206 - - an unexpected ambush

The underground passageway, illuminated by the light of the magic stone lamps, is barely wide enough for two people to pass through side by side.

The ceiling, however, is surprisingly high, so there is no need to worry about getting one's head caught.

The earthen walls on either side of the passage are covered with large stones, and in some places there appear to be large gouges or marks that look as if they have been dug up.

Probably the work of Kobolds, the owners of the tunnels.

Kobolds, subhumans with the heads of dogs, have the habit of collecting and storing ore.

For this reason, they carry tools for digging holes, but these tools are now being used for a completely different purpose.

A pickaxe is swung down violently and is bounced off a shield, sending sparks flying as it turns in its direction.

Sisang's hooked club, now with momentum, strikes the other side of the now empty monster.

Kobolds are struck in the temples and let out a short yelp.

Next to him, Riccardo holds off a plowshare with his crossed twin swords.

The red-haired boy shifted his attack upward and quickly kicked Kobold in the abdomen to keep him at a distance.

The monster raised his weapon again in pursuit, and an arrow from behind Riccar pierced his right eye.

"Whoa, that was a bad one!"

Startled by the arrow that grazed his cheek, the boy thrusts out his red-hot twin blades.

The kobold, his ribs burnt through his chest, dropped the digging spade from his hand with a pained expression on his face.

"But you were all right, weren't you?"

Hinck replied without a trace of apology, and let go of the bowstring he had been pulling.

The arrow pierced through the air, this time deep into the shoulder of the Kobold who was facing Sissan.

Not missing a moment when the monster flinched, the flames shot straight out and burned its face.

With the first two down, the last of the Kobolds that had been packed in behind them lowered itself and bared its fangs.

The monster, having lost its comrades in succession, suddenly shoots a white mass of fire into the air.

"Here it comes!"

Wait for me!

The parabolic ray of light went over the shieldmen's heads and aimed at Hink and Alethea, who were waiting behind them, but...

It suddenly changes direction in mid-air and returns to its original position faster than before.

While the person who had thrown the white object, who had seen it move in such an impossible manner, opened his eyes, the two vanguard members immediately ducked down on the spot.

The next moment, the white mass burst into flames.

An eardrum-pounding sound echoed through the narrow tunnel.

Sissan and the others looked up to see Kobold lying on his back with his head halfway gone.

"Well, let's get some rest."

"You're a little too loud. Too many people.

"That's good, because it increases the chance that this is the real deal.

"Look, you got burned. Let's see it.

Two hours after descending from the pit.

After retrieving the cage, the group continued to make their way through the dungeon.

The first layer of the Kobolds had already been destroyed, and the second layer was already well into the dungeon.

Although there were some disadvantageous conditions along the way to this point, such as a smaller shield than usual and a narrow space with no room for maneuvering, Sisan and his team switched to a formation in which the two vanguards were firmly packed in front of each other.

This way, even if the middle guard gained hostility early, they would not have to worry about being approached because the passage was blocked.

The two wall players will be wounded more because of their inability to move, but they can heal themselves with their characteristics and water magic.

Thanks to this, Hinck, the archer, and Eckria, the fire-user, were working more than usual.

However, this formation is still vulnerable to a total collapse if they are attacked from behind.

In particular, the tunnels of the Inukinushi are made up of many narrow passages, and the terrain is often prone to being circumvented or attacked by surprise.

The nature of the Kobolds, whose noses are sharp enough to detect intruders, also played a role in this.

However, the group had no such concerns.

"That's great, Mumu-chan!"

When Ecklie praised him, Moo lifted his nose in silence.

He lifted his nose in silence, signaling her to pat him on the head.

The Red Tail girl with a gentle smile gently touched the curly hair, and the child purred comfortably.

In her hand, she holds a string connected to a beetle.

This is a game that Riccar has taught me.

Moe gazes up in fascination at the majestic figure that sometimes flies around in the air.

At first glance, he appears to be just a little boy playing with insects, but it is no exaggeration to say that it is thanks to Moo's branch skill that he has made it this far safely.

The child easily found monsters lurking around corners or approaching from unexpected directions before they even knew they were there.

The level 9 electric search, now in its full branch, has increased not only in frequency of use, but also in range and duration, leaving no room for error.

In addition, was also set to level 9, so that even if it was inadvertently caught in an attack, it would stop the opponent's movement, providing a safety measure.

Because of this, he did not have enough points for , and was currently unavailable.

"Sora-chan is amazing, isn't she? Once again, the performance of is extraordinary. ......"

"Oh, my God, I'm so embarrassed. You praise me too much!"

The girl takes her best friend's unspoken words of praise as praise, and is honestly happy to hear it.

, which has also become a complete branch, can now change its power at will.

The effect was terrifying, as it was now possible to give back up to twice as much as before.

Unlike in the past, they are incomparably strong, especially when it comes to flying tools such as the one mentioned above.

The Kobolds in this dungeon are now armed with a variety of flying weapons.

The quick Kobold scout wielding a plow and the strong Kobold minor holding a pickaxe.

And while there was no rear guard like the goblin shaman with his dark arts, there were Kobolds with equally nasty means of attack.

His name is Kobold Bomber, and his weapon of choice is--.

"Whoa, what the hell is this?"

Riccar, who was scouting a little further down the passage, suddenly shouted loudly.

His gaze fell on what appeared to be a large room.

Sora and the others, who had stopped chatting, hurried up to take a peek.

Then they lost their voices as well.

The room was quite large, with a width and depth of more than 20 paces.

There were several pillars covered with a pale shiny moss, which allowed us to see well into the room.

However, for all its spaciousness, Kobold was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, there were white mushrooms covering the floor, walls, and pillars.

The mushrooms' umbrellas are swollen into beautiful spheres, giving them a very pretty appearance.

However, their contents are dangerous and must be handled with care.

Inside the inflated umbrella is actually a flammable gas.

The slightly protruding handle is also highly flammable.

Therefore, if the handle is set on fire and thrown, it can easily turn into an explosive device.

Hence, this mushroom was called the explosive mushroom.

And the Kobold Bomber, as we have just seen, is a master of the mushroom.

"Holy shit. ......"　

"This guy is too dangerous. Moe, you need anything?

"Nope."

The young child replies in a small voice and holds out his free hand.

Sisang smiles and places a piece of baked good in his hand.

"Mmmmmm. Hmmm...there's only one!"

"Oh, one? Is it a bomber then?"

"It's kind of tiny, but it's big.

"What's that? Where are they?"

"Over there!"

Moe points to a pile of white mushrooms, but there is no sign of them.

Riccar, sword at the ready, approaches silently, as if to lure him out.

But when he gets close to them, there is no suspicious movement.

"Hey, where are you?

As soon as he asks that question, suddenly, part of the white mountain moves with a ferocious roar.

It closes the distance in an instant, bites Riccar on the shin, and twists around.

The boy, who has been stripped of his flesh, lets out an inaudible scream and falls to his knees.

Without a moment's pause, Sissan steps in front of Riccar and raises his shield to the attacking being.

The group finally catches a clear glimpse of the monster.

It is covered with glossy white fur, making it difficult to distinguish when mixed in with the exploding mushrooms.

The size of the mushroom is about the same as that of Moo.

However, despite his small stature, his whole body was filled with a strange deadly energy.

After chewing the boy's flesh, the beast peels off its long fangs, which are lined up in rows.

Bright red blood dripped from its mouth, staining the white mushrooms at its feet red.