64 Chapter 65 (1/2)

We assembled near the entrance. The lizardmen were very curious to me who just arrived. Anyone would be curious since I was riding the legendary Gryphon. Furthermore, I have a maid with me which is quite hard to sink in to your head.

Harmless Sparrow and her guild members were at awe at me, as I can see their gaping mouth. The druid especially who looks so ridiculous as his saliva was slowly dripping from his mouth. I quickly approached them.

After she heard my voice, she seemed to snap out of it and shook her head.

”Ah... sorry, your arrival is so dashing and your equipment is also different last time. Your mask and cloak is also different too,”she chuckled as she opens the panel to invite me into the party.

”Harmless Sparrow invites you to her party”

Accept/Decline

Accept. If not for the hidden reward, I won't be partying with them.

”Remember, girl. I am only accompanying you and your party to clear this dungeon but only during this time. I prefer to play solo and also, I need to be the party leader here,” I quickly stated.

Harmless Sparrow frowned. Some of her subordinate are showing trace of anger in their faces but I don't really care. This time, Flaming Cutie brandish her dagger at me.

Peng!

Before the dagger can fully reach me, Lina already used her whip to skillfully catch the dagger on Flaming Cutie's hand and flick it off her. The surrounding lizard men who saw those moves claps their scaly hands and nodded with satisfaction. Flaming Cutie glared at Lina before she fetched the dagger again and pointed her dagger to Lina.

”You! How dare you do that! If you want to fight, lets fight in the arena!” Flaming Cutie said as she flips her dagger.

”Forget it, Flaming Cutie, Lina is an NPC and she can't fight in the arena. Even if she can, she will just mop the floor using your face,” I said casually.

”What?! Are you mocking me?” Flaming Cutie glared at me.

”No. In fact I am stating the truth. Your level and your strength is just too high of a gap so that would just end up as your loss,”I said before facing Harmless Sparrow again.

”Heh, with that temperament, surviving inside the dungeon is just a mere dream. Look at your party members, Harmless Sparrow. I know how to handle the place so if you want to clear this dungeon next time again after this, pay attention to what I was saying. Switch the party leader role to me or else, later on, I will be the one clearing it alone,” I said seriously to Harmless Sparrow.

Harmless Sparrow was silent for a bit but she decided to comply causing Flaming Cutie to get infuriated.

”You are appointed as the Party leader”

”Sparrow! Why?” Flaming Cutie growled.

”We can't argue here. Lets just go,” Harmless Sparrow said before going into the checkpoint where the lizardmen is waiting.

Flaming Cutie glared at me before muttering,” Lets see how you humiliate yourself.”

I don't know whether to laugh or cry due to this but I quickly composed myself as I also followed the rest. I checked the party members and silently remembered their names.

Pooshy is the Cleric, Ferventure is the Holy Knight, Izzzie is the Druid and Thunderfire is the Fighter. I sighed, after knowing them since I never heard of these names. They would be forever in the bottom of the guild. It was impossible to know them even in the past life.

The lizardmen just nodded as we passed by. Leona shrinks in size before she flew beside me. And after that, we arrived in the vicinity of the Jungle of Deceit.

”Player discovers a new location: Jungle of Deceit”

We looked around and many of them are first timers, well, except for Harmless Sparrow and Flaming Cutie who seemed to be here already in the past.

”Please choose a difficulty” a voice can be heard echoing in the surroundings.

”Abyss Mode” I said calmly and even though Harmless Sparrow and her party members are already prepared, they still find it hard to accept that I will still go to the Abyss Mode.

Soon, the surrounding atmosphere of the Jungle seems very heavy, which means that the Abyss Mode is already applied. The others felt like they have been given a heavy baggage to carry. Even Lina and Leona felt a heavy pressure weighing on their shoulders. I disregarded them and marched forward as I unsheathed my sword.

...

The jungle was so thickly covered with vines and moss. I can't really feel any kind of atmosphere that makes my hair rise up except on these people behind me.

”F*ck, is it just me or the forest seems more creepy than usual?” Flaming Cutie rubbed her arms as she felt the cold breeze flew past her skin.

”No, it's not only you, I felt it too and it feels like more colder than the last time we explored this place. Is it due to the effects of the Abyss Mode?” Harmless Sparrow is not that affected by the cold since she used her Flaming Sword as a source of heat. Even the others are now clustered around Harmless Sparrow as they talked.

I did not pay attention too much on them and focus my attention to the place. Just like how the name implies, the Jungle of Deceit implores troublesome things that many might appear chaotic and if you don't have enough control to yourself, you will drown from the deceitful emotions you might feel in. I already knew it since I already encountered what they are talking about. I also died repeatedly because of the strong enemies living here and even though I can say that I am strong enough, it won't be the same as finding an enemy and kill immediately.

I heightened my perception. I look at the clustered players and ordered around.

”Just stay like that but remember to heighten your senses. Enemies might be hiding from those bushes. Better avoid those things,” I said to them.

They nodded and move near me and began to look around and even a single stick in the ground is also being avoided. I don't know whether I should chuckle or ignore them. I made Lina and Leona as the Vanguard. Lina is much dexterous and Leona is able to tank us due to her high health. I stayed in the middle to act immediately depending on the trouble that might arise on all sides. The rest were clustered together on the rearguard and although I have little faith to he skills of these people, I can assure myself that the rearguard is covered since Flaming Cutie and Harmless Sparrow are both on the rearguard.

Just as our group arrived on a thick foliage with an arching tree, I quickly spotted an enemy that many might not be able to see.

”Deceitful Chameleon”

Level 47

HP: 350,000/350, 000

Attribute: Plant, Beast

This one is just a normal monster but it has a high HP. Good thing it was the only enemy for now.

”Pooshy! Cast Widespread Blessings! Flaming Cutie, cast smoke bombs around us! Ferventure, prepare the spell of Sanctuary of the Weak! Everyone else, attack!” I said and covered my sword in flames as I cast Flaming Sword and rushed towards the enemy.

Everyone became attentive as I said it. They did not disobey me and even Flaming Cutie whom was reluctant decided to do it was forced to perform. Deceitful Chameleon is hard to beat if you don't know its attack patterns. It can disappear and appear on its own and ambush players who are low on defense. The reason I made Pooshy cast Widespread Blessings is to avoid the confusion attack that Deceitful Chameleon do. Widespread Blessings is a cleric skill that allows players covered with the skill immune to mind attacks and at the same time, converts those attacks to HP temporarily for two minutes. Additionally, I made Flaming Curie use Smoke Bomb. Smoke Bomb can cover yourself with smoke foliage and can sometimes blind the enemy or make the attacks of the enemy miss during the duration of the Smoke Bomb. Deceitful Chameleon is too fast in attacks and with that, those skills will help a lot. The Holy Knight, Ferventure also prepared the skill, Sanctuary Of the Weak. If the pattern is still the same, it will attack soon.

Before the monster can do so, I quickly chanted a spell.