Transmigrated into a villain, I personally tore apart the shackles of fate.

Chapter 77: Second Entry into the Dungeon

“We’ve arrived. We’ll park the car here; we won’t need it in the underground city,” Anya announced as the car stopped.

Upon disembarking, we were greeted by a vast and unfamiliar landscape. The entrance to the dungeon doesn't always appear within cities, so hunters often have to trek long distances to reach their destination.

“This dungeon is limited to seven people. Once we enter, the entrance will close, and we will lose contact with the outside world. Is there a problem?” Anya asked.

The team members answered in unison: "No!"

“Very good. Is everyone ready?” Anya continued. These questions were asked to ease the tension, because at this point, it wouldn't matter if someone wasn't ready.

"Yes," the team answered in unison.

“Great, let’s go in now.” Anya said, tapping her watch and sending a notification to the guild.

When everyone looked around, they were clearly surprised by what they saw.

"I never expected an underground city to appear in a place like this," Ethan muttered to himself.

“Dungeons exist all over the world, not necessarily in city centers. And most dungeons assigned to guilds are usually located in such places because they are the cheapest,” I said.

"It seems you know quite a bit about dungeons."

"I just read a lot of books."

"Then why are your grades still so bad?"

"I only learn knowledge that is useful to me; I can't be bothered with what the college pushes on things that are not helpful to me."

"Hmm... Julia said the same thing."

"Julia says that because she's stupid. I'm not like her."

"Alright alright."

As I was talking to Ethan, Anya came over. "Let's go," she urged, leading the way forward.

Bang

As I continued walking, I suddenly felt a faint burst of demonic power being released, however weak it was.

'Is this guy... trying to manipulate the entrance? No, since no one else has noticed, it's not a big problem.'

Even if he is indeed doing something, according to the game's plot, nothing has happened at this entrance, so there shouldn't be any danger.

'We can't tell anyone else now.'

Buzz!

As I entered through the yellow door, a familiar wave of nausea washed over me, but I managed to control it.

"Hmm? This is your first time in the dungeon, right? You seem to be handling it well," Emily said, looking at me.

"vomit--!"

Clearly, I was different from the person next to me who was vomiting uncontrollably.

"It was the first time, I just held back."

“This resilience is very important,” Anya interjected. “Now, let’s begin. First, we’ll explore the dungeon and gather any resources we can find.”

Looking around, the environment inside was just as everyone else had expected.

We were surrounded by Amazon rainforest-like scenery, accompanied by heavy rain and a sultry atmosphere; the air felt very humid.

This reminds me of the first dungeon I explored in the black market, but this dungeon had a significantly higher mana density, mainly because there were stronger monsters there.

"We'll encounter goblins and lizardmen on the outskirts of the forest, so everyone be prepared," Anya warned.

'The first part of this dungeon does indeed have goblins and lizardmen.'

When it comes to the gaming world, everyone knows the most common enemy.

Goblin.

A small monster that enjoys ambushing and attacking...

I was positioned at the back of the group. Our formation was as discussed beforehand.

The healer Fred is positioned in the center of the team, which is the best position for healing and support, as well as for applying curses and weakening enemies.

'This is why the Demon Contractors later abused this position.'

I watched as he pretended to be a novice, clearly acting scared, but in reality he was slowly releasing his magic to attract the monster's attention.

Ethan is to my right, and Emily is to my left. They are responsible for protecting the back row.

I declined to volunteer as an investigator, citing my lack of experience, and instead focused on providing remote feedback.

This would ensure that Fred wouldn't be aware of my reconnaissance abilities, while allowing me to observe him and the surrounding terrain from a safer position.

Although I was positioned at the back, my senses remained sharp due to [insightful perception].

'Hmm, there's a smell of blood. An animal died here recently.'

I smelled the blood in the air and slowly activated my [Keen Eyes] skill.

'Five monsters. They haven't noticed us yet. Let's see when the squad finds them.'

This is also a good opportunity to test my perception against stronger hunters. I'm certain Anya's current strength is somewhere between Rank 4 and Rank 5. Without clearly defined parameters, it's difficult to determine a person's exact rank.

Sure enough, Anya noticed it within seconds.

"Can you feel it? There are five monsters ahead. Prepare for battle." Anya cautiously approached the goblin while giving the signal.

The level of a goblin varies depending on the mana concentration in the dungeon, but it is usually classified as a mid-tier 2 monster.

Since monsters are usually stronger than humans of the same level, they need to be dealt with with caution.

"Newcomers, this battle is yours to fight. Get ready."

Anya gestured to Ethan and me.

'Straightforward, good.'

This is how the team operates. As the leader, she needs to assess our strengths to gain a clearer understanding of the situation.

“Ethan, you know what to do, right?” Anya asked, looking at him.

"Yes."

"Morse."

"Yes."

"Then you may begin."

"Hoo..." I adjusted my breathing, keeping my eyes on the goblin while observing Ethan's muscle movements.

He'll veer to the right.

It was obvious from his taut muscles and stance.

Whoosh!

Just as I expected, Ethan charged towards the goblins on the right, drawing their attention. This was also a good opportunity for me to attack.

His spear moved with the agility of a snake, instantly slicing through the chest of the first goblin.

puff

"Giggle!"

I swiftly raised my bow and nocked two arrows. My fingers adjusted slightly, and I mentally aimed at the target. I channeled my magic into the arrows, enhancing their power.

'Now we should use white.' Although I have mastered how to change the color of magic, I still don't know their specific effects beyond a few clues.

Whoosh! Pfft!

My arrow hit its target, but these goblins were more tenacious than I expected. They staggered but didn't fall; they were wounded, but not fatally.

"Giggle!" "Giggle!"

The wounded goblins let out shrill cries, roaring in their coarse language. However, Ethan rushed towards them before they could react.

Whoosh! Pfft!

Ethan swung his spear swiftly and precisely, slicing open the chest of the first goblin with a single blow.

'Indeed, his spear skills are the best.'

Although Ethan's ranking in the academy is similar to mine, based on his strength, he should be between rank 3 and rank 4 now.

His attack was powerful, knocking the goblin to the ground. Without hesitation, he turned to his next target.

Whoosh! Pfft!

I immediately fired another arrow, this time a stronger one, which pierced the goblin's chest and ended its life.

Ethan battled the last goblin. Although the goblin instinctively defended itself with its knife, it could not withstand Ethan's relentless onslaught.

Clang clang clang! Swoosh swoosh!

Although the goblin instinctively blocked Ethan's first two attacks, it lacked intelligence and was unable to block the subsequent third attack.

thump!

With a dull thud, the five goblins fell to the ground one after another, instantly losing their lives.

Ethan flicked the blood off his spear, turned to me with a satisfied expression, and revealed a smug smile. "What do you think?"

'Tsk...this guy has already been affected by Fred's skills.'

Ethan isn't the type to seek approval, but in reality, it's something he craves deep down.

Because he awakened to his true potential late, his family members, though not malicious, always felt he was useless. Deep down, he actually craved the approval of others.

“Well done.” I acknowledged him while concealing my true abilities. “However, remember to be careful. These monsters might cause you unexpected trouble.”

The most important thing I learned in dungeons and games is that you should never trust a monster lying on the ground that is "dead".

Whoosh!

Before he could answer, I fired another arrow. The arrow grazed past his face and struck the goblin that was trying to sneak up on him from behind, killing him instantly.

"Huh?" Ethan turned to look at the goblin's corpse, its posture revealing its final intentions.

“You forgot to make sure the goblin was completely dead,” I pointed out coldly, continuing to feign a novice’s demeanor. “Don’t get too cocky.”

However, given Ethan's abilities, this is not normal.

His perception was also affected.

This has happened before in the game, and it seems that Fred has already applied quite a few debuffs to the team.

Snapped!Snapped!

“You two did a great job. This expedition doesn’t look too difficult,” Anya praised, a proud look on her face.

But she wasn't finished. She approached us, her tone turning serious: "But you must understand, these goblins are the weakest monsters. They're mid-tier 2. So, Morse, next time use stronger arrows, or shoot at least two arrows at each goblin, understand?"

"Understood." I nodded. Although I had concealed my true strength during the battle, I knew that I needed to be even more focused when facing a stronger enemy.

"And Ethan. As Morse said, never let your guard down until you are sure the enemy is dead."

Ethan nodded with a slightly embarrassed expression, admitting his oversight. "I understand, I was just a little careless."

“Very good, let’s continue,” Anya said, leading us deeper into the dungeon. As we went further in, it became clear that this F-rank adventurer party would be facing the monsters that followed.

There are seven goblins ahead.

As I continued onward, I sensed the challenge of our next battle.

Anya quickly issued instructions, assigning tasks to the squad. "Seven. Fred, Emily, and Ethan, prepare for battle. Fred, use your spells if necessary. Morse, just observe; don't interfere unless it's an emergency."

"Understood," I replied, while preparing to observe the abilities of the team members. I was also very curious about Emily's strength.

Emily and Ethan charged forward without hesitation, displaying their agility and combat skills.

Ethan, with his superior attributes and footwork, arrived at the goblin first, his spear ready.

Whoosh! Clang! Splat!

Ethan's spear easily pierced through a goblin, swiftly ending its life. Another goblin blocked his attack, but their rhythm was completely disrupted.

Whoosh! Pfft!

Emily quickly joined the battle; her blade flashed, and she precisely killed a goblin.

clang!

Her second attack was blocked by the goblin's equipment, but the powerful impact made the opponent stagger.

Cluck cluck cluck! Cluck cluck cluck!

Whoosh! Slash!

Emily dodged the goblin's attack and swiftly severed its arm, while Ethan used the range of his spear to pierce another goblin that was trying to approach her from a distance.

Pfft!

However, goblins employ diverse tactics, and not all rely on melee combat. Two goblins attacked Emily with arrows.

Ethan blocked one arrow with his spear, but another pierced his leg. This arrow was poisoned, and a green liquid dripped from the wound.

puff!

Ethan swiftly pulled out the arrow, gripped it in his hand, and blood gushed from the wound. Fred reacted immediately.

"Purification. Healing."

His magic first purified the poison, then healed Ethan's wounds.

"Thank you." Ethan nodded in thanks and refocused his attention on the battle.

Slash! Whoosh! Thud!

With Emily and Fred's support, Ethan took control of the battle, quickly eliminating the goblins without sustaining any further injuries.

After the battle, we continued exploring the dungeon. However, a chilling scream suddenly shattered the silence.

giggle!

The sound was very close; we prepared for the next battle.