Chapter 10: Twilight’s Kin – 09
The next day began with an early morning training session.
The location was the guild’s training ground, and despite the early hour, five men and women were practicing their swings. It was no surprise, considering the guild was predominantly composed of C-Rank adventurers and above.
As usual, we focused on enhancing our basic physical abilities. We engaged in exercises like dashing and repetitive movements while equipped with Dark Metal Rods, and we also practiced catching randomly thrown Dark Metal Balls in pairs. I could feel the eyes of other adventurers glancing our way; to them, our training must have seemed peculiar. Of course, I had Mariane join us for the experience of “Soul’s Guidance.”
“I see… So you’ve broken down the Skills and are training each one accordingly. It may seem obvious now that you mention it, but I understand how remarkable it is to realize that and put it into practice. Especially considering you, Soushi, have only been an adventurer for half a year…” she said, her expression a mix of admiration and embarrassment as a former adventurer and current guild staff member.
“No, I’m merely applying what others have discovered and taught me. But did you feel any effects from it?”
“Yes, I can clearly feel that specific abilities have improved. This is the strength of ‘Soul’s Guidance,’ isn’t it? We may need to rethink our approach.”
As we conversed, Larni was grinning, while Sfenia and Freinir nodded in agreement.
“By the way, Mariane, is there a way to promote this training method within the guild? I believe it could elevate the overall abilities of all adventurers.”
When I said this, Mariane initially looked surprised, then lowered her gaze as if contemplating something.
“Well, of course, I would be grateful if that could be arranged… However, if it’s just you, Soushi, promoting it individually, that might be fine, but if the guild is involved, there could be some issues.”
“Issues?”
“Yes. Skills are originally considered blessings bestowed by the gods, and the Arshuram Church is deeply involved in their interpretation. If the guild were to endorse the act of breaking down and utilizing these divine blessings, it could provoke their resentment. Moreover, if all adventurers become stronger, it may attract the attention of those who would be wary of that.”
“I see, so political implications are involved as well. That certainly makes it a delicate matter.”
“If you’re agreeable, I can directly present this information to the Grand Master. After that, it will be up to their judgment… Is that acceptable?”
“That’s fine. Please proceed.”
“This could be a crucial technique for the party, or perhaps one that should be kept secret. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“Yes, someone will notice eventually. Besides, if all adventurers grow stronger, the damage caused by monsters will decrease. Ultimately, it will benefit us all.”
There’s a saying that “kindness is not for others,” but this knowledge is merely “using someone else’s strength.”
“Understood. I will proceed as I mentioned earlier. To be honest, this alone gives meaning to my role as a dedicated practitioner of ‘Soul’s Guidance.’ Thank you.”
Mariane bowed her head, but if she was surprised by this, I wondered how she would react in the dungeon we were about to enter. I couldn’t help but feel a bit excited about it.
Bartran’s D-Class Dungeon was a large tree-shaped dungeon, just like the one in the Elf Village. It had ten floors, and we planned to conquer it in a single day.
The monsters from floors one to five were all the same: the giant bee known as the “Killer Bee Soldier,” the massive pill bug called the “Iron Bug,” and the enormous worm referred to as the “Large Worm.”
Naturally, these posed no challenge to us C-Rank adventurers, and we advanced as if traversing an uninhabited wilderness. I had Mariane fight as well to help her regain her combat instincts, but her fighting style was indeed ninja-like, focusing on speed. She excelled in throwing techniques, occasionally using throwing knives known as “hyō” to take down monsters.
In less than three hours, we reached the boss. It had become a routine for Mariane to sigh and say, “Even though it’s a dungeon one rank lower, this is too fast.”
The boss was a tree-like monster known as the “Murder Tree,” and two of them appeared. Larni’s comment of “Lucky!” made Mariane furrow her brow.
“We can’t waste time, so I’ll charge in aggressively. Freinir, set up a barrier outside for defense. Larni and Sfenia, take the left side. Mariane, if possible, provide support over there.”
“Yes, Soushi-sama.”
“Okay!”
“Understood.”
“I will comply.”
I took charge of one of the bosses and charged straight in. I blocked the incoming fruit attacks with my shield and deflected the extending branches with “Shockwave” as I advanced, coming face to face with a thick trunk. I swung my mace sideways, shattering the trunk that was nearly as wide as I was.
The other boss took a massive hit from “Flame Bolt,” staggering it, and Larni swiftly sliced it apart with her flaming sword, sealing our victory. Mariane also cut down several branches, providing solid support.
Of course, there were two treasure chests. Inside were “gold ingots” and a “ring.” When Mariane appraised the ring, she found it had “Fire Resistance +1,” which I would wear since I would be on the front lines dealing with breath attacks. I was beginning to appreciate the usefulness of the “Appraisal” skill. The “gold ingots” were merely items for cashing in, but their value was significant in this world.
“Encountering a situation where two bosses appear is surprising enough, but I’m even more astonished that you all are so accustomed to it. However, I’ve never seen two treasure chests before, so there’s a lot to report.”
As she spoke, a slight smile appeared on Mariane’s lips, perhaps because she was starting to get used to our peculiarities. Well, the real challenge was yet to come.
We took a break in the safety zone before descending to the sixth floor. From here on, we had to be a bit more cautious.
On floors six and seven, we faced the black mantis-like “Death Mantis.” This troublesome monster had paralysis poison on its scythes, but Sfenia and Freinir’s ranged attacks were overwhelmingly powerful. The materials dropped were the large scythes themselves, which contained paralysis poison that could be used for hunting.
On floors eight and nine, we encountered the massive moth known as the “Paralyze Moth,” which was about three meters wide. True to its name, it scattered paralysis powder, making it a deadly flying monster for first-time encounters. However, Freinir’s “Purification” combined with “Range Expansion” completely nullified the powder, turning it into a target for magic, arrows, and hyō. The material dropped was its wings, which felt silky to the touch and could be used for clothing.
The tenth floor featured the “Steel Bug,” a giant pill bug with an even harder exoskeleton. Its attack was simply a body slam, making it an easy target for my mace. The material dropped was a metal chunk, naturally useful for crafting weapons and armor.
In the end, we arrived at the door to the boss room in about four hours. Thanks to Mariane’s presence, it felt like we could conquer the ten floors in eight hours.
“I didn’t think it was impossible, but I didn’t expect us to get through so smoothly,” Sfenia remarked, showing signs of being influenced by the darkness of “Soul’s Guidance.”
“While a high-ranking party could manage ten floors in a day, it’s rare for first-timers in a dungeon,” I replied.
“Having Mariane with us made a difference. It’s clear that having agile allies is essential when facing multiple monsters.”
I intended to compliment her, but Mariane’s expression darkened slightly.
“I can handle everything except the boss, but I feel my lack of attack power when it comes to larger enemies.”
I understood now why Mariane had given up on aiming higher. Larni encouraged her, saying, “It’s too early to give up,” but… I hoped she would acquire a skill that would give her hope.
“Alright, let’s go.”
As we entered the boss room, a mist enveloped the area, revealing a massive caterpillar that was at least ten meters long. Its body was covered in vibrant colors that could make anyone who disliked such hues break out in goosebumps.
“Ugh, that’s disgusting! But could that color mean it’s a rare one?”
“I heard that the rare bosses are usually black, so this must be one. Freinir, after weakening it, set up a barrier. Try to deflect the flying spines with ‘Shockwave’ as much as possible.”
As I responded to Larni, I positioned my shield in front of the party. According to the information, it would launch spines from its entire body, and given its vibrant colors, it seemed likely that those spines would have elemental properties or additional effects.
The “Divine Light” shone brightly, and shortly after, Sfenia’s “Flame Bolt” struck true. The spines seemed to have been slightly chipped away, but the main body appeared unharmed.
The massive caterpillar shuddered violently. Dozens of spines—almost spear-like in size—shot toward us, but I countered with “Shockwave,” sending them all back. The spines that embedded themselves in the walls and floor erupted in flames or scattered icy shards, confirming they had elemental attacks.
“I’ve set up the barrier!” Freinir called out.
Hearing her, I slowly advanced. Larni and Mariane followed closely behind me. Several arrows and hyō struck the boss, causing it to tremble again and launch more spines. I unleashed “Shockwave” at maximum power, shattering the spines on its body.
“Can we take it down?”
Larni asked, but I gestured for silence. The boss suddenly began to move suspiciously.
After shaking violently, its back split open, and a gigantic, vibrantly colored moth emerged.
I was astonished to see a boss that could undergo metamorphosis.
The enormous moth, spanning ten meters, took flight and scattered its powder.
“Freinir, use ‘Purification’!”
As I directed, I pushed back the incoming powder with a weak shockwave.
“‘Purification’ is ready!”
A soft light enveloped the boss room as “Purification” activated, likely nullifying any poisonous effects of the powder.
“Attack its wings and bring it down!”
As I commanded, multiple arrows and hyō pierced its wings, and a swipe of “Holy Light” severed one of them. The fallen giant moth thrashed on the ground.
“Got it!”
With that, Larni’s attack was more than enough. As her flame-wreathed blade struck, the moth’s head was cleanly severed and rolled to the floor.