Mercenaries

Meanwhile, Malia and Alex had been in the dungeon for a little over a day, and they were already itching.

It's not every day you get to spend your vacation in a dungeon.

This was supposed to be a vacation at least for Malia.

She seemed to care about her brother, and that was the only reason she remained here, but now what's next?

Wait for their elder sister?

She will come, but Malia, knowing how reckless she gets when pressured, won't bag on her being on time.

She sat in the room, which now looked different from the barren dungeon of before, just directly away from her brother, who lay on a makeshift mattress.

After some time of sleeping, eating, talking, and playing, both of them were not tired and bored.

This was where the redhead came in; with her, there was never boredom.

They now missed their sister.

"How does he even manage to survive in here?" Malia asked in a low voice

"You mean the dungeon manager?" Alex replied after hearing her whisper

"Yes, I just thought of his situation. Is he a hostage like us, or do dungeons now produce human natives?"

"You should ask him though, at least he speaks our language, communication shouldn't be so hard and he won't be able to hurt us because he respects our terms" Alex replied

"By respecting our terms, you mean, he fears her huh"

"More or less"

"No, don't be too trusting. Besides, how far have you come with that Mana control?"

"..." Alex kept silent

"No improvement huh?"

"Maybe we should let him take a look at my..?"

"...Alex, what makes you think that everyone friendly is a friend?"

"Thorne was different, I didn't explicitly have a choice, and I said that I didn't feel comfortable around him; I only went along because ..."

"Because you thought he might help your sickness? I understand your plea but what if he is just a pawn in the dungeon master games, I mean we don't even know the boss of this dungeon if it has any or even its spawn rate, no information at all

If not for big sister's tracking, we don't know what you might've encountered " Malia said in a sad tone.

This prompted Alex to turn his back on her statement; it was way too cliche for him, no matter how many times he heard it.

"But I can feel it; he's also loved by Mana," Alex whispered under his breath.

"Huh did you say something?" Malia said

But was immediately interrupted by running and panting as well as screams.

They both instinctively stood up but sat down after; they tended to keep forgetting they were in a dungeon, so adventures and mercenaries would be getting murdered on a constant.

The sound of pain and their imagination were running wild until to settle her mind, Malia decided to just see what was happening

...

A while ago Seth immediately shifted his attention to the intruders, focusing on the points of disturbance.

Unlike before, when it was just a faint flicker, this time it was more pronounced.

"Adventurers…" Seth recognized the energy now.

Several of them, their movements precise, deliberate.

But there was something off about them, something different from the usual chaotic energy of treasure hunters or would-be dungeon raiders.

These weren't the typical dungeon raiders.

Their energy was too… structured.

He tapped into the dungeon's surveillance points, projecting his senses through the walls to observe the intruders.

At the entrance, a group of figures in dark, reinforced armor moved cautiously but efficiently through the dungeon's outer hallways.

They weren't here by accident.

Their movements were methodical as if they were used to breaching dungeons.

Seth's brow furrowed.

Mercenaries? They weren't the usual band of adventurers, but something more organized.

And they were accompanied by a single figure clad in holy insignia, likely a priest of some god on a divine quest.

"Mercenaries and divine adventurers," Seth whispered.

It all made sense now.

These were factions with their agendas.

Some sought plunder, others sought glory in the name of their gods.

He pulled up the dungeon's status screen once again, reviewing his resources.

With the boundary enhanced, traps active, and the Darkflame Wraith on standby, Seth had enough to hold them off.

But this wasn't just about surviving the immediate threat.

He had to think ahead, outmaneuver them, and prepare for whatever the rival dungeon had planned.

"I can't afford to just defend," Seth muttered.

"I need to strike back."

The question was: where to strike first?

Seth's mind raced as he observed the intruders moving deeper into the dungeon.

They were professionals, mercenaries, perhaps, or soldiers.

Their formation was tight, with one leading at the front, likely a scout, while the others covered various angles.

They were here with a purpose.

"Who are they?" Seth wondered, his senses sharpening.

The dungeon's awareness expanded, allowing him to pick up more details.

Their energy wasn't chaotic like that of typical adventurers but controlled and disciplined.

Whoever they were, they had training, and that made them dangerous.

He activated the dungeon's defenses, focusing on the reinforced traps that lined the hallways.

The spiked pit was already active, but he held back on the poison gas chamber, waiting for the right moment.

Timing would be critical.

"Let's see how they handle this."

Seth mentally triggered the spiked pit trap just as the group neared its edge.

A sharp click echoed through the hallway as the ground beneath the front scout gave way.

The armored figure reacted instantly, leaping backward as the spikes shot upward, narrowly missing him.

The others barely flinched, quickly adjusting their positions.

"They're fast," Seth noted with a hint of frustration.

But the trap had done its job, it slowed their advance, forcing them to be more cautious.

He turned his attention to the newly summoned Dark Flame Wraith, directing it toward the invaders.

The wraith moved silently through the shadows, its dark flames flickering as it drifted through the walls, unseen by the intruders.