Episode 131: Slime Hunting
"I'd love to boldly declare we're tackling the dungeon right away... but it looks like we need to prepare first."
"Yeah. First, where should we start gathering supplies?"
"For now, I just want to get my hands on a sword, anything will do."
"Yeah, right—your main skills are in sword techniques, weren't they?"
"Yes."
"Whatever, but that's kind of a rare skill, you know. At least I've never seen anyone else with a 'Sword Technique' skill like that."
Though, when it comes to mysterious skills, I'd say the 'Gambling Expert' type seems more common.
"Then, let's start with that. Just like a classic RPG, we'll gather funds first."
"Indeed."
"For now, our main goal is securing the sword used by the 'Warrior.' Even if we can't get 'Muramasa,' we should at least try to obtain the 'Iron Sword.'"
"The Iron Sword."
In the *Dragon Quest* series, it's a well-known starter item in the early stages.
From what I just checked, I believe it costs around 180 gold... was it?
It's a price within reach if we work hard.
"And besides that, there are several other things I'd like to gather as well."
"I get it... clothes, and those shoes, right?"
"Yeah. As a woman, it's a bit embarrassing to keep wearing this forever..."
The clothes we're currently wearing are so flimsy that they could easily tear if you put even a little pressure on them.
In terms of defense, they're hardly any better than walking around naked.
Fortunately, it seems that Mr. Voltack's "general store" has a variety of clothing available.
"Also, we should buy as much 'information' as possible."
"That's right, that's essential too."
"Plus, we'll need paper and pens to make maps. We'd better prepare to stay here for the foreseeable future, calculate our living expenses, and start earning 'gold'."
"True enough."
Then, the "Gambler" stared off into the distance, murmuring,
"Ah... yeah, it looks like the road ahead is going to be long."
I couldn't agree more.
However, since we believe the "Master Dungeon" is designed to break our spirits, we must not rush.
If I were the enemy, I'd surely set traps there.
"Let's hunt Slimes for a while, just in case of ambush. Once we've completed the bare minimum preparations, we'll begin exploring the dungeon."
"Alright. Got it."
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Hunting Slimes went fairly smoothly.
Since I can only use Fire-type magic, I'll handle the red slimes, while the gambler, who has balanced magical skills, will take care of the yellow and blue slimes. As soon as we spot those wobbly, jelly-like lifeforms, we'll eliminate them one by one.
Slimes seem designed so that any attack from a Level II or higher elemental magic of the corresponding type instantly destroys them, making them surprisingly easy to defeat.
However, physical attacks seemed to have little effect, so we had to rely primarily on magic for hunting.
After continuing to hunt the "slimes" around the Adventurer's Inn, we managed to accumulate 272 gold after about five hours.
"Alright then, let's change our gear first."
"Sounds good."
We decided to swap out our clothing, already worn to tatters.
I quickly changed into my usual track suit—though not the official "Sakagakou High" uniform, of course—and swung the newly acquired "Hagane no Tsurugi" lightly in my hand.
It's more refined than the "Tetsu no Tsurugi" I once gave to Asuka, yet it still feels noticeably duller in sharpness compared to my grandfather's sword.
Well, I'll just have to make do with this for now.
"Alright....Feels good to be back in my element now."
The gambler looked like a child dressed up as a cowboy.
She wore a ten-gallon hat, the kind you only see in Westerns, and seemed quite satisfied with herself.
"Once we finish resupplying, the real exploration will begin... but"
"What is it?"
"There's something I'm a bit concerned about."
I drew her attention to the notebook spread out on the table—the one I'd acquired before starting my slimes hunt.
There, a map of the surrounding area was drawn.
"…Do you know the foolproof method for navigating labyrinths, Mr. Gambler?"
"Yeah, that 'left-hand rule,' right?"
"Yes."
The "left-hand rule" essentially means that if you keep your hand on the left wall from the starting point, you'll eventually reach the exit.
"Here, it looks like the left-hand rule might not work."
"...What?"
"It seems this 'dungeon' periodically changes its structure."
"Wait, was that right? I had no idea at all."
"No surprise you didn't notice. The paths around the 'Adventurer's Inn' and the 'Lisborn Point' barely change. But after walking for about thirty minutes... look, here."
He pointed to the section where he'd been jotting down the route so far.
"I've come across several paths on the way back that weren't there on the way there... Judging by this feeling, the further we get from the Adventurer's Inn, the more dramatic the structural changes seem to become."
"Huh...?"
The "Gambling Master" struggled to express it in terms he thought would be easier to understand,
"Kind of like the 'Mysterious Dungeon' series? You know, the one where Torneko is the main character."
...This person is quite the gamer, huh.
"It's even more complex than that. I mean, the path itself changes even after you've walked it once. There's a chance you might only be able to clear it by sheer luck."
"What's that? Isn't that a bit too much of a hard game?"
With that, the claim that the previous 'player' couldn't clear it even after over a year suddenly seemed believable.
"Even so... we must keep moving forward. Isn't that right?"
▼
"Information #6"... The Master Dungeon is always changing its shape. Therefore, advancing requires thorough preparation.
"Information #7"... The Master Dungeon contains "Return Points" scattered throughout. These are pale blue crystalline objects; touching one will teleport you back to the Adventurer's Inn.
"Information #8"... The strength of monsters in the "Master Dungeon" remains roughly consistent across each floor.
"Information #9"... Each monster has a clearly defined weakness; attacks targeting anything other than the weakness are often ineffective, or worse, tend to activate or energize the monster.
"Information #10"... As you progress through the "Master Dungeon," there's a low probability of encountering a rare "monster." These rare "monsters" carry a large amount of "gold."