Chapter 73 – Sudden Change (Start)
Rumont was the last to come out of the prayer room. Hidden within his chest was the small Goddess icon he had taken from the prayer room.
In regards to the emitted power from the small Goddess icon, for whatever reason why some latent strength in his own body had been shocked, Rumont wasn’t quite sure of it all along.
The more he thought about it, the stranger it was. If it wasn’t that the surroundings had people at this time, Rumont really wanted to thereupon investigate the small Goddess icon; seeing what kind of origin it really had.
Originally, discovering the ruins of a Shrine in such a remote area of Briar Forest was already enough to make people feel that it was weird.
And beginning with the smiling Goddess engraving on that stone wall, as Rumont increasingly came into contact with the objects of this place, he had increasingly felt that this ruin had once in its former years, definitely experienced an extraordinary event.
Even if it was presently, the remnants of objects of that time still made him feel that it was unfathomable and left him feeling confused.
“Idol oh idol. What are you exactly? Do we have an improper relationship? Why is it the moment we meet you cause thunder striking infernos……” Rumont sighed innerly as he stepped out of the prayer room.
Because they did not find anything worth of value within the prayer room, after everyone had exited the prayer room, they had continued searching the outside underground room.
And along with the thorough inspection this time, a small almost imperceptible mechanism was finally found by a squadron member.
It was concealed under a stone tile with a 3-pointed star diagram. It’s discovery process was honestly really simple.
When a squad member was searching whether the wall had a mechanism, he had incidentally discovered that a tile on the ground by his foot, surprisingly had a concolourous 3-pointed star diagram.
Because of a few previous good cases, thus when this squad member had discovered this anomaly, he did not easily ignore it and instead had squatted down in front of it to inspect it seriously.
This inspection had led to him discovering, that apart from this one tile that had a diagram on it, the other nearby tiles were empty, with nothing on it.
Since this one was distinct from the others, then in that case, it was quite possible that this tile was containing some secret.
This certain member immediately extended his arm out in curiosity, placing his hand atop of it. Afterwards, he amazingly discovered that the position of the 3-pointed star, was surprisingly moveable.
This stone tile which looked like it was forming a watertight seal, unexpectedly had a moveable mechanism installed on it.
As a result, he promptly called to everyone. When everyone saw it, they also felt that place could quite possibly have a mechanism.
Because they didn’t know whether some other scenario would appear after activating the mechanism, everyone first discussed it over. Afterwards, they planned appropriate responses to some possible scenarios that could occur.
And soon after the discussion, everyone all agreed to activate this deceptive mechanism.
And so they only tried once. With the slow activation of the 3-pointed star, at a location not too far, the originally glossy stone wall, without the slightest flaw, had suddenly split in half in the middle. Afterwards, the stone wall opened up to either sides in a slow kaka way. The two stone wall pieces increasingly got wider as it separated. At the very end, it unexpectedly opened up the whole wall in its entirety.
And the revealed open space, when looking in, was surprisingly such a large hall that an eye’s glance couldn’t see to the edge of the large place.
“Let’s enter. Be careful everyone.” Howard took the lead like before. As he kept up his vigilance in watching the surroundings, he lead everyone to cross over the space that the stone wall revealed, heading towards the large hall.
As for Rumont, he was still at the very end of the squadron, similarly vigilant as he advanced while taking note of the surrounding situation. However, different to last time he surveyed the road conditions, Rumont went last this time was because he didn’t feel at ease at putting his back without any protections for the others to safeguard was all.
It was because during the fight with the blood-sucking bats, Rumont had again felt the enmity towards from Lancas. Thus, seeing that the current situation was mainly the other squadron’s members, he had really needed to raise his caution up extremely; to respond to any possible dangers.
In regards to his self act of going at the very back, Howard was expressing understanding towards it. He had once during the last adventure, seen Rumont’s acting bravery. Thus, Rumont’s current actions, as he saw it was a type of rational behaviour. Moreover, strictly speaking, Rumont wasn’t considered an official member of the squad. Of him and Fafnir, one was for the drafting of a map, the other one was for the tempering for increasing his battle skills. In regards to the pair, Howard never had a high demand of them. During battle, during times when the others could cope with it, he wouldn’t let them go battle out of his own initiative. So much that he would even during the times Rumont was treating team members, supply him with protection.
Yet looking at it from the few members of Lancas’ squad, he was always at the back of everyone, appearing to be an excessively cowardly youth. Apart from the long leather bag that was regarded as alright and being allegedly adept at some passable healing techniques, he practically didn’t have a good point. When each one of them thought about how this person was surprisingly being compared on equal footing by the people in the small town to their own Commander, the Lancas squadron members felt it was incomprehensible.
However, regardless of how they disliked Rumont, and how Rumont disliked themselves, at this very moment, they were all teammates. Thus, after entering the large hallway, while they walked ahead, the distance between the 9 people was also gradually shortening; for the purpose of responding to all various kinds of sudden arising circumstances.
This large hall was practically big enough to accommodate 3 soccer fields. After advancing pass the initial road, Rumont and the others had soon discovered on the ground, the skeletons of humans as well some scattered objects.
Because the very initial section of the road path was quite uneven, thus they had not at all discovered the traces. Proceeding with advancing forward, the ground began to level out, and some tracks left by some bugbears were beginning to appear on the road.
In the wake of everyone advancing deeper into the grand hall, when the first bugbear was lazily shown at a corner and was then killed by everyone in a flash, another battle had finally began.
Quite evidently, after this large hall was abandoned, it had become a lair for the bugbears. Even though they saw the appearances of humans, quite a few bugbears had darted out from all kinds of corners of the large hall.
However, their fighting strength was quite far from the bugbears that had sneakily appeared attacking the Adventurer squadron in the stone chamber. Thus, although the number of bugbears at this lair was not few, they had difficulties in resisting the attacks of the 9 people.
The strength of the 9 people, in comparison with the strength of the bugbears, were unconditionally stronger by far. It was also because of this that although in practice, the numbers of Rumont and company was comparatively lesser than the bugbears, in terms of power, the attacks of Rumont and the others towards the bugbears were already enough to encircle and suppress.
Each of the 9 controlled all 4 directions, preventing any escapees from fleeing the net1.
Due to the battle being comparatively more relaxed than what the 9 had anticipated, thus during the process of surrounding the bugbears, the initial nervous kind of mood that the humans had, had gradually disappeared.
“They want to flee, don’t let them run!” at this time, one of the members had suddenly yelled out loudly. Afterwards, he lead the charge towards a corner of the grand hall, chasing after the fleeing bugbears.
Controlling another corner, was Scarlet Mary from Lancas’ squad. Her battle skills weren’t bad. While taking part of the battle with the bugbears, she did it skillfully and easily.
But even if it was like this, when she then lifted her head, she then suddenly discovered that all the surviving bugbears that was currently on site, were facing her, and when they then pounced towards her, she couldn’t help but shriek out, running off to the side.
And when she left this position, it was already enough for the bugbears to escape out.
Already discovering the lair of the bugbears and as well as soon to be completely surrounding by them, but against all expectations at this time, there was those that escaped the net.
Under such a circumstance, Howard and the others naturally wouldn’t be satisfied. As a result, with Howard leading everyone, they had immediately lifted their weapons, bellowed in rage and chased after the bugbears.
However, perhaps his current condition was especially sensitive, or perhaps it was a sensing of danger unique to a Druid, it was precisely when Rumont was following everyone in chasing together, when suddenly, a type of unrest blossomed inside of him.
“Commander Howard, stop for a moment.” he promptly yelled.
But, it was too late. At this very moment, the bugbears had already ran to the most southern point of the grand hall.
At the most southern location, there seems to have been some contraption. There was a bugbear using its arm to pull away a stone tile on the floor. Afterwards, a light beam was immediately shot out of the stone wall on the side, going horizontally against the humans that was chasing them.
Quite evidently, this kind of light beam could only be seen by the activator and spell casters. It was after Rumont had yelled his words, that he then also saw the light beam.
As for the other people, they didn’t seem to have seen it at all and continuing to dash towards the light beam.
Or perhaps, they had heard Rumont’s yell and also seen the beam of light. But at this very moment, their bodies were out of their control, already unable to resist.
Howard dashed at the very forefront, and was naturally the first person to come into contact with the light beam. In the instant his body came into contact with the light beam, the light beam had violently burst out with a thousand times greater light radiance.
At the same time the blinding radiance lighted, a good few figures within Rumont’s line of sight had then flown over from the front. Afterwards, each one of them was heavily thrown onto the ground.
As for the incomparably imposing power, after the radiance had receded a bit, it was still remaining for a long time without dispersing.
After a good while, Rumont’s eyesight was recovered. From being unable to see anything, to slowly seeing the scenery in front of him clearly.
And the scenery that appeared in front of Rumont’s eyes, indeed made him shocked for a period.
He saw the bugbears that were just running away. At this very moment, their bodies were already incinerated.
However, looking at the situation where the last of them had just ran over to activate the contraption, they perhaps knew that while this kind of contraption would harm their enemies, at the same time it would also allow themselves to receive an even greater harm.
But the valiant and ferocious creatures that the bugbears were, once they understood that they were going to die, they had gone as far as to select the option of suiciding with their enemies. It was probable that being able to heavily injure their enemies, was as they saw it, a victory in disguise.
Just when Rumont was in a daze, when suddenly, a few groaning voices had sounded by his side.
After hearing the painful groans by his side, he recovered his mind: “really, losing my thoughts like that. Saving lives is more important.”
1. [漏網之魚]↩
Bo~ 
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