Chapter 52: First Raid: The Water Is...
The burly guy didn’t move rashly.
He looked around and raised his voice.
"Mink! Archy! Feya! Are you guys here?"
Mink and Archy whipped their heads towards the voice and shouted,
"Captain! We are here!"
"Stay here! We will co to you!"
The burly guy dragged the feeble young master and the four of them reunited.
In the dim light, the burly guy keenly sensed a missing presence.
"Where’s Feya?"
And the sll of blood coming from those two...
The burly guy’s heart hung high.
"Feya...she..." Archy shook his head, traces of blood on his face once again mixed with tears, sliding down his cheek.
"I’m sorry, captain, w-we couldn’t..." Save her.
Mink hung his head low, his nails dug deep into the broken spear stem.
The burly guy took a deep breath and shook his head.
"It’s okay. Casualties are to be expected."
No, it isn’t. There shouldn’t be a casualty this fast in a low-level F-rank dungeon.
A chill crept down the burly guy’s spine.
Unless....
This is not an F-rank dungeon.
The young master clung tightly to the burly guy, his eyes darting around anxiously.
"H-hey, Boruk, that woman...died?" The young master’s tone rose, his voice cracked.
"I-I don’t want to explore anymore! I-I want to go ho!"
But they can’t.
"Young master, see that glowing arc? I think that’s the dungeon’s exit." Boruk, the burly guy, tried to calm down the young master.
"N-no! You lied! Dungeons only have one entry and exit!"
"No, young master, there are cases when the entry and exit are separate."
Boruk spoke convincingly— to himself as well.
"B-but how do we get there?? None of us can fly!" The young master pointed at the lake and shook his head rapidly.
"I’ll never get down!"
"Fine. We will get down first. After we cross the lake, we will tie a rope across the lake." Boruk slashed the water with his sword, observing silently.
"Later, you can walk on the rope, young master."
"O-okay, okay, you guys go down."
Boruk slashed the water a few more tis and after making sure there was nothing inside, he motioned at the two other n.
"Archy, stay at the back. I’ll go first, Mink, stay in the middle. Keep an eye on the water."
Boruk slowly dipped his feet into the water and a chilling cold seeped into his bone.
Splash.
As his feet slowly treaded, it touched a solid ground underneath.
The water only reached his thigh.
Hm? The lake is more shallow than he thought.
Boruk slowly put all his lower body into the lake and his body subconsciously shivered, but his feet firmly touched a solid ground beneath.
Boruk tried to take a step forward, and...
Slip.
His feet slid and Boruk’s body leaned back.
"Captain!" Mink and Archy gasped but Boruk hurriedly stabbed his sword down, barely balancing himself.
"I’m fine. Be careful. The ground is slippery."
"O-okay." Mink was the second one to go into the lake, followed by Archy.
Archy gripped his bow tightly, the arrow pointed towards the water surface.
Ripple. Ripple.
The water rippled as they moved, making it difficult to see whether there was anything underneath.
"Huuuu..." Boruk let out a white mist from his mouth as he moved deeper.
Splash.
The water that reached his thigh before, slowly rose all the way to his waist.
Boruk slowed down, his shield broke the water in front of his chest and his sword cut through the surrounding water.
"Be careful. The water is getting deeper."
As the three hunters walked further, the water slowly reached their chest and their movent slowed down.
But they had already crossed a quarter of the lake.
"Maybe we overthink." Mink muttered uneasily, a strange sensation prickled his skin.
Sting. Sting.
A slight burn touched Mink’s skin.
Archy and Boruk felt the sa thing but the cold water numbed their feelings.
In the black water they couldn’t see...
A viscous liquid slithered like a snake.
A faint, familiar noise sounded.
Sizzle.
The stinging pain prickled more and more.
Boruk’s heart grew cold.
The water isn’t right.
"We better hurry." Boruk moved faster, the water around him rippled bigger.
Splash. Splash.
The two hunters behind him also moved faster, but their legs and arms were weak.
The gap between them and Boruk slowly widened.
"We are close." Boruk slashed the water around him, the water slowly reached his neck.
They were already halfway through.
Nothing happened yet.
Maybe there’s nothing in the lake.
Mink and Archy’s pale face slowly brightened, their breaths quickened.
"Yes! Just a little bit more!"
Under the faint blue light covering the dark water....
Splash.
Round blue creatures swum forward, silent, fluid, like a water snake.
Ten.
Then another.
Then...more.
Countless.
Shaaa...
The round blobs slowly encircled the three people in the middle.
Shing.
Their tiny eyes glead in the dark water, their mouths opened wide.
Sizzle.
Black viscous liquid slid out of their mouths, blending with the water and slowly touching the hunters’ bodies.
Sting. Sting.
"The water is really cold." Mink rubbed his stinging left arm and slowly lifted it from the lake, and then...
Pause.
Under the dim blue light, his skin slowly peeled.
Tak.
Red blood slowly poured out, trickling to the water.
"W...what...?"
This wound...
A familiar burnt sll wafted into his nose.
No...it—
It wasn’t the cold!
Mink’s heart leapt out of his chest and he hurriedly shouted,
"Captain! The water is— " corrosive...
The last word hadn’t fallen when Mink suddenly felt a great force dragging him down.
Splash!
"Umph!"
Boruk and Archy subconsciously looked down, their arms stretched.
"Mink!"
Deep in the water, Mink’s face contorted, his eyes widened, veins popped up all over his neck.
Skill! Use skill—
But all his skills were all cooldown.
Spear—
Just a broken stem.
Mink swung his arms and legs erratically, the force from the broken stem cut through the water.
Splash! Splash!
Splat. Splat.
A dozen slis stuck into his face, arms, legs, chest— sparing nothing.
Sizzle. Sizzle.
Black liquid simultaneously dyed Mink from head to toe.
Mppphhh...
Mink opened his mouth, a feeble scream floated, bubbles flew out of his mouth.
More and more slis crowded on his body, not a single inch of skin was exposed.
Splat. Splat.
Mink’s flailing limbs slowed down, his fingers loosened.
The broken spear steam drifted out of his grips.
Help......
He mouthed without a sound, a fierce burn slowly dissolved him.
Sizzle. Sizzle.
"Mink!"
The two hunters tried to dive into the water but the water instantly stung their faces and the next second...
Splash.
The broken spear stem floated to the surface.
Shaaa...
The black water around the spear stem turned red, and then—
The ripple stilled.
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