The [Valley of the Bull] was a dungeon imbued with a touch of malice and wickedness, almost as if it were a living creature itself.
Usually, when hunters entered a dungeon, they would gather together, led by a high-grade hunter. The hunter with the highest rank in the party often took on the role of the primary tank, leading the others, or the role of a dealer, overwhelming monsters with overwhelming strength and power before they could even threaten their comrades.
Of course, it’s much more common for hunters of the same rank to enter a dungeon together; however, in this case, each role in the party was crucial, and if even one member was missing, the balance would quickly be thrown off.
The [Valley of the Bull] dungeon had pierced through the ecology of these hunter parties.
If the strongest hunter left the party, the remaining humans would be easily defeated and become prey for the dungeon or the Minotaur. Even if that weren’t the case, if any member maintaining the balance were to disappear, the party’s equilibrium would collapse, making it easier for monsters to devour them as well.
But, if the [Valley of the Bull] dungeon could speak, it would surely regurgitate a few choice words at the current situation.
It was one thing for common civilians, but an invasion by nearly a thousand A-grade hunters organized like an army arriving via a Hunter Train would surely terrify the dungeon, activating a gimmick that caused the strongest party member to become detached from the group.
However, the thousand A-grade hunters remained the same. Only the tremendous energy belonging to one of the 21 S-grade hunters was torn away from the party.
From the hunters’ perspective, the sudden disappearance of S-grades would certainly feel like a fire had broken out at their feet; however, the [Valley of the Bull] wasn’t just a few dead bodies or a dungeon under threat—its very existence was now in danger.
“Geeeee-aaaaarrgh!!!”
Thud!
Anyway, at the moment the [Valley of the Bull] dungeon instinctively sensed the aura of its own doom, Shia was in a vertical drop from a height that was hard to even comprehend.
If things continued like this, her face would crash right into the ground.
Of course, with Shia’s physical condition, that wouldn’t be much of a problem, but having the Seongnyeo’s face impaled into the ground didn’t seem particularly pleasant, did it?
Bam!
Had Shia’s scream reached someone below, a small golden light flickered on the ground.
A familiar golden glow that had always surrounded Shia.
“Hehe, you still lose your composure when panicked, huh?”
Just as her golden hair danced around, the prince from a fairy tale appeared before Shia.
“Me, Menelapie?!”
Unlike Shia, who was plummeting due to the dungeon’s gimmick, it seemed that Menelapie had stable footing on the ground from the very beginning.
Menelapie smiled gently, firmly grasped Shia’s body, and twisted her slightly.
“First, let’s land.”
Menelapie leapt over the edge of the cliff with a grace that made it seem like she was stepping onto an invisible platform, landing flawlessly.
Even though she had fallen from quite a height, the moment Menelapie landed was as serene as a swan settling on a lake.
‘How come whenever I land, it’s always thud-thud-thud? Does Menelapie nullify her mass or something? Not a sound at all…’
“I-I didn’t stick my head out of the train this time!”
“Hehehe, I knew that. Didn’t I tell you someone was watching over you?”
Even Shia, who normally wouldn’t be ashamed of screaming while plummeting from the sky, felt a touch of embarrassment and began to justify herself upon meeting Menelapie.
Menelapie gently brushed the dust off Shia’s clothes before her golden eyes swept across their surroundings.
The view from the cliff was magnificent.
However, the immense valley, forests stretching beyond the horizon, and patches of wilderness were littered with traces of bones and blood. Despite the harsh environment, there were streams and edible fruits flourishing, seemingly blessed by nature.
‘Although the oxygen levels are high, it’s not lethal for regular folks. There’s no humidity, but the temperature is significantly warmer than outside… The slight vibrations suggest that a battle on a military scale is happening far away. If they maintain a defensive stance, the A-grade hunters won’t find themselves in danger anytime soon…’
In an instant, Menelapie’s golden eyes gathered various information about the dungeon.
‘Apart from us, a total of 21… No, 22 people have fallen. It’s hard to feel from this distance.’
To Menelapie, the [Valley of the Bull] lacked the dark visibility or twisted mana-filled atmosphere typical of Blood Swamps or Green Cities. It simply appeared like a great expanse of nature, remarkably similar to Earth, aside from the unusually massive trees and rocks.
‘In this case, the dungeon’s gimmicks or poison, let alone magical traps, are absent. This place emphasizes the raw strength of monsters.’
As defined, nature is fundamentally a world of survival of the fittest, a realm where primal instincts flourish.
Dungeons harboring excessive mana compared to Earth further amplify these traits, sprouting gigantic vegetation and insects along with diverse plant life.
The only unique gimmick of this dungeon might be the spatial transition that separated Shia and Menelapie.
If they were to detect average mana levels among the intruders, a gimmick sending mana holders or strong beings beyond that average to isolated spots would be deadly from the perspective of hunters. However, the dungeon’s malice amounted to no more than a mere removal of the strong.
‘It’s intriguing that a dungeon of nature could possess this level of malice and wickedness. Yet conversely, it signifies that there’s little else dangerous to contend with. If there were other gimmicks, they would have triggered long ago.’
Menelapie easily completed her analysis of the dungeon’s environment and gimmicks.
Having experienced countless dungeons and otherworldly realms in her previous life, she knew that a dungeon of this caliber wasn’t particularly challenging.
A natural dungeon.
Belonging to the ‘honest axis,’ devoid of malicious intent seeking to drag humans into hell, governed solely by strength and nature’s laws.
In different words…
‘Hehe, this must be a dungeon Shia would absolutely love.’
Nature may be intimidating to ordinary humans, but to Shia, it was a haven overflowing with prime meats, fresh greens, delicious water, and plenty of flora.
In essence, it meant…
Only Shia and Menelapie were currently present in this realm.
Menelapie’s lips curled upward slowly as she realized this.
‘It seems the Black Witch couldn’t join us due to her physical condition. Hehehe…’
Had the real Teresa been here, she surely would have perceived the dungeon’s mana structure in an instant, preventing any gimmick activation or absorbing the pulsing mana employed for them.
However, unfortunately, Teresa was in a considerably weakened state compared to her prime.
Even though she had become weaker, she still had the capacity to look after herself and others, ensuring that nothing unexpected happened to Yoonjeong, Shia’s mother. But at that moment, what mattered to Menelapie was that Teresa didn’t meet the dungeon’s criteria for strength, which was precisely why it was only her and Shia standing there.
“Wow, the view is amazing! But since it’s the Bull Dungeon, there must be some really tasty beef around, right?”
“Hehehe, it must be so.”
“You loved beef too, right? Good. I’m going to treat you to some delicious beef cutlet! Or should I say beef katsu? Hmmm…”
“Hohohohoho…”
“Menelapie? Why do you keep laughing?”
“Hmm? Just a misunderstanding.”
Yeah, just a misunderstanding.
Menelapie never…
Expected to monopolize Shia without Teresa for so long, only for Teresa to arrive unexpectedly soon, drastically shortening her anticipated time with Shia and stressing her out for no reason.
Moreover, Menelapie certainly wasn’t…
Fuming over Shia, who had been evasively dodging about since they last met.
How could a hero harbor such feelings for a Seongnyeo?
And so, dungeon invasions via Hunter Trains typically averaged about two weeks for short periods and could extend for over a month.
The Blood Swamp was oddly short, while the Green City invasion was questionable; however, this time, the [Valley of the Bull] was certainly a protracted exploration lasting at least two weeks.
Which means…
‘How pitiful and unfortunate it is that I must be with Shia for a minimum of two weeks. Alas, how truly unfortunate. If only Teresa had come along with us…’
With sincere regret, Menelapie involuntarily struggled to pull down the corners of her lips that were climbing higher.
Teresa wasn’t here.
Not even a hint of Shia’s mother, Yoonjeong, who was now resting comfortably under the protection of Yane, the Mermaid Princess, Kim Hana, and Elder Mandragora on the Hunter Train.
Monsters or strange beings were less affected by dungeon gimmicks; it was likely those tasked with guarding Yoonjeong hadn’t transitioned.
Earlier, when Menelapie analyzed the transition gimmick, only the S-grade hunters, including Shia and herself, had made the leap.
This meant Menelapie didn’t have to worry about Yoonjeong’s safety.
Solely.
At this moment, Menelapie could focus exclusively on the delightful thought of beef while watching Shia salivate beside her.
Perhaps sensing Menelapie’s gaze, Shia turned to her with the pure and innocent smile she always wore.
Oh wow, that’s so enticing.
This was getting problematic already.
“Hehe, slurp slurp. Menelapie, beef must taste amazing. I can’t wait…”
“Hehehe, indeed. It must be extremely delicious.”
“Right? You were looking forward to it too!”
“Of course. I am indeed looking forward. I shall eat it all by myself, sharing with no one.”
“Menelapie, you’re a hero, but so greedy!”
Hohohoho. Hohohohoho…
Menelapie licked her lips, flashing a light smile.
Yes, Shia.
It must be incredibly delicious.
Slurp.
“Ha-ha! Here we go!”
And at that moment, a familiar figure appeared before Shia.
Conversely, Menelapie heard the sound of a happy dream shattering.
Cuweet!
A massive rumble shattered the air.
Neither Shia nor Menelapie had any doubt about what that sound was.
“Hey, is there an airport nearby?”
“This sound is…”
It echoed like the engines of a jet, applying modern science and technology.
However, there couldn’t possibly be an airport nearby.
“Wahahah! You’re all here too!”
“………”
“Huh?!”
As the noise drew nearer, Menelapie’s lovely brows contorted in dismay, while Shia lit up with a bright smile, recognizing the figure.
“Seongnyeo Shia! Your wife has arrived!”
“Hello! Lilybet! And I’m not your husband, you know.”
“……….”
Elizaveta Lilybet Rose.
After experiencing the world through a doll’s body for so long and having survived as the heart of the Green City, the queen of the sewage arrived not weakened but boasting the same vitality as before, unfolding her steel wings gracefully before Shia.
“Wahahah! Menelapie the hero! So you’re here too! It’s wonderful to see you again!”
“Not excited at all, you filthy uncouth witch who just barged in.”
“What?”
“What?”
The strange sound seemed to pierce through their eardrums at high speed, leaving Shia and Lilybet with round, puzzled eyes.
They’d clearly heard something, but had no idea what Menelapie had said.
Meanwhile, Menelapie, with a mask-like countenance, formally welcomed Lilybet.
“It’s truly a delight, young queen. Is your condition well?”
“…Menelapie, what did you just say…”
“Did you mishear it, Shia? I didn’t say anything at all.”
“…U, uh-huh.”
Menelapie greeted Lilybet with a heartwarming smile similar to Shia’s.
