The moment Ren and Lyra stepped back into the Dark Forest, they did not waste time.
They moved in a straight line toward the Hollowroot Domain, weapons ready but held in a way that looked ordinary. Ren carried the common longsword at his waist. Lyra held her magic wand loosely in one hand, the combat knife still hidden against her leg. Neither of them revealed their true strength.
Along the way they encountered only scattered monsters. A few brown wolves with small stones on their foreheads, several horned rabbits, and one Forest Boar that stood slightly larger than normal with oversized tusks. The boar was Level 9. It charged with surprising force, but Ren’s newly acquired basic swordsmanship allowed him to sidestep cleanly and cut across its neck while Lyra’s wind blade finished it off. By the time the dungeon entrance came into view, they had killed only seventeen monsters.
The familiar natural arch of twisted trees stood before them, green mist drifting out from the darkness beyond.
When Ren stepped closer, a blue window appeared.
**[Hollowroot Domain]**
Options:
- Teleport to Last Location
- Continue Forward
- Restart Dungeon Raid
Ren glanced at Lyra. She gave a small nod. They selected **Continue Forward**.
Before entering, Ren spoke quietly.
“From this point on we fight with sword and magic only. No guns unless the situation becomes truly dangerous. We need to look like ordinary adventurers if those spies are still watching from a distance.”
Lyra adjusted her grip on her wand. “Understood. We’ll use coordination instead of overwhelming power.”
They stepped through the arch.
The atmosphere inside the dungeon was heavier than before. The fog was thinner than during their last visit, but the density of monsters had increased. Almost immediately they encountered a pack of brown wolves. This time Ren did not draw his pistol. He moved forward with the longsword, using the basic stances he had just learned. His movements were still a little stiff, but his combat instincts filled the gaps. Lyra supported him from behind with precise wind blades and short bursts of lightning, never using more power than necessary.
Further in, they faced a family of Forest Boars — two adults and three younger ones. The adult boars were aggressive and charged in a coordinated pattern. Ren took the front, deflecting tusks with the flat of his sword and cutting at their legs to slow them down. Lyra used wind magic to disrupt their footing and lightning to finish the weakened ones. The fight was longer and more tiring than it would have been with guns, but they managed it without serious injury.
The low-level Tyrant Trees were the most troublesome. Even the juvenile ones could camouflage themselves among normal trees. Ren had to rely on careful observation and Lyra’s sharp senses to spot them before they attacked. When a Tyrant Tree revealed itself, its roots whipped forward like spears. Ren focused on cutting the roots while Lyra targeted the core with concentrated wind lances. Each battle forced them to stay mobile and communicate clearly.
Hours passed.
By the time the light inside the dungeon began to dim, signaling the approach of night, their kill count had climbed steadily. The continuous fighting without the overwhelming advantage of modern firearms left both of them physically drained. Mana fatigue showed in Lyra’s slightly slower casting, and Ren’s arms ached from repeated sword swings.
They found a large, stable tree with thick branches high above the ground and decided to rest there for the night. Ren took the first watch while Lyra slept lightly against the trunk, her wand still in her hand. Later they switched. The forest below remained restless with distant growls and the occasional sound of moving roots, but nothing attacked their elevated position.
When morning came, they continued the hunt with renewed focus.
The remaining monsters fell one after another. Wolf packs, boar groups, and the last few low-level Tyrant Trees. The difficulty lay not in any single enemy, but in the constant pressure and the need to hold back their true strength. Several times Ren’s hand twitched toward the system storage, tempted to end a fight quickly with the AK-47. Each time he stopped himself.
Finally, as the afternoon light filtered weakly through the canopy, a familiar blue window appeared before Ren’s eyes.
**[Party Mission Complete]**
Monsters Defeated: 300 / 300
**Rewards Received:**
- Party EXP ×2
- Polaris Sportsman MV850 Military ATV
- Military Instructor Knowledge
A deep wave of experience flowed into both of them. Ren felt his body grow lighter and stronger as the bonus experience settled. At the same time, a large amount of new knowledge — methods for training soldiers, formations, discipline techniques, and basic military organization — poured into his mind. The ATV itself was stored directly into the system inventory, ready to be summoned when needed.
Ren exhaled slowly.
“Mission complete.”
Lyra wiped sweat from her forehead and gave a small, tired smile. “That was harder than using your guns.”
“It was necessary,” Ren replied.
He checked Perfect Targeting. A system notice appeared.
**Perfect Targeting – Remaining active time today: 30 minutes.**
After the time limit expires, detection range and reliability will be greatly reduced until the next day.
Ren frowned slightly. From tomorrow, he would not be able to sense monsters or the spies as clearly as before.
The two of them continued deeper into the dungeon.
The path gradually widened. The fog grew thicker again, and the pressure in the air increased. After another stretch of careful walking, they arrived at a massive natural clearing surrounded by ancient trees whose trunks were covered in deep scars.
At the far end of the clearing stood a slightly giant tree, taller and thicker than the others around it. Its bark was darker, and faint green veins pulsed slowly across its surface.
Floating clearly in Ren’s vision were the words:
**[Dungeon Boss Area]**
Ren and Lyra stopped at the edge of the clearing. Both of them could feel the powerful presence waiting within that giant tree.
The real test of the Hollowroot Domain was about to begin.
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