Chapter 129: Venn’s Group (part 1)

Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Venn’s Group (part 1)

The afternoon passed quicker. After Venn left, he remained in the eatery for a while, ordering another cup of tea while observing the adventurers coming and going through the spacious entrance hall. Some were preparing to enter the dungeon, while others returned with exhausted expressions, carrying injured companions or displaying the spoils of their latest expedition.

A few groups gathered around the notice boards, discussing which areas they intended to explore and looking for additional members to fill gaps in their formations.

Ragnar found the scene rather interesting.

Although he had created this dungeon himself, he had never experienced it from the perspective of an ordinary adventurer. He had always watched their movements through the system, observing their battles and judging their performance from the comfort of his throne room.

Just as Ragnar was finishing his tea, he noticed Venn approaching from the direction of the registration counter.

However, she wasn’t alone this time.

Four other adventurers accompanied her, two men and two women. All four appeared to be around the same age as Venn, and their equipment suggested that they were reasonably experienced. They weren’t wearing particularly expensive armor, but their weapons and protective gear were well maintained.

Venn spotted Ragnar immediately and raised her hand.

"Gil! There you are. I was worried you’d gotten bored and left before I returned."

Ragnar stood up from his seat.

"I said I’d wait, didn’t I?"

"Well, you have a habit of changing your mind at the last moment, so I wasn’t entirely confident." Venn chuckled before turning toward the four people accompanying her. "Come on. Let me introduce you."

The first person to step forward was a broad-shouldered man with short black hair. He wore a sturdy set of leather armor reinforced with metal plates, and a longsword hung from his waist. His expression was relaxed, and he greeted Ragnar with a friendly smile.

"This is Darian. He’s one of the swordsmen I told you about. He’s pretty reliable, although he sometimes gets carried away when fighting."

"Hey, I can hear you," Darian protested with a laugh. He then extended his hand toward Ragnar. "Nice to meet you, Gil. Venn has told us a little about you."

Ragnar shook his hand.

"Likewise."

The second man was slightly taller and had light brown hair. Unlike Darian, he wore heavier armor, with a large shield strapped to his back and a mace hanging from his belt. He looked like the most physically imposing member of the group.

"And this is Brom. He’s our Guardian," Venn continued. "He’s the one responsible for keeping everyone alive when things get dangerous."

Brom gave Ragnar a hearty laugh.

"Don’t listen to her. I just stand in front and get hit by everything. That’s hardly an impressive job."

"That’s exactly why you’re important," Venn replied. "Without you, Darian would probably be the first one running away whenever a monster appears."

"Hey! Why am I being dragged into this?" Darian complained.

The two men exchanged amused looks, clearly accustomed to Venn’s teasing. Ragnar observed them quietly. Their interactions seemed natural, and there was no apparent hostility among the group. They appeared to have worked together for quite some time.

Venn then gestured toward the two women.

"This is our other swordswoman, Seraphina. She’s a little quieter than Darian, but don’t underestimate her. She’s actually the better fighter between the two."

The woman standing beside Brom had long dark brown hair tied into a ponytail and wore lightweight leather armor. A slender sword rested at her waist, while a second, shorter blade was secured behind her belt. She offered Ragnar a polite smile.

"Nice to meet you, Gil. I hope we get along."

"Likewise," Ragnar replied.

"And finally, this is our second mage, Liora."

The last member was a young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and a pair of blue eyes. She wore a dark blue mage robe with several protective enchantments stitched into its sleeves. A wooden staff rested in her hand, its tip decorated with a small blue crystal.

Liora gave Ragnar a friendly wave.

"Hello! Venn told us you used to explore dungeons with her. I’m glad we managed to find another person for our group."

"Don’t get the wrong idea," Venn interrupted. "Gil and I haven’t explored together in quite some time. He’s been doing his own thing recently."

"That’s fine," Liora said with a smile. "As long as everyone can work together, it doesn’t matter whether we’ve known each other for a long time."

Ragnar nodded.

"That’s true. I also hope we can work well together."

He was rather satisfied with the group’s reception. None of them seemed particularly suspicious of him, and they had welcomed him without making things unnecessarily complicated.

"Anyway, now that everyone is here, we should discuss our formation before entering," Venn said, pulling everyone’s attention back to the expedition. "We’re going to explore the cemetery area today. According to the information posted on the notice board, most of the monsters there are skeletons, and their weakness is fire. They’re not particularly strong individually, but they can become troublesome when they surround us."

-----

After discussing their supplies and checking their equipment one last time, the group finally headed toward the dungeon entrance.

Unlike the other adventurers who entered in large groups, Venn’s party moved at a steady pace, keeping their formation even while walking through the corridors. Brom led the way with his shield ready, while Darian and Seraphina followed a few steps behind him. The two mages walked in the middle, with Ragnar bringing up the rear.

As they passed through the entrance hall, several adventurers glanced at them before returning to their own conversations. Nobody paid them much attention.

Once they crossed the massive doorway, the familiar stone corridors stretched before them.

"So, Gil, have you explored this dungeon before?" Darian asked as they walked.

"A little," Ragnar answered casually. "I’ve been through some of the earlier areas."

"Then you should know the layout better than us. That’s good. We won’t have to worry too much about getting lost."

"Don’t rely on him too much," Venn said. "Gil isn’t exactly the most dependable person when it comes to remembering directions."