Chapter 10: The Twilight Kin – 02
The next morning, I informed Mariane at the guild about our plan to conquer the dungeon over the next three days, and we set off towards the D-Class Dungeon. As we were already a C-Rank party, this dungeon was technically beneath us, but it was a 15-floor dungeon that had thwarted many adventurers. We couldn’t afford to let our guard down.
After running for about an hour and a half from the town of Euron, we arrived at the dungeon, which was situated atop a small hill. At first glance, it looked like a pit in the ground, but one side was stair-stepped, allowing us to descend into the hole.
“Are you all ready? We’ll go up to the fifth floor today. We have time, so let’s proceed cautiously.”
“Yes, Soushi-sama.”
“Got it, no slacking off.”
“I think it’s best not to be overly optimistic. Let’s do our best.”
Confirming the resolve of my party members, we descended to the first underground floor.
The first monsters we encountered were Hobgoblins. Essentially, they were larger versions of Goblins, standing nearly two meters tall, making them a completely different threat. The fact that they wielded only clubs was a small mercy.
Thanks to Larni’s “God of Plague,” around 15 of them appeared, but with the simultaneous casting of magic by Freinir and Sfenia, their numbers were halved right at the start, posing no problem at all. We collected the necessary materials, such as the liver (used for potions), as we made our way down to the third floor.
On the third floor, we faced the Assault Tigers we had fought before, appearing in similar numbers of around 15. The initial magic was just as effective, but Larni overwhelmed them with her speed, slashing through them so quickly that I barely had a chance to intervene. The pelts we collected would primarily be used for carpets.
By the fifth floor, we encountered the F-Class boss, the Bear Wolf, which could appear in numbers up to seven. Again, three of them were eliminated right at the start, allowing Larni to take one down while I dispatched the others with single strikes. The meat we gathered was considered a somewhat premium ingredient, often served at inns.
Since the monsters were all physical and primarily melee attackers, we arrived at the boss room door without any significant danger.
“The boss is a Minotaur. If we handle it the same way as before, we should be fine.”
“I hope it’s a Rare Boss!”
As I opened the door, I heard Larni’s lighthearted comment.
The mist that accompanied the boss’s appearance was normal, revealing a single armored Minotaur. It seemed we had indeed drawn a Rare Boss.
“GROOOAAARRR!”
The armored Minotaur let out a fierce roar, but weakened by Freinir’s “Divine Light,” it was quickly immobilized by Sfenia’s “White Heron Arrow,” and Larni delivered a decisive blow to its neck, ending its life.
Sure, this was a lower-ranked dungeon, but I couldn’t help but think this was a bit too easy… though I would have likely finished it off in one hit as well.
“Oh, the color of the treasure chest is different.”
As Larni pointed out, the chest that appeared was silver. It seemed to be a Rare Treasure Chest.
“Since it’s our turn, Frei, why don’t you open it?”
“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
When Freinir opened the lid, the chest vanished, leaving behind an intricately designed glass vial containing a potion.
“What? It’s not equipment? How boring.”
Larni complained, but Sfenia shook her head.
“No, it might be something more valuable than equipment. This is likely an Elixir. It’s the highest-grade potion that restores all conditions except for death.”
“Wait? Is that the same Elixir that is treated as a treasured medicine at the Arshuram Church?”
Sfenia nodded at Freinir’s words.
“Yes, it wouldn’t be surprising if it were treated that way. Depending on the timing, it could fetch no less than 50 million Rom at auction. Iām shocked that it appeared in a D-Class Dungeon…”
The term “Elixir” is familiar from games, but if it truly existed, it would likely command an astronomical price. Those in power would covet it desperately.
“Well, since we have it, let’s keep it as a last resort for the party instead of selling it. It might be best to keep its existence a secret.”
“That’s true. If word got out that we have something so outrageous, we might attract some unsavory characters.”
Larni’s point was valid. As I stored the Elixir in my Item Box, the three of them seemed to relax a little.
However, if this was indeed due to my “Bad Luck” skill, it meant I possessed quite an extraordinary ability. Our party certainly had no shortage of secrets.
“Hey, Soushi, don’t you think it’s about time we decided on a name for our party?”
As we set up a tent in a safe zone and gathered in a circle for dinner, Larni brought this up.
“I agree. I think we should choose a name that reflects your strength, Soushi-sama.”
“Now that you mention it, I haven’t heard our party name yet. So we didn’t have one?”
Freinir’s comment made me realize I had been a bit curious about it myself. However, I also felt a bit embarrassed about naming our party, as it felt somewhat childish.
“If you have any good names in mind, let me know. I’m not good at that sort of thing.”
“Eh~? Isn’t it the leader’s job to come up with ideas first? But if you insist… how about ‘Pack of Wolves’? Sounds cool, right?”
“I think ‘Soushi-sama’s Guidance’ would be better.”
“How about ‘Soul,’ the name of the ancient god? I think it fits you well, as he wields a great mace.”
Three different suggestions were put forward. While I couldn’t adopt Freinir’s suggestion directly, ‘Pack of Wolves’ sounded cool but didn’t quite fit a party with so many women. Sfenia’s suggestion of ‘Soul’ was a name I had heard in my previous life, but naming our party after a god felt a bit sacrilegious.
“‘Pack of Wolves’ is a nice name, but since we have more girls in the party, let’s skip that. I also have personal reservations about using a god’s name directly, so how about ‘Soul’s Guidance’?”
“You’re right, ‘Wolf’ doesn’t suit Frei and Sfenia. ‘Soul’s Guidance’ sounds good.”
“So that means Soushi-sama is the reincarnation of the god Soul. I think that’s wonderful.”
“I think it’s a lovely name. I support it.”
Freinir’s interpretation might be a bit off, but I figured a god would overlook a personal interpretation.
“Alright, then our party name will be ‘Soul’s Guidance.'”
With that settled, I felt a sense of relief. This would surely help us in our dungeon explorations starting tomorrow.
The next day, we descended to the sixth floor ahead of other parties.
The first monsters we encountered were High Orcs. They were the superior variant of the Orcs we had fought before, larger in size and wielding single-edged axes. They appeared in numbers of around ten, but they couldn’t keep up with Larni’s speed, making them no match for us.
The materials we gathered were solid blocks of meat, which, if one could overlook their humanoid origins, could be considered delicious pork.
On the eighth floor, Iron Lizards began to appear. They were the superior variant of the Hard Rock Lizards we had fought previously, possessing extremely tough hides… but against my mace, they were as fragile as paper. They seemed to withstand Larni’s “Slash” and Sfenia’s “Penetration” skills reasonably well, so they shouldn’t have been that weak.
The material was iron ore, which could be used as iron itself.
On the tenth floor, we encountered a bird-like monster known as the Hunter Hawk. Its rapid dive attacks were quite troublesome, especially as it targeted Freinir and Sfenia in the backline. However, we discovered that if we cast a Barrier, they would charge in and self-destruct, allowing us to handle the situation without issue. Freinir’s Barrier Magic had leveled up and become incredibly strong, which was reassuring.
The material was bird meat, which looked quite appetizing.
Thus, we entered the boss room on the tenth floor.
“Ugh, how ordinary.”
As Larni pointed out, the boss that appeared was the standard boss, the Gigantoturtus. This giant tortoise was at least ten meters long just in its shell. Its bite was fearsome, but the most terrifying aspect was its body slam, utilizing its massive size.
Even after being weakened by Freinir’s “Divine Light,” its shell’s defense was overwhelmingly high… but when it lunged to bite me, I countered with a single strike, obliterating its head.
It goes without saying that a somewhat awkward silence fell until Sfenia remarked, “That was truly a strike of Soul.”
Sfenia opened the treasure chest, revealing a golden circlet. When I tried it on, it felt like my concentration heightened. It was confirmed to have the effect of “Concentration +1.” Since I already had a ring with the same effect, it was decided that Freinir would wear it. Once she donned the golden circlet, she looked every bit like a princess… though she was indeed a girl who could have been a princess in reality.