Orcs appear on this floor.
Orc meat is popular, and their magic stones are above average, so it would make sense for this to become a popular hunting ground. But not in Majolica’s dungeon.
First, it’s not easily accessible. Second, if you’re not aiming too high, you can just hunt on the twenty-fifth floor.
Orc meat is tastier when it comes from mages and warriors, and even better from generals, but then there’s the problem of carrying it back. Without at least a magic bag, it’s not going to stay fresh.
Of course, it can also be carried around in an item bag, but those don’t have a function to prevent deterioration, so people would have to spend time taking the monsters apart and preserving the meat as blocks.
Conversely, it’s said that people who don’t have trouble moving between floors and have either magic bags or Space-Time Magic could make good use of this floor.
Incidentally, people think I use magic bags. I am a merchant after all…
“At this point, the orcs have been powered up quite a bit. But they might actually be easier to hunt than kobolds because there aren’t as many.”
“Yes, and most just attack head on.”
Geitz agrees with Siphon.
Orcs are proud of their strength, so a lot ignore stuff like tactics and just charge forward.
The exception is if there is a general among them, because they move like a unit in that case. That’s why we need to take the general down first, and turn them back into a disorganized mob.
That’s where Orga’s bow shines. It’s not fancy like magic, but Orga combines erasing his presence and attacks with the bow to take down a general and a few mages.
“It’s incredible how Orga can do that without even using skills.”
“That’s just the result of me looking for something I can do. I don’t really excel at anything like the others.”
“That might just make it more impressive. I can only use a sword.”
Orga sounds modest, but Rurika praises him too.
Rurika says she can only use a sword, but the same goes for Sera. Then again, she’s incredible in her own right for being able to use two weapons at the same time like that.
I can just barely do that if I use Parallel Thinking. And that also means I can’t afford to do anything else.
I collect the orcs, and check Map again.
I’m thinking orcs avoid the places where I see reactions from traps, because I don’t see any monsters near traps. That’s good for us though, because it makes it easier for us to fight.
“Master, are there orcs?”
“Yes, just like you say, Hikari.”
“…Few?”
Yes, only three coming this way. But there’s also a strong reaction on Magic Energy Detection, so there’s a good chance there are mages or a general.
“Mages!”
Says Geitz, and sure enough, three orc mages come out of the right side of a T-junction. Not only that, but they have spells ready, and fire them the moment they see us.
Before I can step forward, Geitz goes in front with his shield in hand, and casts Aura Shield. The dome created by Aura Shield covers and protects everyone.
The spells explode as soon as they touch it, but do no damage.
The mages start readying their next attacks, but they immediately go down to arrows that hit them in the foreheads.
Orga managed to fire them in quick succession thanks to Geitz blocking the magic.
Hikari and Rurika’s eyes shine as they’re impressed by this excellent combo.
“These floors really get huge once you come down this far.”
“It really is a pain. Passages get wider the further down we go too, so we’ll have to fight multiple monsters at the same time.”
Siphon complains while we take a break, and Jin does too. That’s normal coming from Siphon, but not so much from Jin.
Giant type monsters appear from the thirty-sixth floor onward, and I’ve heard some people say recently that it’s like the dungeon makes the passages wider to accommodate them.
“Well, there’s no point in thinking about that now. The thirty-fifth floor comes first. And then let’s think about how to take down the boss on the fortieth floor.”
Siphon’s right.
And then, we walk through the thirty-third floor for a week, and reach the staircase to the thirty-fourth.
It took a long time to reach this one, because the staircases are on opposite sides.
Also, this doesn’t happen every time, but some floors have paths that become intricate like mazes, so that also costs us time even if we’re not fighting monsters.
I don’t have a problem just walking, but the tension of walking around in a dungeon takes a toll on my nerves and leaves me mentally tired too.
“Let’s rest for today before going down to the thirty-fourth floor. There aren’t any more monsters around here.”
Today we’re using monster repelling items around our campsite, and I also put up a shield and bring out the golems.
Parallel Thinking also allows me to be ready for monster attacks, but we all manage to rest well without any interruptions by monsters.
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Thanks for the treat.