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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 61: Dungeon Raid (1)
Near the dungeon gate stood a cluster of tents, home to a ragtag bunch of bards.
They’d all gathered for one reason only—To secretly spy on a dungeon raid.
"Hey, you got a connection?"
"Hold on... yeah! It’s coming through! We’re in!!"
One of the bards was fiddling with a Crystal orb, and as he did, the scene from Calyx’s point of view flickered to life inside it.
This wasn’t magic for the faint of heart.
The artifact—what they called the “Third Eye”—transmitted visual data through magical frequencies, kind of like a walkie-talkie made of sorcery.
If you had the right Crystal orb nearby? Boom. You could eavesdrop on those frequencies and watch the whole thing unfold like a live broadcast.
And these bards?
They were OBSESSED—not just with dungeon raids in general, but with HIM.
With Calyx.
The guy everyone was talking about lately.
They were here to witness his next move before ANYONE ELSE did.
“But even Lord Calyx has to struggle with dungeon raids, right?”
“Yeah... I mean, this one’s a Class-1 dungeon, isn’t it?”
None of the bards had actually ‘seen’ a Class-1 dungeon before, but they’d heard the stories. The kind of stories that made grown warriors flinch.
They were hyped.
Morbidly curious.
Betting money.
Watching history.
"I’ll put 100 silver on him failing in the fifth room."
"200 silver says he’s out by room three."
"50 silver says he bombs in the first room."
They each placed their bets like rowdy spectators before a bloodsport.
Meanwhile, the orb's image came into full view.
The footage began.
The screen showed Calyx’s perspective as he dropped into the dungeon.
The moment he landed, he immediately located his comrade, Sharon, and scanned the area.
Then, movement. A pack of goblins.
Without hesitation, he moved to Sharon’s side, covered her, and in one fluid motion, fired an arrow—It tore straight through the goblin chieftain’s skull. A clean shot.
"...Whoa."
"...No way..."
The bards were speechless.
Just—silent, stunned.
They’d just watched Calyx clear the first room INSTANTLY.
The only sound that followed was the sheepish clink of coins.
The bard who’d bet on a first-room failure quietly paid his forfeit.
＊ ＊ ＊
The dungeon raid was smooth—almost too smooth.
No matter which room they entered, Calyx would pause, scan his surroundings once—and instantly identify every trap and hazard.
Monsters? He called them out with precision.
“Sharon, this room’s got Rosmarins, rose-flower monsters. Burn them all before they scatter their pollen.”
“Yes, my lord! Ignis Pluvia (Fire Rain spell)!”
When it came to puzzle rooms, Calyx would immediately rush to the mechanism, then give Sharon clear, calculated instructions—
“Sharon, while I work on the puzzle, pin down those slimes with wind magic. Only wind—use anything else and they’ll split apart.”
“Understood, my lord. Venti (Wind spell)!”
Even when they entered trap-laden rooms, he responded with sharp commands—
“This one triggers arrows from the walls if you touch the floor. Carry me over to that ledge.”
“Yes! Volatus (Flight spell)!”
Calyx gave the orders, and Sharon executed them without fail.
He himself played the ranger’s role—shooting his bow with precision, disarming traps like a pro.
Their teamwork was so flawless, it felt like a scene out of Pokémon—just with higher stakes.
From the outside, people watching couldn’t help but question what they were seeing—
“Wait, is this really a Class-1 dungeon? Feels more like Class-2. Maybe even Class-3…”
“Right? How’s a supposedly top-tier dungeon going down this easy?”
Nearby, Dungeon Inspector Ham heard them and clenched his jaw.
He wanted to toss those dumbass soldiers into the dungeon himself.
If they’d gone in?
They would've laughed off the goblins in the first room—right up until one of those little bastards speared them with a dung-coated javelin and they died from the infection.
From Ham’s perspective, it wasn’t that this dungeon was easy.
It was that Lord Calyx and Sharon were just that good.
Sharon, a high-ranked mage, was already famous—her skill was a given.
But Calyx? A young lord in his twenties with zero prior dungeon-clearing experience?
And yet… here he was, operating like a seasoned dungeon master who’d conquered hundreds.
’What kind of self-study makes a guy like that?’
Ham kept recording the raid, determined to use it as a reference for future dungeon tactics.
The more he watched, the more he wanted to learn from Calyx once this was all over.
And it wasn’t just Ham who was shocked—Sharon was too.
She’d never seen Calyx as particularly powerful.
He wasn’t a combat powerhouse, not magically or physically.
Magic? That was her job.
Martial arts? Lana’s.
Administration? Hart.
Trade? Nova.
Military might? Please.
But still—there were two things that made Calyx stand above every lord she’d ever served.
Kindness. And empathy.
Calyx genuinely cared about his people. He cherished them.
And most importantly, he recognized his own limitations and actively asked for help from those around him.
Because of that, his retainers could fully shine.
And the commoners? They trusted him—and by extension, trusted each other and did their jobs without fear.
To Sharon, Calyx was the first person since her father who carried such genuine warmth and understanding.
Every time she saw him working tirelessly, despite being younger than her, she just wanted to support him.
She’d always looked at him like a caring older sister watching over her little brother.
When they entered the dungeon, that was her mindset: I’ll protect him.
But now?
Calyx had transformed into a commanding, battle-hardened leader.
His voice was full of certainty, his commands sharp and near-perfect—ones even she had to admit were spot-on.
And while barking out instructions, he still covered her flank like a veteran ranger.
They were dominating the dungeon.
Watching this side of Calyx—this confident, charismatic commander—Sharon’s heart fluttered.
“My lord… you’re incredible.”
No one else around Calyx had ever seen this side of him.
And as far as Sharon was concerned?
She was the first—and that alone felt like a reward.
＊ ＊ ＊
As Calyx and Sharon cleared each chamber of the dungeon, a chilling phenomenon echoed from the dungeon’s outskirts—The Dungeon’s Screams.
Guoooooo—!
“Goblins again!?”
“Archers, fire!!”
These “Dungeon Screams” brought forth monsters—but they were sluggish, weak, and lacked any toxic aura.
The stationed soldiers and mages had no problem dealing with them.
Still… there was one thing that worried them.
Guoooooo—!
“Again!?”
“Are we sure this isn’t just a full-on dungeon wave!?”
Calyx’s progress was just too fast.
The rapid-fire appearance of summoned monsters left soldiers and mages scrambling nonstop.
Watching the chaos unfold from the perimeter were Archmage Raere, head of the Magic Tower, and her disciple, Zeke.
“It’s going smoothly.”
“Very smoothly.”
Having experienced real dungeon waves themselves, they knew the difference.
This?
This was nothing.
The sheer speed and intensity of the monster spawns?
Proof that the dungeon was being conquered—flawlessly.
But then...
“Master, you seem uneasy.”
Zeke glanced at Raere, who had her eyes fixed on Calyx and Sharon inside the dungeon.
She looked... concerned.
“It’s going too smoothly.”
She muttered.
“Sorry?”
Calyx and Sharon’s progression had been near flawless—so perfect, it was as if the God of the Dungeon himself might soon get jealous.
And that—was what worried Raere.
Meanwhile, within the dungeon…
Calyx and Sharon reached the final chamber.
“Is this the last room?”
“Yeah. Once we clear this, the dungeon’s done.”
After finishing the penultimate room, the two had taken a brief break.
Now, Calyx laid out the plan for the final assault.
Sharon didn’t question his strategy.
Not after how far they’d come—he hadn’t been wrong once.
“Alright then... let’s go.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Calyx placed his hand on the stone door.
A glowing magic circle spread across its surface, and the heavy stone slowly creaked open.
No hesitation—
Sharon immediately cast Flight and carried Calyx straight to the central stone mound at the heart of the room.
“Okay, Sharon—your turn.”
“Yes! Serpens Ignis! (Flame Serpent spell!)”
At Calyx’s signal, Sharon summoned a massive fire serpent—and right on cue, giant black spiders began spawning throughout the room.
But they didn’t last long.
The fire serpent coiled around the spiders and incinerated them as they appeared.
The first wave—let’s call it Phase 1—ended in ashes.
Then, from three precise positions around the central stone structure, golems materialized.
Not your standard summoned types—these looked like they were crafted by a God.
Covered in shimmering blue armor and armed with bows, they stood tall, intimidating.
The moment Sharon saw them, she began casting her next spell.
Calyx stepped forward.
“Exuro corde deorum. (Burn from the heart of the gods.)”
SCREEEEEE—! TWHIP!
“That’s one down.”
Calyx fired an arrow straight into the eye of the center golem—a clean, surgical shot.
The arrow Calyx fired struck the golem square in the eye.
Instantly, the golem's body lost its blue glow and fell silent.
SCREEE— TWIP!
“That’s two.”
SCREEEEEE— TWIP!
“Three.”
Calyx didn't stop.
Without pause, he kept firing arrows in swift succession.
All three golems—summoned for Phase 2—were eliminated without ever getting the chance to fight back.
Not even a single swing.
Then, as the last golem fell, a massive magic circle appeared at the front of the stone tower—flashing brightly.
Anyone could tell—The dungeon’s final boss was being summoned.
At that same moment, Sharon...
"Ignis sacer fiat hasta iudicii. (Let holy fire become the spear of judgment.)"
…was nearly finished chanting her incantation.
From the glowing magic circle, a massive monster began to materialize—a colossal emerald-green wolf with a radiant, gem-like sheen.
Its name was Toshikal—the dungeon's boss monster.
Under normal circumstances, it would take dozens of first-class adventurers, suffering heavy casualties, just to bring it down.
But… unfortunately for Toshikal, someone in this room knew exactly how to kill it.
Its weak point?
The core on its head—especially vulnerable to flame magic.
"Lancea Ignis Divina, perfura inimicum! (Divine Spear of Flame, pierce the enemy!)"
KWOAAANG—!
“Grrruhh...?”
The moment Toshikal was fully summoned, Sharon’s chant ended.
The spell she used—“Divine Spear of Flame”—was one of her most devastating attacks, second only to Flame of Lanyx.
It was a focused beam of fire magic so potent it could pierce even a mountain—the flame of a world set ablaze, condensed into a single point.
The spear—fired like a searing laser—blasted from Sharon and drilled straight through Toshikal’s forehead—Right where it had been sniffing the air, trying to sense its enemies.
CRACK—!
“KUEEEGH!!”
Just like that, Toshikal was slain 5.4 seconds after being summoned.
Its pierced skull no longer able to support its massive body, the giant wolf collapsed.
THUD—
“…Is it over?”
Sharon stared at the toppled, green beast—unsure whether they had really finished the dungeon.
She couldn't quite believe it.
But Calyx approached her with a broad smile on his face.
And only then, did Sharon realize—
They’d done it. The dungeon was cleared.
“Well done, Sharon.”
“Not at all. It was all thanks to your precise instructions, my lord.”
According to Calyx’s memory, this marked the end of the dungeon’s final stage.
All that was left was to trigger the dungeon-clear event and collect the huge rewards.
That was the plan, anyway…
But—nothing happened.
No lights, no fanfare, no system messages.
“Um… My lord? Is it always this quiet after clearing a dungeon?”
“No… something’s off…”
Normally, when a dungeon was cleared, fireworks would go off, and messages would appear midair.
But this time, there was nothing but silence.
A chill crept up Calyx’s spine.
Then suddenly—words began to appear in midair.
『You have obtained the Right of a Hero.』
The Right of a Hero?
Calyx furrowed his brow.
What the hell was that?
He’d never seen a message like this before.
And then came another—
『You are invited to the "Chamber of Trials" to test your qualification.』
As the message appeared, a white light engulfed both Calyx and Sharon.
Blinding radiance—
Then, as their vision returned, Calyx quickly surveyed his surroundings.
And then—
“That’s…!”
“The Ice Dragon… Luciulla…”
A massive ice dragon, Luciula, loomed before them—its massive frame casting a cold shadow over the chamber.
Its eyes locked onto them.
The bonus stage had begun.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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