Chương 242: B4—Chapter 21: Creaturology: Dungeon Field Guide, Part IV

The last section left in the southeast part of the city was the cassowary's territory. I could've flown to another area to gather bait, but after a moment's thought, I scrapped the idea. These birds zoomed around their entire territory, so there was no need to lure them out into the open. I found four in total. Ice Slick sent them sliding and tumbling, and a single bolt to the head finished them.

The wind guided me to four dungeon locations, and, amazingly, none of them were buried, in an unstable structure, or anything like that. Three portals of doom were affixed to the outer walls of buildings, and the fourth was, once again, like a black pool on the ground. I wrinkled my nose at the sight, remembering the disorienting sensory confusion from the angle shift last time. We entered the first dungeon in our usual formation and stopped, surprised.

The cave was relatively small, about the size of a room in an average apartment, with torches burning on the walls. Near an opening at the end of the cave stood a coal-black humanoid creature, about a meter tall, with a wrinkled face, elephant-like ears, and a crude club in hand. As soon as it saw us, it let out a warbling sound and charged, slamming into Al's shield with a clang. It flew back about half a meter from the force of its own swing. The three of us just stared at it, confused.

Rue casually walked over, slapped it with his paw, and squished it. The crystal I got from the monster was so small I almost hesitated to pick it up—it was the size of a grain of sand. We exchanged glances, shrugged, and moved on. Mahya collected the torches as we passed and stored them. At the end of the cave was another opening leading to a second chamber. Inside were three more wrinkled black creatures with elephant-like ears—two wielding crude clubs and one holding a pointy metal rod.

They acted just like the first. All three charged at us, slammed into Al's shield, and flew back from the force of their own momentum. Rue squished two, and Mahya chopped off the head of the third.

"This is the weirdest dungeon I've ever been in," I said.

"Yes, but also the easiest," Mahya replied.

"That too." The number of creatures increased in the following caves, but not the difficulty level. There were seven caves in total, and in the seventh, there were nine creatures with pointy rods. They weren't any bigger or more dangerous, just more of them. The eighth cave was the core cave, and the final guardian was the chief of this tribe. It was half a head taller and wore a crown made of teeth and bones. It also held a longer rod. When it saw us, it warbled and charged straight at Al's shield.

Rue rolled his eyes, shook his head, and squished the chief.

"This is a weird dungeon," I said again. This time, everybody agreed with me by nodding, including Rue. We touched the core and received 50 gold coins. I looked at the coins and asked, "How does it make any sense? The bone dungeon with the crazy exploding bones gave ten gold coins, and this walk in the park gives fifty? What am I missing here?"

"Nothing," Mahya said.

"It's dungeon logic. Don't try to understand it." I looked at Al, but he shook his head and shrugged.

"I am confused like you." I pulled out my core, but Mahya put her hand on mine, stopping me.

"What?" I asked.

"It's an easy dungeon with a good reward. I want to run it a few more times."

"I thought you only get a good reward the first time," I said.

"That's true. But if we got fifty gold the first time, the next runs will still give us twenty or thirty. It's worth an hour's work." I couldn't argue with her logic. Since the first dungeon was so fast, about an hour, we tackled the next one right after it. The portal of doom opened up into a vast, barren plain. The sky overhead was an ominous gray, with low-hanging clouds that seemed to swallow the light.

There was no cover, nowhere to hide—just endless flatlands, with massive, feathered creatures zooming in the horizon. Our cassowary friends, or as Mahya called them, "murder ostriches." Luckily, we already had a proven method and a plan for handling them. Mahya jumped on my back, hugging my waist with her legs, and Al jumped on Rue. Again, we used the same method as with the rhinos. I channeled mana into Ice Slick scrolls and tore them, Al channeled into the second set, and Rue tore them with telekinesis.

The only difference was that now they shot the birds with guns, not bolts. Mindful of Rue's ears, Al fitted a silencer to the rifle. I said nothing, but I thought it was unnecessary—at least judging by how loud Rue enjoyed hearing gunshots on TV. After Mahya shot the first bird, I said, "The silencer is a good idea. My ears are ringing." She laughed and fit a silencer on her rifle. The area of this dungeon was large, over ten square kilometers, with several hundred birds.

It took us a few hours to clear it, and unfortunately, we couldn't turn the monsters into crystals. Going down was life-threatening. Besides being fast, they also had short, creepy arms with long claws. While the head cassowary was three times larger and much faster, it still tumbled on the ice like its smaller brothers. The only difference was that it took around ten shots to finish it, instead of one or two. The reward we got from the core was a bundle of feathers.

I looked at the bundle, clueless about what to do with it. Judging by Al and Mahya's expressions, they didn't know either. Rue handed me his bundle and announced,"John trade Rue something good."

"No problem, buddy. I'll find something interesting for you. Maybe a piece of smoked sirloin? What do you say?" He extended his paw for a handshake and said,"Deal!" After a day's rest, we tackled the next dungeon. The chill in the air grew sharper as we stepped inside, the last rays of sunlight fading as darkness swallowed us. The air was damp and musty, with a faint scent of decay mixed with something more primal—like fur and musk. It felt like we had entered the den of something that didn't want us there.

Mahya and I cast our light balls and looked around. We stood in a dug-out cave, clumps of dirt scattered across the ground, with roots poking out from the walls.

"Anyone else feels like this place is worse than it looks?" Al muttered, tapping nervously on his leg, his shield already up. Mahya, leading the way with her rifle at the ready, glanced back.

"Stay sharp. We don't know what's waiting for us." Rue padded alongside me, his large form tense, nose twitching as he sniffed the air.

"Rue smell big evil monsters. Rue not like smell."

"Neither do I, buddy," I said, keeping my hands ready and prepared to cast at the first sign of trouble.

"Let's keep it slow and steady." We hadn't gone far when the sound reached us—faint rustling, followed by the unmistakable clicking of something moving in the dark. The shadows seemed to press on us, my light barely cutting through. And then, in the corner of my vision, I saw them. At first glance, they looked like wolves—large, fur-covered creatures prowling with eerie grace.

But their eyes gleamed with too much intelligence, and as they opened their mouths, rows of sharp, insect-like mandibles peeked from beneath their fur. The sight made my skin crawl.

"Those aren't normal," Mahya said, keeping her rifle steady.

"And there's more than just a few." One of them lunged forward, shooting a thick strand of webbing from its mouth. It caught Al in the chest, knocking him back against the wall.

"Ah, hell!" Al cursed, struggling to pull the sticky mass off him.

"It's like glue!" I stepped forward, hands crackling with energy. Before I could cast, another web shot toward me, and I barely dodged it, the sticky mess splattering onto the ground beside me.

"Stay back!" I shouted.

"They've got spider traits—keep your distance!" Mahya moved in, firing at one creature, but when the bullets didn't pierce its thick hide, she cursed under her breath and switched to her sword. As she moved closer, another web hit her arm, sticking painfully to her armor.

"Damn it! This stuff is pulling my skin off!" More creatures emerged from the shadows, eyes glowing as they circled us. I had to act fast. Raising my hands, I summoned a surge of lightning. The creatures screeched and some of them collapsed, but others quickly recovered, preparing to shoot more webs. Al had freed himself, drawing his sword and fighting alongside Mahya. She slashed at the creatures with her blade, but even she struggled with the sticky webs tangling around her legs.

I let loose a bolt of lightning, the crackling energy striking one creature directly, sending it reeling back.

"We need to hit them from a distance!" I called out, launching another bolt at a second target.

"These webs are too dangerous!" Rue darted forward, avoiding the webs as he clamped his teeth on one creature, shaking it violently before tossing it aside. The fight raged on as we made slow progress through the tunnel, but the creatures kept coming, crawling out of every hidden crack and corner. The surrounding walls were thick with webbing, making it harder to move freely. By the time we reached the end of the first floor, my arms ached from casting, and the constant yanking of webs had left my skin raw.

Mahya's armor was torn, and Al's hands were bleeding from where the webbing had ripped at his skin. The floor guardian was bigger and shot webs farther, but it didn't have any new tricks. It took us about fifteen minutes to finish it—not because it was more durable, but because we had trouble getting close enough.

"This place is a nightmare," Al said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"And we're only halfway through," Mahya replied grimly. I healed all of us and tried to remove the webbing with a Clean spell. It didn't work.

"I think Aggressive Clean might do it."

"I'll pass," Mahya said.

"I'll consider it if we have no other choice," Al replied. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Rue let me cast it. The spell did remove all the webbing—and some fur—but Rue didn't mind and licked my cheek in thanks. We descended to the second floor. The air was colder here, the webs thicker. The creatures had changed—bigger, with darker fur, and their webs were even more potent. One shot a web at Rue, catching his leg.

He tore it off with a snarl, but some of his fur came with it, leaving raw, red skin beneath.

"Hurt hurt hurt," Rue whined.

"I'll heal you once we're clear," I promised, sending a bolt of lightning at the creature. The hit landed, but it shot another web at us before it fell. Al and Mahya were both getting tangled in the webs, their movements slowing as they tried to fend off the creatures.

"We need to end this now," I said, my voice tight.

"They're not giving us any room." The next web caught me in the chest. I tried to tear it off, but the more I pulled, the worse it stuck pulling painfully at my skin.

"John!" Mahya shouted, slashing through a creature as she made her way toward me.

"Hold on!" I cast Aggressive Clean, which stripped away the webs—and some skin.

"I'm good," I called out.

"Let's finish this." We entered the last chamber, where the largest creature stood waiting, surrounded by thick curtains of webbing. Its black fur clumped together, and cold malice gleamed in its eyes. This had to be the dungeon guardian. The walls shook as more creatures swarmed from the shadows.

"Take the small ones first!" Mahya yelled. I cast red lightning, the webs ignited, and the creatures shrieked. Mahya and Al fought side by side, cutting down the smaller creatures, while Rue tore through the rest. I focused on the guardian, unleashing a bolt of red lightning that hit it square in the chest. It screeched, staggering, but it wasn't down yet. Another bolt surged from my hands, striking the creature with everything I had. It convulsed, shuddering as the magic coursed through its body.

With a final screech, it collapsed. The room fell quiet.

"We did it," Mahya said, lowering her sword, panting. Al leaned against the wall, his hands raw from the webs, panting. Rue padded over to me, his fur singed but otherwise unharmed.

"Webs bad. Rue hate webs." I grinned, patting him on the head.

"Yeah, webs suck." We touched the core, and each of us received ten square meters of spider silk. Mahya and Al smiled, and Mahya said, "Don't touch the dungeon or the core. We're going to run it again and again."

"Why?" I asked.

"Spider silk is rare and valuable. It's excellent for light armor and offers some protection against magic. Not much, but still worth it," Mahya explained. As we retraced our steps to the exit, an idea hit me. I cast Blazing Orb, the tiny sphere—less than two centimeters across—flared to life and ignited the webs, clearing the passage effortlessly. We hadn't dared to use it against the rhinos earlier, thinking it was too small to make a difference, but for these webs, it was perfect.

Al followed my lead, and we made much quicker progress with the webs burning away. But halfway through the first floor, he suddenly stopped, his eyes glazing over, his focus elsewhere. I felt a change in the mana around us. At first, it was barely noticeable, just a faint ripple. But then, the sensation intensified. The mana was gathering, thickening in waves that seemed to swirl through the air. It was being drawn in and concentrated, like all the energy in the area was zeroing in on one spot.

My gaze snapped to Al. Mana swirled around him, almost tangible, before it surged and rushed into his body with a force that made my breath catch. It was like watching the air itself bend to his will. A moment later, Al let out a triumphant shout.

"Finally!" Mahya, looking concerned but curious, asked, "What happened?" Al's grin was so wide, it looked like it might split his face.

"I received the mage class—without cost." I couldn't help but laugh, clapping him on the back.

"Congrats, man. That's huge." Mahya hugged him tightly, and even though I felt a little drained from the whole experience, I couldn't deny the sense of accomplishment that washed over me. It had been a profitable run, after all. After a day's rest, we were ready for the next one. The dungeon entrance looked like a pool of ink just sitting on the ground, perfectly still. We had to jump in feet first. I glanced at the others, then at Rue, who was sniffing the edge suspiciously.

"Come on, buddy," I said before taking the plunge. The second my feet hit the surface, it felt like gravity flipped upside down. My stomach dropped, and for a few seconds, I had no idea which way was up. Behind me, I heard Rue make a confused yelp as he followed, and for a moment, we were all just falling and floating, the world spinning while my body tried to figure out what was happening. The air felt thick, like we were swimming through it.

By the time I passed through the other side, I stumbled, head swimming, not sure if I was standing straight or about to fall over. Mahya landed next to me, holding her head, and Al shook his arms out, trying to shake off the vertigo. Rue tumbled in after us, shaking himself off as if he'd just jumped in a lake. I gave him a pat as he looked up, wide-eyed and disoriented. I glanced back, and instead of the weird pool, there was now a massive stone archway behind us, like something out of an old ruin.

Nothing left of the pool we'd jumped into. The air here felt heavy, pressing against my skin, and everything was dead quiet. No creatures, no sounds—just silence. Even the faint breeze we'd heard before was gone. Rue growled softly, ears pinned back like he didn't trust the place either. It felt like we were being watched, but by what? I had no idea. We stood there for at least five minutes, all of us shaking our heads, trying to get rid of that disorienting feeling.

When I finally felt stable enough, I looked around. We were in the middle of a dense jungle—so thick I couldn't even see a path forward, and I doubted a machete would do much good cutting through it. The trees packed tightly together, with vines and thick undergrowth blocking every route. Rue sniffed the air, his nose wrinkling as he padded around in circles, clearly as confused as we were.

"Something's wrong," Mahya muttered, scanning the surroundings with her rifle ready.

"There's usually some resistance by now." Al stood behind her, sword and shield in hand, his fingers tapping nervously on his leg.

"No monsters, but this place feels... alive." Rue padded beside me, his large form tense, nose twitching." Bad smell. Plants not normal. Rue feel it."

"I get the feeling we're about to find out why," I said. We walked around the clearing, looking for a way through the vegetation. The first sign of trouble hit when Mahya brushed against a vine. It snapped to life, coiling around her arm with a strength that made her tilt forward and almost fall.

"Get it off me," she growled, tugging her arm. I shot a quick bolt of lightning at the vine, sending it recoiling with a sharp hiss. It slithered back into the shadows.

"It seems that the plants here aren't welcoming to visitors," Al whispered as he nervously scanned his surroundings. We found a passage and moved further in. The plants became denser, and the air was thick with humidity. Giant, colorful flowers dotted the landscape, but their unnatural shimmer made my skin crawl. As we passed one, it snapped shut with a loud clap, like a predator.

"Carnivorous plants," Mahya said.

"Just great." Ahead, vines crisscrossed the path like coiled snakes, ready to spring. Every step felt like a trap, just waiting to snap. Rue let out a low growl." Big plants. Mean." I turned and spotted a massive tree in the clearing. Its trunk was thick and twisted, but this wasn't just any ordinary tree. Its roots were shifting, digging into the ground like they had a mind of their own, and it had gross, fleshy pods dangling from the branches, pulsing like they were alive.

As we got closer, one pod split open, and a sticky green goop oozed out, sizzling as it hit the ground.

"Acid!" I called. We all jumped back - we learned our lesson with acid. Thick vines shot out from the tree, whipping toward us with surprising speed. Mahya quickly sliced through one vine, but more kept coming, writhing like tentacles. I barely had time to cast a shield spell before a vine came at my chest. The impact rattled the barrier, but it held long enough for me to send a lightning bolt into the tree. Flames licked at the bark, but the tree didn't even flinch.

Instead, more pods started swelling and bursting, raining acid down.

"We need to take out the roots!" I shouted, dodging as acid splattered dangerously close. Mahya was already ahead of me, cutting through the attacking vines as she charged toward the base of the tree. Al stayed back, casting fire orbs at the pods. I cast Aggressive Clean to get rid of the fumes. When Mahya reached the roots, she swung her sword in a wide arc, slicing through one of the thick tendrils. The tree let out this low groan, and for a second, the vines hesitated.

"That's it!" I yelled, gathering mana for red lightning.

"Go for the roots!" Rue needed no more encouragement. He charged forward, sinking his teeth into one of the exposed roots. He tore it right out of the ground with a firm yank, and the whole tree shook. The vines lashed out in every direction, but they were weakening.

"Clear out!" I shouted, blasting a massive bolt of red lightning straight into the tree's trunk. The air crackled, and the tree convulsed, its branches shuddering under the force. With one last swing from Mahya, the last root was severed, and the tree collapsed, its branches wilting and pods shriveling up. We stood there for a moment, catching our breath.

"That was... intense," Mahya said, wiping sweat from her brow.

"I'm done with plants for a while." Al chuckled, lowering his sword.

"Me too."

"Uh, guys," I said, glancing around.

"What about the rest of the plants? If we leave them, we won't be able to touch the core. Or am I wrong?" Mahya sighed.

"I know. I was just dreaming for a minute."

"I have an idea," Al said.

"But Rue would have to leave."

"No!" Rue protested.

"Rue protect John!"

"Hear me out," Al said, turning to Rue.

"We can burn all the plants, but the smoke will be dangerous. We've got gas masks, but you don't. We'll be fine if we stay away from the plants, cast Blazing Orb, or even use scrolls. But the smoke would be bad for you." Rue huffed, clearly not happy. I could feel waves of his dissatisfaction through our bond. But after a long pause, he sighed and nodded, even though it was obvious he wasn't thrilled about it. We escorted Rue to the dungeon entrance, and he looked me in the eye and said,"John careful!

John not do anything stupid." I scratched his ears.

"I promise to be careful. Don't worry, we'll be out shortly." As soon as Rue disappeared from view, we slipped on our gas masks, the rubber tight against my skin. The air grew thick with the acrid scent of burning plants as we set to work, flames licking up the walls of vegetation. The crackling fire danced ahead of us, devouring vines and shrubs, but sometimes it got too close. Mahya yelled a warning and quickly tore a Frostbite scroll, sending a chill across the ground to stop the fire from creeping toward us.

We had to do it a few times; the flames were always eager to get out of control, but we kept them in check. During our progress, we stumbled upon three more murderous trees, their branches twisted like claws. We burned them from a distance, and once they were on their last leg—or root, in this case—Mahya and Al moved in with their swords, severing the roots. During our exploration, we also came across peculiar shrubs that flung vines at us, but the flames consumed them before they could strike.

Al swung his sword, cutting through the last of the burning vines, while Mahya sliced down the final thick vine before it could latch onto her. The air was thick with the smell of scorched wood. Fire and plants—definitely not a good mix for them. In the center of the dungeon, we reached the final guardian. It was a massive murder tree, twice as large as the others, its bark blackened and gnarled. Acid pods shot from its branches with terrifying precision, sizzling against the stone floor.

One exploded near me, spraying vapor, and I had to throw up a shield in time to block the next one. My heart pounded as I alternated between blasting it with red lightning and casting Aggressive Clean to wipe away the burning acid and fumes. The battle dragged on, the air alive with the crackle of lightning and the tree's shrieks as it fought back. My mana drained quickly, each spell pulling from my mana reserves. My hands trembled from the effort, and the acidic mist stung my eyes, even through the mask.

After ten grueling minutes, with less than 500 mana left, the giant tree finally groaned, its roots buckling. Mahya and Al rushed in, severing the roots with their swords. The blackened trunk shuddered one last time before crashing to the ground, the acid pods shriveling and falling harmlessly. I lowered my shield, breathing hard, as the smoke cleared. The tree was down. We touched the core and got scrolls.

Bramble Shield A defensive spell that conjures a temporary barrier of tightly woven thorny branches around the caster or an ally. The shield absorbs a modest amount of damage and inflicts minor harm on enemies that strike it. However, the shield is fragile and breaks under sustained attacks, making it best suited for short-term defense. It wasn't a great reward, but hey, spells were always nice. Al wandered around the dungeon with a morose expression.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I know I suggested burning it all, and it was the right decision. But the plants here were perfect for potions."

"We can run it again," Mahya suggested.

"Next time will be easier, and you can collect what you need." Al smiled.

"Thank you." We left the dungeon through the portal, and it was just as unpleasant as going in. I stepped through the stone archway, and the instant I crossed the threshold, the world twisted. Gravity seemed to flip upside down again, and my stomach dropped as I plunged toward the portal on the ground. The surface rippled like water as I hit it, and for a few disorienting seconds, I felt like I was falling and floating simultaneously.

When I finally passed through, I had to pull myself out of the portal, scrambling to find solid ground. My head spun, and I wasn't sure if I was upright or about to topple over. Glancing back, the pool of shimmering darkness lay there, still and unassuming. It took me a couple of minutes to stop shaking my head, trying to get rid of the lingering dizziness. Rue nudged my cheek with his nose and asked,"Why not take core?"

"Al wants to harvest plants," I explained. Rue huffed in response, then plopped his head on my lap, clearly waiting for an ear scratch. I obliged, running my fingers through his fur with a grin. We finished the city section we'd cleared of monsters. I didn't really want to keep dungeon running—I was tired of fighting all the time—but I kept quiet for now. Mahya and Al wanted to re-run three dungeons, so I chose to wait until they finished before speaking up.