I spent the next two hours going around the cave, but I only got six herbs and one poisonous plant.

The golden lamp did not appear.

We were feeling good about getting a lot of skill points, but the items we got were so meager that we decided to give up and quit this dungeon.

The only enemies here were Kobolds and bats, and we couldn't get much experience.

Once there, I returned to the inn in city.

"Where can I find something a little more challenging, Serina?"

"There's an underground temple in the Eastern Plains. The guild's recommended level is 15, so it might be just right for us right now."

"Okay, then, let's go there."

"Yeah."

Ignoring the caterpillars on the way, we continued on, and arrived at our destination about thirty minutes after leaving the city.

There was a stone pillar with religious ornaments standing there, but other than that entrance, there was nothing. There was nothing but grass on the ground.

"Hmm, I'm going to take a break."

I don't have much physical strength, but I don't like to walk. I found a stone that was easy to sit on, so I sat down on it. "heave ho".

"Huh? You don't have the strength."

"No, Serina-san, Master is unequaled."

Meena said proudly, even though Ione was also there.

"Ehh? Well, yeah, but ......"

"Meena, you don't have to say anything else."

Ione stiffened for a few seconds, then apparently decided to turn around and pretend she hadn't heard.

"I-I'm so sorry, Master."

"Geez, Alec. I know you were thinking of me. You should be a little more gentle with her."

Serina said, but I know that.

"No, Master is more than kind enough."

"That's enough, ...... All right, then, let's work hard to save up the money and get a contract(?)."

"Yes, thank you."

I took a sip of water from my canteen and stood up.

"Then, let's go."

We passed through the gate of the underground temple. Immediately, a staircase led downward, followed by a T-junction passage.

"Let's start from the left."

The passageway, made of countless stone blocks about fifty centimeters each, was two meters wide and three meters high, and bent from side to side, forming a complex maze.

"There's something in here!"

"It's black slime!"

A pitch-black slime, quivering and shaking.

"Is it strong?" I was about to ask Serina, when I remembered that I had the skills of appraisal and description myself.

I'll use it.

【Name】 Black Slime

【 L v】 12

【 H P 】 63/63

【Status】 Normal

【Description】

A black slime.

It is a bit aggressive.

It is active against those who approach it.

It is difficult to damage with blows.

Well, It's stronger than a normal slime, but I think we can handle it.

"Don't go head-on. Get behind it's direction of travel. Watch out for the mucus flying at you."

Having once struggled with a normal slime, I urged everyone to be careful.

"Yeah, but this is a piece of cake."

She ran around and swung her longsword at the black slime.

The slime shuddered as it heard a thud, but it didn't seem to be able to be killed with a single blow.

"Leave it to me!"

Then, from the side, Meena brought out her shortsword. The slime was gouged out with a flick of the sword and disappeared in a puff of white smoke, as if it had run out of steam.

"Well done."

"Yes!"

But no drop.

"Oh well, maybe next time."

The underground temple is quite large, but after an hour or so of pacing back and forth through the corridors, we seemed to have filled up the map of this level.

"All that's left are the stairs," Serina said.

I checked my skills and saw that it was four o'clock in the afternoon. There's still a little time before sunset.

"Okay, let's take a look at the basement level and then we'll go up."

"Roger that."

We descended the stairs and followed the passage. The entrance on the right seemed to lead to a hall.

"Master, there's someone inside. It smells like a ...... young woman."

"I think she's alone."

Meena and Serina told me with their skills.

"All right, let's go in."

If she was my kind of beautiful girl, I would at least try to pick her up.

"……What's is she doing there?"

I walk into the hall and ask.

"Wh-who know? What is she doing here?"

"I think she's trapped."

Serina said.

"No, I'm not. I'm just taking a break here."

The silver-haired female knight denied it with a straight face, but her arms were still plunged into the relief on the wall. The relief was a large one, resembling a human face, with a hand just inside the grinning mouth.

On the top it said, "Thou shalt put thy hand in my mouth, and I will give thee one supreme treasure. Greed will destroy you someday," was carved into the top.

It looked like a trap that would give us all a valuable lesson.

But does an intelligent elf fall for it? ......Or is this guy just another species with pointy ears?

"Hmm. I know how you feel, but...that's why you're taking a break.……"

Lily ask suspiciously.

The knight bent forward because of the low position of her arms is look stupid.

It may be her own pride, but it would be stupid if she lost her life to a monster attack.

"Let's help her."

Ione said with some common sense, and I thought better of it and went to pull her along.

"D-don't come here! This is my discipline. You're not to do anything I don't want you to do."

She's a stubborn girl.

"Okay, let's go forward, guys."

"Huh? But ......"

"That's what the knight says. We shouldn't interfere with her training."

She seemed to be a solo adventurer, but she was well equipped with the Steel Series. If that's the case, she's not going to fall behind a slime.

"I don't mind."

The knight said calmly, as if she could handle it. Even though her appearance is dumb.

"Don't let your guard down. Don't worry about others, but your own life."

Everyone was still looking towards the hall, so I started to pull myself together.

"Yes, you're right."

Surprisingly, Serina agreed and moved on.

"Uh-huh. ...... kun-kun."

On the way, Meena stopped and started using her nose.

"What's up, Meena?"

"It's ......."

"If there's anything that's bothering you, even if it's something trivial, just say it."

"Yes. It smells sweet, like flowers, but I don't remember."

"I see. Well, I'm sure there are some flowers you don't know. Don't worry about it."

"Yes, Master."

Smiling, Meena was in a good mood. I didn't mean to praise her, but .......

I felt a little uncomfortable, but we were in a dungeon, and you never know when or where an enemy might appear, so it was best not to let unnecessary things distract my concentration.

I focused my nerves on the end of the corridor.

"There's something here. It's a slime."

"Again: ......"

I was a little distracted by the fact that the drops and experience weren't very good, but it seemed to be a different color than the slime from earlier.

"The pink color ...... is unusual. I've never seen it before."

Ione says, well, she's not an adventurer, she's a swordsman, so she might not know some of the monsters, even if they're nearby.

"The fluorescent colors are kind of weird."

Serina said, but it's so shiny and clean it looks like jelly or jam.

Of course, in this place would be appraised by any first-time enemy.

【Name】 Pink Slime

【 L v】 22

【 H P 】 263/263

【Status】 Normal

【Description】

A bewitching pink slime.

It's personality is a bit aggressive.

It is active against human women.

It is difficult to damage with blows.

It fires an acid that dissolves cotton and silk, but is harmless to humans.

Hmm? I don't know why it reacts only to women.

Moreover, speaking of cotton and silkAnd when I say cotton and silk――.

"Be-be careful! This guy, is a bad guy like Alec(・・・)!"

Serina flies such a warning that she's also used appraisal.

"You know"

"Uwaa, this is bad, this is bad, try to stay away from this slime."

I glared at Lily, who was deliberately scared, and she giggled.

"Then, leave this to me."

Ione, who seemed to be the strongest of the us, stepped forward. She has fallen behind the bandit Gardon, but she's very skilled, so I'll leave it to her.

"All right, be careful."

"Yes."

Ione exhaled deeply, perhaps to unify her mind, and at once closed the distance between them and paid the slime a side calm.

"Waterfowl Sword, Chidori!"

After slicing the slime, run straight through it and keep her distance.

""Ooohhh !""

She buried the slime with one blow. Jus as expected.

"Great, Ione. You're good."

"No, I'm just dealing with a slime."

Ione smiled humbly.

"Serina, are there only slimes here?"

"No, not really, but there's a lot of them."

"Well, let's get the to the West Tower."

"Hmm, it's good that you're competing with Shin, but I think we should check the recommended level with the guild."

"Yeah, of course."

It was almost sunset, so we decided to leave the underground temple.