Volume 2 Chapter 4 (2/2)

[Luna will always be with Youya. That is why Luna believes in Youya.] (Luna)

Although she said some brave words, her tail was trembling to the maximum. I guess it’s that terrifying for her.

[It can’t be help. I’ll come too. Because Youya said so, then even if I think it’s impossible I’ll follow you.] (Til)

Til walked to my side. Although she laughed and appeared to be brave, both her voice and her legs were trembling.

[Both of you, thank you for believing in me. Tonight’s dinner will be on me, so you two can order whatever you like.] (Youya)

Normally the two of them would be jumping in joy to my words, however the two of them don’t have the strength to do so right now. The tremors became stronger as the Starfish Larvae approached closer and closer until it was directly in front of us. Looking at it up close, a monster 30 metres in length is impressive. Luna and my right and Til on my left, I could feel their entire bodies trembling as they clung tightly onto my arms. Its mouth was open as it moved forward, eating everything in its path. It was large enough to be capable of swallowing the three of us whole. And finally, it ate us.

[uhn!? AAAAAAAAAA] (Luna)

[KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA] (Til)

Luna and Til who were holding tightly onto me closed their eyes and began screaming as we got swallowed by the Starfish Larvae. And our surroundings faded to darkness.

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I opened my eyes and my surroundings were covered in darkness.

[Where is this place? Is this heaven? Youya, I can’t see anything.] (Luna)

[Uggg, are we dead? I wish I could had the courage to experience my first time before dying.] (Til)

Luna and Til were clinging onto me while saying ridiculous things. I took out a light crystal from the hidden room out of my magic bag and tied it onto my forehead with a string. Unlike a normal torch, it doesn’t run out. It was very bright and lit up quite a large area around us plus it was safe to touch. Back then, I thought that it would be very useful when traversing in dungeons underground and only took five of them. It wasn’t possible to take the light crystals back in the game, but I’m glad that it was possible to be used this way so I’ll show my appreciation.

[It isn’t anything like heaven. This is the Starfish Larvae’s stomach. It’s stomach is actually in a different dimension. Take a look at our surroundings.] (Youya)

With the light crystal illuminating our surroundings, we were inside a labyrinth with stone walls all around us. The road was about 5 metres wide and the end could not be seen. Although the Starfish Larvae is a large monster about 30 metres long, it is impossible for the labyrinth to fit within its body.

The entrance to the hidden dungeon was the mouth of the Starfish Larvae. As a matter of fact, the Starfish Larvae isn’t considered a monster but a biological weapon created by God. Passing through its mouth transfers you to a different dimension. This fact wouldn’t be discovered by any ordinary adventurer in the first place. Anyway, there isn’t any reason for anyone to risk their life and it was easy to avoid getting eaten by the Starfish Larvae by sticking onto the God Tree. If there was anything that is considered a trap in this dungeon, it would be getting eaten by the Starfish Larvae when it is enraged as you wouldn’t be transported into this dungeon and will be sent directly to it’s stomach instead.

Luna and Til looked around the surroundings illuminated by the light crystal.

[Uwa, a gigantic maze.] (Luna)

[This is the place Youya is talking about right?] (Til)

[Youya, there are many signs of monsters around us. Goblins, wild boars and insects.] (Luna)

[Any monsters that are eaten by him will also be sent to this dungeon. We will hunt the monsters here as he eats every monster in the dungeon.] (Youya)

For adventurers in the forest of God Trees, it is a competition to see who will be able to hunt the most prey in a short amount of time. However, if you are able to enter this hidden dungeon, you will be able to hunt to your heart’s content.

[But Youya, how are we supposed to get out of here?] (Luna)

[There are two ways. First is to use a return stone, although that is a waste of a return stone. Second is to conquer this labyrinth. At the end of the maze, there is a magical vortex that brings us to the exit of the dungeon.] (Youya)

[In that case, there is only one answer! We will defeat the monsters here and get a ton of materials while searching for the exit!] (Til)

[That is so. Although we have the light crystal, the visibility in this area is still terrible so let’s progress with caution.] (Youya)

[Uhn. I understand!] (Luna)

[Fufufu. Don’t underestimate the power of an elf’s jade eyes! My jade eyes can see even in complete darkness!] (Til)

[Oh thats right. Phil was the same way as well. That is enviable] (Youya)

The jade eyes that have the ability to see long distances, night vision and clairvoyance that every adventurer envies.

[Let’s hurry up and clear the labyrinth. There is a curse placed onto this maze where our bodies will steadily become heavier the longer we stay here. The curse will only activate after half a day and walking will become difficult after a day. Eventually, we won’t be able to move and we will likely die after three days. This is the reason why the information present here is hidden from the public as many people often lose their lives before they managed to escape the maze.] (Youya)

Their bodies froze up after listening to my warning.

Not only is it difficult for adventurers to discover that the entrance of the dungeon was the Starfish Larvae’s mouth, but it is difficult for them to even escape the dungeon to let this information be known. Many adventurers who have entered this dungeon have not lived to tell the tale. A labyrinth within complete darkness with a complex maze to conquer. In the first place, it is difficult to even walk around in this darkness. Above that, there are many monsters present in this dungeon that are capable of detecting our location through sound and their sense of smell, making it difficult for normal adventurers to fight an unfavourable battle where they are robbed of their sight.

To sum everything up, people who have been “eaten” by the Starfish Larvae will find themselves teleported into complete darkness, while those who somehow have a light source with them will have a higher chance of surviving the dungeon. However, only those who are lucky enough to have the rare and expensive Return Stone will be able to live. Other than them, the others are likely to perish in this dungeon due to the curse. In our case, we came prepared knowing the mechanics of the dungeon and how to enter the dungeon. For us who know about the curse and environment of the dungeon, and are able to prepare for it, this dungeon will turn into a delicious dungeon with plenty of monsters for us to hunt. Aside from monsters, there are also many treasure chests as well as the gear from dead adventurers present, making it a very profitable dungeon. As a reward for clearing this difficult dungeon, there will always be a stone monument before the exit which provides information about where and when the egg will spawn.

[Luna, Til. There isn’t a dungeon that gets any better than this! Let’s enjoy the hunt to the fullest and enjoy a feast tonight!] (Youya)

Now, let’s raise our spirits and break through this difficult dungeon. Let’s aim to cover enough distance before we become too immobile to exit. Otherwise, we’ll have to use our Return Stones.