Chapter 208: Night In Hell Difficulty [POWER STONE BONUS]

’Two levels at once. Nice,’ Alex thought.

He was becoming more impressed with life mana as he continued experimenting with it. It had already proven useful for healing, Blood Vitalization, and attacking, so he was beginning to realize just how versatile it could become.

Alex finished the remaining meat as they continued walking toward the dungeon entrance. The closer they got, the more serious Joseph’s expression became, which made Alex wonder again what had happened inside the dungeon.

Eventually, they reached the entrance of the Titan Reef Crab dungeon. Joseph stopped in front of it and turned toward Alex, preparing to show him the reason they had left the dungeon.

Alex looked ahead and immediately noticed something strange. The entire entrance was filled with water, and from what little he could see beyond it, the dungeon itself seemed to have been completely flooded.

Alex frowned and leaned closer before creating a small fireball on the tip of the wand to provide more light. The fire illuminated the entrance, making it easier to see the water stretching deep underground into the dungeon. From what Alex could tell, there should be almost no part of the dungeon that had been left untouched.

"Do you remember the hole in the back of the boss room? The one that was filled with water?" Joseph asked.

"Yes," Alex replied with a nod.

That hole had made Alex feel slightly uneasy, although he had never had the opportunity to investigate it properly. He had planned to check it after returning to Hell Difficulty because there had been something strange about the water.

"It started spewing water as night came and eventually flooded the entire dungeon. We realized that we had to leave before we drowned, and getting everyone outside was not easy," Joseph explained before giving a small chuckle and waving his wooden stump. "Not going to lie, I was hopping on one leg while trying to run."

Alex looked at the flooded dungeon again as he considered what Joseph had said. He wondered whether the hole they had seen inside the boss room was connected to the sea, especially since they were currently on an island, as shown by the Hell Difficulty Map the little girl Petra had obtained.

Perhaps the dungeon was somehow connected to the sea beneath the island. If that was the case, then the rising tide could have forced water through the hole and flooded the dungeon.

He raised his head and looked at the sky. There were two moons above them, one completely white and the other slightly yellowish, and the two moons were positioned far apart from each other.

For some reason, Alex felt that something was missing between them.

He stared at the empty space between the two moons for several seconds. The feeling was bizarre because he had no reason to believe that there should be anything there, yet his mind kept telling him that there was supposed to be another moon between them.

"You think there should be a third moon there?" Joseph asked, following his gaze.

Alex turned toward him with a surprised expression. "You feel the same?"

"Yes. I noticed it earlier as well, but I thought it was just because I was tired after everything that happened in the dungeon. It is pretty creepy," Joseph replied.

Alex looked back toward the sky and remained silent for a moment before Joseph continued speaking. "Anyway, having two moons would mean there is a stronger gravitational pull, so maybe the tide is powerful enough to flood the dungeon through that hole. If you remember, the entire dungeon floor was already wet when we first arrived."

"That would mean the dungeon gets flooded every night," Alex said.

"That is what I think. The water started coming in after nightfall, and we had no choice but to get everyone out before it became impossible to leave," Joseph explained.

Alex nodded before turning around with Joseph and walking back toward the camp. As they walked, he asked about what had happened during the day, and Joseph explained how difficult things had been while Alex and Frank were gone.

They had brushed past death several times while fighting the monsters that appeared to take over the dungeon. Fortunately, every victory had made them stronger, and that gradual increase in strength had allowed them to survive even when the situation became dangerous.

Alex understood that well because he had experienced the same thing himself. In a place like this, every battle could become an opportunity to grow, but the fact that they had survived did not mean their situation was safe.

Alex’s expression became serious as he heard what Joseph told him about the night.

"So, you are saying that the monsters that had been appearing suddenly disappeared after night came, and there have been no monsters since then?" Alex asked.

"Yes, and since the monsters disappeared, we could camp outside safely," Joseph answered.

Alex wanted to tell them that they should have prepared some defenses around the camp because something clearly seemed wrong. However, he did not say anything because Joseph and the others had already done what they thought was best, and it was not as if they had enough information to understand the situation.

For now, resting was probably the better choice. Their bodies were exhausted from the battles they had fought during the day, and if something dangerous appeared, they would need every bit of strength they had recovered.

"All right, then. The situation looks strange, so I will stay here for a while. If nothing happens, then—"

Alex suddenly stopped speaking when a howl echoed through the night. Another howl followed from a different direction, and within moments, the entire area was filled with various noises that sounded like they were coming from different types of monsters.

The entire group immediately became alert and stood up. Everyone pulled out their weapons as Emma took out a bow from thin air, and an arrow made of mana, while the others quickly moved into a formation and began watching their surroundings.

..

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