CH 260

Episode 260 – Desert Area

“It suddenly got so hot. It makes the canyon area feel cold in comparison.” (Aruna)

“The floor is made of sand, so it’s hard to move, too… I want to hurry up and get out of here.” (Rosalie)

“I want to get out of here as soon as possible too, but let’s continue moving forward carefully, keeping our stamina in mind. Also… here, this is a Cold Mint Leaf. If you chew on it, you’ll feel a fresh, cool sensation in your mouth. Plus, if you grind it up and apply it to your skin, it’ll make that part feel nice and cold. Please feel free to use it.” (Lewin)

I synthesized some Cold Mint Herb and handed it over to Rosalie and Aruna. Beyond the 24th layer was the desert area, which meant that the air temperature shot up all at once, and the fine sands made even walking expend more stamina than normal.

I was managing somehow thanks to the heat and cold-resistant equipment that I had borrowed from the grandma. It seemed like it was the right call for me to go to the Merchant’s Guild and buy some Cold Mint Herb for the other two, who didn’t have any heat-resistant measures. Cold Mint Herb usually grew only in cold areas, but with [Plant Master], I could synthesize it anywhere. The magic power cost to synthesize it also wasn’t high, so it was pretty useful.

“Anyway… are you okay, Rosalie?” Aruna asked Rosalie in a worried tone while holding the Cold Mint Herb up to her neck. I had also noticed it, but ever since entering the 24th layer, Rosalie had started talking a lot less.

Rosalie’s previous party had been wiped out on this layer, and she had been comfortable enough to tell us about the trauma, but… as far as I could see, she currently didn’t seem okay.

“I’m f-fine. I just started remembering some things… If any monsters show up, I’ll still be able to act properly.” (Rosalie)

“Don’t push yourself too hard. We can turn back at any time, and even if we go straight back to the 20th layer, we’ll still have enough food for 3 more attempts.” (Lewin)

“Thank you, Lewin-san. But… I’m really fine! L-Let’s hang in there and keep doing our best!” Rosalie said cheerfully while patting her cheeks vigorously to get herself fired up. She tossed the Cold Mint Herb that I had handed her into her mouth and pushed onwards. As long as she says she’s alright, I guess it’s fine, but we should keep an eye on her while continuing to move forward carefully.

“Monsters up ahead. There are also some hiding in the ground.” (Aruna)

“Paralysis Snakes, and… Maneaters hidden in the ground, is it?” (Lewin)

“Probably. Watch out, and don’t fall for the Maneaters’ traps.” (Aruna)

About 30 minutes had passed after we had entered the 24th layer, and we had encountered our first monsters since coming here. Aside from the lack of obstacles in our way, allowing us good visibility, the fact that we had only run into our first monsters now probably meant that there weren’t that many monsters in the desert area altogether.

I lightly stretched my body and took out my weapon, and then I signaled to Rosalie while surveying our surroundings. Taking our physical conditions into account, I was the main attacker this time while Rosalie was the sub-attacker. I dashed off towards the Paralysis Snake.

The Paralysis Snakes were small, snake-like monsters that possessed strong, venomous fangs. Because their bodies were small, they always flocked in groups, so it was important to be careful not to miss them.

Maneaters were monsters that always hid underground, and they would drag in unsuspecting adventurers that passed overhead. They pretty much never moved, so it wasn’t that dangerous as long as you didn’t walk right over them. But if they were to drag you in, you wouldn’t be able to move at all, so it was also important to pay close attention to them.

While sorting through the information about the monsters in my head, I unsheathed my sword and shortened the distance, commencing the attack. There were 8 Paralysis Snakes in my field of vision.

Taking care not to get bitten, I targeted them one by one. Their movements were quick, but they had no defense. I swung my sword lightly with a focus on speed, since I could cut them in two without having to put all my strength into it.

However, the fact that they were crawling on the ground made it difficult to hit them with a sword, and it only got progressively harder as their numbers decreased. I had the urge to just blow them to smithereens with a powder explosion, but… surely, using a powder explosion against the likes of some Paralysis Snakes would be far too wasteful.

I suppressed that urge and continued to repeatedly attack them in a diligent manner, and after a little over 10 minutes, all of the Paralysis Snakes were defeated.

Now then, all that’s left is the Maneaters, but perhaps I should consult the two about what we should do about them. I’ll head back over to them for now.

The moment I had thought this― I suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot through my right leg.

“L-Lewin! Are you okay?” (Rosalie)

After I had lost my balance, I saw Rosalie rushing over, but I stuck out a hand, signaling for her not to approach. Then, I immediately finished off the Paralysis Snake that was biting my calf and checked my surroundings. Behind me, there were another 3 Paralysis Snakes.

Right away, I threw a Sticky Bomb at them to hold them down. I stepped back to make some distance and then used a powder explosion without hesitation. The dust scattered about by the explosion was even more pronounced than usual due to all the sand around us.

Enduring the numbness and twitching that was coursing through my body, I grit my teeth to bear the intense pain and put my everything into making my way back to Aruna’s position.

“Did you get bitten?” (Aruna)

“Yes. It seemed like they were all grouped up, but there were some hiding. I didn’t notice, and they got the jump on me from behind.” (Lewin)

“From behind… Did Rosalie not notice?” (Aruna)

“S-Sorry! I w-was only looking ahead…” (Rosalie)

As we were talking, I hurriedly synthesized some All-Herb and High-grade Medical Herb. First, I smeared the All-Herb over the wound, then I coated it with the Medical Herb. Aside from the All-Herb I put on the wound, I swallowed another All-Herb, and with that, the treatment was complete.

The numbness immediately faded, and the pain radiating from the spot where I had been bitten also began to recede. As always, I could only thank the all-encompassing versatility of [Plant Master].

“Sorry to worry you two. I’m fine now. What should we do about the Maneaters?” (Lewin)

“We should just leave them. More importantly… it’s good that there aren’t many monsters, but you really shouldn’t let your guard down, Rosalie.” (Aruna)

“J-Just now, that was my fault. I was behind Lewin-san, s-so they shouldn’t have been able to take him from behind…” (Rosalie)

“I was careless and went out too far, so it’s my fault. We just have to both be careful. Let’s keep going.” (Lewin)

Rosalie’s shoulders drooped sadly when Aruna pointed out her mistake. Even though what had happened just now was something that was difficult to control, Rosalie’s movements in her support just now were a bit sloppy, and she was stuttering even though the effects of the Focus Potion were still active.

She had said that her movements were looking the best they had ever been back during our fight against the Elemental Golem, but right now the stark difference between then and now was a little concerning. She had clearly been putting on a strong front earlier, and, as truth would have it, mental health wasn’t something that could be controlled with emotions alone.

Well, there’s no point in being in a rush when clearing the Dungeon, so perhaps it would be good to take a break after we find the staircase to the next layer.