Chapter 44: Entering dangerous territory

Chapter 44: Entering dangerous territory Thanks to the darkness and the moonless night, their pursuers could only see the outline of Elliot and Jenna. But that was enough to tell them where they had fled. "They went in." "If I’m not mistaken, we’re on the western border of the D-Rank Dungeon in Tall-Ar, right?" "Yes, sir." "We don’t know what kind of dangers lie beyond this place. But there’s probably a Rank C dungeon, right?" "Yes..." "Hehe, it looks like our work is done." "Aren’t we going to follow them?" "Going into a Rank C dungeon is always a stupid decision unless you’re a powerful Master, but they would even have some problems. We’re barely Awakened, no matter if there are 100 or 200 of us. Against Rank C beasts that can attack in mass or are amazing in one-on-one combat, we’ll always be a bunch of headless children." "So, we’ll stop here." "Will we come back?" "No, we can’t come back so soon. We’ll watch this place for a week. If they come out, we can kill them. If they don’t, then it means they’re already dead. I don’t think there’s any other way out besides this one, right?" The leader looked at his strategist as he asked this, seeking information. The man took his time to think. "According to my records, there should be two other exits, one of them at the other end of the mountains, where the forest ends. The other is a little far from here. But there is a well-known saying about these open-world dungeons: only the Masters can get out once they are inside. That is why they are commonly used to punish criminals." "Heh, perfect. Let’s avoid unnecessary fights and keep an eye on the entire border to prevent them from escaping. Once inside one of these dangerous dungeons, there’s nothing they can do." Immediately, just over 100 people began setting up camp inside a Rank D open-world dungeon. They all kept watch on the border between this dungeon and another, possibly Rank C, whose beasts were unknown. ... Elliot and Jenna had to travel quite quickly to get away from where their enemies were, but as they did so, they quickly realized that venturing into this place was not a good decision. From the start, they noticed that the aura in this area was completely different; it seemed more oppressive. In addition, they found large footprints along the way. "Orc Wizards are quite large but couldn’t leave footprints like these." "They might be Orc Warriors. Look, there seem to be footprints in the middle of those big footprints." Jenna moved closer and pointed out that there was a smaller, but still quite large, footprint in the middle of the larger ones. "I see. Orc Warriors go ahead, while Orc Wizards follow behind and, to hide their presence, step where the Orc Warriors have already stepped." "Yes..." They looked at each other momentarily and felt the hair on their bodies stand on end. Orc Warriors are the most dangerous type of Orcs for both of them at this level, but the danger increases when they team up with Orc Wizards and are smart enough to know how to hide their presence. "...I just hope they’re White-Skinned Orcs. If they’re Red-Skinned..." Elliot felt himself shudder at the thought. "We’d be dead." Jenna finished his thought, and they smiled. The division of power among some beasts is based on their skin/flesh color. This is the case with Orcs. There are white-skinned Orcs, who are the weakest. They have a power level between Rank D and Rank C. On the other hand, the Red-Skinned Orcs are already at Rank B, several levels above either of the two. Not to mention the Blue-Skinned Orcs, who are already at Rank A and sometimes even unknown because they are too powerful. Encountering a White-Skinned Orc Warrior was dangerous enough to make them tremble, so they decided to stop thinking about the existence of the Red-Skinned ones. If they found one, they might die. "Well, at least we can confirm that we’re still in a Rank D Dungeon, although with Orc Warriors, we could be approaching the limit of that rank, or it could be Rank C, but bordering on Rank D," said Jenna, trying to calm everyone down. "True." Elliot agreed. "Either way, we have no choice but to go in." He stood up and, without even looking back, began to walk into the depths of this place, with Jenna following close behind. "Do you think you can handle an Orc Warrior on your own?" she asked suddenly, causing Elliot to sigh. "I’ve never seen one, so I can’t say for sure, but maybe if I work with my summons, I could do it. What about you? Have you ever fought one?" She shook her head. "No, but I can fight them. I have a chance of winning if I do it right. But I don’t think I can handle anything else." "Oh? How do you know?" "Instinct." "Instinct?" They both looked at each other suddenly, and she smiled. "Yes, my instinct tells me I can do it." "That..." Elliot tried to question her and tell her that it was her ego talking, but the girl’s eyes seemed so determined that he was left speechless. He had never seen or heard of anyone who trusted something as basic as ’instinct’ so much. ’Is it confidence in her abilities that she confuses with instinct, or is it ego? Or is this something natural in powerful and wealthy people?’ He couldn’t know the answer, but he didn’t care. After that brief conversation, they continued on their way into the dungeon’s depths until daybreak, and then night fell again. At that point, they finally stopped to rest and lit a fire, because the cold was beginning to set in. "I didn’t think it could get this cold in a coastal city. Where I come from, the nights are warm." Jenna spoke casually as she basked in the warmth of the fire. She was the one most affected by the cold. "You’re not from around here, true?" Elliot asked, taking a bite of roasted meat. "Didn’t I tell you? I was born in Tanafler." "Tanafler?" Elliot turned to look at her in shock. "You’re from that big volcanic city?"