108 A Bug Filled Dungeon Expedition

The temperature was cold. There was a bit of haze, outside but this didn't stop Fusion Souls as they made their way towards the dungeon; they were already late as they didn't wake up on time.

"Big brother, this dungeon have insects…" Jue spoke and Ryu nodded as they kept walking without paying much attention,

Ryu was in a hurry as he came to know earlier in the morning that this emerged dungeon got various adventurers in it even before sunrise, and Ryu didn't want to come across many while clearing the dungeon his best bet was to enter as soon as possible,

"This path is nice," Aiena said with a smile, she was surprised as to why a town will use its money to make the path to an emerged dungeon where only adventurers go but the lady at the Inn explained to her earlier that this dungeon was already one and a half-year-old and might change into a permanent one near future,

They kept walking on the path, coming across many parties and carriages going back to the town, Ryu was surprised by the number of adventurers competing for one dungeon core,

'Well, they do say the older the dungeon emerged dungeon the rarer the dungeon core' Ryu sighed as they kept walking the surrounding trees were leafless suddenly and there was also a strange sort of wood powder here and there, similar to how one might notice at a carpenter shop,

"This place seems gloomy… Did the dungeon monsters do this?" Aiena questioned as she was hearing Jue's and Ryu's conversation while participating in it,

"Hmm… this dungeon have various stampedes before it could be possible. As they, say stampedes change the ecosystem near, dungeons," Ryu answered, nodding as Jue added

"Also they say termite-like monsters eat wood and poop that" and as soon as he heard it Ryu's mind went blank,

'It isn't true, right…. It makes sense though, why wouldn't you say this before!!' Ryu wanted to ask various questions as he was kicking and pressing his shoes hard on the wood dust since it began coming.

After walking for an hour on the path, they finally reached their destination. The dungeon was in front of their eyes, it looked pretty simple with a dome shape having a giant hole in it what's interesting was.

'Man this competition' Ryu thought as he looked around the dungeons there was a barricade set there serving the purpose of holding monsters back during the stampede, but that was not all there were many carriages set up near the dungeon gates and there were also camps set up near it with adventurers sitting there.

'Is this what they call hardcore gaming' Ryu wondered as he looked around with a confused gaze when Jue pulled his sleeve,

"Big brother!! big brother!! when we will buy a carriage will we also do like this" her eyes were shining with so much excitement that Ryu couldn't deny him and just nodded,

"Yes yes, for now, let's focus on the quest right, Jue,"

"Right big brother!!" Jue replied with his eyes still shining and Aiena made a note to not forget to remind buy a carriage,

*

Inside the dungeon, as Fusion Souls stepped inside the dungeon, it was crowded, especially near the entrance. Many adventurers were present there, there was a damp atmosphere in the dungeon and humidity that Ryu didn't like, and Aiena complained too,

"This sticky feeling is weird!!"

"It is like it rained for a few weeks" Ryu grumbled as they kept walking, only Jue was excited soon after waiting and walking at the pace they finally become alone in the dungeon as they lost other adventurers, and finally they were in the vicinity where monsters began to appear,

"Ahh, they really are insects!!" Ryu was a bit grossed as he saw a few giant cockroach-like creatures with wasp wings curry fly towards them with big sharp feet,

"They are called…. What was it…? I remember Viroaches, Faltar uncle told me" Jue said as he readies himself wearing knuckles. Seeing his unfazed look Ryu thought,

'Am I the only one grossed with insects…... at least Aiena…' but as he turned towards Aiena, she looked completely unfazed and Ryu couldn't help but ask,

"Aiena? Are you not grossed of them?" to which Aiena shakes her head in rejection as she said,

"They look shiny" her reply was unexpected and took a toll on Ryu's mind who tried comprehending it but gave up as he saw the Viroach come near.

'Uhhh, I'll make use of my grossness to kill them!! yes!! They are just big cockroaches,' Ryu thought, although thinking of them as roaches made it harder.

"Let's take them down!!" Ryu roared and Jue nodded while Aiena said,

"I will keep care of healing,"

Ryu rushed towards the Viroaches followed by Jue and took out the steel sword he bought in the market the previous day so he can get by the dungeon without using his manifest,

"They got goooop too!!" Ryu shouted in disgust as he decapitated one head and green-colored goo came out of its body and Jue, who smashed 2 of them, shouted,

"What happened big brother" and when Ryu looked toward him, he was shocked as Jue got the goo on his face and just replied,

"Nothing keep going, Jue!!" Ryu replied, trying his best to look fine even though he was grossed, and threw daggers on 3 flying Viroaches,

"Die without getting that shit anywhere near me!!" Ryu shouted in happiness, laying bare his hate and disgust unintentionally,

"Jue, try not to get goop on your body… it can cause disease!!" Aiena shouted and Jue said disappointed,

"I am sorry!!" as he was already going to smash the next Viroach without any time to hold back, this dungeon was 4 floors deep as found by the adventurers and till the 3rd floor, there were mostly monsters like Viroaches and Slimepillars which were caterpillar-like monsters with black color and yellow pores on the body which shoot the goop at high pressure,

"These gross bugs," Ryu swings his sword towards a slimepillar and it shoots goop on Ryu's face,

'Now you have done it, you bastard!!' Ryu's eyes went cold as he stabbed in the head of slimepillar multiple times,

"Big brother it is dead," Jue said, but Ryu didn't care as he was angered with retribution.

"Ahh, I just wanted to make sure" Ryu smiled awkwardly and both Aiena and Jue thought,

'Ryu is scared of bugs…... cute!!'

'Big brother, really hates sticky bugs'

They kept walking and finally reached the end of the floor when they found some adventurers running back scared with grim expressions on their faces they ran so fast as if they were chased by a ghost, they didn't even notice or care for Fusion Souls being there,

"What is up with them?" Ryu said in a low voice and then turned towards Jue as he instructed,

"Jue, be ready. There could be a monster downstairs that is worse than we fought against so far"

'And hopefully not an insect' Ryu prayed as he already had enough of giant bugs for a single day.

They cautiously moved downstairs, taking a step at a time with Aiena following behind them two steps so their escape, when faced with the unexpected, can be quick when they finally put their steps on the 4th floor Ryu said in a serious voice,

"Jue, Aiena remain close the monster here will be worst it might be final or second to the last floor" both Aiena and Jue nodded as they began moving forward strangely half an hour passed but not a single monster came and that was when Ryu's eyesight fell on it,

"What the heck!?" he shouted as he saw many big honey bee-like creatures hovering around something on the floor like vultures,

"Big brother there are many of them," Jue said with a voice filled with excitement as he wanted to deal with those bees, strangely even though Jue was sensitive to killing he never felt guilt in killing dungeon monsters when asked he replied to Ryu,

(They don't feel alive in the first-place big brother) Ryu was conflicted as to what they should do as the monsters were flying and were more in number than they encounter so far,

'If only I could…. Ahh got it' an idea sparks in Ryu's head and he spoke.

"Jue, get on the other side of the bee, and if any adventurer come signal to me,"

"Yes, big brother" Jue answered instantly without a sherd of doubt and rushed towards the other side while Aiena asked concerned,

"Ryu, what are you planning to do"

"Just wait and watch!!" Ryu said with a smirk which prompted Aiena to pray in her head,

'Please o Gods and Goddess, don't let him do something too crazy' so far Aiena had understood it is less effective to try to stop Ryu than to pray for it,

"[Dark Reinforcement- Weapon]" as Ryu said these words slowly with a dagger in his hand the tattoo on his collar bone disappeared the miasmic black mana with a crimson glow began to emit from his white dagger which turned crimson with the mark of the tattoo on it,

Even though it was emitting a small amount of crimson radiance and looking miasmic,

"Beautiful" these words escaped Aiena's mouth as she was looking straight at this for the first time. She could praise the beauty of the dagger, which was glowing and changing in color,

Ryu focused his mana on the dagger, increasing the amount of dark mana on it.

'It felt easier when I was angry!! This trash skill!!' Ryu complained as he finally charged the dagger enough and threw it towards swarms of bees monsters, the dagger went straight towards the center of the swarm and as if someone put insecticide the bees began to escape madly in all directions,

'F@ck it took a lot of mana,' Ryu thought as he moved towards the place where the swarm once was followed by Aiena,

"Big brother, can I move now?" Jue asked for permission, and Ryu nodded.

'Now let's see what they were circling, hope something valuable,' Ryu sighed, and what Fusion Souls saw there shocked them,

'Is this a murder!? Those silver hairs!?'

'A lady!?'

'dead?'

-to be continued