Chapter 47: Tier 2 Dungeon (part 1)

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Tier 2 Dungeon (part 1)

The dungeon had two floors, and over the years, countless adventurers had entered its depths. Some came searching for wealth. Others came to train and improve their strength. Many young adventurers considered clearing the first floor of the dungeon an important step in becoming experienced explorers.

Of course, the deeper second floor was considerably more dangerous.

The monsters there were stronger, but the traps were more complicated.

And occasionally, powerful creatures guarded valuable treasures.

At this moment, deep within the second floor of the dungeon, the sound of battle echoed through a large underground chamber.

BOOM!

A massive figure crashed into one of the stone pillars.

The entire chamber shook.

Dust fell from the ceiling as the creature slowly pushed itself back to its feet.

It was nearly three meters tall.

Its body was covered in thick gray fur, while two curved horns extended from either side of its head. Its muscular arms were far thicker than an ordinary man’s body, and in its hands, it carried an enormous iron club that looked as though it could crush a human with a single strike.

A One-Horned Ogre.

One of the mini-bosses of the second floor.

The monster released a furious roar.

"ROOOOAAAR!"

Five adventurers stood across the chamber, their weapons raised.

They were clearly exhausted.

Their armor was damaged, and several of them had visible wounds from the battle. Yet unlike inexperienced adventurers, none of them panicked when the enormous monster stood up again.

They had been fighting it for nearly twenty minutes. And they knew that they were slowly gaining the advantage.

"Marcus!"

A woman shouted from the side.

The warrior standing at the front immediately raised his shield.

The One-Horned Ogre charged. Each step caused the ground to tremble.

Marcus gritted his teeth.

"Come on!"

The ogre raised its enormous iron club, then it swung downward.

BOOOOOOM!

The club collided with Marcus’s shield.

The impact was so powerful that his entire body was forced downward. His boots slid across the stone floor, leaving deep marks behind him as pain traveled through both of his arms.

Marcus’s face immediately turned red.

"Goddammit!"

The ogre raised its club again.

Before it could attack a second time, a figure suddenly appeared behind it.

A young man carrying two short swords moved with incredible speed.

His blades flashed.

Slash!

Slash!

Blood appeared across the ogre’s back. The One-Horned Ogre roared in pain and turned around.

But the young man had already moved away.

"Now!"

The woman standing near the back immediately raised her staff.

Mana gathered around its tip.

"Fireball!"

A sphere of blazing fire shot through the air.

The ogre saw the attack.

But Marcus was still standing directly in front of it, preventing the monster from escaping.

BOOM!

The fireball struck the ogre’s shoulder.

Flames exploded.

The One-Horned Ogre staggered backward.

"Good hit!"

The final two members of the group immediately moved.

One carried a long spear, the other wielded a large two-handed sword.

They attacked simultaneously.

The spearman thrust toward the ogre’s chest while the swordsman aimed for its legs.

The One-Horned Ogre reacted quickly.

It swung its iron club.

CLANG!

The spear was knocked aside, then the monster kicked forward.

The swordsman barely managed to jump backward before the enormous foot crushed the stone floor where he had been standing.

"Careful!"

Marcus shouted.

The battle immediately became chaotic again.

The One-Horned Ogre was wounded, but that only made the creature more dangerous.

Blood flowed down its body. Its breathing had become heavier.

Yet its eyes were filled with rage. The monster roared and suddenly charged toward the mage.

The woman’s eyes widened.

"Why is it coming toward me?!"

The assassin with the twin swords immediately moved.

He stepped in front of her.

The ogre swung its club horizontally.

"Move!"

The assassin jumped backward.

The massive iron club swept past him and smashed directly into one of the stone pillars.

CRACK!

The pillar split apart, fragments of stone exploded across the chamber.

The adventurers scattered.

The One-Horned Ogre continued charging.

Its target remained the mage.

"Marcus!"

"I know!"

The shield-bearing warrior immediately ran forward.

His entire body was covered in a faint layer of energy.

He slammed his shield against the ground.

"Shield Bash!"

A burst of force exploded from his shield. The One-Horned Ogre was struck from the side.

The monster stumbled, that single moment was enough.

"Everyone!"

Marcus shouted.

"Finish it now!"

The five adventurers immediately attacked, the mage raised her staff. The assassin rushed behind the monster. The spearman lowered his body. The swordsman raised his massive blade.

For the first time since the battle began, all five attacks were perfectly coordinated.

"Fire Lance!"

A concentrated beam of fire shot from the mage’s staff. At the same time, the spearman thrust forward.

The assassin slashed toward the monster’s exposed side. Marcus charged directly toward it with his shield raised.

And the swordsman, he jumped.

The One-Horned Ogre tried to raise its iron club.

Too slow.

Marcus slammed his shield against the creature’s body.

BOOM!

The ogre lost its balance, the spear pierced into its abdomen, the assassin’s blades cut across its side, the Fire Lance exploded against its chest.

And finally, the swordsman descended from above.

"AAAHHH!"

He brought his weapon down with both hands.

SLASH!

The enormous blade cut through the One-Horned Ogre’s neck.

For a brief moment, everything became silent. The monster’s enormous body remained standing.

Then its head slowly slid from its shoulders.

Thud.

The body collapsed.

BOOOOOOM!

The entire chamber trembled. For several seconds, none of the five adventurers moved.

They simply stood there, breathing heavily.

Then Marcus slowly lowered his shield.

"...It’s dead."

The mage immediately dropped onto the ground.

"Finally."

The assassin sheathed one of his blades.

"I thought that thing was never going to die."

The swordsman sat down against a stone pillar.

His arms were shaking.

"Next time, we’re fighting something smaller."

Marcus laughed despite his exhaustion.

"You’re the one who accepted the quest."

"That was before I knew we’d be fighting an ogre."

The group gradually relaxed.

They had won.

But none of them had suffered any serious injuries.