my lord, didn't you say there were people living here?"
"Huh? Yes?"
"But... there's no one in sight."
Huh?
I lifted my head to take a look around. He was right. No one was visible.
'There should be at least four or five NPCs in the game.'
There were at least four or five permanent NPCs, with transient ones always around too.
For some reason, the base camp was entirely empty.
"..."
I narrowed my eyes.
This was not a good sign.
"No way..."
Just then, it happened.
Clank! Clank!
From various points around the clearing, about a dozen NPCs charged out and aimed their weapons—bows and crossbows—at us.
"Hands up!"
"Stand still! If you move, we'll shoot!"
Lucas, already on high alert, swiftly unsheathed his sword, assuming a defensive stance.
Evangeline donned her shield instantly, stepping forward, and Jupiter, with her usual unperturbed expression, held up her magic orb while chewing on her cigarette.
"Wha, whaaat? Whaaaaa?"
Only Damien, dumbfounded, was flustered.
I firmly gripped Damien's shoulder once and quickly scanned our surroundings.
There were roughly a dozen of them surrounding us.
However, they were dressed in unfamiliar outfits.
All of them wore white masks that concealed their faces and were clad in seamless armor.
Judging by the level of equipment they were carrying, they were clearly high-leveled at first glance.
'They even brought a cannon...'
I chuckled hollowly when I noticed a cannon targeting us from a hill on the other side. They were serious.
'Any escape routes?'
I looked around for an escape route, but the encirclement was perfect. Quietly slipping away seemed impossible.
I bit my lip lightly.
'I let my guard down because it was a safe zone!'
In the game, there were places where monsters couldn't invade, and battles didn't occur. But this place, it was as real as it could get.
Where 'humans' could collide anywhere, anytime, kill or be killed, without any constraints...!
'But there wasn't any foreshadowing for this! A surprise attack as soon as we entered the safe zone? And who are these people? What in the world is this situation?'
Inside, my mind was a turmoil, but outwardly, I remained composed.
"The welcome is a little fiery, isn't it?"
I maintained a leisurely smile, letting my voice carry it.
"Thanks for the warm welcome, but it would be nice if someone could explain the current situation."
"..."
"We're adventurers who just recently entered this dungeon. Cute novices who you should be helping and leading."
Despite my lightly sarcastic tone, none of them moved.
They just looked at us through their masks with cold eyes, aiming their weapons.
I let out a small sigh.
"Or what? Is this some sort of initiation to discipline the newbie adventurers? I didn't realize such an outdated practice was still in place in such an advanced society."
"Outdated, you say? Shall we call it a good custom instead?"
Then, a grave voice echoed.
A cool, low-pitched voice. He could have been a professional singer.
"Catching newbie rats is a tradition that has been passed down throughout human history. It's a process of engraving respect and etiquette for the seniors into one's body. Shouldn't we preserve and advance such a wonderful culture?"
But the ridiculous argument he made with such a charming baritone voice naturally made me think it was a waste of a good voice.
I snorted.
"What culture? That bullshit's not culture. It seems our senior adventurer has a fairly old-fashioned tendency."
"Ha, ha, ha! I hear that quite often."
Thud. Thud.
A man emerged through the white-masked NPCs.
"But, what can you do? You tend to stick to old things when you live for a long time."
"...!"
A tall, pointed hat and a black minstrel costume.
The man's face was familiar.
Of course, he was the one who ruined Stage 2.
I glared at him, grinding my teeth.
"'The Pied Piper'...!"
"Ho, is that what you call me?"
As the man approached, his face, hidden under the shadow of his hat brim, appeared.
...He was also wearing a mask.
A detachable chin-type, so he could take it off when playing an instrument.
Like a clown, only a smiling face was etched on...a white mask.
"'The Pied Piper,' huh? An interesting nickname, but let me introduce myself properly."
The man placed his hand on his chest, introducing himself in an exaggerated tone.
"Here, a heinous criminal wandering the bottom of the glorious Lake Kingdom. The last court musician and court jester remaining in the Lake Kingdom, and a court magician."
The man, slowly bowing in a display of respect, finally uttered his name.
"I am called 'Crown'."
His voice was deep, beautiful, and utterly revolting.
"Nice to meet you, the last 'Player'."