I’m gathering information about dungeons again today.
I’ve heard reports of a massive monster outbreak in the dungeons around here.
The rate of monster proliferation is so abnormal that ordinary dungeon streamers can’t handle it anymore.
At this rate, the dungeon might become overrun with monsters, making exploration and investigation impossible.
To investigate the abnormal proliferation and to take down the monsters, I’ve decided to take on this dungeon.
I explained the situation to everyone and had them head towards the dungeon.
“An abnormal increase in monsters, huh? Rare monsters have been appearing recently, too. Could it be that the dungeons around here are becoming more active?”
Shiba-san seemed to be concerned about something.
But it’s not like we’re experts in dungeon studies or anything.
There are still many mysteries surrounding dungeons, and we don’t really know what causes these outbreaks or the appearance of rare monsters.
“Well, Shiba-san, let’s just focus on defeating all the monsters for now,” Sakiya said optimistically. Even though he hesitated to fight monsters at first, now he’s become quite adept at taking them down without a second thought.
I guess you could say he’s grown stronger.
With everyone on board, we headed to the dungeon where the monster outbreak had occurred.
The moment the stream started, monsters appeared right away.
“Seriously, already?!”
Like fans waiting backstage, the monsters immediately attacked everyone.
It’s as if they’ve been programmed to attack as soon as humans enter their line of sight. The surprise attack caught us off guard.
“Everyone, fall back!”
Daigo-san intercepted the monster’s attack with his staff. Then, using the momentum, he counterattacked, sending the monster flying.
Slimes, goblins, beastmen, giant insects—there was a wide variety of monsters.
I never expected the monster population to have grown this much.
“In a way, it was the right call to come here. If we’d waited any longer, it might have been too late,” Daigo-san said, analyzing the situation as he retreated to the rear.
Indeed, it feels like we can still handle things at this stage. But if the numbers increase any further, even Shiba-san and the others will likely struggle.
“Fighting these monsters without buffs is reckless. Let’s focus on defense until Kaito-kun can cast his buff spells. Once we’re buffed, we’ll go on the offensive,” Shiba-san instructed, and everyone assumed a defensive stance.
Preparation is key in situations like this.
When facing powerful enemies, it’s crucial to enhance ourselves with magic first; otherwise, we’ll have a tough time.
Rushing in with full-force attacks right away wouldn’t help us overcome this situation.
“Time to test my new weapon,” Ikezawa -san said, gripping her mace and preparing to strike a monster.
“Kaito-kun, there’s no need to attack recklessly now. Just focus on protecting yourself,” Daigo-san said calmly. Ikezawa -san, being a magic type, was quite fragile defensively.
If she attacked poorly and got countered, she’d take serious damage.
A beastman tried to slash at Sakiya with its claws, but the metallic clang of his blade deflecting the attack echoed through the air.
Sakiya parried the beastman’s strike with his sword.
“We can’t just stay on the defensive forever, or we’ll be overwhelmed,” Sakiya said, growing impatient as the buffs hadn’t been applied yet.
The comments from viewers were also filled with worry.
- “This is way too many monsters.”
- “They’re surrounded. It’s over.”
- “They’re near the exit; maybe they should retreat…”
Just as the tension from the enemy’s onslaught began to rise, Ikezawa -san suddenly broke into a smile.
“It’s here! The energy is charged! Time for a comeback! Let’s go, everyone!”
Ikezawa -san imbued her voice with magic and cast an enhancement spell over everyone.
With the boost from the spell, Shiba-san and Sakiya moved faster than usual and finally went on the offensive.
“Alright, this should do it…!”
Shiba-san thrust his spear into a monster, taking it down in a single blow. He quickly moved on to another monster, piercing it and continuing to eliminate the enemies one by one.
“Take this!”
Sakiya also slashed through a slime with his sword. Although his pace wasn’t as fast as Shiba-san’s, he was still handling the monsters with ease.
“Haaahhh…!”
Daigo-san focused his energy into his magic. A massive bolt of lightning shot from his staff, electrocuting and taking down a wide area of monsters.
- “Whoa!”
- “Their movements improved all at once!”
- “This shows just how important buffs are.”
- “A party-wide buff is overpowered!”
As the comments mentioned, the situation dramatically improved after Ikezawa -san’s enhancement spell.
Ordinary dungeon streamers can’t cast party-wide buffs like this.
Ikezawa -san is an invaluable asset to our team. Without her, we’d be in serious trouble.
Just imagining this situation without her is terrifying.
The battle continued for a few more minutes. The massive swarm of monsters began to dwindle, and once they realized they were at a disadvantage, they scattered and started fleeing.
“Wait, come back here!”
Sakiya attempted to chase the fleeing monsters, but Shiba-san grabbed his shoulder.
“Hold on, Sakiya. Don’t go after them recklessly.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sakiya obediently stopped in his tracks.
While it was frustrating to let the monsters escape, it wasn’t safe to pursue them.
Who knows what kind of traps might be waiting for us further ahead?
“Now then, should we continue exploring from here?”
Shiba-san glanced at the camera, signaling to me for instructions.
The monsters were swarming in large numbers. If we kept eliminating them like this, their numbers might eventually stabilize.
However, the cause of this outbreak also piqued my curiosity.
If we could identify the reason behind the massive proliferation, it might help us prevent similar incidents in the future.
Dungeon streamers have a purpose: to gather information about dungeons and pass it on to those who come after us.
We should continue the investigation.
“Please proceed with the investigation. Be cautious,” I instructed Shiba-san through the intercom.
“Let’s keep exploring. This dungeon might still be hiding some secrets.”
If we can uncover the cause of the monster outbreak and eliminate it at its source, we might be able to resolve this incident.
Even if there’s no significant cause, the investigation itself is crucial.
Even findings that show it was just a coincidence could serve as valuable data.
- “So they’re continuing the investigation?”
- “Well, if Shadow Stars are on it, we can watch without worry.”
- “Is there anyone else besides this competent group who can investigate dungeons?”
As the investigation continued, viewership started to increase.
It seems like everyone is eager to find out what’s going on in this dungeon.
Dungeon streaming attracts an audience with a strong sense of curiosity about the unknown.
It’s no surprise that a potentially groundbreaking discovery would draw such a crowd.
“If we uncover the cause of the monster outbreak, do you think we might get a reward or something?”
Ikezawa -san’s tone grew lighthearted.
“There’s no bounty for identifying the cause of the outbreak, so you probably shouldn’t get your hopes up,” Shiba-san replied calmly.
It’s true that if there were individuals or groups desperate to solve the mystery, a bounty might have been offered.
But not everything conveniently comes with a reward. Even when it does, there might be ulterior motives behind it.
Like that incident with the treasure chest.
