Chapter 3

Humans are greedy creatures. Moreover, the greedier a person is, the less they know their limits. They don’t know when to stop. My stormy month began.

On the afternoon of the day I registered with the guild, I decided to try descending into the dungeon.

First, I needed to observe the enemies.

At the entrance of the dungeon on the outskirts of the village, a few guards were recording the names and target floors of those entering.

"The search party will be sent out if you don't return by the designated date and time, so please make sure to come back by then," the guard was emphasizing to the previous visitor. In my case, it was "Come back before it gets dark." After all, I was only a Level 6 with a Guild Rank F.

The Guild Rank is an indicator evaluated based on the accumulated rewards from successful quests. The level is a comprehensive evaluation of the status seen through the 'Recognition' skill. Despite my lifelong training as a knight, my level was only six. Honestly, it was disheartening. I heard that a royal guard would be in their twenties and a regular adult in their teens, so perhaps my low evaluation was justified.

The 'Recognition' skill is said to evaluate the latent common consciousness. Therefore, there can be slight variations depending on the region, and it is only a guideline. To get an accurate reading, one should use the guild's 'Recognition Meter,' which is set to a universal standard and is apparently reliable.

As I walked through the wide horizontal tunnel, wide enough for a cart to pass, I emerged onto a paved path. The path was brightly lit. The light was not from torches but from the glow of light magic stones. It seemed to be an automatic absorption system that absorbed mana from the dungeon. This way, the light would never go out, a unique method of operation in the mana-rich dungeon.

The walls and floor were paved and maintained with artificially cut square stones. I had imagined a damp cave, so the lack of fear made me inwardly sigh with relief.

I couldn't find the target underground crabs easily. According to the preliminary investigation, the level of the underground crabs was around twenty. If I found one, I would be instantly killed. I walked cautiously, not missing even the slightest sound. I peeked around corners and checked my surroundings thoroughly before proceeding. I had heard there were no traps on the first floor, but I still moved slowly. After ten minutes, I was already out of breath and exhausted. I almost dropped my unsheathed sword several times. I was at the peak of tension.

I heard a splash of water.

It came from a room on the right. Straining my ears, I could hear the water sounds. I sensed something moving on the other side of the wall. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would burst. I tried to suppress my breathing, fearing it would be heard, but it was in vain.

In the small room I peeked into, there was a large, blue crab with long legs. Its body was stuck between the ceiling and the wall, severely restricting its movement. It was clearly larger than the entrance.

How did it get into this room?

Its legs had sharp claws like spears. Every step it took pierced the stone floor, which looked incredibly hard.

The crab was licking the water dripping from the wall, seemingly unaware of my presence. Its detection ability seemed low. Occasionally, its head would bump into the ceiling, causing dust to fall to the floor.

I could easily escape if necessary.

I took out an incense burner from my bag. It was a small, round wooden fruit with several holes drilled into it. The lid and the container had grooves and claws that fit together to secure it. In the center was a wire mesh bag where I placed ten silver coins worth of incense.

I lit the 'Blinding Incense.'

I decided to try hunting one. If it didn't work, I would run.

I watched the thin smoke rise and took a deep breath. I rolled the incense burner into the small room.

After a while, the crab started moving. It seemed panicked, scuttling back and forth. It kept bumping into the walls and stumbling.

The incense was taking effect. I drew my magic sword and, with determination, appeared in front of it. It didn't seem to notice me. The effect was working.

I approached and thrust my sword at the joint of its leg. I was hunched over, in a pitiful position, like poking something far away with a stick. But the next moment, the underground crab writhed and started thrashing even more violently. It slammed its massive pincers, as large as my torso, into the ground. I jumped back in a flash.

If that hits me, I'll be crushed!

The stone floor shattered and scattered around. I crouched low and circled around, approaching again.

Hmm? It looks green.

The crab's entire body seemed to be enveloped in a green mist.

Is it poison?

As I watched, the green color faded, and the crab calmed down again.

Did the effect wear off?

I poked the crab's leg with my sword. There was no reaction. After repeating this four or five times, it started acting strangely. It began foaming at the mouth and suddenly collapsed.

What effect was that?

I approached. Its body looked yellow.

Is this... paralysis?

I approached and, using my own sword, not the magic sword, I started slashing. I couldn't cut it, but I kept slashing. I checked for any soft spots and kept slashing. More like pounding.

"This is impossible."

I switched to the 'Annoyance Sword' and repeatedly struck it, replenishing my magic power multiple times. Various status effects afflicted the crab. When the third poison effect took hold, the crab finally fell silent.

"Um, the parts to collect are..."

I hurriedly tried to collect the crab's meat. I swung my sword to cut off its legs. Each leg was worth ten silver coins, a nice bonus.

But it was impossible. The shell was too hard to cut. Ideally, I should have done this during the battle. Time was up. The corpse disappeared, leaving only a fist-sized marine blue magic stone on the floor.

The rumor that "dungeon monsters don't leave corpses" was true.

How does it work?

It is said that dungeon monsters prevent their parts from disappearing by separating them from the core of the magic stone during the time it takes to vanish. Unfortunately, I couldn't confirm this this time.

I collected the remaining magic stone and left the dungeon.

I felt a sense of accomplishment. I had a week until the quest deadline.

I had a growing confidence that I could do it.

My level had suddenly jumped to eight. When I measured myself with the guild's 'Recognition Meter,' I had grown rapidly. I did feel a bit tougher. I had also acquired a few skills: 'Helmet Splitter (1)' and 'Recognition (1).' 'Helmet Splitter' was an active skill that bypassed defense. I thought it was originally for axes, but apparently, the weapon type didn't matter. With this, I should be able to break that hard shell?

The 'Recognition' skill would save me from having to place everything on a cutting board. I could also check the enemy's status beforehand. It felt incredibly lucky. They say necessity is the mother of invention, but are skills really this easy to acquire?

For now, I decided to stay at an inn and prepare for the next day. I had walked all the way from my hometown to this village. The results were excellent. Despite my initial doubts, everything turned out well.

I headed to the inn with renewed enthusiasm.

If I could collect those large legs, ten per crab... that's one gold coin. But I'd need a cart to transport them. How much does it cost to rent a cart? I should have checked at the guild.

While making these calculations, I fell into a comfortable sleep that night.

I'll do my best tomorrow.