Deadmeat Saga

Chapter 70 – Recklessly effective monster farming tactic. The best way to find something is to stop looking for it.

"Is this it, my lord?" Havre asked as she looked at a dim magic circle on the floor, cleverly hidden by the lighting.

"Yes. When triggered, hundreds of monsters will rush from all parts of the dungeon. It is a vicious death trap that can tire out and kill dungeon explorers, drowning them with waves of opponents. It isn't a pretty sight." Gerhart said as a flashback flitted through his mind.

He remembered that one time when a rookie party renting his services got almost killed by this trap. Luckily, it was on the 17th floor, and the effect was on an 85m radius, so they somehow managed to survive after two members were severely wounded and couldn't hire him anymore. Since then, Deadmeat has been traumatized and always paid attention to such traps, considering them one of the top three worst traps to step on!

The only traps that are worse than that are the Random Teleportation traps and the even worse Teleport To Monster Room trap. He would prefer getting poisoned, cursed, burned, or impaled rather than being separated from the team or teleporting to a room with a dense horde of monsters!

"So we will use such traps to lure nearby monsters?" Qold asked.

"Yes, it would allow us to farm hundreds of Magic Stones within ten minutes. However, this tactic is frowned upon, a daredevil's trick to quickly farm monsters. The potential yield is high, but the risks are disproportionately higher. Never do this without absolute confidence to kill them faster than they appear. Otherwise, you will get overrun and get wiped." Gerhart said.

He then looked at the room's layout. It was a circular room with four connected wide paths, structured more like an arena. Once the trap is triggered, they would be like fish in a barrel, unable to leave until they slay all the monsters.

Gerhart had the confidence to survive such a horde. He had Havre, a level 50 Sword Saint with enhanced capabilities, and Qold, his familiar who shared part of his power and could use Mental Magic. Not to mention himself, who can likely kill the monsters without sustaining much damage and can heal while fighting. If tired, he could always recover them to restore their energy. He still had 5,000 reserve points, which was plenty for healing.

Of course, Gerhart wasn't so stupid as to fight in this arena where the horde of monsters could fully utilize their number advantage! Instead-

"Once the trap triggers, we shall backtrack to our original path, killing any monsters we find. We can then fight them without the fear of being pincered. Although monsters would come to this location, they wouldn't come after us if we were far enough. Instead, they will disperse to the four paths, with only a fourth of the remaining ones coming to our path." Gerhart said.

There was a curse trap that could make all monsters in a range target you and know your location, but the range was only two-fifths, making this curse much less menacing if you stayed still. But if you mindlessly ran around, that would be a different story. Gerhart would have preferred this curse, but unfortunately, it was a random trap, making it an unpredictable factor, unlike the Attraction Circle.

"Are you guys ready? Once we activate it, we will start facing dozens of monsters while running." Gerhart said with a solemn look.

"I am eager for battle, my lord." Havre smiled.

"I will just focus on picking the Magic Stones. I can't cast potent enough spells while running." Qold warily said.

"Picking the stones is fine." Gerhart nodded before boldly stepping on the Attraction Circle.

Woom*

"RAAA!" "AHHH!" "GRAAA!"

The distant sound of countless shrieks of the undead rang through the halls, sounding a harrowing cacophony of horror, a Dungeon Explorer's worst nightmare.

"Let's move!" Gerhart said as he rushed toward the path they entered from, Havre and Qold following him.

Several breaths later, moments after disappearing inside their previous path, groups of Black Skeletons entered through the other three paths, searching for the one who triggered the trap. Unfortunately for them, logical thinking was not their strong forte. Otherwise, they would have entered the remaining path, where monsters were not coming from.

Tap* Tap* Tap* Tap*

"Graaa!" Groups of well-equipped Black Skeletons rushed from the forks, meeting Gerhart's group and attacking them.

"DIE!" Gerhart yelled as he charged at the grouped skeletons with his shield, rushing forward with full force.

BAM* The Black Skeletons got sent flying, unable to withstand Gerhart's raw power.

SLASH* SLASH* SLASH* SLASH*

Havre also didn't hold back, using her sword to slash and one-hit kill all the remaining Black Skeletons while avoiding the occasional arrow.

Qold, however, was reduced to a loot picker, recovering all the Magic Stones that dropped while rushing after them.

.

.

.

Sometime earlier-

At another part of the 50th floor-

A B-rank team of four plus a short and petite female baggage carrier, the Dark Hawks, just finished killing the last Black Skeleton Archer.

"Good job, team! Aithali! Pick up the loot!" The leader, Petrus, a handsome archer with a curved nose, said to his team while casually ordering his slave.

Aithali, which meant Soot in Nehanian, the short and petite slave who appeared somewhat childish but had a mature but somewhat ugly face and long, floppy green ears, numbly went to pick up the fallen Magic Stones with her green hands. She was a young adult from the Tinkerer race, randomly picked for her affordable price and being disposable.

"Hahaha! Petrus! It is only a matter of time before we become A-rank!" One of the members, a cheerful woman in her mid-twenties, happily laughed. She was Veneranda, a female warrior.

"Yeah! We can soon tackle the boss, take the test, and be promoted! The gods are smiling upon us!" A bulky and armored cleric with a mace was grinning. He was Mauricius, a battle cleric of the God of Light.

"I heard a new party passed the test yesterday and would be promoted soon. I believe they come from the Youvamore Kingdom?" A yellow-robed male magician said. He was Alypius, a 5th-circle Earth Magician and an aspiring 6th-circle Earth Magician.

"Oh, I heard about that! Eight people came to the guild two days ago, and one man and four top-tier babes dived the dungeon together. All five are B-rank, with the guy and two women passing the A-rank test. It is only a matter of cash to raise their rank." Mauricius commented with a lustful look. "Think I have a chance with one of those girls?"

"Man, now you make me jealous. I also want an all-female party of hot chicks!" Petrus groaned.

"Do they have a magician? Maybe I can discuss some magic with her." Alypius said with clearly ulterior intentions.

"Heh, then tough luck. I heard the leader, Gerhart, already called dibs on all four of them! You should find some other pussy." Veneranda sneered at the men, not caring much.

As a female warrior, she was used to dirty talk and was no virgin. Of course, she never entertained the notion of mixing business with pleasure, so she steered clear from sleeping with her three comrades.

"Damn. Lucky bastard." The three men cursed.

Just then-

"ROAR!"

"GRAAA!"

"AHHH!"

They heard the distant roars of the undead, hundreds of them, followed by fighting.

"What the?! Which idiot triggered the Attraction Circle trap on the 50th floor?! Are they suicidal?!" Veneranda exclaimed.

"Poor bastards. The gods be with them." Mauricius gave a small prayer.

"Did they do it deliberately?" Alypius wondered.

"Regardless if they did or not, it is not our business. Let us stay away from them." Petrus decided and turned to Aithali, who finished picking the loot. "Aithali, follow."

"Yes, master." Aithali numbly said as she followed them in the opposite direction of the noise.

Gradually, the noises calmed down as they continued exploring, fighting monsters as they did. They naively thought that things would be over with this. However, three hours later-

"ROAR!"

"GRAAA!"

"WHAT?! AGAIN?!" The Dark Hawks exclaimed.

Once was fine and understandable, but twice within three hours? That was abnormal.

What's worse was that it was now closer to them.

With a darkened expression, Petrus ordered, "Continue moving away!"

"I don't believe it would happen a third time." Petrus thought with a frown.

Three hours later, their group walked through a suspiciously monster-bereft path.

"Weird. Where are the monsters? Did another party clear them?" Mauricius frowned.

"Maybe. We are not the only ones who farm monsters here." Veneranda said.

"I don't like this..." Petrus frowned.

"Hey, look! What's that?" Alypius exclaimed as he crouched down to observe scattered sand dust.

"It's just dust, right? Ignore it." Veneranda pursed her lips.

"No, it isn't just dust, but Drained Magic Stone Dust?" Alypius said with a strange look.

Drained Magic Stone Dust was an alchemical byproduct after extracting the energy from Magic Stones. It wasn't something you would expect to find in a dungeon. He estimated there were several dozen to make that much dust.

"Strange, very strange, it looks like someone sat there?" Alypius muttered as he observed.

"... We turn back." Petrus suddenly said.

"Hah? But-"

"NOW!" Petrus barked an order.

He had a creeping bad feeling about this. But it was too late.

"ROAR!"

"GRAAA!"

"FUCK!" The Dark Hawks had an ugly expression on their faces.

The growls were now close, very close, and all around them. They were close to the center of the activation of the Attraction Trap.

That left them with only one option.

"Run!" Petrus ordered as he ran the way they came from, monsters closing on them.

The other three members followed the orders and started running, and the female Tinkerer, Aithali, ran after them, but-

"KYA!" Aithali suddenly exclaimed, falling to the ground due to her short legs.

"Shit!" Veneranda cursed as she was about to rush to pick her up, but Mauricius stopped her.

"Don't stop running, fool! Run!" The cleric said as he forcefully dragged the female warrior.

"But she has our Magic Stones!" Veneranda said, unconcerned about the demi-human slave's life and death. She was more concerned about their loot.

To them, B-rank adventurers, Aithali, a slave they could find anywhere in the slave market, was highly dispensable.

"We will pick it up from her corpse, then. Run!" Mauricius let go of Veneranda and started running.

Veneranda winced but still followed.

"Ah..." Aithali watched in despair as her masters left her for dead.

She tried getting up to run, but the monsters were already closing in on her. Emotionless green eyes flickered in the dark, hell-bent on killing all living beings.

"So this is how I die... You were right, dad. I am an idiot who couldn't learn your craft and will die here." She bitterly thought as she closed her eyes, waiting for the sweet release of death.

A Black Skeleton soldier with a spear was about to impale her and end her torment. Just then-

Thud* Thud* Thud* Thud*

"Eh?" Aithali heard heavy footsteps and opened her eyes to witness a scene she would never forget.

BAM* CRUNCH*

"Ah..." Aithali uttered with a wide mouth as she saw the mighty level 50 Black Skeleton that took her masters minutes to kill being crushed by a charging man with a shield. It took but a moment.

Rattle* Rattle* Rattle*

The bones scattered on the ground and slowly dissipated, turning into two Magic Stones as the man turned to look at her with sympathy, "So your owners abandoned you too, hah? I know how that feels."

Aithali's eyes flashed with complicated emotions.

"I... Behind you!" Aithali widened her eyes as she pointed behind Gerhart.

But the man ignored her as a beautiful woman suddenly came over and slashed the approaching Black Skeleton in half before killing other Black Skeletons.

"Gerhart! Let's move!" Qold said as she picked a few Magic Stones on the run.

"I know," Gerhart said as he threw his cleaver at a group of Black Skeletons, crushing them with sheer force before picking up the shocked Tinkerer girl with her bag as if picking a chick.

"W-Wha?!" Aishali widened her eyes as Gerhart started running the way her masters ran away.

Aithali then saw this group of three defeating monster after monster as they continued to run, eventually halting in front of a group of familiar people.

Gerhart's group met the Dark Hawks.

"What the... Are you the jackasses who triggered the Attraction Circle all the time?!" Veneranda's pretty face contorted, snarling at them.

"Highly likely." Alypius nodded.

"Bastards... Wait, is that Aithali on that man's shoulder." Mauricius said, looking at their slave.

"Ah, perfect! We are the Dark Hawks. That slave and the bag belong to us. Can you give them back?" Petrus requested.

"You can have your belongings... But I want her as a finder's fee." Gerhart said, pointing at Aithali.

"Youvamorian?" Petrus frowned as he looked toward their multilingual brainiac, Alypius.

"You speak Youvamorian? Are you perhaps the new explorers?" Alypius asked, noticing the two beautiful women accompanying them.

"We are. I will repeat my question. I want this Tinkerer as my finder's fee." Gerhart replied.

"You want... Her? Wait for a moment." Alypius was baffled by his request but still consulted with his group.

"He wants Aithali? Why?" The others were equally as confused.

They didn't care much for her. At most, she was a disposable slave. Besides, she was left for dead just now, so it was unexpected that she survived.

Aithali was exceedingly cheap, barely costing 150 Silver Coins. She was useless, talentless, ugly, and stupid, only suitable for simple labor, her only talent being a Jack of all Trades, a useless talent to have with her low intelligence. They bought her since her small stature allowed her to pick Magic Stones faster. That was all she was fit for. In terms of pricing, she was barely worth five 50th-floor Magic Stones.

"Why do you want her?" Alypius asked.

"Nothing special. I rented a new manor and needed a diminutive slave to enter smaller places. I figured I could take her instead of taking a trip to the Slave Market." Gerhart gave a random excuse.

The members of Dark Hawks looked at each other before nodding, "Okay, you can have her. Please give us our bag."

They didn't have any reason to reject. Falling out with another Dungeon Explorer party in the dungeon, one of a higher rank, was foolish to do over a disposable slave they left for dead. On the other hand, the bag had over a hundred Magic Stones! With that kind of money, they could buy two dozen slaves like Aithali!

Gerhart lightly smiled, putting Aithali down and removing her bag before throwing it to the Dark Hawks. Veneranda, catching it, opened the bag and saw it filled with Magic Stones before sighing in relief. "Okay, everything is in order."

"Thank you for giving us our belongings back. After returning to the guild, we will officially transfer Aithali to you." Petrus said, turning around to leave.

"Okay. Bye." Gerhart said.

He wasn't afraid they would go back on their word. Aithali was just not worth it. At least, for them, that is.

When he looked at her Status, he resisted not bursting into wild laughter.

Name: Aithali
Race: Tinkerer
Age: 18
Sex: Female
Level: 1

Skills: (+)

Base Stats:

Secondary Stats: (+)

Talents:

{Unique Talent - Jack of All Trades(Evolvable): Minorly increases affinity to all crafting skills. Can Evolve.}

{Unique Talent - Creative Mind(Unawakened): Increases intelligence and creative thinking. Unawakened.}

{Unique Talent - Technomancer(Unawakened): Increases Magic, Intelligence, Perception, and Dexterity. In addition, it increases Magic Control and affinities to Metal, Electricity, and Advanced Technology. Unawakened.}

"Hahaha! The best way to find something is to stop looking for it!" Gerhart mentally laughed.