“Is this the last one?”
“I’m pretty sure.”
I’m using the Memory skill, but I check with Sera just to be sure.
We’re both going back the way we came to collect goblin corpses. Another fifty meters and we’ll reach the entrance, but we shouldn’t go there, so we take a branched path.
There are no monster reactions, but we’re checking just in case. And after about thirty meters, we meet a dead end.
After checking some other branched paths, we found some that seem to be armories.
Some weapons are brand new, some rusted, some blood-stained. There’s also a lot of variety with swords, spears, axes, blunt weapons, and bows. I put it all in the Item Box.
And since monsters are alive, they need food. They had reserves, but I’m not taking that with me.
Once we’re done with that, we go back near the entrance, and seal the passage with Earth Magic. This way, no one can remove the rock blocking the entrance and come here.
“Let’s go back.”
I check Map, and see the others are back in that wide room. And the reactions are still there.
“Oh, welcome back. Did you find anything?”
I tell them about the weapons.
“We found what looks like medicinal herbs. We brought them, so do you want to check them?”
I Appraise what Mia gives me, and while a lot are medicinal herbs, what stands out to me are the poisonous plants. The poison isn’t that strong as it is, but it can be made stronger.
Of course, it’s not easy, but it can be used to coat weapons so the poison enters through wounds.
Yes, this shouldn’t be easy, but there are plants from which poison can be just taken out and used.
We should assume the goblins were creating poison, but none of the goblins we took down held weapons with poison.
“Master, you’re frowning.”
Hikari pokes my forehead as I think.
I turn to her, and see Chris with a troubled expression and the others exasperated.
“Ah, let me just tell you what I know.”
I tell them about the poison, and the others look serious.
“That doesn’t sound too peaceful.”
Says Rurika with her arms crossed.
“But can goblins even make poison?”
Mia asks while tilting her head.
“Maybe superior species can. There’s a lot we don’t know about monster ecology.”
Says Chris.
“Hn, it’s okay. We don’t have to be scared of poison with master and big sister Mia around.”
Hikari doesn’t care.
“Hikari, there might be things even they can’t heal. And there’s poison that’s strong enough for an instant death. Sora, what do you think about that?”
Says Sera, admonishing Hikari.
“I don’t know what kind of poison it is. I should know if I can Appraise the actual thing.”
My Alchemy can’t produce something that kills instantly with these poisonous plants. But that’s just my Alchemy, and I can’t say for certain that goblins can’t use their tricks to make it.
Much like how my Alchemy isn’t like normal alchemy, it could be possible to produce it through other methods.
“Hn?”
“Oh?”
“They’re gone?”
As we talk about the poisonous plants, Hikari notices something, then Rurika, then I do.
“What?”
“The reactions are gone.”
Hikari says to Mia.
She’s right, Presence Detection doesn’t pick them up anymore. And they’re gone from Map.
“This place is full of mysteries.”
“Should we leave?”
“…We should stay here as we planned and be cautious until morning. The reactions might come back. Maybe this place is just like that.”
Says Rurika, as if trying to convince herself.
We investigated the walls and ceiling just in case, but we can tell there’s no risk of a cave-in.
Unlike dungeons, it’s dangerous to start a fire here, so we’ll eat what we have that’s already ready to eat.
Lately we’ve been eating food we cooked, but stall food is nice once in a while.
It might seem like an extravagant concern to have, but having things we bought in different places gives it a nostalgic feeling too.
I’m having something I bought in the Dragon Kingdom. It’s been a while, but it’s just like it was when I bought it. The Item Box is great.
This is probably the best skill Chris told me about.
“What’s on your mind, Sora?”
“I was just thinking that after this dungeon exploration, it might be nice to use Transfer to go around buying food in stalls.”
“Good thinking, master.”
I respond to Mia, and Hikari gives me her stamp of approval.
There are things we can only have in certain places. Not to mention that they might have things that weren’t available the last time we were there.
After we’re done eating, we take turns keeping watch, two people at a time.
And the next morning, we see the reactions haven’t returned.
I put it all in the Item Box. -> I put them all in the Item Box.
Says Sera, admonishing Hikari.” -> Says Sera, admonishing Hikari.
Thanks for the treat.