Next to the place where the boss was defeated, there was only a black wall.
Entering the black wall, after passing through a moment of darkness, I arrived at a small room similar to the one at the entrance of the first floor. It was about four to five meters square, with a path extending to the front, left, and right, just like the first floor. Behind me was the black wall I had come through, also the same as the first floor. If I were brought here blindfolded, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Probably, Dungeon Walk would be effective, so if I concentrate, I can come here. Should I try it?
No, even if I try and succeed, I won't know if I've moved to the second floor.
If I go through the black wall behind me, will I return to the place I was just at? Should I try it from that side?
I pass through the black wall.
After passing through a dark space, I suddenly find myself in a bright place. It's the entrance to the dungeon. The same male explorer from yesterday is standing there.
My eyes aren't used to it yet, but it's almost evening. Since I've ended up outside, I'll call it a day for today.
A party of six people is coming from the opposite side of the road. The explorers in the party are talking to the explorer standing near the entrance.
"Where are you?"
"Fourth floor."
I move a little to the side, pretending to check my backpack while eavesdropping. Gathering information is important.
The explorer in the party looks at the knight's face. It seems the knight is the leader in this party. Is that how it works?
"What's on the fourth floor?"
The knight speaks directly to the explorer at the entrance.
"Minotaurs. On the first floor, Needlewood, Green Caterpillar, and Kobolds."
"The Kobolds on the third floor are too much. Let's start from the fourth floor."
It seems the combination of monsters in this dungeon is not good. The knight nods at the explorers in the party.
"Eight hundred and fifty thousand treasure, the key to the vault, Item Box, open."
That's the spell for the Item Box. The explorers in the party take something out.
Silver coins.
I couldn't see clearly, but they took out silver coins. Indeed, appraisal is useful.
The explorer at the entrance takes them and puts the silver coins in the Item Box.
"Answering the call of a friend, the purity of a sincere heart, party formation."
The explorer at the entrance continues to chant something. Is this the spell for party formation?
I wonder what they are planning to do by forming a party. The explorers in the party and the one at the entrance enter the dungeon together and quickly return.
The adventurer on the knight's side also chants the party formation spell.
"Alright. Let's go to the fourth floor."
The knight declares, and the six people enter the dungeon. Without waiting for them to disappear, I start walking towards the town.
What were they doing?
Probably, the two explorers went to the fourth floor.
The explorers' Dungeon Walk allows them to move within the dungeon to places they have been to. I've seen this happen several times, and it seems to work not only for the person who cast it but also for party members.
The explorer standing at the entrance of the dungeon is probably a guide who has been to the fourth floor. The new explorers in the party have probably never been to this dungeon. If they form a party, the guide who has been to the fourth floor can take the explorers who haven't been there to the fourth floor. Once they are taken to the fourth floor, the explorers who haven't been there can bring their own party to the fourth floor in the future.
If the party has five members or fewer, the guide might be able to take everyone at once. They've thought this through pretty well.
Should I use this too?
However, the monsters on the lower floors will be stronger. Without knowing my own strength, it's safer to go down one floor at a time.
The two explorers who came out of the adventurer's guild yesterday were probably doing the same thing.
If there are two explorers who can use Field Walk, and one of them has been to a town, they can both go to that town by moving together once. In this world, people's movement is quite free and frequent.
I move a little away from the entrance of the dungeon and reset my character, removing Durandal. I had one bonus point left. It seems I leveled up without noticing. I allocated one point each to the Critical Rate Increase and MP Recovery Speed Increase, removed Warp, and spent 4 points to obtain the Force Job. I adjusted my jobs using the Job Setting.
Kaga Michio, male, 17 years old
Explorer Lv8, Hero Lv6, Warrior Lv5, Swordsman Lv1
Equipment: Scimitar, Leather Armor, Sandal Boots
I'll pat myself on the back for the incredible growth in one day.
After returning to the inn and selling the herbs I generated, I made 1,911 nals. The total sales for today are 4,276 nals. There are also the leaves I picked up yesterday, but since I haven't sold the wands, the difference shouldn't be significant. Wands are probably considered equipment, so I think I would sell them to a weapon merchant.
It's not enough for a gold coin, but it's a considerable amount for a day's earnings. If I need to buy equipment, clothes, or other daily necessities, I might spend more. For now, I only spend 224 nals on the inn and 20 nals on hot water. It's a mystery why a 30% discount doesn't apply when I order hot water.
After having dinner, I'll go to bed. I've gotten used to a healthy life of early to bed and early to rise.
There's nothing to do once it gets dark. I could go back into the dungeon, but it would be dangerous if I get sleepy halfway through.
If I go to bed early, I can wake up early. So, the next day, I head to the dungeon while it's still dark.
Using the Warp I set up, I go to the entrance of the second floor. It looks the same as the small room at the entrance of the first floor, but it's probably the second floor.
This time, the Warp didn't make me feel as depressed. Maybe it's because I leveled up. Still, I don't intend to use it consecutively. It was really tough.
On the first floor, the exit to the second floor was to the right, so I try going left on the second floor. The left path leads to a crossroads. It's different from the first floor, so I must have made it to the second floor.
Needlewood Lv2
The first monster I encounter is a Needlewood, the same as on the first floor. I thought the second floor would have a different kind of monster. Is Lv2 just because it's the second floor?
I slash it with Durandal and take it down in one hit. The Needlewood might be stronger at Lv2, but with Durandal, it's still one hit.
It's probably because I leveled up. Or maybe the effect of having four jobs. I hope so.
Green Caterpillar Lv2
The next one I encounter is a Green Caterpillar. Right, the second floor has Green Caterpillars. So, the second floor has two types of monsters?
It's a large, green caterpillar. Honestly, it's quite disgusting. It's a squishy larva about the size of a medium-sized dog. Maybe it has muscles inside, but I doubt it.
I rush over and swing Durandal from above.
Thread
It seems to be a one-hit kill. When the green smoke disappears, a bundle of threads is left behind.
After that, I hunted a few more, but they were either Needlewood Lv2 or Green Caterpillar Lv2. It seems the second floor has two types of monsters.
While thinking about this, I encounter both monsters together.
Needlewood Lv2
Green Caterpillar Lv2
Are they a pair, or did they just happen to be there? This is the first time I've encountered multiple monsters on the dungeon's path, except for the small room where a lot of monsters were hiding.
I first strike the Needlewood that came closer with Durandal. Then, I look at the Green Caterpillar, and an orange magic circle appears under its chest. The magic circle disappears quickly, and the Green Caterpillar spits something out.
Thread
Threads are spat out from the monster's mouth, blocking my front. They spread out in all directions, flying towards me. It feels like watching the spider's threads in Kabuki. I swing Durandal to cut some of them, but I can't block them all.
The threads that I couldn't block wrap around my hands, feet, and head. It's not just disgusting; it makes it difficult to move my limbs. It feels like being wrapped in sticky tape.
While struggling to free my arms, I get hit by the Green Caterpillar's body attack. I manage to endure it with my restricted movement and swing Durandal down.
The thread constraint doesn't seem to affect my attack power, or maybe my attack power is still strong enough to defeat the Green Caterpillar in one hit. The Green Caterpillar is taken down in one hit.
Thread
When the monster disappears, the threads on my body also disappear. The normal thread as a drop item is left behind.
The Green Caterpillar seems to have a special attack that spits out threads to restrict my movement. It might not be a problem with one or two, but what if a lot of them appear?
Like the small room on the first floor...
Not good.
I can't think of a good outcome.
If I'm surrounded by multiple Green Caterpillars, they'll spit threads from all directions, and I'll be hit repeatedly while my movement is restricted. Not only will my elimination speed slow down, but the HP recovery from Durandal will also be delayed. Can I withstand the attacks from the monsters?
I should think of a countermeasure.
Of course, I could do nothing. But it's worth considering.
A room with a large number of monsters is probably a rare trap. The six-person party of knights, including apprentices, and the low-level party waiting for the boss on the first floor, can they handle a room with a large number of monsters? I think they can't, and that's why they are in the dungeon. If the risk of encountering a large number of monsters was high, low-level parties wouldn't be in the dungeon.
Since low-level parties are actually in the dungeon, the risk of encountering a large number of monsters is not that high.
It might seem overly optimistic, but that might be the reality. The low-level parties are probably on the second floor. If they can fight on the second floor, I can too.
Still, it's not good to leave the risk unaddressed. In the dungeon, those who overestimate their safety die first. What has happened once can happen again. Since I've experienced a room with a large number of monsters, I should assume it could happen again.
What kind of countermeasure should I take?
One countermeasure is to continue leveling up. If my level increases, my elimination speed will be faster, and my HP and stamina will increase. If I can withstand attacks from Green Caterpillars like mosquito bites, being surrounded won't be a problem.
However, considering how much I need to level up to reach that point, it will be quite challenging. There's also the question of how to judge when I'm strong enough to handle a large number of Green Caterpillars. Roxane's deadline is also a factor. I can't take my time leveling up. I need to go to the lower floors and earn money quickly.
Another countermeasure is to obtain a skill to attack multiple monsters. If I'm overwhelmed by a group, I should be able to attack the group as a whole.
Overwhelming and Rush are not multiple attack skills. I tried the Swordsman's Slash skill, but it doesn't seem much different from Rush. It feels like the Swordsman's version of Rush.
Realistically, it's difficult to attack multiple enemies simultaneously with a sword. I don't think it's possible without a skill like a clone.
However, if a sword won't work, there's magic. Using magic, it might be possible to attack all enemies.
The merchant said that to become a Mage, one must take a special potion before the age of five. It's probably some kind of item. But since I'm well past five, can I not become a Mage?
One possibility is to try using magic. When I stole something, I became a Thief, and when I did farm work, I became a Farmer. When I entered the dungeon, I became an Explorer. I probably got the Herbalist job by picking up herbs. If I use magic, can I become a Mage?
Of course, spatial magic and movement magic don't grant the Mage job. If Dungeon Walk could grant the Mage job, any Explorer could become a Mage.
I need to use attack magic. Mages can probably use attack magic.
To become a Merchant, one must sell something. To become a Warrior, one must fight. To become a Swordsman, one must swing a sword. I've done all of these. If I use attack magic, can I become a Mage?
It's a chicken and egg problem. If I become a Mage, I can use attack magic, but to become a Mage, I need to use attack magic. That's why a special item is needed.
However, I have a bonus spell. I should be able to use it even if I'm not a Mage. I can use Warp, for example.
If I use an attack magic from the bonus spells, can I obtain the Mage job? It seems the time has come to use the bonus spells that I couldn't use when I was at Hero Lv1 due to insufficient MP.