Chapter 97

One afternoon.

Two adventurers were pushing through the forest, making their way through the underbrush without a path.

The bearded man in armor leading the way cut through the bushes with his sword and said,

"Is it really there?"

"Well, we're here to find out, aren't we?"

The young man in a robe, who was following behind, replied nonchalantly.

The bearded man grimaced as he pushed through the bushes.

"I can't believe there's a dungeon entrance where poison is leaking out."

"Especially with a deadly poison. The monsters themselves might be dead... maybe the evolved ones can survive."

"Isn't it a bit much to say the Poison Rat King appeared?"

"True, it could just be one, but it could also be an S-rank dungeon."

"I've never seen an S-rank, so I'd like to see one."

The bearded man grinned.

The young man behind him shook his head in exasperation.

"I don't want to. I'd probably die instantly just from looking at an S-rank poison monster."

"Like a Hydra or Medusa. I've only read about them in novels."

"Really? I'm surprised you read books."

"Reincarnation of the Demon Race is pretty interesting? It's surprisingly detailed about monsters and is quite educational."

"Novels are fiction. They mix in lies, so why believe them?"

The young man was basically right.

Novels mix in lies to make them interesting.

However, the author of Reincarnation of the Demon Race was the Demon King.

So the descriptions of monsters and demons were accurate, even in parts unknown to humans.

To the Demon King, it was just common knowledge...

The man grinned and continued,

"Well, the best part of Reincarnation of the Demon Race is the harem with all the races—... What the—!"

"What—What is this!?"

The man and the young man stood there, eyes wide open.

In front of them was a massive hole, illuminated by the bright sunlight.

The hole, about 300 meters in diameter, was deep, as if the ground had been gouged out.

Looking down, they saw debris piled up at the bottom.

A faint green and purple mist was drifting around.

"Hey, what's going on here...?"

"Maybe the dungeon that was here collapsed?"

"Collapsed... Did someone clear it? It must be at least 40 floors deep."

"No, if you subtract the debris, it's probably even deeper. Maybe 60 floors..."

"That's as deep as an S-rank dungeon... Only a guild master could do this."

"Only a hero's party could clear it... I wonder who did it."

The man stared in shock.

The young man, who had leaned over the edge, took a step back, noticing something.

"Wow... That poison mist is dangerous. Just touching it would cause your skin to rot and kill you."

"That bad... Let's mark this location on the map and head back! We need to report to the guild."

"Got it."

The young man quickly took out a map, marked it, and started walking, covering his mouth with a handkerchief.

The man, now covering his mouth with his hand, overtook the young man.

Then, the two hurriedly retraced their steps.

Later, the mages sent by the Adventurer's Guild and the Royal Court analyzed the poison mist.

It was identified as a highly potent poison enhanced by evil energy.

Since it was impossible to treat with regular antidote herbs or cure potions, the area was sealed off.

It was unlikely that the dungeon had collapsed on its own.

—With no hero around, people wondered who could have achieved such a feat.

◇ ◇ ◇

In the dead of night in the capital,

a bar was located at the end of a back alley, a few streets away from the main road.

The inside of the bar was dimly lit like a cave, and the customers and staff were all rough-looking men.

In the back of the bar, a scruffy man with an eye patch slammed his glass on the table.

"What? They were caught!?"

"Y-Yes, Mr. Gadwin. Puchi Eri got the royal seal, and the two people we entrusted the job to were caught for forgery and other crimes."

A short, balding man bowed deeply as he reported.

Gadwin, the eye-patched man, cursed and drank his alcohol.

"Damn it. Is there no one in my gang who can produce results!?"

"That's a bit much. They're just a bunch of thugs."

"Keep harassing them! Tomorrow, go to the store first thing in the morning and cause trouble, but don't get caught."

"Understood."

The short man left the scene, trembling.

Once alone, Gadwin spat loudly.

"Damn, if I could pull this off, I'd get power from the evil god... What's taking that useless ex-hero and his slave girl so long? I need to turn this around or I'm done for! Damn it!"

Gadwin drank his glass of alcohol in one go and poured himself another.

He was a criminal who had taken on the dirty work for Lord Thomson and lived lavishly.

He had expanded his influence in the capital with his subordinates.

But now, without Lord Thomson's backing, he was back to being a petty criminal.

He had to abandon his hideout to avoid the investigation and could only rant in a seedy bar.

Gadwin's only hope was the evil god.

He was told that if he could ruin Puchi Eri's reputation and have Alec and Liricia persecuted, he would be given the same power he had given to Thomson.

Gadwin's eyes glinted with drunkenness, and he clenched his teeth.

"I'm not some street kid who had to beg to survive anymore... I'm a big man now. I'll seize this opportunity and make my organization the best in the capital! —If it's poison... If someone who drinks it dies, Puchi Eri's reputation will plummet. I have no choice but to do it!"

Gadwin stood up forcefully and stormed out of the bar, his shoulders tense.

A thin, unkempt man with a presence so weak that no one noticed him followed behind.

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Next chapter: Counterattack! Updated tomorrow

→ 98. Thug Elimination