Traveling through the game world, starting out as a third-rate villain

"We're here. The car is parked right here. We won't need it in the dungeon," Anya announced as the car came to a stop.

After getting off the bus, we were greeted by a strange and vast landscape. The entrance to the dungeon does not always appear in the city, so hunters often need to travel a long distance to reach their destination.

"This dungeon limits entry to seven people. Once we enter, the entrance will be closed and we will lose contact with the outside world. Is there any problem?" Anya asked.

The team members answered in unison: "No!"

"Great. Is everyone ready?" Anya continued. These questions were asked to ease the tension, because at this point, even if someone was not ready, it would be useless.

"Yes," the team answered in unison.

"Very good, let's go in now," Anya said, clicking her watch and sending a notification to the guild.

As everyone looked around, they were clearly surprised by what they saw.

“I didn’t expect the dungeon to appear in a place like this.” Ethan muttered to himself.

"Dungeons appear all over the world, not necessarily in city centers. And most dungeons assigned to guilds are usually located in such places because they are the cheapest," I said.

"It looks like you know a lot about the dungeon."

“I just read a lot of books.”

"Then why are your grades still so bad?"

"I only learn knowledge that is useful to me. I don't care about the knowledge that the academy forces on me that is not helpful to me."

"Well... Julia said the same thing."

"Julia says that because she's stupid, but I'm not like her."

"Okay, okay."

As I talked to Ethan, Anya came over. "Let's go," she urged, leading the way.

Bang

As I continued walking, I suddenly felt a slight demonic power being released, however weak.

'This guy... is he trying to manipulate the entrance? No, since no one else noticed, it's not a big deal.'

Even if he was really doing something, according to the plot of the game, nothing had ever happened at this entrance, so there shouldn't be any danger.

"You can't tell anyone else now."

Buzz buzz buzz!

As I entered the yellow door, a familiar feeling of nausea came over me, but I tried to control it.

"Huh? Is this your first time in a dungeon? It looks like you're doing well." Emily looked at me and said.

"vomit--!"

Apparently, I'm different from the guy next to me who's throwing up all over the place.

"It was the first time, and I just held back."

"This ability to withstand stress is important," Anya chimed in. "Now, let's get started. First, we'll explore the dungeon and collect any resources we can find."

Looking around, the environment inside was the same as everyone else expected.

We were surrounded by an Amazon rainforest-like scene, and the air was very humid with heavy rain and a muggy atmosphere.

This reminded me of the first dungeon I explored in the Black Market, but this dungeon was significantly more mana-dense, mostly because of the stronger monsters here.

"We will encounter goblins and lizardmen on the outskirts of the forest, so everyone be prepared," Anya reminded.

'The first part of this dungeon does have Goblins and Lizardmen.'

When it comes to the gaming world, everyone knows the most common enemies.

Goblin.

A small monster that likes to ambush and invade...

I was standing in the back of the team, in the formation we had discussed before.

Healer Fred is in the center of the team, which is the best position for healing and assistance, as well as the best position for casting curses and weakening enemies.

'That's why the Devil Contracted later abused this position.'

I watched him pretending to be a novice and clearly looking scared, but in reality he was slowly releasing his magic power to attract the monster's attention.

To my right was Ethan, and to my left was Emily. They were responsible for protecting the back row.

I did not recommend myself as an investigator due to my lack of experience and was only responsible for remote output.

This ensured that Fred would not be aware of my scouting abilities, while allowing me to observe him and the surrounding terrain from a safer position.

Although I am positioned backward, my senses remain sharp due to Insight Perception.

'Hmm, there's a smell of blood. An animal died here not long ago.'

I smelled blood in the air and slowly activated my [Sharp Eyes] skill.

'Five monsters. They haven't noticed us yet. Let's see when the team finds them.'

This is also a good opportunity to test my perception ability compared to stronger hunters. I believe Anya's current strength is probably between level 4 and 5. Since there is no clear parameter description, it is difficult to determine a person's exact level.

Sure enough, within a few seconds, Anya also noticed it.

"Do you feel it? There are five monsters ahead, get ready to fight." Anya cautiously approached the goblin and gave a signal at the same time.

Goblins' level will vary depending on the mana concentration of the dungeon, but are generally classified as mid-level Tier 2 monsters.

And because monsters are usually stronger than humans of the same level, they need to be dealt with with caution.

"Newbies, this battle is up to you. Get ready."

Anya said, motioning to Ethan and me.

'Straightforward, yes.'

That's how the team works. As a leader, she needs to assess our strengths to get a clearer picture of the situation.

"Ethan, you know what to do, right?" Anya asked, looking at him.

"Yes."

"Morse."

"yes."

"Then you can start."

"Huh..." I adjusted my breathing, without taking my eyes off the goblin, while observing Ethan's muscle movements.

'He'll go to the right.'

It was obvious from the way his muscles were tense and his stance.

whoosh!

As I expected, Ethan rushed to the goblins on the right, attracting their attention. It was also a good opportunity for me to attack.

His spear was as agile as a snake and immediately slashed through the chest of the first goblin.

Puff

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!”

I quickly raised my bow and put two arrows on it. I adjusted my fingers slightly and aimed at the target in my mind. I injected my magic power into the bow and arrow to increase the power of the arrow.

'It should be white now. 'Although I've learned how to change the color of mana, I don't know what they do, except for a few clues.

Whoosh! Puff!

My arrows hit their marks, but these goblins were tougher than I'd expected. They stumbled but didn't fall, wounded but not fatally.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!” “Cluck, cluck, cluck!”

The injured goblins made shrill cries and roared in their crude language. However, Ethan rushed in front of them before they could react.

Whoosh! Puff!

Ethan swung his spear quickly and accurately, slicing the first goblin's chest with one blow.

'As expected, his spear skills are the best.'

Although Ethan's ranking in the academy is similar to mine, based on his strength, he should be between level 3 and level 4 now.

His attack was powerful enough to knock the goblin to the ground, and he didn't hesitate before moving on to his next target.

Whoosh! Puff!

I shot another arrow right after that, this time using a stronger arrow, which pierced directly through the goblin's chest, ending its life.

Ethan fought with the last goblin. Although the goblin instinctively defended himself with the knife in his hand, he was unable to withstand Ethan's continuous onslaught.

Ding ding ding! Whoosh!

Although the goblin instinctively blocked Ethan's first two attacks, it was unable to block the third attack as it had no intelligence.

thump!

With a dull sound, five goblins fell to the ground one after another and lost their lives instantly.

Ethan shook off the blood on his spear, turned to look at me with a satisfied expression, and smiled with obvious pride. "What do you think?"

"Tsk... this guy has been affected by Fred's skills."

Ethan is not the kind of person who seeks recognition, but in fact, it is also a desire deep in his heart.

Because he awakened late, his family members, though not malicious, always felt that he was useless. Deep down, he actually longed for recognition from others.

"Well done." I acknowledged him while hiding my true ability. "But remember to be careful. These monsters may bring you unexpected troubles."

One of the most important things I learned in dungeons and games is that you should never trust a monster that's lying "dead" on the ground.

whoosh!

Before he could answer, I shot another arrow. The arrow passed by his face and accurately hit the goblin who was trying to attack him from behind, killing it directly.

"Ah?" Ethan turned and looked at the goblin's corpse. From its posture, he could tell its final intention.

"You forgot to check that the goblin was completely dead." I pointed out coldly, continuing to pretend to be a novice. "Don't get carried away."

However, considering Ethan's strength, this is not normal.

'His perception has also been affected.'

This has also happened in the game, and it looks like Fred has applied a lot of debuffs to the team.

Snap! Snap!

"You two did a great job. This expedition doesn't look like it will be too difficult," Anya praised, a proud look on her face.

But she wasn't done yet. She walked closer to us, her tone becoming serious, "But you know, these goblins are the weakest monsters. They are intermediate level 2. So, Morse, use stronger arrows next time, or shoot at least two arrows at each goblin, understand?"

"Understood." I nodded. Although I had concealed my true strength in the battle just now, I knew that I would need to be more committed when facing a stronger enemy.

"And, Ethan. As Morse said, never let down your guard until you're sure the enemy is dead."

Ethan nodded with a somewhat shy expression, admitting his negligence. "I know, I was just a little careless."

"Very good, let's keep going." Anya said, leading us deeper into the dungeon. As we went deeper, it became clear that this F-rank adventurer team would have to face the next monster directly.

'There are seven goblins ahead.'

As I continued forward, I sensed the challenge of our next battle.

Anya quickly issued instructions and assigned tasks to the team. "Seven. Fred, Emily, and Ethan, prepare to fight. Fred, use your spells when necessary. Morse, just observe, and don't intervene unless the situation is urgent."

"Understood." I responded, preparing to observe the abilities of the team members. I was also curious about Emily's strength.

Emily and Ethan rushed forward without hesitation, showing their agility and fighting skills.

Ethan used his higher stats and footwork to reach the goblin first, spear at the ready.

Whoosh! Clang! Puff!

Ethan's spear easily penetrated a goblin, quickly ending its life. Another goblin blocked his attack, but their rhythm was completely disrupted.

Whoosh! Puff!

Emily quickly joined the fight, her blade flashing as she killed a goblin with pinpoint accuracy.

clang!

Her second attack was blocked by the goblin's equipment, but the powerful impact caused the opponent to stagger.

Cluck, cluck, cluck!

Whoosh! Cut!

Emily dodged the goblin's attack and quickly cut off its arm, while Ethan used the spear's range to pierce another goblin from a distance as it tried to get close to her.

Phew!

However, goblins' tactics vary, and not all rely on melee combat. Two goblins attack Emily with bows and arrows.

Ethan blocked one arrow with his spear, but another pierced his leg. This arrow was laced with poison, and green liquid dripped from the wound.

Phew!

Ethan quickly pulled out the arrow and held it in his hand, blood gushing out of the wound. Then Fred reacted quickly.

"Purify. Heal."

His spell first cleansed the poison and then healed Ethan's wounds.

"Thank you." Ethan nodded in thanks and refocused on the battle.

Slash! Whoosh! Puff!

With the support of Emily and Fred, Ethan took control of the battle and quickly cleared out the goblins without getting hurt again.

After the battle, we continued to explore the dungeon. However, suddenly a blood-curdling scream broke the silence.

Chuck!

The sound was very close and we were ready for the next battle.