Chapter 53 – Adventurers Coming.

“When was the last time we were here?”

“I don’t know, maybe a month or two.”

“Everything sure has changed. It’s no wonder the guild asked us to sweep through the floors before they open it up again…”

A group of adventurers looked around a desolate swamp area. They had expected a thick fog, croaking poisonous toads, and groaning undead. There was almost none of it here. The fog that used to keep people from seeing a few meters ahead was gone. The monsters that should have been guarding the many crypts were gone, and their interiors were emptied out. It was as if something or someone had systematically purged the entire area of its threats.

“I heard this was supposed to be a case of over-hunting, but why would it continue even after the dungeon was closed?”

“Perhaps they have a different way to get in here?”

“I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Why’s that, Keyon?”

The woman in light leather armor asked her companion while the others listened. It was a party of four people. One was a dwarven warrior, another a large man over two meters in height wearing bulky steel armor. The two talking were an archer named Keyon and the party leader, Livi.

“Well, if that’s true, they could still be here. We can handle the monsters here, but if it’s another party of adventurers, it could get tricky. They could be in a large group or have high ranks with them. Do they really expect us to do this for a few silver coins?”

Keyon replied, his voice laced with bitterness. This new mission they were sent on was supposed to be easy, just reconnaissance to see if the dungeon had jumpstarted itself back. This was supposed to be a fairly new dungeon still going through a growth period. The guild made sure not to overtax it because until it reached a certain threshold, such occurrences were possible.

“You think they’ll pay us if we go back now?”

“Hah, probably not, if we don’t find the source of whatever has been causing this, we might not get anything at all.”

Livi frowned, scanning the surroundings. The absence of fog and monsters was unsettling. She had expected a routine check, not an empty, eerie silence. Their contract had a clause that in the event of unusual circumstances, they would need to investigate and report back before receiving full payment. Abandoning the mission now would result in no compensation and potentially damage their reputation within the guild.

“Let’s press on. We need to figure out what’s happening here. Besides, I don’t think there is anything worthwhile left down here besides the boss chamber. Let’s just go there, and if it’s empty, we’ll make the report.”

“Alright, leader. Lead the way.”

Livi made the decision, and the other party members just nodded. The group moved forward and navigated through the desolate swamp at record speed. Without the fog impeding their progress, it was quite easy for them to reach the entrance to the eighth floor.

Soon, the adventurers descended to the eighth floor, but they couldn’t help but feel the oppressive silence of the dungeon. The atmosphere was unlike anything they had encountered before. Usually, the air would be thick with the stench of decay and the sounds of undead roaming the halls, but now, it was eerily calm.

“Stay alert; something’s not right here.”

“The eighth floor isn’t much better than the previous seven. The density of monsters is really dropping down… Could some bastard have damaged the dungeon heart?”

“Now why would someone do something as idiotic as that?”

Keyon replied to Livi as the group moved through the destroyed chambers on the eighth floor, only to find one or two zombies crawling about. As they cautiously explored the eighth floor, the adventurers encountered only scattered remnants of undead, nothing more than stragglers barely posing a threat. The once-menacing atmosphere of the dungeon had dissipated, replaced by an unsettling calm. Every corner they turned revealed more evidence of desolation, urging them to press on with their search. The big question still remained: who was responsible for this, and were they still lurking inside the dungeon?

All of them remained on high alert. The threat wasn’t obvious, but they anticipated an unwelcome surprise at any moment. Keyon, the archer, kept his bow ready, skillfully scanning for any potential hidden targets. Despite their cautious progress, as they reached the entrance to the ninth floor, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. They were nearing the end of their exploration, yet the possibility lingered that their adversary might be lying in it.

“Boss, this place is too quiet. Do you think we’re walking into a trap?”

Keyon whispered, his gaze fixed on the stairs leading down.

“I don’t know, but we need to be prepared for anything. Keep your guard up. If we’re lucky, we’ll confront the boss and return. But stay vigilant, Dedrick you take the front, keep your shield up.”

Livi responded, simultaneously issuing orders to the party members. They all understood that the difficulty on the next floor would intensify greatly, likely with a barrage of arrows awaiting them. The largest and most heavily armored man in the group nodded, extending his massive tower shield. Soon, the group descended the stairs and reached the next floor, where they immediately noticed a change.

“Do you hear that?”

“Yeah… Someone is there.”

Finally, they noticed a difference. The expected hail of arrows from the living armors defending the castle gates didn’t come. Instead, they heard loud noises: the sound of metal clashing against metal. Clearly, someone was already battling the iron armors on this floor.

“I think we might have discovered the problem. What do we do?”

One of the party members asked. The party leader began to ponder. She knew it was possible that dungeon poachers were ahead of them, a group that would probably not be easy to deal with. However, if the poachers were already fighting the living armors, it presented an opportunity. They could ambush the poachers from behind, using the monsters to their advantage, and potentially earn a higher reward from the guild for completing their mission.

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“Prepare yourselves. We’re moving in. Keyon, stay at the rear and cover our backs, Reistel, Dedrick you two in the front.”

“Aye, finally some action!”

The dwarf called out in a hushed tone while the larger armored man just nodded. Soon the four were moving through the long bridge that was usually covered in arrows. The adventurers cautiously moved across the bridge, their footsteps muffled against the wooden planks.

Driven by the sounds of battle, they continued onward. What they discovered further was a castle filled with empty hallways. This place was supposed to be overrun by living armor monsters at every corner, but instead, they were greeted by nothing but muffled sounds from afar. They nodded at each other and stealthily moved toward the source of the noise. As they approached the castle’s great hall, the clashing of metal grew louder, resonating through the cold stone walls.

“Hey, do you see that?”

“Yeah… doesn’t that thing look familiar?” Livi asked Keyon, who narrowed his eyes at the spectacle before them.

In the middle of the great hall was a lone living armor, different from the ones attacking it. In one hand, it held a large bronze mace, while the other contained a shield. With each swing of its weapon, it dispatched the seemingly more evolved variants, smashing their heads and directly targeting their monster cores. The battle seemed to be over a minute into their arrival, and soon the creature stood motionless in the middle of the hall.