NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12
Chapter 12
“No way~! It’s impossible~! I’ll die~! You’re telling me to get iron ore, which means going to a dungeon, right~? It’s too much for me alone~! At least come with me, Gaga-san~!”
“Shut up, idiot! I’m busy making charcoal! I’ll tell you where to go, so just go by yourself!”
I complained, but it was no use…
So the next day, I’m heading to the dungeon in question, practically pushed out by Gaga-san.
Hello, I’m Yamamoto.
Geez, I told him it was impossible, but he wouldn’t listen.
I mean, isn’t it stupid to challenge your first dungeon solo when you barely have any combat experience? Shouldn’t you tackle these things in a party?
When I asked Gaga-san, he said the [Crystal Cave] I’m heading to is just a three-level weakling slug dungeon, so it should be easy enough even for me alone. Apparently, it’s so easy that even E-rank adventurers won’t die.
Still! Still, I’m scared of going solo because you never know what might happen! But it seems my heart’s cries didn’t reach Gaga-san.
“For now, let’s try to move without being noticed by monsters…”
To be honest, I really want to tear apart and throw away any monsters that pop up, you know?
But you know, in the depths of a forest like this, you never know what kind of powerful monsters might appear, right? While I’m dominating, a dragon could suddenly show up and chomp me… that kind of development is possible.
So, I decided to proceed humbly. No cart, just on foot.
Besides, the spaces between trees are too narrow, making it difficult to go by cart. I don’t want to draw attention by destroying objects left and right!
After 30 minutes of pushing through the densely growing plants… Well, I’m also picking up various plant-based items along the way! I haven’t forgotten about the production requests from the commerce guild either!
Anyway, while doing all that, I finally arrived at my destination.
Suddenly, the trees cleared, and before me was a vertical cliff that looked almost artificially made. In part of that cliff, there was a hole just big enough for one person to pass through.
Comparing it with the map, it seems this is definitely the right place.
I’d like to go in right away, but…
“There’s something there…”
Fortunately, I didn’t encounter any monsters in the forest, but near the dungeon entrance, there’s a huge lizard lying down as if sunbathing… Moreover, there’s a “Zzz…” mark above its head…
Is it a lizard? Let’s use [Appraisal].
Oh, about the [Appraisal] skill, when I carefully checked the text description, it said that when [Appraisal] is successful, the target won’t realize they’ve been appraised.
So, I think I’ll use it here to plan my strategy against this creature.
Just in case it notices, I’m doing this stealthily from behind a tree.
▶ Using [Appraisal] on ???.
▶ [Appraisal] successful.
Name: (Nameless)
Species: Rock Lizard
Gender: ♂
Age: ■ years old
LV: ■
HP: 580/580
MP: ■/■
Physical Attack: 47
Magical Attack: 23
Physical Defense: ■
Magical Defense: 22
Stamina: 58
Agility: 19
Intuition: ■
Spirit: ■
Fate: ■
Unique Skill: (None)
Species Skill: [Stone Eater]
Common Skills: [Bite] [■■] [Harden]
Hmm. Maybe because my [Appraisal] skill is only Lv3, there are some parts I can’t read.
But it doesn’t seem like a particularly strong opponent?
Especially since its magical defense seems weak, I might be able to defeat it relatively easily with magic.
“Hehehe, now’s the time to try out the ultimate combo I hastily thought up yesterday when it was decided I’d go to the dungeon!”
I boldly emerge from behind the tree and stealthily approach the Rock Lizard. Well, I can do this because it’s sleeping and off guard…
By the way, “Rock Lizard” is quite an apt name.
Its skin, or scales rather, look like they’re covered in large boulders. If you met it on a rocky mountain, you honestly might not be able to tell where it is – it’s like a small rocky hill itself.
And I have no intention of getting into a physical fight with such a rocky hill.
I’ll end this quickly!
“Sink into the depths of the earth! [Muddy Ground]!”
As I extend my hand, the ground beneath the Rock Lizard turns into a muddy swamp, and its massive body gradually begins to sink into the ground.
“Guwooo…!”
[Muddy Ground] is a Lv3 [Earth Magic] spell. Although its effect time is short, it suddenly creates a muddy swamp under the opponent’s feet.
As it’s an area-of-effect spell, there’s a risk of the target escaping if they have high agility. But against a Rock Lizard with high durability and low agility, it’s a well-suited spell.
Indeed, although the Rock Lizard wakes up and immediately starts thrashing about, its low agility prevents it from escaping the muddy swamp.
This is the perfect moment to attack!
“Now for the finishing blow while you can’t move! [Fire Pillar]!”
Another area-of-effect spell, a pillar of flame, is placed centered on the Rock Lizard, engulfing its body in flames.
[Fire Pillar] is a Lv2 [Fire Magic] spell that actually deals more total damage than the Lv3 [Fire Strike].
However, being an area-of-effect spell, it has the drawback of not dealing significant damage if the target manages to get out of range.
[Earth Magic], which can manipulate the terrain to our advantage, compensates for this weakness. When I realized that if I could just stop their feet, I could potentially land all hits, I was scared of my own genius.
This is truly what you’d call a stroke of genius!
…Huh, it’s commonplace?
That must be your imagination. Ahaha.
▶ Gained 168 experience points.
▶ Acquired 52 reward stones.
▶ Acquired Rock Lizard scales.
▶ Acquired Rock Lizard fangs.
▶ [Balance] has been activated.
Adjusting the balance of acquired items.
▶ Additionally acquired 116 reward stones.
▶ Acquired Rock Lizard meat.
“Hmm, the experience points are on a different scale compared to Horn Rabbits. I wonder if it was actually a strong monster?”
It felt like it ended with just two magic spells, and I didn’t feel any sense of challenge at all.
“Well, whatever~”
More importantly, it’s dungeon time!
My first dungeon, I’m so nervous…
Passing through the entrance that’s just big enough for one person, it’s time to enter the dungeon!
▶ [Crystal Cave]
Text briefly floats in my vision, and the air changes.
Until a moment ago, it was a humid, subtropical air, but here it’s a cool space that’s almost chilly.
Should I call it a chill?
I feel a shivery cold, like I’ve just entered a slightly dark place.
As for the cave type, it’s a cave made of rock.
I hear dripping sounds everywhere, so underground water might be seeping out.
In any case, along with the atmosphere, it feels a bit chilly.
“Ah, I need to equip that”
[Skilled Pickaxe]
Rarity: 2
Quality: Normal
Durability: 200/200
Maker: Gaga
Performance: [Mining] Lv1
Note: A pickaxe that allows anyone to mine like a skilled worker
What a pickaxe! Just by equipping it, you gain a skill! With this, even I have [Mining]!
So, maybe because I gained the [Mining] skill, I can now see mining points here and there…!
It seems that if I strike my pickaxe at the faintly glowing areas, I can obtain materials.
“I will become the Mining King!”
For now, while dramatically declaring this to myself, I start mining at every mining point I can find.
If the [Mining] level was a bit higher, it seems I could mine more times at each point, but currently I’m short on SP, so I’ll have to be patient with that.
Come to think of it, I want [Crafting], [Metalwork], and [Leatherworking] too. I shouldn’t have poured all my SP into stats! Even though I thought I had to be careful about using it, I ended up being too decisive! I regret it!
While agonizing over this and progressing through the cave, I encountered my first monster.
An amorphous, slimy mass of water…
Could this be the famous Mr. Slime?
▶ Using [Appraisal] on ???.
▶ [Appraisal] successful.
Name: (Nameless)
Species: Slime
Gender: None
Age: ■ years old
LV ■
HP 20/20
MP ■/■
Physical Attack: 5
Magical Attack: 5
Physical Defense: ■
Magical Defense: 7
Stamina: 2
Agility: 2
Intuition: ■
Spirit: ■
Fate: ■
Unique Skill: (None)
Species Skills: [Split] [Absorb]
Common Skill: [Dissolving Liquid]
Hmm, it’s weak!
Gaga-san called them weakling slugs, and he was right about these monsters. I guess if there’s anything to be careful about, it might be those special skills?
“[Fireball]”
▶ Gained 7 experience points.
▶ Acquired 5 reward stones.
▶ Acquired Slime Core.
▶ [Balance] has been activated.
Adjusting the balance of acquired items.
▶ Additionally acquired 2 reward stones.
When I hit it with a magically created fireball, it evaporated instantly.
I guess this is the type that’s extremely strong against physical attacks but weak to magic, as the theory goes?
It’s easy to fight and I’m grateful for that, but I also want experience points…
While thinking about such things and progressing down the single path, I eventually step into an open space.
“Wow, it’s beautiful…”
What spreads out before my eyes is a large underground lake.
The surface of the lake is shimmering and sparkling as it ripples irregularly.
I realized that the cave ceiling is densely covered with crystals, which are refracting sunlight coming in from somewhere, shining like a chandelier.
The lake surface reflecting this creates a scene like a starry sky formed on the ground. If someone were to try to woo me with alcohol while looking at such a view, I might get a bit dizzy – that’s how beautiful the scenery spreading before me is.
As I’m inadvertently captivated by this sight,
▶ [Balance] has been activated.
Adjusting the monster appearance balance.
Suddenly, the entire cave starts to shake with a rumbling sound.
Huh? What? I have a really bad feeling about this…
And as usual in these situations, my premonition turns out to be right—
With a splash, a giant arm made of crystal emerges from the underground lake, followed by an even longer crystal neck.
Yep, no matter how you look at it, this is definitely a boss monster…
“It’s huge!”
A dragon with crystals growing all over its body—…That’s my impression of this creature.
Um, Gaga-san? You didn’t say anything about something like this appearing!
W-well, let’s try [Appraisal] for now.
▶ Using [Appraisal] on ???.
▶ [Appraisal] failed.
Ah. This is definitely bad news…