Chapter 2: As a New Adventurer – 06
The next day, I delved into the Great Tree Dungeon once more.
Upon reaching the fourth floor, I encountered a common monster I hadn’t seen yesterday: the Killer Worm.
This creature was a three-meter-long, thirty-centimeter-wide worm-like monster. Its mouth, lined with sharp teeth, opened wide at the front, and its grotesque appearance could easily make someone faint.
As it slowly inched toward me, it suddenly coiled up halfway before launching itself at me with a swift extension.
Of course, such movements were easily countered by my Dynamic Vision and Reflexes.
I quickly dodged to the side, regained my stance, and brought my mace down on its midsection.
Crack!
The Killer Worm let out a shriek. Before its head could turn back toward me, I smashed its mouth with my mace, and it lost its strength, sinking into the dungeon floor.
I collected the remaining Magic Stone and a fist-sized chunk of metal. I couldn’t help but wonder why a worm would drop metal. Surely, pondering such things would be a losing battle.
As I ascended to the fifth floor, two Killer Worms appeared simultaneously. However, if I maneuvered skillfully to ensure it was one-on-one, there would be no issue. If I circled around to their blind spot and crushed their bodies, they would be significantly weakened, making them easy prey for a party.
And so, I found myself standing before a large wooden door. Unsurprisingly, beyond it lay the boss room.
“Could it be another Rare Boss…?”
I started to say, “That’s impossible,” but stopped myself, sensing that I might be tempting fate. Surely, I couldn’t be that lucky (or unlucky), but it was important to maintain a good mindset before battle.
I checked my equipment and opened the door. Just like the one in the Great Rock Dungeon, this boss room was about the size of a basketball court.
As the door closed behind me, a black mist began to swirl in the depths of the room. Up to this point, everything was the same, but… wasn’t there more mist than before?
From the thick fog, two Killer Bee Soldiers emerged, each about the size of a medium dog. They were not Rare Bosses, but standard bosses nonetheless…
“Why are there two of them?”
Indeed, two Killer Bee Soldiers had appeared.
I hadn’t heard anything about this… Could it be that this was a first for me?
“Well, I guess I have no choice but to fight.”
I lowered my backpack and readied my mace and buckler.
While the number of foes had doubled, the bosses themselves were still normal. Their attack patterns should be as I had been informed.
As I cautiously closed the distance, the two Bee Soldiers split apart, each creating space between us.
Then, both of them arched their backs high, preparing to strike.
Whoosh!
With a sharp sound, the poisoned stingers attached to their rears shot toward me. It was a deadly projectile attack.
I dodged to the side and quickly closed in on one of the Bee Soldiers. I knew they couldn’t fire continuously.
However, it was difficult to catch a Bee Soldier that was focused on evasion. My mace swung through the air repeatedly, while in the meantime, the Bee Soldier reloaded its stinger.
The second poisoned stinger attack came. I easily dodged it. The movements were large enough that it wasn’t much of a problem. Yet, my own attacks weren’t landing either.
Dodge the stinger. My mace cuts through the air. Dodge the stinger. My mace cuts through the air.
I must have repeated this seven or eight times. This was getting ridiculous; I was stuck in an infinite loop.
“Damn it, if only they would attack like regular Killer Bees, I could counterattack!”
As I grumbled, a light bulb went off in my head. If they wouldn’t come to me, I could force a counterattack myself.
I noticed one of the Bee Soldiers had just finished reloading its stinger. It would surely shoot again.
I focused on one and slowly closed the distance.
The Bee Soldier raised its rear. This was my chance.
I dashed forward. The moment it fired its stinger, it would be vulnerable. That was my target.
The Bee Soldier swung its rear. The stinger flew. My buckler deflected it. And then my mace… missed entirely.
Gah!
A stinger pierced my thigh. That momentary hesitation cost me my footing.
Had the other Bee Soldier anticipated my movement? It shouldn’t have hit otherwise.
I forcibly yanked the pencil-thick stinger from my leg. Pain surged from my thigh. So this was the poison.
I rummaged through the pouch at my waist. Of course, I had a detox potion ready.
But at that moment, the two Bee Soldiers charged at me. The irritating clicking sound came from their massive jaws.
—They saw an opportunity and decided to bite. Those annoying pests.
My vision turned red. Blood? No, that wasn’t it. This was… the Excitement Skill?
“Whoa!”
I shouted as I swung my mace down at one of the Bee Soldiers.
Its head exploded in a shower of gore.
In that moment, the other one bit down on my right arm. Its jaw strength was incredible, capable of crushing not just flesh but bone.
“Die, you bug!”
Instead of trying to pull my arm away, I pressed it down forcefully, slamming the Bee Soldier into the ground. Again and again, I smashed its head until it was nothing but a pulp.
Before I knew it, both Bee Soldiers had vanished into the dungeon floor, leaving behind only Magic Stones and bags filled with high-quality honey.
“Haah, phew… that was something, this Excitement Skill.”
I had uttered words I would never normally say, but… if I was excited, it couldn’t be helped.
Feeling a wave of lethargy and chills wash over me, I quickly downed the detox potion. The wounds on my arm and thigh were already beginning to regenerate.
“Well, since it was an irregular situation, I should be rewarded with a good Skill.”
As I stood there for a moment, I felt a rush of knowledge flooding into my mind.
“Hmm… this is the Stability Skill, huh?”
Its rarity wasn’t particularly high, but it was a Skill I had been curious about. It was said to stabilize footing, defying the laws of physics.
However, for the effort I put in, it felt rather ordinary… Just as I thought that, another wave of knowledge slipped into my mind.
“The Steel Body Skill… I can’t believe I just got two special Skills at once. What luck!”
The Steel Body Skill, as the name suggested, made one’s body as resilient as steel. It was a clear boost to defense. While its rarity was decent, it would significantly enhance my survivability alongside Regeneration.
I collected the materials and left the Great Tree Dungeon with a spring in my step.
Of course, I spent the remaining time training with a good mood, as one would expect.