Chapter 231 – A Confirmed Pattern

Chapter 231

A Confirmed Pattern

Date : Day 16 of Deepwinter 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

The morning began early at Wyvern Street Manor.

The day to begin their next dungeon dive finally arrived. After six days of rest, Freedom Party naturally slipped back into the routine they had already become familiar with.

Once they finished eating, Freedom Party checked their equipment one more time.

Jackey's leather armor had finally been repaired after the damage it suffered during the Guardian battle. He pulled at one of the straps, making sure it sat firmly against his body, then checked the weapon hanging at his hip.

His new Blackmaw Tomahawk had replaced the Flying Kite Axe. The heavy tomahawk rested securely against his side, its dark metal catching the morning light whenever Jackey moved.

Hyoren also made sure his own equipment was ready.

His weapons and shield were secured inside his Ring of Arsenal, his Mithril-alloy chainmail was properly fastened, and his new gold dagger-shaped Null Earring rested against his left ear. Whenever he moved his head, the small earring gave a faint metallic clink.

He briefly touched it.

The sound and the feeling were still alien to him, but after wearing it for several days, he started to grow accustomed to it.

Elise had also returned to her usual adventurer's equipment.

After recovering completely from her illness, she once again wore her Aerostag Leather Armor. Her silver hair was tied into its familiar ponytail, and Moonveil Bow rested beside her with its quiver secured properly.

She looked much healthier than she had only a few days earlier. There was no trace of the cold that had kept her in bed.

Arianna was similarly prepared.

Her purple robe was neatly arranged, her wide-brimmed hat sat properly on her crimson hair, and Quadraflux Weaver was ready in her hands.

Finally, it was time to leave.

Lena and Vina accompanied them to the entrance.

Ina was there as well, seeing them off before returning to her own duties as Vice Guild Master.

The cold immediately greeted them when they stepped outside.

Snow covered the streets of Akela, reflecting the pale winter light. The air was sharp enough that every breath carried a faint chill through the nose and throat.

Lena adjusted her clothes against the cold before looking over the group.

“Take care out there, everyone.”

Vina waved enthusiastically.

“Good luck in the dungeon!”

Ina smiled at them.

“Don't push yourselves too hard. And remember to come back within nine to ten days...”

Jackey raised one hand confidently.

“DON'T WORRY! WE'LL BE FINE!”

Hyoren gave a small smile.

“We'll be careful.”

Elise tucked a strand of her silver hair behind her pointed ears.

“Please take care of the manor for us.”

Arianna bowed slightly, then she fixed her wide-brimmed hat.

“Everyone, we are leaving.”

After a final farewell, Freedom Party started walking through the streets of Akela.

Not long after, they arrived at the North Gate.

One of the old guards checked their identity before they left.

“Freedom Party, working hard despite the weather huh?”

Hyoren took the card back.

“The house won't fund itself. We need to work. And inside the dungeon would be warmer anyway. Haha.”

The guard smiled.

“That's true… Definitely better than standing guard here under the snowfall.”

Everyone laughed.

They then went to board the carriage after they bought the tickets. The carriage service made the long journey toward Dungeon Town considerably more bearable.

The road itself was far from comfortable.

Deepwinter had covered the countryside in snow, and the wheels occasionally sank into softer patches along the road. The horses had to pull harder than usual, their breath forming white clouds in the freezing air.

Inside the carriage, however, the situation was much better.

The enclosed cabin protected them from most of the wind, and the steady rocking of the carriage made the long journey easier to endure.

The familiar landscape slowly changed as they traveled farther from Akela.

Eventually, Dungeon Town came into view.

The settlement was already active despite the cold.

Adventurers moved through the streets wearing thick winter clothing, while merchants and workers went about their morning routines. The town existed largely because of the dungeon, and even Deepwinter could not completely suppress that activity.

Freedom Party did not waste much time.

They headed straight toward the Adventurer's Guild branch.

Inside, the warmth was immediately noticeable.

Freedom Party approached one of the counters. Sherly, the bespectacled guild clerk recognized them almost immediately.

Her eyes moved across the group before settling on Hyoren. She smiled widely.

“Welcome back, Freedom Party. Going to do pioneering again?”

Hyoren smiled back at her.

“That’s right, Sherly. We're here to register for the Dungeon Exploration Quest.”

Sherly adjusted her glasses and pulled the necessary documents toward herself.

“Understood. I'll process the registration.”

The procedure was familiar by now.

Names were confirmed. The party's information was checked. Their dungeon exploration quest was registered.

Not long after, she gave the card back.

Hyoren took their card.

“Thank you, Sherly.”

He put the card back in his storage bag.

“By the way, how's the state of the dungeon? Are there any other parties successfully catching up to us?”

Sherly shook her head.

“Sadly no, both Shining Force and Unbreakable Will successfully cleared their Floor Two Guardian, but they were blocked by a massive horde on Floor three.”

Hyoren nodded in understanding.

“I see. Those hordes once gave us much trouble too.”

He smiled.

“Anyway, thanks again.”

Sherly bowed slightly as the four of them left her counter.

“May the fortune always be with you, Freedom Party. Good luck on the Floor Four dive.”

Freedom Party quickly crossed the Dungeon town to reach the dungeon entrance.

Hyoren looked toward the Archway.  The structure loomed above them. Pale blue runes pulsed across the structure rhythmically. His hand reached forward and placed his hands against the cool solid surface at the center of the Archway.

And immediately—that familiar contemptuous voice echoed directly inside his mind. A psychic sneer filled with amusement and malice. Demon God Gidol's oily voice mocked them again.

So... Pretend heroes wish to enter my playground again? Then enter and enjoy your death! Xixixi...

Hyoren answered calmly inside his mind.

Yes.

The world instantly dissolved. Then solid ground returned beneath their feet. 

The Starting Room was packed with adventurers, but Freedom Party ignored them. Instead, they went to the center of the room to touch the teleport Orb. Without hesitation, Hyoren placed his hand upon the swirling crimson orb.

Hyoren thought in his mind.

Floor four.

The moment the thought formed—the familiar sensation of teleportation washed over them once again.

Hyoren  turned toward his companions.

“Okay.”

He smiled slightly.

“Elise. Jackey. Arianna. We're on the Fourth Floor.”

He looked at them.

“A new floor. Let's proceed carefully. No rushing. No unnecessary risks.”

He paused before turning specifically toward Jackey.

“And don't be reckless, okay? Jackey?”

Jackey immediately nodded. His head bobbed energetically before giving an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

“Roger that, Big Bro!”

Hyoren smiled. He glanced briefly towards the shimmering portal—the entrance to the dungeon proper.

“Good. Now, let’s see if my theory about this dungeon is right.”

Arianna smiled.

“Based on your theory, this even numbered floor would be filled with elite enemies instead of hordes of weak monsters, right, Leader?”

Hyoren nodded.

“Exactly. We faced hordes on the third floor. So if the pattern still held, this floor would have elite enemies.

Jackey grinned.

“I can't help to whack strong skulkers! WOHOO”

Elise giggled.

“Just make sure you are not taking any arrows, okay, Jackey?”

Jackey scratched his cheek.

“I’ll try…”

Everyone laughed.

Hyoren gripped his Steel Kite Shield tighter. He gazed at his party members one by one.

“Okay then, enough talking. Let's move. Toward the fourth floor of Akela Dungeon.”

Without another word, the Freedom Party began walking.

Step by step, they approached the shimmering gate. Toward the dungeon proper. Toward another unexplored floor. And once again—they would become pioneers.

 ***

Freedom Party entered the shimmering gate.

They stepped into the familiar labyrinth structure once again. The stone walls. The pale blue glow of magic lamps attached to the ceiling. The general atmosphere. Everything was almost identical to the floors they had explored before.

As they began to walk, Elise took the lead.

Her attention remained focused on the labyrinth ahead. Her Trap Dismantling skill activated to see whether there was a trap or not. Her Mapping skill automatically updated the layout as they continued forward.

But just one step towards the corridor, Elise suddenly stopped. Everyone behind her stopped as well.

Hyoren tilted his head.

“What is it, Elise?”

Elise frowned. She looked toward the corridor ahead before turning back toward everyone.

“That’s strange…”

Hyoren and the others looked down the corridor. Everything appeared normal.

“What’s strange, Elise?”

He looked around the corridor.

“The corridor and the labyrinth look the same as before.”

He paused briefly.

“Or is this floor even bigger than the massive Third Floor?”

Jackey placed his axe over his shoulder.

“Really? Bigger than Third Floor? That’s annoying…”

Arianna nodded.

“Yeah… The Third Floor already made us dive for a total of 20 days.”

She looked down the corridor.

“If this floor is even bigger, it’ll take a month before we actually clear it…”

Elise’s eyebrows furrowed.

She tightened her grip around Moonveil Bow. Then she slowly shook her head.

“It’s the opposite, everyone…”

Elise looked toward the map being created through her Mapping skill.

“This floor is small compared to the massive Third Floor.”

She paused.

“It’s roughly the same size as Second Floor.”

Jackey nodded.

“That’s normal, Elise! No need to get worked up!”

Jackey had already experienced diving through multiple dungeons. From his experience, a dungeon floor suddenly becoming smaller wasn’t necessarily strange.

Arianna smiled. She adjusted her robe slightly.

“Jackey is right.”

She looked toward the corridor.

“Higher floors don’t always mean bigger floors. A dungeon’s design is about the challenge, not just its size.”

Arianna paused.

“It’s rare, but it’s a well-documented feature of dungeons.”

Her expression then became more serious.

“But if the floor suddenly becomes much smaller, we need to be cautious.”

She looked around the corridor.

“There could be more traps than usual.”

Her eyes moved toward the path ahead.

“Or the encounters could be much more difficult.”

Hyoren gripped his Steel Kite Shield.

“So it’s normal and not just another anomaly like the rest of the dungeon…”

Arianna nodded.

“That’s right, Leader.”

She briefly thought about it.

“Though I’m pretty sure it’s still a rare occurrence.”

Jackey grinned.

“Yes.”

He rested his axe against his shoulder.

“I’ve already gone through a few dungeons. And I think I’ve only seen this kind of thing once.”

Jackey’s grin widened.

“When the next floor suddenly shrinks in size, the enemies will be much stronger!”

He swung his axe.

“HAHA!”

Jackey’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“I can’t wait to whack strong skulkers! WOHOO!”

Everyone laughed.

Hyoren then looked toward Elise.

“That’s what they say, Elise.”

He tightened his grip around his shield.

“It’s normal. But, let’s proceed more cautiously than usual.”

Hyoren looked toward the corridor ahead.

“The smaller floor definitely has something more complicated waiting for us.”

Elise nodded.

“I’ll be more careful about traps.”

She turned back toward the corridor. Then she started walking again.

With Elise on the lead, Freedom Party continued their dive into the Fourth Floor of Akela Dungeon.

***

Freedom Party continued their dive deeper into the fourth floor.

The familiar stone corridor stretched ahead of them, illuminated by the pale glow of the magic lamps above. Their footsteps echoed softly against the stone as Elise continued leading the way, her eyes constantly moving between the corridor ahead and the map forming in her mind.

They had only gone about fifty meters.

Elise suddenly stopped. Her body stiffened slightly. She quickly raised both arms, signaling everyone behind her to halt.

“Everyone, careful. There's a trap here.”

The others immediately stopped.

Hyoren looked ahead.

The corridor appeared completely normal. There was nothing obviously different about the stone floor or the walls. No strange markings. No visible mechanism. Not even a faint magical glow.

Yet Elise had already detected something. And Hyoren trusted the elven ranger skill.

“So unlike the first to third floors, this floor has many traps waiting for us, huh…”

He looked toward the silver-haired elf.

“Please dismantle it for us, Elise.”

Elise nodded.

She carefully moved Moonveil Bow from her back and slung it over her shoulder. Then she drew her short sword.

The others stepped closer, but none of them moved into the area Elise had identified.

Elise's emerald eyes carefully scanned the corridor. She crouched down and placed one hand against the stone floor. For a few moments, she simply examined it.

Then her eyes stopped at one particular section.

At first glance, it looked exactly like the rest of the floor. But compared to the surrounding stones, this particular section was slightly smoother. It stretched across the corridor.

Elise gently ran her fingers over the surface.

“Here… Found it.”

She pointed toward the stone beneath her.

“A pressure plate.”

Everyone looked at the floor.

The seemingly ordinary stone suddenly felt much more threatening. 

The others watched Elise work while holding their breath. She carefully examined the pressure plate from several angles. Her short sword lightly tapped against the stone. Then she inserted the blade into the narrow gap between the floor sections, carefully testing the mechanism hidden beneath it. The faint sound of metal scraping against stone echoed through the otherwise quiet corridor.

Elise continued working for several minutes.

Finally, she stood up.

“This pressure plate will trigger a pitfall.”

She glanced toward the corridor ahead.

“I couldn't really disarm it. The mechanism is too complex for my current skill.”

Elise looked down at the long section of stone stretching across the corridor.

“So we need to trigger it and make it inert.”

She shook her head slightly.

“And we can't simply pass over it. The trigger stretches across the corridor, trying to jump over it would be too risky.”

Jackey's tabby cat ears twitched. He looked at the pressure plate for a moment before grinning.

“Hmm! Typical pitfall trap!”

He gave Elise a thumbs-up.

“Just step on it and quickly jump back, Elise!”

Hyoren looked toward him.

“Is it safe, Jackey?”

Jackey nodded confidently.

“Yes, Big Bro! This is the basics of the basics when it comes to dungeon traps!”

He crossed his arms proudly.

“I've already faced this kind of trap countless times!”

His tabby cat tail swished energetically behind him. It was obvious that Jackey was enjoying himself. After spending so much time always being lectured, he finally had an opportunity to teach everyone something he actually knew well.

The others couldn't help smiling at his enthusiasm.

Jackey continued his explanation.

“Pitfall traps aren't dangerous! But they're hard to disarm because the whole mechanism is inside the stone! HAHA!”

He pointed toward the pressure plate.

“So we dungeon divers usually just step on it and jump back quickly.”

He grinned.

“It relies on someone stepping on it!”

Hyoren nodded slowly.

“I see…”

He looked down at the pressure plate again. The trap itself was simple. But that didn't mean it was harmless.

“But there is still some risk. Is there any safer method?”

Jackey immediately shook his head.

“As far as I know… NOPE! HAHA!”

Everyone laughed.

After their laughter receded, Arianna, however, seemed to be thinking about something. She raised her hand slightly.

“Does it need someone to actually step on it?”

Her light-blue eyes remained fixed on the pressure plate.

“Is it a weight-based trap, or does it specifically require a human to trigger it?”

Jackey's expression froze. His cat ears twitched. He furrowed his eyebrows.

“Uhh… Don't know!”

The others burst into laughter again.

Jackey lowered his hand and looked slightly embarrassed.

Hyoren smiled before turning toward Arianna.

“What do you mean by whether it's weight-based or requires a human trigger, Arianna?”

Arianna adjusted the brim of her wide-brimmed hat.

“I was simply wondering if the trap actually requires a human to step on it.”

She looked toward the pressure plate.

“Or if something with roughly the same weight would be enough to trigger it.”

A small smile appeared on her face.

“If it's the latter, I could try something.”

Hyoren immediately understood what she meant.  Arianna could trigger the trap without putting any of them in danger.

He smiled.

“Now that you mention it… Good thinking, Arianna. Please try it.”

Arianna nodded.

“Understood, Leader…”

She turned toward the others.

“Please clear the path, everyone.”

The others quickly moved away from the pressure plate. Elise also stepped back, giving Arianna enough room.

Arianna raised her staff. A faint flow of Aethell gathered around the tip.

“Boulder Throw.”

The spell activated.

A massive boulder suddenly appeared at the tip of her staff before shooting forward. It landed heavily on the stone floor.

BOOM!

The impact echoed through the corridor. The boulder began rolling forward.

Everyone watched it carefully as it approached the section Elise had identified.

Then—one second after the boulder reached the pressure plate, the floor suddenly disappeared. The stone split apart with tremendous speed. A thunderous rumbling filled the corridor as the entire section of floor opened up, revealing a gaping hole beneath them. The boulder dropped straight into it.

Hyoren immediately stepped closer and looked down.

The pit occupied the entire width of the corridor. It was roughly three to four meters deep. At the bottom were sharp spikes waiting beneath the darkness.

Hyoren's expression became serious.

“That was a simple trap.”

He continued looking down.

“But it's actually deadly…”

The speed of the mechanism surprised him. 

Hyoren watched the boulder lying at the bottom. Slowly, its form began breaking apart into particles of Aethell.

His gaze then returned to the spikes.

“Those spikes…”

He paused.

“Even if they don't kill you immediately, the wounds would still be fatal.”

Elise also carefully peeked down into the pit.

She nodded.

“Yes… Simple, but nasty…”

Jackey grinned.

He looked down at the pit before laughing.

“Dungeon is nasty! HAHA!”

Hyoren couldn't help smiling at Jackey's reaction.

He then looked toward Arianna.

Her idea had allowed them to trigger the trap without risking anyone.

“But good thinking, Arianna.”

Arianna gave a small, graceful bow.

“Thank you, Leader.”

The four continued standing near the opened pit for a little longer.

Then—

A low rumbling sound came from beneath their feet.

Everyone turned toward the floor.

The dungeon's mechanism had begun moving.

Stone slowly shifted back into place.

The large gap gradually closed, the floor returning to its original form as if nothing had happened.

Hyoren watched until the last section of stone settled into position.

He looked toward Elise.

“The trap has been triggered. Is it safe to pass now?”

Elise nodded.

“Yeah, Hyoren. The dungeon will reset it, but it will take some time.”

Hyoren understood.

He carefully extended one foot.

His boot touched the stone.

He pressed down.

The floor remained solid beneath him.

Hyoren nodded.

“Good.”

He looked toward the others.

“Let's continue, then.”

Everyone nodded.

With Elise once again taking the lead, Freedom Party continued deeper into the fourth floor of Akela Dungeon.

***

Freedom Party continued deeper into the Fourth Floor.

The corridor stretched ahead beneath the pale glow of the magic lamps. Stone walls surrounded them on both sides, and their footsteps echoed quietly through the otherwise silent passage.

Elise continued walking at the front. Her eyes moved constantly between the corridor ahead and the map being formed through her Mapping skill. 

After the first pitfall trap, everyone had become even more cautious about this floor. For several minutes, nothing happened. Then Elise suddenly stopped.

“Everyone, stop. There is another trap…”

Her emerald eyes narrowed.

“And it's a different kind…”

The three behind her immediately came to a halt.

Hyoren looked toward Elise.

“What did you find, Elise?”

Elise crouched down. Her gaze settled on a thin line stretched across the corridor.

“This time, it's a tripwire.”

Hyoren looked where she was pointing. Only after Elise had identified it did he notice the nearly invisible wire crossing the passage.

He frowned slightly.

“A tripwire trap…”

Elise carefully moved closer.

She did not touch the wire immediately. Instead, she followed it with her eyes, tracing its path toward the wall. Her expression became more focused as she examined the mechanism connected to it.

Jackey leaned forward from behind.

“Another trap?”

Elise nodded.

“Yes. And this one is connected to something inside the wall.”

Jackey looked at the stone wall.

“What does it do?”

Elise continued to examine the mechanism.

“I'll find out.”

She carefully worked around the mechanism.

Her fingers moved with practiced precision as she disabled the trap. 

The mechanism released with a satisfying click.

Elise gently pulled the wire away before reaching into the opening in the wall. A moment later, she withdrew a small arrow. She examined the tip. There was a faint coating on it.

Elise's expression became slightly more serious.

“A poisoned arrow trap.”

Hyoren looked at the arrow in her hand.

“So there is not only one kind of trap, huh…”

Elise shook her head.

“Apparently not.”

Hyoren glanced down the corridor.

The first trap they had encountered had been pitfall. Now they had found a completely different mechanism.

He looked back at Jackey.

“You've been in multiple dungeons before. Is this normal?”

Jackey thought about it for a moment.

“Usually, on a single floor, there is only one kind of trap, Big Bro...”

He scratched his cheek.

“If there's a trap floor, you usually keep seeing the same type.”

His eyes moved toward the disabled mechanism.

“But this one is different from the pitfall we found earlier.”

Arianna adjusted the brim of her wide-brimmed hat.

“Which makes this another unusual feature of Akela Dungeon.”

She glanced down the corridor.

“This dungeon certainly has a habit of breaking the patterns we expect.”

Hyoren quietly considered her words. Akela dungeon truly was breaking many patterns about the dungeon. Even Ina said that it's pretty abnormal. He gave a small shrug.

“Well, there's not much use thinking about it now… Maybe Gidol just wanted to experiment with new things with this dungeon.”

Everyone laughed.

Hyoren smiled wryly.

“We couldn't understand chaotic beings like Demon God. It's no use.”

He looked at the corridor ahead.

“We'll just have to be careful and deal with whatever we find.”

Elise smiled softly.

“That sounds reasonable.”

Jackey nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah! We just need to watch out for the traps!”

Hyoren looked at him.

“That's what Elise is doing.”

Jackey immediately grinned. His tabby cat tail swished energetically.

“Right! Elise is super good at this!”

Elise gave him a small laugh.

“Just make sure you keep following my instructions.”

Jackey raised his fist with exaggerated motion.

“Roger that!”

With the trap safely disabled, Elise returned to the front.

Freedom Party resumed their advance.

But as they continued through the fourth floor, another problem gradually became apparent.

The traps were everywhere. Every few minutes, Elise would stop them again. Each time, she would carefully examine the trap before deciding how to deal with it.

The fourth floor contained several different kinds of traps. There was the pitfall trap they had encountered earlier. There was the tripwire trap that fired poisoned arrows from the wall. There were also pressure plate traps that launched spears from both the floor and the ceiling.

None of them were particularly deadly on their own.

Not when Elise detected them beforehand.

But that did not make them harmless.

The constant interruptions made their progress painfully slow. They could not simply walk through a corridor without stopping.

Every section had to be examined carefully before they could proceed.

Elise's role became even more important as they continued.

She walked at the very front, carefully searching for anything that looked suspicious.

Corridor after corridor passed by. The map slowly expanded as Elise's Mapping skill recorded the paths they had actually walked.

The fourth floor was not throwing hordes of monsters at them. It did not need to. The traps alone were enough to turn their exploration into a slow and tedious crawl.

Even so, Freedom Party continued onward.

***

They spent almost an hour walking through the Fourth Floor. It was narrow corridor after narrow corridor.

The labyrinth seemed to have no intention of giving them anything else.

They encountered intersections where the path split into different directions. Some led to another corridor. Some led to a dead end. Whenever they reached a dead end, they simply turned around and followed another path.

Slowly but surely, Elise's Mapping skill continued filling in the map of this floor.

But the process was painfully slow. The biggest reason was the traps. They encountered many of them during their exploration.

Each time Elise detected one, the party stopped. She carefully examined the trap before dismantling it. Then they continued.

It became a repetitive process.

Walk. Stop. Elise dismantled a trap. Continue. Walk again. The map gradually expanded.

Yet despite spending almost an hour exploring the fourth floor, they had not encountered a single monster. Not even one.

About one hour after they started their dungeon diving, Elise dismantled another tripwire trap. Afterwards she stood up and brushed her hands together.

“It's safe. Let's go.”

The party continued walking.

Jackey, however, was beginning to lose patience. His two axes had already been returned to their sheaths.

He walked behind Hyoren with his arms crossed, his ears drooping slightly.

“This is boooriiing!”

His voice echoed through the corridor.

“Where is the skulker?”

Jackey looked around as if the dungeon itself had personally offended him.

“I want to whack skulkers, not just walk around!”

Everyone laughed.

Hyoren shook his head as he continued following Elise. The silver-haired elf remained several steps ahead of them, carefully scouting the corridor.

“Patience, Jackey.”

Hyoren smiled faintly.

“This is an even-numbered floor. The monsters should be sparse.”

Jackey's tabby cat ears twitched.

He immediately turned toward Hyoren.

“But it's been too long!”

He threw his hands outward.

“On the second floor, we at least only needed to wait ten to fifteen minutes before finding something!”

Jackey pointed down the seemingly endless corridor.

“Now? It's already been one hour!”

Arianna covered a small smile with one hand.

“But Jackey does have a point. Ohoho.”

Jackey's ears immediately perked up.

Arianna continued walking beside him.

“If we continue walking without encountering anything, our senses may become dull.”

She glanced ahead.

“Constantly expecting danger keeps one's attention sharp. But when nothing happens for a prolonged period, it becomes much easier to relax.”

Jackey nodded vigorously.

“Exactly!”

Hyoren glanced back at him.

“You're just bored.”

Jackey froze.

Then he looked away and scratched his cheek.

“...That too.”

Everyone laughed again.

Hyoren shook his head with a wry smile. He turned his attention back toward Elise. 

Before he could say anything else, however—Elise stopped. The sudden halt made the others stop as well.

She stood before a corner. Her pointed ears twitched.

Hyoren immediately became alert.

“What is it, Elise?”

He looked toward the corner.

“Another trap?”

Elise turned around. She shook her head. Her silver hair swayed gently with the movement.

“No…”

A smile appeared on her face.

“Jackey's wish actually came true.”

Jackey's ears immediately shot upright.

“There are skulkers ahead?”

Elise nodded.

“There is, Jackey. Fufu.”

Jackey's expression brightened instantly. He reached for his weapons. In the next moment, he unsheathed both his Bloody Axe and his new Blackmaw Tomahawk.

“FINALLY!”

His tail rose behind him.

“Skulkers to whack! WOHOO!”

Hyoren couldn't help chuckling at the sudden change in his mood. Jackey had gone from nearly falling asleep to completely energized in the span of a few seconds.

Hyoren raised his Steel Kite Shield.

“Let me take point and see the enemy.”

Elise nodded and gave way for Hyoren.

Then he carefully moved toward the corner. He stopped just before the edge. Slowly, he leaned forward and peeked around it.

His expression changed. His breath hitched.

Beyond the corner was a large chamber. The narrow corridor opened into a vast space that was almost circular. 

Just like the corridors they had been walking through, the chamber retained the atmosphere of ancient ruins. Cracked stone walls stretched into the distance. Uneven flagstones covered the floor beneath their boots. Thin strands of cobweb clung to the cracks between the stones, adding to the abandoned atmosphere of the chamber.

Hyoren stared at the enormous room. His eyes widened slightly.

This is massive… Just like a Guardian Chamber…

At the far end of the chamber was another corridor. The dungeon continued beyond it. But standing before that exit was a single enemy.

Hyoren narrowed his eyes.

A lone goblin…

His gaze remained fixed on the creature.

With this… the pattern is confirmed…

He tightened his grip around his shield.

An even-numbered floor has elite monsters…

But something about the goblin immediately felt different. It was large. Very large. The goblin stood almost like a human. It wasn't hunched over. Its body did not have the strange proportions of the ordinary goblins they had encountered before. Its proportions were almost human. And it was tall.

It resembles a Guardian… Just like Goblin Berserker, Goblin Ruler, and Goblin Rider…

Hyoren looked carefully.

So tall… Roughly 2 meters tall…?

The creature wore a full plate of dark metallic armor. The armor completely covered its body. Its design was jagged and menacing, with sharp-looking edges that gave the entire suit an intimidating appearance.

A dark purple mist seemed to seep from the gaps in the armor.

Hyoren's eyes narrowed further.

The goblin is not holding any weapon…

What is that… Claw gauntlets…?

Instead of wielding conventional weapons like sword or spear, both of its arms were covered by massive claw-like gauntlets.

Three enormous claws extended from each gauntlet. The dark metallic claws looked sharp enough to tear through armor. Their design matched the rest of the goblin's armor. Dark. Jagged. Menacing.

The goblin itself remained completely still. It stood straight in the center of the chamber.

Almost as if it were waiting…

Waiting for someone to challenge it…

Hyoren didn't move forward.

He studied the creature carefully.

I need to know what we're dealing with…

He activated his Magic Eyes.

“Magic Eyes: Diagnostic Sight.”

The world around him shifted. Information appeared before his eyes.

Goblin Avenger — Level 18

Weak Point: Brain (Head) — Protected, Heart (Left Chest) — Protected.

State: Healthy

Hyoren's eyebrows furrowed.

Level 18 huh…

His gaze remained fixed on the Goblin Avenger. The level was the same as the Goblin Rider. The Floor Guardian of the third floor.

He looked carefully at the goblin again. Its armor. Its massive claw gauntlets. Its enormous frame.

Everything about it was different from the ordinary goblins they had fought before.

Hyoren's expression became more serious.

The goblins on this floor… The supposed mobs of the fourth floor… Seems to be strong…

Freedom Party had finally found their first monster after nearly an hour of walking through the labyrinth. And their first encounter had immediately proven that the even-numbered floor's monsters were not going to be simple opponents.

Their exploration had finally encountered its first real complication.