Twenty thousand yen.
That was how much I made yesterday. Half from monster parts, and half from the beginner wand.
I had hopes for the beginner wand, since it came from a treasure chest, but it didn’t really change my magic, and just made it harder to cast it because it messed with the flow of magic energy.
I heard where I sell stuff that the beginner wand is exactly what it sounds like, a weapon for people just starting to use magic. This means that if you’ve already been using magic, it’s just a hindrance.
That’s why it’s only worth ten thousand.
By the way, they sell beginner wands for fifteen thousand yen. I’ll leave it up to you to decide if that’s honest.
◇ ◇ ◇
I’m going to the eleventh floor, but before that, I need to sort out my equipment.
There’s all sorts of ore that can be mined on the eleventh floor, so a lot of people mine there. The monsters also get stronger, so harder battles await me.
I buy a piolet (ice axe), and a potion.
I have Healing Magic, so you may think I don’t need potions, but being unable to heal myself because I don’t have magic energy could be fatal.
With all my shopping done, it’s time to use the portal to head straight to the eleventh floor.
◇ ◇ ◇
The first thing that surprises me on the eleventh floor is the presence of other seekers. There’s a whole ten of them.
It’s my first time seeing other seekers in the dungeon, and a lot of them have piolets.
Not to mention that most are either high schoolers or university students in their early twenties.
Hello? What are you doing?
I could’ve asked, but I’m not insensitive enough to act all friendly with younger people I’ve never met.
That’s why I instead observe them from behind.
After watching quietly, I learn that they seem to be in the same group, but divided into miners, transporters, and guards.
The mining group is the biggest, with five members. Three transport the loot, and two guard.
The guards are a man and a woman who look like the strongest of the bunch. But they’ve been looking at me instead of doing their jobs as guards.
Don’t slack off, pay attention to your friends.
As I’m thinking that, one of them talks to me.
Ah? H-hello. Eh? N-no, I was just watching. Haha, I was wondering what you were doing. I haven’t been a seeker for long, so I’m trying to learn.
What? I’m bothering?
My face is scaring them?
…
Sorry.
◇ ◇ ◇
Let’s explore the eleventh floor.
The monsters that appear here are goblins and big ants.
Goblins aren’t a problem, I took out plenty of them yesterday, but I’ve never faced big ants.
They’re about the size of a small dog, and spit acid from their strong jaws.
They sometimes move in groups, but that’s rare, and they don’t attack unless provoked when in that state.
Hn?
What?
What happened to those others?
I just got here. There were no young seekers.
Got it?
◇ ◇ ◇
I’m facing a big ant.
It moves around quickly, and closes in to attack my legs. I avoid its bite and take some distance, and then it spits acid. I also calmly dodge this, and this time, I’m the one who closes the distance to attack with my greatsword.
The greatsword easily cleaves it in two.
That was easy.
Its attacks aren’t that fast, and its movements are straightforward and easy to dodge. I think goblins are stronger.
I pass judgment on the big ant as I advance.
I fight goblins and big ants a few times, but none of them even scratch me.
I reach the staircase to the twelfth floor, but what’s going on?
The big swarm of big ants I was expecting isn’t here.
I look up. Nothing there.
They’re ants, so below!? I don’t sense anything there either.
There’s not even a treasure chest! Well… That one would be nice to have.
Anyway, there’s nothing.
I cry tears of joy. I don’t have to fight swarms anymore, and risk my life.
I’m sure they went after others, because there are other seekers.
Don’t come back.
I’m about to head to the staircase, when I hear a scream.
No, not just a scream. It feels like the earth is shaking.
I look for where the scream came from, and after a few twists and turns, I see a man and woman running in my direction.
And there’s a lot of big ants behind them.
What did you do?
I remember them. They’re the guards that called me a bother and drove me away.
Sorry, but I’m not going to save you. It’d be one thing if there were about a hundred, but I can’t see myself beating what’s easily over a thousand big ants.
Namu namu.
I pray for their safety, and head to the staircase.
I go down a few twists and turns, and as I turn another corner thinking I’m almost there, I see those two again.
And of course, they have the big ants behind them.
I’m surprised.
They’re surprised.
And now we’re running together.
I ask them what happened, and they say one of them attacked the marching big ants and made them mad.
The woman then attacked the big ants to save their friend, and drew their fire. This made the man panic and also attack the big ants, not wanting her to brave that danger alone.
I see. It has nothing to do with me then.
I’ll say goodbye at the next T junction.
I yell to go left, and they nod. Then I watch them turn left as I turn right.
I see their surprised faces when they turn around.
Goodbye. That’s not my business, so good luck.
◇ ◇ ◇
The big ants are chasing me.
I don’t get it. Seriously, how did this happen?
The two guards turned left, so logic dictates the big ants should’ve turned left. So why did they all turn right after me?
I have to dodge acid as I run.
By creating earth thorns horizontally, I take out a few in front, and the ones behind them smash against them.
I keep facing forward and running as fast as I can, but after turning a few corners, I reach a dead end.
…
This isn’t good.
I skewer them with a lot of earth thorns, and swing my greatsword to cut down the ones that approach me.
I use Physical Strengthening, Spatial Grasp, and See Through as I cut them down. But still, the big ants aren’t deterred by the deaths of their friends, and keep biting and raining acid.
I have to move around desperately, making full use of my shield to block their attacks, but I’m still slowly getting more and more wounded.
The legend is born