Chapter 83: The Map Skill is All-Powerful
Let me get straight to the point.
I’ve acquired the Map Skill.
Somehow, a map began to materialize in the corner of my vision. When I focused on it, it expanded to fill my entire field of view. Thanks to my Parallel Thinking Skill, I could check the map without disrupting my main thoughts. However, since I had just acquired the skill, the displayed area was still quite limited.
“Shuu, we’ve arrived.”
Suddenly, I heard Rio’s somewhat irritated voice.
Before I knew it, we had reached the gaping entrance of the mine.
“Ah… Sorry, sorry.”
“Honestly.”
While my main focus was on the Map Skill, I wasn’t completely oblivious to my surroundings. Naturally, there were obstacles to navigate as we climbed through the mine. Yet, I managed to walk steadily without tripping over rocks, keeping a firm grasp on the terrain. It seemed that Rio’s voice was fading away, but… come on, Parallel Thinking, do your job!
“When it comes to skills, you really lose sight of your surroundings. You didn’t have to take after your master to that extent, you know.”
“…”
I wanted to deny it, but it was no use. A devilish voice echoed from the depths of my heart, whispering, “You’ve become just like your master.”
However, I absolutely could not admit that. I am not a weirdo like my master…!
“Maybe it’s just my imagination.”
“Fufu.”
After a long silence, my words earned a laugh from her.
“Ahahaha!”
Was that really worth such a hearty laugh?
It seemed Rio’s mood had improved, but something still felt off.
“Let’s shake it off and move on.”
“Right. I’ll show you just how useful the Map Skill is in the mine.”
“Ufufu, I’m looking forward to it.”
There were several entrances, but the path from the town to the first entrance of the mine was straightforward. From there, various paths branched off, leading to the entrances of different tunnels.
In front of the entrance, another party of adventurers was preparing to enter the mine. They were setting up lights and donning helmets.
“We should make sure to take safety precautions as well.”
I put on my helmet and stepped into the mine.
“After you!”
“Hey, be careful!”
I called out to the adventurer party, and they responded. Yes, this is how normal adventurers behave. It’s the ones who nitpick everything that are the rare exceptions.
I lit the way with magic as we ventured deeper into the mine. We bypassed the upper levels where regular miners were extracting ore. Monsters rarely appeared here, and even F-rank adventurers could enter this far. The mid-levels and beyond were reserved for E-rank adventurers and higher.
“It’s nice that the mid-levels are so close.”
“Indeed. It’s a relief we don’t have to go deep into the upper levels.”
I was glad that this mine didn’t follow the typical game structure.
“Still, it seems like the stalkers aren’t coming into the mine itself.”
“Maybe they don’t want to run into us along the way.”
“Technically, our faces aren’t known, so we should be fine.”
“Ahaha, they’re probably just being cautious.”
“Well, either way, it doesn’t matter.”
Nodding in agreement, we continued deeper into the pitch-black mine.
“Let’s illuminate not just our feet but also the path ahead.”
“Right, we can’t see what’s up ahead.”
My Night Vision worked, but I still couldn’t see into the darker areas with significant contrast. If I extinguished all the lights, we’d risk not being noticed by other adventurers.
I conjured another light spell and sent it flying deeper into the tunnel.
“It’s strange how distinctly separated the upper, mid, and lower levels are.”
“True. I wonder if it’s actually a dungeon.”
“A dungeon?”
When I explained the concept to Rio, who wasn’t very familiar with games, she quickly grasped it. However, I hadn’t heard anything about it being a dungeon from the Guild, so I pondered the nature of the mine as we descended the slope leading to the mid-levels.
As we exited the mine, it was already evening. Stepping back into the daylight after half a day underground felt refreshing.
“We gathered more than I expected.”
“Yeah. Still, the Map Skill was seriously convenient…”
I had bought a map from the Guild, but it turned out to be utterly useless. It wasn’t that the map was too vague; rather, the Map Skill was too detailed. While monsters didn’t appear on the map, the fact that the terrain I had walked through was automatically mapped was incredibly useful. The initially limited display area of the map expanded as we progressed through the mine.
“I was looking at the map too, but it didn’t help much.”
We had collected a good amount of ore. The reddish-brown parts were mostly Iron Ore, and I discovered that by appraising the walls of the mine, I could determine the mineral content. Appraisal was incredibly handy.
It seemed there were also a few other types of ore scattered about, and I had never used appraisal this much in a single day. Although it was a small amount, I never expected to find Mithril or Taur Steel. I had heard of Mithril before, but what exactly was Taur Steel? Well, I only knew the name Mithril; I had no idea about its properties in this world.
Speaking of which, didn’t my master give me some items that included ores or ingots? I should look for those later.
“Alright, let’s see if I can extract just the metals using Earth Magic.”
“Is that what you wanted to do?”
“Yeah. I’ve made plenty of weapons using Earth Magic in the Forest of Enchantment, but I couldn’t find much metal there.”
“Ah, right.”
Perhaps Rio was recalling the weapons she had crafted, focusing solely on sharpness. Although she primarily specialized in magic, she could wield a sword if necessary. She wasn’t completely uninterested.
“But please don’t stay up all night researching.”
“Ahaha.”
It goes without saying that I could only respond with a wry smile, unable to give an immediate answer.
I was also thinking it would be nice to create not just weapons but also a Wedding Ring.