Chapter 72 – First Battle In A Party.

“Can you get it over with before the day is over? Some people need to earn coin to survive.”

“Don’t scare the newbie’s idiot, let’s just go get a mug of ale and come back tomorrow.”

A small commotion was unfolding at the entrance of the E-Rank dungeon, something many had grown accustomed to. A large group of people walked through a fenced-off area, while other adventurers were denied entry. The adventurer test was underway, and to ensure its legitimacy, the dungeon had been sealed off to prevent others from entering.

Something like this didn’t go too well with other E and D-rank adventurers who used this place as a hunting ground. Their livelihood depended on getting monster parts and chests from within this place. Rusty could hear the grumbling from the disgruntled adventurers as his group neared the dungeon entrance. Despite the complaints, the small party’s of four didn’t care; they were far too busy being tense.

They passed the checkpoint, guarded by a small squadron of guards similar to those at the F-Rank dungeon. However, the people here were of a higher level, and their equipment was noticeably better. Rusty glanced up at the large arch he was passing through, which was connected to a sturdy fence. Unlike before, there was no tunnel of trees forming a pathway – just an empty road leading toward a massive rock structure, reminiscent of a mountain but not quite.

“I remember this… If I’m not mistaken, this dungeon is a giant maze with only a few floors, much larger than the one you came from, Rusty.”

Alexander’s claim was quickly confirmed when the officials lined up the participants and handed each team a map, detailing the route they were expected to follow. It was just a snippet of the first floor, but even that was enormous. Large portions of the map were missing, and several red markings indicated strictly off-limits areas. It became clear that this dungeon was far more dangerous, and encountering monsters of various levels on the very first floor was a real possibility.

“Listen up, don’t wander around, only follow the route specified by the guild, the dungeon is a treacherous place and you will lose your life if you aren’t careful.”

Garren’s voice boomed again, ensuring everyone understood the gravity of the test.

“Stick to the marked paths, stay with your team, and remember: this is not just a hunt for monsters. You’re here to prove you can think, plan, and survive as a team.”

The weight of those words hung over Rusty’s group as they moved closer to the dungeon entrance. Norkas, their self-appointed leader, furrowed his brows as he studied the map, muttering something to himself. Layla leaned in to get a better look, while Odelette, the halfling, was practically bouncing on her feet, too full of energy to stand still.

“You’ll be entering in order of your teams, use this time to examine the maps and check your supplies, you might need them.”

“The Guild has given us a few low-quality potions, at least this is better than nothing.”

Layla commented as she rummaged through the small pouch handed to their group. Inside were a few basic health potions, barely enough to sustain them if they faced prolonged combat. Rusty watched her distribute them, handing each member one. He took the potion and examined it closely, the liquid sloshing inside the glass vial. His sturdy form didn’t rely on potions at all as he used metal ingots to restore his parts. However, it was better to pocket it to keep up his disguise.

“Alright, team. This is the route we’re supposed to take.”

Norkas was done studying the map and he pointed to a section near the entrance. His finger traced a path to something that looked like a larger chamber.

“It looks like a straight shot at first, but once we reach this fork, we’ll need to veer left. There’s probably a checkpoint here, and that’s where we’ll likely encounter our first challenge. It could be a puzzle or maybe some monsters. Either way, we’ll need to be prepared.”

Layla nodded in agreement, her gaze drifting from the map to the distant entrance. There she could see some of the adventurers going in, their formations giving her an idea about how they should proceed.

“I’ve heard this dungeon is full of traps. Perhaps, we should let Odelette take the lead once we’re inside.”

The halfling beamed at the mention of her name.

“You got it! I’ll make sure we don’t step on any nasty surprises. Just watch my back, big guy!”

Rusty felt a gentle smack to his thigh that came from the small person. She smirked at him in a strange fashion that he didn’t understand. He wondered if this was some type of attack and if he should retaliate but considering that the other adventurers were just smiling, everything had to be fine.

“Alright, leave it to me?”

He responded in an awkward tone, something the other party members quickly noticed. Fortunately, despite realizing he wasn’t much of a talker, they didn’t shy away from asking questions and working to strategize. Norkas brought up an important issue early on, asking about everyone’s skills and directing the first question to Rusty.

“Albert, right? Can I ask you something?”

“Mmm… sure?”

“Do you have any taunting skills, by chance?”

Rusty paused for a moment, thinking about his abilities. He didn’t have anything that fit the description. In his previous experiences with Gleam, he usually attracted monsters by engaging them directly, while his ant companion preferred to hide in holes to avoid being targeted. In this party, however, he would need to keep monsters away from the two ranged adventurers and the thief – something he had never done before.

“No, I don’t…”

“Ah… that’s a shame but how about this.”

The man had his own spatial satchel and took out a small pouch. The moment he did, the two girls from the party scrunched up their noses at the pungent smell.

“W-what is that smell?”

“Egh… keep that away!”

“Haha, you’re overreacting.”

Norkas shook his head as he handed the pouch to Rusty, who lacked a sense of smell. Poison and disease didn’t affect him, so a pouch that reeked of rotten fish wouldn’t be much of an issue. Still, after taking the pouch and inspecting it, Rusty wasn’t sure what it was for.

“This is…?”

“It’s a special mixture of herbs and monster parts. It should attract the monsters in the dungeon to you. Sorry about the smell but I’m sure you’ll get used to it…”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

‘Hah, this guy came prepared for the occasion, luckily you don’t have a nose.’

Alexander didn’t know what to say, it was a useful item for the occasion but it made Rusty smell like a dead goblin and caused the other adventurers to keep their distance.