25: Chapter 24 — Lock Down the Dungeon?
Then We Fight 25: Chapter 24 — Lock Down the Dungeon?
Then We Fight “Hey, man.
Want to come eat with us?” A voice called out from nearby.
Kyle ended his meditation and slowly opened his eyes.
Night had completely settled over Blackstone Mine.
Campfires burned around the dungeon entrance, with adventurers gathered around them to rest.
Some were checking the damage to their weapons and armor, others were sorting through the materials they had collected that day, while a few had set up iron racks over the flames and were roasting freshly prepared monster meat.
Fat dripped from the meat and landed in the fire with a soft sizzle.
The smell of roasted meat and spices soon spread through the night air.
Only then did Kyle realize he was hungry.
He reached into his storage space, intending to take out a few roasted sweet potatoes, only to remember that Nia had already taken every last one.
The memory of her leaving with more than twenty sweet potatoes in her arms—and his coat along with them—brought a faint smile to his face.
With no sweet potatoes left, Kyle settled for a piece of bread.
The person who had called out to him was sitting not far away.
Several young adventurers were gathered around a campfire.
A large piece of meat from some unknown monster was roasting over the flames.
Its surface had already turned golden brown, and fat continued to drip from the edges.
Compared with the dry bread in Kyle’s hand, it looked far more tempting.
The one who had waved to him was a young man in his early twenties.
He wore a lightweight robe and carried no obvious heavy weapon, but several potions and support items hung from his belt.
Judging from his equipment, he was probably some kind of support-class adventurer.
Kyle shook his head.
“No, thanks.” The young man didn’t insist.
He simply smiled and returned to his seat.
A few of his companions, however, couldn’t help commenting.
“Ryan, why’d you invite him?
He’s been sitting there ever since he came out of the mine.
I don’t think I’ve heard him say more than a few words.” “And that undead summon standing beside him is seriously creepy.” Ryan followed their gazes.
A Bronze-rank skeleton stood silently beside Kyle.
Its grayish-blue bones reflected the firelight with a faint metallic sheen, while dark red soul flames flickered inside its empty eye sockets.
To most adventurers, it wasn’t exactly an inviting sight.
Ryan didn’t seem bothered.
“What’s there to be afraid of?
He’s quiet.
Doesn’t mean he’s got a bad temper.” He cut into the roasted meat with a small knife as he spoke.
“Besides, haven’t you noticed?
People have been staring at him ever since he came out.
Has he bothered anyone?” “I don’t think he’s as hard to get along with as you guys make him sound.” With that, Ryan cut off a large piece of freshly roasted meat, placed it on a wooden plate, and stood up.
His companions immediately knew what he was planning.
“You’re actually bringing it over?” “It’s just some food.” Ryan walked over to Kyle and held out the plate.
“Here.
Have some meat.
Bread alone isn’t going to fill you up.” Kyle looked at him but didn’t immediately take it.
Ryan didn’t seem embarrassed.
He simply placed the plate beside Kyle.
“Just came off the fire.
Eat it while it’s hot.” Then he turned around and walked back to his group.
Kyle glanced down at the meat.
Detection quietly swept over it.
No poison.
Nothing unusual.
Just ordinary roasted meat.
Only after confirming that did Kyle pick it up and take a bite.
The outside had been roasted until slightly crisp, while the inside was still juicy.
Combined with the spices, it was far better than the dry bread he’d been eating.
From beside the campfire, Ryan noticed that Kyle had finally accepted the food.
He lifted his own piece of meat toward him with a bright smile.
Kyle looked at him.
For some reason, that smile reminded him a little of Gavin.
Their personalities were clearly different, but they shared the same kind of easygoing warmth—the kind that allowed them to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
After finishing his meal, Kyle didn’t return to meditation.
His mental power had recovered quite a bit already.
What mattered more now was what had happened inside Blackstone Mine.
The black parasites were clearly not ordinary dungeon monsters.
First there had been the abnormal goblins in the forest, then the strengthened monsters inside the mine, and finally the missing six-person party.
The area affected by the parasites was expanding.
And Kyle had now confirmed that they could infect not only monsters, but adventurers as well.
The Westport Adventurers’ Guild had already sealed the black sample he’d brought back, while the survivors were receiving treatment.
As for Blackstone Mine itself, the source of the abnormality had yet to be identified.
For now, the guild had only increased security around the entrance instead of shutting the dungeon down completely.
Kyle was still thinking about it when an argument suddenly broke out near the dungeon entrance.
The voices quickly grew louder.
Adventurers who had been resting around the campfires began standing up and looking over.
Kyle raised his head as well.
At some point, a group of people had gathered directly in front of Blackstone Mine.
There were around a dozen of them.
They all wore matching combat uniforms, with silver crown emblems pinned to their chests.
Their weapons and armor were noticeably better than those of the average adventurer nearby.
A knight stood at the front.
Warriors were positioned on both sides, with mages and archers in the rear.
Several support-class adventurers remained protected in the center.
From both their class composition and formation, it was obvious that this wasn’t a temporary party.
They had trained together.
And now they were blocking the entrance to Blackstone Mine.
Several members of the Westport Adventurers’ Guild were confronting them, while more and more adventurers gathered around.
“Isn’t the Crown Guild going too far?” “The Westport Guild is still investigating.
What gives you the right to block the entrance?” “Blackstone Mine doesn’t belong to you!” “If anyone’s going to shut it down, it should be the Westport Guild.
Since when does the Crown Guild get to decide?” The complaints grew louder.
The Crown Guild members showed no intention of moving.
Soon, a man carrying a staff stepped out from their formation.
He appeared to be around thirty and wore a finely crafted dark blue mage robe.
The silver crown emblem on his chest was more prominent than those worn by the others.
“We’ve already explained the reason.” The man looked over the crowd, his tone firm.
“An unknown abnormality has appeared inside Blackstone Mine.
To prevent further casualties, the Crown Guild will temporarily assist in sealing the dungeon.” The Westport Guild member standing opposite him immediately frowned.
“Victor, this area falls under Westport’s jurisdiction.
Even if the dungeon needs to be closed, that’s our decision to make.
The Crown Guild doesn’t have the authority to take over.” Victor gave him a calm look.
“You already lost an entire party last night.
If someone hadn’t brought them back out, you probably still wouldn’t know what happened inside.” “Allowing ordinary adventurers to continue entering will only cause more casualties.” There was some truth to that.
The angry voices around them quieted slightly.
Kyle didn’t immediately take a side.
Ryan had already left the campfire and walked over.
“The Crown Guild.” He lowered his voice.
“They’re one of the strongest adventurer guilds around Westport.” Kyle glanced toward the entrance.
“Are they really here to deal with the abnormality?” Ryan gave him a strange look.
“You believe that?” Kyle said nothing.
Ryan continued.
“They knew something was wrong with Blackstone Mine this afternoon, but they didn’t do much about it.
Then they heard the Goblin King had mutated and might drop a special crystal core.” “Suddenly, they’re here with an entire team.” Kyle’s eyes shifted slightly.
“A Goblin King Crystal Core?” “Yeah.” Ryan nodded.
“The Goblin King in Blackstone Mine already has a very low chance of dropping a King-rank Crystal Core.
With the dungeon acting strangely this time, people are saying the quality of the core might’ve changed too.” “That’s probably what the Crown Guild really wants.” Kyle fell silent.
There was currently a [Goblin King Crystal Core] sitting inside his storage space.
He had obtained it after killing the mutated Goblin King earlier.
Originally, he had planned to take it back to the Imperial Exchange and complete the hundred-thousand-gold purchase request.
Now it seemed the crystal core might not be so simple.
“What’s it used for?” Kyle asked.
“Alchemy.” Ryan answered immediately.
“The most famous item is the [Goblin King Ring].
A normal Goblin King Ring already increases basic attributes.
If the King-rank Crystal Core used to craft it is high enough quality, there’s supposedly a chance for the ring to gain a skill-enhancement effect.” That finally caught Kyle’s attention.
“Skill enhancement?” “Yeah.” Ryan nodded.
“I don’t know exactly how much it can strengthen a skill, but for low-level adventurers, equipment that directly enhances a class skill is worth a lot more than ordinary Bronze equipment.” “Especially for someone preparing for an academy entrance exam.” He glanced toward the Crown Guild.
“Their young guild master is taking the entrance exam for Saint Radiance Royal Academy this year.
So if you ask me, they’re definitely not here just to investigate the dungeon.” Kyle understood.
But he didn’t mention that he had a Goblin King Crystal Core.
At least not until he knew exactly what it was worth.
The argument near the dungeon entrance grew heated again.
The Westport Guild clearly had no intention of allowing the Crown Guild to take control.
“We’ve already reported the situation to Westport.
Until an official order comes down, you have no authority to stop our investigators from entering.” Victor’s expression gradually turned cold.
“I’ve already said it.” “No one enters for now.” “Including you.” The crowd quieted.
If the Crown Guild had only been stopping ordinary adventurers from entering a dangerous dungeon, they could at least claim it was for everyone’s safety.
But refusing entry even to the Westport Guild investigators was something else entirely.
Kyle frowned.
At that moment, a Crown Guild member hurried up from behind and whispered something into Victor’s ear.
Their voices were low.
But Kyle wasn’t far away.
“The young guild master is already inside.” “The King-rank Crystal Core is still the priority.” “If you find any of those black samples, bring them back too.” Kyle’s eyes narrowed.
So that was it.
The so-called lockdown was nothing more than an excuse.
Victor seemed to notice his gaze and turned toward him.
His brows furrowed.
“Who are you?” Before Kyle could answer, one of the Westport Guild members recognized him.
“That’s him.” “He’s the one who brought back the party that went missing last night.” Victor’s expression finally changed.
His gaze shifted from Kyle to the Bronze-rank skeleton standing beside him.
Then he raised his staff.
[Detection] An invisible wave swept over Kyle.
The [Detection Blocking Badge] Nia had given him trembled slightly, but because of the difference in their levels, it failed to block the skill completely.
Victor soon saw part of his information.
“Kyle Gray.” “Level twelve.” “Necromancer?” There was obvious surprise in his voice.
A Level 12 adventurer had entered an abnormal Nightmare dungeon and rescued an entire missing party?
His eyes returned to the Bronze-rank skeleton.
Those summons were probably the reason.
Kyle cast Detection in return.
[Victor Kane] [Level: 25] [Class: Mage] Level twenty-five.
An ordinary mage.
Kyle dismissed the information and looked away.
Victor clearly didn’t appreciate his lack of reaction.
“Now that you’re out, stay out of this.” “The Crown Guild will handle things from here.” Kyle looked at him.
“What about the Westport Guild?” “They don’t need to enter either.” “Why?” Victor was beginning to sound impatient.
“Because I said so.” “The Crown Guild will deal with it.” Kyle didn’t argue further.
If this was nothing more than a dispute between two guilds over who had the right to investigate the dungeon, he had no interest in getting involved.
But then— Buzz!
The entrance to Blackstone Mine suddenly shook.
The black vortex, which had been rotating steadily moments earlier, seemed to be disturbed by some unseen force.
Rings of distorted ripples spread across its surface.
The argument stopped instantly.
Victor spun around.
A figure stumbled out of the black vortex.
The man seemed to have completely lost his balance.
The moment he crossed the dungeon entrance, he fell headfirst onto the ground, rolled several times across the loose stones, and slammed into a rock.
“One of ours!” The Crown Guild members recognized him immediately.
Several of them rushed forward.
“Wait.” Kyle suddenly spoke.
No one listened.
A knight had already reached the injured man and bent down to help him up.
Kyle’s attention was fixed on the man’s neck.
His armor was badly damaged.
Blood covered his chest, and his right arm hung at an unnatural angle.
But beneath the edge of his collar— A thin black line was slowly moving under his skin.
Kyle’s pupils contracted.
“Don’t touch him!” This time, his voice was loud enough to make the knight hesitate.
At that exact moment, the wounded man suddenly raised his head.
His left eye looked normal.
His right eye was completely black.
“Back!” The warning had barely left Kyle’s mouth when the man launched himself off the ground.
A moment earlier, he’d looked half dead.
Now his speed was frightening.
The Crown Guild knight closest to him didn’t even have time to draw his sword before a fist slammed into his chest.
Bang!
The metal breastplate caved inward.
The knight was sent staggering backward, his boots sliding several meters across the rocky ground before he fell onto his backside.
Disbelief covered his face.
“What the hell?” “Has he lost his mind?” “Hold him down!” Two warriors charged from either side.
The one on the left attacked first.
Instead of using the edge of his sword, he swung the flat toward the wounded man’s shoulder, clearly intending to subdue him rather than kill him.
The parasitized knight twisted aside.
The strike missed.
At the same time, his clearly broken right arm suddenly snapped upward and grabbed the warrior’s wrist.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bone echoed through the area.
“Ah!” The warrior screamed.
The infected knight didn’t let go.
He yanked the man’s arm forward and slammed his shoulder into his chest.
Bang!
The warrior was thrown backward.
The second warrior finally found an opening and slashed at the infected knight’s thigh.
The blade tore through his armor.
Blood poured from the wound.
But the infected knight didn’t even flinch.
No pain.
Not even the instinctive reaction a normal person should have after being cut.
He spun around and reached for the warrior’s throat.
The warrior’s expression changed as he hurriedly retreated.
“Something’s wrong with him!” “No kidding!” “Pin him down!” Two mages in the rear had already begun casting.
Pale blue light spread beneath the infected knight’s feet.
[Slow] His movements slowed for an instant.
Another mage raised his staff.
[Wind Bind] Several streams of air wrapped around the infected knight’s legs.
The Crown Guild members immediately moved in from different directions.
Kyle’s expression remained tense.
He had already noticed the black markings beneath the damaged armor on the knight’s chest.
They were spreading rapidly.
The more damage he took, the faster they spread.
Exactly like the monsters inside the mine.
“Something’s wrong.” The words had barely left Kyle’s mouth when the infected knight let out a low growl.
The wind wrapped around his legs exploded apart.
Bang!
Air burst outward.
The Crown Guild members approaching him stumbled.
The infected knight immediately stepped forward.
Loose stones shattered beneath his foot as he launched himself straight toward the nearest mage.
The mage had no time to dodge.
Then— Clack!
A gray-blue figure rushed in from the side.
The Bronze-rank skeleton stepped directly in front of the mage.
It gripped its blade with both hands, but instead of striking the infected knight, it held the weapon horizontally in front of its chest.
The two collided.
Bang!
Loose stones scraped backward beneath the skeleton’s feet.
But it moved less than half a step.
The infected knight, on the other hand, staggered backward from the impact.
For a moment, the area fell silent.
Two adventurers above Level 20 had failed to stop him head-on.
Yet that skeleton— It had barely moved?
Victor finally recovered from the sudden turn of events, his eyes locking onto the Bronze-rank skeleton.
Kyle ignored everyone’s reactions.
“Pin him down.” The Bronze-rank skeleton immediately moved.
The infected knight had barely regained his balance when the skeleton’s blade swept in from the side.
Again, it didn’t use the edge.
The skeleton flipped its weapon and slammed the back of the blade into the man’s waist.
Bang!
The infected knight was knocked several meters sideways.
Before he could recover, a second Bronze-rank skeleton emerged from Kyle’s summoning space.
Then a third.
A fourth.
The four Bronze-rank skeletons immediately spread out.
Two blocked the front.
The other two moved around either side.
The infected knight seemed to sense the danger and charged left.
The skeleton on that side didn’t meet him head-on.
It stepped back half a pace, waited until he entered its attack range, then shifted sideways.
The back of its blade slammed upward into his elbow.
Crack!
His already broken arm twisted again.
The infected knight didn’t stop.
His other hand grabbed the skeleton’s shoulder, apparently trying to throw it to the ground.
But the difference in strength was too great.
The Bronze-rank skeleton didn’t move.
A moment later, the other two skeletons closed in from behind.
One seized his left arm.
Another clamped a hand onto his shoulder.
The skeleton at the front swept his legs out from under him.
Bang!
The infected knight crashed heavily to the ground.
All four skeletons moved at once.
Arms.
Shoulders.
Legs.
Everything was pinned down.
Heavy impacts continued to shake the ground as the infected knight struggled wildly.
His strength had clearly increased far beyond what it should have been.
But against four Bronze-rank skeletons, each with 3,500 points in all four attributes, breaking free was impossible.
The entire area went silent.
Victor stood there gripping his staff, his expression completely different from before.
These were the summons of a Level 12 Necromancer?
Kyle didn’t look at him.
He had already walked over to the infected knight.
“Open the armor.” One of the skeletons grabbed the damaged breastplate.
Crack!
The metal fastenings were torn apart.
The moment the armor opened, several people nearby went pale.
Black markings covered the knight’s chest.
They looked like countless tiny blood vessels beneath the skin, all of them slowly converging toward the area around his heart.
Kyle followed the markings with his eyes.
It didn’t take long to find an unnatural swelling on the left side of his chest.
The same as inside the mine.
A black crystal.
“Here.” A Bronze-rank skeleton raised one finger.
But just as it was about to pierce the skin— Rip!
The skin on the knight’s chest suddenly split open.
Dozens of thin black tendrils burst from the wound and shot straight toward Kyle.
Kyle was ready.
“Block.” The Bronze-rank skeleton beside him stepped across.
Its blade flashed.
Slash!
Slash!
Slash!
More than a dozen black tendrils were severed instantly.
Even after falling to the ground, the broken strands continued writhing, crawling toward Kyle like worms.
For the first time, everyone around them saw exactly what had been hiding inside the knight.
“What are those things?” “They’re still moving!” “Monsters?” “Those came out of his body?” The Westport Guild members looked especially disturbed.
They had already heard Kyle’s explanation and seen the sample he had brought back, but this was the first time they had actually watched the black substance crawl out of an adventurer’s body.
Even Victor’s expression turned grim.
Kyle raised one hand.
“Don’t use any wide-range fire spells.” The fire elemental energy gathering around Victor’s staff stopped.
“Why?” “He’s still alive.” Kyle gave him only those four words before looking back at the skeleton.
“Take it out.” The bony finger plunged down.
Blood sprayed from the wound.
Following the area where the black markings were most concentrated, the skeleton pushed its finger deeper until it touched something hard.
It hooked around the object.
Then pulled.
A thumb-sized black crystal was ripped from the knight’s chest along with several thin tendrils.
His entire body suddenly went rigid.
“Ahhh!” For the first time, the scream that came from his mouth sounded human.
The right eye that had been completely black trembled violently as traces of its normal color slowly began to return.
“Move him away.” Two Bronze-rank skeletons immediately lifted the knight and dragged him back.
The remaining two stayed in front, blocking the black tendrils crawling out of the wound and using the sides and backs of their blades to force them into one area.
Kyle didn’t use [Corpse Explosion].
There were people everywhere.
With an actual blast radius of twenty meters, using it here was out of the question.
“Fire.” He looked at Victor.
Victor didn’t argue this time.
His staff rose immediately.
A fist-sized fireball formed at its tip.
Instead of targeting the wounded knight, he aimed exactly where Kyle indicated and launched it into the mass of black tendrils trapped between the skeletons.
Boom!
Flames erupted.
The black tendrils twisted wildly inside the fire.
A harsh scraping sound filled the air.
Several strands tried to crawl out of the flames, only for the Bronze-rank skeletons standing nearby to knock them straight back in.
After more than ten seconds of continuous burning, their movements finally began to weaken.
Eventually, they stopped completely.
No one around them spoke.
Every eye was fixed on the charred black remains.
Kyle looked toward the entrance to Blackstone Mine.
This man had only been the one who managed to escape.
The Crown Guild’s young guild master and the others— Were still inside.
Victor had clearly realized the same thing.
His face changed immediately.
“Young Guild Master…” Kyle glanced at him.
“Still planning to keep the dungeon sealed?” Victor didn’t answer.
Then the dungeon entrance shook again.
Buzz— This time, the disturbance was far stronger.
The black vortex twisted violently, and even the surrounding space began to tremble.
Then— A blood-covered hand suddenly reached out from inside the vortex.
Its fingers clamped desperately around the edge of the entrance.
Someone inside was trying to crawl out.
Everyone immediately tightened their grip on their weapons.
The four Bronze-rank skeletons beside Kyle turned toward the entrance at the same time.
The dark red flames inside their empty eye sockets flared brighter.
Kyle’s gaze settled on the arm reaching through the vortex.
Beneath the skin— Black markings had already spread everywhere.