Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 38: The Wind that Fills Thy Sails

"Aghhh~" the long sigh came from a weary male adventurer, his frustration echoing off the dark stone walls of the dungeon. His two companions behind him shared his exasperation. "Man, we've been at this for almost a week now! Are you sure that piece of junk even works?"

"O-Of course it does!" came a small voice in defense. "It's my grandfather's invention so, of course, it works!"

"Sounds to me like your confidence is a bit misplaced."

The young boy leading the group pouted in response to the remark, but he continued hugging the rough-hewn walls of the chamber. In his hand, he held a metal staff with a ring at the tip, a magic circle aglow around its circumference.

"It's just a prototype, so its sensitivity isn't all that great. But it works just like a divining rod," he explained. "If I keep it close to the walls, we may be able to pick up the signature of a hidden Crystal Field."

The two girls at the rear of the group, a cleric and mage, rolled their eyes simultaneously, their patience worn thin by the boy's unwavering optimism.

The other male, judging by his gear, obviously playing the role of the group's tank, laced his fingers behind his neck wearily. "I swear, it's in moments like these that I regret becoming an adventurer. I should have stuck to being a normal player like everybody else. To hell with being a Good Samaritan."

Just as the girls were about to nod in agreement, the boy suddenly exclaimed, "Ah—" the staff began to glow, illuminating the eerie dungeon. "I-I think it found something!"

"You're kidding!" the tank's eyes popped open in disbelief. "That stupid thing actually works?!"

"I think we're about to find out," said the mage as she raised her own staff tellingly. "Everyone get back!"

Her eyes glowed beneath the large rim of her witch hat, and a crimson aura engulfed her body as she began her spell. Her voice echoed with power, resonating through the chamber: "By the ancient power of flame, I summon thee to do my bidding. Pierce through the veil of darkness and burn thine enemies to cinders with your unyielding wrath. Let nothing stand in your way. Fireball!"

The air quivered as a sphere of blazing inferno formed at the tip of her staff, its fiery heart growing brighter by the second. With a mighty thrust, she unleashed the flames upon the stubborn wall.

The explosion that followed sent rocks and debris hurtling in all directions, and when the smoke cleared, a magnificent Crystal Field stood before them. Shards of blue crystal sprouted from the ground and walls like a radiant garden, their glow illuminating the small fissure that held their prize.

For a moment, everyone was dumbfounded. Then the tank—

"No freakin' way!" he exclaimed, eyes sparkling like lanterns. "Gale, you actually did it."

Gale clung to his grandfather's invention and sighed with a smile of relief. The mage jumped up and down with excitement; the days of sleeping on the hard ground and eating rodents and insects were finally coming to an end.

But the cleric's attention was elsewhere. Something was amiss, and it wasn't long before she noticed a purple haze filling the chamber. "Is this...?"

The earth's rising tremor quickly answered her question. And it wasn't long before a horde of monsters started pouring into the room, their eyes crazed, fangs and claws poised to rip and rend.

"W-What's happening?"

"Are those...?"

"There's a bunch of monsters coming this way!"

The tank, Gale, and the mage all said in a frenzied panic.

"This purple mist," the cleric began, her expression crumpling. "It's used to attract monsters! But why would—"