Chapter 24 [Dungeon 5. The Quicksand Labyrinth]
Just before the commotion about the hero party not returning from their mission to subdue the newly spawned dungeon, a group of adventurers stood before the entrance to Remus's dungeon. The party consisted of a swordsman, a mage, a scout, and a tank, forming a reasonably balanced team without a dedicated healer, relying on potions.
"This is a guild request, but is this really a dungeon?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure. The other one was said to be a dungeon, but this one... "
Their confusion had a reason. Despite the conventional belief that dungeons have sturdy walls, this cave was made of sand, with sand walls and ceilings collapsing in places.
"Even though walls and ceilings are crumbling like this, and there's no sign of it burying us since discovery, the guild concluded it's a dungeon."
"With it being so prone to collapse and narrow, there might not be any monsters. That's the only consolation."
"But in return, if you let your guard down, you might end up buried alive. It's creepy."
"Don't complain. It's a designated request, so let's get it done quickly. Did you prepare both lifelines?"
"Yeah, in a place like this, lifelines are our only hope. Both are securely tied."
"Alright, let's enter."
Upon the leader's command, the adventurers advanced, extending their lifelines. Struggling in the sandy terrain and occasionally being hit by falling clumps of sand, they moved slowly but steadily. Unlike the "Labyrinth of No Return," the deeper part of the dungeon opened into a vast space resembling the Sahara Desert on Earth. Although it seemed safe to walk anywhere, the absence of a clearly defined path meant there was no solid footing. In areas where one might sink into the sand with each step, not only could they not move freely, but they also couldn't secure stable ground. To make matters worse, scorpions and snakes hidden in the sand attacked them, slowly draining the adventurers' vitality.
"Even with the lifelines, if you're not careful, you might end up lost and die out here."
"Lost? Where the hell is a path here? No matter where you look, it's all sand. You can't even see the supposed end."
"A dungeon with just a vast single layer, huh? Maybe there's no lower floor in this state."
"Well, we've been walking for about five or six hours. Shouldn't we take a break soon?"
"Yeah, if we go any further, we won't find a suitable camping spot. It's not a great place, but let's rest here."
As the adventurers sat down and relaxed, as if waiting for them to let their guard down, it happened.
It started with a sudden gust of wind.
"Ugh, this wind is brutal."
"Leader! It's not just any wind. Look at that!"
What seemed like dark clouds covering the sky turned out to be a sandstorm. Tons of sand were lifted, assaulting, covering, and burying the adventurers. After what felt like an eternal trampling, the surface of the sand mountain moved slightly.
"Phew, what an ordeal... Is anyone here?"
The scout, referred to as the leader, shouted at the top of his lungs, but there was no answer. However, the scout, with years of training and experience, didn't miss the subtle movement of the sand.
"Gale! Are you safe?"
"Ugh... Leader, somehow still alive... What about the others?"
"Don't know. I just noticed, and you're the first one I found."
Afterward, the two searched the surroundings separately, but they couldn't find any survivors, let alone a piece of luggage. In this dungeon, the "Quicksand Labyrinth," not only sandstorms but also quicksand attacked invaders. The sand mountain had turned into quicksand simultaneously with the sandstorm, swallowing the other adventurers.
"Leader... the lifelines... no water or food in sight..."
"That's not all. Look around. The terrain, or rather the shape of the sand mountain, has completely changed."
"In that case..."
"Yeah, completely lost our sense of direction..."
The fate of someone who lost water, food, and even their sense of direction in the desert is not hard to imagine. To add insult to injury, the temperature inside the dungeon began to rise, and the dry air gradually deprived the adventurers of their moisture. It didn't take much time for the invading adventurers to be wiped out.
Actually, this dungeon is far more malicious than it appears. The ground has uneven terrain with sandy mountains that offer no foothold. Mobility is severely hampered, and the lack of stability reduces the effectiveness of slashing and striking. Even just walking consumes stamina. Trying to use magic is futile since no monsters appear, and even if you shoot into the sand in frustration, it's like pushing against a closed door – barely any effect. Ironically, the sand, in reality, is a deformed dungeon wall, so no matter how much magic you unleash, the only impact is blowing away. If you attempt to fly, a sandstorm knocks you down, leading to a course of being buried alive. Even if you decide to give up and proceed, the high-temperature, dry air gradually robs the intruders of their stamina. The constantly blowing wind gradually changes the shape of the sand mountain, burying the footprints of the invaders. A maze spell is cast across the entire floor, ensuring that no matter how you struggle, you'll eventually get lost. On top of all that, a little carelessness results in clumps of sand falling from above or quicksand trying to engulf the invaders, making it a maze that clearly reflects the designer's malicious intent.
...
"Hmm. Following Romulus, Remus has also successfully defended the dungeon."
"Thank you, Lord Crow. Unlike my brother, it wasn't a challenging opponent."
"No need to be humble, Remus. It seems like a fairly well-known team from what the old man has heard. They're said to be B-rank."
"B-rank with that? It felt like there was no challenge at all... Is it because of the excellence of the dungeon you granted, Lord Crow?"
"No need to belittle yourself, Remus. It's your own ability."
"I apologize. So, what should we do about the invaders' corpses?"
"Hmm? Did you hear that from Romulus?"
"Yes, although they may be small fry compared to heroes, I've stored them just in case."
"Hmm. Since you're older than those heroes, you might know more people. Keep them stored, just in case. We'll replenish the magical essence from the corpses later."
"Thank you."