Chapter 156

Words : 1325 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 156: Chapter 156 Driven by curiosity, Clayton carefully examined the strange symbols, but not a single one was familiar to him. He spent some time trying to decipher them but ultimately found nothing useful. In the end, he let it go and stored the monster’s body in his dimensional space. He didn’t forget to separate out the valuable parts of the giant serpent—materials he could potentially use later. Once everything was packed, he prepared to leave, accompanied by his mini skeleton companions. Clayton didn’t rush out of the large dome. Instead, he wandered around, hoping to find a good "harvest."Despite his excitement, he remained cautious, having learned from previous encounters. Fortunately, during this exploration, he hadn’t run into anything particularly strange or dangerous. Still, the results of his harvest weren’t insignificant. Thanks to his observation entry, Clayton could easily classify various types of magical plants. Having studied alchemy recently, he now understood which plants could be combined and which couldn’t. That knowledge made the process far easier. After a full day of exploration, Clayton stopped—completely exhausted. The dome itself wasn’t enormous, but reaching every corner was no simple task. Since the area felt relatively safe—aside from the lotus flowers—and no signs of danger had appeared, Clayton decided to camp there for the night. One by one, he summoned his familiars from his dimensional storage. Dingo and Gemma rushed over excitedly, while the two small deer—one black, one white—curiously began to explore their surroundings. Seeing this, Clayton greeted his familiars warmly and got to work. He set up his tent, lit a campfire, and soon began an enjoyable evening under the dome, surrounded by his adorable companions. ... The Next Morning Clayton woke up early, as usual. He didn’t rush to pack or resume his exploration. To him, this dungeon raid had already been fruitful—he’d gained plenty of valuable resources. There was no need to push himself further or risk his life chasing uncertainty. Instead, he chose to relax and continue enjoying his time camping with his familiars. Eventually, after preparing lunch, Clayton decided it was time to leave. Thanks to the skeletons’ help, packing up was quick and efficient. Once everything was ready, he exited the dome the same way he had entered. It didn’t take long before he reached the place where he’d previously been surrounded by two groups. This time, however, Clayton didn’t open the dome immediately. He scanned the area first, searching for threats. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he cast a spell, and ripples shimmered across the dome’s surface. Clayton signaled for three of his skeletons to go first, followed by himself, with the remaining four bringing up the rear. They all exited the dome safely. Feeling the difference in the air outside the dome, Clayton took a deep breath, savoring the moment. "Huft..." But just as he began to relax, a barrage of violent attacks suddenly flew toward him. Clayton quickly dodged. Boom! Bang! The attacks missed, slamming into the ground nearby and kicking up debris. Now on high alert, Clayton scanned the area—but saw no one. Before he could determine what was going on, another volley of magical attacks came flying, even faster. He dodged again while trying to trace the source. Then, he saw something strange: it was as if an invisible ghost had conjured powerful spells midair and launched them at him. Still, Clayton didn’t panic. He calmly countered with a spell of his own. "Water Magic: Water Cannon!" Bang! A basin-sized projectile of water shot forward, slamming into something in the air. Clayton could just barely make out a translucent form—it wasn’t completely invisible and was clearly absorbing damage. Grinning, Clayton pressed the attack. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three water projectiles—one from Clayton and two from his skeletons—struck the same spot, causing the air to shimmer and distort. The outline of a structure began to take shape—a previously hidden dome. Now Clayton was sure: someone had created an invisible barrier there. His curiosity peaked. But before he could investigate further, more spells came flying toward him. He dodged again. Since the attacks were focused on a single point, Clayton used his weakened water wave technique to surf away quickly and efficiently. As he prepared to return fire with his skeletons, a group of people suddenly emerged from the transparent dome and surrounded him. They were dressed like nobles. Clayton vaguely recognized them—they were the same group that had pursued him earlier. Apparently, after failing to get inside, they had waited outside to see what would happen. Seeing Clayton alone, they scanned the area behind him suspiciously. One of them couldn’t hold back and asked: "Hey, you! Where are the others who went in with you?" Clayton immediately remembered—the others had all been killed by the giant serpent. He smirked and replied playfully: "They’re all dead. Want to join them?" To Clayton, these people had already shown themselves to be enemies. They had attacked him without mercy, so he saw no reason to be polite. The group bristled at his words, but the man who had spoken earlier quickly calmed them down. "He’s lying. I don’t sense any residual stigma on him," said the man—Marloka. The group went quiet, clearly thinking it over, then nodded in agreement. Watching it all unfold, Clayton couldn’t help but wonder,"What’s going on with them? Did they figure something out?" Once his group was under control, Marloka stepped forward and confronted Clayton with arrogant confidence: "What was inside the dome? Did you find anything valuable? If so, you’d better hand it over... or you’ll regret it." "Since you didn’t kill any of our members, we’ll let you go—but only if you obey." Now that Marloka had taken command of the remaining factions, he was eager to assert his dominance. He believed that a disciplined and obedient group was essential for securing valuable loot in the dungeon. Clayton hesitated. He didn’t know how they had figured out he hadn’t killed the others—but it didn’t really matter now. So, he chose to play along and pretend to be scared. "You’ll really let me live? Then... I’ll obey. I’ll even be your servant if that’s what you want!" The group laughed, pleased by Clayton’s submissiveness. Marloka himself looked quite satisfied. He saw potential in Clayton—very few people could enter and exit the transparent dome with such ease. If many had that ability, the dungeon would’ve been stripped clean long ago. And since Clayton hadn’t shed any of their blood, Marloka saw no reason not to take advantage. According to him, the reason Clayton had been so brave earlier was that he knew he could enter and exit the transparent dome, which made it impossible for Marloka’s group to do anything to him. To him, Clayton was just a third-star apprentice mage—low-tier and manageable. His own group had the numbers. There was no way Clayton could pull anything off. "Alright, I’ll let you join us," said Marloka. "But first, do what I told you to." Clayton acted excited. "Yes! I’ll show you right away!" He reached into his dimensional pouch and pulled out a vial of thick, dark greenish-black liquid. Its aura was strong—comparable to a mid-tier, one-star monster. Marloka’s eyes lit up. "Ha! Guess sweet-talking this kid paid off!" But just as everything seemed to be going according to plan, a wicked grin spread across Clayton’s face. "Hand it over," Marloka demanded, still smug. Clayton stepped closer. Both men smiled—but for very different reasons. Just a few steps before they met, Marloka suddenly sensed something was wrong. He glanced at the vial—and a chill ran down his spine. He tried to back away—but it was already too late. At that moment, Clayton crushed the vial in his hand, fusing the corrupted liquid with his water magic. The now-tainted spell surged outward as Clayton launched it at the group. Realization dawned on Marloka instantly. "Shit! That bastard’s trying to poison me!"

Chapter 156

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