Chapter 110: Getting Ambushed (part 1)

Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Getting Ambushed (part 1)

A single set cost five Soul Points and summoned five Gravefang Beasts.

Ragnar selected the purchase.

[Purchase successful.]

[Five Gravefang Beasts have been summoned.]

His Soul Points decreased from fifteen to ten. He then opened the Graveveil Warden entry.

Unlike the Gravefang Beasts, these Level 30 undead relied on their mastery of death energy and their ability to disrupt their opponents.

A set of three Graveveil Wardens cost eight Soul Points.

Ragnar studied the entry briefly before confirming the purchase.

[Purchase successful.]

[Three Graveveil Wardens have been summoned.]

[Remaining Soul Points: 2]

Ragnar leaned back slightly as the shop interface updated.

He now had twenty Level 20 Gravefang Beasts and twelve Level 30 Graveveil Wardens in total. The new summons had increased the number of monsters available to defend his dungeon, while the Graveveil Wardens added another layer of danger to encounters on the second floor.

---

The following morning, the Mad Wolves returned to the dungeon.

After spending the night in Hetin Town, they had replenished their supplies, checked their equipment, and discussed their next course of action. Their previous expedition had revealed that the dungeon possessed a second floor, a discovery that made their mission far more important than they had initially expected.

If the information they brought back to Lufast City was accurate, this dungeon might be considerably more dangerous than the reports from Hetin Town suggested.

However, they had not come to conquer the dungeon today. Their objective was to explore the Dead Forest, identify the monsters inhabiting it, and gather as much information as possible before deciding whether they needed reinforcements.

After entering the dungeon’s entrance hall, the dark forest appeared before their eyes once more.

Twisted trees stretched toward the gloomy ceiling, their lifeless branches resembling the skeletal fingers of enormous creatures. Thick mist drifted between the trunks, obscuring their surroundings and making it difficult to determine what lay beyond a short distance. Even though they had visited this place the previous day, the atmosphere remained just as oppressive.

One of the Mad Wolves tightened his grip on his weapon.

"I still don’t like this place. The air feels wrong, and I can barely see anything through that mist. If something attacks us from the trees, we might not notice it until it’s too late."

"That’s precisely why you need to pay attention," another member replied. "Don’t let the atmosphere distract you. We knew this floor would be different from the first, so stop complaining and watch your surroundings."

"Easy for you to say. You’re not the one standing at the front."

"Enough," Kyle interrupted before their exchange could continue. His sharp gaze swept across the forest as he adjusted the greatsword resting against his shoulder. "We don’t know what kind of monsters inhabit this area, and we don’t know how strong they are. Don’t assume that because we cleared the first floor, we can handle whatever appears here."

His expression was serious, and his teammates immediately quieted down.

"Guardians, stay close to the center of the formation. Mages, conserve your mana until we know what we’re dealing with. Our ranged fighters should keep their weapons ready, but don’t attack anything unless you’re certain it’s a threat. The rest of you, watch the trees and the ground. We don’t know whether this forest contains traps."

Kyle issued his instructions one after another, making sure everyone understood their responsibilities before they advanced.

The three Guardians moved into their positions, keeping their shields ready. The mages walked behind them, while the ranged fighters spread out enough to maintain clear lines of sight without leaving the protection of the formation. Kyle remained near the front, accompanied by two of his strongest melee fighters.

They proceeded slowly through the Dead Forest.

For a while, nothing happened.

The only sounds were their footsteps pressing against the withered grass and the occasional creaking of dead branches swaying in the cold air.

Every now and then, one of the adventurers would stop to inspect a strange mark on a tree or examine the ground for tracks, but none of them found anything that could identify the monsters inhabiting the area.

The longer they walked, the more uneasy they became.

"This is strange," one of the mages muttered. "A forest filled with undead should leave some signs of activity. We haven’t found a single corpse, bone pile, or even a trace of magic that I can identify."

"Perhaps the monsters are hiding deeper inside," another adventurer suggested.

"Or perhaps they are watching us right now," one of the ranged fighters said, glancing toward the mist-covered trees.

Nobody laughed at the suggestion.

They continued forward, maintaining their formation as they entered a section of the forest where the trees grew closer together. The mist was thicker here, curling around their legs and occasionally concealing the ground beneath their feet. Kyle raised one hand, signaling everyone to slow down.

Then, a low growl echoed through the forest.

Grrrrrr...

The sound was deep and ferocious, coming from somewhere among the trees.

Every member of the Mad Wolves immediately stopped moving.

Kyle’s expression hardened as he turned toward the direction of the growl. He could not see anything through the mist, but the sound was unmistakable. Whatever had made it was nearby.

"Everyone, stay alert!" he ordered.

Before anyone could respond, another growl sounded from the opposite direction.

Then another.

And another.

A pair of glowing eyes appeared between two dead trunks.

Then another pair emerged from the mist.

The growls gradually increased in number, coming from every direction. The Mad Wolves quickly realized that whatever was approaching them had already surrounded their formation.

"Captain, we’ve got something coming from the left!"

"There’s movement behind us, too!"

"Guardians, prepare your shields! Everyone else, keep your eyes open and don’t attack blindly!" Kyle shouted, tightening his grip on his greatsword.

The mist shifted as the creatures finally revealed themselves.

Twenty figures emerged from between the dead trees, their movements slow and deliberate as they closed in on the adventurers.

Their bodies were covered in decayed flesh stretched over exposed bones, while patches of blackened hide clung to their twisted frames.