FVN Chapter 349 Party 6
Chapter 349 Party 6
349 Party 6
"We're finally here..."
I exhaled, leaning against the windowsill as I gazed out at the sprawling landscape below.
From the fourth floor of our lodging, the view was surprisingly serene—the town of Savel stretched out beneath us, a blend of bustling merchant activity and the occasional quiet alleyway.
Beyond that, the dark silhouette of the distant forest swayed with the night breeze, carrying with it a crisp, fresh scent that was oddly calming.
My mind, however, wasn't at ease.
[The Unmanned Cult]
That was the name of the dungeon we'd be tackling tomorrow.
It was scheduled to open at midnight, though there was no real need for us to rush in immediately.
A dungeon designed to test a player's reaction time, control, and party management—in simpler terms, it was a combat simulator against humanoid opponents, where enemy attack patterns constantly shifted and adapted.
Inside, humanoid golems patrolled the ruins, but unlike the imperial constructs stationed in this town, the ones within
The Unmanned Codex were remnants of a forgotten era—ancient relics of a civilization lost to time.
If my memory served me right, the lore behind the dungeon tied back to a mad scientist from centuries before the Eastern Empire was founded.
His name was Unma, a martial artist and an archmagus who had sought to merge martial arts with advanced technology.
And... he succeeded.
The golems inside the dungeon weren't just mindless machines; they were living embodiments of combat mastery, programmed with the knowledge of generations of fighters and enhanced with mechanical precision.
A man capable of creating artificial warriors that rivaled human masters.
No wonder the people of his time killed him.
His abandoned laboratory, now nothing more than a dungeon, stood as a testament to his genius—and his downfall.
Although the lore regarding [Unma] was intriguing, the game itself never truly delved into it much like [Lavine Chronos], which was a shame.
A figure who had managed to combine martial arts and technology so seamlessly—someone who had, in essence, created living war machines—should have had a more fleshed-out backstory.
But in the end, all he amounted to was another footnote in history, his legacy buried beneath layers of forgotten ruins.
That being said, lore wasn't my priority right now.
Tomorrow, we would have to face at least hundreds of unarmed martial golems, each one comparable in strength to a B-rank monster.
Normally, that would be a daunting challenge, but considering the people in my party?
It was hardly anything to worry about.
With the kinds of cheats I had walking beside me, they would mow through those golems with ease.
The real concern lay in the dozens of armed martial golems that lurked deeper inside the dungeon—each wielding different weapon sets and possessing combat prowess equivalent to A-rank monsters.
They were faster, stronger, and infinitely more adaptable than their unarmed counterparts.
Still, I wasn't particularly worried.
Since I was planning on sitting out most of the dungeon's combat alongside Seo and Rose, the responsibility of clearing out these golems would fall on the rest of the three.
It would serve as a good opportunity for me to assess their combat capabilities—see how they handled enemies that relied on speed and unpredictability rather than brute strength.
If they could react and take down those golems efficiently, that would mean they were at the minimum level of strength I expected from them at this point.
But if they struggled...
Then I'd have no choice but to throw them straight into the [Phoenix's Dungeon] after we finished this one.
That place would force them to improve—whether they wanted to or not.
The rewards inside the dungeon should be especially beneficial for Lucas and Kagami, considering the number of elixirs and martial pills hidden within its depths.
Those items would accelerate their growth, refining their bodies and enhancing their combat abilities significantly.
Given the challenges that lay ahead, it was only logical to let them take the lion's share of those resources.
That being said, the boss's drop item—[The Sleeping Blade: Vale]—was mine.
It was a unique item, one that was often mistaken for an actual sword due to its name, but in truth, it wasn't a blade at all.
It was something far more precious—a fragment of eternal steel, the very essence of a sword's soul.
A remnant of something once whole, waiting for the right wielder to awaken it.
And I needed it.
Because with it, I could finally awaken the Ego Sword in my possession.
Since it was their first party gathering/dinner together she'd like to make an expression upon each of them.
For nobles being good at cooking wasn't really such and important reputation to have, but even still she wanted to impress them with something not of the sword at least...
Afterall there were nothing but monsters in her party.
"In the end... what was up with Lucas earlier?"
She tilted her head slightly, her thoughts drifting back to their outing this afternoon.
After they had arrived and settled into their hotel rooms, Janica and Lucas had decided to head out into the small town—partly to explore and partly to buy a few necessary supplies for the dungeon.
They had gone through several shops, picking up essentials like extra bottles of healing potions, emergency mana potions, and a few magic scrolls, just in case they needed them.
Yet, despite spending all that time together, Lucas had seemed... different.
At first, she thought he was just focused on their preparations, but as the day went on, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was on his mind.
"Was he distracted... or just in a bad mood?" she mumbled, glancing at the bubbling soup again.
Whatever it was, it was still bothering her.
All in all, everything had gone smoothly—almost too easily, in fact. Yet, throughout their entire outing, Janica couldn't help but notice that something was off about Lucas.
He had been acting strangely, his usual composed demeanor feeling just a bit off-balance, like he was deeply bothered by something.
But no matter how much time they spent together, he never once brought it up.
And that... disappointed her.
Considering how close they were, she had hoped that if something was weighing on his mind, he would at least trust her enough to share even a small part of it.
"Telling me a bit about his problems shouldn't be an issue, right?"
It wasn't as if she expected him to confide in her about everything, but the fact that he was keeping her at a distance made her wonder if... maybe, just maybe, he didn't trust her as much as she thought.
Of course, she could be overthinking it—she had a tendency to do that.
But still... weren't they childhood friends?
Shouldn't a certain level of trust come naturally between them?
And yet, even as that thought crossed her mind, she also knew that she couldn't blame him entirely.
After all... she had her own secrets too.
A soft sigh escaped her lips as she shook her head, forcing herself to push away the useless thoughts.
Whatever it was that Lucas was dealing with, she knew he meant no harm. That much, at least, she could be certain of.
Having baseless worries about it would only strain their relationship unnecessarily.
Taking a deep breath to calm both her mind and heart, Janica glanced toward the pot of soup she was making, stirring it absentmindedly as she recalled Lucas's face.
Maybe it wasn't much, but... she could at least make sure the food he ate was good for him.
"Making this a bit healthier shouldn't be a problem, right?" Janica mumbled to herself, tilting her head in thought.
She glanced at the pot, watching the gentle swirl of the broth as the aroma filled the small kitchen.
The extra ingredients she had in mind might slightly alter the taste, but not to the point where it would become unpleasant.
Lucas wasn't a picky eater.
Even if the flavor changed a little, he wouldn't complain—probably.
And if it helped him, even just a little...
She'd take that small victory.
Thinking so, Janica nodded to herself, a gentle smile forming on her lips.
Since Lucas wasn't the type to fuss over food, there was a good chance he'd simply eat whatever she served without much thought.
But would he actually enjoy it?
That was another matter.
"Hehe~ they say the way to a man's heart is through a woman's cooking, filled with the recipe of love... Maybe I can finally make that stone heart of his beat?"
She chuckled to herself at the playful thought, her cheeks slightly warming.
With that small boost of confidence, Janica stirred the soup with renewed enthusiasm, carefully adding a handful of fresh herbs into the broth.
Their earthy fragrance mixed with the rich aroma of the simmering soup, making her heart feel just a bit lighter.
Even if Lucas never noticed the effort she put into this, even if he simply ate the soup without a second thought—that was fine.
She just wanted to do something for him.