Chapter 96 First Dungeon Raid

"Oppa, do you think you're still right in the head?"

Freya asked curiously as she examined from head to toe her older brother who was holding a normal-looking gray rock in his right hand.

Russell scoffed at his younger sister's question before he replied firmly.

"Haha, this is the dungeon that we're going to raid together for the first time. With this and the artifact that I received with the help of someone you shouldn't know about, at least for now, we will be able to make a good excuse for disappearing.

"First, we will raid this normal-looking rock that's disguised as a Strayed Dungeon, then we'd let ourselves get beat up by some micro-monsters inside, then if we get questioned later on by school authorities about what happened, we'd tell them that we snuck out in the morning using the artifact, Junain's Blanket, the moment we read about the news regarding this dungeon that couldn't be seen by others because we got curious and tried to check it out. Then we got swept through it, then sucked into it, then tried hard to survive against the micro-monsters... That's the plan."

Russell said in seriousness as if he was planning a heist.

Amelie chuckled before she said while she looked at Freya — who was playing with Estelle's hair who she resummoned the moment they entered the rented hotel room.

"All for this just to make a good excuse for our disappearance, Freya, your brother might not really be right on the head. Hahaha!

"But what are we waiting for? I'd like to see what we would be fighting against!"

Amelie said in excitement, then she followed up with a question regarding Russell's plan.

"By the way, Russell, do we need to cry, too? You know when we get back and get questioned."

Amery — who was maintaining her aloof, cold atmosphere almost laugh reflexively at Amelie's question.

Russell couldn't believe his ears with the question that was asked by Amelie, who was somewhat feeling elated.

"I'm a man, I cry alone. But you girls, do whatever you want."

n0(????(e)lbi????.n(et

Freya and Amery's sense of hearing seemed to get blocked off by something as they couldn't register what Russell said.

"...Oppa, please stop with your mumbling, let's just go, okay."

Freya said, seemingly concerned with her older brother's sudden jump in his mental health.

"How do we enter that Strayed Dungeon then, and what's the rank of it? If it's at least B-rank, we'd better think of another option right now."

Amery said as she thought of possible cases that might lead to their doom.

"Don't worry, it's at least E to E+ rank.

"Just as I said earlier, the Constellations' influence is just getting stronger, but not at this very moment where they'd be able to fully manifest their power on the planet.

"By the way, we can enter this Strayed Dungeon through this..."

Russell showed them something that was imprinted on the normal-looking gray rock.

A symbol that looked like the microscopic view of the anatomy of a single cell, the symbol that refers to life in the Micro-Universe.

"It'll activate if I smear my blood into the symbol, but first, we need to be in the party via System's authority so everyone will get sucked into it.

"The Star Quest Party will suffice, if not better..."

Russell said as he readied himself for what they'd encounter, but he was looking forward to it because the first to discover such a thing would be randomly rewarded by the System, and whatever they might acquire from defeating the Boss Monster, it would be something totally unknown to humanity at this very moment.

"Alright, if there's nothing else. Let's go.

"Freya, as the party leader, it's your blood that's needed to be smeared."

Freya didn't react anymore as she quickly took out a sword from her Dimensional Inventory, then cut her left palm slightly as blood started to flow down from it, reaching the normal-looking gray rock that Russell extended in front of her.

Tak- Tak- Tak-

The blood made contact with the symbol that depicts life, then after a few seconds, it glowed with various colors which were reflected in everyone's eyes before they were consumed by the gray rock which also vanished into thin air.

...

[Your Star Quest Party has arrived at the Micro-Strayed Dungeon: Vein of Immunosar (E+)!]

[Your Star Quest Party has been the first discoverer of the Micro-Strayed Dungeon!]

[Each Party Member of the Star Quest Party has received the Title: Explorer of the Micro-Universe!]

...

[Explorer of the Micro-Universe]

The beings that cannot be seen by the naked eye are also existing in this Great Universe.

Rank: D-

Effect:

- Helps the owner of the title to navigate any Micro-Strayed Dungeons more skillfully with the use of the System's Map.

...

They arrived in a cave-like environment, but contrary to the normal-looking gray rock, the inside of it was dyed red as though they were in a vein where blood flows.

Although they're in the Micro-Strayed Dungeon, their sizes were that of normal, but they knew that they'd become so small that matches the beings of Micro-Universe.

After surveying the area for a few seconds, Freya summoned Estelle as she asked with a somewhat concerned tone.

"Estelle, you can fight right?"

She asked because Verg-Or only told her that she at least has the ability to calm or corrupt a soul, but there might be other ways for her to fight.

Freya hasn't checked Estelle's Status Window yet, and as the owner of the familiar which she considered more a companion, she has the ability to inspect her Status, but she forgot due to the situation that befell them after they went back to Earth.

Estelle nodded, without saying anything. She hasn't said any word from the moment she became Freya's familiar, it's her mind that does the talking within herself. The characteristic of a timid or introverted person or in her case, timid or introverted Nether Creature.

"Hey, hey! We got a map!"

Amelie said in excitement as she took out a staff from her Dimensional Inventory, but this time, it wasn't the normal Black Staff she used to stab Kevin Springer in the chest and neck, but rather, it was the staff she received from the blessing of the mysterious Egg after the Star Quest Party consumed the Fruit of Chaos: Staff of the Lost Shade (Growth).

It has a tip with a spade shape, its body was dyed deep purple while the handle was in deep black. Its length was about 175cm, slightly taller than everyone here.

...

"That's convenient for us."

Amery said as she browse and observe their location based on the System's Map.

System's Map could only normally be used when someone wasn't inside of any kind of dungeon, just like what Russell did when he explored Armageddon Mountain to find the Hidden Dungeon called the 'Oldest Root of Yggdrasil'. But with the title they received for being the first to discover and access a Micro-Strayed Dungeon, they'd gain the advantage to use the System's Map inside the dungeon.

"Hey! Move, something's coming! About ten!"

Amelie blurted out as she readied herself, it's the same for others including Estelle.

Red dots appeared on the System's Map which means enemies while green referred to allies or friendly units.

Clomp-! Clomp-! Clomp-!

Heavy steps entered their ears, and soon, the sights of the Micro-monsters could be seen in their eyes as a Star Quest Party notification sounded in their ears, and they quickly skimmed through it.

[You have encountered a group of 'Germ T']

pAnD a(-)n0ve1.com "Hahaha! This is ridiculous! Freya, they might be the 0.1% of germs that couldn't be killed in those commercials we often saw on T.V."

Russell chuckled at Amelie's humor as he took the lead to lunge forward against the ten monsters who lined up themselves called Germ T.

The Germ T only lined up at the entrance, acting like guards to prevent the intruder from going in.

Russell designed the Micro-Strayed Dungeons in his unpublished novel based on Biology, specifically about the cells and body systems that needed to be protected, thus micro-monsters — who became big in their eyes as they became small and sucked in the Micro-Strayed Dungeon — act like guards and would only attack if the intruder reaches a certain point.

...

[You have killed a Germ T]

[You have killed a Germ T]

[The Party Member, 'Russell Moon'' has killed a Germ T]

[The Party Member, 'Amery Blight' has killed a Germ T]

[The Party Member, 'Amelie Rose' has killed a Germ T]

[Your familiar, 'Estelle' has used the Skill: Drain (A+)]

[The Life Force of the Germ T's in the affected area will be gradually transferred for 20 seconds to everyone in the Star Quest Party to regain their Stamina]

Freya looked at Estelle in the backline as she smiled, feeling proud of the companion she picked up to accompany her.

Soon, green lines that seemed illusory linked up from some Germ T's bodies to Freya and the others. They felt their energy come back.

"Shh- Shh-!"

The Germ T's who were unable to make comprehensible sounds struggled with their might, but to no avail, after a few minutes, the ten Germ T were annihilated.

"They really looked like germs, but more details than what can be seen under the microscope."

Amelie said as she squatted down to observe the appearance of the Germ T she stabbed to death with her growth-type staff, she didn't need to use a skill for it.

Germ T's appearance was like that of a germ, but it stood on two short legs with two short hands just like bears in the wild, but it has fierce eyes and shark-like pointed teeth, but it has no nose.

"Is anybody good?"

Russell asked, cutting Amelie's admiration for the Germ T she just slayed mercilessly.

'Well, they all look fine.'

Russell said inwardly, feeling relieved because even if the Germ Ts were of low rank if they were caught off-guard, it'd be disastrous.

All of them nodded before Amery suggested picking up some of Germ T's bodies to bring with them outside after they finished raiding the dungeon which all of them have nothing to complain about.

...

'Soon, there would be Micro-Strayed Dungeons in the realm of SSS+ rank...'

Russell seemed to recall the details of his unpublished novel.

The authority of the Micro-Universe fell under the Constellation with the Cosmic Title, 'Lover of the Unseen Life', it's the Constellation that has a contract with Elizabeth's mother, Eliana von Etherion, the Queen of the country, Etheria.

It's the opposite of Elizabeth's soon-to-be Constellation with the Cosmic Title, 'Lover of Space Continuum'.

These two Constellations have a Mother-Daughter relationship. One loves what cannot be seen by the human eye, and the other loves the wonder of everything that could be seen in space.

The Macro-Teleportation, Blessing of the Space Overseer (SS), Weapon Space Coating (SSS), as well as the White Perception (SS+) skill that Elizabeth used against Rumia came from the Lover of Space Continuum, although she's not contracted yet with the Constellation, Elizabeth received such blessing due to her mother's Constellation that relates with their Mother-Daughter relationship.

With the Constellation's influence getting stronger, the power of the Lover of Unseen Life, the Micro-Universe 'She' rules, would be strengthened.

'Soon, flu will emerge again.'

It's not a coincidence or out of a whim that Sir Emmanuel Lyncoster asked them if humanity could get the flu again before in his class.

'They might already discover something abnormal.'

Russell thought inwardly as they arrived at the next line of defense of the germ monsters.

...

At Outer Space, Post-Emergence Earth's Atmosphere, Orion Space Station (OSS)

"Sir, we've discovered that the Mana in the surroundings of Olympia East Border where the Mana Energy Flow turned dense a few days ago has returned to its normal state."

The words of a man with brown hair, yellow eyes, and a fitted body, standing by the window of a spacecraft, reported what he observed and monitored through the Orion Obelisk Humanity Satellite Dungeon Detector (OOHSDD).