Chapter 47

"Let's go now!"

Stepping into the newly discovered cave, after taking a few steps, Rad turned around and asked,

"By the way, the new dungeon we found doesn't have a name yet, right? How about we just call it 'Rad's Great Tomb' until we decide on a proper name..."

"The Labyrinth of the Undying"

I couldn't help but interject at the odd name he suggested.

"Let me make it clear, that's the official name. It will appear when you 'Pierce the Veil.'"

"Che. It already has a name, huh?"

He didn't miss a beat. After confirming no enemies were around, I stopped.

"Anyway, before we start exploring, I have something to give you."

I pulled out a device shaped like a flashlight, with a switch on the cylinder. However, the tip of the cylinder had a hole, which was different from a regular flashlight.

"What's this, a weapon?"

"It's a 'Decoy Gun.' I've heard it's a magical device that releases a decoy."

Nod, who was well-informed, explained to the puzzled Rad. I was pleased that someone recognized my favorite item.

"Nod is right. This item creates a decoy of yourself to draw the enemy's attention. You can only use it when not in combat, and the decoy will break if it takes any damage, so don't rely on it too much. However, it can be used repeatedly. For example, if you place a decoy behind the enemy, they will all turn to face it, giving you a chance to launch a preemptive strike."

After I explained, Rad and the others nodded in understanding.

I thought Rad, who often seems to rely on brute force, wouldn't be interested in such a tactical item, but he was surprisingly intrigued. He started fiddling with the Decoy Gun...

"Interesting! So, I just press this, right?"

"Wait, that's—"

I tried to stop him, but it was too late. The moment Rad pressed the glowing blue button, something shot out of the cylinder and hit the far wall. A white figure identical to Rad sprouted from the wall.

"Whoa!"

"...Creepy."

Everyone, especially Prana, who said it in a serious tone, was taken aback by the bizarre sight of a white Rad sprouting from the wall. Rad looked dejected, but it was his own fault.

"I said it can be used repeatedly, but there's a catch. It takes thirty minutes to recharge after each use."

"Ugh."

Moreover, the cooldown is per person, not per item, so having multiple Decoy Guns wouldn't help. Prana gave Rad a reproachful look.

"Using it without thinking."

"Ugh, ugh, I'm sorry..."

Rad looked a bit pitiful, but it was a valuable lesson. The Decoy Gun is a useful item, but it has many limitations.

"Also, you can only have one decoy active at a time. If you place it in a place like this, make sure to destroy it before it becomes permanent and unusable."

"Yikes!"

I said, and Rad hurriedly ran to destroy the decoy on the wall. Watching him, I felt a bit amused and thought to myself,

(In this world, decoys can sprout from walls.)

In the game, decoys could only be placed on the ground, or rather, on surfaces where characters could move. When you aimed the Decoy Gun, a point would indicate where it would land, but if you aimed at a place where characters couldn't move, the point would turn red, and you couldn't fire the gun.

However, in this world, there were no such restrictions on character movement. There were no unnatural no-go zones like sharp rocks or small protrusions, and with some creativity, you could even climb walls and roofs.

(Thinking about it, this world is like a god game...)

In this world, things that were possible in the game but seemed unnatural in reality, such as alchemy and event mechanics, were possible. Additionally, things that were restricted in the game but were possible in reality, like wall climbing, were also possible.

At least for me, it was the best of both worlds. If the "god" who sent me here was real, they certainly understood.

When a user finds a bug that benefits them, game developers fix it at lightning speed, but they often leave bugs that disadvantage users untouched. I wish Japanese game developers would take a page from this god's book.

Anyway, with new toys in hand, we were ready to go. After Rad destroyed the decoy and returned, we finally started moving deeper into the dungeon.

***

Holding the Decoy Gun, I led the way.

Incidentally, we had also obtained several other items I had been searching for, which we were using during this exploration. One of the most important was the ring I was wearing, the 'Level Stopper.'

This was an item added with the first DLC, which, as its name suggests, prevents your level from increasing while it's equipped. It has no other effects, so it doesn't boost your combat power, but it's essential for those who want to control their stats.

(Well, with my level fifty, it's unlikely I'll level up in this dungeon...)

If your level is too high compared to the enemies, the experience points you gain are drastically reduced. Furthermore, in battles with multiple participants, the experience points are adjusted based on the highest level character. So, just by participating in battles, I would reduce the experience points the others gain. If possible, I'd prefer not to get involved.

"This is..."

As we moved deeper into the cave, we entered a larger room. Scattered bones lay around the room.

Nod suddenly looked at me, as if realizing something.

"I remember, skeletons appear here, right? If so..."

"Yeah. They'll suddenly move and attack when we get close. Be careful."

"Oh! That's why you have the Decoy Gun!"

Nod seemed to understand and fired a decoy into the center of the room. The moment the decoy appeared, the piles of bones that had seemed lifeless began to move.

The disguised skeletons, surprisingly agile, leaped up, and the four skeletons scattered around the room rushed at the decoy. The decoy, with no defensive capabilities, was destroyed in one hit.

At the same time, the four skeletons, now without a target, turned to face us.

"Ugh..."

Nod and Mana let out nervous voices, but this was the tricky part of the dungeon. The enemy placement was clever, and a single misstep could lead to a preemptive attack.

"Don't panic. We just need to prepare and counterattack."

Fortunately, most of the skeletons here were standard melee types. The strategy was to position ourselves at a narrow entrance and take them down one by one.

First, as a skeleton ran towards us,

"Flare Cannon!"

Nod's magic struck it like a greeting.

This spell, usable with the 'Red Flare Rod,' had exceptional power even at this level. Since undead creatures are generally weak to fire, the skeleton's momentum was slowed.

"Holy Circle!"

Mana's purification magic followed immediately. This spell, which dealt significant damage to undead creatures, was powerful despite its limited effectiveness.

With the skeleton completely immobilized,

"Arrow Rain"

Prana's attack skill exploded. The arrows, which I had enchanted with fire, were devastating to the weakened skeleton.

In the end, only one of the four skeletons made it to us. The last line of defense was Rad, who readied his 'Brave Sword.'

Rad calmly deflected the skeleton's attack with his shield and then,

"Blazing Overstrike!"

He unleashed a powerful fire-based art, which he couldn't use when we cleared the 'Seven-Colored Lava Cave.' The scorching blow instantly gave the undead a second death.

"Did we... win?"

"Yeah, congratulations."

As I spoke, the tense atmosphere finally relaxed.

"Even against stronger enemies, we can manage with the right approach."

"The enemies in this dungeon are weaker compared to our levels. If we hit them with effective attacks, it's not too difficult."

Of course, it wasn't just about strength.

"Think about it. If we had entered the room without a plan and been ambushed by skeletons from all sides, what do you think would have happened?"

At my words, Rad and the others paled. Our advantage in this battle came from the area-of-effect attacks and the ability to whittle down the enemies from a distance.

If we had been attacked suddenly from close range, we wouldn't have been able to use area-of-effect attacks, and Nod and Mana would have had to engage in melee combat. We might not have lost, but it would have been a tough fight.

"From now on, it's not just about raw strength. Strategy is important too."

Nod, looking at his Decoy Gun, said,

"At first, I thought it was a bit underwhelming, but this Decoy Gun is amazing! We can use it in the next room too..."

Smiling at the new Decoy Gun enthusiast, I nodded.

"Right. You can use decoys against the skeletons here, or you can use 'Pierce the Veil' to reveal them. But in cases where you know enemies are present..."

As I spoke, I casually threw a fire bottle into the next room. Flames erupted instantly, burning both bones and skeletons alike.

"---This is the best approach."

As I said this, watching the skeletons crawl out of the room, Nod let out a dry laugh, "Haha..."

I hadn't expected to use so much exposition...