Chapter 15: Encounter 04
The next day, we continued our exploration of the Dungeon.
On floors 11 to 12, we encountered the Steel Caterpillar, a monster with a tough, metallic exterior. Although its movements were slow, it could suddenly extend spear-like tendrils from its head when approached, making it a deadly surprise for the unprepared. However, with the enhanced magic of Freinir and Sfenia, the battle was usually decided before we even got close.
On floors 13 to 14, we faced the Ant Legion, a massive swarm of giant ants. Each ant was about the size of a large dog, and normally, around thirty would appear at once. But thanks to Soul’s Guidance and Larni’s God of Plague, nearly a hundred swarmed us.
Under normal circumstances, we would have been overwhelmed by their numbers, but with me, Larni, Mariane, and Shizuna’s two Spirit Golems in the front line, we handled the situation with ease. The Spirits had grown to over a meter tall and, bolstered by the effects of Herculean Strength and Steel Body, were incredibly strong. Their relentless assault on the giant ants was a sight to behold.
“Picking up Magic Stones and materials is more of a hassle than the fighting!” Larni exclaimed.
On the 15th floor, we encountered the Giant Centipede, which dropped materials for crafting cards. This creature measured seven to eight meters in length and was slightly thicker than its earthly counterpart. The moment Freinir and Shizuna laid eyes on it, they screamed in horror, and who could blame them? It was truly grotesque.
The real trouble lay in its hard exoskeleton and powerful venomous fangs, which could inflict significant pain even on those with Poison Resistance. However, even if a dozen appeared, Freinir, Sfenia, and Shizuna’s magical attacks would eliminate more than half before they could close in, leaving the remaining few for the front line to dispatch. The firepower of our three mages was nothing short of astonishing.
The boss was the Brutal Scorpion, a massive creature the size of a large automobile, complete with enormous pincers and a tail tipped with a deadly stinger. Its tough exterior and agile movements made it a formidable foe, and a single strike from its venomous stinger could prove fatal even to high-ranking adventurers.
“To think two such fearsome bosses would appear, it’s astonishing how lucky Soul’s Guidance has been,” Shizuna remarked, and it seemed she had fully embraced this notion of luck.
“I’ll take the one on the right. Focus your attacks on the left,” I instructed, and as I did, nearly fifty fire spears rained down on the left Brutal Scorpion. Taking advantage of its moment of hesitation, Larni severed its tail, while Mariane applied Paralysis, allowing the second wave of magic to strike and seal its fate.
Meanwhile, I crushed the pincers and tail of my own target in a counterattack, finishing it off with a decisive blow to its head.
“Even though we’re already facing a C-Rank boss, watching you, Soushi, makes me feel like we still have a long way to go,” Sfenia said with a wry smile, and everyone nodded in agreement. Only Freinir wore a dreamy expression.
The two treasure chests yielded a ring of Steel Body +1 and a cloak of Arrow Guard +1. Shizuna claimed the ring to enhance her Spirits, while Sfenia, the only one currently wearing a cloak, took the other. It seemed the Arrow Guard skill reduced the power of ranged attacks.
Now that I thought about it, we had never argued over who would wear accessories like these. It was strange that there had been a scramble for an old ring last night; perhaps it was because Agility +1 was such a versatile skill.
Next, on floors 16 to 17, we encountered the Moon Wolf again. Its use of Honshin made it a tricky opponent, but its attack power was relatively low, so I intentionally let it bite me using Provoke, allowing the others to take it down. The Moon Wolf’s fangs no longer penetrated my skin even by a millimeter.
On floors 18 to 19, we faced the Cockatrice, a giant chicken with a snake-like tail. This well-known monster seemed to possess a type of petrifying poison in its beak, but thankfully, it didn’t appear capable of petrifying us just by its gaze.
I realized I lacked Stone Resistance, but according to Mariane, “Stone Resistance is a skill obtained in C-Class dungeons and above.” Interestingly, the Cockatrice’s petrification was treated as poison, so Poison Resistance could still provide some defense.
As expected, more than ten of them appeared, but since they were physical-type monsters, we had no issues dealing with them. Shizuna’s Spirits were completely immune to poison, allowing them to brawl with poison-bearing monsters without concern. Poisonous creatures typically lacked strong physical attributes, making them a favorable match for the Spirits.
Finally, we reached the bottom floor, the 20th, where we faced the Kobold Leader, a monster resembling a muscular humanoid with a dog’s head. Despite being called a “Leader,” over fifteen of them appeared, each wielding different weapons, including troublesome archers.
However, I could neutralize them by drawing their attention with Provoke, allowing us to proceed as usual. It was impressive to see Larni and Mariane overwhelm them with speed, swiftly decapitating the foes.
The boss was the Ogre Adept, a giant demon wielding a massive sword. Though it had appeared as a common enemy in the Foundation of the Royal Family, it would pose a significant challenge even for C-Rank adventurers.
“It has Swift Run, Flying Blade, and Acrobatics. Its physical enhancement skills are formidable,” I offered as a warning. Flying Blade was a skill that allowed it to launch slashing attacks.
“It’s just a normal boss, and with Soushi here, it should go down in one hit. Leave it to me,” Larni declared, and I decided to let the team handle it.
The initial magical attacks from the three mages were dodged by the Ogre Adept using Swift Run, but Sfenia’s arrows and Mariane’s spears found their mark in its abdomen.
Ignoring the pain, the Ogre Adept charged forward, but two Spirits stood in its way. One was swiftly cleaved in two, but Larni seized the opportunity to strike, successfully severing one of its arms.
Now down to one arm, the Ogre Adept swung its massive sword in desperation, clashing with Larni, but more arrows and spears pierced its side, triggering Action Stop. My Mithril Sword sliced through its thick neck, sealing our victory.
This time, we hadn’t relied heavily on Freinir’s Divine Halo, but with Soul’s Guidance already at B-Rank, we faced no real danger.
The new skills acquired included my Stone Resistance, Freinir’s Item Box, Larni’s Sword Acceleration, Sfenia’s Advanced Water Magic, Mariane’s Steel Core, and Shizuna’s Iron Wall.
While these were all skills whose effects we already understood, they would undoubtedly enhance our capabilities.
Among them, Freinir obtaining Item Box was particularly interesting. Until now, I had been shouldering nearly all the party’s burdens, and this change would help distribute the risk. From now on, I would let Freinir carry recovery items and food, as long as it didn’t become a burden.
However, Mariane cautioned, “Having two members with Item Box in one party is quite rare. If it becomes known, it could lead to jealousy, so it’s best to keep it a secret.”
Thus, it was decided that Freinir would not use her Item Box in public.
Still, I had a feeling that if we let our guard down, more secrets would emerge from Soul’s Guidance. Having multiple members with Item Box didn’t seem like a big deal, but I needed to be aware that this very mindset might be flawed.