Into the Dungeon

Souta was surprised when he received a quest.

[Gathering]: Help Lumilia's group in acquiring the Mystical Light Cherry. Rewards: 20,000 exp, 10 free attribute points, 5 skill points.

'Five skill points...!' Souta was surprised to see 5 skill points as rewards. The difficulty of this quest was clearly higher than all the quests that he did before.

He turned his head and looked at Lumilia's group. He wondered if he should accept the quest or not.

Accepting the quest means that he wouldn't acquire the Mystical Light Cherry, but he would get five skill points. That's a lot of skill points.

"Okay, I'll help you but first you have to help me first," Souta nodded at them and stated his condition. If he hadn't asked them anything in return then they would grow suspicious of him.

"Thanks for accepting our selfish request, but I have a question," Fred said politely.

"Do tell me," Souta said in response to him.

"How should we help you?" Fred asked carefully.

"Hmm... We will enter the dungeon later and just protect Cluster," Souta said as he rubbed his chin.

"Is that all?" Fred took a glance at Cluster and asked Souta.

"Yeah, Bryan and I will become too busy fighting so we need someone to protect Cluster."

"Then, I'm curious about this Red Fur Bear."

"Ah! Her? She's Yuko, my partner! Yuko say hi to them!"

"Mu."

...

Souta turned his head and looked at Bryan. Bryan was looking on the ground while his fists clenched tightly.

Souta approached him and patted his back. He said, "Don't worry about it, I'm just testing you if you're going to change your perspective in life. But don't worry, that's okay, just do what you think is right."

Souta left after he said those words to Bryan.

Yuko looked at Bryan before she followed Souta.

Cluster lifted up her head and looked at Yuko and Souta's back. Then, she turned her head and looked at Bryan.

...

Souta talked about the detailed information of the Mystical Light Cherry to Lumilia.

Souta, Lumilia, Fred, and Jusmin were around the Map of the Desolate Woods. They were looking at the map with a serious expression.

"Where is the exact place of the fruit?" Souta asked.

"We don't know the exact place but the fruit was said to be seen in this part," Lumilia said as she drew a circle in a small part of the northern woods.

Souta looked at the map with a scrutinizing gaze. After a few moments, he opened his mouth and said, "We should go around this part to avoid the nest Titan Hornets. We shouldn't use our energy in fighting these monsters as we need to fight the other people that came here for the fruit."

"Other people?" Lumilia looked at Souta.

"Huh? Do you think that you're the only one who came here for the fruit? There are people who came here with the same reason as you. They are competitors. We have to fight and defeat them if you want to get the Mystical Light Cherry," Souta said in a cold tone.

"...yeah," Lumilia lowered her head and nodded.

Souta guessed that Lumilia didn't know anything at all. She just came here because she heard about the Mystical Light Cherry. She didn't even bring knights in her quest like the other nobles that came here.

"Hais..."

Souta sighed helplessly. It seems that Lumilia was innocent in outside world affairs.

To think that the strict class rep didn't know this. It seems like he overestimated her.

"Okay, let's finish what we came here first," Souta said as he stood up.

"Thanks," Fred also stood up and thanked Souta.

"You can save your thanks after we get that fruit," Souta glanced at him and said before he left.

Lumilia, Fred, and Jusmin looked at his back.

"Is he really your classmate, young miss?" Justin asked Lumilia in a low voice.

"Yeah, from what I see he's the strongest in our class," Lumilia nodded.

"Young miss, if I'm not wrong your class is Mage Class, am I right?" Fred asked.

"Yes, we're from Mage Class. He showed a power not befitting any mage in our class. He even defeated the students from Shield Class without using any spells," Lumilia explained to them.

...

The group walked for an hour before they arrived near the waterfalls.

"Is this where the dungeon resides?" Bryan asked as he looked at the forty-meter tall falls.

"Yeah, it's behind that falls," Souta nodded as he observed Bryan. It seems that Bryan recovered now. His mental capacity was high and it looks like he experienced the same thing before.

Souta doesn't know what Bryan experienced before that made him like that. Bryan seems bent on saving everyone that needs help.

Souta looked at Cluster and said, "Cluster, stay behind Lumilia. She will protect you."

Cluster nodded her head and she stood beside Lumilia.

Lumilia looked at Cluster and patted her head, "Don't worry, I will protect you."

"Thank you," Cluster nodded meekly.

"Follow me," Souta said as he stepped forward and let the water fall on his body.

The rest of the group followed Souta behind.

Behind the waterfalls, they saw a wide cave. It was so wide that Yuko could move inside the cave freely.

Everyone's clothes were wet because of the waterfalls.

Bryan looked around and saw Jusmin's bra through her maid outfit. When he saw her bra, he quickly turned around and looked deep in the dungeon.

Souta noticed it so he looked at the girls and said, "You should dry your clothes first. Bryan couldn't even concentrate when you're showing such things to him."

Lumilia, Cluster, and Jusmin looked at their bodies and saw that their wet clothes were sticking close to their bodies.

"Young miss!" Fred exclaimed as he removed his coat and placed it on Lumilia.

"Thank you, Fred!" Lumilia said with a hint of redness in her cheeks as she glanced at Bryan and she saw him looking at the cave, then at Souta, and saw him looking at her. "You!!"

"You, what? I couldn't even see what's there even if you don't hide it," Souta said to her.

"You!!" Lumilia blushed and she didn't even know what to say anymore.

"Young miss is still in her growing phase, so she will grow into a fine woman after a few years," Jusmin stepped forward and said while looking at him fiercely.

"Then, complain to me after a few years or after she has the same body as yours," Souta said as he turned around and shrugged his shoulders.

Jusmin covered her chest with her hands when she heard Souta's words.

Yuko stepped forward and stuck out her tongue. She licked Souta's cheeks.

"Stop that! I will give you some fruit," Souta said as he patted Yuko's head. He placed his other hand on his bag and took out a fruit. He gave the fruit to her so that she would stop.

He then walked beside Bryan and placed his hand on Bryan's shoulder. He placed his mouth near Bryan's ear and whispered, "After this quest, you should come with me to the Red Light District? I will pick the best woman for you."

"I-" Bryan was about to decline when Souta interrupted him.

"Don't worry it's my treat," Souta patted Bryan's shoulder.

...

The group entered the dungeon. Souta lit a torch and handed it to the non-combatants. They were not cramped in a small narrow path like in other dungeons because the area inside the cave was large.

The road was dark and they could barely see what's inside the cave.

After walking for a few minutes, they saw crystals on the ceiling that were emitting light.

"Beautiful," Jusmin exclaimed when she saw the crystals on the ceiling.

"Yeah, it's pretty," Bryan nodded at her words.

Souta didn't have any reaction except that he thought that these crystals were convenient. These crystals were nothing compared to the crystals that lit up the Undead Sanctuary.

Souta looked behind him and said, "You can throw the torches. We don't need them anymore," Souta knew that at this point they didn't need the torches.

"Okay," Cluster nodded and she threw the torch that she was holding. She was a non-combatant so Souta gave her a task before to hold the torch.

"Hmph!" Jusmin also threw the torch that she was holding.

"Also, be careful," Souta warned them as he knew that they would meet monsters when they went deeper in the dungeon.

Bryan, Lumilia, and Fred nodded at his words. They prepared themselves to fight the monsters.

Soon, they met three giant snakes. The snakes were ten meters long and they had green scales.

"Let's kill it quickly," Souta said as he pulled out the Vajra Sword.

"Okay," Fred nodded at him.

Souta and Bryan charged towards the three giant snakes, and Fred followed behind the two.

Swoosh!! Swoosh!!

The snakes attacked Souta but he easily avoided it.

Bang!

He then slashed his sword at the snakes. His sword easily broke through the scales of the snake.

Putchi!

Red blood spurted out of the cut he gave to the snake.

Souta then jumped in the air and twisted his body. He followed it up by waving his sword towards the head of the snake.

Putchi!

The snake was cut into two cleanly.

...

Bryan pulled back his fist and he gathered his mana.

Boom!

He jumped in and threw a powerful punch on the head of the giant snake.

Bang!

He landed on the ground and flames coated both of his fists. He bent his knees and threw himself at the snake.

[Blazing Strike]!!

Boom!

The snake was pushed back. It took damage from that punch.

Suddenly, Bryan saw a sword fly in the air straight to the eye of the snake.

Putchi!

The sword pierced through the eye of the snake and Souta appeared.

Souta grabbed the handle of the sword and he pushed it deeper.