I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 211: Underestimate

Captain Chambers is stunned hearing Arthur’s answer.

He nods a few times, head lowered.

He is fighting back tears.

Rhaenas cares.

These five strangers care about his comrades.

He looks up and nods again.

"Okay. Okay. Go."

Arthur turns to his members. "Let’s go."

The five of them exit the tent and walk firmly toward the gate.

Everyone stops what they’re doing. All eyes turn to the five figures heading straight toward danger. Each person watching has different thoughts.

Some think how brave they are, walking into a dungeon that has already taken lives.

Others think they are foolish. Teams with far more people have already failed, and these five want to go in alone? Just because they are getting paid, they are willing to throw their lives away. Stupid.

Just before entering, Theo suddenly stops.

The others stop as well and turn toward him.

"Thea?" Arthur asks.

Ever since they landed, Theo has been on constant alert. He’s has a feeling this dungeon will not be like the others they have cleared. Not even close.

Captain Chambers notices them stopping and hurries over, about to ask what is wrong, when he hears Thea Montrose speak.

"Before we go in, I have a few things I need to say."

Captain Chambers frowns. Why now? Why not in the helicopter, or earlier during briefing?

He sighs inwardly. What now?

Theo ignores Captain Chambers, who is not close enough to hear clearly, and turns to his teammates.

"I did a little probing. I’m sure the green mist originated from this dungeon."

The others blink in surprise.

"Are you sure, Thea?" Liam asks. He realizes it is a pointless question the moment it leaves his mouth.

Theo nods. "I’m pretty sure. And there’s one more thing. In the helicopter, a sliver of green mist tried to enter Maeve’s mind."

Arthur and Liam both inhale sharply.

"She’s fine now," Theo continues. "But the important thing is this. The mist was actively targeting her. A Light magus mind. Why her? I don’t know. And Lieutenant Kerr confirmed that normal citizens are experiencing similar symptoms."

Theo recounts the reported incidents.

Arthur frowns deeply. "This is alarming. A mutated level eight dungeon that actively seeks out magi or people with Light resonance? That’s bad."

"But why Light?" Julian asks.

"I don’t think it’s only Light," Theo says. He has been thinking about this nonstop. "I think Light is the priority. Light magi can detect and purify it."

"They’re trying to remove the first line of defense," Liam mutters.

"Yes," Theo agrees. "That’s exactly what I think."

He turns to Maeve. "You said you had something to add."

Maeve nods. "In the helicopter, I suddenly felt compelled to look outside. Down at the city. When I did, I could see a very faint layer of green mist. It wasn’t spreading like a cloud. It was moving. Entering people’s minds."

She swallows.

"I was high in the air. I shouldn’t have been able to see that. But the image was so clear I knew it was real."

She exhales slowly.

"Then everything went static. Like a broken signal. I tried to fix it, but I could feel myself losing. It scared me."

She looks at Theo.

"And then it was clear again. That’s when I realized Thea had purified the mist attacking me."

Silence.

Arthur rubs his face. "This is dangerous. We’re about to fight something we can’t even see."

"What do we do?" Liam asks grimly. "Going in like this is insane."

"It’s not insane," Theo replies calmly. "It’s suicidal."

He pauses, thinking.

"I have an idea. It sounds crazy."

Julian snorts. "Crazier than a dungeon producing mind-infecting green mist? Go on."

Theo continues. "The mist outside isn’t permanent. It’s weakened by distance and the barrier. That means inside the dungeon, it will be much stronger."

"We’ve trained for physical combat," he adds. "Not mental attacks."

He looks at them one by one.

"My plan is this. You four stay here. I go in alone, assess the mist inside, then come back out and teach you how to defend against it."

The silence shatters.

"No."

"That’s too dangerous!"

"We go together!"

Only Maeve stays quiet.

Then she says, "It’s a good idea."

All eyes turn to her.

Maeve looks at Theo, ignoring the others. "While you scout, I can teach them how to detect the mist. Or at least share what I felt, so they know what to look for."

Theo nods immediately. "Good. Anything helps."

He turns to Arthur, Liam, and Julian.

Maeve does the same.

After a long moment, Arthur exhales.

"...I hate this," he says. "But you’re right."

He looks at Theo. "Be careful. You’re still learning too. If you were Teacher Theo, I wouldn’t hesitate."

One of Maeve’s eyebrows twitches.

Theo holds his smile and nods.

"I promise I’ll be very careful. Okay, I’ll go in first. You guys stay here and learn from Maeve."

He turns, already preparing to leave.

Before he can take more than a few steps, Captain Chambers strides toward him. He has been holding it in, but he cannot anymore.

"What are you doing?" Captain Chambers demands, disbelief written all over his face.

When the words finally register, when he understands that Theo intends to enter the dungeon alone while the others stay behind, his composure shatters.

"Are you crazy?!" Captain Chambers shouts.

"Is this how Rhaenas works?" Captain Chambers roars.

"The weakest member of the team goes in first? What the hell, Arthur?!"

His voice carries.

Other officers nearby turn toward them. When they hear Captain Chambers’ words, confusion spreads across their faces. Some frown. Others look outright appalled. From the outside, it looks absurd. Reckless. Unforgivable.

Arthur glances at Theo and says quietly, "Go. I’ll handle him."

Theo nods once and turns around, crossing the gate without hesitation.

"NO!" Captain Chambers lunges forward, arm shooting out as if he can physically pull Theo back.

Arthur steps in instantly, blocking him. Liam moves beside Arthur at the same time, silent and ready, his posture clear.

The other officers rush forward too, instinctively siding with their superior, prepared to restrain Arthur if necessary.

"Arthur Montrose!" Captain Chambers shouts, furious and shaking.

"You are insane! I never thought you were a monster! Sacrificing your own sister—"

"Enough!"

Arthur bellows.

His mana erupts outward.

It isn’t visible. It doesn’t need to be.

Captain Chambers staggers back half a step, breath knocked out of him. The other officers freeze where they stand. They are Sentinels. They do not understand mana, they cannot wield it, but they know danger when they feel it.

And right now, Arthur Montrose feels like death standing upright.

Silence crashes down.

Captain Chambers stares at Arthur, stunned.

So do the others.