"The Cave" was the codename Charlwind gave to this place. He named it based on the structure of the Gate Dungeon, which consisted of sandy caverns shaped like giant termite mounds. While it was a subterranean labyrinth, it didn't possess the deep, multi-layered pitfalls of The Nest, and at first glance, the layout seemed relatively simple.
However, the stench—a thick, acrid odor of bat guano—was formidable.
Professor Charlwind, the Gate Dungeon expert, was a middle-aged man with messy, light-blue hair that looked as if it hadn't seen a comb in days. His eyes were so narrow they made him appear to be perpetually smiling behind his round, wire-rimmed glasses. Dressed in a heavy overcoat, he looked more like a classic detective than a warrior.
In reality, he was a senior researcher at the Hunter Research Institute and a professor at the Hunter Academy. Drake, one of the Golden Chairs, had personally assigned him here to gather data.
Charlwind caught Rosaline's eye and offered a small smile after the earlier scuffle with Malloch. He already knew her as The Hermit. In fact, Rosaline had once been under his command, tasked with gathering rare dungeon materials—her final job before being assigned to teach the "Beethovens."
"Are you doing well, H— I mean, Grey Hood?" Charlwind asked, falling back to the rear of the line to speak with her privately.
"I am, Professor Charlwind," Rosaline replied softly.
"I didn't know you had a thing for fox masks," he teased, speaking with the familiarity of a former boss and colleague.
Rosaline gave a wry smile. "I was just out for some fun today."
If Commander Drake hadn't requested her to guard the Professor, and if they weren't close acquaintances, she would have turned down the mission without a second thought. But Charlwind was here to analyze the Gate, and that was a mission she respected.
"I'm still waiting for your report on The Bloom. For now, I'll be counting on you for protection." Charlwind nodded slightly and fell silent. He knew Rosaline hated revealing her true status unless absolutely necessary; as a researcher who worked with many people, he understood that a famous title could often be a hindrance.
"In a sand cave like this, the risk of a collapse is high," Amalin remarked. The woman, dressed in cream-colored work overalls, clicked on her helmet's flashlight to inspect the walls. The cavern sides were riddled with tiny pores and coated in a reddish-brown substance. "This secretion acts as a binding agent, making the sand stronger than a typical cave. Still... we must avoid intense combat that could compromise the primary structure."
"Exactly as Ms. Amalin says," Charlwind added, holding up three fingers. "There are three primary ways to close a Gate Dungeon. I only hope we don't have to resort to manual demolition."
Rosaline exhaled quietly, recalling the research she had assisted with and the lessons from her own Hunter training. Despite their unpredictable nature, Gate Dungeons were technically the least dangerous of all types, provided you knew how to trigger the closure.
"Theory one," Charlwind explained as they ventured deeper. "A Gate is maintained by a 'Key De-von.' Though they aren't as powerful as true Bosses, they are formidable, and there can be anywhere from one to four of them."
"Theory two," a veteran Hunter added confidently, "is destroying the dungeon's stability by finding the 'Gateway' at the deepest point. I've brought the stabilization-disruptor for just that purpose."
"And the third way?" Eugene, the university student, asked when the Professor paused.
"...The Dungeon presents us with a riddle," Charlwind said, wiggling his fingers. "But we rarely see that in Gates; it's more common in Labyrinths. Since Gates are smaller, it's almost always a Gateway or a Key De-von."
"In the end, we just have to kill things," Malloch grunted, clicking his tongue. "I don't care about the method as long as I get my artifacts."
Alka, the man in the black cloak, remained silent and indifferent. The low-rank Hunters exchanged nervous glances, but Eugene, the Rank F student, stepped forward eagerly toward Charlwind.
"My name is Eugene, sir. I'm a new student at the Hunter Academy. I've admired your work for a long time; I'd love to learn from you."
"Professor," Rosaline called out softly. At that exact moment, the group ahead—Amalin, Malloch, and Alka—all skidded to a halt.
A set of blades slid out from Charlwind's palms. He handed one to Eugene and kept the other for himself. "Get ready."
The team drew their weapons. Amalin summoned a heavy pickaxe and cast [Skill: Endurance & Guard] on everyone. Malloch gripped a massive war hammer as his Artifact Armor materialized around him. Alka raised a staff, a sphere of swirling water forming in his other hand.
"Sharpness," Rosaline whispered.
Instantly, the Professor's conjured blades grew keener. The same effect took hold of Amalin's pickaxe and the combat knives held by the low-rank Hunters.
A sound echoed from the darkness behind them—a familiar, frantic flapping. A swarm of De-vons surged toward them, emitting high-frequency sonar waves.
[Desert Bat: Bat Sand - Lv. 50]
The team opened fire. The low-rank Hunters used their guns immediately, with Eugene providing cover fire for the Professor.
"Take them down!" Amalin swung her pickaxe, coated in a glow that sent a wave of fire forward, incinerating the lead bats. Alka launched high-pressure water bullets with deadly precision.
'This isn't right...' Rosaline's instincts flared. She felt a sudden surge of killing intent originating from the rear.
A bat with glowing crimson eyes lunged toward Charlwind's throat.
"Get down!" Rosaline shoved Charlwind toward Eugene. She intercepted the creature with her combat knife, parrying it upward to divert its trajectory.
CRACK!!!
Rosaline's knife shattered into fragments. Her eyes widened.
Eugene caught the Professor just in time and fired his pistol at the red-eyed bat.
Bang! Bang!
"I missed it!" Eugene shouted, helping Charlwind back to his feet.
The other bats began to swirl around the red-eyed leader. They fused together, their bodies merging into a single humanoid shape covered in thick bat fur, with leathery wings extending from its arms.
[Desert Bat: Bat Sand - Lv. 50 has fused! A new power has been born!][Desert Bat: Bat Sand - Lv. 50 has evolved to: Lord of the Desert Bats: Sand Bat - Lv. 85]
The sudden jump in level sent a wave of shock through the team.
"The Key De-von... came to greet us himself?" Amalin stammered. Despite being Rank C, her dungeon experience paled in comparison to the veterans.
Malloch charged in with his war hammer, supported by Alka's long-range spells. But the enemy was elusive.
Whoosh!
The De-von evaded the hammer by momentarily splitting back into a cloud of tiny bats before reforming. It did this repeatedly, not attacking, but seemingly taunting them.
"Hey! Stay still, you pest!" Malloch roared. Frustrated, he activated his signature move. "[Skill: Thunder's Mail!]"
Lightning arced from the air, striking Malloch and coating his massive frame in a brilliant white electric aura.
"DIE!" Malloch swung again, and this time, the lightning trailed his weapon. Every time the hammer passed near the bats, the electricity paralyzed them, sending charred creatures tumbling to the floor.
The Sand Bat glared at Malloch with pure hatred. Malloch grinned and pressed the attack. The De-von was forced to dodge both high-pressure water and lethal electricity. It looked like the Hunters had the upper hand.
"Why is it only dodging?" Amalin asked, having deactivated her own skills to conserve mana.
"Maybe it's planning something," Alka said, speaking for the first time. He watched Malloch crater the floor with missed swings. "It's... waiting for something."
In an instant, Malloch's lightning armor vanished.
"What!?" Malloch gasped. A status window flickered before his eyes.
[Mana available for Skill usage: 0/1000]
Malloch realized his mistake too late—his arrogance had led to a total drain. He saw the purple-tinged blade of the Sand Bat's wing sweeping toward his neck.
Alka fired a high-pressure water shot, striking the De-von's arm and knocking it off course. Malloch narrowly avoided being decapitated.
"How did my mana run out so fast!?" Malloch panicked. He was powerless without mana. "...A Mana Drain? Since when!?"
He noticed the black fur of the bat was glowing with a strange, oily sheen. It had been absorbing his energy every time his lightning touched it.
That was when Rosaline's voice rang out: "[Skill: Leeching Edge]! Professor Charlwind, now!"
Charlwind had his hands ready. As his palm-blades manifested, they were wreathed in a faint red flame—the effect of Rosaline's skill. He launched the blades into De-von's chest. The creature stiffened instantly.
[Skill Effect: Leeching Edge - Activated: Extracting a portion of mana from the enemy.]
White particles erupted from the impact point, flowing back toward Rosaline. The energy condensed into a glowing white orb that swirled around the Hunter girl.
Seeing her smile and the stolen mana orbiting her, the Sand Bat realized who the real enemy was.