Reverse Dungeon

["an!We'recoming!Justholdonalittlelonger!"]

Moiken'sboomingvoiceburstfromtheelemental'sthroat.anfeltlikehiseardrumswereabouttorupture.

"o.Don'tcome."

["hisisn'tthetimeforpride!We'reallexhaustedfromtheaftermathofbattle,butthat'snothingcomparedtowhatyou'vebeenthroughfightingdemonsdirectly.Don'tworry.lfRangersdonotbetraytheircomrades."]

heelementalthumpeditschestwithafist,mimickingitscontractor.

"Don'tcome."

["You'restillworriedaboutyourpride—!"]

Doesthisidiotnotlisten?

anwonderedwhythatelfbotheredcarryingaroundsuchlargeears.

"Yoursideisbeingattackedtoo."

["What?!"]

"hemamoolheadingforthedungeonaren'tallofthem.etreadytodefendyourownvillage."

anreachedouttobrushtheelementalaside.wistingitsbody,theelementaldodgedhishand.

["W-Wait."]

"What?"

["A-Anyinstructions?ike...howwe'resupposedtohandleit?"]

...uh?

Whywasthesameidiotwhohadignoredordersandcausedheadachesduringthelastbattlesuddenlyactingsoobedient?

itherway,thiswasnotthetimetodealwithMoiken.

"Figureitoutyourselves."

["What?!"]

anshooedtheelementalawayasifchasingoffafly.Unpreparedforsuchtreatment,theelementalstaredathimwithbetrayedeyesbeforeshootingoffintothedistance.

heyneedtoexperienceacrisisthemselves.

Peopleonlylearnedhowbittertheworldwasafterleavinghomeandsufferingalittle.henthey'dstartlisteningtoanproperly.eneededtoraisethealliance'strustlevelsabitmore,especiallytheelves'.

"Areyousureaboutsendingthemaway?Willtheybeabletoholdout?"

ood-naturedContaccaasked.

nsteadofanswering,antoreoffapieceofpaperandquicklyscribbledsomethingdown.henhehandedthenotetoJenea.

"ivethistoMoiken.ellhimtoreaditifthingsbecomedangerous."

"Mayaskwhatiswrittenonit?"

Jeneaasked.

"Asolution."

"Asexpectedofthewiseruler,ordan.YouimmediatelysawthroughMoiken'stendencytoactwithoutaplan."

"hat'sjusthowam."

WhatdoesunderstandingMoiken'spersonalityhavetodowithmyreputationasawiseruler?

angenuinelywondered.

Regardless,Jenea'selementaldepartedcarryingthenote.

Withthat,anhadpersonallyblockedthealliancethatcouldhaveprovidedhelpthefastest.

heywouldhavetostopthefirstwaveusingonlytheforcesgatheredhere.

Wecandoit. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Accordingtothereports,onlytwokindsofmamoolwereparticipatinginthefirstwave.Creaturesthattraveledacrossthegroundandcreaturesthatflewthroughthesky.

anhadtoldameitathatwhetheritwasinsomniaornot,peoplesleptjustfineonceexhaustionfinallycaughtupwiththem.venso,throwingtroopssufferingfromfatiguedebuffsintobattlewasinefficient.

heirstrengthwaslacking.

heirnumberofcombat-capablepersonnelwaslowerthanithadbeenatanypointinrecentmemory.

Sohowdidonestopahordeofmamoolwithonlyasmallforce?

itthemwithenvironmentaldebuffs.

ftheflierswerethrownsomewheretheycouldn'tfly,andthegroundbeastsweredrownedsomewheretheycouldn'trun,wouldn'tthatsolvetheproblem?

Fortunately,thedungeoncontainedspacesperfectlysuitedforbothconditions.

"Contacca.You'lllurethefour-leggedbeasts."

"Whereshouldleadthem?"

"helake."

anturnedtoouise.

"Youtakethewingedones.Youknowwheretobringthem,right?"

"Yes.hetrapzone?"

"Youcatchonfast."

anruffledouise'shairandlightlytappedthedesk.

"Whileouisebuysustime,we'llhuntdownthegroundbeastsfirst.heycameallthiswaylookingforagloriousdeath.heleastwecandoisdrowneverylastoneofthem."

Asforthatelfmerchantwhowoulddefinitelybeuseful,whoknewwherethebastardhadhiddenhimselfagain?

ehadrunawayduringthelastbattleaswell.Sincerecruitmenthadfailed,itseemedancouldn'tmakeuseofhimaspartofthedungeon'sdefensiveforces.

Still,thedungeonlord'sdecisiveattitudefilledhisfollowerswithunwaveringconfidence.

herewasnowaythepathchosenbytheirlordcouldbewrong.

hepeoplegatheredaroundthestrategymapgraduallybeganwearingexpressionssimilartoan'sown.

heywouldstopthemamool.

heillageofBetrayershaddescendedintochaos.

"nough,enough!Stoparguingandgetreadytorun!Justpacktheessentials!Doyouthinkwehavetimetowaste?"

"ButillageChief,wherearewesupposedtogoifweabandonthevillage?"

"Whendidweeverbecomepeoplewhosettleddownandlivedinoneplace?We'rewanderers!Wanderersbynature!Wecanputdownrootsnowhere,andwecanputdownrootsanywhere!Whereverwestaybecomesourhomeland!"

"hatwastrueinyourgeneration.obodywouldtakeusin,soyouhadtotellyourselvesthat.Butwefinallysettleddown,didn'twe?hisplaceisourhome.Andnowyou'retellingustoabandonit..."

"henwhat?Sithereanddie?"

"heproblemisthatyouaren'tevenconsideringfighting!"

"Fightahordeofmamool?"

heillageChiefyankedathisgrayingbeard.

heelderswhohadlivedthroughthoseyearsweresupposedtoberetiringfromactiveaffairsbynow.ehadplannedtocultivatepromisingyoungmenandentrustthevillage'sfuturetothem.

nstead,thosefoolswerespoutingnonsenselikethis.

rowlingattheillageChiefhimself?

"Youdon'tknowhowterrifyingtheyare!oneofyouhaveeverexperiencedwar—!"

"noughwiththewarstories.Youneverfoughtinthewaryourself,illageChief."

Someonemutteredunderhisbreath.

heillageChief'seyeswidened.

"Whosaidthat?!Whichoneofyousaidknownothingaboutwar?!"

"didn'tsaythat.saidyouneverfoughtinit."

"Backthen,survivingwaswar!Whatwedidwaswar!"

"t'sthesamenow.Youkeepsayingwedon'tunderstandmamool,butwe'renotchildren.We'velivedalongsidemamoolsincewewerebabies."

"ftheoldergenerationhadn'tstartedawarinthefirstplace,maybewe'dhavegrownupasignorantyoungsterswhodidn'tunderstandhowterrifyingwarwas."

"Y-Youlittle...!"

heillageChiefclutchedthebackofhisneck.Bloodvesselsbulgedinhiseyesfromthestrain.

"Weweren'ttheoneswhoopenedthegate!twashim!hatformerillageChief!hatbastardwhoalwaysactedsosuperiorbetrayedusall—"

"Right.fcourse.You'veneverdoneanythingwrong,illageChief."

"Weallknowthat."

"Knowwhat?Youlittlebrats...!sthismyfault?sitmyfaultthatthedemonstrampledus?hesonofthatformerillageChiefisstillaliveandbreathing,isn'the?!"

"Speakingofthat,doyouthinkit'strue?"

heyoungcaptainoftheguardfurrowedhisthickeyebrows.

heillageChiefimmediatelyunderstoodwhathemeant.

hetyrant'srecentproclamation.

heonedeclaringthattheClanofBetrayershadcommittednocrime.

"onsense!"

heillageChiefdeclared.

"Canyoureallysaythat?e'sstillourlord."

"urlord?Sincewhen?Wearenobody'ssubjects."

heillageChiefsnorted.

"Frederick...no,thatcriminalwasframed?ouiseisn'tthesonofatraitor?Soundslikehetook°•𝑜v𝑒light•°alikingtotheboy.heladhasadecentface,doesn'the?otmuchcharmtohim,butstill.hearthattyrantloseshismindwheneverheseesaprettyone."

"Forgetcharm.ouise'spersonalityissostiffcan'timaginehimdoingsomethinglikethat."

"noughuselesschatter!Packyourthings!"

heillageChiefslammedhiscaneagainsttheground.

"'mserious.Weshouldrequesttroopsfromhim.Whateverhappened,heclearlyvaluesouise.Whetherhe'safavoredattendantorasubordinate,wouldhereallyignorethefactthatouise'shometownisindanger?"

"hisisexactlywhat'swrongwithyoungpeople."

heillageChiefclickedhistongue.

"Doyoureallythinkouisewouldkneelbeforethattyrantandbeg,'Pleasesendsoldierstosaveus'?"

"Consideringtheydidn'tbeatthesonofatraitortodeathandevenraisedhim,that'salreadyablessingfromtheheavens."

"fhehasanyconscience,heshouldcomerepaythatdebt."

heyoungerleadersmutteredamongthemselves.

hecaptainoftheguard,however,lookeduncomfortable.

heimageofahungrychildappearedbeforehiseyes.

Aboywhohadalwayskepthisheaddowninsilencedespitethecursesandbeatings.

Buthehimselfhaddonenothingtosavethatchild.

Justlikeeveryoneelse.

isownfamily,hiswife,hischildren,hadbeenmoreimportant.

Andwheneverpityforouisesurfaced,angersoonfollowedatthethoughtthattheboy'sparentshadhelpedbringthisterribleworldintoexistence.

"nough.urryup!Beforewedon'tevenhavetimetorun!"

Peoplewholivedlonglivesaccumulatedwisdomtomatch.

heillageChiefknewthetruth.

venbeforetheworldhadchanged,theyhadbeenrejected.

obodyhelpedtheClanofBetrayers.

o.

heWandererClan.

ccasionally,aterritorywouldallowthemtostay.

Buttheresidentswouldsmilewarmlywhilepushingthemtowarddeathwithoutatraceofguilt.

nexchangefortemporaryshelterthroughthewinter,theywouldbesenttohuntsavagebeasts.

heillageChiefgroundhisteeth.

Fightthemamool?

oprotectwhat?

Peoplewhowouldn'tevenspareusaplaceintheirgraveyardsafterwedied?

erefused.

heywouldrun.

Whileyrantanheldbackthemamool,theywouldfleefaraway.

Andsurvive.

hatwashowhehadalwayslived.

UnlikeformerillageChiefFrederick,whohadfoolishlydreamedofbeingacceptedsomewhere.

heillageChiefhadsurvivedthroughhisownstrength.

"hat'sright.urry!"

"Wehavetoprotectthechildren.sn'tlifethemostimportantthing?"

venthehesitantyoungmenreluctantlynoddedastheothereldersurgedthemon.

Buttheywerealreadytoolate.

"Aaaahhh!"

"liza!"

earinghisgranddaughter'sscream,theillageChief'svisionwentwhite.

esprintedforward.

Whathesawwasahouse-sizedmamoollungingathisgranddaughter.

"o!"

hwack!hwack!hwack!

nthenextinstant,dozensofarrowsturnedthemamoolintoapincushion.

Boom!

Behindthecollapsingbeaststoodatallyoungman.

heillageChiefknewhim.

Withoutquestion,heknewhim.

Andyetsomehowhefeltunfamiliar.

hatboy...

heillageChiefrubbedhiseyes.

Ashisblurredvisioncleared,theyoungman'sfacecameintofocus.

heboywholeaptdownfromawolf'sbackwasunmistakablyouise.

heoutcasthadreturnedtosavethevillage.

eadingdozensofsoldierswithbowsslungacrosstheirbacks.