Gong Qiying's mysterious shop had just opened, but now the scene shifted elsewhere.
The Strategy Group, a symbol of strength.
Usually made up of elite adventurers, they represented the cutting edge of combat prowess. If a dungeon forced adventurers to form a Strategy Group, that meant the dungeon was terrifyingly powerful.
The Strategy Group tackling Sain Underground City was led by "Lion" Leon. Its members included "Silver Cat" Maru, "Black Fist" Betang, "Gutsy" Tel, "Bedrock" Dru, and others.
The adventurers of Bed City all pinned their hopes on the Strategy Group, wishing they could fight their way through the dungeon and back again, giving everyone a satisfying bit of revenge.
The handsome and dashing Leon was immensely popular among adventurers. He was even the dream lover of many.
Whenever anyone asked when the Strategy Group would officially attack Sain Underground City, he would flash a confident smile and say there was no rush. Once they made their move, they were sure to clear Sain Underground City in a single day and let everyone vent their anger!
People were always won over by his warm, sunny smile, convinced that this handsome man was invincible.
However...
"Boss, we can't find the way back anymore, meow. What do we do?"
Maru, filthy from head to toe, lay sprawled across the treetops, her face etched with exhaustion.
Leon, the dream lover of countless women, sat beneath a tree with a dark expression, saying nothing.
Several pieces were missing from his gleaming silver armor, lost while they were fleeing. The Teleportation Crystal wouldn't bring back anything he dropped, which meant that his expensive armor was well and truly gone.
Tel lay on the ground, panting heavily and soaked in sweat. Dru looked much the same.
"Where even are we?" Maru said in frustration. "Why is it all forest?"
The view pulled back. They were in the middle of a lush, verdant forest. No matter which way they looked, they saw nothing but vibrant greenery. Stare at it long enough, and you might even feel your eyesight improving.
"Though I'd heard that treasure chests could contain Teleportation Traps," Tel said in his deep voice, "I never imagined it'd be that one."
"Whoever came up with the idea of mixing a trapped chest in with two normal ones is a bastard." Dru angrily pounded the ground. "The first two chests were fine. Who'd be wary of the last one? Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
The members of the Strategy Group had publicly claimed they were taking time to prepare and hadn't yet entered Sain Underground City.
In truth, this was already their second time inside.
So much for clearing the dungeon in one life. They'd simply been practicing behind the scenes, just like top students who always claimed they hadn't studied at all!
After gathering all the information brought back by other adventurers, the Strategy Group had become very familiar with the Swamp Area. But once they reached Blighttown, they'd hit a wall and had to explore it slowly, one step at a time.
That was as far as most adventurers had gotten by now. No one had fully explored Blighttown, so naturally, they hadn't found a Campfire either.
But as the Strategy Group, they'd already made it halfway through on their first visit to Blighttown. That was far beyond the average adventurer, and they certainly lived up to their name.
Their first attempt had ended in a little mishap. They'd been crossing the Suspension Bridge and, with Dru's magic, had managed to kill the monsters shooting at them from both sides without incident. But then one monster, not quite dead, had cut the bridge ropes.
Strategy Group: Robert!!!
They'd learned their lesson the second time and didn't take the bridge again. Instead, they went the long way around, passing through a cluster of ramshackle houses.
They could enter every house, and opening the doors didn't trigger a loading screen. It was a paradise for anyone who loved to explore.
Of course, once inside, they might run into any number of things: little monsters hiding beside the door, behind it, on the ceiling, under the floor, or inside a battered cabinet.
But the houses were packed with items, too, making them hard to resist exploring.
Imagine spotting a bright white glow inside a house. Could you really stop yourself from going in to see what it was?
Even if you knew it was a trap, you'd still go. You absolutely would!
They'd already picked up weapons with Battle Skills, along with throwing knives, arrows, Flame Pots, and all sorts of other odds and ends, as well as some jewelry.
But why did some of that jewelry look like the styles that had recently become popular in Bed City?
On closer inspection, most of what they'd found was useless. But every now and then, they came across something interesting.
For example, a glowing skull. Toss it, and it would attract nearby monsters—more effectively than magic. Too bad it could only be used once. Otherwise, they would've wanted to carry it around all the time.
But a glow usually meant there was a monster lurking nearby. The Strategy Group had gotten used to that during their trek. Whenever they saw a glow, they immediately searched the area for hidden monsters. More often than not, they found one. Once the monster was dealt with, they could safely grab the item.
But that habit ended up getting them into trouble.
After defeating an elite monster with several dogs and a sheep's head, they found three treasure chests.
A big battle always meant a reward. Besides, they'd cleared out all the monsters nearby, so there was absolutely no danger.
And so they happily opened all the chests—and ended up here: the Middle Level, the forest of Undead Town.
"Everything looks the same no matter which way we go," Tel said glumly. "Could we be caught in an illusion?"
"I'm more inclined to think there's something wrong with this forest." Dru pushed himself upright. "Betang's been out on his own for a while, and he still hasn't come back. He's probably dead somewhere. That guy's always been so reckless."
To keep their identities under wraps, the Strategy Group had set the Teleportation Crystal's destination to the home of a Priest they knew. If they died, the Priest could revive them, so no one would see them at a Revival House.
"At least he had the guts to go out," Maru said, idly swinging her arms. "I don't dare go wandering again. Teleportation Traps like this usually send you somewhere dangerous, right? I'm just a frail young woman. I can't go exploring alone."
"Enough."
Leon, who'd been silent all this time, stood up. Everyone immediately fell quiet.
"Get up. I'm setting the forest on fire." He pulled out a magic scroll. It was a mid-level Flame Storm!
"Whoa, Boss, be careful!"
The others hurried out of the way. Looks like Boss had finally been pushed to his limit—he was even ready to use his trump-card scroll!
Set the mountain ablaze, and you'll spend your life behind bars.
He murmured the incantation, and a great many sparks surged forth. A vortex of flames began to form. If the spell took shape, the whole forest nearby would likely be reduced to ash!
At that moment, the thing lurking nearby could no longer hold back.
"Rrrustle, rustle, rustle!"
The trees around them suddenly rose up. No—not rose up. They were standing!
Those giant trees had been Treants in disguise. No wonder they'd been unable to find their way out!
"Finally showing yourselves."
Leon smiled. The flames abruptly died out, revealing his right hand gripping his sword. A layer of compressed air already encircled the blade!
Magic scrolls were expensive. He couldn't bear to waste one on this. Using it as bait to draw out the nearby monsters was perfect.
His sword could pulverize a monster just as well!
"Get down!" he shouted, spinning around. He meant to slice through all the Treants surrounding them at once!
It was a purely physical attack, driven by immense force, capable of smashing through anything in its path!
"SONASI!"
Had something just made a strange cry?
Leon suddenly noticed a blue, Slime-like creature hiding among the Treants. It looked so fragile that one sword strike would be enough to kill it.
Yet a bad feeling rose in his heart.
Too late. His sword had already struck Wobbuffet.
[The wild Wobbuffet used Mirror Coat!]
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