"Yesterday sure was intense, huh," Alexander said while the group was having breakfast at the inn before heading to the dungeon.
Billy recalled Marie and then confirmed that all roses have thorns… if she weren't so noisy, Billy would try to appeal to her as much as possible. A flaw here and there wasn't so bad, after all, then Billy recalled the moment she almost crushed the balls of one of her underlings… what would she do with a lover that causes even small problems? Billy didn't want to even think about it.
Regardless, the group would only need knives and some large boxes for that exploration. The enemies were crab-like creatures called Anelois, and their meat was fairly good, but they could only be transported in special boxes. Although they were big, only some parts of their bodies could be Eaten for some reason… and they were only the first type of monsters. There others on the second floor and so on. Also, they could use magic, so they were a bit troublesome. Half of the Adventurers that tried that dungeon never passed from the first floor...
While the others wanted to do some research regarding the other floors, Billy decided to stop right there. There was no need to get carried away… If many parties of experienced adventurers stopped on the first floor, then it couldn't be taken lightly. Another thing that they learned was the fact that sometimes, two parties work together because the materials of monsters are different on each floor, so one party would work as support and carry the meat of the crab monsters back to the surface when the main one reached the second floor. Occasionally, after working together like that many times, some parts would become clans since some of those would need constant help to carry the loot before they reach the third or the fourth floor. However, Snowforge never became a clan… Marie cleared the dungeon just by focusing on fighting and ignoring the materials. Apparently, her party managed to do so in one month… and now Billy's party had a time limit of three weeks. It seemed like fate was trying to make his Party more famous by breaking record after record.
When the group reached the entrance of the dungeon, they found another hole on the ground in the center of the town. However, unlike before, many adventurers were still there waiting for their turn to enter. Billy couldn't understand why they would arrive so soon since everyone had a determined time to enter… but he imagined that some people would give up and then the next group would have the chance to enter. For many reasons, his party was gathering a lot of attention from adventurers and the people passing nearby… it was due to their weapons made of dark steel. Only some rich folks could have that and those who cleared Gerald's dungeon.
"You are from the party of Heinhall?" One of the guards of the dungeon asked.
"Yes, I suppose I need to think of a cooler name for our party," Billy said after nodding. "What do you guys think of the Avengers, or the Justice League?"
"These names are kind of cheesy, don't you think?" Lily asked while frowning.
"They are also pretty childish," Kate added. "I can't imagine you saying that seriously."
"What about Super Friends?" Alexander asked.
"That makes me cringe… All right, I get it," Billy said. "We will be the Legion of Morons. Before you guys start complaining, I will identify myself as the biggest moron."
"No one would be surprised to hear you say that," Natalie said.
The people around frowned upon hearing all that. It seemed that those kids weren't taking the dungeon seriously. Regardless, their atmosphere changed when they prepared to jump to the interior of the dungeon.
As usual, Billy was the one who jumped in first, and he created a Fireball to illuminate the place. However, it soon was extinguished by the shot of a Water Ball. Billy twitched his neck to the side to dodge it, and he frowned when he heard the hissing sound… it was pretty fast. The power behind those couldn't be ignored either since it made the wall behind Billy vibrate.
"Billy, what was that? Are you all right?" Kate asked, visibly worried.
"No problems here, just give me a second," Luke said and then dashed toward the monster in front of him and used Light Spear.
The giant crab fired another, but Billy's attack destroyed it and then pierced his face. However, much to his surprise, the monster's carapace was pretty tough. Still, he finished it with Steel Spear.
You obtained 90 experience points.
"All right, come in," Billy said.
While his friends were jumping in, Billy lit a torch with Fire Manipulation. The group saw Billy already dismantling the arms of the crab. The creature was as large as a carriage, but it was pretty short… In many cases, for some reason, the only parts that could be Eaten were the meat in the arms and legs. A single monster was night enough for their whole party to have a big meal, but apparently, the meat was sold to the whole state, so it was always in high demand. Besides, it was easier than raising cattle.
"Their Water Balls are heavy and pretty fast," Billy said. "Natalie and Alexander, stay on your toes to block them. You can't let the back line be attacked."
"Roger that," Natalie said with her twin swords in hand.
"Understood," Alexander nodded.
In any case, Billy was expecting quite a lot from the dungeon based on that the experience he got by killing that monster. It would be divided by giving, but even so, it was a good chance for the group to gain a boost in power. Considering this, Luke wondered if he shouldn't tell Alexander to use his bow instead of the spear.. Knowing him, he would refuse since it would be too obvious what he would be aiming at by doing so. Lily was a bit dense, but even she would realize…