Today, as usual, I was seated in my office, handling work.
Tia usually takes care of most of it, but since she was currently under the desk, I was doing it myself.
I first checked the report at the top. It was a report related to a boss raid.
There were still six months left until the boss room would open.
Having already grasped the boss's identity, weaknesses, and even its location, I had completed all preparations. All that remained was the growth of the guild members. If they grew well enough, the boss battle would surely end without a hitch.
"Haa..."
Feeling Tia's sweet breath, I briefly paused my gaze on her soft skin. Then, I opened my status window. It had been a while since I'd seen this window.
[Name: Jin Seoyun]
Level: 50
Gender: Male
Alignment: Evil, Chaos
Stats
Strength: 40 + 13
Stamina: 30 + 13
Agility: 43 + 13
Intelligence: 10 + 13
Internal Energy: 50 + 13
Luck: 50 + 13
[Unique Abilities]
Grace of Heavenly Moon
Master of Swordsmanship
[Titles]
Solitary Conqueror
As I checked my status and planned my next move, the door opened and Lauren entered.
"Seoyun-nim, a problem has arisen in Seron Village."
Lauren's voice was filled with urgency. I gently took Tia by the waist, helped her up, and turned my head.
"What is it?"
"Three dungeon entrances suddenly appeared around the village. The problem is that suspicious energy is emanating from these entrances, affecting the village."
Tia straightened her clothes, showing interest.
"Suspicious energy, you say? What kind, specifically?"
"We don't know exactly, but residents are showing symptoms like insomnia, hallucinations, and abnormal behavior. Also, the City Council has officially requested a mission from us."
"A mission?"
I slowly rose from my chair and looked out the window. Seron Village was a two-week journey from the central city.
"Yes, it's a request to resolve the dungeons affecting the village. And..."
Lauren paused for a moment before adding.
"The Holy Cross Order also received the same request, and they have accepted the mission as well."
"If they gave the mission to the Holy Cross Order in addition to us, it must be more serious than I thought," I muttered.
Tia approached my side and asked, "Seoyun-ssi, what should we do?"
"I'll have to move myself. Lauren, Tia. Prepare. We'll depart as soon as dawn breaks."
"How should we organize the personnel?"
"I'll only take about twenty people, including Isiah."
"Isn't that too few?"
"No, this should be enough. Tell Soyeon to manage the guild well while we're gone."
"Yes, I'll prepare immediately."
Tia and Lauren left. I turned my gaze back to the window.
'Three dungeons... Did such dungeons appear in the original story?'
I racked my brain, but I had no recollection of such dungeons near Seron Village.
"I was getting bored, this should be fun."
When morning broke, twenty people gathered in front of the guild hall.
Including Lauren, women clad in bikini armor were assembled.
Each of them boasted outstanding beauty and toned physiques, lined up in a way that stimulated a man's primal instincts just by looking. Naturally, my lower half reacted, feeling heavy.
'If you don't react to a sight like this, you're not a man.'
I looked them over.
"This is our first mission in a long time. If anyone falls behind or gets injured, I'll make sure they walk around looking disgraceful for a month."
"Eh... What are you going to do now?!"
Other guild members chimed in, agreeing.
"Right! You're going to make us do something weird again, aren't you?"
"Three months ago, you made Yura unnie walk around the city in a bikini with a huge dildo shoved up her ass and pussy! Are you going to do that again?"
"Boo! Fiend! Scum!"
"Useless human, not even a man!"
The women booed in unison, playfully waving their hands, a familiar attitude of guild members who grumbled but still followed me. I slowly looked them over, a corner of my mouth lifting.
"Heh heh, looks like you want to do that again after a long time."
When I spoke with a low chuckle, the women froze for a moment, then collectively fell silent. Their expressions showed them recalling 'that incident' once more, some blushing and clearing their throats, while others turned their heads to avoid my gaze.
"Enough with the jokes. Is everyone ready?"
At my question, everyone nodded.
"Yes!"
"Let's go."
Our party began to move towards Seron Village.
***
The afterimages of swords and magic cut through the air, and the surroundings were filled with the screams of monsters and the sound of flesh tearing. The monsters that attacked us were quite strong, but they were no match for us.
My sword pierced the neck of the last monster, and hearing its body fall heavily, I looked at Tia.
"Tia, have you located those Holy Cross Order bastards?"
"Yes. As of now, they're about 3 kilometers ahead of us. Their movement speed is fast, so it seems they want to arrive earlier than us."
I looked around. The corpses of the monsters we had dealt with lay scattered on the ground.
"Just because they're moving in a hurry doesn't mean we need to. Let's find a suitable place to camp and rest."
Tia nodded, responding to the surroundings.
"Coincidentally, I found a suitable camping spot not far from here."
"Then let's go there."
Our party moved to the location Tia found, set up camp, and rested.
After a few more days of travel, Seron Village finally came into view.
The small village nestled at the edge of the wilderness looked even more dilapidated than I had imagined. A few wooden buildings were irregularly arranged, and a flimsy wooden barricade surrounded the village.
"Um... what's that black mist?"
Isiah pointed above the village. A black mist swirled like a vortex in the sky.
I carefully observed the mist's movement and slowly muttered, "That's no ordinary mist. It seems to be mixed with magic."
At the village entrance, a few guards spotted us and approached with tense expressions.
"Are you... perhaps the Night Bloom Guild from the central city?"
"That's right."
"Thank goodness. The Holy Cross Order has already arrived. We will escort you inside."
Guided by the guards, we entered the village. The streets were quiet, and the residents all looked visibly anxious. They cautiously peeked out from doorways or inside shops, glancing at us, but didn't easily approach.
As we passed between the wooden buildings and headed towards the village center, I couldn't overlook the strange atmosphere permeating the streets. A gloomy air hung everywhere, and the black mist slowly moving in the distance caught my eye.
Just then, Tia came close to my side and whispered, "Seoyun-ssi, the Holy Cross Order went towards the eastern dungeon. But they haven't made any progress yet."
I nodded and briefly looked up at the sky shrouded in black mist.
"The east, huh... Where are the other two locations?"
"There's one each at the western foothills and the northern ruins, according to the guards' information."
I pondered for a moment before making a decision.
"Then, we'll go north."
Tia nodded at my words. She turned around and signaled to the guild members, and they all maintained their guard and reformed their ranks.
Before leaving the village, I looked at the black mist one more time. I couldn't discern the true nature of this strange energy, but I had a strong feeling that there was more than just simple dungeons here.
"Tia, check the status of the northern ruins first."
"Understood."
Tia's violet eyes filled with concentration. Shadows in the shape of snakes flowed across the ground, spreading in all directions.
I looked around and spoke to the other guild members.
"The rest of you, identify a suitable location for a base. Also, check our supplies."
Just then, a short, red-haired woman with a swaggering attitude slowly approached. She had a sword slung over her shoulder and spoke with a playful expression.
"What, Master? Weren't we going straight for the raid? Are you scared or something?"
I smacked her on the head and said,
"Ak...!"
Mila clutched her head and glared at me.
"Don't mess around, Mila. Gathering information is our priority right now."
She pouted, making a sulky face.
"Why'd you hit me?! Your hand is like a rock, Master, it really hurts!"
No sooner had Mila finished grumbling than Lauren, who had appeared out of nowhere, grabbed her head from behind without a word and lifted her up.
"Kkiyaak!"
Lauren was a giant at 180cm, while Mila was a small figure at 157cm. Like a dwarf caught in a giant's hand, Mila thrashed in the air, screaming.
"I-I'm sorry! C-Commander! My head's going to break... it's really going to break!"
"Mila, what do I always tell you?"
"Not to mess with Master...! That's what you told me!!!"
Lauren released Mila's head. She rubbed her head, tears welling in her eyes.
Tia approached, having finished her reconnaissance.
"Seoyun-ssi, would you like to hear about the ruins' situation?"
"Yes."
"What I've confirmed is that there's a dungeon gate in the center of the ruins. However, large monsters are lurking around it."
Tia hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"What's even stranger is that my snakes can't get any closer. It's as if something is repelling them..."
"What kind of large monsters are they?"
"That... I don't know. I couldn't get close enough... But they definitely have the form of snakes."
I fell into thought for a moment.
'Tia's snakes can't approach, and snake-shaped monsters are guarding it...'
Her words reminded me of a similar dungeon that appeared in the original story. It was the same situation when Yoon Jaeho discovered Tiamat's dungeon on the 10th floor.
'Is this one of Tiamat's dungeons?'
If it really was one of Tiamat's dungeons, it needed to be confirmed.
"Tia."
"Yes?"
"Did you notice anything strange around the dungeon?"
"No."
"I see.... For now, keep a close watch on the large monsters. "
"Yes."
I looked around and gave instructions to the other guild members.
"First, we'll establish a base, then explore the surroundings."
The guild members nodded and dispersed.