Fyar approached Illya, who was leaning against the stone wall, and crouched in front of her to meet her eyes. "Are you alright, Illya?"
Illya nodded, trying to smile. "I’m fine, Fyar," she answered, punctuated by a small weak laugh. Fyar noticed the beads of sweat dampening the girl’s temples. He could also see the hand supporting her magic staff was trembling slightly, and her breaths were still short and quick.
This is bad. We haven’t even met the dungeon boss, but she’s already this exhausted. Illya has to start conserving her energy... After thinking that, Fyar turned his back to Illya. "Get on my back until we meet the boss...From now on, Illya, you are forbidden from taking part in any battle unless it’s the boss."
Illya opened her mouth, about to refuse. But suddenly, Zaefal’s voice was heard from a distance where he was busy collecting the green crystals. "He’s right, Illya. Besides, it’s not so bad, is it? Being carried by him?"
What’s that supposed to mean? Fyar could only shake his head at Zaefal’s last sentence.
Illya sighed in resignation. She then stood up carefully and climbed onto Fyar’s back. "Sorry for troubling you again Fyar.." Fyar could feel the warmth of her body and her still-panting breath on his neck. He then gave a soft nod.
After that, Fyar walked toward Rasie and Zaefal, who had finished gathering the remaining artifacts. His eyes were fixed on Zaefal. "By the way, Zaefal, you’ve never been here before, right?"
Zaefal, who was putting the last crystal into his pouch, turned and raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, this is my first time."
Come to think of it, how did he know the type and price of the artifacts in this place? I don’t remember that being in the book. Did he just recognize it by its shape? Ugh, why am I even curious about this...? Fyar nodded and gave a faint smile. "I was just surprised you could kill a level twenty monster so quickly."
Zaefal laughed lightly. "A matter of training."
"So, what’s the effect of the artifact and the price of the monster crystals this time?" Fyar asked, his eyes turning to the five green crystals still in Zaefal’s hand. The crystals were square-shaped, about the size of an adult’s palm.
"Like the Hexa Stone, this crystal can be made into jewelry or an artifact. One sells for forty gold coins, and its artifact effect is anti-divination," Zaefal said as he put the remaining crystals into his pouch.
Five hundred and five gold coins to take home, plus Illya’s payment. Fyar immediately calculated his estimated earnings. He planned to splurge a little and experience some luxury in the city after they returned.
Shopping for clothes, eating fancy food, or even taking Laura or Cyhas around the city. I’ll take Illya off the list, considering her position as a busy noble.... Ugh, I’m not a playboy, am I? We’re just friends, after all. Right? Right? Right, dear reader? Haha, just kidding. There’s no way I’m in a novel.
Once everything was ready, they began to enter the cave. The first tunnel they passed through was quite wide. Its uneven stone walls were covered in tree roots. Growing between the rocks were several plants whose stems emitted a faint purple and blue-green light. The deeper they walked, the narrower the tunnel became, forcing them to walk in a single file line.
In this narrow corridor, the cave walls around them glowed with a golden light, illuminating the entire passage. The ground under their feet felt dry and solid.
Even though this is a fantasy world, I’m still curious where the light in these walls is coming from, Fyar thought, continuously staring at the glowing walls.
"You seem to admire this place quite a bit, Fyar," Illya said from his back. She rested her head on Fyar’s shoulder and yawned.
Fyar glanced back slightly. "Go to sleep. I’ll wake you up if there are any monsters."
Illya murmured softly, then closed her eyes. Her breathing became slower and more regular. Fyar felt her body grow heavier on his back, a sign that she had fallen asleep.
After walking for quite a while, Rasie, who was at the very front, suddenly stopped.
"What is it, Rasie?" Zaefal asked.
Rasie didn’t answer. Her eyes were fixed on carvings on the cave walls. The carvings were made with rough scratches, depicting a human figure raising both hands while holding an object like a trident. Near it was a carving of the sun and spiral patterns. At the top and bottom of the wall, there were carvings shaped like mushrooms.
"Wh-what does this mean?" Zaefal muttered, also observing the strange carvings.
I’m more suspicious this is just a prank by some bored adventurer trying to be mysterious. The drawings are ugly too, Fyar thought.
Rasie let out a breath. She looked back and gave a nod. "Let’s keep going."
Rasie is being pretty quiet. Is it because she knows Illya is sleeping? Or does she have a phobia of tight spaces? Damn it, I’m thinking about unimportant things again. Focus, Fyar! Fyar shook his head slightly.
They continued walking until the narrow corridor ended and they arrived in a very large chamber. Before them, a stone bridge stretched out over a stream of liquid that glowed bright gold and felt warm. The bridge led to a circular platform in the middle of the room. There stood a large tree with leaves and apples made entirely of glowing gold. On the left and right sides of the bridge’s entrance stood two large stone statues shaped like owls, holding spears.
Fyar’s pupils immediately widened. He recognized the shape of that statue from the guidebook he had read.
That statue is the fucking dungeon boss what the fuck!!?, and it’s level 31! This is insane! We can’t win. Illya’s in no condition to fight. Damn it damm it, the book didn’t say the boss was here!! And there are two of them!!!
Fyar immediately touched Zaefal’s shoulder with his hand. "Zaefal," he whispered very quietly, then gestured with his head toward the back, signaling a retreat.
Zaefal, who also recognized the statue, understood instantly. His face grew tense. He called out to Rasie in a low tone, "Rasie."
Rasie turned. She seemed surprised by the expressions on Fyar’s and Zaefal’s faces. "What’s wrong?" she whispered.
"We’re... retreating," Zaefal said.
"Huh? R-retreat? Did you say retreat??" Rasie frowned, not understanding.
"Those two statues are–"
RUMBLE!
Before Zaefal could finish, the sound of a massive stone impact was heard from behind them. The entrance to the corridor they had just exited was suddenly blocked by a large golden boulder that had fallen from above. The sound jolted Illya awake instantly.
"Fyar?"
At that moment, both of the owl statues’ eyes lit up with a red glow. A cracking sound was heard as the stone surface of their bodies began to break apart.