Brave Hero

Adventurer A's Report:

[I'm Bronze Rank, but when it comes to exploring dungeons, I'm not inferior to Silver Rank. This time, I entered Sain Underground City out of curiosity, wanting to see what it had become. The result was truly unexpected. I've seen swamp terrain more than once, but never one with such potent poison. It's embarrassing to admit, but I didn't think to prepare antidotes for my pets, and they died shortly after entering. My scouting ability was greatly reduced.]

[In my opinion, the terrain in the swamp area isn't complicated; it's even simple. It's just that the same scenery is stacked so densely that it looks very homogenous. People with poor sense of direction can easily get lost. The terrain beneath the swamp is treacherous, with occasional deep pits or sharp traps. The commonality between the two is that they don't deal much damage but can restrict movement.]

[Once your movement is restricted, it's equivalent to a death sentence here. Monsters lurking underwater will swarm you. Unfortunately, I stepped into a deep pit and couldn't pull my leg out for a while, which led to my death by monsters.]

Adventurer B's Report:

[Screw the swamp, screw the Skeleton Monsters, screw the Mermen, screw the Gargoyles, screw the giant rats!!!]

[I'm never coming back in my life! I'm going back to the countryside to farm. Goodbye forever!]

Adventurer C's Report:

[A monster scholar commissioned my team to investigate whether new monster species had appeared in Sain Underground City after its mutation. Because he was generous with his payment, our supplies were more abundant than usual, which proved to be a great help.]

[A Levitation Spell scroll I bought for fun came in very handy. My companions and I didn't touch the swamp at all throughout the entire journey. The monsters' anti-air capabilities are quite lacking. Apart from a few archers among the Skeleton Monsters, the other monsters could only throw mud at us like children. A low-level Magic Shield was enough to block everything. Through our continuous efforts in investigation, we actually discovered a new monster. It's a monster with a very peculiar appearance, like an enlarged version of a frog-like monster. Most importantly, its ability is--]

[Next is exclusive content. If Lord of the City wants to know, please show some sincerity~]

Adventurer D's Report:

[Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, it was too exciting! There's a monster inside that I've never seen before. It looks like a frog, and its two big eyeballs almost scared me to death. It spat at me once, and I died! That black smoke seemed to instantly kill people. It was so random, hahaha, I want to go back and face it again.]

[Oh, right, right, my wife's treasure chest exploded when she opened it, hahaha, it was hilarious. Who would have thought a treasure chest would hide a Flame Explosion Spell? She was blown to death on the spot. Later, I also saw a treasure chest. I threw a fireball at it from a distance, and guess what? It was a normal treasure chest! I blew up the treasure myself! I got nothing!]

[Investigator's Annotation: This adventurer appears to be experiencing mental distress.]

Adventurer E's Report:

[Get lost.]

[Investigator's Annotation: This adventurer insulted nobility and has been apprehended by the Guards.]

Miner's Report:

[Um, well, I didn't mine any Bloodstone today. Will my salary be docked? No? Thank you, thank you. I thank you on behalf of my entire family.]

[What? You said you saw something in the dungeon? Hmm, let me think. It was a Wala Garga monster, a Hu Ah Hu Ah wind, Ji Li Gua La swamp, and Gada Gada skeletons.]

[Investigator's Annotation: Utterly incomprehensible.]

Dungeon Worker's Report:

[People in my line of work, the older you get, the more you regret. I've made many mistakes over the years, disappointed many people, and lost quite a few. I no longer have the face to enter the dungeon. I'm just wandering around the perimeter, don't ask me.]

[Investigator's Annotation: This person provides guided tours of Sain Underground City for out-of-town tourists. In other words, a tour guide.]

Charon's report:

[I'll give you a detailed report later, so don't bother me now. Where is Verde? Why hasn't he returned yet?]

[Investigator's note: Young Master Charon seems to be in a very bad mood.]

"How does it look, friend? Do you have the confidence to conquer this place?"

Sali brought over a pot of black tea and elegantly poured a full cup of reddish-brown liquid for the young girl. The fragrant aroma immediately captured her attention.

Two sugar cubes dropped into the tea. Sali chuckled and sat on the opposite sofa, stirring the black tea, his legs subconsciously closing.

The young girl stared at him for a long time before murmuring, "I have a name."

"It was my fault, I'm sorry, Elsa."

Sali seemed to realize his actions were a bit improper and crossed his legs again, asking, "Do you remember our agreement? You help me take the position of Patriarch, and I'll become your companion."

"Mhm," Elsa nodded.

"If I can conquer the Dungeon before my Brothers, it will undoubtedly add weight to my claim. So, friend, Elsa, please help me conquer this place."

Seeing the young girl agree, Sali's smile was almost uncontrollable.

Elsa was his biggest gain from being out for a year!

A lone Brave Hero yearning for companions, and a naive little girl. Gaining her trust was too simple!

Sali had simply set up a scheme, hiring a group of people to impersonate bandits and rob him on Elsa's usual path. This way, he could naturally thank Elsa after being robbed and use that as an excuse to approach her, quickly digging up all of Elsa's background.

She was an orphan who awakened as a Brave Hero when the Demon Race massacred her Orphanage. From then on, she embarked on the path of slaying demons, with the Demon King's head as her ultimate goal.

In fairy tales, Brave Heroes always had a group of close companions. Elsa had only read fairy tales, so she firmly believed she had to find companions before hunting the Demon King.

Incidentally, Brave Heroes were not unique. Anyone with hatred for the Demon Race, sufficient talent, and a proper sense of justice could become a Brave Hero. Historically, there were once twenty-three Brave Heroes appearing simultaneously.

However, only the one who successfully defeated the Demon King would be recorded and become the true Brave Hero.

Sali clenched his fist, only to feel his arm go weak, unable to lift it.

This was the effect of overtraining. As for why he overtrained...

It was because to be a Brave Hero's companion, one had to have some strength, right? So he, a young master, was diligently training his body.

Although he was a bit cunning in certain aspects, Sali was a man of his word. He also believed that Elsa could truly help him become Patriarch.

"I'll show you around for the next couple of days. Once we have more information about the Dungeon, we'll make our move. How about it?"

Elsa sipped her black tea in small sips, nodding slightly.

Suddenly, she raised her head abruptly, her small nose twitching as if she'd caught a scent.

"What's wrong?" Sali's attention was drawn by this unusual behavior.

"There's a disgusting smell," Elsa frowned in disgust, then shook her head and said, "The smell's gone. I must have imagined it."

Sali blushed because he had just quietly farted.

I need to use more perfume from now on.

In the corridor, a tall figure had just passed their door, seemingly heading out.

His features could be seen clearly in the light.

It was a very familiar person.

Seeking votes and continued readership, please!