Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 140

Dungeon Expedition Log – Chapter 141

Flames erupted from the Guardian Dragons’ mouths, and the Dragon Knights’ lances flashed. The invaders were instantly ripped apart by the Dragon Knights.

“These bastards…”

Uther grimaced, his face twisting as he examined the remains of the invaders, now scattered pieces of flesh.

“It’s them.”

Trindal ground his teeth, crushing bits of flesh stuck to the floor.

The invaders were creatures from another subterranean layer, their bodies half-decayed, who had been a terrible nuisance for the past year.

“Of all the bad luck, these guys had to be on the other side of the passage.”

“It seems so.”

Trindal replied to Uther’s words.

“If there are many of them on the other side, crossing over now is suicide.”

“Indeed. We can’t know how many there are.”

As they spoke, Uther hesitated about retreating the expedition. Then he noticed Rickshasha bowing her head in the distance, examining something, and tilted his head in curiosity.

Not content with just bowing and examining, she eventually sat down, scrutinizing something of unknown origin.

After squatting for a while, Rickshasha picked something up and stood.

“How dare you!”

Seeing what she held, Trindal was outraged and shouted. In her hand was the head of a Knight of the Void, torn off by the Dragon Knights.

“Do not disgrace them!”

Though torn apart in the chaos, the Knights of the Void were subordinates Trindal cherished. He couldn’t bear to see a lowly Under Elf insulting the corpse of one of them, and his demeanor instantly turned fierce.

“Wait.”

Trindal, ready to rush out and grab Rickshasha by the collar, stopped, gritting his teeth at Uther’s command.

“Let’s wait and see.”

Uther watched Rickshasha’s actions. Though she was an Under Elf from a background no different from a slave, he figured that if she was favored by the King, she might have a reason.

As expected, Rickshasha soon explained, her face stiff.

“It’s contaminated.”

“What?”

Uther’s eyes widened at the unexpected words. She held up the helmeted head of the knight.

“Look.”

The head of the Knight of the Void looked ominous. The Knights of the Void were empty, animated armor. Naturally, their heads had nothing inside their helmets.

But the head Rickshasha held was different.

“The black armor has turned dark red. And look at these. These things that have risen up like capillaries are exactly the same as those guys.”

Indeed, as she said. The head was covered with unsightly capillaries and tendons. The grotesque appearance matched the enemies they had seen before, and Trindal and Uther were dumbfounded.

“What is this…”

Come to think of it, those creatures who had suddenly appeared from the passage were full of hostility. Perhaps that was why the Dragon Knights had thrust their spears without hesitation.

“There’s something here.”

Rickshasha tossed the head away and looked around at everyone. Trindal was speechless, even seeing the head of his cherished subordinate rolling on the floor. He was so confused that he couldn’t think straight.

“And we won’t know what that something is until we cross over and check.”
The Under Elves had crossed the passage two hours ago, and the Knights of the Void had crossed much later, less than an hour ago. What had happened in that time?

Uther, Trindal, and the rest of the expedition felt fear for the first time. Even the valiant Dragon Knights merely sent suppressed glances with pale faces.

“Let’s go. We can’t learn anything by staying here.”

At Rickshasha’s gesture, the Dragon Knights hesitated and approached the passage again. This time, they gripped their spears firmly, ready to strike at any moment.

The Under Elves also hid in the shadows of the Dragon Knights and slowly began to move forward.

“Let’s go.”

Trindal didn’t even realize that everyone was moving at the command of a lowly Under Elf. He simply tensed his muscles and took heavy steps.

“In the worst case, Uther-nim [term of respect] must be able to return.”

Rickshasha said, with the passage right in front of them.

“If there is a danger beyond what we imagined ahead, Uther-nim is the most likely to survive.”

Was she considering the worst-case scenario? Rickshasha’s words were so solemn that they felt chilling.

Uther, who would normally have made a fuss about how he had to survive no matter what, simply nodded, his mouth shut tight at the weight he felt in her words.

“Then, let’s go.”

In a situation where any hell might unfold beyond the passage, Rickshasha’s steps were unwavering. This time, even Trindal was impressed by her spirit and couldn’t fault her acting like the leader.

“Then…”

Uther moved his reluctant steps, and the Dragon Knight at the very front finally stepped into the passage. Immediately after, everyone, including Uther, crossed.

A passage that was neither wide nor narrow, and a deep darkness, a subterranean landscape that could be seen anywhere, greeted them.

Contrary to expectations, the ordinary scenery made the determination of the expedition, who had crossed with solemn faces, seem insignificant.

But complacency was premature.

An ominous energy that slowly rose began to weigh on them.

Rickshasha was already rubbing her stiff shoulders, squatting on the floor, looking for traces.

The scattered footprints were probably the traces of the Knights of the Void. And the faint, almost secretive footprints were undoubtedly those of the Under Elves.

“The Knights of the Void seem to have stopped in front of here and then returned immediately. They probably wanted to report that there was no danger.”

With just one small footprint, Rickshasha depicted the situation as if she had seen it herself.

“Things have gone wrong, but it’s still fortunate. The scouts seem to be still alive.”

She began to move, following the traces.

“This is kind of eerie.”

Darkness and silence were like companions to those who lived underground. But Uther felt like he was suffocating from the silence and darkness surrounding him.

Not only that, Trindal and the Dragon Knights were all pale. The Under Elves were also looking around with uneasy faces.

“Let’s check at least this area first.”

Rickshasha, who seemed to acknowledge Uther’s command, stepped forward, leading the group without hesitation, chasing the traces of the Under Elves who had crossed over first.

Fortunately, there were no encounters with enemies. No battles took place. They simply wandered around the passage, following the traces.

But that didn’t mean there was no threat. The real threat came silently.

“Hmm?”

Trindal, moving forward, stopped, feeling a tingling sensation in the back of his head. He looked around.

The only things visible were the expedition moving in the darkness, and his subordinates right behind him.

Trindal tilted his head, trying to move again, but froze. His outstretched hand slowly moved to grab the sword hilt slanting backwards.

“Kyak!”

When his hand finally grabbed the sword hilt, a strangled groan burst out, and the formation became noisy.

“I wasn’t wrong.”

Trindal saw Rickshasha stepping on the neck of a Knight of the Void.

The Knight of the Void, struggling under her foot, was dyed red all over, and black and blue blood vessels were bulging all over his armor.

“It seems like there’s something here.”

“Cough!”

The Knight of the Void, struggling, was pierced through the head by the sword she casually slammed down, and then slumped.

“It seems like it would be better to send Trindal-nim’s subordinates back as they are.”

Trindal looked around at her words and groaned. He could see the Knights of the Void, with blood vessels bulging out just like his subdued subordinates, grabbing their sword hilts with red eyes.

“No, maybe it’s already too late?”

White teeth that were particularly clear in the darkness; she was definitely smiling now. The moment the corners of her mouth drew a complete arc, the darkness moved everywhere.

“Stop!”

Trindal stepped forward reflexively, but the situation was already over.

The Knights of the Void were all rolling on the floor with their necks cut off, and in front of them were the Under Elves putting away their curved blades.

He already knew that his subordinates had been contaminated by something. No matter what anyone said, Trindal was an indomitable warrior who had firmly defended his labyrinth throughout the chaotic period when countless labyrinths were destroyed.

But seeing his subordinates brutally slaughtered was something he couldn’t accept. So Trindal went berserk.

Uther stopped him.

“Stop. Unfortunately, your subordinates have already been eaten by something.”

Uther’s blunt expression startled Trindal. Of course, he still couldn’t shake off his resentment.

Trindal swung his sword at the Under Elf closest to him, filled with anger. He couldn’t bear it if he didn’t punish the lowly Under Elf who had slaughtered his subordinates.

“Avoid?”

But even that was in vain. The attacked Under Elf disappeared as if he had never been there.

The Under Elf reappeared behind Rickshasha.

Trindal, dumbfounded at the sight of the Under Elf looking at him blankly, let out a hollow laugh.

He clenched his sword tightly and rushed forward. No, he was about to rush forward.

“They are not lowly slaves. They are the King’s most trusted bodyguards.”

Uther’s words stopped him.

“Have you heard of it? The existence of assassins who erased countless enemies who coveted the 9th floor. They are the King’s hidden blades.”

He thought they were just scouts. He hadn’t even paid attention to the lowly Under Elves. But hearing Uther’s words, Trindal could no longer treat them carelessly.

He had heard about what happened to the nobles of the deep who had taken advantage of the chaos of the 9th floor, which had been caught up in the war relatively early among the sequentially occurring wars.

“Let me introduce you again. Rickshasha, the leader of the bodyguards and the woman most trusted by the King.”

Uther smiled bitterly and introduced Rickshasha.