Chapter 492: Pest Control
With Una and Tearlach securing their safety, they were able to travel quicker than expected and soon reached the next dungeon.
This one was similarly a natural cave, but it reportedly only went up to level 50. No surprises awaited Seth this time, and not a lot of experience either. He was able to fill his experience bar to about 65%. Still almost half a level away from lv. 68.
It couldn鈥檛 be helped, even out here, high-level dungeons were not as common as one might hope. Seth was no dungeon expert, but he had learned that the growth speed and limit of a dungeon were often dictated by its location.
This was why high-level dungeons were more of a lucky find as they happened to be in a good location for growth.
The third dungeon also 鈥渙nly鈥?had a level cap of 60. These dungeons were nothing special, unlike the one where he met the horned ones. They posed no threat to Seth and also no great gain, but the bard took whatever he could get.
With the golems he simply sprinted through them, gathering experience. After the third dungeon, he had finally reached lv. 68. The difference between a dungeon befitting or outperforming one鈥檚 level and a dungeon below one鈥檚 level was painfully obvious.
They had been on the road for five days and it would take another three to reach the mountain city.
Seth began to worry a little. He needed eight ability points to level his , which meant he had to reach lv. 71. There were only two more dungeons on their way and only one was reported to house lv. 70 monsters.
He began to doubt whether he could reach his goal on this journey. Still, he counted himself lucky to have this opportunity. Even if he fell short by a level and would have to wait for a chance to visit the dungeon in delta, he was able to gain several levels in a matter of about a week.
Without the arduous preparation of the chimeras clearing the way, this journey could have taken ages. Well, he probably would not have thought of the option in the first place.
鈥淵ou seem a little concerned. Is there something bothering you?鈥?Azul, the previous chimera leader talked to him, as he pondered about his options.
Seth didn鈥檛 have the habit to keep secrets from people he trusted. Following Mina鈥檚 advice, he jumped at the chance to complain about what was bothering him.
鈥淗mm, can鈥檛 you just look for a few other dungeons in the mountains? Why would you restrict yourself to those that are on the path?鈥?the chimera mumbled.
Seth looked at her in bafflement. Of course! These were not the only dungeons in these mountains. And he didn鈥檛 even have to look for them himself.
鈥淩ight, I could ask Una and Tearlach to look out for some. Great idea, Azul!鈥?he praised the chimera. Who would have thought that a new perspective would bring a solution to his worries. He could just farm the mountains until he reached the level he needed.
Said and done, the blacksmith asked the horned humanoids to look out for dungeons when they were running around and scouting the area.
He didn鈥檛 know whether they misunderstood him, but they quickly found a dungeon soon after he asked them. As if they had specifically searched for one.
鈥淭hat was quick鈥?鈥?Seth said in surprise when they suddenly came to report.
Tearlach was scratching his cheek
鈥淭o be honest, it鈥檚 because we knew where to look for,鈥?he admitted.
The dungeon they 鈥渇ound鈥?was a now ancient ruin they knew from their time. Having grasped the fundamentals behind dungeons, they gave it a visit just in case. It was not too far away from their planned route.
According to the two horned ones, these mountains were once a lot warmer and the valley they led the expedition to was once a lush marshland. The ruin they led him to was once a small temple. However, now only the foundations could barely be seen.
There were also some broken pieces of columns in the vicinity. In the middle was a blue whirling disc standing in the air above the broken temple鈥檚 foundations. The dungeon in question was the kind of rift or portal dungeon.
Seth pondered for a moment, whether to enter the dungeon or not. The problem was that he had no information about the inside of the dungeon. These portal dungeons were tricky because sometimes they could have a condition to leave them.
He had heard that Y-City was actually working on technology to measure the dungeons max-level and scale from the outside, but he clearly didn鈥檛 have such a thing with him. The golem recorder he threw into the portal stopped broadcasting the moment it went through.
In the end, the blacksmith still decided to enter the dungeon. He really wanted to finish leveling up with this journey, and even if the dungeon housed high-level creatures, it was a bonus. Since these rift dungeons often let to small dimensions, there would be no size restriction, like in the narrow dungeons before.
He would be able to freely release the bigger golems. In the worst case, Seth still had Puffles and Python. There were also Tatzel and Ceres. The blacksmith had tested the Spear of biter Mercy in the last dungeon and had to admit the elemental鈥檚 power.
The Oathguard was setting up tents. Una and Tearlach had bought them a lot of time by cleaning their travel path, so the expedition decided to camp nearby and wait for Seth to finish the dungeon. Everyone appreciated the chance for a break.
鈥淲hen I don鈥檛 return within 24 hours, contact Al鈥橺alsar and continue with the expedition,鈥?he told Lydia.
鈥淎re you sure we shouldn鈥檛 follow you in?鈥?Lydia asked a little worried.
Seth鈥檚 eyes wandered over the Oathguard, Team 3, and the horned humanoids.
鈥淣o offense, but when I really get in trouble, none of you would be able to help. If it鈥檚 something I can鈥檛 deal with, you have to call Al鈥橺alsar,鈥?he answered honestly.
Lydia frowned but seemed to understand what he meant. She could only unwillingly accept, that if the blacksmith got into trouble, I was above their power level.
After instructing Lydia and Team 3, Seth brought out the golems and entered the portal. For a moment he felt the freezing void crawl across his skin, similar to how the travel through the Pathworks felt.
What greeted him was warm, humid air, that hit him like a wall. He had just left behind the freezing cold mountains and stepped into a tropical climate. What he saw immediately reminded him of what Una and Tearlach had said.
Warm, wide marshlands. What Seth stepped into was a wide are of wetland, swamps, and water. He stood on a batch of elevated dry land, with a small grove of trees on it. The smell of fresh rain, vegetation, and a hint of swampy decomposition filled his nose.
The portal he had just stepped through, was nowhere to be seen.
So it was one of those with a specific requirement鈥?
The marshlands have been overrun by a special breed of birds.
Kill the Bronze Birds that plague these marshlands.
0/300
Reward: Return Portal, Dungeon Chest >
Seth looked at the expansive landscape of marshes, swamps, and sparse trees. 300 birds鈥?
鈥淭his could take a while..:鈥
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