Chapter Seventy-Four: The Nest of Flames

No creatures from the depths emerged to disturb them during their rest. Once they were recovered, everyone quickly packed up their belongings and, under Jenn’s direction, pressed deeper into the shadowy underworld. Naturally, Ralph and Liam, unable to contain their curiosity, approached Jenn to ask what was going on. Jenn did not conceal the truth; he explained everything straightforwardly.

The reason those subterranean monsters dared not approach was, in fact, the very mushrooms Bix had cooked. Though their roasted aroma made a human’s mouth water, for the creatures of these shadowy realms, the scent was unbearable—even nauseating. Enhanced with Bix’s choice of spices, the odor was tantamount to a poison gas bomb. Most monsters that rely on their sense of smell for hunting have keen noses, making this stench insufferable. At the first whiff, they would give the area a wide berth.

Ralph and Liam could only click their tongues in amazement. To them, the savory aroma seemed as enticing as the finest sauce over roast meat, enough to set their fingers twitching and their mouths watering. Little did they expect that such a fragrance could so repulse the monsters of the underworld, driving them away without a fight. It was yet another testament to the uncanny wonders of these subterranean depths.

But their sense of marvel quickly faded.

A wave of stifling heat swept over them, baking the very air into a dry heaviness that scorched their lungs with every breath. Even under the shield of holy light, the sight before them—an expanse illuminated by scarlet fire—made them draw sharp, heated breaths.

“We’re nearly there,” Jenn announced, halting his steps.

Only then did the others take stock of their surroundings. By the radiance of the holy light, they could see they stood within a vast underground cavern. Unlike other caves, however, the ceiling here was riddled with countless holes, resembling an immense honeycomb. Faint traces of blood were visible, but Jenn clearly had no intention of advancing further.

“Jenn, what is this place? And what exactly are we up against?” Liam asked, recognizing that what lay ahead must be their true adversary.

“If I’m not mistaken, this is the nest of the fire lizards. It seems these creatures couldn’t resist making a scene after all…” A slight smile played at Jenn’s lips.

In truth, Jenn had joined this patrol for one reason: to use human hands to rid himself of the three troublesome races lurking around his dungeon. Of these, the fire lizards vexed him most. Though they were weaker in battle than the bear goblins and no match for the terrorclaws, they possessed a most infuriating trait—burrowing.

Indeed, fire lizards were avid diggers, and worse, the tunnels they made were just wide enough for themselves alone, impassable to other creatures. It was as if someone had left a house-sized block of cheese before an army of mice—the result was a warren of holes everywhere. As the dungeon’s master, Jenn loathed these burrowing pests. He was sick of the incessant system prompts warning, “Your dungeon is under attack.” The damned lizards delighted in undermining his walls. Fortunately, Jenn had banshees who could pass through walls; otherwise, evicting the fire lizards would be a true headache.

But a cat-and-mouse game can only be amusing for so long. For the sake of lasting peace, Jenn decided to eliminate the fire lizards once and for all. Alone, he was short-handed, but with the help of these humans, the problem would be solved.

“Fire lizards? Are they difficult to deal with?” Liam asked anxiously. Jenn merely shrugged.

“In the underworld, fire lizards aren’t especially strong. Their danger lies in numbers. Fire lizards usually hunt in packs. They’re aggressive, with fangs and claws sharp enough to pierce leather armor, and they can breathe fire. But beyond that, they are not particularly remarkable.”

“That’s all…”

Liam and Ralph exchanged wry glances. Jenn’s “not particularly remarkable” monsters were already a hundred times more dangerous than any beast on the surface! By the Lord’s grace, even on the surface, magical beasts were rarely encountered, and mercenaries mostly dealt with wild wolves and the like. Running into two or three magical beasts was considered dreadful luck. Yet here, in the shadowy depths, monsters seemed to come in droves…

Just then, a sarcastic voice spoke up beside them.

“So, according to Mr. Jenn, there are even more troublesome monsters down here than these fire lizards?”

Everyone’s expressions shifted as they turned toward the speaker. Cotton stood there, sneering, his eyes narrowed as he stared at Jenn. Ralph’s face changed—he sensed trouble. Liam, however, was baffled. As a paladin, he was strong but not worldly. He’d been impressed by Jenn’s earlier defeat of Doro, but hadn’t thought to smooth things over with Cotton, which had left Cotton—and the Church by extension—resentful.

Iris and Bix looked on in astonishment, unable to fathom Cotton’s intentions. Both born in the underworld, they respected strength above all. By their world’s rules, Jenn had already demonstrated his superiority; the weak simply obeyed. This was as immutable as the law of gravity. Iris, able to gauge Cotton’s strength at a glance, was nearly stunned to see him challenging Jenn. To her, it was as nonsensical as someone claiming the earth was square and the sky was round.

A mere high-ranked warrior, daring to act up before a demon lord—was this human sane?

Cotton, aware of Iris’s surprise, did not retreat. Instead, he lifted his head proudly, squinting at Jenn. Men love to show off before women, and Cotton was no exception. He’d noticed Iris seemed to harbor a vague fear of Jenn, so he seized the opportunity to display his “defiance of authority,” hoping to win her notice.

So far, his plan seemed to be working.

Bolstered by this, Cotton addressed Jenn again. “Well, Mr. Jenn? Won’t you enlighten us? What else lurks down here, more dangerous than fire lizards?”

Ralph’s brows drew into a tight line. As a seasoned mercenary leader, he’d seen every sort of trouble—and Cotton was trouble. But Liam was not so wary. Though he found Cotton’s tone impolite, he too was eager to learn more about the underworld’s dangers. He spoke up: “Yes, Mr. Jenn, please tell us.”

Jenn glanced at Liam and nodded, ignoring Cotton as if he didn’t exist.

“It’s nothing extraordinary. If one were to draw a comparison, fire lizards are the equivalent of a wolf pack on the surface. There are far worse threats here. The most troublesome are the terrorclaws—tall, with talons sharper than longswords, bodies covered in thick carapace, impervious to blades or arrows, and even magic struggles to harm them. In the underworld, terrorclaws are the most formidable opponents—no living thing would willingly face one.”

“Not even a paladin?” Cotton pressed, having noticed Liam’s naivety and seeking to draw him in for his own safety. If Jenn harbored any ill intentions, surely he would hesitate to act against a member of the Church.

“That’s enough idle talk for now,” Jenn interjected, dismissing Cotton’s question and turning to Liam.

“Judging by the evidence, it’s the fire lizards attacking the patrols. They live in the lava, which we cannot enter. Our only option is to lure them out and fight them head-on. Are you all prepared for that?”

“Prepared? Do these fire lizards have other peculiarities?” Liam had nearly been distracted by the earlier conversation about terrorclaws, but Jenn’s return to the main issue brought him back to the task at hand—for Lord Lox’s mission was more important than idle chatter.

“Yes.” Jenn’s expression grew solemn as he regarded the group.

“Fire lizards do not stop until every intruder in their territory is dead. Once they realize we’ve trespassed, they will attack us relentlessly. Don’t expect them to retreat, no matter how many fall. Every creature in the underworld is fiercely territorial; even if only one fire lizard remains, it will fight to the end. When we signal the attack, we’ll face a hundred fire lizards or more—so steel yourselves for a desperate battle.”

Indeed, this was why Jenn had not dealt with the fire lizards before. They were as numerous as goblins, but unlike goblins, who would flee when outmatched, fire lizards fought to the last. Against such foes, only superior numbers would suffice—and Jenn’s entire dungeon boasted fewer than fifty creatures. Relying solely on his xenomorphs was too risky, and he was unwilling to sacrifice his own forces in this way.

But humans… well…

“This…” Liam hesitated, troubled by Jenn’s warning. Regardless of the fire lizards’ strength, their unyielding spirit was intimidating. After a moment’s pause, he looked to Jenn again.

“Mr. Jenn, do you think we can win?”

“If you follow my orders, destroying the fire lizards is no problem. They’re fierce but lack intelligence, making them easy to handle.”

“Good!” Liam nodded firmly. “Then I leave it to you, Mr. Jenn—let us rid the world of these evil denizens of the depths together!”