Chapter 35: the checkpoint

Emerging from the blinding light, the group struggled to adjust. Because their eyes had already adapted to the dim corridor, the sudden light hit their faces, forcing them to shield their eyes. After a few seconds, their vision cleared, revealing what the room actually looked like.

​The room itself did not have much inside. At the very center of the ceiling hung a chandelier-like object that emitted a very bright light, illuminating the entire circular room. The floor and the walls were built from the same stone material as the corridors. What stood out the most, however, was a raised platform in the middle with ascending stairs. At the very center of the platform stood an ancient-looking chest.

​The group walked slowly and cautiously toward the platform, but nothing happened as they reached the final stair. Once they surrounded the platform, Smith took a closer look. The chest had a bronze color and a metallic texture. It looked like a typical chest, though it possessed no locks. Right under the chest, a magic circle with mysterious patterns was drawn on the floor. After inspecting it further, they realized the magic circle had run out of energy and was on standby mode.

​Apollo, standing to the side, immediately said, "Yes, this is very unusual. How can there be a checkpoint in a novice-rank dungeon?"

​This was what made them all excited. Checkpoints were usually only found in dungeons spanning massive areas—like open-field dungeons that could cover an area thousands of kilometers wide. Dungeons with checkpoints were typically master-rank or higher. That was why they found it so hard to believe that a novice-rank dungeon contained one.

​Usually, checkpoints were guarded by powerful monsters. The magic circle beneath the chest would be active, forming a barrier-like protection around it. Defeating the creatures was required before the chest could be claimed; taking it beforehand was nearly impossible. Furthermore, those guardian monsters usually dropped very minimal to no loot upon death, as most of the rewards were concentrated inside the chest itself.

​Smith instantly recognized why they had encountered a discrepancy earlier. When fighting the other groups of Ratmen, individual energy orbs dropped from almost every kill. However, the group guarding the path to this chest had dropped very few orbs, and even the intermediate-rank creatures dropped almost nothing. They concluded this must indeed be a checkpoint chest, as that drop pattern was a classic characteristic of one. Judging by its color, it appeared to be a Bronze Chest.

​Alexander offered an explanation: "Maybe the dungeon mutated. Judging by the difficulty since we entered, it seems to have mutated in this aspect."

​The rest of the group remained silent. They didn’t fully understand how this happened, but they certainly weren’t going to complain.

​Apollo said, "Okay, let’s not dwell on things we don’t understand. Since we’ve secured the chest, Mr. Smith can keep it in his inventory. We shall open it when we return, distributing the loot in front of everyone."

​No one disagreed. Smith placed the Bronze Chest into his inventory, and the group turned back toward the fork in the path.

​After walking for a few moments, they returned to the junction. Since the right side was already fully explored, they concluded that the left path must be the continuation of the dungeon. They took the left path without hesitation.

​Unsurprisingly, they continued to meet groups of novice-rank Ratmen. Just like before, Velvet and Brenda were left to deal with them. As they walked forward, something unexpected happened again.

​At the end of the corridor, they found a wide opening that looked identical to the entrance where they had found the chest. This time, however, there was no bright light; it retained the same dim atmosphere as the rest of the corridor.

​Having learned their lesson, Velvet ordered Brenda and Melinda to summon their Pawns to form a defensive line. She then asked Lyra to summon a Pawn to scout ahead. Lyra agreed and summoned her Pawn. To smith’s surprise, Lyra’s Pawn did not wear an overall cloak like Lyra herself, it wore light armor and wielded a scimitar rather than a rapier.

​The Pawn went forward. After surveying the area for a moment, it returned. Through her mental connection, Lyra relayed the information:

​"My Pawn says that on the other end of the corridor, there are only five Ratmen. Judging from their aura, four are beginner-intermediate rank, and the remaining one has reached mid-intermediate rank with 40 points. The beginner-intermediate Ratmen wear leather armor and wield spears, just like the ones we fought before. The mid-intermediate Ratman wields a halberd and also wears leather armor."

​After receiving confirmation, the group nodded. The force was manageable. Velvet and Brenda summoned their Pawns and moved forward directly.

​Considering the situation, Velvet asked, "Brenda, how about I leave the big guy over there to you? Can you handle him?"

​Brenda smiled confidently. "That’s a piece of cake. With just a few moves, I guarantee he’ll be minced meat."

​Velvet chuckled without saying another word. Since there were so few enemies, Brenda decided to take on the leader herself. They sped toward the group of Ratmen.

​Because these were intermediate-rank creatures, they immediately detected Velvet and Brenda’s presence and turned their heads. Seeing the two charging at them, the four ratmen and the mid-intermediate ratman with a halberd charged as well.

​Not wanting to waste time, Brenda and Velvet each sent one Pawn to intercept two of the intermediate-rank Ratmen. Even though there was a difference in rank, the Pawns only needed to stall for a short time.

​One of Brenda’s Pawns faced a Ratman directly, blocking its thrust and exchanging blows. Since the Ratmen relied heavily on speed, the Pawn switched its title to boost both defense and speed to stall effectively. Meanwhile, one of Velvet’s Pawns clashed head-on with another Ratman, leaving two Ratmen unengaged.

​Velvet engaged one of them directly. Activating her title, she parried an incoming thrust with a swift slash, followed immediately by a quick decapitating strike. The Ratman fell instantly.

​Just as Velvet was looking for another opponent, the mid-intermediate Ratman suddenly swung his halberd toward her in a wide arc. Velvet immediately retreated and charged back in to deliver a horizontal slash. To her surprise, the Ratman blocked her blade with the shaft of his halberd. Using the shaft as a pivot, he swung the weapon back around in a tight arc, successfully repelling her.

​Velvet didn’t want to clash head-on, knowing her defense wasn’t built for heavy trades. As she pulled back to reset her footing, Brenda charged past her, activating her attack and defense boost

​"You go take care of those little guys!" Brenda shouted. "Leave this big guy to me!"

​Brenda clashed weapons directly with the mid-intermediate Ratman. From the very first exchange, Brenda knew this opponent was tough. Unlike the others who simply charged blindly, this Ratman clearly possessed some skills—the exact type of opponent that made Brenda’s blood boil with excitement.