Volume 3: Chapter 5 - Irregular
The exploration for Valkyries was going too well.
It was no wonder since half of the six members had already been through more than 50 floors.
Moreover, the new members had also been strengthened with Exp crystals, skill orbs, and equipment, so it would have been strange for them to have a hard time.
Even so, they proceeded with their exploration without haste and reached the 21st Floor in about 10 days.
「The atmosphere changes quite a bit, doesn't it?」
Erina muttered as they walked through the dimly lit cave-like area.
From the first floor to the 20th floor, there was a series of areas that recreated nature, such as forests and grasslands.
Of course, Erina had been informed of this in advance, but the sudden change in scenery caused her words to leak out unexpectedly.
「In the meantime, let's use the transfer circle on this floor to get back to the ground.」
Souka suggested.
The group had pushed themselves a little too hard that day and had been exploring for a long time.
As a result, each of them was quite tired, and they had run out of potions and other consumables.
Shinobu, playing the role of Scout, led the way, followed by Erina, who played the role of Tank.
Yae, the vanguard, and Yumi and Yui, the rear guard, was walking in a line, with Souka in last place.
「Ehhh, I think we can go a little further, don't you think?」
Yae objected to Souka's suggestion.
「No, we must not push ourselves too hard.」
Still, Souka rejected Yae's suggestion.
Although this floor where there was of little danger for the old members, it was a greater burden than expected to spend long hours exploring while covering for the new members.
Souka, in particular, is always watching the entire group, so she knows how tired not only herself but also the other members.
「If nothing happens, we could go one or two more levels, but you never know what might happen in dungeon exploration, after all.」
「If Souka says so, then we have no choice.」
Yae shrugged her shoulders but continued on her way without further expression of dissatisfaction.
After walking for a while, Shinobu raised her hand and stopped.
「From over there, the enemy」
Shinobu said, pointing to the end of the gently curving pathway.
「We will intercept them.」
Souka said, and Shinobu quickly stepped back, while Erina stepped forward to replace her, her shield at the ready.
Yae takes a step back and draws her sword, and Souka advances to a position alongside her.
Behind her, Yumi and Yui readied their bows and arrows and staffs, respectively.
As soon as the formation was formed, enemies appeared from the shadows of the passageway.
It was a mixed unit of three Lizardmen and three Cave Hounds.
「Grrr ......」
Cave Hounds are dog-shaped monsters that appear from this floor.
They have a keen sense of smell and had been ambushing Souka and her party members, but when they learned that they had been noticed, they seemed to come forward.
Lizardmen also appeared on the ground, but they were better equipped than the previous ones.
All individuals were wearing solid weapons and armor.
「Come at me!」
Erina shouted, smashing her shield with her mace.
With that sound as a start, three Cave Hounds jumped at her at once.
「Erina, Archer!」
Shinobu shouted behind her, and at the same time, one of the lizardmen fired an arrow. Erina read the line of fire and readied her shield.
――Clang!
She successfully blocked the arrow, but the Cave Hound pounced on her shortly thereafter.
Erina was hit from three directions at the same time, from the front and from the left and right, and she took a large step forward with her shield at the ready.
「Gyaannn!」
The frontal individual that attempted to jump over the shield and attack from above was stepped on before it could gain sufficient height and struck the surface of the shield
「Haaah!」
「Gyabuu......」
At the same time, Erina swung her mace down and crushed the head of the individual coming from the right.
「Gyawuuu......!」
The individual that attacked from the left was pierced by Souka's spear.
Erina ignored it because she knew Souka was going to cover her.
「Come on, come one, here I go!」
Yae rushes into the Lizardmen, who were bracing themselves as the Cave Hounds in the vanguard were easily wiped out.
「Shaaa ......!?」
The lizardman was equipped with a sword and shield but was cut down by Yae without exchanging a single blow.
「Well then, this one――」
Yae immediately turned around and confronted a spear-carrying lizardman that was nearby.
「――Oh?」
However, immediately after that, that individual was shot between the eyes with an arrow and fell down.
And the remaining Lizardman with a bow was burned to death by the flames that Yui had unleashed.
「Hmmm, it was going to be a piece of cake, after all」
It was the first battle after the area change, but the Valkyries were victorious without a hitch.
After that, Valkyries' exploration proceeded without problems.
「Everyone, stop」
At a place where they were almost at the transfer circle, Shinobu stopped with a grim expression on her face.
「Shinobu, what's wrong?」
「...... this feeling, maybe, irregular」
At her words, everyone gasped.
Irregular is a phenomenon in which monsters from different floors suddenly appear.
Shinobu can detect it from the slightest disturbance in space.
「Irregulars, huh ......」
Souka also looked at everyone with a grim expression on her face.
Although Shinobu and Yae still had some energy left, the remaining three seemed to be quite tired.
Yui, in particular, had used little more magic because the end of the exploration was near, and her remaining MP must be quite low.
「Shinobu, can you escape?」
「No problem.」
「Then, please do it.」
At Souka's words, Shinobu nodded and started running as if she were flying, disappearing into the depths of the dungeon.
First, she would head for the transfer zone, then return and inform the guild of the presence of the irregulars.
「All right, we're turning around. Hurry up.」
With Shinobu gone, there is no way to know when the irregulars will appear.
Therefore, they need to leave this place and go back as soon as possible.
Fortunately, there are only a few forks on this floor, so if they return while raising their voices, they will be able to avoid involving other explorers.
With this in mind, Souka tried to turn back with the members, but...
「Haah, are you kidding me? Why don't we just kill the irregulars that appear on this floor?」
Yae, however, disagreed with Souka's opinion and started walking toward the back.
「Yae! Don't say stupid things」
Sure Yae and Souka could defeat the irregulars that appeared on this floor.
But now, there was no Shinobu, and because of that, they did not know when and where the enemy would appear.
「Sheesh, Souka was being a little too cautious. If you keep on like that, we'll never fully conquer the dungeon――」
Yae turned around and shrugged her shoulders in disgust, and right behind her, the space distorted.
「Yae!!」
「――What?」
Startled by Souka's screams and the sudden appearance of a terrifying presence, Yae tried to duck in a panic but was blown away and slammed into a wall before she could prepare herself.
「......Ughh......Aaghhh......*Cough*......*Cough*......!」
Yae, leaning limply against the wall, spits out a large amount of blood.
「VUMOOOOOOOoooooooo!!!!」
And then the monster that appears lets out a scream.
It was a giant, half man, half bull.
「Are you fucking kidding me ...... Minotaur?」
It was the Minotaur, a monster that appeared in the labyrinth area 20 floors further than here.
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