CH 34

“Sareha, I’ll teach you the basics of dungeons.”

“Yes! Please, nii-sama!”

I explained as we walk through the mine. The walls were lined with simple lamps at even intervals, providing an orange glow that illuminated our feet. The lighting was poor, but I couldn’t complain. It was better than having to hold a torch with one hand occupied.

Before Thor and the others woke up, we quietly got up and started diving into the dungeon. We didn’t tell anyone that we had resumed dungeon diving.

“First, don’t get caught in the trap. That’s the first thing!”

“…… Traps, huh? Scary.”

“Don’t worry, because I am the one with the best defense, so I’ll lead the way. Watch my footprints and make sure you step on the same spot.”

However, no matter how good your defense is, if you get caught in a trap, it will still hurt. I wonder how the labyrinth explorers of the world avoid traps.

“When you go into a dungeon, don’t hope for anything. You must assume that everything will turn out badly and protect yourself from death.”

Sareha looked a little frightened.

“Well, just leave it to me.”

We would proceed with great caution.

— I heard a familiar sound. As soon as I thought I heard the sound of gas blowing out at my feet, small sparks came from the trap. In an instant, it burst into flames and was enveloped in a raging fire.

“……! Hot-hot!”

“Aaah! Nii-samaaa!”

I rolled around on the ground, covering my face with my arms. When my body was on fire, I couldn’t take in the hot air into my lungs. The only thing I could do was just roll around on the ground and wait for the fire to die down.

I thought back to last night’s dinner. That time the fire burned the goat meat, and now I was haplessly facing the same fate. The difference was whether it’s edible or not. No, from the monster’s point of view, I’m edible.

After a few moments of rolling, the fire went out.

“I-I’m fine!　It went out pretty quick, so I didn’t get burned too bad.”

“Uhh…… are you really ……”

I responded in a prone position. Sareha crouched in front of me, tears in his eyes, and looked at me.

“This is the fire trap, remember it well. The trap is still there, so don’t step on it.”

As I stood up, some of my clothes were scorched off. There were no healing potions, so I couldn’t heal myself, but I wasn’t so damaged that I was about to die.

“Brother’s…… clothes are ……”

“It’s hot in the mine, you know. It’s just right.”

This was just the beginning. Even the clothes were hidden in important places.

There were monsters with special skills, traps full of malice, and items that could kill you if you used them in the wrong way. The horror of the dungeon increases as you go down the levels.

The sound of a monster’s footsteps approached us, probably having heard our conversation. It was probably a slime species because it was dragging a slimy, sticky sound.

“The monster is here!”

A red slime appeared in front of me. For the time being let’s call it Red Slime.

As usual, I tried to destroy the core of the body, but Sareha stopped me.

“I’ll use magic! Leave it to me!”

Sareha held his hands out in front of him and focused his nerves.

“Aer (chant) – Glaciem (ice) – Sagitta (arrow).”

…. A small ice arrow flew at the monster. The arrow penetrated the red slime’s body, but missed the core. Sareha continued to chant.

“……! Aer (Chanting) – Diffusio (Diffusion) – Glaciem (Ice) – Sagitta (Arrow)”

…. Five ice arrows flew at the Red Slime. As soon as one of them pierced the core, the Red Slime exploded in a spray of bright red magma.

“…… Phew.”

Sareha exhaled, relieved of his tension. If I had killed the Red Slime with my bare hands, I would have been seriously injured by the magma that would have splashed onto my body.

“Thank you, Sareha. You remembered the magic……. How did you …… do it in such a short time?”

“I’m just following the grimoire. Maybe. …… I’m just covering my unfamiliarity with it with a lot of MP. Even with such weak magic, I have a strong sense that my MP has decreased by a lot. Also, the magic written in the grimoire I got from nii-sama is quite different.”

“How was it different from normal magic?”

“The chanting method and theory were as different as could be. If it was ice arrow magic, [Ice Bolt] would be the most common, but this grimoire magic, or should I say ancient magic. It’s a combination of words that form a chant. There are other…”

I listened to Sareha‘s explanation. Apparently, with the magic he just described, Aer (chanting) means chanting, and Glaciem (ice) and Sagitta (arrows) are ice attribute arrows. And by interspersing Diffusio (diffusion) in the middle, the number of arrows is increased.

He said there are countless combinations, but the unfamiliar and powerful ones consume a lot of MP. Sareha has more than 600 times the MP of me. I guess that makes up for the lack of experience.

When Sareha was in the royal palace, he used to secretly read grimoires in the library. That’s how he knew the difference. He also said that he could not learn ordinary magic. If only he had had time and a teacher to look up to, he could have learned it.

“That’s great, Sareha! I knew you had a talent for magic!”

I stroked his head roughly. His hair was a mess, but Sareha looked happy.

“Okay, let’s move forward while conserving your MP.”

“Yes!”

We continued on our way.

I equipped myself with the [Steel Flail +2] that I picked up along the way. I also picked up a potion and a scroll, so I put them in my item box.

I found a Stone Throwing Orc, but I crushed it with the flail before it could attack me. The monsters were not that hard to fight if they’re alone.

Also, we should pay attention to the rear. Sareha’s status was no different from that of a normal person, except for his MP and magic power. No, he was rather on the weak side. I’ve learned from my own experience what happens to those who challenge dungeons with inadequate strength.

However, in order to increase HP and defense, you need to be attacked by monsters. Sareha would not be able to withstand it. The magicians would raise the strength of the party, but at the same time, it was a fragile postition.

Every time I walked, the flail chains made a sound.

The passageways in this mine were intricate and easy to get lost in. The walls were reinforced with wooden posts, and there were railroad tracks for trolleys running around the area. You could also see some burlap bags used to store the ore.

“It’s more like a real mine than a dungeon. If it weren’t for the monsters and the items, we could almost hear the sound of pickaxes.”

“That’s true. I guess that’s where the dwarves do their work.”

“…… Dwarves. I’d like to have some dwarves in the territory.”

The Beastmen were reasonably handy, but none of them were good at blacksmithing. When it comes to blacksmithing, it was the dwarves. It would be a great help if even one of them were here.

“The first thing we need to do is to complete this dungeon. We have a long way to go.”

….. I stepped out. I felt an unpleasant sensation, but it was too late.

“Oh, no! Sareha!”

….. As soon as I grabbed Sareha, the ground opened up a big mouth. Sure enough, we were caught in a trap of a pit. I was going to fall down the pitch-black space together with Sareha.

“Aaaaahhhh!”

We fell. We just kept falling.

I managed to keep my consciousness calm and thought about what my next move would be. First, I prepared for the landing. If I fall on my head, I would die instantly, and I shouldn’t crush Sareha. Then I would have to hold on with both feet.

I made up my mind and pointed both feet at the ground. The impact that would come immediately was terrifying. I had no idea how high I’m falling.