The operation was simple.
While I distract the keen-sensed Cerberus, I dig a deep pit that it is likely to fall into.
The depth is roughly 10 meters.
Given its massive size, if it falls from that height, it would be unable to brace itself for the impact.
In the meantime, I smash its head.
A straightforward strategy.
“!(@)*&()$#!!”
“Persistent, aren’t you?”
I pulled the shovel from the middle head, which was rolling its eyes and didn’t move at all.
Is it dead?
I glanced over at the other two heads of Cerberus, which were struggling to rise. It sure is a bothersome creature. It fell into a pit deep enough that it wouldn’t be strange for it to be knocked out, yet here it is, stubbornly clinging to life.
A typical late-game mob.
If I had faced it head-on, it would have been tough.
“I coated the shovel with venom; I wonder if it got a good dose.”
It’s a powerful poison that can kill a person with just a drop. I poured nearly a whole vial of it, so it should be spreading slowly by now. It’ll probably die slowly if I leave it like this.
“Johann!”
“Shuri! Get ready with your magic up there!”
“!@()!($#&*!!”
Clueless as always. I chuckled as I felt the two pairs of eyes glaring at me with murderous intent. From the moment it fell into the pit, our victory in this fight was guaranteed. The only thing left to contemplate is how to finish off this Cerberus.
I slowly used a skill on the struggling Cerberus.
“Crafting.”
After all, a dog needs a leash.
I created a thick stone ring so it couldn’t lift its dead head. Since it’s a dead head, it can’t even exert strength in its neck, completely blocking its movement. Even if it tries to escape, it will take quite some time.
The easiest solution would be to smash the pit with Breath, but who would wait 20 seconds? I know that if I shoot Breath in this narrow pit, I’d be caught in the blast too, so I can’t use it.
In other words, it’s practically checkmate.
I stepped on Cerberus’s rugby-field-sized back and climbed onto its immobilized right head.
It put up a fight, but thanks to the impact of the fall, it’s still unable to move properly. I quietly adjusted my grip on the shovel while swaying slightly atop its head.
“Goodbye.”
This fight isn’t just about strength, you mutt. I plunged the mithril shovel into the sturdy head of Cerberus. True to the world’s best metal, the mithril shovel sank into Cerberus’s skull without resistance.
The blade sank halfway in.
Not enough yet.
I stomped down on the shovel head, forcing the entire blade deep into the skull. A roar and a scream. Then blood gushed from my body like a wave.
Ugh, the stench.
I’ll definitely need a shower when I get back.
Covered in blood, I twisted the wound on the top of my head. The wider the wound, the faster this giant Cerberus loses its life.
As if in response to my intent, I felt the sound of the wind cutting and the heat rising from above.
I glanced left while still in the position of tearing its neck apart. Luis had landed on Cerberus’s vast back, and a fireball exploded on the left head, tormenting it.
What attribute did the left head have again?
Well, it doesn’t matter since it’s going to die anyway. I quietly leaned on the shovel, watching the left head burn.
The battle is over. It was quite anticlimactic but can be considered the most ideal fight.
I defeated a powerful monster without any significant damage. Eventually, when Cerberus completely stopped moving, I pulled out the shovel and took a cloth from my backpack to wipe off the Cerberus blood that was all over me.
“Is it over…?”
“As you can see.”
“We, we caught Cerberus!”
“This isn’t just us catching it. It’s more like Johann set it up, and we just added a spoonful, right?”
In moments like this, you just go along with it, you thieving cat. I lay down on Cerberus’s back, feeling the prickly fur, but it wasn’t unbearable. I should just lie here for a bit and rest.
My whole body aches from all that digging.
No matter how efficient and fast my digging is, it’s still limited to human physical capabilities.
“I’ll take a quick break and then check the reward box.”
“But how do we get back up?”
“I’ll just make a path.”
I’ll shape some steps to climb back up.
I closed my eyes, ignoring the awful smell of blood and rot.
I’m used to this sort of thing.
———————-
“Wow… the reward box is enormous!”
“With this, the reward must be huge, right? We could earn over 1000 gold coins!”
“Wait. Don’t open it immediately.”
“Why?”
“It could be a mimic.”
“Oh.”
At my single line, the party’s previously joyful expressions turned tense.
“Let’s check if it’s a mimic before opening it.”
I sprinkled the paralysis potion I received from Viola onto the box. If it’s a mimic, it should be paralyzed and unable to do anything. Or so I thought.
Anyway, if it gets the slightest bit paralyzed, it would be worth it.
But the box showed no reaction.
I wondered if it could be a mimic, but nope.
“I’ll open the box now.”
I lifted the lid of the huge reward box that was twice the size of others. When the lid opened, the insides of the reward box revealed… trivial items.
“It’s a dungeon where Cerberus is the final boss, but the reward is underwhelming.”
“Well, I think we could still get over 30 gold coins for each gem?”
“That’s a decent amount.”
So, are they saying we could take the materials from Cerberus and make that our reward?
Some gold coins, a few gems, and some unimpressive equipment. Are these the belongings of explorers?
In this world, the possessions of the deceased within dungeons turn into reward boxes over time. Considering that, these must be the belongings of those who died during the past investigations.
It’s my first time seeing them in person.
The dungeons I’ve cleared until now had almost no casualties, so it’s only natural.
Most of the time, I was the first to enter.
“The quality of the explorers who entered here doesn’t seem too good.”
I scattered all the equipment from the box onto the floor. Worn-down and crumpled gear. They’re clearly cheap.
Undiscovered dungeons often accumulate this kind of gear. It’s a structure where equipment left behind by those who couldn’t clear the dungeon piles up.
In a game, it’s usually a single line of text that flashes during loading, but seeing it like this feels strange.
Would I just leave behind gear like this if I were to die in a dungeon?
“Should we hand this over to the Explorer Guild?”
“…The owners won’t be found anyway, right? Might as well sell it off-”
“That’s too harsh, isn’t it?”
“Explorers are originally like that. They risk their lives looking for a fortune. If they die, they just become part of the dungeon.”
Sif finally spoke some wise words befitting an explorer.
I didn’t think she could say that.
“Johann thinks the same, right?”
“Well, I guess.”
To be blunt, selling everything off is the best bet.
For explorers, who are mostly living on borrowed time, the disposal of gear obtained from dungeons is prioritized for the party that cleared it. With uncertain lifespans, they wouldn’t dare make a fuss unless it’s an official request.
“It’s too much to carry all this back. Check between the equipment for any personal belongings. We’ll just take those.”
At my words, Sif nodded reluctantly. The party had complicated expressions.
So we swept all the gold coins and the gem boxes into our pouches and took items that seemed like personal belongings from the dead explorers before heading back to where Cerberus’s corpse lay.
Since the dungeon rewards were so dull, we might as well strip Cerberus’s hide and bones.
It must be better than steel.
——————-
“I’m here to report on the Beast’s Grave.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve come to report on the exploration of the Beast’s Grave.”
The burly man with a fierce demeanor made the words seem intimidating, causing the receptionist at the Belens Explorer Guild to look up at him nervously.
With an expression that seemed able to snap a neck in an instant, the receptionist involuntarily gulped. Though there were tougher-looking explorers, the atmosphere radiating from this man felt beyond ordinary veterans.
“Um, well, that is…”
Before the receptionist could finish, the man placed various items on the counter. From a small pendant to a dagger with initials engraved on it. The receptionist stared blankly up at him and asked.
“What, what is this?”
“These are the belongings of explorers who died in the dungeon. I hope they can be returned to their families.”
‘Oh, he might be a good person despite his appearance.’
The receptionist quietly placed the items inside the desk. Her expression had softened compared to before. Seeing that, the burly man placed a massive canine tooth, an explorer guild certification, and a small notebook on the counter.
“This is a tooth from Cerberus. I’m presenting this as proof of successfully exploring the Beast’s Grave. And this notebook contains records of information about the dungeon. I’ll submit this as proof too.”
“C-Cerberus?”
“Cerberus?!”
‘Cerberus? That Cerberus? Why did such a creature suddenly pop up?!’
The receptionist shouted inaudibly as the guild was thrown into a commotion.
Naturally, all eyes turned to the burly man. Surrounded by curious gazes, he ignored them and stared straight at the receptionist.
Demanding quick processing with his gaze, the receptionist bowed her head, panic-stricken, and apologized.
“I-I’m sorry! I was just so surprised!”
“Anyway, I’ve delivered what I needed to, so I’ll return in a few days.”
“Yes! Please come back in two days at this time!”
After the intense impression left by the burly man faded away, the receptionist let out a sigh of relief.
‘Cerberus and the Beast’s Grave…’
A canine tooth as thick as a person’s waist looks quite eerie just to look at.
The receptionist slapped her cheeks with her palms and disappeared into the back of the guild to find an appraiser.
I need to quickly gauge this and send a party to investigate before the dungeon resets to verify if what he said is true.
A few days later, the news of the Beast’s Grave, which had remained an undiscovered dungeon for five years, being cleared was announced.
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