Chapter 36: Dungeon Upgrade

However, unbeknownst to them, one player lurked in the shadows, observing their every move.

"That girl is quite beautiful. I think..."

Before Mob1 could finish speaking, Mob2 interrupted sharply, "Focus on the mission. You know the consequences."

Both Mob1 and Mob3 shuddered, recalling past experiences, "Yes, let's focus on the mission."

The three players manipulated the goblins, directing them in swarms towards the unsuspecting players.

A few minutes later, the E-rank player sensed something amiss and warned the group, "This isn't normal; something fishy is going on. Be prepared for unexpected attacks and conserve your energy."

"What do you mean this isn't normal?" the girl exclaimed, alarmed by the peak E-rank player's words.

"Miss, these monsters' attack pattern is different, and something is entirely off about this horde," he explained.

"Don't worry, Miss. I'll do my best to protect you, but please conserve your energy for unforeseen situations," he advised, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Okay," she replied, alert and cautious.

Meanwhile, the three hidden players prepared for their nefarious plan.

"Is everything ready?" Mob2 asked.

"Yes, everything's in place," Mob1 and Mob3 replied.

"Alright, let's execute it," Mob2 declared.

The other two players acknowledged and took their designated positions.

"I'll count to three, and at three, initiate the plan," Mob2 instructed with utmost seriousness.

"Understood," they replied in unison.

"One, two, three, go!" Mob2 shouted into a strange communication device.

As soon as he did, an unnatural phenomenon began to unfold, alarming all players both inside and outside the Goblin Dungeon.

"Miss, something significant is about to happen," the E-rank player suddenly shouted without caring for himself.

The girl trembled at his warning but kept her composure.

"Everyone, find a safe place to hide," the E-rank player called out, admiring the girl's ability to stay composed in such a dire situation.

"Okay," they acknowledged, taking precautions.

In another part of the dungeon, Amar and his group also became aware of the unusual events.

"Stay vigilant," their leader commanded, and everyone readied themselves for potential threats.

"Leader, I sense something major is about to go down," one young man muttered with fear oozing his eyes.

"I know," the leader replied solemnly. He then instructed Amar to stay close to the group in case of unexpected developments.

"Alright, leader," Amar replied solemnly and moved toward them, cursing his luck at the turn of events.

At the same time, Rahul, coincidentally, found himself in the same dungeon.

"What's happening in the dungeon?" Rahul wondered. He had cleared a dungeon earlier, but nothing like this had happened until now.

[Host, the dungeon floor is merging, and its grade is also being upgraded.]

[The exit and entrance of the dungeon have started to close.]

"What!" he exclaimed with wide eyes and muttered solemnly, "What a devious plan. Many are going to be sacrificed."

Dazing for a moment in his thoughts, he grinned. "Bad luck for them."

He ordered Indrajit, Knife, and Small to pause their hunt and wait for the dungeon's upgrade.

Intrigued by the impending event, he began to scout the area. Ten minutes later, a brand-new D-grade dungeon formed as it underwent drastic changes, resulting in all the goblins' ranks increasing.

"Use the teleportation item, quickly," Mob2 urged.

"Okay," both Mob1 and Mob3 replied, arranging the teleportation stones in a peculiar pattern.

"What an exhausting day," both Mob members muttered before reporting to Mob2, "Everything is prepared according to the master's instructions."

"Alright," Mob2 responded, placing a strange, green, glistening object amidst the pattern.

All the teleportation stones lit up, and five D-rank players teleported into the dungeon.

In another location, several D-rank players had gathered.

"Leader, do you think they can handle their task?" a D-rank player asked with doubt in their voice.

"Let's wait and see," the leader replied calmly. He understood their reservations and sought to reassure them.

"Don't fret. They may be E-rank, but Mob2 will manage everything competently."

Suddenly, another D-rank player exclaimed, "Leader, the teleportation stone has activated."

"Prepare yourselves," the leader instructed.

"Hail the 'Great Devil Emperor!'" everyone chanted as five D-rank players entered the teleportation radius.

As soon as the five D-rank players arrived, a chilling and blood-curdling sensation permeated the area.

"You've done admirably," one D-rank player said with a smile.

"No, Leader, it's our privilege to serve the 'Great Devil Emperor'," Mob2 quickly responded.

"Indeed, you're correct. Serving the 'Great Devil Emperor' is an honor," another D-rank player chimed in.

"Very well, let's focus on our mission," the third D-rank player urged, and they ceased their conversation.

With malicious intent, they set out to hunt both players and monsters.

Rahul's eyes narrowed as Indrajit relayed the alarming news.

"Master, someone is hunting both players and monsters," Indrajit reported after his inspection.

"Yeah, I see," Rahul replied, his mind racing with possibilities.

After a moment of contemplation, he made a decision.

"Protect them if you can identify anyone; otherwise, let them be."

"What could their goal be?" Rahul wondered aloud before returning to his own tasks.

Unbeknownst to him, chaos had erupted just at the first floor's outskirts due to the ongoing situation.

"Kill them all!" declared the first D-rank player, launching an attack on Divya's group.

In the ensuing struggle, random players were swiftly defeated, and the peak E-rank player found himself desperately fighting against a D-rank opponent.

"Miss, please run!" the E-rank player shouted desperately, sacrificing himself to buy her some time. Divya's desperate pleas for help fell on deaf ears.

"Hey, what are you doing? Kill her!" the second D-ranker ordered angrily.

"What's the rush? Let's savor the moment," the third D-ranker grinned.

"Yeah, it's been a while since someone sacrificed themselves for another," the fourth D-ranker chuckled.

Step!

Step!

"Someone is coming!" announced Mob2 suddenly.

"Sister-in-law!" a loud voice came from the other side.

"Amar!" Divya exclaimed in surprise, her expression quickly shifting to fear.

With teary eyes, she shouted at him, "Run!"

"Another prey has arrived," the fifth D-ranker sneered.

Unbeknownst to everyone, a pair of prying eyes observed their actions.

As soon as Amar and his group entered, these eyes identified him, "Isn't he the master's friend?"

"Master, I saw your friend," Indrajit quickly communicated through telepathy.

"Wait, I'm coming. Recall all the skeletons there," Rahul ordered urgently.