Beginner Dungeon (3)
Monsters are dangerous.
I didn’t trust it very much because it was subjective to the person who set the risk level.
Since the risk level was determined only by considering the monster’s physical ability, it was common that the monster’s special ability was not considered.
Moreover, no matter how low the risk was, it was the same to die while being careless, and among such guys, unusually strong individuals were created.
Still, the risk level set like that is helpful for new mercenaries.
This is because you can objectively check how many monsters your level can catch.
From the perspective of the risk of being divided from S to D like the mercenaries, the monster that appeared in front of Rize was only D-class.
No, about the end of it?
Take it!
The huge jaws widened on both sides collided and made a sound.
To put it bluntly, it had an appearance close to that of a large ant.
A large dog-like body with an insect-like body divided into three parts and a carapace covering it. Two pairs of inorganic eyes and a large jaw the size of a forearm.
However, to say that it is an ant, there are many differences when you open it, and the fact that it has four legs clearly makes a difference.
His name is Oroth.
It was a monster that lived in a colony like ants and dominated this beginner dungeon.
“Whoa… … .”
It was the first time they had met, and even though it must have been a bit ugly, Rize was not afraid and calmly took a breath and slowly drew the sword.
As I said beforehand, it wasn’t a holy sword.
There was no reason to bring it out here, and a good weapon is rather a hindrance to gaining experience.
Take it!
Oroth, who had poor eyesight, barely recognized Rize’s presence as an enemy and leaned forward.
His weapon is that big jaw.
The cutting force that interlocked like scissors on both sides could blow off the wrist.
It was the reason why people’s lives were taken no matter how dangerous it was at the end of the D-class.
It was Oroth who moved first.
A simple attack in which the jaw was wide open and the body flung forward, trying to bite Rize as it was.
Its movement was also not very fast, so Rize easily dodged the attack.
“Suck!”
Then, without hesitation, he thrust his sword at the guy.
Caang!
However, the sword bounced off the surface of the carapace a little.
He seemed surprised to be harder than expected, but Rize didn’t let go of the sword and stepped back a little to straighten up his posture.
Even though it’s my daughter, it was a really calm response.
Rize muttered as if aiming her sword at Oroth.
“It’s not to the extent that you can’t cut it. You have to swing harder.”
Then, he avoided the same attacker again, and this time he swung his sword with firm strength on his stepping foot.
Kwajik!
What Rize was aiming for was his hind legs.
It was thin compared to the torso and the carapace was not that thick, so even Rise’s power was enough to cut it.
As the unbalanced guy stumbled, Rize immediately turned around and slashed the belly this time.
Unlike other insects, it was covered with a carapace like armor, so it couldn’t be cut through like a leg, but thick green blood leaked from the deep wound.
Take it! Take it!
He moved his jaw in excitement and moved his remaining three legs quickly, and instead of retreating, Rize dug in and swung his sword at his front legs this time.
Kagagak!
However, the underpowered sword only scratched the surface.
Even so, Rize did not panic and reached out and kicked the foreleg to knock the guy off balance.
Seeing Oroth stumble back, Rise straightened her posture once more, and this time she cut off her leg with certainty.
With both of his legs gone, he completely lost his balance, and Rize quickly climbed onto his back, holding his sword, holding his sword for a moment as if hesitating, then forcefully thrusting his sword into his forehead.
dump.
Finally, his body collapsed to the ground, and Rize jumped and landed safely just before that.
“ha… … .”
Rize let out a deep breath and released the tension in her body at once.
I’d like to say that I’ve worked hard, but it’s still early, and before that, Douglas spoke first.
“Don’t relax, Rize!”
“… … !”
Douglas’ voice, as loud as during training, made Rize tremble.
Rize held the sword she was about to put back in, and as Douglas had said, she was wary of her surroundings again, and Douglas’ scolding continued a bit longer.
“Most of the monsters move in groups. Don’t be relieved that you’ve caught one, just be vigilant enough to make sure there aren’t any others before reorganizing.”
“Yes, Master!”
Rize responded vigorously and looked around calmly, and only after confirming that there were no other Oroths did she finally relax her shoulders.
Douglas approached Rize, nodded, and spoke in a softened voice.
“It was good though. Even though it was my first real match, I wasn’t scared at all.”
“Hi-Hi.”
“The only regret is… … .”
Rize, who laughed at the praise, stiffened up again at the words that followed.
Douglas passed by Rize, who looked like he was afraid to point out something, and stood in front of Oroth’s corpse.
“Didn’t you just recklessly swing your sword when attacking this guy? So it was a little dangerous because I couldn’t cut properly?”
“yes… … .”
For the first time, Douglas pointed to the part of the wound that Rize had inflicted and connected the words.
“At first it may be. However, it is obviously wrong to attack in the same way even after knowing the strength. You might be able to cut him, but it’s because the sword is overworked.”
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“oh… … !”
As if she realized it only then, Rize was surprised and examined her sword closely with round eyes.
I laughed at the sight of what would happen if I went out at least.
“It wouldn’t be too much trouble once, but if you keep fighting the same way, your sword will definitely break. Keep in mind that in a dungeon, you don’t fight with just one guy.”
“Yes, Master!”
“When fighting these guys, focus on the joints here rather than the body… … .”
Douglas continued to explain the monster for a while, and in the meantime, when he glanced to the side, he saw Irina shedding tears.
Boy, here it is again.
At times like this, you seem more serious than me. Then why do I look at Rize with that kind of eye every time I show an overprotective side of her?
Shaking my head, I moved and walked closer to Douglas.
“Rizeya, do you know that this is subjugation evidence?”
“Yeah, if you catch a monster, cut it up and give it to the guild, right?”
“that’s right. That way, the guild can check how many monsters I’ve caught. Each monster has a different piece of evidence, but since this monster is called Orotra, the proof is not this big chin, but the small chin inside.”
“Then can I cut this?”
I shook my head and tried to explain why, but the answer came from behind me.
“Monsters caught in the dungeon don’t bother taking evidence of subjugation.”
“Oh, really?”
Irina, who took my words away on her own, clung to Rize and continued to answer while checking her body to see if there were any injuries.
“The reason for taking subjugation evidence is only for monsters outside the dungeon. The reason is that the monsters in the dungeon do not come out.”
“So, are these guys only here? Can’t you see anything to eat?”
It was as it was said.
There were no signs of preying on them, not even outside the dungeon.
I tried to explain that, but this time Douglas took the turn.
“By nature, monsters do not need food. Gnomes are different from normal creatures. It’s just a form of life with the cursed power of dark magic.”
“that… … what does it mean?”
“If the dark magic supplied to them is cut off, they will not be able to maintain their form and collapse. These guys can’t last for days once they leave the dungeon. If you leave a corpse alone, it will scatter like dust.”
“Then what about the monsters outside? Are they different?”
“They don’t last long either.”
I hit it first so I wouldn’t be taken away.
Why is it that everyone is so anxious about not being able to explain?
“Basically, monsters created outside can be regarded as mutations. It has its own dark magic, so it lasts longer than the guys in the dungeon. But in order to survive longer, we need to fill our strength with something else.”
“… … You are eating other creatures.”
After all, Rize was smart.
Still, he nodded at Rize, who frowned as if he was not in a good mood, and continued.
“That’s why the mercenary guild prioritizes subjugating monsters outside. You never know when they’ll attack people.”
“As expected, monsters are bad guys. I will quickly become a mercenary and catch all the monsters.”
“To do that, you have to do well in this dungeon, right?”
At my words, Rize clenched her fists and made up her mind.
Maybe it’s because I’m wearing fancy equipment unlike usual… … For some reason, I could see the future Lize.
Wearing stylish armor and holding a shining holy sword high, he looked like a hero.
* * *
As I said earlier, this dungeon wasn’t difficult enough to be called a beginner’s dungeon.
The inner road was well organized, the monsters that came out were only one type of Orrot, and there were no traps or anything like that.
There were quite a few of them, so there were several cases, but Rize calmly induced them one by one, took away their mobility, and then proceeded to organize them step by step.
It was the first dungeon to find the way, so I had to wander, but I was able to reach the lowest floor, the second basement floor, in one day.
There appeared a spacious room where Rize could do what she wanted.
“Okay, here we go.”
“Haaa… … .”
Although we were protecting her from behind, Rize couldn’t hide her tiredness from the constant fighting.
However, as soon as he took out the prepared barbecue items, he immediately became lively and raised his hands high.
Irina took off Rize’s armor and carefully checked for any injuries, and I took care of the meal preparation.
This room also had a vent, so it was a good place to grill something.
Maybe it was because lunch was roughly preserved food, Rize was waiting by the side, stomping her feet all the time.
You did really well today, so I should give you a special meal to match.
The finished meal was too luxurious to eat in a dungeon, but everyone was very satisfied with it.
“You did a good job exploring the first dungeon. To be honest, I don’t have anything more to say because you did better than I thought.”
“thank you! Hi-Hi.”
Douglas was not one to do this in empty words.
I had the same thought, so I nodded and quietly put the meat in my mouth.
Originally, he had planned to have a meal like this and reminisce about Rize’s first exploration, but it was also a problem that he had nothing to say.
Indeed, Rize could say that her first exploration was perfect, to the point where she wondered if being a mercenary was her calling.
A few things were simply a lack of experience, so I’ll be able to make up for it myself. I and Douglas were able to fully fill in things like various knowledge.
“How was your dad? Do you think I’m suitable for a mercenary?”
“… … .”
What should I answer?
I thought about it for a while, but in the end, I had no choice but to be honest, so I just laughed.
“I thought I would become a stronger mercenary than my father. You did very well today.”
“really? Is it real?”
“Still, if it’s Rize, I think I’ll do well if I do something else.”
“I will definitely become a mercenary?”
I am very happy that I have an unbreakable and indomitable spirit.
I eventually gave up on persuasion and shrugged my shoulders, and Douglas, who was chewing on the meat with enthusiasm, opened his mouth afterward.
“Today I’ve gotten used to them by focusing on swords, so try mixing magic tomorrow.”
“uh? Are there still monsters left?”
“In a dungeon, when a monster dies, it naturally spawns after a while. I don’t know if it will be a day or a week later.”
Rize nodded with a curious expression on her face, and the meal ended without further education.
Since I couldn’t wash the dishes afterwards, Irina took Rize to a corner and set up a wall with a tent.
“My lady, I can’t wash in a place like a dungeon, so I have to wipe my body like this.”
“Umm, but I think it will be fine for a day or so.”
“It’s not possible. Wherever you are, you must always maintain your dignity as a young lady.”
“There is no such thing as grace… … .”
Rize seemed to be grumbling but quietly surrendering herself to Irina’s touch.
While they were doing that, I was getting ready for bed with Douglas, and it seemed like the day in the dungeon was over.
“uh? Sister Irina, what is that?”
“yes? just… … It’s just an ordinary wall.”
“No, what is there? Can’t you see that? Does it look real?”
It seemed that it would not end normally.