D-Rank Dungeon Raid (V)

When the raid leader's remarks were heard, a flurry of shadows rushed out in all directions, following the many pathways available. It was clear that they had already decided on a route to take and were simply waiting for his confirmation.

Karan was about to head towards a direction with the rest members of his guild when he was stopped by Derek.

"Let's all go together," Derek said in a calm voice.

Karan glanced at him and then the rest members of the Desert Serpent guild, a suspicious look flashed through his eyes.

When did they become so close? Aren't they supposed to have some rivalry between them or something? It hadn't been long since they were brutally defeated by them in Regan's tournament and the memory was still fresh in his mind. He didn't know how it would feel like if they should go together, especially now that they were to search for something precious.

Derek noticed his strange expression and gave an explanation, "The reason why I want us to go together is because this is our first time in a D-rank dungeon. Although there isn't any monster left, we can't be sure that there are no other dangers. In that case, we can support each other.

Even after hearing his words, Karan's expression remained unchanged.

'What other danger that required numbers to solve could be in a dungeon other than monsters themselves?' He thought silently as he stared at Derek with unblinking eyes.

If the danger he was talking about were traps and other harmful substances that were found in dungeons, how would increasing the number of people help in solving it? Or…did he plan to use them as bait? Such things were very common during dungeon raids and that was the only logical explanation.

Karan became even more suspicious.

Seeing the intense situation, Lilia quickly stepped in, "If they want us to go together, I don't think there's anything bad with that. Just like he said, there might still be hidden dangers in the dungeon but joining together as a group will assure us of more safety." She said with an assuring voice.

There was still a trace of hesitation on Karan's face. He wondered why Lilia of all people would be the first to give in to their proposal. As far as he knew her character, she wasn't the type that was willing to cooperate with anyone for something she knew she could handle herself.

Just then Igor placed his hand on Karan's shoulder and gave a slight nod. He had given him a clear message. Since Lilia already agreed, no amount of argument will take them anywhere. It was better to move along with the situation.

Afterward, both guilds set out together following a chosen path. There was a great storm as only the sound of lacerating winds could be heard amidst the endless snow.

After advancing a couple of meters into the vast expanse of snow, the lacerating wind became stronger and more unbearable.

Karan protected his body with a layer of essence energy, while the rest members utilized their protective spells and techniques to counter the effects of the storm.

The further they walked, the more it seemed likely that there was no end. They were surrounded by endless glaciers and they couldn't help being worried because if they continued like this, they might end up getting lost in this expanse of endless whiteness.

"Wait!"

"..."

The group glanced at Lilia who made the call. She furrowed her brows with her eyes shut in a meditative manner.

"Did you sense anything?" Karan asked curiously.

Right, as a mage specialized in manipulating frost magic, she should definitely have an advantage in this situation. Why didn't he realize this earlier?

Just as he thought in silence, Lilia opened her eyes and pointed in an opposite direction. "Let's head that way. Her tone was backed with strong confidence, keeping everyone from any form of doubt.

The group followed her from behind and they walked a few distance before Lilia suddenly halted her steps. She made a few movements with her fingers and patted a palm towards the ground.

WHOOSH!

With a tidal wave, the thick layer of snow on the surface of the ground cleared up instantly. The group couldn't help being shocked because below the snow surface was an underground cave and the entrance seemed to have been sealed by some kind of protective barrier.

"There's definitely something down there." Derek came closer and said with expectancy in his tone. He had a feeling that the dungeon stone they were searching for must have been in this cave. If not, was there any other reason why the entrance to the cave was blocked with a protective barrier?

Karan glanced intensively towards the cave and said, "Let's focus on breaking the barrier first before we conclude."

This was a very logical statement. Looking at the structure, it was obvious that it was no ordinary barrier and there was a possibility that they might end up unable to break it. If that happened, how would they tell if there was anything in the cave?

Just at that moment, Amon formed small a ball of fire on his palm and threw it towards the barrier.

There was a heavy vibration and the seemingly sturdy barrier came crashing down in an instant much to the surprise of everyone. They quickly shifted their gazes to Amon but they also noticed his shocked expression.

"The Barrier must have been here for long, so it got weak over time," Karan said thoughtfully.

A trace of understanding flashed on the faces of the rest members of the group. If not, why would such a complex-looking barrier be torn down by a basic fire spell?

Without further ado, the team descended downwards into the cave. The entrance to the cave was very steep, while it was easy to enter, they knew it would be a little difficult for them to come out.

Upon entering, The expression on their faces brightened in an instant. The rich pungent smell that indicated the presence of a dungeon stone became even denser, making them realize that their speculations were correct.

A trace of eagerness flashed across their eyes as they quickly increase their pace. Now that they detected the location of the dungeon stone, all that was left was for the lucky person to find it.

The interior of the cave was so large and dark, but their eyeballs shined like torches. Now that they were so close to finding the dungeon stone, they wouldn't let anything act as a hindrance to them.

Just as they skimmed through various corners of the cave, there was a sudden outburst of laughter. The entire group rushed in the direction of the voice where the figure of a member of the Desert Serpent guild stood. There was a wide grin on his face as he held a dark red crystal in his palm.

"Hahaha, finally! The heavens have decided to bless me with good fortune. He cackled excitedly at the top of his voice.

His manner of excitement caused the hearts of the rest members of the group to bleed. An obvious disappointment flashed across their faces and they felt like rushing up to snatch the dungeon stone from his hand.

"Guys…"

While the attention of the group was focused on the dungeon stone, Karan's voice could be heard calling from the distance. He stood by a corner of the cave with a shocked expression. The rest members couldn't help frowning. They wondered what must have caused him to have such a stupefied expression other than the dungeon stone they all came here to find.

Just then, Amon seemed to have noticed something and walked towards Karan's position. He cast a huge ball of fire, lighting the dark cave in an instant.

To their greatest shock, there was a huge pile of dungeon stone towering up like a small mountain. The entire group was shocked out of breath. They stared at the mountain of dungeon stones as a profound silence wafted the air.

Only the sound of the piece of dungeon stone earlier acquired by one of the Desert Serpent guild member could be heard as it fell to the ground. The dungeon stone which made him cackle excitedly some moments ago instantly lost its value in front of the huge pile.