“Creeeek!”
“Wow, that effect is amazing. Good thing I don’t have a nose.”
A small monkey-like monster was rolling on the floor, frothing at the mouth. The smell of garlic, amplified several times, was so painful that the monsters’ eyes were moist and almost tearful.
I didn’t expect such a fierce reaction, even though the scent was dizzying when suddenly encountered.
“What on earth did you bring?!”
Shuri asked me, her tail standing erect. I kindly informed her of the contents of the box while casually stepping on the monster’s head.
“It’s garlic.”
Crack!
The head is softer than I thought.
“Gar…lic?”
“That stuff you put in aioli. That’s it.”
“Ah, that! It smells terrible!”
“Yeah, so don’t think of taking it off. If you do… it’s hell.”
Thanks for the explanation, Viola. I closed the box and crushed the necks of the incapacitated monsters one by one with my foot. Thanks to them being too weak to even think of escaping, it hadn’t even been five minutes before we finished cleaning up the area.
“Crafting.”
To erase the traces, I made a pit and pushed all the bodies inside, then roughly covered it with dirt. I sprinkled garlic as a bonus, so they shouldn’t be able to approach for a while.
After tidying up, I scanned the bodies of the chicks waiting for my instructions.
“This is how you deal with monsters. Got it?”
“What do we do when we run out of garlic in the box?”
“Then we just fight.”
By then, we’d be giving off a strong garlic smell anyway, so there’s really no need to sprinkle more. The party nodded at my words and got ready to move again. I took the opportunity to strap on my backpack.
I would love to munch on jerky while walking, but thinking that I might end up shouting “gas gas gas” if I take off my gas mask in this state made my appetite disappear.
Did I do too much?
“Let’s keep moving.”
——————–
Whether it was bad luck or good, we encountered those scrawny tree monsters five times.
Thanks to our experience from the first battle, the second one went much smoother. Thus, we fought a total of five times.
By the last battle, we finished before the tree monster could vomit out the little monkey babies. Shuri’s lightning magic and my slime-spraying had completely sealed its movements, and it basically burned down.
I felt a sense of satisfaction watching the fruits of our collaboration with Shuri.
“Well done.”
A wizard is definitely the best when it comes to ranged attacks.
With a competent wizard, as long as we maintain formation and don’t let anyone get close, we can wipe out everything with just one or two spells. This is why explorers rush to parties that post for wizards, begging them to join.
Elisa should become a wizard like that. At the very least, she should be able to shoot a first-level spell or two as a battle weapon. To deal meaningful damage to the Final Boss, a first-level spell is basically essential.
I want to see a meteor in action as well.
“Uncle, my prosthetic arm feels a bit strange.”
“Come here.”
Is the durability not that great after all? I rolled up Viola’s sleeve and checked the status of her prosthetic arm. Monster flesh was stuck in the joints. It was clear that she had punched the monsters right in the face with it.
“Did you hit monsters with the prosthetic?”
“It lunged at me, so I instinctively…”
“How much shock did you feel in your shoulder?”
“Uh, quite a bit? My shoulder aches a little.”
“Not enough shock absorption, huh…”
“But it felt good to hit.”
She has quite the fiery personality. By the way, is the quality of the prosthetic still lacking? I placed my hand on her shoulder and released the connection of the prosthetic.
“I’ll swap it out for a backup prosthetic, so hold your sleeve up to keep it from falling.”
“Uh, okay, but…”
Why is she blushing? Is showing her armpit that embarrassing? We’ve seen it a few times already.
Ah, maybe it’s because there are a lot of people around.
“Shuri. Come over here for a second.”
“Sure?”
“I think Viola is embarrassed. I’ll teach you how to put on the prosthetic, so I’d like you to swap it out instead of me.”
“Ah, Uncle!”
“Yeah, sure!”
Shuri approached me swiftly and received the prosthetic I handed over with respect, as if handling a precious item. I told her it was okay to handle it casually and then showed her the broken connection of the prosthetic, explaining step by step how to put it on.
“Uh, like this?!”
“Yeah. That’s how you do it.”
“Ugh!”
As soon as the prosthetic attached, Viola tested her shoulder by moving it around. Thankfully, there was no problem with the prosthetic itself, so we could immediately continue our search.
“Is this the stairs to the 2nd floor?”
Unlike the entrance, which was just a downhill path, the way down to the 2nd floor had proper stairs.
This would make going down a bit easier. We sat in front of the stairs for a moment to take a break. We hadn’t rested at all while getting here, so taking a break now was efficient.
“Crafting.”
We gathered inside the small building I made and took off our gas masks. As soon as we removed them, a spicy smell rushed into our noses. Apparently, all that time sprinkling garlic had left a lingering scent all over our bodies. I looked around at the others to see how they were faring, and everyone was suffering from the garlic smell.
Shuri was coughing and had to put her gas mask back on.
“It’s spicy…!”
“Wash your face with water. It’ll get better.”
“Cough… Why is Johan fine?”
“I’m used to it.”
Because Koreans have garlic flowing in their blood.
Though this body has no ties to Korea.
Let’s just say it’s soul food.
I sank into my thoughts as I watched my party members suffering, having a dazed expression. Eventually, following my advice, the members who soaked their faces began to enjoy a moment of relaxation while chewing on jerky from their bags.
“Surprisingly easy.”
“The first floor usually isn’t that hard. The rewards aren’t great either. But Johan, wouldn’t it have been better to skin the monsters and eat them? They’re a new breed, right? We could get some value if we do it well-”
“They were tearing too easily.”
“What monster can withstand a mithril shovel blade? Dragons would at least get a scratch from that! That enormous tree monster was practically paper!”
“Mithril, you say?”
“Oops.”
Sigh. I shot a glare at the thieving cat for accidentally letting slip. Then, I explained to Lewis and Shuri, who had their eyes focused on my shovel, that it was indeed made of mithril. I didn’t feel the need to lie.
After all, we’re the main protagonist couple; it’s unnecessary to spread rumors everywhere.
“Don’t go spreading rumors. This is still a secret.”
There’s nothing more bothersome than annoying flies buzzing around. While it wouldn’t be that difficult to swat them away, it’s a little risky since it was bought with embezzled money.
Fortunately, the nice protagonist couple quickly accepted my words. They say couples grow to resemble each other.
“It’s tougher than I thought…”
“This isn’t too difficult for an undetected dungeon.”
It was only possible because we’d prepared somewhat, and each member was skilled. If it had been an ordinary party of adventurers, injuries from fighting that tree monster would be expected.
That tree monster was the greatest nemesis for any adventurer party without a mage. If it weren’t for us, it could have easily become a threat to any party.
Also, those little monkeys weren’t as easy to deal with as expected.
They were weaker than goblins, but their numbers and speed made them quite a nuisance to handle.
They simply couldn’t endure the biochemical terror and met their end helplessly.
This is why thorough research is crucial when exploring dungeons. Even with somewhat lacking combat power, bringing items that can counter the monsters inside can drastically reduce the difficulty of dungeon raids.
“…We need to pick up every rumor without missing even one. Sometimes, trivial information can determine victory or defeat in battle.”
“Yes! I’ll keep that in mind!”
“Got it!”
“Indeed…”
As expected of the main protagonist couple; they’re so diligent. They listen well and don’t let valuable advice go in one ear and out the other. Watching Lewis and Shuri absorb my knowledge brought a contented smile to my face.
If I keep rolling them like this, soon they’ll be able to handle most things without lifting a finger. Hoping for that day, I resolved to continue managing Lewis.
…For now, though, this dungeon is more of a test, so I plan just to observe.
“Everyone, pay attention. Before we go down to the 2nd floor, we have something to check. Shuri, how much magic do you have left?”
“About two-thirds!”
“When we go down to the 2nd floor, conserve your magic as much as possible. We don’t know what might pop up, so stick to using only level 4 spells to hold out, and only use level 3 spells if absolutely necessary. And Viola.”
“Yeah?”
“How many potions do you have left?”
“I’ve only used two. I took down the approaching ones with the prosthetic…”
“You’re quite tough.”
“I felt it was too wasteful to use potions on those little monkey guys. Plus, the best way to get data on durability and design flaws is to engage directly. I also got some insight about how flesh tends to get stuck in the joints.”
“Still, from the 2nd floor onwards, don’t try to solve things with just your fists unless absolutely necessary. We don’t know what might appear.”
“Understood.”
“Lewis, you just need to keep doing what you’re doing. Try to block as many attacks from the front as you can. If it seems impossible, call for me or ask Shuri for a level 3 spell.”
“Got it.”
“ Sif, keep your eyes peeled for danger. If you see any suspicious structures or signs of monsters, report to me immediately. During battles, make sure to stay hidden as much as possible.”
“Easy! Got it!”
“…Then lift your backpacks. We’re going down to the 2nd floor now.”
[I hope there’s something fun on the 2nd floor. The first floor was really boring.]
…That’s an ominous sound.
I confirmed that everyone had strapped on their backpacks, then paused in front of the stairs to the 2nd floor.
“Is there anything forgotten?”
“Nothing at all.”
“Any business to attend to?”
“Um… Can I go for a moment?”
Is it an urgent bathroom break? I quickly set up a pit and a wall in a suitable location and returned to my original spot.
“If you’re going, be quick about it. Don’t go alone; go in pairs of three.”
At my words, the trio of women dropped their backpacks and disappeared behind a nearby wall. I stared at Lewis, who was scratching his head awkwardly, before gazing blankly at the silent stairs.
What could be on the 2nd floor?
After all, the ones on the first floor weren’t strong enough to wipe out adventurers.
If my hunch is correct, the first floor is just a taste, and the 2nd floor…
“I’m back!”
“Okay. Everyone put your backpacks on.”
Shall we head down to the 2nd floor now?
We stepped down the stairs where only faint lighting revealed our surroundings.
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