Chapter 80: Night of the two Moons 3
After that weird look from Raijin, the three of us continued on and ventured deeper into the dungeon’s depths. Not even a few minutes passed before monsters came right in front of us, threatening us with their own little tiny knives.
“Goblins?” Lily wondered aloud, scanning the tiny, green, ugly critters with curiosity. Even Lillian seemed a bit shocked at their appearance.
As much as this place was a dungeon, finding E-rank monsters like goblins here was clearly unusual.
Given the amount of energy this place exuded from the mana pressure alone, this dungeon could easily be classified as a high B to a low A-rank dungeon.
“Gakakakakka!!!!” The goblins screeched, rushing at us with their rusty swords flailing in the dimly lit dungeon.
Fortunately, the entire dungeon was quite large, so maneuverability wasn’t a problem, and each wall had its own blue-lit torch, keeping the visibility somewhat clear.
“Well, I don’t know why these little guys are here, but we have to clear all the monsters out of here, right?” Lily asked, glancing at me, her twin blades already twirling between her fingers.
“Yes,” I confirmed.
“Okay~” she replied, her voice filled with a mix of determination and excitement.
With my confirmation, the twins moved like shadows, their figures blurring as they decapitated the dozens of goblins. Despite the number advantage the goblins had, they were nothing more than sacks of meat in front of these two.
Heads flew into the air, and the goblins’ green, gooey blood splattered around the cavern. In just seven seconds, the twins had finished off the horde, handling our first hurdle with ease.
‘They’re not bad….’ impressed by the twins’ efficiency.
Their movements were fluid and synchronized, each strike calculated and precise. It was evident that they had trained together for years, honing their skills to perfection.
‘Looks like I won’t have to worry about there overall specs for now’
Raijin and I didn’t even have to lift a finger, which was a bit disappointing.
Although I wanted to help them out clean out the freaks.
The few goblins that tried to approach us were paralyzed with fear, unable to come close due to the immense pressure Raijin exuded.
It seemed the bulk of the fighting in these early stages would be left to the twins.
Lily wiped her blades clean on one of the goblin corpses and looked at me with a smug expression. “Easy peasy. If this is all the dungeon has to offer, we’ll be done in no time.”
A chuckle almost escaped my lips as she said those words. If only she knew how hard it was about to get for the two of them.
This dungeon was a notorious challenge in the game, renowned for its escalating difficulty and the varied types of monsters that roamed its depths.
We continued deeper into the dungeon, the atmosphere growing increasingly tense with each step.
There were multiple types of monsters lurking here—from the occasional low-ranking goblins to the more formidable B-rank monsters like Dire Wolves.
The sheer variety made this place a gauntlet of constant danger. As sometimes hordes can be mixed in between the groups of monsters making there attack patterns all the more complex and potent.
Some goblins even ride on the backs of minotaur’s firing off arrows, or sirens that randomly spawns on the random ponds and waterways we encounter on this place.
What made this dungeon infamously popular among players in the game as the best exp hot spot was because of a certain insect, the [Death Stalker.]
‘I had a feeling these two were about to face the absolute nightmare of their lives.’
…..
As we ventured further, the once sporadic encounters with goblins and wolves became more frequent, with some hobgoblins being thrown into the mix as well.
Each floor-like room we entered seemed to up the ante, increasing both the number and difficulty of the monsters we faced.
The cavern walls started to narrow, and the air grew colder, thick with the scent of earth and decay. More horrendous-looking monsters ambushed us from all sides.
The battle scenarios grew more intense as we progressed as well as it wasn’t just monsters we had to worry about, but traps as well.
We did avoid most if not all of it due to my knowledge from the game and the twin’s natural danger instincts so they weren’t much of a problem, but it did slow down our progress for a bit.
With each new sections new monsters emerged.
[Scylla Goats x5] [B-rank]
[Flame Boars x7] [B-rank]
[Sonic Bats x30] [D-rank]
Despite the increasing difficulty,
I refrained from participating in any of the battles.
The twins handled each wave of monsters with precision and ease, their coordination and endurance tested with every encounter.
They seemed to be enjoying the sheer thrill of intense combat.
My interference would only disrupt their rhythm and momentum.
As I observed from the sidelines, notifications flashed in my vision:
[Note: Congratulations!]
[Note: You have leveled up!]
[Note: You have leveled up!]
[Note: You have leveled up!]
[Level: 71] → [Level: 74]
[Available status points: 11 + 12]
‘Although I felt a bit useless….’
I didn’t mind the free carry since I was gaining a fair share of experience points from all the monsters they’d killed so far.
It was a win-win situation: they got to indulge in their love for battle, and I reaped the rewards without lifting a finger.
Curious I looked and checked their stats, to see the accurate representations of their overall level.
[Party]
[Status info:]
[Snow Lily Luvelia]
[Race: Human]
[Level-75]
[Strength: D]
[Agility: A]
[Endurance: C]
[Luck: D]
[Power: E]
[Skills:]
[Advanced dagger arts] [Proficiency: (95%)]
[Mist walk] [Proficiency: (75%)]
[Silent steps] [Proficiency: (45%)]
[Keen instinct] [Proficiency: (40%)]
[Aura] [Proficiency: (20%)]
[Critical strike] [Proficiency: (15%)]
…..
[Special abilities]
[Lethal Cut]
[Description: All bladed attacks will have a 300% attack boost]
[Overview: Twin half of the misty winds]
…
[Status info:]
[Snow Lillian Luvelia]
[Race: Human]
[Level-71]
[Strength: D]
[Agility: B]
[Endurance: E]
[Luck: D]
[Power: E]
[Skills:]
[Advanced dagger arts] [Proficiency: (75%)]
[Mist walk] [Proficiency: (75%)]
[Silent steps] [Proficiency: (45%)]
[Keen instinct] [Proficiency: (40%)]
[Aura] [Proficiency: (20%)]
[Critical strike] [Proficiency: (15%)]
…..
[Special abilities]
[Lethal Cut]
[Description: All bladed attacks will have a 300% attack boost]
[Overview: Other half of the misty winds]
…..
Looking at their very similar stats, it seemed that Lily was the stronger of the two, which was expected. However, watching the way the two were so synchronized while fighting, you wouldn’t even notice their skill difference.
Their coordination was flawless even with all the pressure put onto them.
“Hey, how long will this monster wave last?” Lily asked, her annoyance clear as the number of monsters coming at us never seemed to slow down.
Lillian, who had just landed right beside her after slicing through a minotaur’s neck, had the same tired look. “I don’t know…. But judging by how the entryways have been getting smaller and smaller, I think we’re getting close to the boss room, perhaps?”
“Tsk… why did I even accept this stupid commission?” Lily muttered under her breath.
“Did you say something?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Nothing….” she replied quickly.
I understood that it was tiring for them, but it wasn’t exactly my fault that they were the ones rushing into the enemies left and right.
“Hey, there’s something I’ve noticed for a while now, and I wasn’t going to mention it, waiting for you to explain yourself but…. Why aren’t you helping us out? Tsk, look at my little sis! She’s all covered up in weird goo and blood that her face and clothes are barely even recognizable now,” Lily said angrily.
She pointed at me with an accusatory finger. “And look at you! Why the heck are you so clean, for the light’s sake! Didn’t any monster get in your way? What about the raining blood, the dust, and debris from the traps we destroyed? Why the hell are you so clean?”
I sighed, trying to keep my voice calm. “Blaming me will only prolong our time here… and besides, you can’t exactly blame me if no monsters came my way, right?”
“What? No way! I made sure to leave a few monsters alive. You must have done something for them to come straight back at us.”
“So, you purposely left some out?”
“I—what—no! It’s not like I purposely left them out, it’s just that they got out of my vision, that’s all…. You know what, let’s just go!” She huffed, clearly frustrated.
Lillian, who had been silent during our exchange, wiped the goo off her face with a resigned expression.
“Let’s focus on getting through this first, Arguing won’t help us.”
Lily glared at me one last time before turning away. “Fine. But I’m keeping an eye on you.”
We continued deeper into the dungeon, the tension between us palpable.
I knew I had to clear the air before it affected our coordination in the upcoming boss fight.
However, now wasn’t the time.
We needed to stay focused and alert.
The atmosphere grew even colder as we approached the final chamber.
The air was thick with anticipation, the kind that makes your skin prickle and your senses heighten.
The faint sound of dripping water echoed through the narrow passageways, mixing with the distant growls of unseen monsters.
We finally reached a massive stone door, intricately carved with symbols that glowed faintly in the dim light.
The boss room.
This was it.
The final stretch of the struggle and the finale of this rush Exp mine pit.
We pushed open the heavy door, and it groaned in protest as it swung open, revealing a vast chamber bathed in an eerie blue light.
In the center of the room stood a large statue of the now condemned Moon God, with a gigantic pit-like hole behind it.
“Where’s the boss monster?” Lillian asked innocently. Despite her keen senses and danger instinct, she couldn’t detect an ounce of powerful mana in the room.
Just before we opened the door, a massive mana spike could be felt around this room, but as we entered, it seemed to have vanished into nothingness.
If I had no prior knowledge from the game, I would have been as surprised as the two sisters.
But even with the game’s knowledge, the creepiness still affected me, knowing what was to come the moment we approached that statue.
Preparing myself, I increased the subtle mana coating around my body.
Raijin, who had already sensed what was up, emitted warning growls towards the gigantic black pit behind the grotesque statue.
The golden lightning surrounding him began to illuminate the room. Each of our steps echoed as we ventured deeper into the chamber.
As we took our last step off the stairs leading down towards the statue, the chamber shook, reminiscent of a high-magnitude earthquake.
The tremors lasted only a few seconds but were enough to set our nerves on edge.
Suddenly, the pit behind the statue started to glow with an eerie, dark light. A deep, rumbling sound emerged from its depths, growing louder and more ominous.
Lily and Lillian instinctively took defensive stances, their eyes darting around the room, trying to locate the source of the disturbance.
KEIKEKIKEKIKEKIKEKIKEKIKEKI!!!!!!
Loud, piercing squeaks echoed through the chamber.
Before we even noticed it, the dim blue light from the ceiling revealed hundreds of red eyes glowing with animosity behind the pillar-like walls and beneath the gigantic black pit.
“T-that’s…” Lily and Lillian’s eyes widened in horror as they took in the sheer number of monsters that now surrounded us. There was no room for escape; each of those red lights represented the eyeball of a nasty bug.
In front of us stood a creature the size of a large lion, its sleek black exoskeleton reflecting the eerie light.
It had mantis-like claws, eyes reminiscent of an ant, four spider-like limbs, and an abdomen equipped with both a bee’s stinger and a scorpion’s tail.
This was the monster that made this entire dungeon the perfect EXP hot spot among players.
[Death Stalker] [Rank-A]
The Death Stalker was a hive-like monster, where every single one of these ant-like beings was considered an original.
It was a creature designed with the sole purpose of leveling up late-game players, providing a challenging yet rewarding experience.
‘Haha… just like in the game these things are really ugly to look at’
