The Mentrus Adventurer Party had, against all odds, survived in full.
Even the Issus Society scholars and treasure hunters they had hired for the mission had all made it through alive. A feat so surprising that even Mentrus himself was taken aback.
Considering how often the Issus scholars and treasure hunters had been at each other’s throats, it wouldn’t have been surprising if infighting had broken out immediately.
On the very day of the incident, for example, the treasure hunters had suggested moving elsewhere because of the Seven-Poison Scorpions nearby, but the Issus Society members had ignored them.
That alone could have easily escalated into a shouting match, if not a brawl…
“It’s a relief! You’re alive too!”
“Back then, I thought you were the unluckiest adventurer I’d ever met. Who could’ve guessed? Who knew Sand Rabbits would pop up there?”
Surprisingly, the treasure hunters didn’t dwell on the incident or try to hold the Issus Society responsible.
And it was only natural.
After all, even the treasure hunters themselves had been unaware of the Sand Rabbits’ unique traits!
On top of that, no one had actually died, and given how unexpectedly dangerous the sandstorm had turned out to be, they knew full well there had been no better choice.
Hearing all this still left Mentrus feeling somewhat unfairly treated, but…
Well, in any case, we can still complete the mission!
Things couldn’t possibly have gone better than this.
Just as Mentrus was sighing in relief—
“So, Captain, who are the people you came with?”
Judging from how immaculately clean they looked despite being in the middle of this desert, they had to be formidable individuals. One of the members asked cautiously, and Mentrus cleared his throat before answering.
“They’re the ones who rescued me after I was injured in the storm. Introduce yourselves. This is the White Whale Mercenary Corps.”
“The White Whale Mercenary Corps?”
“The ones from the rumors?”
“Didn’t they stop two Dimension Reversal phenomena in just their first year?”
“Is it really them?”
To meet the White Whale Mercenary Corps in a place like this! The members were visibly shocked, and the treasure hunters weren’t much different.
But the ones most astonished of all were—
“Th-The White Whale Mercenary Corps!!”
“N-Never thought I’d see you here of all places! Oh, damn it, O God of Wisdom!”
The Issus Society scholars who had come along on the expedition approached the White Whale Mercenary Corps as if they were about to burst into tears.
The atmosphere was so respectful as though they were personally welcoming an emperor that even Jun himself felt taken aback.
What… why are they acting like this…?
He was momentarily bewildered but then reminded himself that the Issus Society folk were never easy to understand in the first place.
After all, these were the kind of people who would trust a prisoner just because he could speak an ancient tongue and then go so far as to summon the spirit of an Orc Lord!
“Ah, it’s… an honor. I’m Jun, leader of the White Whale Mercenary Corps.”
“It’s truly an honor! We’ve heard so many stories about you in the Society. I’ve shared quite a few myself!”
“Indeed! To meet someone who was present at such glorious moments in history!”
Jun couldn’t understand why they were acting like this, especially when Schneider had been around too. Still, he didn’t bother trying to make sense of it.
“It’s certainly surprising to meet like this… But more importantly, Captain, what are they doing here?”
The question came from the treasure hunters, the ones most sensitive about reward distribution.
Of course, the payment arrangements had already been made in advance, so there was nothing for them to worry about on that front… but still, who could say what mercenaries blinded by greed might try during the mission?
The treasure hunters were not naive enough to trust someone solely based on reputation.
In their calm and calculating eyes, there was just the faintest glimmer of suspicion.
“That matter’s already been settled. And they have ties to the Altas Adventurer Party as well. You’ve no reason to doubt their credibility.”
“Ahem… well, in that case…”
The Issus Society members quickly caught on to the implication behind the treasure hunters’ words and were about to take offense, but Jun intervened to stop them.
“Let’s keep calm. More importantly, why are you all still here?”
At the moment, they were standing atop ruins half-buried in sand, the very ruins where the World Tree Sapling they’d been searching for lay hidden.
“Ah… there’s an Irregular coiled up down below.”
One treasure hunter pointed down and threw a rock he’d found nearby.
In an instant, a massive mouth burst out of the sand and swallowed the spot where the stone had fallen whole.
“A Rage Worm.”
“Judging by the size, an Irregular indeed.”
The others nodded at Jun’s mutter.
The usual method of dealing with a Rage Worm was for one person to volunteer as bait, and the moment the creature burst out, everyone would attack at once.
The problem was that the Rage Worm before them was enormous.
“So, we were discussing how to deal with it.”
“I’m telling you. Poison’s the only answer!”
“There’s no poison strong enough to kill something that big! And do you really think there’s a monster in this desert without resistance to poisons?!”
As heated shouts broke out between the Issus Society members and the treasure hunters, Jun let out a quiet sigh.
“Maya. You’re up.”
“You want me to draw it out, right?”
“Yeah. And Eleanor.”
“Got it.”
Deciding it was better to show than to explain, Jun sent Maya in first.
Maya walked over the sand as naturally as if she were on solid, well-packed ground, heading toward the spot where the rock had been thrown earlier.
“W-Wait!”
“That’s dangerous!”
The Issus Society scholars and treasure hunters cried out as they finally realized what she was doing, but they were too late. The Rage Worm erupted from the sand.
[Spirit Dash]
Its sudden attack was nullified by Maya’s skill, and in the next instant, Jun and Eleanor’s magic struck like lightning.
[Lightning Call: Transformation – Thundercloud]
[Pierce of Light]
A bolt of lightning came crashing down from the sky, followed immediately by Eleanor’s divine golden spear, which pierced straight through the creature’s body.
The assault was like a bombardment.
The monster writhed with a pained scream, but the golden spear prevented it from retreating back into the sand.
Aiden then dashed in like the wind, joining forces with Maya, who had briefly pulled back.
[Charge]
[Bash]
Aiden’s initial strike severed two-thirds of the monster’s neck—
—and Maya’s flying kick smashed into it right after.
Splat.
The massive creature’s head separated from its body, spraying clear bodily fluid everywhere.
“Tch. No skill book drop. Not that the skills a Rage Worm has are anything impressive.”
Jun’s voice filled with disappointment echoed in the silence.
“A-As expected…”
“Your reputation is clearly well-earned.”.
Given enough time, they could have taken down the Rage Worm themselves…but never as cleanly as this.
One treasure hunter, who had been suspicious of the White Whale Mercenaries earlier, scratched the back of his head.
Did I just stir up trouble for nothing?
Hopefully, these people were as honorable as their reputation claimed!
***
Another issue. The entrance to the ruins buried under the sand was solved in an instant with Jun’s [Dig].
Everyone present was reminded of just how convenient it was to work with a mage, wearing expressions not unlike Mentrus’s.
“We’ll take the lead. Mage, please cover us from behind.”
“Then we’ll handle the rear guard.”
Seeing these volunteers willingly take on the danger made Aiden think back to a year ago.
– Jun, you bastard! Move faster!
– That damn slug!
– Hey! There’s a healing potion dropped over here!
– Where the hell is Jun and what’s he doing?!
Back when the White Whale Mercenary Group had a different commander,
Jun had been the mercenaries’ favorite target for shouting and scolding. He had changed so much since then.
The memories stirred something in Aiden, and he found himself suddenly overcome with emotion, his eyes stinging.
“…What’s wrong, Aiden?”
Jun tilted his head at the sight, but Aiden shook it off.
“Just… got some sand in my eye.”
“Oh. Want some water?”
“I’m fine!”
They entered the ruins.
Jun turned to Mentrus first.
“Is there anything in these ruins we should watch out for?”
“They don’t seem to react to mana. You should be safe to use magic.”
Jun nodded at Mentrus’s reply.
Of course, Jun already remembered most of the details about this place from his time in the game.
Better to take advantage of the goodwill while it lasts!
If you got carried away just because people were praising you, you’d soon be getting glares.
Even if you did a hundred things right, one mistake that caused casualties would ruin everything.
“Oh… interesting.”
“Do you see this? It appears to be traces of the ancient elves, just as the records describe.”
“What could they possibly have stored in a place like this?”
“It must have been of great importance to the elves. If you look at the traces here, you can tell this ruin was built after the erosion had already begun. That means they managed to construct something of this scale during a very difficult time for them.”
The scholars from the Issus Society, brimming with curiosity, took photographs of the inscriptions carved into the pillars for preservation, while the treasure hunters checked for traps and, in between, kept their eyes sharp for any hidden treasure.
There shouldn’t be any traps here, given the nature of these ruins… The only thing worth finding might be a potion recipe.
The potion recipes left behind by the ancient elves were famous even in the game—useful for farming, enriching the soil, and more.
Beyond that, there wasn’t much of real value.
This desert field has always been a poor place anyway, so it’s not like it ever had amazing rewards.
If anything, the most notable thing might be the field boss.
But that field boss wasn’t a monster meant to be killed casually.
If you had to classify it, it was a type-attack monster.
It was the kind of content that required a group of highly mobile fighters to take down.
No need for us to get greedy about it right now.
They could always come back and try later. For now, there was still a bit of risk in the air.
“This way. Just keep going straight.”
Some time after entering the ruins, an adventurer who was using the power of Hermetes, [Pilgrim’s Dawn], led the way, lighting their path.
“This path is completely blocked…”
“There must be a hidden mechanism somewhere.”
“Please wait a moment. Let me take a look.”
The adventurers and treasure hunters split up, searching for the device that would open the blocked wall.
“This is the spot.”
“Seems so. We didn’t find anything in the other areas.”
“Could it be a trap?”
“Hold on…”
One of the treasure hunters took out a monocle and scanned the surroundings.
It was an artifact that revealed hidden traps.
“I don’t see any traps linked to it. No other nodes are connected, apart from the one leading to the door.”
“Good. Then let’s go in.”
Since Jun had already proven his worth earlier, the others involved in this expedition were also giving their all in their respective roles.
Before long, with a grinding sound, the stone chamber’s door slid open.
“Is that… a jewel?”
“Wait a moment. Let’s be sure.”
The man inspected the area once more through his monocle, checking for traps, and frowned.
“Sir Mage. I can feel mana coming from that jewel. It’s connected to those statues over there…”
“Golems, then.”
“As I suspected…”
The party members’ faces twisted in unison.
Golem-type monsters were resistant to magic, making them particularly troublesome opponents for a mage.
“Is there no way to cut off the flow of mana?”
At Mentrus’s question, the scholar shook his head.
“Impossible. Damaging it would cause this entire chamber to collapse.”
“Tch…”
“Then we have no choice. We’ll just have to prepare for battle—”
“Ah, wait a moment.”
Just as they were about to reluctantly reach for the jewel, Jun stopped them.
[Enchantment: Elemental Armory]
[Attribute Enchantment: Lightning]
[Transformation Magic]
[Enchantment: Elemental Armory]
[Attribute Enchantment: Wind]
[Enchantment: Strengthen Body]
In an instant, a flurry of buff spells swept over them.
And it didn’t stop there. Eleanor’s holy magic followed right after.
“This… this is unbelievable…”
“What have all our past adventures even been for…?”
“Damn you, god of wisdom!”
As raw power surged through their bodies, the party felt not a rush of fighting spirit, but a wave of shock and a faint sense of futility.
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