I Have a Task Log

"Hey, scumbag! Just you wait, I’m gonna twist your head clean off!"

Kase’s roar echoed through the hall, powerful enough to make one’s head pound.

Colin let out a sigh of relief. ’Looks like the trouble on the Half-Orc’s end is dealt with!’

The Female Drow scrambled backward, raising her Holy Emblem and shouting, "In the eight-legged holy name of the Spider Goddess Queen Lolth, by the starless, eternal night of The Underdark, I swear this pact by the blood of the Spider Queen’s chosen..."

Seeing this, Colin knew it was bad and rushed forward, trying to interrupt his opponent’s prayer.

Nearby, Dorn also gripped his weapon and charged forward to help his companion.

The Snake Whip in the Female Drow’s hand writhed left and right. Though it failed to block every attack, it managed to intercept several fatal blows, allowing its wielder to finish reciting the prayer.

"...I summon thee—Maiden of Molten Wax, rise from the Abyss Wax River! Heed the will of the goddess and obey my command!"

As the prayer was chanted, the surrounding darkness seemed to thicken, becoming like a dark, viscous swamp that brought with it an inexplicable sense of suffocation.

Having failed to interrupt, Colin cursed under his breath. He relaxed his stance and retreated several steps, and Dorn came to stand beside him.

Dorn frowned. "This is almost certainly a Summoning Magic."

"What’s being summoned is probably a Demon from the Lower Realm," Colin said.

The Divine Kingdom of the Spider Goddess, the Main God of the Drow, is located in the Bottomless Abyss. Because of this, Drow aren’t wary of Demons the way Surface mortals are. On the contrary, they frequently cooperate with them; the small shrine to the Master of the Faceless the group had encountered earlier was the perfect example.

Just as the two prepared to face the summoned Demon, the Female Drow suddenly let out a hysterical shriek, clutching her head and frantically tearing at her hair.

After a few seconds, the screaming stopped abruptly.

The Drow Priest’s head snapped back, and she collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Colin didn’t dare relax. He assumed the Long Point Stance, his sword aimed at the fallen enemy.

After a moment, nothing in the hall had changed.

He asked cautiously, "Is this part of the summoning ritual?"

"I don’t know," Dorn replied from beside him. "Let’s wait and see."

Just then, Kase charged over from the opposite corridor with his Giant Axe slung over his shoulder. He brought it down on the Female Drow’s head, and even as it was smashed to a pulp, the body on the ground remained perfectly still.

Seeing this, Colin let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and collapsed to the floor.

He looked down to inspect himself, then held out his right hand, palm open.

His armor was caked in drying blood, and the wounds on his thigh and neck were still seeping.

In terms of sheer terror, this was probably his worst fight yet.

The power of that Tier Five Magic had been staggering. Even now, Colin felt a lingering fear just thinking about it.

He pulled himself together and looked at Kase. "Is it dealt with over there?"

"Pretty much," Kase said. "That guy was only able to fight me because of his Witchcraft. Without Magic, he was no match for me."

Compared to Colin, the Half-Orc’s injuries were even more horrifying. He was covered from head to toe in cuts and blood, with several Poison Darts still stuck in his chest. You could hardly find a patch of unscathed skin on him.

Just then, Ale came limping over, supporting Orelia.

Like Colin, both of them had been within the radius of the Tier Five Magic. They were also covered in blood and looked absolutely miserable, bearing additional knife wounds and spider bites.

Colin glanced at Orelia’s hands.

Her palms were covered in bloody scabs, the result of what looked like severe burns.

"What was that Daylight spell just now?" Colin asked.

"When I’m in danger, I can cast a Tier Three Magic, but only once a day," Orelia said, starting to rummage through her pack for medical supplies.

Unable to watch her use her injured hands, Ale gently took the pack and began searching for her.

"I’ve used up all my Divine Art, Colin," Orelia said, forcing a smile. "All we have now are bandages."

"That’s why we brought these supplies," Colin said, still concerned about her burns. "There’s nothing... special about these wounds, is there?"

"The Morninglord’s Divine Power directly inflicted Damage on my soul, so these burns can’t be healed with Divine Art. I’ll just have to wait for them to recover on their own. It will probably take a few days of rest."

Colin, still sitting on the floor, sighed.

"As much as I hope you never have to use that Magic again, I know that’s not realistic... Honestly, if it hadn’t been for that Daylight spell, we would have been in extreme danger. You saved our lives, Orelia."

"So what was that all about? The Magic, I mean," Dorn asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

"It’s from before, in... Forget it. Just let me rest for a minute." Colin gasped, he was too exhausted to talk.

He had used up most of his Magic, his physical Power was all but depleted, and his mind and body were running on fumes. The fact that he hadn’t passed out yet was a testament to his endurance.

"Wait."

"Someone’s coming."

Kase and Dorn spoke one after the other.

Those two sentences immediately made the relaxing group tense up all over again.

Sure enough, the next moment, several figures in Cloaks vaulted up from the edge of the corridor.

Through his Night Vision Helmet, Colin saw the newcomers’ white hair and slender figures.

’We’re screwed. Another group of Drow... Our luck has really run out this time.’

Colin mustered his strength, using his sword as a crutch to get to his trembling feet. The others beside him gripped their weapons again, preparing for a fight.

"You damn Mercenaries! Who’s your employer? Where did the people you attacked go?" a slightly hoarse voice called out from among the Drow.

’Attacked? Wait a minute... I think the Drow Boss said he would send reinforcements after his companions returned.’

"We’re the ones who were being tracked by the Drow," Colin said, then felt his phrasing was a bit strange. He quickly added, "We’re field personnel from Thousand Masts City!"

"Don’t lie!" one of the Drow said flatly. "A Half-Elf, a Half-Orc, a Half-Demon, and a Gray Dwarf... you’re Adventurers from the Underworld, aren’t you?"

"*You’re* the Gray Dwarf!"

Colin stepped forward, blocking the shouting Dorn, and held out his hand to display the Seal Ring on his finger.

The Drow in front of them hesitated for a moment before the same one spoke again. "I heard it was the Wolf Hunter who needed reinforcements. Show us some proof!"

’Proof? How can I... ’

Colin said tentatively, "We came down here to help Five-Stringed transport some supplies. The Drow Boss gave us a letter before we left."