The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 181 The Final Shield Charge (8k views, please subscribe and vote!)

"Maybe that foul-mouthed guy is right. We should keep a diary. That way, at least we'll know how many days we've been in the dungeon..."

In the endless darkness, pebbles leaned against a thick tree trunk—

This should be a tree trunk; at least the rough texture is very similar.

As you walk across this land, the crushed leaves and branches prove that this must have been a woodland.

But all of this was merely speculation on his part.

Because he can't see anything.

His innate dark vision gave him the ability to see in the dark, so much so that from the moment he was born, he could only see light.

Like someone born blind, unable to comprehend what the 'face' of this world should look like.

Even the rubble couldn't comprehend how utterly dark the world was to humankind.

It was so dark it was terrifying.

He had thought that the only thing that could frighten him was a life where he couldn't enjoy fine wine.

But the stone, who had been deprived of alcohol for a long time, was very sober.

He realized that he was actually just afraid of death.

If he were to hear the ticking of death's countdown, how would he record his diary?
It's roughly from the first day we left the Crystal Labyrinth—

On the first day, they ran into some Red Turban Gang thugs, but they didn't seem to have any intention of stopping them from moving forward.

Realizing their target was Tang Qi, Silver Medal spent some time drawing the attention of some gang members away, intending to lead them to the fourth floor.

The next day, the dark haze, like a continuous fog, seeped into their eyes from the fourth floor.

Having lost their sense of direction, they had no choice but to tie themselves together with rope to prevent anyone from getting lost in the dark.

Rumi may be a chatterbox, but he was, after all, a martial monk.

With the help of hearing and smell, he maintained a keen sense of perception, which enabled them to explore and move forward.

The third day—it should be the third day, because according to the perception of the rubble, a long time had passed.

Food is running out.

This is a fatal piece of information.

As a warrior, unleashing combat skills requires energy supplied by a large amount of food.

Twenty days have passed since the Silver Medal entered the deep well. Even the most abundant food reserves cannot withstand such massive consumption.

Especially after running into a group of adventurers—or rather, upright-walking people.

Unable to communicate, the other party launched a relentless and desperate attack on them, as if possessed.

This made the rubble quickly realize that they were [animated corpses].

Without much further struggle, they broke through the encirclement, but inevitably expended too much energy.

It can no longer support the use of combat techniques.

On the fourth day, his vital signs began to decline, and he encountered a group of living adventurers.

From their accounts, we learned that darkness had been spreading for a long time.

The other party earnestly requested to accompany the Silver Medal, but Wendy declined the request out of caution.

In the lawless dungeon, kindness towards others can easily turn into a blade that pierces oneself and one's companions.

She needs to be responsible for her teammates.

Day ...

Physiological hunger causes the stomach to spasm and contract, accompanied by a strong burning and stinging sensation from stomach acid.

In the pitch-black environment, it is difficult to find a water source, so they can only collect some dew to replenish their moisture.

Their minds were consumed by nothing but food, food; they were even willing to devour the raw flesh of monsters.

But the fourth level seemed devoid of any living creatures; only the carrion-eating Kru could swallow the mushroom-covered corpses.

Frequent battles and breakouts left him physically exhausted.

The only living creature we encountered was the Rust Monster.

This group of slimes, relying on sight and perception, aimlessly crawling through the underground city, became the greatest threat they faced along the way.

Using their intuition, they successfully resolved the non-lethal threat.

But the reward they received was a mace of rubble, Wendy's sword and shield, and even their armor was corroded and rusted by the slime.

And the unprofitable business will continue indefinitely.

Squeezing out the last of their energy to buy themselves a meager respite until Long Jincheng's rescue arrived was the only thing they could do.
"The lord will not abandon the deep well. As long as we hold on until their rescue..."

The sixth day?
Who the hell cares?

They learned from an adventurer who was alive but practically dead that the dungeon was sealed off.

"Hahaha, we've been fucking abandoned, you know!?"

Just like the shrimp shells that big shots chew up and spit out—once the meat inside is eaten, they become worthless!
Nobody came to save us, nobody!
Fuck your Lionheart Lord, fuck your Deepwell, fuck your Adventure!

Everyone was trapped and died in the deep well.

“We’ve been abandoned…” Wendy was also at a loss.

Rumi became the only one who could still remain optimistic:
"Relax, relax. At least we've found a place to rest, haven't we? Maybe I can find some wild vegetables nearby to fill our hungry stomachs. Don't worry, I'm an expert at exploring woodlands. Although I can't see what the wild vegetables look like, at this moment, even poisonous mushrooms are better than letting our stomachs continue to cramp..."

“Cut off his goatee, can’t you stop talking for a second?” Shattered Stone could feel the weakness in his limbs.

“No, please let him continue, Mr. Stone. At least that will make me feel a little safer.” Wendy sat down beside him, trying to make her voice sound calmer.

"Rua!" Kuru was trying to cheer people up.

After all, it cannot read any words in the dark.

"Damn it, who would have thought that one day the kobold would become the most energetic one among us?"

"Based on my keen hearing, that kobold must have been consuming the carcasses we'd encountered along the way. I kept hearing satisfied chewing sounds in its direction—reminding me of the apple pie from the sandalwood forest. Trust me, the pie made from golden apples and tree wine will surely cleanse our stomachs and restore our spirits. Its crust is so crisp it makes a 'crunch' as ​​you take a bite, and the sweet jam..."

"Enough, shut up! I don't want to hear this on an empty stomach!"

The rubble roared with all its might.

The instant he finished yelling, he felt regret—

He realized that the team seemed to need some liveliness to alleviate their fatigue from the journey:

"I'm sorry, I'm just too hungry—too hungry to control my emotions."

"It's alright, Mr. Stone. To be honest, we're probably all feeling pretty irritable... because the lack of sugar leaves us with an energy deficit, which can affect our brain's emotional control—as mentioned in the Guide."

Wendy suppressed her emotions, but her voice sounded weak.

As the team leader, she needed to step forward and reassure everyone at this time.

So she tried to pat the dwarf on the shoulder, but she missed.

In the darkness, she failed to realize that the dwarf sitting beneath her was still not at the same height as her.

"That foul-mouthed guy always manages to spout things that seem to make sense..."

The gravel muttered, but had to admit that it was the right conclusion.

He's too lazy to think about exactly how much time has passed, but the feedback from his body tells him he can't hold on much longer—

His muscles have begun to atrophy.

Most importantly, the chewing sounds of the Kru-na-tou never stopped, and the bloody smell of raw meat still filled his nostrils.

Dog-headed people have no dietary restrictions.

Let alone animal carcasses.

It even devours human corpses covered in mushrooms with relish:
"Ha, I'm actually going to die in front of a kobold?"

"We will not die!" Kuru cheered.

"Does that mean you won't die...?"

Wendy couldn't quite understand Kuru's broken language, taking it only as a good wish.
"Thank you, Mr. Kobold."

"Tang Qi will come!"

"What good will his arrival do? Does that foul-mouthed man have any food left? Besides—"

He needs torches to explore caves, how will he find his way in this darkness? How will he find us?

The gravel shook its head and sighed deeply.

"I don't even know if that guy has come out of the Crystal Labyrinth—damn it, I actually have time to care about other people's fates?"

“Friends always care about each other,” Wendy said.

"Friends? You should know someone for at least ten years, let alone a hundred years, right? But we've only known each other for three months... And what dwarf would be friends with an enemy of the dwarves?"

If he were sent to Ironforge in the North, he'd be hanged.

"So you're from the North?"

They had lost the strength to go on, and all they could do now was cling to their last breaths in this tranquil forest.

Hoping that once they regained their strength, they might still have a chance to continue their journey.

At least they should fall on the way back, to prove they tried, right?
"The Northlands? The Northlands are a good place. What's good about it is that most of the dwarves and giants in the world gather there, and just their presence is enough to make you laugh. Ugh—the weeds here are so wet and smelly, like vomit after a night of drinking. They're nothing like the weeds in our Sandalwood Forest, where you can even pick a twig and put it in your mouth; it tastes like a milky walnut. Of course, don't let the forest ranger druids see you; their anger is quite frightening..."

"Sandalwood forests aren't as beautiful as they seem."

The gravel couldn't help but mutter.

"A bunch of druids who only know how to boss people around, a group of stubborn forest rangers, and a... well, that might be more like a dream than Ironforge in the Northrend."

Wendy knew about the Stone's background as a member of the Sandalwood Forest.

However, the dwarves have an extremely strong sense of collective honor, which makes them rarely express any dissatisfaction with Ironforge when making comparisons.

This made her even more curious:
Don't you like your hometown?

"No, of course not. It's just that I haven't had a heart-to-heart talk in a long time—oh damn, can we not bring up any open-hearted topics at a time like this?"
The last time we did this was in the desert, all because Faltto talked about the holy city and marriage. If he hadn't said those damned things, they might not have become his dying words.

The gravel disliked those sentimental scenes.

He believed that every adventurer should do this.

This is his most experienced conclusion as a two-hundred-year-old veteran adventurer.

Because it's considered unlucky, as if their lives were coming to an end, and if they didn't speak up, they would never be able to say it.

"..."

Without human voices, silence returned to darkness.

Wendy wanted to say something, but ultimately chose to conserve her energy.

This left her with only the soft rustling of leaves in the breeze.

It's hard to imagine that you could hear the wind in this dark and sunless underground—

But then she noticed something was wrong:

"Wait, can you really hear the wind underground?"

If so, why didn't they sense it before?
Was it excessive hunger that numbed their senses?
At the same time, Rumi, who had tasted all the wild grasses around him, also spat out the grass leaves he was eating:

"Rotting chunks of flesh are mixed in with the leaves around us—damn, no wonder this is one of the few clearings where no signs of life can be found. They used to be around here, but now they've all been absorbed into the 'trees'!"

The rubble tumbled forward, trying to break free from whatever was clinging to its legs and attempting to entangle it.

Where have you led us?!

"You need to understand that I'm guiding you based on my senses; I can't see anything myself—sob sob!"

Rumi realized something was covering his mouth and nose.

The rotting grass and its stench made him realize that it was the roots of the big tree behind him!

The humid climate and the smell of decay quickly made this dwarf, who had lived in the forest since childhood, realize what kind of being he had encountered—

An invisible force surged forth as his fists slammed into the vines binding his mouth and nose. Amidst howls and shrill cries, he roared in alarm:
"It's the [Sprawling Monster]!"

These decaying mounds, composed of tangled remnants of living plants and the remains of their prey, are a formidable predator in the cold swamps and rainforests.

The druids of the Sandalwood Grove found these plants extremely troublesome, and their frequent complaints left a deep impression on Rumi.

"There are few creatures in this world more hateful than the builders of those cities."

But the creeping monster is one of them.

They engulf everything in their path and damage the nature upon which living beings depend for survival.

Of course, due to their slow movement speed, they tend to stay in the same place, absorbing nutrients from their surroundings while waiting for prey to come to them.

Therefore, if you don't actively approach them, you generally won't encounter much of a threat.

Even without the darkness, the leaves, vines, and roots covering it provide excellent camouflage and protection, allowing it to blend into the woodland and be indistinguishable even to many seasoned rangers.

Not to mention the current situation where everything is pitch black!

If they hadn't realized that the leaves themselves were rotten, they wouldn't have even been able to grasp the true nature of the giant tree behind them!

As the vines tried to climb, Rumi quickly broke free of their grasp, not even having time to say anything more:

"Run! Escape its reach! If we run far enough, it will lose interest in us!"

Wendy's limbs were also weak, but her will to survive still enabled her to stand up.

The vines bound her legs, and in desperation, she had no choice but to cut off the branches—

Completely blind, relying entirely on instinct, he struck the vines between her legs with a firm blow.

But all she heard was a clang, and the shock made her realize that the blade, which had been corroded by the rust monster, had lost the sharpness that Nord steel should have.

With her blade bent, her strength was insufficient to forcibly break the branches, and she could only shout to her companions:

"Leave me alone, run!"

As she spoke, she was about to slash the hemp rope connecting them with her sword.

"What the hell makes sense for the employer to cover for the weak?!"

There are no cowards among dwarves.

With a roar, Shatterstone raised his mace and smashed it in the direction of the sound—

Losing sight also means that your hearing will become more acute.

For experienced soldiers, judging the distance between each other is not difficult.

The dwarf doesn't even need to adjust his direction to easily hit an adult's knee.

'With the right approach, blue cheese can sell like hotcakes.' The disadvantage of height has now become an advantage.

The relief of having her legs untied came at the same time as the pain from the shock. Wendy knew she couldn't expect the quarry to stop at this moment.

Fortunately, the leg armor was strong enough to keep him upright despite his cries of pain.
"But which direction should we escape in?"

In the pitch-black environment, they feared they might escape in the wrong direction and be led into another ravine.

But then they heard Kuru suddenly shout:

"Rua! Here!"

It tugged at the hemp ropes binding it, making it easier for Rumi to identify.

The smell of blood in the air made him realize the truth—

"That's the direction you left the body!?"

While feeding, the kobolds did not devour every inch of the corpses; instead, they selectively ate and then left the bodies in their path.

Rumi's exceptional senses allowed him to discern the approximate route the body was disposed of.

This actually provided them with a relatively safe way out!
Then he led his companions behind him to flee in that direction as well.

But the predatory creeping monster was absolutely unwilling to let its prey escape its control.

It devours living creatures, but lately, all that has passed by is a group of living corpses.

Therefore, it would rather spend more time using its main stem, buried in the damp soil, to cultivate the road ahead.

If the Silver Medal possessed the ability to see through the darkness, they might see the living plant suddenly rise a step, its faceless 'head' contorting into a grotesque 'mouth' connecting the vines.

It could not speak, but its mournful howls seemed to be telling the truth of 'hunger'!

Pulling Wendy, whose legs were aching, free from her restraints, the rubble left behind could only hear the howling wind tearing at their eardrums.

The weakness brought on by hunger made it difficult for him to even lift the tower shield, and he was a beat slow.

Unable to form a proper defensive posture, the thick vines that sprouted from the soil, like long whips whipping up a fierce wind, crashed down on the heavy tower shield.

The weak limbs, the strained posture, and the shockwave combined to create a massive thrust that sent the rubble flying.

My back hit the grass, but it didn't hurt much.

But his arms were trembling uncontrollably, making him want to curse.
"If you let me have enough to eat—"

Unfortunately, there is no such thing.

Before he could get up again, two thick roots crashed down from above.

He held the tower shield in front of him, trying to absorb some of the force with his shoulder.

But under the heavy bombardment, he felt his corroded shoulder armor denting.

"Boom!"

The tremors throughout his body made his lungs churn, and his already empty stomach almost vomited up bile—

The sweet, pungent blood sprayed onto the tower shield first, and Shatter felt himself being squeezed into the grass!

His entire armor was shattered!
"gravel!"

Hearing his cry of pain, Wendy immediately turned to go back.

But then they heard a piercing, guttural response:
"I'm fine!"

Shattered Stone could feel the vines buried in the ground wrapping around his waist and abdomen, along with the branches lashing against the tower shield, enveloping him in a cocoon.

He understood the habits of the creeping monster—

When you are exhausted, you will be enveloped and bound by its tendrils.

Then it will be dragged into its roots and eroded and decomposed by the rotten matter that fills the main stem.

He will become nourishment for the creeping monster, his flesh and blood withering away, fading into a pale skeleton, until finally, he becomes part of this rotting mass.

Then, following those 'predecessors' who died alongside them under the tentacles, they embark on a journey to hunt other adventurers:

“Cut off his goatee—”

Death is the inevitable fate of everyone.

As an adventurer, he had already placed his head on his waist from the moment he embarked on this path.

Therefore, he can die.

But we absolutely cannot die such a miserable death.

because……

"I don't want to hear that arrogant black snake laughing at me at the end of the River Styx!"

Shattered Stone gritted his teeth, his muscles twitching as if drawing out and draining his remaining strength.

For a moment, he forgot his throat, forgot the pain, and even forgot to breathe.

He focused solely on squeezing all the energy from his muscles, like squeezing a dried-out sponge, and exerting all his strength to squeeze out the last bit of moisture from his palms!

"【Shield Charge】!!!"

Amidst the suppressed roar, a heavy repulsive force suddenly exploded from the tip of the tower shield!
Thick vines were torn and shredded by the raging wind and repulsive force, and the messy branches flew into the deeper darkness!

"Roar--"

The agonizing screams instantly echoed in everyone's ears.

The massive impact even caused the predator to show signs of tipping over.

The trunk, buried deep in the soil, then began to stir, determined to tear apart the prey that dared to resist amidst the churning.

"Catch us!"

Wendy and Rumi quickly grabbed Shatter's shoulders and together pulled him out of the crushed pit.

"Rua!"

Relying entirely on instinct, Kuru summoned an ice crystal in the darkness and shot it straight toward the creeping monster.

Although no one could see the trajectory of the [Freezing Ray], the creeping monster's body was large enough that they all heard a clear sound of glass shattering.

"Monster, slow down!"

Although it was only a level 0 trick, the movement slow effect caused by the [Freezing Ray] was a real benefit.

This gave them time to drag the rubble out of the pit and escape to their escape route!
"Now! Run!"

The weight of the rubble forced the two men to drag him along.
"20 meters, 20 meters!"

Only 20 meters!
Escape the blind spot of the rampaging monster.

It only takes 20 meters!

Faster, even faster!
Rumi channeled the invisible "qi" into his legs and ran frantically toward his escape route.

The sprawling branches surged behind him, wreaking havoc on the vegetation and the earth—

But they couldn't catch up with their footsteps!

Until finally, even its howling could no longer be heard!
"They escaped!?"

Having survived the ordeal, the only sound she could hear in the quiet wilderness was her own heavy breathing.

But before her eyes, there was still only endless darkness.

She could only shake her head in self-doubt:

"No, I just survived."

"Gift of the Forest, where did that bard find such a genius as you! Was this also part of your plan? I must admit, if it weren't for the corpse you left behind, I definitely wouldn't have been able to find a way out in an instant, and I would have been doomed if I had fallen into that swamp. That guy has a good eye for choosing teammates, but he's probably not as good as our captain, after all, he didn't choose me..."

They didn't know how long they had retreated along the same route.

Unable to find a suitable place to stand, they simply stood on the uneven rocks.

Regardless of whether the surroundings are safe or not, at least it allows them, who are exhausted, to catch their breath.

No one dared to sit down at that moment.

They feared they would no longer have the strength to even stand up.

"Stone Slab, how are you?"

Wendy put the dwarf, whom she had dragged all the way and then carried on her back with great effort, down on the ground. She took out the last bottle of healing potion, felt around on the dwarf's face, and poured it into his mouth.

"Cough cough!"

He drank the medicine, but coughed up a little bit of it.

But he did absorb most of it, which may have been repairing his various damaged organs.

However, his breathing remained weak, and his condition did not improve as he remained in a state of half-dreaming and half-awake breathing.

"Why didn't it work?"

The expected recovery did not occur, and Wendy asked in a somewhat panicked manner.

"Even in his final moments of exhaustion, he still used his combat skills. What he needs now is not healing, but restoring his strength!"

The treatment can enhance the body's hematopoietic and self-healing abilities, so although it is difficult to reconnect severed limbs, it can restore most injuries.

However, the weakness caused by the broken stone did not come solely from internal injuries.

He could have lasted longer.

But what I just did was almost equivalent to squeezing out all of my body's potential.

This can certainly provide a brief burst of power.

However, the cost of overdrafting is far beyond what ordinary means can pay.

Rumi kept groping around, trying to find some food.

The muscles of the stone fragments had become uncontrollably shrunken.

He needs nutrition:
"Damn it, weren't there lots of mushrooms on the fourth floor? Did they all grow on those corpses?"

With a "thud," it sounded like a block of iron falling onto a stone, making a dull thud.

Realizing it was Wendy's voice coming from the other end, Rumi panicked and tried to stop her:

"Hey, wait, what are you doing? Now is not the time to let our guard down! Even if we escape the territory of the creeping monsters, it doesn't mean there aren't other threats in this forest. Like the lizardmen, dire wolves, and swarms of bats we encountered before... any of them would be difficult to deal with now."

"So he needs to eat. If rotten flesh won't do, then raw meat will do—"

The sound of leather being removed followed immediately, and Rumi rushed towards Wendy, grabbing her hands:
"Are you crazy? It's true that people can eat anything when they're starving, but they need to have the strength to chew! He's in such a pathetic state that he's lucky he can even swallow a mouthful of saliva, let alone chew your leg meat? What if he doesn't eat it, and you get tetanus from that rusty longsword and become crippled too—then why should we run? Should we just stay here and survive by eating each other's flesh? That would probably be the happiest person, that kobold..."

"Kuru, I won't eat, my friend!"

"See? Even the kobolds have more principles than we do now—"

"Damn it, can you guys just shut up?"

If it weren't for the unbearable noise in his ears, the pebble wouldn't have lingered on its last breath, complaining.
"I don't eat human flesh..."

I'm just tired, let me rest for a while..."

Having exhausted his last bit of energy, Sui Shi just wanted to close his heavy eyelids and sleep a little longer.

"After drinking the medicine, I feel...much better."

He didn't lie.

After drinking the treatment, it was uncertain how much the body actually absorbed.

But the pain from the squeezing sensation has gone away.

Although the breastplate was still pressing on his lungs, that pressure no longer posed a threat to him.

At most, I have some difficulty breathing.

"Get lost! This isn't something you can fix with a good night's sleep. The reason I'm keeping my mouth shut is to keep your attention on me. Don't fucking sleep, whatever you do, don't sleep! When you wake up, you'll be reborn as a dwarf baby—or maybe not even a baby, but a monkey, rabbit, or ant even smaller than a dwarf! You won't be able to drink that kind of dark beer then; one drop will knock you out!"

Rumi was even slapping the stone's cheeks hard while trying to squeeze a drop of wine from the empty flask.

Dwarfs need wine.

But the dwarf had no wine.

So he tried to provoke the dwarf.

But for gravel, none of this really matters.

All he knew was that, over time, the gastric juices seemed to have calmed down considerably.

My stomach no longer feels as burning or stinging as before.

The hunger that had tormented him for three days seemed to be gradually disappearing.

It really makes me feel at ease.

There's no need to suffer through hunger while waiting for sleepiness to set in.

I was a little cold and a little weak.

My mind was foggy, my limbs felt numb and weak, and cold sweat began to seep through my palms and soles...

Shattered Stone felt his body gradually becoming lighter.

He seemed to float.

It was as if he was soaking in water, with a subtle, supporting force lifting him high up.

All of this was simply unbelievable to the mountain dwarves, who were heavy drinkers, strong and sturdy, and extremely vengeful.

He felt dizzy.

However, his mind was very clear.

It was as if he felt he was living in fear of a life where he could not savor fine wine.

But it's really just fear of death—

The insults and jokes that belonged to the dwarfs had become blurred in my ears.

Like the wind.

It drifted for a long time, drifted very far.

He was enjoying a tranquility he had never experienced before during his two-hundred-year journey...

"..."

"He's not breathing."

In the endless silence and darkness.

Rumi broke the long silence.

(End of this chapter)