Chapter 58: Strange Stones

Guild Black Rose began their assault on the Dungeon the moment the gate closed behind them.

The space inside immediately swallowed the light of Dong-San City. The ground was damp, the pitch-black cliffs stretched endlessly, and the air was so heavy that every breath made their chests ache.

Yudian had only taken a few more steps when a low growl echoed from the darkness.

"Careful! Monster is coming!"

Boom!

A dark shadow lunged out, its claws tearing through the ground right in front of the formation. Right after, countless growls followed in succession. From all directions, a pack of wolf-like monsters slowly stepped into view.

Their bodies were deformed, spines jutting high, black skin covered in winding purple glowing lines. Black lightning continuously crackled around their claws and sharp fangs.

"What are those?"

A C-rank hunter stepped back half a step in fear.

Yudian frowned. His eyes immediately turned serious.

"Something’s wrong."

"What is it, hyung?" Ular asked.

"Just a few days ago, the monsters in this Dungeon were mostly spiders and reptiles. There’s no way a pack of wolf-type monsters suddenly appeared."

Wolf-type monsters only appeared in Dungeons with jungle or grassland environments, so how could they be in a cave-type Dungeon?

The nearest black wolf let out a roar, and the lightning around its body instantly erupted.

"Don’t let them surround us!" Yudian shouted. "Front line, hold them back! Mages and archers attack from behind!"

Guild Black Rose’s formation immediately shifted.

If Kei had been there, he would have recognized them instantly.

Thunder Wolf.

The monsters that Kei and the party of warriors had killed countless times in the old world. With a single sword strike from Daniel or a single arrow from Aliya, the entire pack would usually be wiped out in the blink of an eye.

But for Yudian and Ular, this was their first time facing this bizarre species.

A clap of thunder exploded in the middle of the formation.

Ular leaned aside to dodge a pounce, then swung his dagger and pierced through the wolf’s neck. Yudian simultaneously landed a heavy blow, sending two others flying into the cliff wall.

"They’re stronger than regular monsters!" Ular shouted.

"Don’t let your guard down!" Yudian replied.

After a while of fighting, the Thunder Wolf pack finally lay motionless on the ground. The black lightning around their bodies gradually faded, leaving only a thick burning smell lingering in the air.

Ular crouched down beside the corpse of one wolf.

"Let me take a look."

He used his dagger to cut open the monster’s belly, carefully searching for the energy stone. But right after, Ular’s expression changed.

"Something strange?" Hanna asked.

Ular reached into the wolf’s body and pulled out two objects.

A grayish-blue energy stone.

And a small black rock, with faint red-purple lights flickering inside as if it were breathing.

"What is this?" Ular stared at them in confusion. "Normally each monster only has one energy stone. What is this thing next to it?"

No one could answer.

If Kei were here, he would have immediately recognized it as a completely different type of material from an energy stone, something that existed in his world. But right now, none of them had the knowledge to solve this mystery.

Yudian stared at the black rock for a moment, an uneasy feeling rising in his chest.

"Leave it for now, Ular. Just store it in the spatial ring first."

Ular nodded.

He was about to place the two rocks into his spatial ring when his hand suddenly stopped mid-motion.

In Ular’s mind, Kei’s words suddenly echoed.

"Take this ring into the Dungeon, and maybe you’ll gain something you can’t even imagine."

It was just a casual piece of advice Kei had given when handing him the ring. Yet at this moment, Ular felt a chill run down his spine, as if something was subconsciously warning him.

He pulled his hand back, then handed the spoils to Yudian.

"Hyung, can you keep these for me?"

Yudian looked at his younger brother with a puzzled expression.

"Why?"

"I don’t know. I just have a feeling I shouldn’t keep them in my own space."

Yudian didn’t ask further. He took the two rocks, placed them in a separate corner within the spatial ring.

As soon as the black stone block disappeared, the red-purple light on the black rock walls of the Dungeon cave flickered.

No one in the party noticed it.

No one knew that deep underground, something had just responded to these signals.

Guild Black Rose continued to advance deeper into the Dungeon.

The further they went, the more unfamiliar the scenery became. The rock walls that were once covered with green moss had now been stained black, with faint red-purple light glimmering. Dried spider silk hung between the rock crevices, and on the ground, enormous footprints occasionally appeared that no one could identify as belonging to any creature.

Ular walked beside Yudian, finally unable to hold back and spoke up.

"Hyung, why did we suddenly enter the Dungeon?"

"What do you mean suddenly? We already had a plan."

"According to the plan, we were supposed to start the attack three months from now. We discussed it thoroughly."

Yudian was silent for a moment.

He looked ahead. The dark path seemed to have no end.

"I have a feeling that if we wait any longer, Guild Black Rose’s chances of victory will only grow slimmer."

"Just because of a feeling?"

"It’s not just a feeling." Yudian clenched his fist. "Everything is changing too fast. The Dungeon is changing too. The monsters today are not the same as what we once knew."

Ular said nothing.

Yudian continued walking, his voice lowering.

"A few days ago, Kang Ian appeared in Dong-San. Moon So Yeon also came here. And Guild Black Dragon..."

He paused for a moment.

"Black Dragon Kai is also in this city. They’ve all arrived already to wait for our loss."

Ular sighed.

He understood what that meant to Yudian.