"Oh, Azrael look. The scholar gentleman has arrived," Aaron said with a sarcastic grin. He patted the shoulder of Azrael, who was looking at the Dungeon portal with his hand stroking his chin, then turned to look at me and smiled too, catching Aaron's mood.
"Shut up, Aaron," I replied sarcastically to Aaron, then yawned and stretched. Practicing mana control last night made me very sleepy.
In front of me now was a spinning blue Dungeon portal or Gate. Not only was it spinning, it was absorbing the surrounding mana particles into itself. Well, that's how a dungeon can open, it absorbs the surrounding mana to sustain itself. If too much mana is absorbed, the monsters inside can come out.
My eyes scanned the surroundings. This dungeon was located beside Defier City, which made this place very quiet, and it seemed Sierra and Emily hadn't arrived yet, as I hadn't seen them so far.
Azrael suddenly approached me and extended his hand. He had messy black hair, his robe was layered with a thin vest, and there was a sword at his waist. "Are you alright now?"
'Ah, this is the fourth time I've been asked this.' I shook his hand and smiled. "Yeah, I'm alright now, even better than before."
Then I remembered something:
"Oh right, Aaron, Azrael, there's something I want to talk about." They both turned to look at me simultaneously after hearing me. "Allow me this time to be a close-range fighter."
Azrael raised his eyebrows. "Are you serious?"
"But you can't—" Aaron started, but I already knew what he meant, so before he could finish his sentence, I drew the sword from its scabbard.
Then I immediately channeled mana into it, making it glow. This was what he meant: channeling mana into a physical object or weapon being used is the hallmark of a close-range fighter.
Of course I could do it because I knew the method: just imagine Mana as a flow of water and focus it on what you want to strengthen.
"I can. And as for how to use a sword? I've practiced." The first part is true, the second is a lie. "I'll use this sword to fight the small fries only. If the enemy is a boss, I'll use my magic again." Yes, I brought a staff as a backup.
"Alright, it's up to you," Azrael said with a grin.
"Just don't faint again," Aaron added.
"I won't," I said, sheathing the sword again.
After a few minutes, I heard footsteps behind me.
It turned out to be Sierra and Emily, already wearing their respective robes. Sierra's face looked brighter this time, perhaps because she had tied her hair into a neat ponytail. Meanwhile, Emily still looked the same with her cold face and hair flowing over her shoulders.
'I'm curious, what made her become a person like that? It can't be innate, right? Everyone's personality is shaped by their environment, including mine in the past.'
'Hmm, if Emily could smile cheerfully like Sierra, she would look beautiful. Well, even with her serious face she's already beautiful, that's just her charm...'
"You look sleepy? Did you stay up late?" Sierra said when she was in front of me.
"Y-yes, I stayed up a bit last night to finish my university assignment," I answered awkwardly.
"Alright, is everyone ready? We need to finish this quickly," Azrael broke the silence.
Hearing that, we all nodded. Then, Azrael took the first step into the Gate and disappeared inside. And we followed behind him...
...
After entering, my sense of smell was greeted by the scent of damp soil mixed with the dusty smell of the cave's stone walls. The structure inside the Gate was, as usual, similar to others, a large cave, or simply put, a Dungeon.
Upon closer inspection, this Dungeon wasn't as big as the first one I entered in this world, and the lighting was also minimal because the crystals here were very small and only attached to the ceiling along with hardened mineral deposits, Stalactites.
Sigh…
It seems my party can't rely on crystals to get money from this Dungeon... So now the income source from this Dungeon is taking the mana cores of the monsters here.
'I'm curious, what kind of monster will I face?' I kept observing my surroundings with my sword in hand. Sierra asked me why I was carrying a sword, and I explained that I wanted to switch roles and practice using a sword.
Aaron, ahead of me, shot me a look with his usual grin, as if belittling me. I just smiled back at him, that's Aaron's nature, he just likes to joke. In Adrian's memories, they've been friends since childhood. However, in middle school they separated because Aaron had to move cities with his family. But we were still in the same middle school because the distance wasn't too far, before finally parting ways because he took the Magic Academy, and Adrian continued his education at the University. That's why he calls me 'Scholar Gentleman'.
–Step! –Step! –Step!
So far on our party's walk, we haven't found anything. In fact, this place is getting darker and darker because the crystals on the ceiling are becoming fewer. However, that didn't make me worried, because Azrael was the one leading this journey with his sword ready in hand.
Unlike Aaron, whose fighting style is fast and stealthy, Azrael is more of a direct fighter, but his speed could surpass Aaron's, because he is a higher Rank—'Vanguard'—while Aaron is below him—'Adept'. Actually, I don't know Azrael very well. He's two years older than me, he's also from the Magic Academy like Aaron. I met him through Aaron seven months ago when Adrian had just entered the Academy. But he's kind; if not, he wouldn't have accepted Adrian as a party member despite being weak.
The further we stepped, the darker this cave became, until finally our vision was no longer able to see what was ahead.
We all stopped after Azrael stopped walking. Meanwhile, Aaron walked to the side and channeled fire magic onto his dagger, giving a little light. He checked the cave wall, which turned out to have creeping roots.
"Adrian, use your magic to illuminate the front," Azrael said calmly.
I stepped forward, then raised my hand.
–Swosh!
A fireball the size of my palm finally lit up. I then combined my fireball with wind to move it slowly forward.
I walked at the front because I was controlling my fire. Squinting my eyes, I saw a tentacle starting to squirm.
Then suddenly, that tentacle crept across the entire cave wall from bottom to top.
"Fall back!" My instinct told me to retreat, but after taking just one step back, a root tentacle shot quickly toward my head.
Azrael immediately sliced that root tentacle into several pieces swiftly, almost invisible to my eyes. Then from behind, Aaron immediately took a position, protecting Azrael's unguarded side.
They kept slicing the roots while retreating together.
Meanwhile, Emily pelted those roots by forming sharp spikes with her structural magic. Not only those roots, she also tried to attack the center without being ordered, which suggested she also knew that was the source of the roots.
Sierra raised her staff to help–!
"Stop!" I grabbed her staff. "You could get pulled in."
'That was close!' If Sierra attacked that root with her root magic, it would be very dangerous, because I think I know this monster. This monster is a Rank C Dungeon Boss, Veiled Tangleroot, whose strength is probably at Grade–8. It uses roots to attack and also, it's a natural counter to root magic users because it can take ownership of that magic if they come into contact.
'This is dangerous!'
–Crack!
This monster is very cunning. It attacked with a large root to make us focus on it, but quietly, smaller roots crept across the entire cave section to trap us.
If it successfully got past Sierra at the back, it would close its roots and pull everything in simultaneously!
"Azrael! Aaron!" Freeing the small root on my foot, grabbing the magic staff from my waist, I immediately ran then slid across the ground.
I was now in a firing position with my staff aimed toward the darkness, where I was sure the monster was standing, because I vaguely saw two small red eyes standing far in the center.
"Give me space in the middle!"
Hearing that, they immediately accelerated their slashing movements while moving sideways to give me space in the middle.
Realizing the center space wasn't fully open yet, Emily continuously attacked the surrounding roots with volleys of her purple structural magic spikes.
Then the attached purple structural spikes on those roots elongated into spears, pinning those roots to the wall and ground.
The space opened wide thanks to Emily.
"Do it," Emily said in a flat tone.
Without wasting any more time, I immediately created a fireball large enough.
–Swoosh!
The fireball shot forward, and I was knocked back slightly.
—Boom!
The fireball slammed into a solid object in the darkness.
'I knew it was there!'
Then the roots that had crept all over the cave section immediately retreated to their owner. That transition was very fast, almost as fast as a blink.
"Look!" Sierra shouted, making all of us, who were still stunned, simultaneously turn to look at what she was pointing at.
In the darkness, it was very clear to see something reddish-orange running away but with chaotic steps, crashing into walls...
That's the monster, it's burning from my fire!
"That's the boss, don't let it escape!" I shouted spontaneously. They looked at me strangely with questioning faces.
"If that's the boss, we have to defeat it quickly," Azrael said, channeling mana into his sword, then his legs began to glow with mana, ready to chase.
Aaron also did what Azrael did.
They shot off, leaving me with Sierra and Emily.
"Hey!" I yelled, but they were getting farther away.
Damn.
Emily stepped past me to the front. "Quick, follow them."
Sierra and I nodded, then we ran. I lit a fire spell to illuminate the path ahead. I wanted to run faster, but I couldn't leave Sierra alone behind. She's only a healer and the most vulnerable here, even though her rank is higher than mine. As for Emily, I don't need to worry about her, she's on par with Azrael, so she'll be safe.
Seeing light ahead, we quickened our pace...
Once there, I immediately squinted, trying to adapt to the place that had suddenly become very bright.
My vision returned. I was amazed for a moment. This place was very spacious and had crystals lined up on its sides that could be harvested.
'Whoa, with this many crystals, I'll get a lot of money...'
–Crack! –Crack!
I just realized, on the other side of this place, hidden by a pillar, Aaron and Azrael were fighting the roots of that monster. They seemed to be having trouble getting close because the roots were very numerous and kept closing their distance, until finally Emily came to help them.
From my current position, I could see the full form of the Monster standing on a mound of stone with a slight depression hiding its body, but that only applied to them.
I saw it clearly. The physical form of the Veiled Tangleroot, this dungeon boss, was very similar to my imagination all along: it had a relatively short body, perhaps up to my chest. Its hair, split into two, was formed by a thick mix of leaves and roots that could extend to attack. And because of that hair, its entire inner body wasn't visible, only appearing like darkness with two eyes.
'I'll attack it from here.' I aimed my staff at it, then suddenly—
Small monsters, knee-high to me, with figures resembling various types of trees, started swarming me. Their sharp teeth were ready, opening wide.
Then suddenly, a root snared them, slammed them several times, and threw them forcefully against the crystals until their bodies cracked.
That was Sierra's root magic.
She ran behind me, and we stood back-to-back.
"You just focus on attacking the boss. I'll protect you," Sierra said seriously.
"I trust you," I said, entrusting those monsters completely to Sierra. I'm sure she can handle it. I'll focus on attacking that monster.
I aimed my staff again at the dungeon boss standing upright. The distance was indeed far. However, if I use Mana Sensing, I can definitely hit it.
Closing my eyes.
Silence.
Feeling the large mana wave in the darkness, I moved my staff toward that large mana wave. Then, without waiting any longer, I immediately imagined fire coming out of my staff and combined it with wind arrow magic.
Here it goes.
–Swosh!
Opening my eyes, I saw my fire arrow shoot quickly toward the monster until it finally pierced its body, making it thrash in pain.
Then it attacked randomly and blindly.
The monster jumped down from its place and was chased by Aaron, Azrael, and Emily.
And because the monster was badly injured, it seemed I didn't need to worry about them.
Then I shifted my focus to the monsters around us that were being fought by Sierra.
"Thank you, Sierra," I said, putting down my staff, then drew my sword from its scabbard. "Leave these small monsters to me."
I approached the small monsters still roaming around and slashed them one by one with my sword, which I had infused with mana, even though my movements were still very stiff. These small monsters were very easy to kill.
–Slash! –Slash! –Slash!
'This is really fun!'
The small monsters were now reduced in number.
While the rest were being handled by Sierra, I pulled out the Mana Core from one of the dead monsters.
Then suddenly, large, sharp roots came at me in rapid succession, so powerful they punctured the ground.
"Watch out!"
I ran toward Sierra, grabbed her, and we tumbled together, avoiding those large roots.
This dungeon boss isn't defeated yet.