Chapter 20 Hero

Adventurer A's report:

[I'm a Bronze Rank, but when it comes to exploring dungeons, I'm no less capable than a Silver Rank. I entered the Sain Dungeon out of curiosity to see what it had become. The results were truly unexpected. I've seen Poison Swamps more than once, but I've never encountered one with such potent toxicity. Embarrassingly, I didn't consider providing a Detoxification Potion for my pets, resulting in their quick death after entering, which significantly hampered my scouting abilities.]

[In my view, the terrain of the swamp area is not complicated, and can even be described as simple. It's just that the same scenery piles up heavily causing a serious homogenization, which makes it easy for those with poor sense of direction to get lost. The terrain under the swamp is treacherous with occasional deep pits or sharp traps. Both share the characteristic that they don't cause much damage but can limit movement.]

[Once movement is restricted, it's akin to a death sentence here. Monsters lurking in the water will swarm ferociously. Unfortunately, I stepped into a deep pit, and being unable to pull my leg out in time, I was killed by monsters.]

Adventurer B's report:

[To hell with the swamp, the skeleton monsters, the Fishman, the Stone Statue Ghost, and the giant rats!!!]

[I'm never coming back to this life! I'm going back to the countryside to farm, never to return!]

Adventurer C's report:

[A Monster Scholar hired my squad to investigate whether new species of monsters have emerged in Sain Dungeon after the anomaly. He was very generous, so we prepared more supplies than usual, which turned out to be a huge help.]

[The Levitation Skill scroll we bought for fun was incredibly useful. My companions and I didn't touch the swamp at all. The monsters' aerial tactics are quite poor. Apart from a few archer skeleton monsters that were born, the rest could only throw mud at us like children. A single Low Tier Magic Power Protective Shield was enough to block it all. Through our continuous efforts in investigation, we really discovered a new breed of monster. It looks like a large frog, and most importantly, its ability—]

[Up next is exclusive content. If the City Lord wishes to know, please show some sincerity~]

Adventurer D's report:

[Damn, damn, damn, it was so thrilling! There were monsters I've never seen before, looking like frogs, their big eyeballs almost scared me to death. It sprayed me with a breath, and I was done for. The black smoke seemed to instantly kill, it's bizarre, ha ha ha, I want to meet it again.]

[Oh, and when my wife was opening a treasure chest, it exploded, haha, it was hilarious. Who would've thought there would be a Flame Explosion Technique inside? She was blown up on the spot. Later, I saw a treasure chest and threw a Fireball from far away. Guess what, it was an ordinary treasure chest! I blew up the treasure myself, didn't get anything!]

[Investigator's note: This adventurer seems to have psychological issues.]

Adventurer E's report:

[Get lost]

[Investigator's note: This adventurer insulted the nobility and has been confined by the guards.]

Miner's report:

[Umm, I didn't mine any Blood Essence today, my salary won't be docked, right? No? Oh, thank you, thank you, my whole family thanks you.]

[What, you ask if I saw anything in the dungeon? Hmm, let me think... monsters that go "wala gaga," whooshing winds, the swamps that "gili gula," and the skeletons that "gadda gadda"...]

[Investigator's note: I really can't understand...]

A certain dungeon industry worker's report:

[The older you get doing this job, the more regrets you have. Over the years, I've made many mistakes, let down many people, and lost many. I'm too ashamed to enter dungeons now. I just wander around the outskirts, please don't ask me.]

[Investigator's note: This person provides guided tours of Sain Dungeon for foreign tourists, i.e., he is a guide...]

Charon's report:

[I'll provide a detailed report later, so don't bother me now. Where is Wild, and why hasn't he returned?]

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

"How do you like it so far, my friend, feeling confident about conquering this place?"

Sali brought over a pot of black tea and gracefully poured a full cup of reddish-brown liquid for the young girl, immediately capturing her attention with its fragrant aroma.

Two pieces of candy fell into the tea. Sali sat down on the sofa opposite with a smile, stirring the black tea, unconsciously pressing her legs together.

The girl stared at him for a long while and then said faintly, "I have a name,"

"My apologies, Elsa,"

Sali seemed to realize his gesture was inappropriate, promptly switching to a cross-legged posture, and asked, "Do you remember our agreement? You help me secure the position of Family Head, and I become your companion,"

"Um," Elsa nodded.

"If I could conquer the Dungeon before my brothers, it would undoubtedly give me an advantage. So friend, Elsa, please help me conquer it,"

Seeing the girl in front of him agreeing, Sali's smile was almost too big to hide.

After being out for a year, Elsa was his biggest gain!

A lone Hero seeking companionship, still a naive young girl—gaining her trust was all too easy!

Sali had merely set up a scheme, hiring a group of people to pose as robbers, to rob him on the road Elsa was sure to take. This allowed him to naturally thank Elsa after the robbery, using gratitude as a pretext to get close to her, quickly stripping her identity clean.

She was an orphan, awakened as a Hero when the Demon Clan slaughtered her orphanage and from then on embarked on the path of slaying Demons, with her ultimate goal naturally being the Demon King's head.

In fairy tales, a Hero always has a group of close companions, and having only read such stories, Elsa firmly believed that she needed to find companions before challenging the Demon King.

Incidentally, Heroes are not unique; anyone who possesses hatred for the Demon Clan, sufficient Talent, and a properly balanced sense of justice could become a Hero. Historically, the highest number recorded at one time was twenty-three Heroes.

However, only those who successfully vanquished the Demon King are qualified to be documented and considered true Heroes.

Sali clenched her fist, only to feel her arm was sore and limp, unable to lift her hand.

This was due to overtraining and as for why she overtrained...

Because to be a companion to a Hero, one must at least be somewhat capable! So he, a young man, earnestly trained his body.

Though a bit shrewder in some aspects, Sali was a person who kept her promises and she also believed that Elsa really could help her become the Family Head.

"In the next few days, I'll show you around to familiarize yourself with the environment. Once we have more information about the Dungeon, we can make our move, how does that sound?"

Elsa, holding her black tea, sipped it slowly and nodded slightly.

Suddenly, she abruptly lifted her head, her little nose twitching as if she smelled something.

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

"There's a disgusting smell," Elsa frowned in disgust, shook her head, and said, "The smell is gone, I probably smelled it wrong."

Sali's face turned red because he had just quietly farted.

He would have to spray more perfume in the future.

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

With the help of the light, his features were clearly visible.

It was a very familiar face.