Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 459: Dungeon

CH459 Dungeon

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Berserk Beast Nests...

They were more than mere locations where Berserk Beasts were born.

They were a phenomenon unique to Verdantis.

When Berserk Beasts gathered—whether of the same species or different ones—there existed a chance of triggering a spatial anomaly. Once the conditions were met, a pocket dimension would form, overlapping with a region of real space.

This pocket dimension could be anywhere from ten to a hundred times larger than the physical area it occupied in reality.

In other words, a space that should only contain a thousand beasts could, if left unchecked, conceal tens—or even hundreds—of thousands within.

Berserk Beast Nests were specialised habitats seemingly created by the natural laws of Verdantis itself—environments that not only supported but actively encouraged the proliferation of Berserk Beasts.

Yet paradoxically, depending on one’s perspective, these nests were also among the most valuable resource nodes in the Wildlands—an otherwise barren and unforgiving region.

According to Eleanor’s market survey, even in the heart of an arid desert ecology, meat was surprisingly abundant within Camp Red Rock.

The reason was simple.

The camp fed on the nearby Berserk Beast Nest.

However, this reliance came with a steep cost.

Despite regular hunting and culling, the beast population within the nest had ballooned far beyond safe levels. It now posed a direct threat not only to Camp Red Rock, but also to several nearby settlements.

It was well documented that every Berserk Beast Nest possessed a maximum carrying capacity.

Once that limit was exceeded, the pocket dimension would destabilise and eventually rupture—spilling its contents into the real world.

And when that happened...

The result was often a Beast Tide.

An uncontrolled surge of frenzied Berserk Beasts flooding into real space, attacking the nearest living settlements—whether of intelligent races or other beasts—with mindless aggression.

Thus, when properly managed, a Berserk Beast Nest could be a blessing.

But when neglected...

It became a ticking time bomb.

One of Alex’s expedition party’s long-term goals was to secure territory of their own. And as he had already told Zora, owning land on Verdantis meant accepting a harsh truth:

A Berserk Beast Nest could appear on your doorstep at any time.

Gaining firsthand experience with such a nest—especially in a situation where retreat was still possible—was an opportunity too valuable to ignore.

But contrary to what Alex had claimed...

That wasn’t the full reason he intended to enter the nest.

The major reason why he wanted to enter the nest was because the description of Berserk Beast Nests reminded him of something deeply familiar.

Something any avid ReadNovelFull reader or RPG gamer from his previous life would immediately recognise.

Dungeons.

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Alex and his expedition party joined Azgrug and his nest-quelling force.

At first, Alex had assumed Azgrug would rely solely on his orc warriors. However, he quickly realised he was mistaken.

The orc chief’s army—if it could even be called that—was composed not only of orcs, but of a wide variety of sapient races.

The group was made up primarily of adventurers rallied by the Copper-skinned Orc tribe.

This wasn’t particularly difficult, nor was it expensive.

After all, adventurers were a class of people who made their living travelling the world—entering nests, hunting Berserk Beasts, and scavenging resources hidden within those dangerous spaces.

In fact, rather than paying them, Azgrug actually charged a modest fee to allow these adventurers to hunt within the nest, as was standard practice.

This arrangement further reinforced Alex’s growing impression.

’This really is a dungeon,’ he thought.

Even so, Azgrug made no attempt to rally the entire group into a single, cohesive unit.

Alex silently approved of the decision.

Looking at the adventurers present, there was a chaotic mix of the competent, the reckless, and the outright unruly. Attempting to centralise command over such a group would have been a fool’s errand from the very start.

”Let’s go.”

Alex moved closer to the orc’s position.

Given that Alex’s party was currently one of the hottest topics in Camp Red Rock, their movement inevitably drew attention. A small commotion followed them, enough to draw Azgrug’s gaze.

The orc chief nodded once in acknowledgement.

Alex returned the nod and walked up beside him.

”What is your objective?” Alex asked quietly. ”Do you intend merely to thin the nest’s numbers and kill the alpha, or are you planning to eliminate the nest entirely?”

Azgrug raised an eyebrow.

Destroying a Berserk Beast Nest through conventional means was no simple task. There were generally only two recognised methods.

The first required a high-ranking professional—someone capable of manipulating laws through their domain—to sever the pocket dimension’s tether to real space, causing it to collapse naturally over time.

The second method was far more common.

It involved completely subjugating the nest—wiping out every single beast within—after which a priest would use specialised rites of the clergy to break down the residual space and dissolve the pocket dimension.

This was the method most settlements relied upon.

Just as Azgrug was about to say that they lacked the means to destroy the nest, his eyes flicked briefly toward Eleanor among Alex’s party. Whatever words he had been about to speak were swallowed back into his throat.

”The former,” Azgrug said instead. ”As much as I want to destroy the nest, Camp Red Rock is dependent on it for food. The beasts in the surrounding regions are far too dangerous for most to hunt, and even then, their numbers are nowhere near sufficient.”

”Understood,” Alex replied.

Contrary to what Azgrug assumed, Alex had only been asking out of curiosity.

While Alex believed Eleanor might be capable of collapsing the nest—since priests were known to possess such methods—he couldn’t be certain. He hadn’t asked in order to volunteer Eleanor’s services, but simply to clarify Azgrug’s intentions.

Soon, it was time to enter the nest.

For this operation, Camp Red Rock had committed a force of roughly six hundred combatants.

Azgrug led the charge with his two-hundred-strong orc army, the most disciplined and cohesive unit present. Under his command, they advanced boldly and entered the nest as a single formation.

Behind them, the four hundred adventurers were far less organised.

They entered in loose clusters—each party moving at its own pace. Some particularly confident—or perhaps insane—adventurers even chose to enter alone.

Alex and his expedition party were among the first to pass through the entrance.

The nest’s gateway lay at the mouth of a narrow valley between two low hills, opening into what appeared to be a barren plain.

The moment they crossed the threshold, the narrow valley behind them shimmered and vanished like a mirage.

Alex felt a familiar energy wash over his body.

’Spatial energy...’

Ahead of them now stretched a vast desert plain, extending as far as the eye could see.

”ROOOAAARR!!”

What had been a quiet landscape erupted into a cacophony of beastly roars echoing across the sand.

Azgrug and his orc army had already surged ahead, moving decisively toward the alpha berserk beast at the top of the nest’s food chain.

Alex, however, had no intention of following them.

”Alright,” he said calmly. ”We’re here for one thing—to experience this dun- I mean, Berserk Beast Nest.”

”We’ll move along the periphery. Stay out of the main clashes, letting the orcs and adventurers do their thing.”

He looked back at his people.

”Understood?”

”Yes, sir,” the party replied in unison.

Alex nodded.

Then, with a faint smile, he said, ”Good. Let’s go hunting.”

***