On the borderlands of mysterious, boundless Helheim, on this particular day, Nishikienrai suddenly had a daring idea. He turned his gaze toward the perilous Purple Poison Swamp.
Relying on the remarkable agility he had honed through years of training, Nishikienrai bravely ventured into the swamp, a place riddled with danger.
In this treacherous land of mud and poison, every step was like walking on thin ice. The slightest misstep could attract Zanam monsters. They posed little threat to him, but their most troublesome trait was that provoking one would bring a whole swarm.
However, Nishikienrai's extraordinary attack power and speed made quick work of the troublesome Zanam. With the various potions Mu Fengyu had generously supplied, he managed to make it safely through the Purple Poison Swamp, a place regarded as a land of death.
As he pressed onward, a strange sight suddenly appeared before him: a dreamlike expanse of the Crystal Plains.
The plants here resembled sharp blades painstakingly carved from crystal, glinting with a chilling light beneath the brilliant sunlight.
In this region, even the slightest movement could result in injury.
Numerous monsters with mineralized bodies also wandered aimlessly across the plains.
Yet Nishikienrai showed no trace of hesitation. Without a moment's doubt, he chose to press forward.
After successfully crossing the Crystal Plains, Nishikienrai came upon another swamp shrouded in mystery.
Astonishingly, a lone island stood in the middle of it.
A mysterious labyrinth towered on the island.
Without hesitation, he activated a high-level invisibility spell and cautiously began his difficult exploration of the labyrinth's depths.
Every step through this labyrinth of unknown dangers carried unforeseeable risks, but his heart raced with excitement.
After a long and nerve-racking exploration, Nishikienrai finally found the labyrinth's exit. What appeared before him was a dilapidated cemetery.
His keen instincts immediately told him that this was a high-level dungeon no one had ever explored before.
Just as he was preparing to continue, a snake with bat wings suddenly emerged from the cemetery and attacked the spot where he was hidden. Nishikienrai was startled; he hadn't expected the monster to detect his invisibility.
He swiftly dodged to the side, his blade flashing out of its sheath as he slashed at the monster.
The monster twisted nimbly, evading his attack, then opened its gaping maw and spat out a cloud of black poison gas.
Nishikienrai reacted instantly, rolling backward to avoid the poison.
A resolute glint flashed in his eyes as he attacked again, darting around the monster like a phantom.
The monster refused to back down. It beat its wings, whipping up gusts of wind, and clashed fiercely with Nishikienrai.
After a fierce struggle, Nishikienrai seized an opening and swung his sword with all his might, striking the monster's wing. It cried out in pain.
Seizing the opportunity, Nishikienrai drew the sword at his back and unleashed a flurry of fierce attacks. At last, the monster collapsed to the ground and lay still.
Panting, Nishikienrai took a short rest, then continued deeper into the cemetery.
A gloomy atmosphere hung over the cemetery, where ancient gravestones stood in orderly rows. Suddenly, an eerie laugh sounded beside him, sending chills down his spine.
He warily scanned his surroundings, but saw no one. Just then, the ground began to tremble violently, and bony arms thrust up from beneath it, as if trying to drag him into the endless abyss.
Nishikienrai frowned and used his decoy skill. Only an illusion remained in place to be dragged underground by the bony arms. Relying on his exceptional gaming skills, he kept finding footholds in midair as he crossed the area and reached the entrance to the tomb.
He used a detection spell, and a general description of the dungeon appeared before him.
[Great Tomb of Nazarick]: This was once the resting place of a powerful dark sorcerer from ancient times. Countless evil magical experiments were conducted here, and countless tormented souls were imprisoned within.
It was said that the Great Tomb concealed boundless treasures and mysterious spellbooks, but it was also filled with countless deadly traps and powerful guardians.
Nishikienrai studied the description before him and took a deep breath. With care and precision, he recorded the types of monsters he had encountered along the way and how dangerous they were. After making thorough preparations, he planned to return with his companions and explore the place together, uncovering the secrets of this mysterious land.
"That's how my exploration of Helheim went."
Nishikienrai finished his account. His companions, gathered around him, had excitement and anticipation shining in their eyes.
Bukubukuchagama put down the intelligence report and said gravely,
"Everyone, judging by the information, this isn't a simple dungeon. It looks like we'll need to prepare carefully."
"Exactly. There might be a boss inside capable of using wide-area instant-death magic, so we should bring plenty of special items to resist the undead."
Nishikienrai nodded and added,
"We also need to watch out for the Crystal Plains outside the labyrinth. Bring plenty of healing potions and items that boost our defense."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere grew animated.
"Then we should all bring our best weapons and equipment. I'll bring out the newly made Take-Mikazuchi Type-5 and let you all see what it can do."
"I'll prepare plenty of scrolls for healing magic, so everyone can get back to full strength whenever needed."
"I'm good at setting traps. I'll prepare some special mechanisms; they might come in handy at a crucial moment."
One by one, everyone spoke of their skills and what they would contribute to the adventure, and their confidence grew ever stronger.
As the lively discussion continued, Touch Me drew everyone's attention and said solemnly,
"Everyone, I have an important decision to tell you. I'm planning to disband the guild."
Before he could finish, Ulbert immediately objected.
"No! Touch Me, you can't do that! The guild doesn't belong to you alone. How can you just decide to disband it?"
Back in the Nine's Own Goal days, one of Ulbert's friends had quit the game for good because of Touch Me. That was why Ulbert was furious that Touch Me intended to disband the guild without telling anyone.
He didn't give Touch Me any chance to explain, immediately rejecting his proposal.
Before you continue