"Brother...?"
Hershey’s worried voice and the warmth of her palm patting his shoulder brought Raive back to reality.
His face was still pale, and his forehead was covered in large beads of cold sweat, but he was fine... he should be fine.
"Phew..." He took a deep breath once again, calming his nerves.
Then, he smiled.
"Sorry to worry you, Hershey. But I’m fine." He said. "I just... saw something unpleasant."
After gently patting her head, he stood up on shaky legs and faced the others. His face serious and foreboding.
"First of all, the inside of the dungeon is a dark cave. We need a light source. Khamish, you handle our lighting."
"Got it!"
Without even asking, Khamish ran back into the house to get tools. He should be back in a minute or two.
Before then, Raive continued.
"Next, it seems like after entering, we’ll be facing monsters that lie in ambush for us upon entry. As such, Shymine, you will enter first." He commanded. "As soon as you enter, freeze everything around you. We will follow after 10 seconds have passed."
Hearing his detailed plan, Shymine nodded lightly. "I see... I’ll do my best."
She could see Raive’s pale face, so whatever it was he saw in his premonition should’ve been something scary or powerful. Such thoughts made her unconsciously tighten her fist.
"I got it!" Only when Khamish returned did she loosen up a little. "I found a few flashlights! This should work!"
"Good job."
After that, they let Shymine have a flashlight for herself.
Everyone, too, held their own flashlights. Ready to charge in whenever.
As their preparations were complete, Raive nodded toward Shymine, giving her the signal to start. The lady took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and took the plunge.
Her figure vanished instantly.
"Ten seconds! 10! 9...!"
And immediately after, Raive began his countdown.
Everyone tensed up, preparing for a fierce battle or a scary showdown.
Then, when the countdown reached zero, they jumped into the portal one after the other.
"W-WOAH!"
The result: all four of them ended up kissing the frozen cave floor.
Their flashlights slipped out of their hands, spinning while rolling away, almost like a moving lighthouse.
"Pffft!"
And the one who caused such a scene, Shymine, couldn’t help but laugh at their comical display. "W-Who told you to jump when you know you’ll be entering a frozen space?" She squeezed out between wheezes.
Seeing such a beauty laugh heartily was a sight for sore eyes, but to the ones being laughed at, it was nothing but embarrassing.
"Ugh... I let my guard down." Raive said, soothing his reddened nose.
Anyway, as he did so, he made sure to scan the surroundings once more. With all the lights everyone brought, they could see everything clearly.
Just as he had confirmed beforehand, it really was a cave. But not a limestone cave at all. More like... a mossy cave. The walls, the floor, even the ceiling were covered in thick green moss now turned to ice.
"So this is..."
And as he turned around, pointing his light forward, he finally caught sight of what had killed him previously.
It looked like a plant about three meters tall. A mix between a Venus flytrap with its rows of "teeth," and a pitcher plant with its long, pitcher-like body. However, the texture of its appearance made it look more like a creature than a plant. A rough, scaly surface.
Raive stared at those sharp teeth and trembled.
Those teeth were the ones that pierced through his body almost as if he was made out of paper. Sharp beyond reason.
"...So this dungeon’s theme is plant monsters...?" Khamish whispered in puzzlement.
"If we entered as is, with these standing right behind us..." Therese whispered, imagining what could’ve—or previously had—happened to them.
"It’s all good." Shymine stepped forward, already done with her laughing fit. "My ability is a perfect counter to them. So we should be able to proceed with the dungeon as is."
"Ah...!"
Right then, Hershey raised a worried shout.
"Sister Shymine, you’re injured!" She exclaimed.
Looking closer, she actually had a bleeding cut on her left shoulder. It wasn’t too noticeable, but seeing how much she was bleeding, it would’ve definitely been a pretty deep wound.
"Come here, sister! Let me heal you!"
Thankfully, Hershey was present.
As soon as Shymine crouched down, Hershey pressed both palms over her wound and made them glow in a faint, white light. The light lasted for about ten seconds before fading.
When Hershey removed her hands, the wound had already vanished.
Even the bloodstains on her clothes, or the cuts done to the clothes themselves, were now gone. Of course, it was everyone’s first time seeing Hershey’s skill at work. And they were all wowed by how potent it was.
With such a reassuring healer with them, everyone’s morale rose another level.
"Thank you, Hershey." Shymine smiled, patting Hershey’s head carefully. "I’m counting on you if I get injured again." She said.
"L-Leave it to me!"
The little girl, too, felt excited.
It was the first time she felt that someone was relying on her, after all.
The entire time until now, she felt nothing but a burden to everyone, after all. But now, she could proudly raise her head and claim that she’s a part of their party!
"Alright, then."
Raive spoke after seeing everyone calm down.
"Let’s start the exploration!"
From the information planted in their heads who-knows-when, the mini-trials—or dungeons—were similar to how the trial before them went. Furthermore, comparatively, the green dungeon is of equal difficulty to the trial itself.
And since the first trial was like a maze, meaning all the dungeons spread around the world right now were mazes too.
Of course, except for the mechanic that forces others to lose their lives.
With that, all Raive and the others needed to do was reach the exit at the other end alive, clearing the dungeon and gaining its rewards.
Right, it should be that simple.
"B-Brother... What’s that?"
"Hm?"
At least, until they discovered what they truly were up against.