I put a tent, a plastic container with water, and food I previously cooked in my Storage Space. I still have stuff like paper, towels, and clothes in the Storage Space from the last time I stayed in the dungeon, so I don’t need more.
I call Ai to tell her I’m sending the report, and she tells me they’ll send me the money after they check it. She says she hopes to work with me again, and I say it back to be polite.
Ahh… half a million… Easy money!
There’s a lot to be said about having a connection like this, but if I’m making money, it’s not bad.
I exit my apartment all bouncy and happy, and people complain about my thuds being noisy.
…Sorry.
◇ ◇ ◇
I need to stop by the guild’s store before I go to the dungeon.
I’m buying a lot of potions just in case, and one more magic potion. At first I think about buying monster repellent, but since the monsters on the twenty-first to twenty-third floors don’t come out when it gets dark, I don’t need it.
I’m done shopping, so I’m all fired up to go to the dungeon, when I come across the harem party.
Ou, it’s been a while.
Hn? What? I’ve put on weight?
I haven’t! I lost weight even!
Is that the first thing you have to say to me? Rude.
Eh? You’re going to the dungeon too?
Let’s both do our best then.
Hn? Go with you?
What floor are you on?
Nineteenth? Sorry, I’m already on the twenty-third.
Tell me if something happens again, I can at least help out.
Here’s to a nice seek!
I’ve eaten with the harem party before.
I guess they’re just that friendly, if that alone is enough to treat me so amicably.
The guy is going to have to pick one of them eventually, so I pray he doesn’t meet a bloody end.
◇ ◇ ◇
The twenty-third floor.
The new monster on this floor is called green slime.
This monster is typically not violent, and doesn’t attack unless attacked.
It can survive on just light and water, like a plant. Actually, since it doesn’t need nutrients from the soil, it’s an even more ecological monster than that.
I take down an orc, and its angry friend throws a green slime at me.
I try firing an earth shotgun to shatter its core, but it absorbs everything, neutralizing it.
I sidestep to evade it, and it looks like firing the earth shotgun at it designated me as an enemy.
It stretches a tentacle made of half its body.
Flash.
In less than a second, I get down on the ground to dodge it, and trees are severed by the tentacle, falling where I am.
I dash from my crawling position towards the green slime, intending to dodge the trees and finish off the green slime in one go.
The tentacle goes back, and the green slime’s body returns to normal, but it stretches it again. This time it’s not a swing, it’s a thrust towards me.
I focus for a moment, blocking the tentacle with my greatsword.
The intense sparks that fly tell the tale, but I’m not letting it push me.
I approach it without letting up my intensity, and I can clearly see the green slime’s core in its body that’s half the normal size.
I swing my sword down hard, and crush it, making it melt. Only a green slime orb remains.
It was pretty strong. I’ll try my best not to mess with green slimes.
It’s not just that I can’t let my guard down with them, there’s a big chance I might die if I fight multiple green slimes.
The orc that threw the green slime was cut by that first slash. It’s like it was saying you can’t throw me if you’re dead.
Then I keep exploring, trying not to get close to green slimes, but for some reason, orcs keep throwing them.
One isn’t too bad, but the moment I face two, the difficulty level spikes. Their horizontal slashes are too fast, and it’s all I can do to dodge them.
I use Earth Magic to make earth float and send one flying. Taking the other one down isn’t that big of a deal, but if I face more than two, I should run.
As I go even deeper, I start hearing the sound of flowing water.
When I turn to where it’s coming from, I see a river. It’s not a big one, at most ten meters wide.
The water is clear, and I see small fish swimming. I can see the bottom, but not in its deepest parts.
There are a lot of green slimes by the river, but I think I’ll be fine if I don’t attack.
If I can’t reach the forty-fourth floor by the end of the day, I’m camping here.
After I make that decision, I look at the bottom of the river just for the fun of it, and see a half buried treasure chest.
I don’t hesitate to strip to my birthday suit and dive towards the treasure chest.
I drag it up with me, and while it’s a little rusted, I don’t have a problem opening it.
I sit on my knees without dressing myself first, and see there’s a necklace inside the treasure chest. I got a detox collar before too, but I’ve already sold it.
And if this one has a similar effect, it should also be worth a lot.
With my heart and my wallet full of hope, I grin as I put it on.
Even if I’m selling it, I can still try it on.
The silver necklace has a jewel that looks like a ruby in the center, and when I look at it more closely, I see a small shiny bead moving.
I don’t know what this is, but if I can sell it for a lot, I’m okay with it.
Hm, but it doesn’t suit me, I think as I look at my reflection in the water.
I try to take it off… But I can’t. There should be a clasp or something in the back, but I can’t find it, even after feeling around for it.
What’s the meaning of this? Does the necklace not want to get off me?
Wait, this is just a cursed item, isn’t it?
I get more heated trying to pry it off, but it doesn’t budge. All that’s happening is that my neck is taking damage.
Let’s just leave it on for now, and have the guild look at it tomorrow.
I hope it doesn’t have some sort of weird debuff.
◇ ◇ ◇
I get that out of my mind, put my equipment back on, and resume my search for the twenty-fourth floor.
It’s still just past noon, so I have plenty of exploration to do.
The sunlight filtering through the trees is soothing, even though I’m in a dungeon.
I wonder what this sunlight is all about. The weather is different, but it creates an environment that’s not all that different from outside. Also, there’s nighttime in the dungeon just like how the sun sets outside.
I don’t know how this works, but the dungeon really is incredible.
And as I relax like this, a silent condor attacks.
I really shouldn’t let my guard down.
◇ ◇ ◇
A little later, I heard sounds of battle.
I don’t want to bother, so I hide in the grass and watch.
Seven seekers are fighting three orcs and a silent condor.
On the seeker side, four are in the front line, and three on the back row. Three of the ones in front use different swords, but it feels like their level of swordsmanship should be enough to take down the orcs alone. The other is holding a big shield known as a tower shield, making this one the tank of the group.
On the back, two are mages, and one gives instructions. The mages follow these instructions to attack the silent condor.
Eventually, the monsters start falling without ever hurting the seekers.
The party’s battle was textbook. No danger, just steadily building their way to victory. That commander made accurate calls based on the battle situation, and the others trusted those calls and executed them.
Of course, the ones executing the commands still need the appropriate power, but making full use of that also demands experience and power.
The commander lady is that good.
The rest of the battle is also just as stable, and they look like a complete party.
I’m impressed. So impressed, that I follow them.
It’s not like I want to join them, get close to them, or anything vulgar like that.
I’m just assuming they’re going to the twenty-fourth floor.
The fields from the twenty-first floor down are wide. It’s hard to even find the exit in one or two days, so they take considerable time to find without prior information or a lot of luck.
And so, I’m following them.
◇ ◇ ◇
I’ve been following them for about an hour, and while they’ve turned around a few times, I don’t think they’ve spotted me.
Once in a while I hear things like ‘don’t mind it’ or ‘don’t give him attention’, but I don’t know what that’s about.
Really. Seriously.
And sure enough, they reach the staircase to the twenty-fourth floor.
It’s by the river, across from where I opened the treasure chest.
…It wasn’t a waste, it wasn’t a waste.
These things happen.
I console myself, and head to the twenty-fourth floor.
Join my patreon to support me and read ahead.
<<Previous Chapter Index Next Chapter>>
Just paper? Ig its for mapping.
Also MC sometimes acts like an alien trying to be human than an adult oldman
Thanks for the treat. 🖖