CH 33

As soon as I stepped into the cave, the air around me changed.

The heat and my shivering magic power that made my skin crawl shook my heart.

[H- Haha!]

I knew the meaning of the ban on adventuring and the one-month training, but that was that.

Not being able to have adventures even though we’re Adventurers, we were gathering a lot of murky thoughts.

(But now, our adventure is finally about to begin! Our adventure starts here!)

This was only our second time exploring a dungeon, and the dungeon we were going into was an overwhelmingly superior one over the first dungeon we went, the <Seven-Colored Lava Cave>.

Normally, I would have been tense and fearful, but I’m feeling strangely calm.

Both my lips and my thoughts were just like usual.

Rather, the anticipation of adventure and battle were sharpening my awareness.

[…………………..]

[…………………..]

I silently look at my pal, Nuku.

Just by looking at each other, I felt as if our hearts were in tune with each other.

Our conditions were perfect.

Even in the midst of the air of this dungeon, we didn’t shrink away and were still with a good sense of tension……

[U- Ummm! What were you and Rex-san talking about when it was just two earlier?]

[I’m also curious about that.]

[Nothing in particular. We were just going over the strategies.]

The tension is……

[B- But then again, the two of you were strangely intimate with each other.]

[Resilia is a brocon after all.]

[Please don’t give me such a dishonorable title. For me, Nii-san is……]

[————-Daaaahhh! Why did you guys come all the way to the dungeon if you’re just gonna chat around!?]

I turned around and shouted, and the girls, Mana, Prana and Resilia, who had been chatting with each other, looked at me as if I were some sort of rare animal, then Prana looked with a sigh, as if to say she’s genuinely astounded at me.

[……Haahhh…… Shouting in a dungeon, you sure lack common sense.]

[Kuhh.]

I wanted to say that of all people, I don’t wanna hear that from them, but in fact, it is dangerous to speak loudly in a dungeon.

I heard that monsters here don’t have very good hearing senses, but just speaking loudly in itself isn’t praiseworthy behavior in a dungeon.

[W- Well, everyone makes mistakes sometimes.]

[Even if you’re the leader of our party, I’d like it if you would be firm about this.]

And now, for some reason, Mana, who I was supposed to be scolding, is consoling me.

This kinda brings tears to my eyes.

Thereupon, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

Looking forward, I saw Nuku looking at me and shaking his head, seemingly telling me to give up, before pointing ahead with a slightly serious expression on his face.

[It looks like one of them appeared already. Let’s see how our training has paid off.]

As if drawn by his actions, I followed his gaze.

There, facing us, was a huge blue slime, its body moving sluggishly.

[————-It’s a <Big Blue Slime>.]

As soon as we saw the enemy, the expression on the faces of my comrades tightened.

They quickly adjusted their positions and readied their weapons with such dexterity that it was hard to believe that they had just been peacefully talking with each other until now.

Slimes are said to be synonymous to the weakest, second only to Goblins, but it should never be underestimated.

Unlike Goblins, of which there are few types and most of the weak, Slimes vary greatly in strength depending on their habitat.

And according to Rex, this one should be Lv 15.

Aside from the Doom Demon, this is arguably the strongest monster we have fought.

(However, it’s not an opponent we can’t beat. Yes, this one is, as I recall……)

Facing an unprecedently powerful enemy, I remembered Rex’s teachings.

※　※　※

[————-The <Seven-Colored Lava Cave> is a Mid-level dungeon. The dungeons that are referred to as Mid-level are very different from the beginner’s dungeon that those beginners stay in. ……Do you know how they are any different?]

[E- Errr…… T- The strength of the enemies!]

When I impatiently tried to come up with an answer, Rex sarcastically sneered at me.

[A hundred-point answer. ……A hundred-point wrong answer, that is.]

[T- The heck do you want!? More difficult dungeons would obviously have stronger enemies!]

When I pouted in response, Rex began to speak as if admonishing me.

[Listen here, okay? The <Seven-Colored Lava Cave> is a hurdle for Adventurers, one which was even referred to as the “Second Tutorial”. This dungeon is filled with all kinds of new factors designed to lure in and depress musclehead beginners like you who think “you can just get by if you just level up and beat up anything in your path”.]

[New factors?]

I asked, to which Rex nodded, as if he’d been waiting for me to say this.

[Yeah. There are three hurdles that can’t be breached by simple strength: “status ailments”, “attributes” and “terrain damage”. If you don’t have countermeasures against these three, you’re going to go home crying.]

Our expression naturally became grim, but then Rex smiled at that moment.

[But well, don’t worry. When it comes to the <Seven-Colored Lava Cave>, the “status ailments” and “terrain damage” can be solved with only one piece of equipment.]

""

Saying this, he pulled out a simply designed ring from his inventory and held it up in front of us.

[————-This ring is the trump card for conquering the <Seven-Colored Lava Cave>, the <Barrier Ring>.]

※　※　※

Unconsciously checking the <Barrier Ring> that had slipped onto my finger, I stepped forward.

[Here comes the Acid! Dodge it!]

I responded to Mana’s voice by raising only one hand and narrowly avoiding the lump of strong acid spewed out by the large Slime.

(That was close!)

I was chilled to my core when I saw that the acid that flew past my body made a sizzling sound as it fell to the ground.

I had been warned beforehand, so I managed to avoid it, but if I had been shot in the middle of a melee battle against it, I wouldn’t have been able to avoid it.

I managed to get close to the slime while my legs were tangled, and that’s when it happened.

Just as I thought the slime’s body was shrinking, smoke began fuming out from its entire body.

And it wasn’t just smoke.

It was green, toxic smoke.

[Guhh!]

I reflexively covered my mouth and took a step back.

However……

(I’m fine. Haha! This ring is really incredible!)

I didn’t feel anything abnormal or painful while I was in that poisonous fog.

This is the effect of this ring, the <Barrier Ring>.

This ring has the effect of “using the wearer’s magic power to create a barrier around you.

In Rex’s words, it’s like “a “substitute” with its own armor and HP”.

According to Rex, because it’s an equipment effect, it’s not affected by the magic seal system and is therefore convenient, but the fundamental protective effect is no different than charms.

The strength of this equipment is dependent on your magic power, so even if a Warrior-type Adventurer like me were to wear it, the barrier is weak enough that a couple of pokes from a Goblin would break it.

However, the true value of this equipment goes beyond a mere improvement in your defense.

This barrier will take the brunt of all attacks while it’s in place.

Of course, this includes the “status ailment attacks”, but as an inanimate object, the barrier is naturally unaffected by “physical status ailments”, such as poison, paralysis, and silence.

In other words, this barrier can be the best anti-status ailment equipment, “preventing all physical status ailments until it takes damage once from the enemy”!

However, status ailments that affect the mind, such as confusion and charm, can’t be blocked by the barrier, but if it’s against “attacks that inflict status ailments”, the barrier would be broken before the ailment can be blocked, the barrier isn’t effective against those instances.

But against this slime’s smoke attack that “only inflicts status ailments”, it boasts an unbeatable defense.

(I was skeptical when he gave us these, but well, it’s amazing when we actually use them.)

There are four types of status ailments caused by the smoke generated by that slime: “poison, paralysis, debility and silence”.

All of them are fatal, and without countermeasures, it may be impossible to continue battling against them.

However, there are far too few equipment that could deal with all four of these status ailments among the usual resistance gears.

(How in the world did he come up with this thing?)

Such a thought ran through my mind for a moment, but I quickly shook it off my head.

Taking a glance at the index finger of my right hand one more time, I quickly returned my gaze to the front.

With this, I won’t be afraid of the smoke, but just having protective means won’t gain me victory.

I look at the slime again.

(This slime is blue, so I need to hit it with an Earth-attribute attack.)

The name of this dungeon <Seven-Colored Lava Cave> was derived from the Slime’s seven different attributes.

I only had a vague recollection of the attributes, but it was thoroughly drilled into me at the study session before we came here.

————-Fire is weak to water, water is weak to earth, earth is weak to wind, and wind is weak to fire.

There are exceptions, such as light and dark, which are mutually weak to each other, but the basic rule is to remember these four attributes.

There is also one other type of Slime that is colorless and nullifies Attribute-attacks, but is weak to physical attacks, but the other six types of Slimes nullifies the pure physical attacks.

If you don’t give your attacks an attribute different from theirs, especially an attack of an advantageous attribute, your attack will not be able to inflict any good damage.

(Even if we raise our abilities with equipment and training, we are still inexperienced. In fact, I still haven’t mastered a single Art that can inflict Earth-attribute damage.)

Lack of experience, in every sense of the word.

That is our weakness.

[……Suuuu.]

Taking a deep breath in front of the enemy, I firmly head my sword, the Brave Sword I inherited from Rex.

(I’m still an average person.)

Even after almost a month of training, I still couldn’t master the “Manual Arts”.

Of course, being able to pile up techniques is still something far from my reach, but not even a fingertip of my skill could reach the realm of unleashing Arts at any angle or speed as freely as Rex did.

It’s just……

I move my arms as practice, at a certain speed, following a certain pattern.

The moving tip of my sword creates a virtual manifestation of a mountain, and with a single stroke of my sword…… I slashed that mountain in half.

[————-Earth Shatter!!!]

The magic power of “earth” gushing from my sword seizes the Slime’s body.

There, the huge Slime’s body rippled, as if in agony.

[How’s that!?]

Feeling the satisfactory response on my sword, I reflexively exclaimed.

I couldn’t do well at piling up techniques or adjusting the speed or position of my Arts.

So, I decided to narrow down what I could and improve what I can learn.

I’m not going to desire the ability to pile up or arrange my techniques.

I trained thoroughly only to perform my techniques from a fixed angle and at a fixed speed in front of my opponent.

That also wasn’t all.

I did away with the diverse and complicated techniques, and limited myself to practicing only four techniques.

Repeating these four techniques, each having the attributes of “fire, water, wind and earth”, with simple perseverance, I trained them over and over again.

There were times when I despaired at how slow my growth was.

There were times when I resented my lack of talent.

However……

[————-This is my own power!]

The moment my technique struck the Slime, I felt that all my efforts had been rewarded.

(What the heck was I worrying about!?)

Looking at the Slime in front of me, I finally felt it.

Even if I couldn’t use them as freely as I want, being able to “handle an Art that I haven’t mastered yet” is already a tremendous weapon for a Warrior, irreplaceable by any other asset.

I’ve made it this far in just a month or so of training.

It’s still too early to give up on myself.

Rather than that, I should have been more grateful for the opportunity to be exposed to such techniques, and for the good fortune of being taught them.

I will become stronger and stronger.

And for that sake……

[————-I’m going to beat you!]