Chapter 220 - 214: Monopolizing the EXP, the Strange Dolores
Chapter 220: Chapter 214: Monopolizing the EXP, the Strange Dolores
[Demon Forest Ruins (Excellent-Grade Dungeon Quest)]
[No one knows when they first appeared, but the Black Forests have long existed on this continent. They are scattered across the land, each exhibiting different characteristics. The one before you now has merged with a set of unknown ancient ruins and is teeming with Demons. Go forth and uncover its secrets!]
[Quest Objective: Explore the ruins and clear out the monsters within.]
[Basic Reward: 4,000 Experience Points.]
[Bonus Reward: An additional reward multiplier based on Dungeon completion rate.]
"Warning: Do not use fire!"
The Dungeon quest notification appeared as promised after they entered the cold, damp ruins.
Aside from the final, meaningful warning, "Do not use fire!," it didn’t seem much different from the quest in the Abandoned Mine.
But Jon knew that this short tip was actually an ironclad rule.
When tackling a Dungeon full of plant-type Demons, the first thing most people would probably think of is a fire-based attack.
’The whole ruin is filled with all sorts of Tree Spirits and Flower Demons. Wouldn’t setting it all ablaze save time and effort, letting us rake in the experience?’
But one mustn’t forget, this was the core area of the entire Black Forest...
Doing so would trigger the Dungeon’s Frenzy mechanic. An endless torrent of natural Power would be infused into every vine and every leaf in the ruins to eliminate the threat posed by the flames.
The currently quiet ruins would transform into a chaotic, verdant Hell. The Dungeon’s difficulty would leap from Apprentice Level to a point where even Advanced Level Adventurers would struggle. Many players who tried to take this shortcut on their first run through the Dungeon had been wiped out because of it.
Jon had no desire to test if he could fight his way out of a situation like that.
However, that didn’t mean there were no shortcuts in this Dungeon.
He looked at the Tree Spirits and Flower Demons that packed the entire corridor, all sleeping silently, and beckoned to his teammates, signaling them to gather around him.
"If we want to get deep inside the ruins and retrieve what I came for, we have to clear out every Demon in sight."
"These things are stronger than their counterparts in the outside world, but as long as you follow my commands, killing them won’t be too difficult."
"Now, take out your weapons. I’m going to apply an Enchantment."
After witnessing him effortlessly freeze a large number of Demons, the already obedient Moon and Sati practically regarded Jon as one of the Deities. They immediately did as he said and presented their weapons.
Dolores hesitated for a moment before also handing over her Short Bow, only for Jon to exasperatedly bat it away.
"Why are you getting in on this? Didn’t I already give you Enchanted Arrows?"
"Oh..."
Who knows what was going through the rejected Dolores’s mind, but she let out a pouting "oh," making it seem as though Jon had bullied her. This only increased Jon’s exasperation.
’This girl is sometimes so ditzy you have to wonder if she even knows what she’s doing.’
However, now was not the time to worry about such things.
After applying a [Frost Enchantment] to the Warrior siblings’ weapons, Jon raised his hand to cast another spell, releasing a sheet of light that covered a section of the corridor ahead.
"Alright, you can go and attack them now. Start with the ones closest to us."
"Yes, Mr. Jon!"
Moon and Sati acknowledged the order and strode forward. After just a few steps, they were stunned to find they had entered what felt like a silent world. All sound had become extremely faint, almost imperceptible. If not for the lack of any other strange phenomena, they would have thought they’d walked into a trap.
They couldn’t help but turn to look at Jon.
Seeing their surprised expressions, Jon didn’t explain. He just waved a hand and mouthed two words to them: "Don’t worry."
The siblings immediately understood this was an effect of the spell Jon had just cast. After exchanging a look, they no longer hesitated and charged straight for the nearest Flower Demon, swinging their weapons.
At first, they fought conservatively. The brother focused on defense with his Sword and Shield, while the sister used her halberd to stab from a distance. But when they discovered that the Flower Demon was unable to mount a decent counterattack and instead just staggered about aimlessly like a drunkard, their courage grew, and their attacks became bold and sweeping.
The Short Sword slashed at leaves while the halberd pierced the stem. With every strike, the weapons, imbued with frost damage, left a deep wound on the Flower Demon. Meanwhile, the sap that would normally have alerted other nearby Demons was instantly frozen at the wound, preventing a single drop from spilling.
Soon, the Flower Demon’s main stem was severed, and it collapsed. Its piercing death wail was confined to a tiny area, completely unable to spread.
Meanwhile, a notification popped up before Jon, who was at the rear.
[Monster killed. Gained 800 combat Experience Points.]
’I can get full experience without even lifting a finger? Not bad...’
’Then again, it makes sense. I’m the only one here with a system panel, so it’s not like anyone else could take a share.’
’In that case, for future Dungeons, I could just bring a bunch of underlings to do the fighting while I lie back and rake in the Experience Points... Heh...’
Jon’s mood brightened considerably now that he’d confirmed this approach was viable.
After all, who doesn’t love getting experience for doing nothing?
For now, though, it was faster to do it himself.
He called out to the dazed Dolores and began to join the attack. One after another, arm-thick Ice Element Spears radiating a bone-chilling cold materialized in front of him, then were launched in rapid succession, accelerated by his Magic Power.
Elemental School: [Ice Spear Skill].
In this straight corridor, such a penetrating Magic unleashed terrifyingly lethal power, with each spear piercing through several Tree Spirits and Flower Demons.
Combined with the Warrior siblings’ finishing blows, the monsters before them began to perish at a rate visible to the naked eye.
It was just a slightly bizarre scene—the Adventurers attacked, and the monsters collapsed with silent screams, like something out of a silent film.
The normally boisterous Ranger Maiden had fallen unusually quiet, showing the unease of a girl facing an unsettling situation.
She sidled up to Jon while drawing her bow and firing arrows, asking in a low voice,
"Boss... how did you do that?"
"What?"
"How did you... get rid of the sound?"
Jon detected something in the girl’s slightly trembling voice, so he glanced back at her and explained.
"These Tree Spirits and Flower Demons have stayed in the ruins for so long that their already dull senses have been severely weakened. They can only rely on vibrations to locate their enemies. The Silence Seal I cast drastically reduces the vibrations from movement and sound, making them unable to pinpoint where attacks are coming from. This reduces their threat level."
"It also ensures that attacking one won’t aggro an entire group, which saves us a lot of effort."
"Oh..."
After his explanation, Dolores gave a quiet murmur of understanding. She seemed to have calmed down a bit, and her archery returned to its usual swiftness.
But even though she appeared relieved, questions began to surface in Jon’s mind.
’What’s with this girl... She calmed down just because of a Silence Seal?’
His gaze lingered for a moment on her dark purple hair and amber eyes, and an irrepressible thought sprang to mind.
’Could it be that she has some non-human bloodline?’