Chapter 10 - New Enemies
The next day, Zack woke up and went to buy new clothes without wasting time. Fortunately, those were being sold close to the dungeon. In the shops of the Thunder Guardians guild, they showed a lot of stuff from their territories outside since they had a lot of those things. Their territories were essentially used to harvest materials that would help them fight against each other.
Zack felt a bit weird buying a full set of dark leather clothes. He stood out quite a bit while wearing that, but at least he immediately felt warmer. They looked like simple clothes, but they truly had magic effects. They cost five thousand credits, though…
The exterior of the guild headquarters was a sight to behold. Massive stone walls reinforced with steel encircled the compound, providing a formidable barrier against any potential threats. Turrets lined the walls, manned by guards who kept a vigilant watch over the surrounding area.
At the entrance, a pair of intricately carved wooden doors stood sentinel, adorned with the guild's emblem: a fearsome thunderbolt striking through a shield. Flanked by statues of guild hunters, the doors opened into a grand courtyard where guild members congregated and prepared for their missions, or visitors proceeded with their routine to use their services.
Inside, the guild headquarters was a hive of activity. The main hall was spacious and grand, with high ceilings and polished marble floors. Banners bearing the guild's insignia hung from the walls, while rows of wooden benches provided seating for guild members awaiting their assignments.
"I heard this guild focused on making a lot of money, so they also control where their hunters go," Zack thought when he noticed the people around him staring at him.
In any case, Zack ignored that and just proceeded to talk with the guild's receptionist. This time, it was a man wearing glasses and had this air of seriousness and non-nonsense policy. Wearing a suit and very neatly brushed to the side black hair, Zack felt that this kind of guy would be very hard to interact with.
"How can we help you?"
"I want to use the territory of the giant ice slimes," Zack said.
"The cost to use the teleportation circle for that zone will be five thousand credits."
Zack passed his credit card, and soon, its value was discounted. Before long, the receptionist began to guide him to the teleportation room in question. The receptionist and the mages around the teleportation circle didn't feel like wasting time, so they quickly teleported Zack as soon as he stepped on it.
"Time is money… I guess they are truly living by that saying," Zack said when he was teleported.
Zack found himself in a scene of desolation. The cityscape around him was in ruins, blanketed by a thick layer of snow that glistened in the pale sunlight. It was a haunting sight, a stark reminder of the devastation wrought by the monster invasion.
Many of the buildings had collapsed entirely, reduced to piles of rubble and debris. Others stood precariously, their structural integrity compromised by years of neglect and decay. Jagged edges jutted out at odd angles, creating a maze of obstacles for anyone brave enough to venture through the city.
Nature had begun to reclaim the city, its relentless growth evident in the way vines and ivy snaked their way up the sides of crumbling buildings. Snow-covered trees sprouted from cracks in the pavement, their branches reaching skyward in a desperate attempt to reach for sunlight. It was a surreal sight of urban decay and natural beauty, a testament to the resilience of life in the face of adversity. Still, Zack didn't have much time to think about that since he soon heard the sound of the giant ice slimes approaching.
The giant ice slimes were one-meter-long spheres of ice that rolled around the area in search of targets. Calling them giant with a size like that seemed laughable. Still, they were extremely hard and then froze everything they touched, so their name deserved some respect… one of them approached Zack from behind. Soon, he activated Auto Aim and put three nails on the spot again and again.
The nails pierced the same spot and stopped the creature's movement simultaneously. Five of them created a crack in the monster's body, but the beast seemed a lot more resilient than Zack had assumed. He had some free points, but first, he decided to see how much he needed to kill them with his current strength.
Once the cracks on the monster's body appeared, Zack had an easier time making the nails pierce. Still, it took twenty of them to eventually make the beast stop completely… that was quite a high amount.
(You received 20 XP.)
"At least they grant a lot of XP," Zack thought. "Anyway, nails could have worked on the Petrifying Eyes, but I need something else against these guys. I either need extra power or a different type of projectile."
While Zack was thinking about that, he looked around for a place to hide and think. That was a bit annoying, but it was probably his best option. He had to think and find the most efficient answers, after all.
"I still have the Anti-Blood Knives… they are heavier, too. I need to find a good use for them here." Zack thought.