S-Class Dungeon’s Mistress - Chapter 58

“What do you mean die?”

“Mind your language.” Adelaide hit Caladium’s side with her elbow.

“You’re becoming more violent these days.” Caladium murmured, and pretended to be hurt again.

“What about the trap room, finding a way back…”

“There seems to be no way back.”

Lisianthus looked around and answered calmly. It seemed that all the paths eventually led to this trap room. Adelaide struggled to hide her anxiety and spoke louder.

“If there is no way, we can break through! We have Caladi, don’t we?”

“Right?” Adelaide looked up at Caladium and seemed to be asking for confirmation. Caladium scratched the back of his head and opened his mouth.

“Well, let’s see.”

“Yes! Last time I saw a trap room in the Boraca dungeon, I thought I could avoid it well!”

Adelaide remembered the trap room in the Boraca Dungeon wherein fierce flames erupted from all sides. At the time, she thought it was a formidable firepower, but compared to the flames Caladium created, they no longer looked that great.

Besides, she was much stronger than she was back then. She easily defeated mid level demons, and as Lisianthus said, she was close to being a high level demon. The Skeletons and Bell have grown formidably, and the Durahans were a strong race from the start.

‘So we’ll be able to pass through the trap room!’

Adelaide clenched her fist.

However, there was something she did not take into account. The trap room in the Boraca Dungeon was only a D-Class, whereas the trap room in the Sol Dungeon was an A-Class. The difference between the two was enormous.

“How could this…”

Adelaide mumbled.

After crossing the portal, what appeared in front of the party was a vast snowfield. The white snowfield stretched out endlessly. A blizzard raged and the cold rushed in.

Adelaide’s body shivered. The cold wind felt like it was cutting into her flesh.

Obviously, this wasn’t a dungeon, so how could there be such a large space, and a snowy field at that? She fluttered her eyelashes and turned to Lisianthus. Before she could even ask, he explained.

“An A-Class trap room is really different. There’s illusion magic all over the room.”

“I-Illusion magic? H-How do we solve it?”

Adelaide unintentionally stuttered. It was so cold that it was difficult to even complete a sentence.

It was all an illusion but even the single snowflake that touched her skin felt so vivid. She heard one trap room could kill dozens or hundreds of adventurers but it was even more surprising now that she actually experienced it.

In any case, if it was all an illusion, there should be a way to defeat it somehow. Without realizing it, she slapped Lisianthus’ arm and asked for an answer. Lisianthus said as he wrapped a shawl around her, ~she did not know where it came from.

“We must find the key to unlock the illusion.”

“The key?”

“Yes. In the case of illusion trap rooms, the portal is mainly shaped like a key. If you find it, you can get out of the trap room.”

To find a little key in such a vast place, was that even possible? Adelaide’s pink eyes quivered.

“It will not be easy. Even if it’s an illusion, all of these things have physical power. And so does this cold. If you stay here too long, your body temperature will drop and you will die.”

“Th-Then, is there any other way?”

“Unless you have the power to dispel the illusion, there is no other way.”

The answer was so firm that Adelaide was speechless for a moment. Finding the key in this vast snow field was impossible no matter how much she thought about it. The moment she thought of this, her trump card came to mind.

“Caladi! Can’t Caladi find it?”

“Or do you not have the ability to dispel illusions?” Adelaide asked hurriedly.

Greenville Dungeon’s most precious talent! His personality is dog sh*t, but his face and body are so nice that it is indescribable! The self-proclaimed Great Devil of the Red Flame, Caladium!

She looked at Caladium with anticipation. But somehow, his face didn’t look very good. He frowned and kept his mouth shut.

“He’s not good at it.”

“What?”

Adelaide turned her gaze back to Lisianthus. Lisianthus took off his cloak and put it over her shoulder and spoke.

“The power of Caladium is probably specialized for fire. It won’t do much here where the only thing to burn is ice. The fire cannot spread.”

“D*mn, do you have psychic powers?”

“The A-Class physical power is even more useless here. Besides, it would be weak against the cold.”

Lisianthus expressionlessly evaluated. Come to think of it, Caladium, who had always been half-naked, was wearing tight clothes here. Adelaide said, “Oh…” and let out a sigh. The Skeletons also could not contain their disappointment as their thin bones trembled.

“How dare you look down at this Caladium…! Hey! Look Carefully!”

Caladium groaned and stretched out his hand towards the snow field. Expectant eyes reached his dignified back.

He couldn’t disappoint Adela and the Skeletons. He unleashed his power by giving strength to his shoulder.

Fire!

Adelaide was startled by the sudden burst of flames. Her body quickly warmed up as the scorching heat spread all over the place.

An intense fire raged swiftly through the snowy field. At the superb view of flames rising over the pure white snow, exclamations of “wow” came from everywhere. At that, Caladium rolled up the corners of his lips and smiled proudly.

But the joy ended there.

Despite the tasteless name of ‘Unquenchable Red Flame’, the flames that adorned the snow gradually faded away, and soon afterward, it disappeared after being soaked in the water from the melted snow. It could spread that far because it was an S-Class power, but it was still useless in this endless snowy field.

“As expected, it doesn’t work.”

“Or if you turn into a Phoenix and search for it…!”

“It would be harder to find a small key if he turns into a Phoenix. We can’t burn all these people. Moreover, Caladium’s ability should be saved in case we meet stronger demons later.”

“Transforming into a Phoenix takes quite a bit of magic.” Lisianthus added.

“What…”

As the heat that had warmed the air for a moment disappeared like when the snow melted, the bitter cold came again. Bell whined and buried himself in Adelaide’s arms.

“I can’t. Even if I have to go back to the beginning, I can’t go this way. Let’s go back.”

Adelaide made her decision.

If they tried to pass by here, they would all die, just as Caladium foretold. Fortunately, the Skeletons didn’t seem to be too cold, but Bell was still struggling. The situation of the Durahans was also not very good. They needed to hurry up and leave so that her precious demons wouldn’t get hurt.

“It’s not possible.”

Lisianthus shook his head resolutely.

“The portal is already blocked. There is no other way out.”

Adelaide turned behind her in surprise. As he said, the portal they had just entered had already turned red. It means they couldn’t go out.

Then what should I do? She bit her lips hard. She felt Bell rubbing his body in her arms.

“Caladi, hug him.”

She handed Bell, who seemed to be struggling the most, to Caladium since his body was the warmest. Barely moving, he quietly embraced the bell.

“It’s okay if it’s small but can you keep making fire around us? To keep the temperature from dropping and melt the ice to find the key.”

“Caladi’s role is the most important.” Adelaide comforted him. Caladium, who gained confidence again, nodded his head vigorously.

“As the other demons comb through the ice, watch out for the key. Caladi can carry Bell while he smells it.”

“Yes! Trust us! We are a race that died in the harsh cold of dungeons and became monsters, so this cold is nothing!”

“The Durahans will not disappoint you!”

“Woof!”

The demons gathered their strength.

After that, the group walked through the snowy field. Caladium fired flames here and there to melt the solid ice, and the Durahans and Skeletons swung their swords through the pile of snow.

Adelaide spread her wings and flew around, busily looking for the key. Lisianthus persuaded her to rest, but she wouldn’t listen. “My babies are working hard. I can’t be the only one resting!” Adelaide said proudly.

But the situation was getting worse.

With each step, the blizzard grew stronger, the colder got worse, and it was difficult to see ahead. Even though they had already walked for too long, the snowfield did not end in sight. The key could not be found either.

“Haa, Haa…”

“Cough, Cough!”

Her companions were exhausted. The Skeletons were covered in so much snow that it was impossible to tell whether they were a Skeleton or a snowman and the Durahans coughed constantly.

Even the flames of Caladium could not stop the continuous cold. Adelaide’s face gradually turned pale.

“… If there is no way, you can declare a renunciation.”

Lisianthus, who noticed her blue lips, gave advice. Once they shout “Give up”, the attack would end. Then her life could be saved.

Adelaide looked around her quietly. She was in a situation where she could not find even the slightest hope.

If she gave up, the demons belonging to her could return unharmed. But she would not be able to save Raham. A large number of demons and one Raham. If she put them on a scale, she was sure which side would be heavier, but Adelaide didn’t want to measure anyone’s worth.

‘How great would it be if all the illusions suddenly disappeared.’

Adelaide closed her eyes and looked up. But, of course, no such miracle happened.

‘No, I would rather find the key. If that doesn’t work, even a hidden portal like in Boraca Dungeon…’

This, too, was like a miracle. She opened her eyes and lamented at her own inability to do anything but hope for a miracle.

Paah!

At that moment, a blue light flashed behind her.

Adelaide slowly turned her head and looked behind her. A portal that glistened blue light appeared in her sight. It wasn’t there a minute ago.

‘Am I hallucinating?’

Was it so cold that her brain had lost its reason? She bit her tongue. Along with her pain was the taste of fishy blood. The portal was still there.

“W-What? This… A Hidden Portal?”

“Wow! We’ll live!”

Following Caladium, the Skeletons cheered. She bit her tongue for nothing, but she was happy nonetheless. Adelaide grabbed their hands and shouted.

“A miracle must have happened!”

“No.”

Smirk. Lisianthus let out a smile. Unlike the others, he was in very good shape. He even took off his cloak which he gave to Adelaide, but the color of his face never changed.

“It is not a miracle, but the power of the Master.”