Chapter 14

"Damn it, why isn't there..."

Three days have passed since Aichi killed the Clawed Bear, and he has been continuously searching for a way to the upper level. After eating the Clawed Bear, Aichi's attributes soared again, and now, nothing in this level can threaten him. Thanks to this, Aichi's exploration of this vast space has progressed rapidly, and he has already explored about eighty percent of this level. Despite this, he still can't find anything.

No, it's not accurate to say he can't find anything. To be precise, he can't find a way to the 'upper level,' but he discovered a way to the 'lower level' two days ago. If this dungeon is layered, there must be a way to the upper level, but he can't find it no matter what.

Additionally, he has already tried the method of ignoring this strange dungeon and using [Alchemy] to directly create a path to the upper level. However, the result was that, whether going up or down, the walls would not react to [Alchemy] after a certain distance. This [Orkus Great Dungeon] is a mysterious place created in the age of the gods, so it's not surprising that such strange things happen.

Therefore, Aichi is steadily searching for a way to the upper level. However, if he can't find it, he must make a decision to delve deeper into this great dungeon.

"...I've reached the end. I've investigated all the branching points. What's going on, huh~"

Aichi let out a deep sigh. In the end, he couldn't find a way up, so he gave up. Then, he headed to the room with the stairs leading down that he discovered two days ago.

Those stairs were quite crude, and it might be more accurate to call them a bumpy slope. Moreover, there was no green light stone ahead, and the darkness was so deep that it created a bone-chilling atmosphere. It felt as if he were in the mouth of a giant monster. The thought of "once you enter, you never return" naturally came to mind.

"Hah! Not bad! If anything comes to obstruct me, I'll just kill and eat it!"

Aichi couldn't help but sneer at the thought that had just crossed his mind. His lips twisted into a fearless smile, and he stepped into the darkness without hesitation.

This level was very dark. In the levels he had explored so far, there were always green light stones, which, although dim, allowed him to see. He had always assumed this was a given in underground dungeons. However, it seems there are no green light stones in this level. Aichi paused for a moment, hoping his eyes would adjust and he could see something, but it made no difference no matter how long he waited. With no choice, he took out a green light stone from his makeshift backpack made from the Clawed Bear's fur and iron wire to use as a light source.

In general, holding a light source in the dark is equivalent to inviting monsters, a suicidal act. However, without it, he couldn't move forward, so Aichi had to take the risk. But he couldn't have his right hand, which he used to fight, tied up, so he attached the green light stone to his left arm, which had no elbow.

After moving for a while, he noticed something shining in the depths of the passage and raised his alertness to the maximum. He tried to advance while hiding behind cover as much as possible, and suddenly, he felt a repulsive aura from the left. Aichi immediately leaped back and looked in the direction of the green light stone. There, a gray lizard about two meters long was clinging to the wall, staring at Aichi with golden eyes.

Then, at that moment, the golden eyes flashed. In the next instant,

"–!?"

Aichi's left arm began to petrify with a "hara hara" sound. The petrification quickly spread to the green light stone, and within a few seconds, the petrified green light stone shattered with a "kara" sound. The surroundings were once again covered in darkness, and the petrification continued, having already reached his shoulder.

Aichi clicked his tongue and took out a bottle of divine water from his pouch made of monster skin and iron wire, drinking it in one go. As expected, the petrification stopped, and the petrified parts returned to normal at a visible speed.

"Bold move!"

While inwardly cursing, Aichi took out a [Flash Grenade] from his waist pouch and threw it in the direction of the golden-eyed lizard. At the same time, the golden eyes in the darkness flashed again. Aichi used [Shrink] as if he couldn't see, instantly escaping from the spot.

Then, the rock where Aichi had just been changed color slightly and crumbled like it was weathering. It had a very powerful petrifying gaze. In an RPG, it would be a Basilisk.

Thinking about this, Aichi drew Dorna and held the gun in front of his eyes, imagining a shield while closing his eyes. Instantly, "pon!" A strong flash filled the surroundings, and his vision was covered in light.

"Gu gu da!?"

The Basilisk's silhouette appeared in the darkness, probably confused by the intense light it had never experienced before. Aichi immediately fired. The bullet, which concealed great power, aimed for the Basilisk's head, shattering its skull and ravaging its contents. The bullet penetrated the head and created a deep hole in the wall behind it, the scorched rock surface groaning.

Due to the use of electromagnetic acceleration, the impact point emitted high heat. It was the hard Tauru mineral, which becomes stronger when heated, that gave it such power.

Aichi, on high alert, approached the Basilisk, quickly cut out its meat, and left the area. It was indeed impossible to eat leisurely in a place where he couldn't see anything. Aichi continued his exploration.

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Aichi continued walking in the darkness, and the time he spent exploring felt like it had exceeded ten hours. He still hadn't found the stairs leading down. Along the way, he defeated many monsters and collected many minerals, and when he was about to be burdened, he decided to create a base.

Finding an appropriate place, he placed his hand on the wall and began alchemy. There were no particular problems when digging holes in the wall, so Aichi continued to create a passage deeper, eventually making a space about the size of six tatami mats. Then, he took out a basketball-sized blue-white mineral from his backpack and placed it in a hollow in the wall. The mineral was a divine crystal, and he didn't forget to set up a container to catch the dripping water below it.

Incidentally, Aichi called the divine crystal [Medicine Stone] and the divine water [Medicine Water]. They were indeed representative recovery items in games, and despite the significant difference in effects, the appropriateness of calling them [Medicine] couldn't help but come to mind.

"Then, shall I eat now?"

Aichi took out the meat from the container (made by alchemy) in his backpack and began to grill it with [Wrapping Lightning]. Today's menu was Basilisk grilled, owl grilled with feathers flying like shot, and six-legged cat grilled, with no seasoning. (Note: Think of it as octopus balls and dipping sauce.)

"I'll start eating."

He chewed with a crunch, and the pain gradually began to spread through his body. In other words, his body was being strengthened. If that was the case, the monsters here must be as strong as or stronger than the Clawed Bear. Indeed, the combination of the dark environment and the inherent magic tactics was troublesome. However, if Dorna could hit, it would be obliterated, and Aichi couldn't help but feel this.

Aichi ignored the pain, drinking divine water while continuing to eat. The continuous pain starting from phantom limb pain greatly increased his pain tolerance.

"Guru, hmm. Thanks for the meal. Then, the attributes are..."

Saying this, Aichi took out the attribute card. Aichi's current status is...

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Nanaki Aichi, 17 years old, male, Level: 23

Profession: Alchemist

Strength: 450

Endurance: 550

Resistance: 350

Agility: 550

Magic: 500

Magic Resistance: 500

Skills: Alchemy [Mineral Identification], [Precision Alchemy], [Mineral Exploration], [Mineral Separation], [Mineral Fusion]. Magic Control, [Stomach Acid Enhancement], [Wrapping Lightning], [Sky Step] [Air Force], [Shrink]. [Wind Claw], [Night Vision], [Breath Perception], [Petrification Resistance], [Language Understanding]

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The attributes rose significantly as expected, and three new skills were added to the skill list. Compared to before, he could see much farther, which seemed to be the effect of [Night Vision].

The second skill, [Breath Perception], might not be very useful against the monsters in the abyss, but it was very useful in this level.

The last skill was as it sounded. Unfortunately, it was the Basilisk's inherent skill, [Resistance], not [Petrification]. Petrifying Gaze! It would have been cool... Aichi was a bit disappointed.

Then, Aichi began alchemy to replenish his consumables. Making a single bullet required unprecedented concentration. It was an ultra-precise product. The rifling on Dorna was not meaningless; the dimensions had to be perfectly matched. The compression of the explosive could not allow any error. Therefore, it took about thirty minutes to make a single bullet. Even Aichi himself was impressed by his work. Humans can display astonishing strength when faced with life and death.

However, as long as it was powerful, he had no complaints about the time it took. Because of the detailed work, his alchemy proficiency also increased, so he had no complaints. Thanks to the derived skills, removing impurities from minerals was easy, and fusing them was also easy. In fact, Aichi's alchemy skills were now on par with the kingdom's top blacksmiths.

Aichi continued to alchemize silently. He had only gone down one level, and it was impossible to determine how far the abyss extended. Aichi planned to continue exploring immediately after finishing alchemy. Even if he returned to his hometown sooner, he couldn't afford to dawdle. At the bottom of this lonely abyss, the blue-white light of the divine crystal illuminated Aichi, who faced the beginning of the dungeon's conquest with a determined expression.

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Except for occasionally replenishing consumables and creating bases through alchemy, Aichi continued to move. He explored the vast dungeon while resting, and it was impossible to tell how much time had passed. Thanks to [Night Vision], he didn't have to worry about the darkness, and with [Breath Perception], he could detect monsters within a ten-meter radius. Aichi's exploration progressed rapidly.

Then, he finally found the stairs leading down. Aichi descended without hesitation.

The ground of this level was covered in a sticky, tar-like substance everywhere, making movement extremely difficult. Aichi frowned and used [Air Force] or protruding rocks as footholds to begin his exploration.

He used his [Mineral] skills to investigate the surrounding minerals as he moved, and he found an interesting mineral along the way.

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Firestone

A glossy black mineral. It melts into a tar-like state when heated. The melting point is around 50 degrees Celsius, and it ignites at 100 degrees Celsius in its tar state. When burning, it reaches a temperature of 3000 degrees Celsius. The burning time depends on the amount of tar.

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"...Is this a joke?"

Aichi's face twisted into a wry smile as he slowly lifted his foot. The tar-like sticky liquid, which had been covering the entire level, made a "pita pita" sound as it dripped from his shoes.

"Firearms are strictly prohibited..."

The self-ignition temperature is 100 degrees Celsius, so it shouldn't ignite easily. However, if it did, the entire level would be engulfed in 3000-degree heat. In such a situation, even with a stock of divine water, Aichi had no confidence in surviving.

"Electromagnetic cannon and [Wrapping Lightning] can't be used..."

Dorna was a powerful weapon. Even without electromagnetic acceleration, the explosive made from firestone could still deliver significant power. However, that was only against ordinary monsters. For example, against skeleton soldiers, even without electromagnetic acceleration, it could easily destroy them. Even against a Behemoth, it could be expected to cause significant damage. However, the monsters in this abyss were abnormal, and Aichi didn't think the monsters on the upper levels were just ordinary beasts. Therefore, could the power of the explosive alone be enough to defeat the monsters in this level?

However, ignoring this uncertainty, Aichi's lips curled upward.

"Alright, the task remains the same. Just kill and eat."

Aichi sealed [Electromagnetic Cannon] and [Wrapping Lightning] and resumed his exploration.

After moving for a while, he came to a fork in the road. Aichi checked the nearby walls according to theory and decided to explore the left path, taking a step forward.

At that moment, splash!

"–!?"

A shark-like monster leaped out of the tar, its massive jaws lined with countless sharp teeth. It aimed for Aichi's head, and the sound of its teeth clashing echoed as its jaws snapped shut. Aichi shuddered as he bent his body sharply.

([Breath Perception] didn't react!)

Indeed, since Aichi acquired the [Breath Perception] skill, he had been using it all the time. He should have been able to detect all living things within a ten-meter radius. Despite this, he didn't sense the shark's presence until it attacked.

The shark, unable to eat Aichi, made a "bo" sound and sank back into the tar, disappearing from sight.

(Damn! Can't detect it at all!)

Faced with this incomprehensible situation, Aichi gritted his teeth. Forced to stop moving, Aichi used [Air Force] to resume his movement.

Then, as if waiting for that moment, the shark leaped out again.

"Don't underestimate me!"

Aichi flipped in the air, passing over the shark's head, and fired at it from an inverted perspective. To kill and eat it, the bullet from Dorna cut through the air, aiming for the enemy. It hit the shark's back at the perfect moment.

However,

"Shit! It was deflected!"

The bullet hit the shark's skin like rubber, causing it to indent and deflect the bullet. Clearly, the shark's skin had a property that could cushion physical impacts.

"Guh!"

The tar flew due to inertia, but the shark reversed its motion with astonishing agility and lunged at Aichi, who was tumbling to the ground. Aichi twisted his body and barely avoided it, but his side was grazed slightly. Aichi, hit by the impact, fell into the tar, staining his entire body black. He quickly stood up and jumped back into the air. Below where he had just been, the shark's jaws snapped shut with a "kachin" sound.

Aichi used [Air Force] to jump in the air, breaking out in a cold sweat. Despite being pursued, Aichi's lips curled into the same fearless smile as always.

"Come on!"

Aichi continued to use [Air Force], not staying in one place, waiting for the moment of attack. His concentration, honed through alchemy, was fully utilized, and the surroundings lost their color. Not detecting the breath was not a problem. It was a skill he didn't have. Even without the breath, the moment of attack was clearly there.

Aichi concentrated and jumped, suddenly losing his balance. The shark didn't miss this opening and leaped out from a blind spot behind him.

"Saved by my simplicity!"

Aichi, who had lost his balance, straightened up and performed a side flip in the air, swinging Dorna at the side of the shark that was attacking him.

Instantly, a large gash appeared on the shark's side, and it spewed blood as it fell into the tar, thrashing in pain.

Aichi had deliberately lost his balance to expose his back to the enemy, guiding the timing and location of the attack. Then, he used the Clawed Bear's inherent magic, [Wind Claw], to slice the enemy.

Aichi approached the thrashing shark and swung Dorna at its head. [Wind Claw] cleanly severed the shark's head. Although he couldn't simultaneously release three [Wind Claws] like the Clawed Bear, the sharpness far exceeded that of ordinary famous swords. Close combat was a reliable inherent magic.

"Then, let me confirm the reason I can't detect the breath."

Aichi said this, licking his lips.

Afterward, Aichi stored the cut shark meat and continued his exploration, finally discovering the stairs leading down.

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