126 – The key to the random box is in the dungeon…! (1)
Lina Roswell, the heroine of Panta
An elementalist who manipulates the element of fire.
Possesses many wide-area deal skills based on attributes. In some cases, a single explosive hit is possible.
Danya Katsnesia.
A wizard of the grass element.
Focus on long-distance attacks using magic bows. She seems to have recently learned a wide-area skill. Guidance is possible using the beast’s unique heightened senses. Due to the nature of the grass element, various interactions are possible. Outstanding utility.
These are the two rearguard members of the currently formed party.
The two are not a bad combination.
If Danya uses a lot of grass elemental attacks and Lina’s fire attacks are added on top of them, an interaction called [Combustion] Occurs.
I am on the front line.
She is a mage, but for some reason, when the party is formed, she is always in charge of tanking. Her main skill uses are [Extraction] And [Transformation] Using items and surrounding metals. I’m a little worried because I feel like I’m slowly beating people with my fists.
And the newly recruited Elena of the Numina sect.
A Deus priest recruited to be in charge of healing and sub-tanking. Unexpectedly, she seems to show quite a solid tank, so I’m looking forward to it. The skills he showed in his sparring with Danya and in her club room were not bad.
Of course, the reality is that healer and tank characters are not as common as their popularity is decreasing. They also said that Elena’s presence was a huge plus in many ways.
She just found one thing that worried her…
“What if I go into the dungeon by mistake and can’t get out?”
Even during the clubroom incident, she is said to be on the scared side.
Danya and Lina, of course, have peaceful faces.
Since she has already been to Richard’s dungeon, she seems to think that a small dungeon will be fine.
‘After all, experience is important.’
Elena chattered non-stop.
“Brother Ian. I don’t think it is a good choice to enter the Black Forest when the sun is getting dark like now. If this continues, even if you conquer the dungeon and escape—”
“Elena.”
“Yes, Brother Ian. Should we get ready to go back right away? I think I can lead the way on the way back.”
“If you talk too much, the ghosts will be the first to catch you. Be quiet and follow me.”
“Hey!”
This is the outskirts of the Academy. Commonly known as ‘Black Forest’.
The reason I came here was simple, having killed Danya and the giant rabbit at the beginning of the semester.
The dungeon where the key to mysterious box number 777 was given as a reward was right here.
I silenced Elena, who was yelling, and concentrated on looking around her.
The current time is 5 PM.
The sun is about to set.
The shadow of the Magic Tower visible beyond the academy.
And if you connect one of the mountain peaks at the foot of the northern mountain range.
“It’s this way.”
As I was walking, an empty lot suddenly appeared in the middle of the forest.
And there are three fallen trees centered around the vacant lot.
“Is there a dungeon here? It looks like an ordinary forest.”
Lina tilts her head.
I pointed to three fallen trees.
“Those trees are a hint to find the entrance to the dungeon. If you walk along the direction, you will see a rabbit-shaped stone.”
“Rabbit?”
Lina tilts her head.
“Ugh—a rabbit again? It was delicious though.”
Danya is making an uneasy sound for some reason.
Come to think of it, I was replenishing my protein for a while with the rabbit jerky I caught with Danya.
“Danya. Even though it looks like a rabbit, it’s a stone so you shouldn’t eat it.”
“It makes me look like a fool!”
I don’t know why Danya gets angry at my serious advice.
“Anyway. You’ll know at a glance. That’s a sign. You don’t have to go too far. Walk about 300 steps, and if you don’t see it, just come back here.”
“Um… What about me?”
Elena timidly raises her hand.
“Elena can either stay here or follow me. What do you want to do?”
“Okay, I’ll follow you.”
“Okay. Then let’s move.”
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Spread out and search for a while.
“This way!”
Danya’s voice was heard.
‘… ‘How did you get up there?’
Danya pointed to a place on a large tree.
“Here, here!”
Just as Danya said, there was a boulder shaped like a rabbit.
When I stroked the area corresponding to her ears, the ground in front of the rabbit trembled.
Wow!
A strange crack.
“… Is this a real dungeon?”
Lina let out a short exclamation.
“It’s also a dimensional travel type. This is the first time I’ve seen something like this.”
Danya was equally surprised. Danya, who was curiously inserting and withdrawing her finger, asked with a very serious look on her face.
“But I’ve been curious about something for a while. Can I ask you a question, Ian?”
“Yes.”
“How on earth do you know this information?”
That’s a really sharp question.
“I saw it at the library.”
“I went to the library to meet someone… But it wasn’t like I was going to meet the girl there.”
Lina has been saying something big will happen.
“By the way, how do you know that I’m going to the library to meet you?”
“Hehe.”
Lina tapped the ground with the tip of her shoe, as if embarrassed.
There were many things she wanted to point out, but entering the dungeon came first.
“Let’s go in.”
◆
I felt upset for a while.
When I opened my eyes, a green meadow spread out.
“Wow—! The scenery really changes in an instant!”
Elena looked around and was quite amazed.
“I feel like I passed through a portal customs office.”
“… I remember going into Richard’s Danjeon. It’s better because it’s warmer than then.”
On the other hand, Lina and Danya, who have experienced portals and dimensional cracks, look at her surroundings calmly, as expected.
Piles of building debris were visible in the distance.
The name of this dungeon is “Collapsed Temple.”
This is a dungeon that can only be accessed through the [Collapsed Traces] Series of exploration quests that occur by chance as you search around the Academy.
Of course, I was the one who was able to find that experience.
“There’s no need for everyone to be too nervous. It’s not the type of dungeon where the difficulty level is crazy. We just have to go as far as we can go.”
Unlike closed dungeons where the exit is blocked the moment you enter, this is an open dungeon where the exit is continuously open. This means that if you decide that it is too much for you, you can turn back.
“… I’ve heard that dungeons are a blessing from God. That may be true. If I gain experience like this, I think I’ll be able to grow really quickly.”
Elena muttered, putting her hands together.
This time it was an accurate story.
Open dungeons are a treasure trove of experience points and farming.
“But what are these snowflakes? They’re so pretty. Wow. It looks like it’s snowing on the grass!”
“For some reason, it doesn’t seem to be good for your health…”
Lina and Danya each show the difference between an emotional person and a thinking person. That great ability to empathize is probably what made Lina the most popular person at her academy….
“Now, everyone, equip this.”
Dania was right this time.
I distributed the masks I had prepared to the party members.
“…Mask?”
“Things like those eyes are pollen from the ‘collapsed flower’ that only blooms in ruins. If you keep breathing it in through your nose, your health and mana will be directly affected.”
Everyone receives masks without comment.
“I guess I can’t do anything without you, Ian.”
Lina gently pulled down the mask and smiled.
◆
— Pishuuuuung!
The miscellaneous mobs in “Collapsed Temple” Are mainly reinforced wild animals.
Most of them are made up of gray wolves called gray wolves.
“You bad wolves! Die!”
And here, Danya’s performance stood out.
Even though the wolves are quite quick, he catches them with one shot and one kill. This is a predictive shot that will make you wonder when you look at it.
“It was the wolf beasts that were not on good terms with our Katsnesia clan!”
As expected, there seems to be something emotionally involved.
If you are a wolf beast of the great forest… It must be the Lupus clan, famous for its ferocity.
The closer we got to the ruins, the more Danya’s bow spewed fire.
It was to the point where Elena and I, who were at the forefront, had nothing to do.
We walked leisurely and chatted with Danya’s arrows flying.
“It’s a bit much to say this. It seems too simple, Brother Ian.”
“Who was the one who was so scared that he trembled?”
“That… That’s it! It’s my first time in a dungeon like this!”
“But don’t relax.”
“Why… Why? Are high-ranking dangerous species also appearing? Seriously… The owner of the dungeon I’ve only heard about?!”
The owner of the dungeon. To put it simply, he is the boss.
“Of course there is.”
“Hmph!”
“I’m starting to doubt whether I can entrust the vanguard to you, Elena.”
“The owners of the dungeon are those who have made a contract with the devil! They are monsters with hundreds of faces and thousands of eyes!”
“… Is that the boss of some super-difficulty dungeon? Normal dungeons aren’t that difficult. It may be difficult, though. And.”
“And?”
“I don’t plan on attacking the boss here today. I plan to just get what I need and leave.”
It is impossible to face the boss of this dungeon with the current strength.
“Well, I’m glad then.”
Elena strokes her heart.
Walk like that for a while.
We entered the ruined city.
The main stage here is a collapsed temple located in the middle of the city.
But I have no intention of going there.
The goal, ‘the key to open the mysterious box’, is the huge square at the entrance to the city.
Because you can get it from the broken fountain in the center.
“Here.”
In the fountain where water is still standing, numerous coins are sinking, as if someone had made a wish. Seeing this city in ruins means that those people’s wishes have not come true.
— Splash
The water in the fountain is quite cold.
Now. Then, all you have to do is find the key among these coins.
While Danya was watching, Elena, who had dipped her feet in the fountain, muttered.
“… Huh? Isn’t this a coin?”
“That’s right. They said it’s not worth much.”
These are coins that I tried to sell several times in the game, but didn’t pay any attention to when I realized they were worthless.
“But it’s a very old, ancient coin?”
“What?”
Was there an Easter egg hidden there? This is my first time hearing this story.
“I’ll just take one with me and check if it’s accurate.”
While Elena was looking at her coins.
I gave him the key stuck in the drain hole.
With this, the goal of coming to this dungeon has been achieved.
“Thank you all for your hard work. Now let’s go back and farm the wolves we caught on the way. I’ll have to pay a lot of dividends to Danya.”
The moment I opened my mouth like that.
“Ian! Something is coming over there!”
— Crumbling!
The tip of Danya’s finger.
I saw a wolf the size of a house charging towards me.
The jewel embedded in its tail glows an ominous purple light.
“Ah. Why is that coming?”