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Chapter 8
The flames conjured by the mage cast a dim, flickering glow over the unexpected intruder.
Crunch. Crack.
At first glance, it resembled a bat.
But even while crouched, it was easily taller than a grown man’s waist.
“What kind of magical beast is that…?”
“It’s a Shadow Bat. Healer, keep your head down.”
The leader and the tank raised their shields overhead, forming a protective canopy over the party.
Flap. Flap.
SKREEEE!
Their judgment proved impeccable.
Without warning, a swarm of bat-like monsters poured out from the branching tunnel.
They seized the last remaining Shadow Cat and immediately began tearing it apart.
Just as their appearance suggested, they seemed to hunt in packs.
The leader silently raised a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to remain quiet, before switching off his flashlight.
“Shadow Bats have poor eyesight. If we’re careful, they might pass without noticing us.”
Peering through the narrow gap between the overlapping shields, I studied them carefully.
Their wings looked like hardened leather armor.
Their talons were every bit as powerful as those of birds of prey.
Yet despite their seemingly flawless bodies…
Something felt wrong.
“Why are they so badly injured?”
My quiet murmur drew puzzled looks from the others.
Lowering myself even further so I wouldn’t block their view, I pointed toward the monsters.
“Look at the bats. They’re covered in wounds.”
Had I not been so distracted by the gruesome sight of them devouring the Shadow Cat, I would have noticed much sooner.
Not a single Shadow Bat was unharmed.
Many had torn wings.
Others bore deep gashes across their bodies.
Half the blood pooled on the cavern floor probably belonged to them.
“Those look like injuries from swords or spears.”
The tank made his assessment almost instantly.
The problem with that conclusion…
…was that this dungeon was only supposed to contain beast-type magical creatures.
“Damn it… It’s an anomaly.”
The leader ground the words through clenched teeth.
I had no idea what an anomaly meant.
Everyone else, however, immediately turned pale.
Not wanting to stand out, I hurriedly copied their serious expressions.
Moments later…
I learned exactly why.
Clack. Clatter. Clack.
A dry rattling echoed from the cave entrance.
It sounded like wooden branches striking together.
Soon, the source came into view.
“Skeletons…”
The mage whispered, his face drained of color.
Dozens of armed skeletons blocked the entrance.
The sound I’d mistaken for wood knocking together…
…had simply been bones grinding against bones as they walked.
Clack. Clatter. Clack-clack.
Kiiiik… Kiiik…
The moment the skeletons appeared, the Shadow Bats spread their wings and assumed battle stances.
Unfortunately…
We were standing directly between the two forces.
There were too many skeletons to count.
Among them drifted ghostly figures that looked almost transparent.
“Wraiths… B-Rank…”
As the leader muttered, one of the ghosts suddenly snapped its head toward us.
The instant our eyes met—
The leader roared loud enough to shake the cave.
“Run deeper inside!”
SKREEEEEEEEE!!
As though his shout had been a signal, the skeletons and Shadow Bats crashed into one another.
The leader and the tank batted away the bats swooping toward us while carving a path forward.
“Healer, stay ready to cast buffs at any moment! Everyone else, keep your guard up! Since this is an anomaly involving undead, enemies could appear from anywhere!”
“Yes!”
Even amid the chaos, the leader issued calm, precise orders while sprinting ahead.
A few arrows fired by the skeletons grazed both me and the mage.
I’d probably been cut somewhere.
But in that moment…
I couldn’t even feel the pain.
If there was one blessing, it was that Awakening had strengthened my body enough that I wasn’t even out of breath despite running at full speed.
“Wh-What exactly is an anomaly?”
Running beside the mage, I asked the question.
He looked at me as though he couldn’t believe I didn’t know.
His stare was so sharp that I instinctively stammered an excuse.
“This is… my first time experiencing something like this…”
The mage sighed deeply.
That must have sounded suspicious.
Sorry…
As I swallowed my apology…
My synchronization rate rose to 40%.
“An anomaly is when a dungeon suddenly gets overwritten by completely different monsters than it’s supposed to contain. Usually, creatures about two ranks stronger than the original ones appear.”
“But… skeletons…”
“Skeletons are troublesome because they fight in large numbers and use weapons. More importantly, those Wraiths mixed in with them. Even by rank alone, they’re dangerous enough.”
Apparently deciding that the healer needed to understand the situation properly, the mage patiently explained everything while we ran.
I listened carefully, memorizing every word.
“The real problem isn’t just that stronger monsters appear. They’re specifically monsters that are difficult to deal with. Undead and ghosts are among the nastiest enemies even within the same rank.”
“Ah… I understand now. Thank you.”
“And stop acting so naïve.”
“…Huh?”
“I’m serious. Don’t act like that.”
His expression hardened.
“This is an anonymous dungeon party, remember? If someone stabs you in the back here, it isn’t fraud.”
“It’s murder.”
“If people realize you’re inexperienced, they’ll take advantage of you.”
The mage muttered quietly,
“At least this group doesn’t seem like that kind of party.”
At those words, I secretly checked my synchronization.
Current Synchronization Rate
45%
…Wait.
Then did it increase because…
…I’d been acting too innocent?
Calling it innocence was putting it nicely.
A less charitable way of saying it was that I’d been acting like an idiot.
If my synchronization increased because of that…
It felt strangely depressing.
While I was busy wallowing in self-pity, we’d completely escaped the battlefield between the skeletons and the Shadow Bats.
“Stop.”
At the leader’s command, everyone finally came to a halt.
Only after stopping did the adrenaline hit.
Hearts pounded violently.
Heavy breathing echoed throughout the cavern.
Yet no one collapsed.
No one lowered their guard.
Weapons remained firmly gripped as everyone scanned the surroundings while catching their breath.
“What rank were the monsters in this dungeon originally?”
“Most are E-Rank, like the Shadow Cats. Shadow Bats are exceptional D-Rank monsters, and the boss is C-Rank.”
Originally, this party had only intended to defeat the boss, collect the reward, and leave.
Which meant…
C-Rank was the strongest enemy they were prepared to fight.
And anomalies typically raised monster strength by two ranks.
This was no longer an opponent the party could handle.
“We should retreat, Leader.”
The melee fighter rested a hand on his sword as he looked over.
The leader nodded.
“I agree.”
“But the exit is blocked.”
He was referring to the skeletons and Shadow Bats we’d avoided by fleeing deeper into the cave.
“The Shadow Cave is a maze. We may be able to find another path leading outside.”
Trying to stay optimistic, the leader glanced back the way we’d come.
“Mage. Can you collapse this passage?”
“I could…”
The mage shook his head.
“But I wouldn’t recommend it. We might bury ourselves alive. Besides, my specialty is fire. I’m terrible at bringing down rock walls, and it’d make a lot of noise.”
His refusal was immediate.
After hearing the explanation, the leader reluctantly abandoned the idea.
I looked around.
Moss.
Tiny patches of grass.
Sparse weeds clinging to the cave walls.
“Then our only option is to move quietly—”
“Leader.”
Everyone turned toward me.
“Would you mind if I tried blocking the passage?”
“…Do you have a skill that can do that?”
“Not exactly.”
“But I think I might be able to adapt one.”
“I won’t know unless I try.”
The leader considered it for a moment before nodding.
Permission granted.
I walked over to a patch of weeds and placed my hand against the cave wall.
I steadied my breathing.
Envisioned exactly what I wanted.
Then whispered softly.
Unfortunately…
There was no way I could say it in a bright, energetic voice.
“Little flowers… block this path.”
The instant the skill activated…
I felt faint movement within the cave wall.
Soon, blades of grass and creeping vines emerged through the stone one after another, stretching across the passage.
But…
They were disappointingly thin.
You could still see through them.
A skeleton could probably slice through them with a single swing.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one thinking that.
The mage stepped beside me and whispered.
“It’s because you’re not used to your activation phrase yet, isn’t it?”
Startled, I looked at him.
He lowered his voice even further.
“It feels embarrassing at first, but magical skills often become much more effective depending on the activation phrase.”
The system window had mentioned something similar.
The brighter and more energetic the words…
…the stronger the effect.
But the mage added another detail.
“Especially if the chant sounds poetic or archaic. And the louder you say it, the stronger it becomes.”
He looked me straight in the eyes.
“Your life depends on it.”
Compared to that…
A little embarrassment meant nothing.
Only then did I truly understand.
This wasn’t a casual test of my abilities.
We had entered this dungeon risking our lives.
I opened my mouth once more.
This time, the words came naturally, almost like the lyrics of a song.
“Little flowers, awaken. Grow into a forest so that none who seek to harm us may pass.”
This time…
The response was completely different.
Whether only I felt it…
Or everyone else did…
I couldn’t tell.
But one thing was certain.
The movement rapidly grew stronger.
CRAAACK… RUMBLE…
Moss spread across the ground.
Grass erupted upward.
Vines climbed from floor to ceiling…
From ceiling to floor…
From wall to wall.
“…!”
Soon…
Dense vegetation completely sealed the tunnel.
“It worked!”
Unable to hide my excitement, I pulled my hand away from the wall with a bright smile.
“It’s done, Leader!”
“I didn’t expect it to grow this thick…”
The entire party stared, mouths hanging open.
Trying not to look too pleased with myself, I forced the corners of my lips back down.
“They’re only ordinary plants enhanced by my skill. They’re dense enough to block the path for now, but if something decides to hack through them, it eventually can.”
“We should leave quickly.”
The leader immediately agreed.
“We’ll increase our distance. Melee, mark every intersection we pass.”
“Understood.”
The melee fighter tapped the dagger hanging from his belt.
Our objective had changed.
No longer defeating the boss…
Now, our only goal was escaping the anomaly dungeon.
Yet no one hesitated.
* * *
We advanced cautiously, constantly gauging the number of monsters ahead.
If there were too many…
We slipped past.
If there were only a few…
We killed them.
After repeating the process countless times…
A light shimmered at the end of the tunnel.
“Is that… the exit?”
“We haven’t encountered any more undead on the way here. It’s probably closer to the exit than the boss room.”
The melee fighter murmured.
Aside from the armed skeletons, we hadn’t seen many undead.
Likewise, the original monsters of the Shadow Cave had all but disappeared.
Without needing to exchange a word…
We all broke into a sprint toward the light.
Just beyond that light…
Just a little farther—
The instant the exit seemed within reach…
An icy chill crawled down my spine.
“Everyone, stop! STOP!!”
The leader slammed his shield into the ground and shouted.
The mage and I crashed into his back and tumbled backward.
But the tank and the melee fighter couldn’t stop in time.
CRAAAAASH!!
“AAAAAAAHHH!”
“Ghh!”
The melee fighter’s scream echoed throughout the cave.
The tank barely managed to raise his shield.
Even so…
The armored plates covering his shoulder and arm were completely severed.
Clank.
The one responsible for those wounds slowly emerged from the exit.
Behind it…
Armed skeletons rattled forward, surrounding us.
The mage and I scrambled to our feet.
The tank, who was in better condition, had already dragged the melee fighter back.
His injuries were horrifying.
Because his armor was light, the attack had sliced from his shoulder all the way down to just above his thigh.
Blood poured endlessly from the massive wound.
At the sight of the raw, crimson flesh, I instinctively covered my mouth to stop myself from screaming.
“…A Dullahan.”
“The Dullahan… was the boss.”
“A Dullahan…”
The Headless Knight of Death.
The strongest physical attacker among ghost-type monsters.
As I desperately searched my memories, the mage tapped my shoulder.
“Healer.”
“Treat him first.”
“R-Right!”
Before casting…
I checked my synchronization rate.
Current Synchronization Rate
48%
Thankfully…
That was enough to use Honey Brew, the skill that provided both healing and buffs.
Taking a deep breath, I clasped my hands together and spoke the skill’s name.
“Honey Brew.”
Golden light bubbled up from the ground.
Round droplets, glowing the color of fresh honey, floated gently into the air.
They circled around us like tiny golden beads…
Then melted into the wounded man’s injuries.
“This skill…”
I heard the leader gasp in astonishment.
But I couldn’t answer.
A system window flashed brightly before my eyes.
