Who Designed This Underworld Dungeon?
Chapter 112 - 109: Invader: Yarn Hunter

Chapter 112: Chapter 109: Invader: Yarn Hunter

Sometimes, just adding a few seconds of transitional animation can instantly elevate the storyline.

The animation that appears after the beacon tower is extinguished is simple, just the fortress gate loosening and the torch changing, it’s not a long dramatic scene like the bonfire.

But it still gives adventurers a sense of "destiny". They couldn’t help but have even greater anticipation for what lies beyond the gates.

In short, they’re getting into the story.

Adding anticipation and immersion with various small details is a technique Gong Qiying has recently learned. And after stacking up the anticipation, you must respond powerfully in the end.

Certainly, the Fran Undead Team would give a strong response to everyone’s anticipation.

However, to return to the topic at hand, is there really anyone in Bed City who can defeat the Undead Team? Even if there’s only one member of the Undead Team in Fran Fort right now, they’re still a bona fide B-grade.

Perhaps Gong Qiying’s newly unlocked privilege "Strong and Weak Balance" might come in handy.

In a nutshell, this privilege is dynamic difficulty, adjusting the power of Monsters based on the strongest person among the group of adventurers entering the Dungeon, keeping the difficulty level at one where you could clear it with serious injuries, though risking arms and legs.

The crucial question is: why does Gong Qiying want so many people to clear the Dungeon?

If too many people clear it, not only does it lower the final boss’s cool factor, but it also depletes the Dungeon’s lifespan, eventually leading to frequent modifications.

This privilege shouldn’t be used, at least not yet.

After some time, when enough of the Dungeon’s content has been uncovered, then perhaps allowing a few people to clear it can be considered.

So, what Maru and the others are experiencing is the unaltered Sain Dungeon.

"Blub blub..."

Adventurers slosh through the swamp, struggling even to maintain their balance.

And the Monsters living here excel at using the terrain to their advantage.

The Gollums stand on the shore and throw spears at people in the swamp, switching to Shield Stab when someone gets close; you must use Magic to disrupt their formation before successfully getting ashore.

Venom-spitting slugs occasionally pop out of the swamp unannounced, their bite leaving victims stinking to high heaven.

People’s old friend, the Curse Frog, sometimes drops by to remind everyone it’s still there, and truth be told, avoiding the frog’s spray in the slowing swamp is no easy feat.

Those creatures pinned to stakes that resemble Wolfmen occasionally snap and attack, their ferocity making rabid dogs seem docile.

During the exploration, the adventurers are down one more person.

If it weren’t for the extraordinary abilities of the Strategy Group to rescue others in crises, the death toll might be higher.

These teamed-up unfamiliar adventurers didn’t play much of a role, with the only one keeping pace with the Strategy Group being a Swordsman named Dal.

He seems cold and unappealing in nature, but his battle fervor is beast-like, recalling Tal when he’s green-skinned.

However, when Dal gets heated up in battle, he tends to imitate a wild beast’s roar saying he’s imitating a wolf, but it sounds more like a wolf’s tail-wagging relative, no matter how you listen to it.

"I must pass the test to join the Undead Team, extinguish three Beacon Towers..."

As the adventurers moved towards the second Beacon Tower, they suddenly heard a raspy voice and after carefully searching, found a Spiritual Body behind a hill.

It was a gaunt figure, kneeling on the ground, murmuring as someone approached, "Oh Fran Undead Team, let me join you... to erase the Abyss..."

Sain Dungeon was the only Dungeon where Spiritual Bodies appeared, and everyone was puzzled over the reason.

They tried to converse with the Spiritual Body, but it repeated the same few phrases like a broken record, only speaking of joining the Undead Team and erasing the Abyss.

"Is extinguishing the beacon fire a test to join the Undead Team?" Drew turned to Roger and asked, "We haven’t unwittingly performed some magical ritual, have we?"

He imagined the test as a ceremony to join some mysterious organization, often tied to unspeakable matters that normal people definitely shouldn’t attempt.

Roger pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "No, that shouldn’t be the case, I don’t feel any external forces watching."

"Let’s hope there’s no problem..."

A peculiar feeling arose in everyone’s heart; if they really completed the test, could they consider themselves a member of the Undead Team?

A member of some ancient, mysterious organization... How prestigious!

"What exactly is the Abyss?" Maru asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

All they knew was that the Abyss was bad, that it would destroy the world after the Initial Fire went out, and that the Undead Team was established to fight the Abyss.

For now, they thought of the Abyss as something like the Demon Clan.

The adventurers progressed through Fran Fort with both scares and risks, and when they extinguished the second Beacon Tower, a sudden change occurred.

[Invaded by the Soul-sucking Ghost "Hunter"!!!]

Invasion!?

The adventurers looked at one another, shocked, everyone asking—

What is an invasion?

They only knew about the Sun Warrior’s cooperative mechanism, not the concept of invasion.

The Strategy Group was aware, having been invaded by entities like Left Bow’s Avatar before, but they didn’t understand the mechanics, simply considering the invader as some kind of Dungeon mechanism, assuming the invader was a Dungeon Monster.

"Tap tap tap..."

Footsteps emanated from below the hill, everyone watched the road intently, Drew already preparing his spellcasting.

Here it comes, the invader has arrived.

It was a dark purple Spiritual Body, wearing a triangular hat that turned up on both sides, a long coat billowing behind as it ran, attire vastly different from the otherworld’s aesthetic.

Or, rather, this world didn’t have such clothing styles at all.

The Hunter’s weapon in his hand was also quite strange, a bent iron stick in his left hand? And to top it off, the stick was hollow, looking both short and flimsy. Could that really be used in combat? It seemed like it would break during the first round of close combat.

Maru and the others wouldn’t understand that this odd-looking weapon is called a "pistol."

The weapon held in the Hunter’s right hand was very familiar to Maru; she recognized it in an instant—it was the Saw Meat Blade!

Back when Leon was clearing the Sain Dungeon, he had obtained a Saw Meat Blade, but this weapon didn’t suit his combat style at all, so he had no choice but to store it away.

"Sir, please stop and state your purpose!"

In response to the adventurer’s scolding, the Hunter’s reply—was to start slashing!

"Evil invader," the battle was about to erupt—seven against one invader, the advantage was with us!

Various magics and Combat Skills were aimed at the Hunter.

Drew’s eyes twinkled as he closely followed the Hunter’s movements.

Having fought against four Avatars as invaders, he could be considered experienced. Through those battles, he had discerned a pattern:

These invaders often chose to roll when dodging attacks.

Their rolling was different from that of normal people; sometimes, even when the attacks landed on them, they could roll and avoid them.

Rather than a movement, it was better to consider their roll as a Combat Skill with special effects.

So, what Drew had to do was catch the Hunter off guard with magic during his roll!

Here it came, under a barrage of concentrated attacks, the Hunter finally had to dodge!

Drew waved his Magic Wand and shouted, "Earth-born Tentacles!"

In an instant, several tentacles sprouted from the ground beneath the Hunter, reaching out to grab him—if he chose to roll, his whole body would be caught!

However.

With a tap of his toe, the Hunter elegantly dashed aside like a ghostly shadow.

"...Huh?"

Drew was stunned.

He slapped himself, realizing how ridiculous his previous thought was—how could he use old experiences to speculate about a new enemy.

But his attack wasn’t entirely ineffective; the Hunter’s dodge presented Tal with an opportunity.

"Waaaagh!"

His massive figure opened his arms and sprung fiercely towards the Hunter.

With Tal in front of him and a rock wall behind, the Hunter had no room to dodge.

This was a sure-fire strike!

But the Hunter’s demeanor was eerily calm, which was disconcerting.

He raised the weapon in his left hand.

"Bang!"

Like thunder, the explosion rang out. The adventurers nearby reflexively covered their ears. Was the strange short stick’s effect to make a loud noise?

No, absolutely not.

For Tal’s chest was immediately blown open, blood and flesh a blur, and an overpowering force sent him kneeling to the ground, unable to move.

This was a technique from "Bloodborne" called Gun Counter!

Fire at the exact moment the enemy attacks, putting them into an execution state!

"Thump!"

The Hunter thrust the Saw Meat Blade fiercely into Tal’s chest, and an inappropriate amount of blood explosively spurted out!

A critical internal hit!

Before anyone could recover from the shock, Tal crumbled to ashes and disappeared from the scene.

I got up, and was one-shot killed.

The unforeseen incident happened too suddenly, and yet the Hunter continued attacking without a moment’s pause.

He frantically swung the Saw Meat Blade, each strike aimed to harvest lives.

Everyone facing him felt like they were mere livestock awaiting slaughter. This invader truly lived up to the name of Hunter.

His fighting was honorable and direct, a collision of blood against blood, overpowering the despicable Soul V Avatar.

"Thwack!"

Dal was carelessly hit by the Saw Meat Blade, immediately creating a horrific wound across his chest.

He quickly retreated out of the battle and frantically gulped down Healing Potions.

"This guy is strong, but signs of fatigue are showing. Victory isn’t out of reach, but,"

He swiftly analyzed the situation. Defeating the Hunter was certain, but everyone was bound to pay a substantial price; the opponent’s unfamiliar fighting style always brought unexpected troubles.

If only there were a little more help...

"Huh?"

Dal’s face showed surprise as a golden Summoning Mark suddenly appeared beside his foot.

[Would you like to summon the Assistant "Patch"?]

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