An emergency meeting followed.
The deputy leader spoke about the terrain where the raid party had fought, and Jun shared all the information he knew without holding back.
Unlike when the operation had first begun, where Jun had remained silent, he now spoke freely at the center of the meeting.
“No one of the third team made it? Damn. Looks like they failed. Tell me the names of the dungeons the other teams have cleared.”
The condescending looks that had once been directed at Jun were nowhere to be found.
The mercenaries regained their composure and focused on Jun’s explanation.
“From now on, we need to rescue the raid party and take down the Forest Guardian before the Fairy Queen fully recovers, which means we don’t have much time.”
If the Fairy Queen fully recovered from her injuries and rejoined the Forest Guardian, even the raid party composed entirely of Level 3 users would have little chance of success.
Naturally, if you excluded the raid party, the odds of survival for the rest of them who were merely Level 2 mercenaries would be zero.
Therefore, Jun had to act without waiting for Aiden’s return.
The meeting quickly concluded, and after a brief rest, they immediately carried out the rescue operation.
“Deputy leader, a group of monsters has been spotted ahead. And… several fairies as well.”
Lucy, the adventurer who had once been subdued by Jun, finished her report and the deputy leader nodded his head.
The adventurers who had been carrying out operations in other teams also began to reveal their affiliation with the Azure Cloud Party and took action in earnest.
The mercenaries almost lost their temper again in the process, though…
Fortunately, the mercenaries who were faced with the goal of survival took a step back. This allowed Jun to gain command over the adventurers as well.
“The numbers?”
“The monsters number in the hundreds at least, and the fairies are reported to be over thirty.”
“…It’s definitely the group I saw.”
The deputy leader then turned to Jun, the lower-ranking mage by his side, and asked.
“Are you going to carry out the operation?”
“Yes.”
“…Good luck.”
“Just focus on your job. And make sure your leader doesn’t pull any stupid moves.”
“He’s not that foolish.”
“You can still say that in this situation?”
“……”
Leaving the speechless deputy leader behind, Jun looked over at the adventurers who were quickly preparing to move.
They were the adventurers from the remaining four teams, excluding the third team that had failed in the dungeon raid.
“You’ve studied the map well, right?”
“…Yes.”
Among them were Lucy and Luke.
“How well we draw aggro will determine whether your leader and comrades survive. Don’t do anything reckless.”
“Understood!”
“…….”
“…Ahem!”
Luke who had answered enthusiastically coughed awkwardly when Jun’s gaze fell on him.
He was reminded of the time he had drawn his sword on Jun.
“Alright then, let’s move out.”
***
The key to the rescue operation was to draw the attention of the clustered monsters.
There was no way that a few dozen Level 2 mercenaries could handle hundreds of monsters on their own.
The situation would be different if Level 3 adventurers were involved.
We need to save our strength for the upcoming battle with the Forest Guardian, so we can’t afford to exhaust ourselves now.
Therefore, Jun decided to personally lead a group of agile adventurers to draw the monsters’ aggro.
“But aren’t the monsters following the orders of the fairies?”
This was a question one of the mercenaries had asked during the strategy meeting after hearing Jun’s explanation.
Most of the monsters in the raid were under the command of the fairies.
Naturally, even if they wanted to draw aggro, the monsters wouldn’t leave a certain range.
And this was something Jun was already aware of.
“Of course, that’s true. But the fairies’ orders don’t always work.”
There was something in this forest that caused the monsters to lose their senses.
Kkieeeeeeeeeeeeeek——!!
A Plant Undead that had just been smacked across the face let out a piercing cry that echoed through the forest.
It was the very creature that one of the mercenaries had captured, just as Jun had planned.
“Run!”
Following Jun’s shout, the adventurers began to sprint in unison.
Their goal was to get these monsters to a distance beyond the fairies’ influence.
Though the adventurers gathered here were equipped with Level 2 gear, their skills were far beyond that level.
They were all Level 3 experts.
Jun’s magic added to the effort.
[Enchantment: Elemental Armory]
[Attribute Enchantment: Wind]
When the enchantment magic took effect, the adventurers moved through the trees like fish in water.
Jun also chased after them but…
Damn it!
The body of a mage was holding him back.
A mage had no trace of agility to speak of.
Although he had used magic to increase his speed, it was still woefully insufficient compared to the speed of the approaching monsters.
“Excuse me, Sir. Mage! Just a moment!”
It was Luke who ran up to Jun.
He swiftly wrapped his arm around Jun’s waist and, with a force that seemed unbelievable for someone of his small stature, he launched them forward.
It might look a bit awkward, but it’s reassuring at a time like this!
Not long ago, they had been enemies, but now they were comrades.
It was ironic, yet to survive in this world, one had to accept such things.
This was the survival lesson Jun had learned over the past year.
***
Unlike the cramped dungeon, the adventurers tore through the forest at incredible speed in the open field.
Even while carrying a person, Luke was noticeably faster than the monsters with his small frame.
The monsters may be in a frenzied state… but still, this is impressive.
Jun felt the strength of a Level 3 adventurer’s physical abilities and shouted.
“You’re too fast!”
Although they couldn’t speak much because they were running, the adventurers understood Jun’s words.
Their goal wasn’t to completely escape but to draw the monsters’ attention.
They conserved their strength while darting between the trees and were careful to preserve their magical power as much as possible, until finally, they reached their intended destination.
“How’s the rear?”
“They’re right behind us!”
The sight of hundreds of monsters charging at them with great killing intent was enough to make anyone’s legs tremble.
But soon, they stepped into the space they had arrived at.
It was a dungeon where the third team had previously failed their subjugation attempt.
***
The dungeon had a similar theme to the “Rotten Tree Root” dungeon that Jun and Aiden had explored earlier with the fourth team.
However, the stench was so overpowering that even those who had somewhat adapted to the Black Forest couldn’t help but grimace.
“Was the ‘Corpse Flower Underground’ originally like this?”
“No way. It’s probably related to the Fairy Queen waking up.”
As the two adventurers chatted, the dungeon’s name of “Corpse Flower Underground” popped up.
This was an underground dungeon inhabited by Plant Undead.
They used the fact that monsters outside couldn’t enter the dungeon to their advantage as an escape route.
The plan was to quickly clear the dungeon, defeat the boss in the boss room, and then join the rescue team through the warp gate.
“Are we going to keep running like this?”
“We have to.”
“Damn, that’s a lot of running.”
The only saving grace was that, contrary to its name, “Corpse Flower Underground” was a field-type dungeon.
When the huge flower that lit up the dark underground came into view in the distance, Jun let out a sigh of relief.
“At least they made it to the boss room.”
The boss monster of the Corpse Flower Underground dungeon was a beast-type monster that had been consumed by a Plant Undead. It was called the “Plant Warg”.
The huge flower in the center only bloomed when the monster awakened, so it was clear that the previous third team had reached the boss room at the very least.
“How long will it take if we go straight there?”
“About half a day, I’d say.”
One of the adventurers answered while using [Pilgrim’s Dawn].
Indeed, the power granted to adventurers was useful in times like this.
“Alright, let’s rest for a bit and then get moving.”
Although time was of the essence, Jun ordered a brief rest to prepare for what lay ahead.
The adventurers had cleared their respective dungeons less than a day ago, and they had just sprinted through the forest while using their magical power.
No one could complain because they felt guilty, but the exhaustion among the gathered adventurers was beyond imagination.
Once we deal with the Warg and get out, we’ll have to face the Forest Guardian immediately.
So, Jun had no choice but to decide on a short rest.
These adventurers would play a central role in the battle against the Forest Guardian.
Sure enough, under Jun’s command, the adventurers lay down to catch some sleep, even if only for a short while.
This area had already been cleared by the previous third team, so there was no need for a watch.
When Jun sat down to relieve his own fatigue, Luke wandered over.
Jun casually asked,
“Not going to rest?”
“Ahem! I may not be confident in much, but when it comes to stamina, I’ve got that covered.”
Indeed, Luke had considerable stamina and was also a skilled warrior capable of using aura.
Well, once you master aura, your mana recovery speed increases significantly too.
In some ways, warriors had better mana recovery than mages.
Unlike mages who needed to meditate, warriors could recover a certain amount of magical power just by breathing.
“So, what brings you here?”
“Well… I know it’s shameless to say this now, but I came to apologize.”
“……”
“I know you can’t help but look at me like that. I’m aware that what we did is hard to forgive.”
“And?”
“Ugh… it’s just my selfishness? Yeah, it’s because of my selfishness. I feel like I need to say something, or I won’t feel any better…”
Isn’t that a little too honest?
Jun could understand where Luke was coming from.
He had no intention of forgiving him, but if saying this helped improve Luke’s condition, there was no harm in listening.
For Jun, what mattered wasn’t Luke’s apology but survival.
“Sorry. I feel like we ended up using you, Sir Mage.”
After Luke finished speaking and returned to his spot, Lucy who happened to be nearby caught Jun’s eye and quickly looked away in surprise.
Since she was so far away, she must have good hearing and seemed to have overheard the conversation.
She was just as uncomfortable with Jun as Luke was.
If you were going to do something like this, you should’ve at least succeeded.
In any case, the short rest passed quickly in that uncomfortable silence, and when the designated time came, they hurriedly moved on.
“There’s a corpse of a Plant Undead over there.”
“How long has it been dead compared to the first one we found?”
“Judging by the signs, it’s been dead for about a day.”
“It’s clear they followed the strategy as they advanced.”
Unlike the maze-type dungeon that Jun, Aiden, and the fourth team had tackled, the field-type dungeon required a slightly different approach.
Maze-type dungeons had the disadvantage of offering little space to avoid monsters, but in return, the frequency of random encounters and the number of monsters appearing were relatively low.
However, while it was nearly impossible to get lost in field-type dungeons, there was a risk of events where dozens of monsters could invade at once.
This meant that they had to methodically clear the outskirts, which was a drawback.
The third team must have followed the strategy too, so this means everything has gone according to plan up to this point.
After that, Jun continued to have the adventurers check the corpses of dead monsters for information.
Since this wasn’t a dungeon they were clearing from the start, such information was crucial.
As expected… we should reach the destination within half a day.
Since the dungeon wasn’t very large, the adventurers that were pushing forward at full speed soon arrived at the center of the dungeon where the boss room was located.
“The smell has gotten worse.”
“It’s bad enough to get in the way of the battle.”
“Whew.”
As their exhaustion reached its peak, the stench that permeated the entire dungeon was beyond unbearable.
But this would soon be over.
The adventurers spotted a wolf growling toward them from under a large flower that could be seen from afar.
The only thing that was different was that it was not a typical outer wolf, but a huge, bipedal wolf.
Just as expected, its eyes are crimson.
There was no need for further confirmation. This one had been strengthened by the Fairy Queen.
Sure enough, the beast charged first with the flower on its neck fluttering.
Unlike other beasts that cautiously assessed their prey, this one had lost its sanity and was driven only by madness.
Grrrrr——!!
Despite its enormous size, the creature moved like a furious gale as it sprang forward.
In response, the adventurers who had received buffs from Jun quickly scattered.
Jun also evaded the beast’s attack range with Luke’s help.
Damn it. I really need to work on increasing my stamina or learn some mobility magic.
Hanging on to someone’s side, especially someone smaller, was far from a pleasant experience.
Even more so when your life was on the line.
But despite Jun’s struggles, the battle itself proceeded smoothly.
Although the Fairy Queen had enhanced the creature, its patterns hadn’t changed significantly, and the adventurers gathered here had spent months training for this exact situation.
“How long do you think until the spell is ready?”
Luke shouted and Jun responded.
“Three minutes!”
He had already begun preparing the spell earlier, but it was harder to concentrate while clinging to Luke’s side as they moved.
It was only thanks to the [Steadfast Will] and [Unwavering Heart] skills that he was able to do this much, but other mages wouldn’t have been able to attempt such a feat.
“You all heard that?! Three minutes! Hold out until then!!”
With the strength gathered here, defeating the Plant Warg wouldn’t be too difficult.
However, the adventurers were already exhausted, and they needed to conserve some energy for the upcoming battle with the Forest Guardian.
So Jun planned to use a powerful spell to take down the creature in one blow, just as he had done before.
“Let me down now!”
“Alright!”
After putting some distance between themselves and the Plant Warg, Jun was set down on the ground and immediately began channeling the gathered magical power to weave his spell.
But unexpected events always occurred when least expected.
Kyarraaaaa——!!
“What?”
“It’s, it’s the undead!”
“Shit, why already?!”
Dozens of undead began to emerge from the ground.
This was a pattern that the Plant Warg didn’t originally have; it only appeared when the creature was strengthened under the influence of the Fairy Queen.
However, for this summoning pattern to occur, there was a prerequisite: the Plant Warg had to accumulate a certain amount of damage first…
Shit, I completely forgot!
This Plant Warg hadn’t just been fighting Jun and the adventurers.
It had already fought the third team before, and the damage those adventurers had inflicted had triggered the summoning pattern.
It was a detail easily missed, especially since it was difficult to gauge the extent of injuries on an undead.
“Watch out!”
Luke who was right next to him cut down an undead that had crawled out of the ground, but the spot where the two of them stood was where the most undead were emerging.
And Jun soon realized why.
“Those outfits…!”
Unlike typical beast-type undead, their appearance was noticeably different. They looked as though they had died not long ago…
They were the corpses of the third team members that had previously failed in their raid.
“Ugh! Sir Mage! Behind you!”
Luke was holding off the undead that were targeting Jun from the front, but now more undead were closing in from behind.
Jun quickly scanned the battlefield with [Keen Eyesight].
“The formation has already collapsed.”
The unexpected threat caused the adventurers’ formation to quickly collapse, and the Plant Warg was now charging toward Lucy who had been separated from the group.
In the meantime, the corpse of an adventurer with its sword drenched in blood silently approached Jun from behind and took aim at his back.
In that fleeting moment, Jun coldly assessed the situation and predicted the outcome of the battle before making his decision.
[Deciphering the spell…]
[Deciphering complete.]
[The influence of the spell, ‘Odyssey of the Lazy Pilgrim’, is reduced by 10 percent.]
The image he conjured was fire.
A blazing superheated flame that was capable of melting even steel within a furnace devoured everything in its path as it grew larger and more intense.
[Tinder]
Although it was only a first-circle spell, the flame that ignited in the air spread rapidly as it was engulfed by a huge wave of magical power.
Kiaaaaah——!!
The spell that was summoned in an instant wrapped around the body of the Plant Warg, which had been targeting the adventurer.
[Dual Casting]
[Wind]
At the heart of the flames, a small orb of wind began to form.
“Grgh…!!”
But the wind that was created wasn’t ordinary.
The wind which absorbed a tremendous amount of Jun’s magical power was compressed to its limit.
The wind, which revealed its presence within the flames that had burned to their limit, doubled the size of the fire and maximized its power.
The flames spread like wildfire and didn’t only engulf the body of the Plant Warg but also surged upward into the sky as a towering pillar of fire.
“What kind of magic is that…?”
“No way…”
The adventurers who couldn’t even imagine that this was the result of a first-circle magic combination stared at the pillar of fire with awe. They even forgot the urgency of the situation.
“Sir Mage!!”
“Ugh!”
But Jun wasn’t the only one to deliver a fatal blow.
A sword of an undead that was awakened by the Plant Warg had pierced through Jun’s chest.
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