I Awakened as a Dark History - Chapter 83

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 83
The toad’s back looked hard as stone, as if it had been glued on.
Whoosh!
The toad lashed out its tongue again.
Faced with such a straightforward attack, the Hunters responded with practiced ease. The Tankers blocked the strikes with their shields, and the Melee DPS severed the tongue cleanly.
With its tongue cut, the grotesque toad shrieked and charged toward us, blood streaming in its wake.
“Ahhhhh!”
The Research Team members screamed and clutched at one another.
Crash!
But the Tankers expertly turned aside the beast’s charge.
Driving their shields beneath the creature’s belly and flipping it over revealed the soft underbelly beneath all those stones.
The Melee DPS plunged their weapons straight into its exposed belly.
Thud!
Blood erupted as three of the toads fell at once.
From behind the fallen creatures, others shot out their tongues.
Swish.
Smooth tongues wrapped around the Melee DPS’s weapons.
Just before the fighters could shake them free, the toads submerged in the lava opened their mouths wide.
Rumble-rumble-rumble.
Molten lava erupted from their maws.
The Tankers stepped forward, raising their shields before the Melee DPS.
Sizzzzzzz—
The lava struck the shields and cooled, hissing as it fell.
I rolled my eyes inward to check my Synchronization Rate.
[Current Synchronization Rate]
57%
The Synchronization Rate was sufficient.
I activated the skill immediately.
“Kkuljoo.”
Golden droplets seeped into our allies at once.
The Leader confirmed the skill’s activation and issued orders.
“Mage, please dispatch the ones in the lava first.”
“Yes!”
Our Mage Hunter chanted the incantation.
“Raindrops, become sharp waves and pierce them through.”
Droplets formed at our ally’s fingertips.
Spherical water bullets flew toward the toads hidden in the lava like projectiles.
The water bullets streaked through and pierced the creatures’ heads straight on.
Gurk—Croak!
Two toads with punctured skulls shrieked their death cries and collapsed.
The remaining creatures, seized by panic, sank their bodies deeper into the lava and showed only their hardened backs.
While the lava attacks halted, the Tankers and Melee DPS moved.
The Melee DPS shook free their weapons from the tongues that held them.
The Tankers advanced to the front and flipped the beasts’ bodies over.
It fell to the Melee DPS to pierce through the thrashing creatures and cut them down.
In the chaos, lava splattered onto several Hunters and strikes landed.
But my Kkuljoo healed their wounds instantly.
Gurgle, gurk—
The toads seemed to recognize defeat and hastily spun around. Their retreat into the lava was frantic and disorderly.
Splash, splash!
We did not pursue the fleeing Demonic Beasts.
Since this was not a Dungeon requiring total conquest, there was no need to hunt down those that fled.
The Leader raised his hand to hold the Hunters in position and waited for the toads to withdraw completely.
Only after the creatures’ presence faded entirely did the Leader lower his hand.
“Is everyone all right? Any injuries?”
“None!”
I turned my head to count the Research Team members as well.
“The Research Team seems fine too.”
I waved my hand to signal the Leader.
The Research Team members exhaled in relief and finally released each other.
The Leader waited until she had confirmed the situation of both the Raid Team and the Research Team before moving.
“Then we’ll collect the Magic Stones and remains from the Demonic Beasts and move to a point where we can rest.”
The Hunters, as if they’d expected as much, quickly carved up the Demonic Beasts.
They found the Magic Stones and gathered the items that had fallen away from the creatures.
“We’ve got two Demonic Beasts here.”
“There are three more Demonic Beasts.”
The Hunters who had fished the Demonic Beast from the lava also waved their hands.
“From this Demonic Beast in the lava, we got Lava Pouches. We recovered about two of them.”
Squelch!
The Demonic Beast pulled from the lava soon split apart as well, leaving only the Magic Stones and necessary materials before vanishing.
The Hunters wiped their sweat with blood-stained hands or patted their waists.
“Wow, it’s so hot that even a little movement is exhausting.”
“It looks like collection is done. Let’s move quickly.”
When it was cold, there had been almost no complaints, but now that it was hot, groans echoed from every direction.
The Leader guided these Hunters with good humor.
“All right, we’ll head to the rest point. The location is already decided, so follow me.”
Thanks to the Leader, who called out cheerfully like a tour guide, the mood lifted somewhat.
The Hunters pushed aside their irritation from the heat and, smiling, followed the Leader.
* * *
The predetermined rest point was a cave where the lava didn’t reach.
The Hunters set up Shields to make a makeshift wall and changed clothes.
“Phew! I thought I was going to die from the heat!”
“Don’t you find it really annoying when the environment varies so much in a single Dungeon?”
“Agreed.”
Light clothing was all well and good, but because of the heat from the lava, short sleeves were impossible to wear.
Moreover, when you put on item Armor or weapons, the heat remained almost unchanged.
“I feel like I can breathe now that I’ve changed clothes.”
Still, the Hunters laughed as if relieved.
I also changed into thin long sleeves and felt like I could breathe, so I stretched my legs out.
I spoke to the Leader as she came out after being the last to change clothes.
“Still, it’s nice that the rest point is decided like this. At least we don’t have to wander around.”
The Leader nodded while wiping sweat from the nape of her neck with a towel.
“This Dungeon has many collection targets, so we clear it often. The first floor has lots of potion materials, and the second floor has lots of antidote materials.”
“Ah, so the researchers will be collecting again like they did earlier?”
I made a snipping motion with my fingers, and the Leader laughed.
“No. The antidote materials are Demonic Beasts, so we’ll hunt them first and then the researchers will collect.”
This time it was a fully joint collection effort.
Having finished speaking, the Leader took out water from her Subspace and drank.
It seemed the heavy sweating had made her thirsty.
I waited for the Leader to finish drinking for a moment.
The Leader emptied about half the water bottle and set it down.
I took that moment to ask abruptly.
“So, what kind of Demonic Beasts are we hunting?”
The Leader reached for the water bottle as if to drink again, then stopped.
“Ah, Fire Rats in a pack.”
Fire Rats—creatures with red fur that looked like they could be a dog’s coat.
Recalling an old cartoon, I sparkled with interest.
“Are they big?”
“No. They’re about the size of a meerkat. Individually they’re weak, but the pack is large.”
The Leader explained smoothly, as if she’d hunted them more than once or twice.
“They live around the middle of the Volcano where the lava doesn’t reach but fire rises. They’re unharmed by fire, so they even hunt the venomous creatures that live in the lava.”
The Leader gestured as she mentioned having seen the Demonic Beasts we’d encountered earlier being eaten by them.
I gasped and opened my eyes wide.
“The Demonic Beasts are poisonous too?”
Then shouldn’t we have used Gae Hwa instead of Kkuljoo?
I examined the Raid Team’s condition with belated concern.
All the team members looked fine, but my mind wasn’t at ease.
The Leader shook her head lightly as if to tell me not to worry.
“They do have poison, but as long as you’re not bitten, it’s fine. Moreover, individual resistance is enough to handle it. The poison is weak.”
It was at least reassuring news. The Leader seemed to think this was a good opportunity to explain the Dungeon in detail to us.
“There aren’t many poisonous creatures in this place. Just the Grotesque Worm and the Lava Tarantula, really. The Grotesque Worm’s poison is weak, and while the Lava Tarantula’s is stronger, it’s still manageable with potions.”
Besides, with the Research Team here, we should be able to handle even a Demonic Beast with potent venom.
If all else fails, Gae Hwa can take care of it.
I finally allowed myself to relax, though a fresh concern promptly took its place.
“Poisonous creatures seem rarer than I expected. And the fire rats—wouldn’t their numbers be low too?”
Leader tilted his head at my question.
A moment later, as if catching his mistake, he let out a soft exclamation.
“Fire rats are omnivorous, so they eat just about anything. That’s why they consume poisonous things as well.”
“They must have an appetite beyond belief.”
I muttered dully, and Leader chuckled low.
“There was an incident years ago when a Dungeon became overrun with fire rats. The fields and mountains in the surrounding area turned into a complete wasteland.”
I imagined meerkat-sized rats swarming in masses, gnawing away at entire landscapes, and the image made me shudder.
A single one might be cute enough to admire like a hamster or pet rat, but in a teeming horde, they’d be downright unsettling.
In the meantime, Leader turned to face the Raid Team members and the Research Team.
“The fire rats’ habitat is further up the mountain from here.”
People already worn down by heat and exhaustion made faces of dismay.
Leader smiled in understanding, his expression warm and reassuring.
“It would be best to conserve our strength and move carefully. On the way back, we’ll set up a Night Watch rotation and get some rest.”
Leader knew how to manage people as well as he knew how to lead a raid.
The exhausted faces brightened, and everyone nodded eagerly.
“The Research Team can simply rest. As for us, we’ll draw lots to decide the Night Watch order.”
The Raid Team members nodded without complaint.
I too agreed readily with Leader’s proposal.
And when I drew for the Night Watch rotation, my number came up fourth.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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