Chapter 396: Polva Mana Dungeon
"Tch…Why are we with this darned rookie…"
"I get that he's the strongest amongst his peers but…isn't he simply a liability?"
"Great, there goes our chances of being the dungeon conquerors…"
As the majestic sun hung high in the sky, seven youngsters below the age of twenty-seven marched along a well-trodden path.
Two weeks have passed since Luna's party, which Shye was a part of, left Balkrow in hopes of being the conquerors of the (A-) ranked Polva Mana Dungeon.
The said dungeon, although not on the same level as the world-renowned Ambrose, was quite the troublemaker in eastern Valenzia.
Polva had existed for a little over three years, and as of today, no adventurer party has managed to clear it.
Consequently, three nearby towns and five poverty-stricken villages withered—their lands dry, flora and fauna—dead.
Although the extent of damage was still fairly small, things were slowly heading in an unwanted direction.
Polva initially began as a (B)-ranked Mana Dungeon, but now, its rank has been officially elevated to (A-) owing to the considerable amount of mana it has absorbed over the past three years.
Unfortunately, due to the darned age restriction—the most hated restriction in Mana Dungeons—all the youngsters who attempted to conquer the said dungeon perished without a corpse as everyone who died inside a Mana Dungeon would disintegrate into mere mana particles.
Due to such tragic and alarming circumstances, the nearby cities didn't dare monopolize the dungeon anymore, swiftly sending an assistance request to the World Adventurer Association.
As a response, the World Adventurer Association ordered Balkrow, along with three more cities, to send five mandatory extermination parties at least once a year…for now.
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Naturally, Balkrow didn't dare disobey the WAA, otherwise, there would have been severe repercussions.
…" Please settle down. Crowley might not look like it but I believe he won't be a liability to us and would instead be a boon." Luna sternly explained to the five other members she chose from other guilds.
Why did she choose adventurers from other guilds?
It's quite straightforward, really. There's simply no one else within Raven's Blade Balkrow Branch who meets the dungeon criteria: being under twenty-seven years old while already capable of contending against creatures of at least (B) rank.
Well…actually…there was one guy named Hoben, however, fate seemed to nudge her towards selecting Shye over the seasoned veteran, ultimately leading to his removal from the roster, as the individuals from other guilds were deemed more capable than him.
Unbeknownst to her at the time, this choice would turn out to be one of the finest decisions she had ever made in her life.
…Meanwhile, Shye's temper had already been flaring up since the beginning. Were it not for his awareness that his easily provoked heart was once again toying with him, coupled with his consideration for the bigger picture, Shye would have likely begun to slap the sh*t out of the yappers within his party.
'Why did Luna even bring these losers anyway?' He inwardly sulked.
Fortunately, his anger was momentarily swept away, replaced by slightly disturbing sternness as they arrived at what seemed to be a barren wasteland.
This…was the repercussion of an unconquered mana dungeon.
If nothing changes, this dastardly place will eventually siphon all the mana in the world.
Upon realizing the importance of the mission, a change occurred in the hearts of the seven youngsters.
What had initially been a quest driven by the desire for personal glory and wealth transformed into a mission to contribute to the world's survival.
After a momentary silence, the seven youngsters continued trudging along the wasteland with serious expressions, finally arriving in front of an enormous cavern a few hours later.
'Polva Mana Dungeon…'
Looking around, Shye saw another party bearing the insignia of a different city. They had the same stern expression and no one seemed to be in the mood for squabbles or competition.
The enemy was the darned dungeon.
Taking one deep breath, Luna turned around and looked at her party.
"Finish your preparations, we shall enter in twenty minutes."
Well…Shye only had one preparation to make.
"Uhh…Luna, I'll just go over there for a bit to…you know…"
Luna was a smart woman and she immediately knew what Shye was talking about, hence, to avoid any awkwardness, she simply nodded subtly, signaling to him that he could proceed as he wished.
In truth, Shye didn't need to pee. What he planned to do was to set up a return point.
It might be a little selfish as he would be leaving his comrades inside the dungeon if things went horribly wrong but…hey, every man for himself.
He held an essential life mission close to his heart, with loved ones eagerly awaiting his return.
There was simply no way he would risk his life for a senseless heroic notion, such as perishing alongside comrades he had only known for three weeks.
Well…except for Luna, who had been unexpectedly kind to him in the past few weeks, he probably would not feel anything even if his entire party was wiped out in front of him.
After all, the bastards never said one good word about him throughout their journey. His heart brimmed with nothing but discontentment towards them.
…Upon reaching a secluded spot, Shye looked around to check if anyone was looking. Confirming that no one gave a damn about him, Shye retrieved his ruby-tier elemental staff, aimed at the ground, and started chanting.
After a few seconds, a minuscule magic circle materialized beneath the foliage—nearly invisible to the naked eye.
'Great, now... all I need to do is draw some emergency long-distance teleportation magic circles within the dungeon, and I'll have a few escape routes at the ready…'
Smiling satisfactorily, Shye strolled back to the party, not giving a single f*ck about the displeased gazes coming his way.
Scanning her eyes over her entire party, Luna Gonzales nodded.
"Now that everyone is prepared, let us, the fifth dungeon extermination party of Balkrow City, venture into the depths of Polva Mana Dungeon."