Side Story: Forest Valley's Dungeon Guardian

Misaki Greendale. A Mithril Rank Adventurer, the highest of all rank given to Adventurers, and the first generation of the Baron Greendale Noble house.

She's a Half-Elf born from Human parents who carry the Elf Bloodline and the holder of the title Black Elf Sorceress, the Sorceress who is the protector of the Green Dale Town and the Smilodon Kingdom.

She holds the highest authority within Green Dale Town, an unmatched influence within the Adventurers Guild, and great responsibility for the Rank C Forest Valley Dungeon.

But that responsibility made Misaki unaware and unable to help her beloved students during the incident of the Rank 6 Black Weretiger Monster.

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"I'm sorry, Misaki-sama. They managed to slip past our group using some kind of a stealth Magic Item."

"It's not your fault nor anyone from the Dryad Guardian, Nymh-chan."

The Dryad Guardian is a Silver Rank Adventurer Party tasked with the quest of guarding the entrance to the Dungeon Core area of the Forest Valley Dungeon.

Their members include Nymh, a Demi-Human Elf; Fred, a Swordmaster; Zen, an old man Sorcerer; and Nach, a Scout.

Their group is a well-rounded Adventurers Party with the strength to defeat even the Rank 5 Boss Monsters of the Forest Valley Dungeon. Yet, using a high-level stealth Magic Item, a group of infamous Adventurers managed to slip past their guard.

"I warned every group of Exam takers about this. What will happen to them now will be their fault."

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...BOOMMM!!!...

...SCREECCHHH!!!...

"...Uwarghhh!!!..."

...I can't believe that this group of idiots would try to challenge the Dungeon Guardian...

That is Misaki's thought as she watches the battle that unfolds within the Dungeon Core area of the Forest Valley Dungeon.

The Bronze Rank Adventurers Party Dungeon Keepers include the male leader Swordmaster, a female Swordmaster, two female Sorceress, and a female Archer.

Their group is quite infamous in the Monochrome Continent. Not only because of the rumored relationship of their leader with every female member of his group but because of their continued failed attempts to enter every Dungeon Core area at every Dungeon around the continent.

As per the rule enforced by the Adventurers Guild, only Mithril Rank Adventurers and individuals with equal strength will be allowed to enter the Dungeon Core area of any Dungeon and challenge the Dungeon Guardian.

It was enforced because of one reason. That is for every Dungeon, either if it's from the weakest, which is Rank E, until the strongest, which is Rank A. All of the Dungeon Guardians are as strong as a Rank 9 monster.

That is why there is always a tight security of Adventurers guarding the entrance of every Dungeon Core area. To prevent those kind of reckless, stupid, and delusional Adventurers who believe they can beat a Dungeon Guardian and obtain a Dungeon Artifact just because they're slightly stronger than average Adventurers.

Yet the Adventures Party Dungeon Keeper violated that rule and is now fighting the Dungeon Guardian of the Forest Valley Dungeon.

After Vier's Master, Arenea, who has been following all the Exam takers using her Bloodline Magic, informed Misaki that the Dungeon Keeper managed to enter the Dungeon Core area, Misaki immediately left her station at the Green Dale Town and went towards Dungeon Core area.

It's not because she is planning to rescue the members of the Dungeon Keeper, but rather it's her responsibility to witness the battle of any Adventurers inside the Dungeon Core area. And even if she wanted to help and rescue them, it is impossible either. After all, the Dungeon Keeper has already gone inside the First-Barrier of the Dungeon Core area, and no one won't be able to get inside until their fight is over.

The Dungeon Core area has two Magic Barrier. The inside of the Second-Barrier, which is the outermost, serves as an observation area for anyone to observe what is happening inside the Dungeon Core area. This is the only part in which Misaki would be able to enter so she could watch the battle between the members of Dungeon Keeper and the Dungeon Guardian.

The inside of the First-Barrier is where the Dungeon Guardian is. It serves as the stage for a win-and-die battle. That is because the group fighting inside won't be able to get out unless they defeat the Dungeon Guardian or after all of them die.

That is how the Magic Barriers within the Dungeon Core area work.

After flying for an hour straight, Misaki arrived at the entrance of the Dungeon Core area. That led to her current situation, watching the members of the Adventurers Party Dungeon Keeper as they struggle for their lives while fighting the Guardian of the Forest Valley Dungeon.

A humanoid white warrior, known as White Zion.

Misaki was quite impressed that the members of Dungeon Keeper managed to last for more than an hour fighting the White Zion.

...I guess the rumors that their leader, an 18-year-old Swordmaster, is as strong as a Gold Rank Adventurer...

With that thought, Misaki continued watching the fight, hoping that it wouldn't have a heartbreaking end.

The strategy of the Dungeon Keeper is quite simple. The leader and the female Swordmaster act as the vanguard to get the attention of the White Zion and deal some damage with close combat attacks while the two female Sorceress act as the rearguard to protect everyone using their Magic Barrier and deal some damage with long-range Magic attack.

The last member of the Dungeon Keeper, the female Archer, focused her Arrows on the Silver White Crystal Tree, which is at the center of the Dungeon Core area.

That 30-meter-tall tree is the Dungeon Core itself of the Forest Valley Dungeon. It has its own Magic Barrier that can protect itself from any kind of attack, even an attack from a Mithril Rank Adventurer.

Considering that aspect, what the female Archer is doing seems to be pointless. But that is not the case at all. Because the White Zion has an unusual habit of protecting the Silver White Crystal Tree at all costs.

That is the complete details of their plan. The Dungeon Keeper is using the unusual habit of the White Zion to continue dealing damage while it is trying to protect the Silver White Crystal Tree from the female Archer's Arrows.

It is quite a brilliant plan. Figuring out the weakness of the Dungeon Guardian and using it to their advantage. However, it won't be enough to defeat the White Zion. After all, the White Zion is a strong warrior and can be flexible in any kind of situation.

...Boom!...

"...Ugh!..."

...SHION!!!...

Out of nowhere, an attack came from behind the Dungeon Keeper aimed directly at the female Archer. It was a stinger attack, shot using the same Stinger skill of the Obsidian Scorpion Monster. The poisoned stinger pierced the female Archer's heart ending her life in an instant.

The scene of their friend lying on the ground as her red blood stains the white meadow of grass made Dungeon Keeper wonder where the attack had come from. When they looked further behind them, they all saw a replica or, rather, a clone of the White Zion.

The White Zion uses the same Clone skill of the Clone Weaver Monster to create a clone of itself behind the Dungeon Keeper and attack them from behind. However, that clone is not the same as the White Zion that the Dungeon Keeper is fighting in front of them.

The one in front of them has the appearance of a white mannequin with its hands like a blade scythe of the Blade Reaper Monster while the one standing behind them has a scorpion tail from which it shoots its poisoned stinger.

With the short amount of time that the Dungeon Keeper stopped their attacks because of the shock of losing their friend and the confusion as to why there was a clone of White Zion behind them, the White Zion made its next move.

The White Zion standing in front of the Dungeon Keeper creates more insect-like parts on its body. It created wings on its shoulders like the darner wings of the Aerial Emperor Monster. Then it moves swiftly, maneuvering mid-air, passing at the vanguard at the speed they can barely react.

The White Zion charges straight towards the rearguard and breaks their Magic Barrier with a single strike using its blade scythes. Both of the Sorceresses were knocked tenths of meters away from where they were standing.

"Lefa!..."

"Silca!..."

Both of the vanguards tried to help the two Sorceresses, but the moment they tried to follow the original White Zion, someone attacked the female Swordmaster from behind, stabbing a sword into her stomach.

"Asuka!..."

It's another clone of the White Zion that appeared from where it was standing before attacking the rearguards. The vanguards failed to notice its appearance as their eyes followed the movement of the original White Zion.

The new clone has sword hands like the sword horn of the Sword Horned Beetle. But that sword isn't just a simple sword. It has the same red stains that appear from the blade scythes of one of the Rank 5 Boss Monsters. The Death Reaper Monster. And those red stains only mean one thing, that the sword has the same Curse skill as the Death Reaper Monster.

The new clone of White Zion stabs the female Swordmaster from behind and the red stains on its sword spread in the body of the female Swordmaster as the Curse skill slowly takes away her life.

"Lex..."

"Get away from her!..."

Their leader charges straight towards the second clone of White Zion, to help the female Swordmaster. But before he could reach her, the second clone of WhiteZion, pulled out its sword and retreated, leaving the female Swordmaster.

"Don't worry, Asuka! I'm going to purify this curse and heal you!"

"Forget about me, Lex... You need to help Lefa and Slica..."

"No!... I won't lose you!... We will save Lefa and Slica together..."

...BOOMMM!!!...

The sound of an explosion caught both of their attention. When they looked at where the sound had come from, they both saw the lifeless bodies of the two Sorceresses lying on the ground.

The leader and the female Sworaster didn't know what happened, but Misaki, as an observer, saw everything.

While their leader was trying to purify the curse skill cast on the female Swordmaster, the original White Zion continued its attacks on the two Sorceresses.

The two Sorceresses defend themselves by combining both of their Magic Barrier forming a Combined Magic Technique defensive skill. But the original White Zion is much stronger than both of them. It simply cast a Storm Cyclone skill obliterating everything in its path.

The two Sorceresses were unable to endure the force of the Storm Cyclone and both of them lost their life.

Seeing that there are only two of them remaining alive, their leader decided to continue purifying the Curse skill cast to the female Swordmaster. However, the Curse skill is cast by a Dungeon Guardian who has the strength of a Rank 9 Monster or a Mithril Rank Adventurer; even if he is as strong as a Gold Rank Adventurer, there's no way that their leader could purify the Curse skill.

"Lex... I'm sorry... ..."

"No!!!... Asuka!!!..."

The female Swordmaster loses her life as their leader grieves from the death of all of his friends.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this!!!...

...Aren't I supposed to be the strongest?!!!...

...Aren't I supposed to be the protagonist of this world?!!!...

...You're all supposed to bow down to my strength!!!...

...You're all nothing but side characters in my story!!!"

Hearing those screams, Misaki finally understands the reason behind the Dungeon Keeper's stupidity and delusion that they could defeat a Dungeon Guardian.

Their leader is a Reincarnator. Much worse is that he belongs among the kind who believe that they are the protagonists of the ReWorld.

Thinking that they are special just because they have been blessed with more Magic Attributes than others, that they can achieve greatness just because they have unusual Knowledge, and that they would be able to overcome everything because that is how the story is supposed to be.

Misaki has seen many of these kinds of Reincarnators die before, and she can't believe that she is witnessing it again.

The leader stands up to face the White Zion. He took his stance as he readied his Magic Sword and unleashed a great amount of Mana with Light, Wind, Flame, Land, and Water Attribute integrated into it.

...So that is where his strength and delusion came from. Just because he had five Magic Attributes he thought that he was special. Maybe he is. Maybe he could become much stronger than me in the future. However, that future no longer exists...

Foreseeing a dreadful ending, Misaki resolves herself to keep watching the fight as part of her responsibility.

The leader of the Dungeon Keeper continues to fight the White Zion. But no matter what kind of Magic skill and Sword Art he uses, the White Zion can always defend itself without taking any injury while he, on the other hand, continues to receive grave injuries.

After fighting for almost 20 minutes, the leader of the Dungeon Keeper lost his life as the sword hand of the White Zion impaled his heart.

With all the members of the Dungeon Keeper losing their lives, their lifeless bodies, along with their weapons, were teleported inside the Second-Barrier, where Misaki is watching their fight.

Misaki approach where their lifeless bodies are and gave them a short prayer, wishing that their spirit would safely reach the ReWorld Spirit.

After storing all of the lifeless bodies of the Dungeon Keeper along with their Weapons, Misaki exits the Dungeon Core area and returns towards the Green Dale Town.