Chapter 1016  Survival Percentage: Zero

Whoosh! The giant creatures cut through the air past him, and Arthur stepped to the side. A giant scythe came slashing the s.p.a.ce beside him, leaving it trembling. Arthur glanced at the creature and found it to be a giant dark insect with shimmering sh.e.l.ls.

"How can they be so fast?" Arthur muttered with confusion as he arched his back, avoiding another attack. "I can sense their attacks, but not pinpoint their location."

The third Wasp came rushing toward him directly. Arthur took a step back and leaned forward before slashing in the air before him. He used his bare hand, but it generated enough force that slashed the water apart and flew toward the wasp.

The demonic monster slashed back, but it was unable to cut through the arch. Its limbs were torn apart before its body was cut in half, falling to the waters and sinking into the swamp. As soon as the demonic corpse touched the waters, it began to sizzle as a strong aroma spread.

Arthur frowned as he saw the scene, but it seems that the aroma worked to disperse the wasps. As it appeared, the creatures began to retreat, leaving Arthur standing alone in the wetlands. Then, he called for the others.

"Come out! The enemy is gone," said Arthur, and they rose from beneath the waters like zombies. The four, plus a head, were drenched in black water from head to toe. They looked around and found a corpse dissolving into the same water they hid in, making them retch at the same time.

"You managed to… defeat them?" asked the head in Joey"s arms with shock, while its long hair stuck to its skin. "These Wasps are one of the fastest creatures in the Dark Cave."

"The rest escaped once I defeated the first one," said Arthur as he pointed at the dissolving corpse. "This sweet aroma made them run away like flies. How can these wetlands do this?"

"The swamp has been once blessed by a priest since ancient times, making it the bane of demonic creatures. It is quite ironic that this existed beneath the altar that summoned demonic creatures. What truly baffles me, however, is how you managed to defeat one of the wasps so quickly."

"Chop! Chop!" said Arthur as he chopped with his hands, leaving the four speechless. The head was even more shocked, looking at him with trembling eyes. "You seem to be livelier than before."

"The blessing in this place rejuvenates our life force," explained Joey as he raised his foot from underneath the water. "I can"t understand why the color has to be black, though."

"That is a mystery that no one can answer," said the head before he stared toward Arthur again. "You are more powerful than anyone I have ever met. Is it possible that you are a returnee?"

"I grow faster than normal," said Arthur as he dismissed the subject. "You proved to be honest about the Wasps fearing this swamp. I would help you return to your body since you helped us. What"s your name?"

"…I am honored," said the head with grat.i.tude. "My name is Dal."

Arthur nodded toward the head and allowed the rest to recover before they decided to advance forward. However, before they left, Koby used a skill to store the aroma released by the corpse, saving it for another time. Then, he began releasing it as they walked through the lake, making sure that all demonic creatures steered away from them.

It was an unexpected sight for the cowardly man to become their biggest a.s.set, as it saved them a lot of time and fighting. Dal guided them around the wetlands to reach the deeper parts of the cave, where a palace resided.

The building looked magnificent but was still constricted by the cave around it. However, standing in the darkness of the cave, the group could tell the ominous feeling coming from this place.

"Is this the altar you mentioned?" asked Arthur of the twin sisters, but they shook their heads at the same time.

"This entire cave has changed since we were here. At that time, it was nothing but tunnels going downward before we found the altar with the dark mage."

"In a single week, a palace appeared out of nowhere?" asked Joey with Dal on his back. "This seems unlikely. Furthermore, other than the wasps guarding this place, we found no other demonic creatures. Is it possible that it has lured us in here?"

"The Wasps are the greatest danger in these wetlands, but it seems that our friend here is their bane as long as someone can kill one of them," explained Dal. "However, inside this palace lies the real threat of this dungeon. Its rooms are filled with demonic creatures, each stronger than the one before it. If you want to reach the core, you have to fight against every single one of them."

"We can take our time to fight each of them, if that"s the case," said Joey with excitement. "I can finally get a proper fight!"

"The time limit to challenge this dungeon"s core is one day. After we enter the palace, a timer starts. We have only one day to clear it," added Dal, making Joey frown. "Every hour, the demons inside become stronger while we become weaker. If we reach the final hour, it"s almost impossible to defeat the weakest monsters."

"There is no use if we just stand around this place," said Arthur as he began to walk forward. "There are just two rules: be fast and don"t die."

"Are you going in already?" asked Fae with surprise. "There is no need for us to rush things. We should prepare first."

"There is no point in preparing," said Arthur as he stopped walking. "We can"t return to our rooms, so we can"t raise our levels inside this place. Otherwise, it would have been a paradise for those who wish to train, since time moves slower."

"I agree with Alexie," said Joey as he began to stretch his body. "If we just waste time, we would tire ourselves out. As soon as we clear this place, we can return home and be safe. We would even get many merits because of it."

The twin sisters and Koby hesitated, as they were the weakest of the group. Although Arthur and Joey would be fine inside the palace, they were not as safe. However, they didn"t want to stay here either.

"Do you want to stay here until we defeat the mage?" asked Arthur as he turned toward the three. "There is no shame in knowing your limits. You can wait for us to clear this place and then you can go home."

His words were filled with sincerity, and not a hint of grudge or disdain. Arthur offered this out of the kindness of his heart because he knew what it feels like to be weaker. Furthermore, even Joey ran from the Wasps because a single strike means you can no longer revive.

"I would never… sit around and watch others fight for me," said Koby all of a sudden as he walked forward with his heavy armor. "A permanent death… is a hundred times better than a cowardly life!"

Arthur was genuinely surprised by his outburst and watched as the thin man walked toward the giant palace doors. His hand reached to push it open, but it stopped inches away. The man froze in place, and Arthur could feel fear rising like tides in his heart. However, he could not help but smile.

"Koby," called Arthur, and

 the thin man turned toward him. "Bravery cannot exist without fear. I don"t feel fear, but that does not make me brave. It makes me incomplete. The real challenge is walking forward with fear in your heart."

Koby stared at him with wide eyes, and Arthur walked forward to stand beside him. Then, he grabbed the man"s forearm and pushed it, using his hand to open the palace doors. As soon as they were pushed, the doors flung open as a demonic storm exploded in their faces.

An ancient roar echoed in their ears, while their eyes were filled with warnings from the tower about the place they were about to enter. Arthur grinned while facing the demonic storm before waving his hand, sending golden mana exploding around him.

[You are about to enter a High-Leveled Demonic Dungeon!]

[You are about to enter a High-Leveled Demonic Dungeon!]

[You are about to enter a High-Leveled Demonic Dungeon!]

…

[Survival Percentage: Zero.]

The warnings flashed red in their eyes, and it was the first time the tower sent them anything since they entered this cave. It means that the surrounding monsters were insignificant compared to what was hidden within.

The golden mana exploded and pushed back the demonic storm, making the group able to calm down. Arthur could feel Koby trembling, but there was a new feeling in his heart. As he turned toward the thin man, Arthur asked him a question.

"I know that you are afraid, Koby," said Arthur with a grin. "But there is a different expression on your face. Voice it out, and let your ears hear it."

"…I also feel," muttered the man as he blinked beneath the giant helmet, before turning toward Arthur with a smile, "excited!"