Diana Pov:
After what happened with the master saving me I went back into battle, but not long after the Undead stopped coming out of the tunnel.
All we needed was to finish off the ones who were still around, everyone was tired and exhausted, but knowing this battle was over gave the other adventurers a last breath of cheer.
Shortly thereafter the last Undead was eliminated by the Grade B adventurer who carries a large sword, and we all raised our arms and screamed.
“WE ACHIEVED!!!!!!”
I look around and see that many are weeping with happiness at having survived, others are running to see their companions badly wounded in the back, and some are kneeling by the bodies of adventurers who died during the battle.
I walk around the battlefield to help carry the bodies to a cleaner place.
———-
It’s been almost two hours after the battle when a squad of soldiers and adventurers arrives on the battlefield, Carlos in the front line beside Roger I met at the city gates before.
As soon as Carlos arrives and sees the state of the battlefield he is paralyzed like many others behind him.
Luci who was beside me ran to him as soon as she saw him.
“Guild Master?” (Luci)
“What happened here?” (Carlos)
“The numbers of the Undead were much higher than expected.” (Luci)
“How many were there?” (Roger)
“We couldn’t start counting until after the battle, but it was over twelve hundred.” (Luci)
“…” (Roger)
“Thousand and two hundred.” (Carlos)
I’m not too far away from the conversation so I can hear everything thanks to my Wolf Man-Beast hearing.
Roger is speechless looking at the battlefield and Carlos is with dead eyes.
“What are the conditions for adventurers?” (Carlos)
“…” (Luci)
“I asked what the condition of adventurers is?” (Carlos)
I approach them and tap Luci on the shoulder who will come to me.
“Let me give the report, go take care of the others.” (I)
“Thanks.” (Luci)
I stare at Carlos and Roger seriously, then start talking.
“I understand you’re nervous Carlos, but this is neither the time nor the place.” (I)
“…” (Carlos)
Sigh
“Sorry I just don’t know what to think.” (Carlos)
“I’ll give you the situation report.” (I)
“We have fifty-two seriously injured and the rest are just tired with minor injuries.” (I)
“How many dead?” (Roger)
“Sixteen died during the battle.” (I)
“…” (Carlos)
“How strong were the enemies?” (Roger)
“They were Zombies and Skeletons as predicted, their strength ranging from Grade E to Grade -B as the investigation pointed out.” (I)
“Only their numbers were higher than expected.” (I)
“You’ve been through difficult things once again, Diana.” (Roger)
“I’m sorry I’m late, but it’s good to see you again.” (Roger)
“It’s good to see you too Roger, I just wish it was in better situations.” (I)
Roger and Carlos face each other and nod to each other before turning to the others behind them.
“Adventurers, guard the surrounding area, help the injured and gather the bodies in one place!” (Carlos)
“Soldiers, set up tents and prepare a field camp.” (Roger)
After the orders of the two those behind begin to move, the soldiers begin to set up tents and set up a perimeter, the adventurers split into two groups, one to investigate the surroundings and kill any monsters that are attracted by the smell of meat and blood, the other group went to help tend to the wounded and gather the corpses.
“Looks like we’re spending the night here.” (Carlos)
“Yes.” (Roger)
“Just a warning for you, especially for you Carlos.” (I)
“Try not to get too hard on Luci, she is feeling very responsible for what happened.” (I)
“After the battle was over she didn’t stop crying, it took me a long time to calm her down.” (I)
“She is very responsible in her Guild duties, she is also a decent support mage, so I left her in charge.” (Carlos)
“I thought the mission would be simple and that it would be a good combat experience for her, I didn’t know that could happen.” (Carlos)
“At first she made some naive decisions, but if she weren’t such a large number of Undead her plans would have been good enough.” (I)
“Someone should investigate inside the tunnel.” (Roger)
“Not!” (Carlos)
“We must wait until dawn, then I’ll look into the tunnel myself with some adventurers.” (Carlos)
“Carlos is right, we don’t know much about what he has inside the tunnel, it’s also too dark and narrow to fight in there.” (I)
While the reinforcements took care of everything I called Luci and the two Grade B adventurers to join me, Carlos and Roger in a meeting.
We explained everything that happened from the beginning to the end of the battle, for the two Grade B adventurers it wasn’t as traumatizing as for the others, so besides the fatigue they were fine, Luci didn’t stop shaking as we recounted everything that happened.
After that, the Grade B mage and I helped Luci to one of the cabins to rest, so I went back to where Carlos and Roger were still discussing what to do.
“I still don’t understand how this could happen, the information was accurate.” (Carlos)
“Do you trust the person you sent to do the investigation?” (Roger)
“Yes, he is someone very trustworthy in the Guild, if he reported those numbers I am willing to believe they were right.” (Carlos)
“So the only possibility is that as you prepared and headed here, more undead came through the tunnel.” (Roger)
“Have you called the earth element mages yet?” (I)
“Mari is taking care of this in the Guild, I came along so I can help if there is any monster stronger than reported too.” (Carlos)
“Mages should arrive during the morning.” (Carlos)
“That’s nice.” (I)
“But before closing the entrance we have to check the tunnel, we have to see if it branches off somewhere else.” (Roger)
“I agree, as soon as the Suns are born I and a few more adventurers will check out this tunnel.” (Carlos)
Sigh
Carlos looks at me sighing and puts his hand on my shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re okay Diana.” (Carlos)
“I wouldn’t forgive myself if a friend had died on a mission I sent myself.” (Carlos)
“I’m fine Carlos.” (I)
“When you get back to town get ready to be pampered by Mari, she was very worried about you.” (Carlos)
After talking for a while with Carlos and Roger, I’m going to sleep, a lot has happened and I’m exhausted, but several of my skills have leveled up after the fight, I’ve also leveled up several levels and my work has also increased a lot, soon I’ll be able to switch off work if you keep hunting monsters.
———-
The next day I get up before dawn, I do this because I want to go with Carlos into the tunnel.
Just as I expected Carlos is already ready, I approach him.
“Good morning Carlos, did you sleep?” (I)
“Good morning Diana.” (Carlos)
“I couldn’t sleep at all tonight.” (Carlos)
“But you don’t have to worry, a sleepless night won’t hurt me.” (Carlos)
“I want to go to the tunnel with you, who else is going?” (I)
“I already knew you would want to come along.” (Carlos)
“Aside from you, the two Grade B adventurers plus four Grade +C adventurers.” (Carlos)
I waited until the suns rise to talk to Carlos, as soon as the first light of day appeared on the horizon the adventurers who were going to enter the tunnel gathered, there were eight of us in total.
After we all gathered we entered the tunnel, we soon found that the tunnel widens from the entrance to the inside, which once needed one walking after another, now can three walking side by side.
The depth seems to be between a hundred to two hundred meters, there is no light whatsoever in the tunnel, so we are using a magic item called an orb of light, it is a round crystal that floats like that from the one who activated it.
After ten to twenty minutes of walking, we didn’t find any branches or any other undead.
After twenty minutes we come to a large cave where there is nothing but a large skull-shaped door in the wall.
Carlos and everyone else stops, me included, we’re all surprised.
“Is that what I think it is?” (I)
“This is definitely a dungeon.” (Carlos)
“It seems like there never was a tunnel, all this time it was a wave of monsters caused by the appearance of a new dungeon.” (Grade B Magician)
“It explains how the numbers have increased so fast, it also makes things simpler, we won’t need any more earth mages to close the tunnel anymore.” (Carlos)
“Let’s go back, I have to report this to the Duke so he can decide if he wants to destroy the dungeon or he wants to keep it.” (Carlos)
“I’ll leave some adventurers parked here until everything is organized.” (Carlos)
We all went back to the makeshift camp, Carlos met with Roger as soon as he arrived, after a while Carlos and Roger each left half of the people they brought, the rest got ready to go back to town, that includes me and everyone who fought last night.
The road to the city was long and silent, after the deaths and injuries we had from the fight, no one else had the heart to talk.
When we arrive in town, Carlos gathers everyone and asks them to go to their homes or inns to rest, he tells us to attend the Guild tomorrow to get our reward.
I have to buy the house for the master, but I think I’ll save that for tomorrow, I also have to buy new swords for myself, one is broken and the other is full of cracks and the blade is chipped.
But before doing these things I need to sleep, for that, I go to the Inn of the Eternal Traveler.