If it's Adventure, then its Dungeons
冒険ならやっぱりダンジョンだ。
A whole two weeks passed since the battle against the GOBLIN and the ORC hordes ended. There was nothing much to do as the battle ended, most of the other inhabitants had returned to their respective domains. There was something worthy of note though, for some reason the alliance still continued.
With that as a pretext, battle in most forms are somewhat stopped, when I started to continue to train I gained a few duel partners with the primary leaders of the four regions.
My friendly duel with Wiezer happens to involve fighting against armed and versatile opponents. While I did fight armed opponents with the GOBLIN and ORC hordes, they were really just swinging their weapons as an act of violence. When I am finally out in civilization, there are probably more skilled armed opponents. Luckily, Wiezer is not just skilled with the swords he was also displays good tactics in combat.
A friendly tutoring session also came with Armorica, her defense is absolute in this island, and my training with her involve being able to go past heavy defenses. At first I was reluctant since the damage might be irreversible. However a few days since I was able to give her a successful crack on her shell, it healed. It was as if it the crack did not exist in the first place. So I was able train much with defense shattering attacks without having to worry too much.
Ashilica was tricky one, she did not like fighting much and pretty much just want to roll over in her swamp and take a good time. So instead of having actual combat training with her, she would just offer me different types of liquid coming from her body… at first I was reluctant, I mean what’s up with this woman -I mean female Basilisk, is she in this type of kink. Then it turns out that she was really increasing my tolerance and immunity to poison, paralysis and petrification. I was in a lot of trouble when I first drunk a paralysis liquid and instantly fell to the ground. But she just continued lie down and wait for me my natural recovery to kick in only for her to offer me another type of drink. While it is a good thing to have resistance for such ailments it still felt a bit…
Kizuari was the wild one. I mean his method was no training but simple an act of rage and violence. That must be the reason for his constant defeat against the slothful and lazy Ashilica. Oh on this note, I did mentioned this openly towards Kizuari, and from that moment on he gone more berserk almost to the point of murdering me. I wonder if he understood my words or something.
And these bosses also increased my resistance to intimidation. When I first fought with either of the four they always do some kind of howl. I check the logs after but those howls actually act as an intimidation which causes irrational fear or in the gaming sense getting inflicted with the fear status ailment.
Becoming afraid or in the state of fear, my movements become sluggish and somehow I can’t fully grasp my full strength. Thanks to the resistance I acquired from constant infliction, I have a begun to naturally resist that very irrational fear.
Just so you’d know I still feel fear and truthfully I believe this is something you should never become immune to. With fear you become cautious in your surroundings taking into account your current and your enemies’ strength. Those without fear will haphazardly come into contact to danger and I definitely don’t want that.
This is also true to my pain resistance, somehow because of my constant battle I have gained a natural resistance over pain, but it is not like I am immune to pain, being able to tolerate it is good enough. As they say, being able to feel pain is an indication that you are alive.
The training with the four bosses instantly boosted not just my combat skills but also resistance which I am quite thankful.
*****
Well, the island bosses were not the only ones who have given me some lessons. You might even say that the whole island was in one way or another giving me hints, pointers or some kind of resistance.
The LIZARDMEN taught me how to effectively hunt, while the LIZARDWOMEN taught me how to make bows and arrows.
Most of the insect type monsters in the south reinforced my resistance in poison, petrification and paralysis. Well unlike the kinky Ashilica, they just did it normally by pricking or biting me… I guess those might be kinkier.
On a lighter note, the spider-like inhabitants taught me how to weave simple textiles from their threads, and received ample amounts of these threads for me to practice weaving silks and other textiles.
Most of the beast types had supplemented my battle tactics by allowing me to fight against multiple agile and versatile opponents.
Thanks to these creatures I also found out how to forage safely, like for example what mushrooms are edible and what are poisonous, they also gave me direction to where the delicious fruits can be located in the island.
My combat skills resistance and foraging skills were not the only things that were practiced while staying in this island. I also developed some good production skills. It goes without saying that my wood crafting and metal crafting skills had risen. My carpentry also developed.
I have been helping the LIZARDMEN in creating their own village and provided them with housing. I also made some simple huts all over the island for me or any of the inhabitants to utilize when in need. Well, they are in their natural habitat so it might be an unwanted effort, but some of them stay on those huts to do unusual things so all goes well I guess.
My combat abilities have also come a long way. Back then, while fighting any of the leaders, I would wake up and see the blue skies now I am able to withstand their offenses and give time to make any offenses of my own.
*****
Now unto the pressing matter, as I have trained inside the island in its current state, I found it hard to do actual hunting. While it is true that there where factions that did not join us in the battle with the GOBLIN and ORC hordes, I still could not bring to kill them.
Fighting or dueling with them and gain skills on the process was one thing, but killing for food would definitely leave a bad aftertaste so I was thinking of moving to another Island soon.
Just when I was thinking about such things, Wiezer beckoned for me. I guess he also felt that I was hesitating on killing the inhabitants of the forest, such a good person… errr… GORGILAZ.
While having a solemn look, he took me to a place near the mountain facing the west. There he pointed way up in the mountain where I usually mine minerals for my steel weapons, but gestured further. It must be someplace that I still need to climb for me to actually see. To dispel any thoughts of climbing to the tip of the mountain he then drew a cave like opening on the ground.
I am guessing that somewhere halfway up the mountain, a cave like entry was present. Well, I wonder if there is some kind of treasure in there.
“I guess I will know when I get there. I will have to go.” Wiezer nodded to my acknowledgement.
He then further pointed to my ship Grimoire Atelier where the other leaders and subordinates have gathered filling the deck with some fruits and other edibles. I guess they know that I was leaving. I thanked them and started to store the fruits and edible onto my ship.
*****
While I can really just go to another island to have my hunting session, I did not want to brush Wiezer’s idea and so went to the journey to climb the mountain. The next day after Wiezer told me about the so called cave I left early to see what I may get in there.
The cave opening that Wiezer pointed at me was slightly on an elongated part of the mountain. I had started to climb the mountain early in the morning but even though it was already high noon yet I have gotten to the point where the opening is supposedly situated.
As an afterthought, I had decided to leave Grimoire-chan with the GORGILAZ and the LIZARDMEN and LIZARDWOMEN at the riverbed beside the base of the west side of mountain. She was going to be my safety harness, for the journey to the unknown.
Thankfully Wiezer and Armorica somehow assured me that Grim-chan will be safe with them while I am away, at least this was how I interpreted their gestures and I chose to trust them. After waving goodbye to Grim-chan and the guys protecting her, I went and climbed the mountain.
By sun down I finally got to the protruding elongated rocks and deem it was already late to try climbing more, but since I could not see front from back due to the darkness so I decided to camp and waited morning to search for the so called opening.
When morning came, I saw the cave opening that Wiezer had intended to show me. It had a mysterious feel in it. I was not sure why but the cave opening had made me feel exited. But as soon as I investigated the entrance a little bit more, I finally I understood where my excitement came from.
If this is indeed a magical world then it should be riddled with them –Dungeons. This is probably a dungeon entrance. Every adventurers fame in any animes, games, mangas or light novels have mostly gained their popularity after conquering such dungeons, I wonder if this world is any different?
Well it could very well be just a cave but I am hoping it was the latter though. Since I was excited in entering that was more than enough to explore it. Wiezer must have gotten inside before, and so offered me this alternative. Now I have to wonder how many levels this dungeon has.
*****
Before completely entering, I needed to check my preparations to ensure my own safety:
For my defensive gear, it is almost the same build I had during the GOBLIN and ORC Horde Subjugation. The only addition would be is the ARACNAE QUEEN’s thread Mesh underneath the newly created and reinforced wooden plate.
By adding the threaded mesh between my t-shirt and the wooden armor, I am able to disregard the uncomfortable feeling of the wooden armor. The threads were of course sturdier than normal thread, they can to some extent protect against slices, which should protect me when the time comes that my wooden would armor break.
I also made from the processed GREYWOLVEs skin killed prior to the battle against the horde a KUNAI BELT which can store 10 pcs of METAL FORGE TRIAL KUNAIs, and a SHURIKEN and KNIFE POUCH which can carry 10 pcs each of METAL FORGE TRIAL SHURIKENs and METAL FORGE TRIAL KNIVES for additional offense.
I also reorganized the weapons in the detachment room before hand and checked if they are still the same as I had arrange them.
.DETACHMENT ROOM {
•WOODEN TRIAL ASH BOU (long stick)
•WOODEN TRIAL RED OAK SHORT BOW (short bow)
•WOODEN TRIAL RED OAK LONG BOW (long bow)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL BASELARD (short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL BASELARD (short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL SPEAR (spear)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL HACHET (short axe)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL GLADIUS (short sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL CHOKUTO (one-handed sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL KATANA (one-handed sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL CLAYMORE (two-handed sword)
•METAL FORGED TRIAL HARD EDGE GREAT SWORD (great sword)
•“The Throwing Box”
•“The Arrow Basket”
•“The CABINET”
}
The prepared arrays of weapons in the DETACHMENT ROOM were geared for agility and versatility. The weapons which would be greatly noticed are the BOWs which were thanks to the LIZARDWOMEN. I was able to create and prepared a short and long bow when there is a need for long range tactics.
The wooden part of the bow is made with red oak tree which are dominant in the northern forest, the red oak gave it a sturdier build. The twined strings are made with the QUEEN ARACHNAE’s silk web, which are more durable than the fiber twine from saplings. With the silk web it should allow me to pull the string to its limit without worrying about it snapping. With this I would be able to use the cliff sniping tactics, should there be a need for it.
While most of the slots are allotted for weapons, this time around I also made sure to allocate 3 SLOTs in the Detachment Room for non-weapon objects.
The first is “The Throwing Box”, a 40.64x30.48x25.40 centimeter box filled with 20 KUNAIs, 20 SHURIKENs and 10 small throwing KNIVES to replenish my throwing items should they get spent.
The Second item is “The Arrow Basket”, which stores 250 arrows that would be my munition when I use the cliff sniping strategy. These are also made together with the LIZARD ARCHERS.
And lastly, is “The CABINET”… when I first saw this during my investigation I was quite in for a shock, I mean the first one seemed like a trash bin, the second one speaks for itself and the third was like a title for some B-rated horror movie. I wonder if Grim-chan is the one naming these.
Well so much for the naming sense, the third is actually storage of some sorts for my other non-combat equipment. It is a 165.10x185.42x50.80 centimeter cabinet divided into four compartments:
The upper half is for the consumables, with the upper left for the ready to eat and the upper right for cooking ingredients.
The lower left for cooking utensils and equipment, while the lower right for the camping equipment.
Things placed in the three non-combat items will be returned here when it is no longer within my personal range. This goes without saying that consumables do not return here when I eat them.
It was different if it just fell before I eat them and left it there, it would definitely return. However, food that are already consumed, never return –period. It would definitely be bad when the items return as feces after being digested and excreted in my body… the idea was simple revolting. Thankfully, it did not work that way.
A~nywas, after making sure that I am indeed ready to take on a dungeon… “Dungeon, here I come.” I shouted to pump myself.
