Under the orders of the guild's council, Ricus sent a letter over to the lord of Edevin. Detailed with explanations of what they are faced with, and the countermeasures they had arrived at in taking it down.
The city lord after going through the layouts of the plan submitted by Ricus, saw it good enough to go along with. He released to Ricus five thousand of his troops to follow him into the Dungeon, while the rest stay in the city to continue maintaining its order.
Despite his greedy acts of wanting to hoard everything for himself, he knew that if he did not take appropriate measures, there would be nothing left for him to hoard.
The five thousand city guards directly under the captain of the guards appointed by the city lord, joined with the fifty adventurers led by Ricus, they made their way to the Dungeon Shakir had talked about.
Laid out under the canopy of the bloodied sky, are the five thousand troops spread across the open area with the Dungeon in front of them. The troops were all dressed in matching green clothing with Grey chest plate, some of them were holding and waving around a green flag with Edevin's insignia on it.
"why are we still here and not inside the Dungeon already".
The captain of the guards named Jack, cladded in full body armor and a sword on his waist, barged himself into the midst of adventurers with Ricus at the center.
"we are coming up with strategies before we head on inside".
Ricus answered proudly with his arms folded.
"i didn't know adventurers need a strategy to deal with some barbaric monsters".
"now you do. And do I have to remind you that we are not dealing with an ordinary monster?. What we are dealing with, is a monster capable of granting power to an E rank adventurer, taking them to heights greater than what they have".
"i am warning you Jack, let your guard down for even a minute, and you will end up dead".
"i don't need you telling me to be careful. Just get right to whatever schemes you are making up and get on with killing the monster".
Done with conveying his words, Jack exited from the midst of adventurers cladded in differing attires and their weapons closed to them.
"what's his deal".
One of the adventurers near Ricus spoke up only after Jack had walked to a distance where he couldn't hear their voice.
"don't let him get to any of you. He is just pissed off that the lord handed over to me exercising right authority for the expenditure of the monster extermination and not him. He believes whatever accomplishments made today will automatically become mine and not his".
The feud between the nobles and adventurers does not limit itself to just their circle. It extends all the way to the adventurers being hated mostly by all personnels under the nobles.
The current expenditure is a prime example of why there is disputes amongst the adventurers and noble personals.
The glory that comes with leading a successful expenditure goes to whoever is in charge of said expenditure. Same applies for who gets to take the fall for a failed expenditure.
For Ricus approved by the guild to lead the expenditure with the help of the city Lord's troops led by Jack. He has been given a legal entitlement to own up to the after effect achievement of the expenditure, and that made Jack jealous and filled with hatred towards Ricus.
In a case like this, one should normally be fearful of being put in the position of a leader, with the advantage being just as great as the disadvantages. But Jack isn't fearful, nor did it ever occur to him that they were going to lose.
Leading a five thousand troops is a number that hadn't been revitalized for clearing a Dungeon ever since the formation of the city, there is no way they won't win with such a number as their leading force. Jack knew that, and it made him even more furious.
The city lord was no different from Jack. Giving the adventurers guild a glory of this magnitude is sure to come back to bite him where he least expect it to, but he also has no choice as the adventurers guild are the experts in monster extermination.
If he wants to keep his city under control and in running for more money to fill his pocket, he has to put aside his pride and do what needs to be done.
"are you done with making your foolish plans".
Jack said with a sarcastic remark at Ricus who is making his way towards him.
"yes we are, and I am here to share the details of the plan with you".
Ricus replied him while making an expression that shows how unaffected he is by Jack's sarcasm.
"what is the plan".
With plain disgust and annoyance written on his face, Jack reluctantly asked Ricus for the details.
"i will go in to scout the surroundings with six B ranks and ten C ranks. If we don't make it out in twenty, send in another group of scouts to find out what is going on. And if the second group also does not make it, set up a barricade at the Dungeon entrance and make sure nothing gets in or out of it".
"why should we have to do that. Splitting our manpower for the sake of scouring isn't going to help us much in my opinion".
"no. It's crucial for there to be a scout team. With the phenomenal occurrence happening, the Dungeon itself is bound to be affected by it. Going in without knowing in what form it has been affected is like voluntarily leading ourselves to a slaughter den. Hence the need for there to be a scout".
"we will go in, scout the terrain of the first floor, and if we see no disturbances, we will give the signal for you to come in. That's how we will keep on going till we get to where the monster's den is".
"this is foolish. If it as you say and we do set up a barricade, how does that help in solving the tragedy that has befallen the city. The initial plan is to storm in, kill the monster, and set the city free. But how are we going to do that if we don't go in".
ƥαṇdα-ηθνε|·ƈθm "captain...."
With his face frowned up, his eyebrows curved to the edges and his nose slightly lifted up, Ricus called out to Jack.
"why do you think I am placing myself amongst the first group of scout when I should be outside the Dungeon and leading the expedition".
Jack had no reasonably response to Ricus's question. Surely, as the one in charge of this expedition, the appropriate cause of action for Ricus to take is to stand guard at the entrance while dishing out orders.
He is not expected nor obligated to walk into the Dungeon with a group of scouts when he is more needed outside of the dungeon.
Jack could not make sense of Ricus's plans or purpose for wanting to go into the Dungeon with the scouts, and so he kept his mouth shut.
"there is only one reason why the one in charge would volunteer himself to going into a dangerous zone for scouting purposes. It is because in here, I am the strongest".
Ricus said, pointing his pinky finger at himself with his chest popped out proudly.
"if I were to let some third rate soldiers go into the Dungeon alone, how will I estimate the dangers lying within if they do not make it out in time?. But, if I were to go in with a group, and being the strongest here I did not make it back, that should give you a clue as to how dangerous the Dungeon currently is".
"in this case, that is why I said to send two group of scouts before setting up the barricade. If the two scout group do not make it back, the barricade is your way to buying time for the reinforcements the guild's council will be sending. Among them will be those stronger than me, and they will lead you inside the Dungeon".
"do you get it now, captain..."
With a smug expression on his face, with his imagination towering above Jack while unleashing on him his Aura to intimidate him, looking down on him with eyes filled with gallant arrogance.
Jack was rendered speechless, with no excuses to retort to Ricus reasoning. His silence meant he had accepted his plan and is willing to go through with it.
"if you get it, then wait for my return, and if I don't return, you know what to do".
Ricus left Jack alone and made his way to the Dungeon entrance with four other adventurers behind him.
"okay folks....., I presume you all are ready to trash the Dungeon with your lives on the line".
"master Ricus, you need not ask us twice".
Ricus smugged with his battle axe rested on his shoulders.
"my dear warriors, let's show this son of a bitch of a monster the validation of an adventurer, and what happens to any who messes with us on our turf".
The five of them took their steps, heading for the Dungeon.
"!!!!!!"
They hadn't gone very far from the troops when they simultaneously stopped moving.
It's not that they voluntarily stopped their movements because they wanted to, the only reason they stopped was because their legs suddenly became too heavy to move.
They felt themselves being buried in mud, with their hands struggling to reach the sky so they could get themselves out.
"wh...what".
Ricus stammered, asking himself how he got from being in an open area of a Dungeon to being in a dark gloomy space and dragged down by a mud.
He fixed his gaze on his hands and bit it with his teeth. He wanted to know if he was caught in someone else's illusion.
"this..."
He was surprised to see the place he had bitten bleeding out blood, assuring him that he wasn't in any illusion. If he wasn't in an illusion, then where?...., where is he?, and how did he get here?. He thought.
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