Entering into the unknown realm, the dark elves were greeted with a sight of nothing but darkness, twisted trees, and the stench of decay.
"This looks like the Swamp of Darkness, except just more darker."
Indeed, the Dungeon of Noxious, almost mirrored the Swamp of Darkness, the only distinction between the two would be the fact that the dungeon had no sun.
"We have to keep moving. We don't know if the slave traders will follow, also being in an unknown realm is dangerous," Anastasia brought them back to reality with her crude comment.
But such was their current situation.
Ignoring the feeling of déjà vu, the first thing that they encountered was the Widow's Fang. With their sharp intuition, the dark elves immediately sensed something ominous about the strange, venomous plants.
With inhuman agility and grace, the dark elves sprang into motion, gaining a large amount of momentum before effortlessly leaping over the sinister plants. The Widow's Fang lashed out with thorny branches, attempting to attack them, but their attempts were all for naught. As the dark elves soared majestically across the sky, their movements were precise.
As their legs braced for impact, all four of the dark elves made a perfect superhero landing.
Were these the new superheroes that Marvel hasn't released yet?
The dark elves had already demonstrated their remarkable prowess. Despite lacking the inheritance for a class, they performed feats that defied human limits. Mind you, these were the plants that terrorized the first group of players that ventured into the dungeon.
While they were filming the new superhero movie, the band of slave traders were the next to be plunged into the dungeon.
Compared to the dark elves who didn't have much to lose, the slave traders were much more cautious.
As they vigilantly scanned their surroundings, they couldn't help but notice the eerie similarity between the realm and the Swamp of Darkness.
"Did those dark elves already know about this realm? It was quite strange how they accurately managed to find the realm's entrance with such accuracy."
One of the slave traders voiced his concern, and the others nodded in agreement. Their greatest fear was the possibility that this entire situation was a trap.
If it was a trap, then they could only count the blades of grasses that would grow on their tombstone, if anybody even managed to get their bodies back.
Navigating an unfamiliar realm while their enemies held the advantage of knowledge and ambush tactics was as good as a death sentence. Yet, having come this far, they had no choice but to press on and face whatever lay ahead.
Sticking close together, they moved cautiously as a group, their senses heightened and their eyes scanning for any signs of an ambush.
Fortunately, their vigilance didn't last long. In the distance, they caught sight of something far more menacing: a massive wave barreling toward them.
The wave was murky and brown, unmistakably swamp water, churning with ominous intent as it closed the distance.
"WTF!"
Both the slave traders and the dark elves claimed in fear and surprise.
They suddenly felt that reality was quite cruel.
It was as if they were starting a new game and the first enemy that they faced was the final boss of the game.
Very unfair!
Bracing for impact, each of them frantically unleashed their skills and gave everything they had to survive the oncoming wave.
Bang!
The colossal wave crashed into the small island with overwhelming force, flooding it entirely. Both the dark elves and the slave traders were caught in the deluge, the sheer impact sending them scrambling to stay afloat.
The once-solid ground was now submerged, the island completely overtaken by the murky waters. All of them were swept off their footing, plunged into the churning depths, struggling desperately to break the surface and gasp for air.
It was as if the gods themselves had condemned them.
There were now enemies that swarmed them.
Enemies swarmed from every direction, their red and yellow eyes glowing ominously beneath the murky water, drawn to the commotion like predators sensing the smell of fresh prey.
Not only that, but an unsettling weakness began creeping over them, sapping their strength with every passing moment.
The first to break the surface was the dark elf named Anastasia. Who noticed the purple lilies that were floating on the surface of the water.
The purple lilies were beautiful but they looked out of place, in such a gloomy and twisted realm.
It is said that the most beautiful things often hide the deadliest dangers, and this was quite true for Miasma's Roots.
'Those plants must be the reason why our bodies are getting weaker, damn. Such insidious plants.'
Anastasia gritted her teeth as she dived back into the water, attempting to help her allies who were still struggling to swim towards the surface.
Meanwhile, the slave traders were faring far worse. Their every movement in the dark waters had drawn the attention of the swamp's predators, and now they faced an onslaught of alligators and bloodthirsty leeches.
One trader narrowly avoided an alligator's gaping jaws, its teeth snapping dangerously close to his arm. With a swift counter, he plunged his silver dagger into the creature's soft underbelly, slicing deeply across its stomach in a desperate move.
"Serrated Slash!"
One of the skills that he had learned as a rogue was put on display.
The alligator thrashed violently, letting out a guttural, mournful cry. In a last act of vengeance, its powerful tail whipped toward the trader.
The slave trader couldn't dodge it in time because he was fighting underwater.
Crack!
The force of the tail strike sent him reeling, pain lancing through his torso as he spat out a mouthful of blood. He was certain his ribs had just shattered, but his efforts were not in vain. Moments later, the lifeless body of the alligator floated to the surface.
Before the trader could get a moment of rest, the water around him started to constrict like deadly snakes.
He who had no energy left could only be dragged into the watery abyss, his fate was death.
The Swamp Hags had attacked!
They were the ones behind the deadly wave and now they were finishing off the leftovers.
The swamp hags helped another trader on their journey to death, as he was currently entangled between two alligators who were attacking him together.
While he was focused on the alligators he didn't notice the water spears that had shot at his back.
When he turned around to block it, the alligators attacked him in the front, marking his doom.
It didn't take long for the rest of the slave traders to meet their unfortunate demise, as the countless attacks from the alligators, and the leeches, their strength being sapped by the Miasma's Roots, and the harassment from the swamp hags, drove them towards their death.
...
Hale who had manifested himself as a purple humanoid gas figure, was in front of the dark elves.
They stared at him in awe and fear.
Unbeknownst to them, this purple figure was smiling out of pure happiness.
[Human rogues 8x Killed.]
[Reward: 800 Dungeon Points]
Seeing those messages, made him unbelievably happy. He had gone from poor to rich, in a matter of seconds. Not only that, it seemed as if killing stronger enemies would give him more dungeon points.
'I hope more weak NPCs come to this dungeon, I can get rich off doing this all day.'
Putting that thought aside, Hale stared at the four drenched beauties in front of him.
Though their beauty was undeniable, it stirred no lecherous thoughts in him. To Hale, they were nothing more than potential dungeon points. However, for now, he needed them for a greater purpose, so he had deliberately only killed the humans.
"Dark elves," he began, his voice low and enigmatic, resonating with an air of mystery. "Do you know why I spared you?"
They shook their heads in response to his question, confusion, and apprehension etched across their faces.
Why would someone so powerful spare their lives? To them, their worth was almost nothing.
"It's because you are connected to Noxious," Hale said, his voice cold and commanding, "and I am the Will of Noxious."
Anastasia, though trembling, mustered her courage. Her voice wavered as she asked, "Who… who is Noxious?"
This was what Hale had been waiting for. How else could he make up a bullshit story if they didn't ask him about it?
"Noxious," he began, his tone heavy trying to suppress his laughter, "is the Plague Deity—the one destined to bring the world to its knees. He governs all diseases, poisons, and toxins. Those who dare oppose him meet a fate worse than death, their bodies consumed by agony. But those who worship him? They will thrive in the ruins of a fallen world."
"The other gods fear Noxious and constantly conspire to suppress his power. Yet those fools cannot fathom that he has already extended his will into the mortal realm. That will... is me."
He paused, allowing the weight of his proclamation to sink in.
"I am the Will of Noxious."
Hale's voice remained steady, unwavering, as though every word were holy gospels. Inwardly, however, he was laughing his ass off. Who was going to call him out for lying? To him, lying was as natural as breathing.
"But, I currently lack warriors who can leave the realm of Noxious. So I spared your pitiful lives, considering your kind have connections with the lord."
Anastasia's expression shifted as she fell into deep thought. A flicker of realization lit her eyes, and she straightened, determination replacing her fear.
'Those dreams that I've been having. Is it because of this mysterious god? Am I the holy messenger that he has picked? Is this the chance for my tribe to rise again?
Anastasia took a deep breath, as she cleared all the messy thoughts in her head. She now had a look of understanding, as she declared.
"I understand now. Lord Noxious has chosen me as his messenger. I will gather others to his cause, spread his doctrines, and ensure his faith takes root. The dreams I've had—they must be his divine guidance."
If Hale was still a human, he would have a total look of confusion on his face right now.
'What did you understand? When did I say you were the holy messenger? Also, what dreams are you talking about?'
But seeing as the situation was quite good for him right now, he didn't bother to clear up this misunderstanding.
So he just nodded his head.
"Yes," he said smoothly, "I will send you beyond this realm. Seek out the others of your tribe. Recruit them to Lord Noxious's cause. You will be greatly rewarded for your loyalty."
With that, Hale braced himself, enduring the agonizing strain of creating spatial cracks within the dungeon. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he sent Anastasia out of the dungeon, alone.
This was also the first time that the creature that he had sent out, didn't get sent back into the dungeon. Progress has been made.
He could have sent the others out, but he wanted to use them as hostages. Making her hesitate if she wanted to break off from this deal.
Now he just patiently waited for the bait to bite the hook, and it's not as if he was lying. He would reward them if they pledged loyalty to him, as he had something that would tempt those dark elves into submission.
[Intruders eliminated, you will be reimbursed for the loss of x3 Swamp Alligators, x8 Swamp Leeches, and x6 Miasma's Roots.]
Hearing that, he smiled.
The losses were quite heavy, but it seemed as if the system was a kind soul. As he got them back, as long as he successfully defended his dungeon.
'I hope she agrees and believes in my nonsense. It would be great if I could have some dark elves as my employees. They would be great assassins, but most importantly they can also leave the dungeon.'
...
Anastasia was currently traveling through the branches of the swamp.
Filled with the intent to convince the elder who was her mother and the rest of the tribe to follow her into the realm.
'This must be the way for my tribe to rise!'
She held great conviction as she jumped from branch to branch.