Chapter 102 – Blond Nun and Promotion Battle #5

The abandoned mine was a long cave connected in a straight line. At one time, the railroad that carried the carts was connected to the inside of the mine.

According to the map, there were several rooms connected like branches, but the path to the abandoned mine was not complicated. We just had to keep walking forward.

“Didn’t Wendy tell you to be careful of traps?”

I nodded at Kate’s question.

“Yes. It was said that this mine was a dungeon in the distant past. Haven’t you heard of it? A dungeon is like a placenta where monsters and traps are spit out. It’s possible that traps started to be laid again in this abandoned mine.”

We were walking along the railroad tracks, looking around as much as we could. I tried not to touch the walls and carefully observed the floor. I couldn’t help but slow down my walking speed. It would be better to move slowly than to get caught in a trap and die a mysterious death.

“Are there any suspicious parts in the abandoned mine?”

Just in case, I asked Allie.
If it was a halfling with excellent five senses, wouldn’t it be able to detect traps around it like a new type? To be honest, it was hard to expect a good search in a dark cave like this.

“I can see some traps if it’s suspicious!”
“Can you see it?”

I didn’t expect it, but Ally replied with a calm expression. But I didn’t understand Ally, who now taught me that there are traps. Could it be that this is also due to a pretentious temperament? A selfish simbo who will live alone if caught in a trap?

“Why are you telling me that now?”
“Because everything is destroyed.”

Ally said, pointing her finger across her darkness. As she followed her fingers and shone the lantern, she saw a rusty spearhead hanging from the cave’s wall. The spearhead that came out of the large hole stretched out horizontally. Just the right position to aim for the head of an adult male.

“See? Mongma-san. The spearhead is broken.”
“Okay.”

I nodded with an intrigued expression. The window sill hanging from the wall was broken. An iron blade was rolling under it. The trap set in the abandoned mine had been smashed by someone.
Ally opened her mouth as she ran her fingers across her chin.

“I told you that there are orcs hiding in the abandoned mines. They must have removed the traps in the abandoned mines! When the traps start to form in the dungeons, it makes quite a lot of noise. I know this because I’ve attacked lower dungeons a few times.”
“Ah, do you have experience raiding dungeons?”
“Because we’re halflings. The most useful thing in a dungeon is our species.”

I trusted Ally’s words.
The ability to discern objects even in the dark!
It means that he has five senses blessed with weak muscular strength. If you didn’t run alone like last time, you’d be a really good party member.

“Allie-sama. That tempo… You’re restraining yourself, right?”
“Sure. I’ll follow your tempo!”
“Follow me.”

I let out a sigh of relief and walked forward. As Ally said, the traps in the abandoned mine had already been destroyed by the Orcs. We were able to continue exploring the abandoned mine without any damage.

If you go forward, you can see only railroad tracks and caves.
It was when I shone the light of the lantern toward a distance. I saw a suspicious outline on the railroad tracks, so I signaled to the party members.

“Please stop. There’s something on the tracks. Ally, do you see what it is?”
“Something like a person is lying on the railroad tracks?

A person lying on the railroad tracks?
I questioned and moved closer to the dubious outline. However, the moment I narrowed the distance enough to be able to identify with the naked eye, I couldn’t help but be astonished.

“Uh?”

Not only me, but the other party members were also amazed. The one lying on the railroad track was an orc with a pig’s head. Green skin, thick molars protruding above the lips. A body made up of strong muscles.

“Well, that’s an Orc, Nightmare-nim!”
“Yeah.”

An orc who committed murder and escaped from Kuntilla Village.
He was supposed to belong to that group. However, even with the Orcs, we didn’t have to engage in battle.
The orc lying on the railroad tracks was already a cold corpse.

“Let’s check the body.”

I got close to the orc corpse, escorted by Brute and Ally. There were bite marks on the corpse of the orc, who had shed a lot of blood. There were dozens of dented marks, and the body was horribly damaged.
Even I, who was tired of looking at monster corpses, felt sick to my stomach. The monsters that hunted the orcs didn’t seem to have any corpse manners.

“Do you know what happened, Ally?”
“I have a guess!”

My eyes met Allie’s in the air. In fact, I was also aware of what the Orcs were attacked to some extent. The bite marks had the shape of teeth resembling gears.

“Kobolds, right?”
“I will.”

Allie nodded her head at my question. Then she looked back at the party, she said.

“Probably a large number of kobolds appeared in this abandoned mine! The orc here must have been attacked by kobolds. He is a corpse that has just died. Judging from his decayed state, not even a day has passed.”

So you mean the orcs that were alive until yesterday?
Seeing Ally narrating her words like a shaman with magical powers, I felt a sense of trust. As someone I don’t know, even to me, the orc’s corpse didn’t rot too much. He was attacked by kobolds relatively recently.

No matter how strong the body was orc.
If the kobolds push him with their sidewalls, he is bound to fall. The moment I realized that a large number of kobolds had been haunting this place, I realized that my ominous prediction had come true and clicked my tongue.

“Looks like the kobold’s nest is in an abandoned mine.”

Kate asked me with a puzzled expression.

“A nest? But I don’t see any kobolds around?”

I looked at Kate and let her sigh.

“What is it! That sigh-!”
“Kobold nests are usually underground. It’s their habit to dig tunnels. So that means they live underground in the mines.”

I pointed my finger at the bottom of the mineshaft. It seemed that kobolds were living in underground tunnels in this abandoned mine. It’s like coming up to the ground only to find prey.

Ally nodded her head as if I was right.
She was suddenly lying flat on the cave floor, touching her ear.

“Mr. Dream is right. The ground in the abandoned mine is very weak. I think it’s because the kobolds dug a tunnel. I think I can hear footsteps down here.”

The abandoned mine ground is weakening?
Are you shooting ultrasound down some level? I’m not sure how to be sure of that, but there’s nothing wrong with being careful anyway. It was the moment when I nodded and looked ahead again.

Curry!!
Curry!!
Curry!! Curry!!

From the other side of the tunnel, small creatures came pouring out like a tide. I shined my lantern and realized that they were kobolds.
The kobolds were running through the mines with their jaws cracking.

“Kobolds!”

A single monster that is weaker than a goblin. But the moment I saw the group of kobolds rushing at me, I drool. The number of kobolds swarming on the other side of the tunnel was unusual. Dozens of kobolds were advancing towards us.

“Everyone, prepare for battle.”

There was no space to hide in the straight-line tunnel. In order to break through that group of kobolds and catch the orcs, they had no choice but to break through by force.

“Yep!”
“Kill the kobold!”

Brute and Ally drew their weapons.
I unleashed the water whip from a position where I could protect Kate.
A whip of boiling water bubbling while holding it in your hand.

Kerr.

Before long, Brute and Allie collided with a group of kobolds. While the two of them were holding on, I swung a water whip through the empty gap.

“Haap-!!”

The kobolds that were rushing at the water whip swung horizontally were swept away.
A terrifying blow that made flesh explode just by brushing!
The kobolds who were swept away by the water whip instantly lost their breath.
It must have been that he couldn’t withstand the lacerations inflicted by the impact of the whip.

“Monma-sama!”

Because it was a huge number, there were those who broke through Brute and Ally’s siege. I quickly called out to Kate.

“Lantern! Spray light on them!”

Kate, who was holding the lantern, adjusted the angle of her light. Scattered light reached the heads of the kobolds. The kobolds closed their eyes and groaned in agony.

Keryaaaaak!!”

Eyes popping with a lantern!
Kobolds living in the dark underground have no choice but to be sensitive to light! I freely swung the water whip at the kobolds who stumbled blindly.

Three or four kobolds burst out every time the whip hit them! I smiled with joy as I watched the kobolds die in one blow.

‘I can see the results of my magic training!’

I could feel the strengthening of the water whip all over my body. Seeing the cool exploding kobolds made my head secrete adrenaline! In a state of intense excitement, I mercilessly slaughtered the kobolds.

After a long time passed, we managed to defeat the kobold horde. There was no room to step on because of the kobold corpses all over the floor.

“I’ll treat you, Mr. Dream!”
“Please.”

Kate looked at me in awe as she cast her healing spell. After all, I was the one who killed nearly half of the pouring kobolds. Due to the nature of the water whip sprayed over a wide area, the number of kills was bound to be high.

“This is the power of a wizard!”
“It’s thanks to the avant-garde that held up well in front.”
“Yeah, that’s right! The kobolds exploded in one shot.”

A bright light streamed from Kate’s hand and hit my wound. Although he waved the water whip frantically, he couldn’t completely block the kobold’s approach. My thigh was bitten by a few guys who broke through the check.

However, even though I was bitten by the kobold, I was slightly satisfied. At least I kept Kate safe behind me. Even pushing her kobold back with her body kept her aggro at her side.

“Thank you for watching over me.”
“I protected her because she was a nun. If she was just a party member, there was no soup.”
“Because I know? You don’t have to tell me?”

As the healing light reached, my bitten leg slowly healed. After healing me, Kate healed the other two party members. Allie, who had stepped up as her vanguard, looked tattered, of course. Because he would have caught the pouring kobolds from the front.

Brute, well, it seems to have held up well thanks to its sturdy leather.

“Heal is Hill!”
“Don’t move! The healing spell will be less effective.”
“Yes, Sister Sister.”

I took a break while Kate treated the party members. As the temperature goes down and the shape of the water whip is restored again. I was lost in thought as I looked at the shafts from which the kobolds had poured out.

‘Did they say that orcs live hidden in abandoned mines?’

The goal of the quest is to defeat the Orcs!
However, the abandoned mine was currently occupied by kobolds who had built a nest. Even if a group of kobolds poured out from the inside of the tunnel, it was the same.

Is it true that orcs really live in these dangerous abandoned mines?

‘One orc was already dead. So, aren’t the others dead too?’

He may have fled before being attacked.
However, according to the villagers who guided the way, vigilantes guarded the entrance to the abandoned mine from the top of the spire in Kuntilla Village. I heard that there is no sign of the orcs escaping.

There is a high probability that the orcs are still inside the abandoned mines.
With the kobolds pouring out of their nests.

Then?

“Haven’t all the orcs just run after them?”

There’s no way you can survive in this demon cave intact?