Chapter-04 · EP-060
Episode 60: Fourth Floor
Following the recommendations from the AI 'Meiris' in the Dungeon Reference Room, I bought two antidotes and a small shield called a buckler.
These steady expenses were starting to hurt.
I planned to use the dagger I bought last week to cut monster webs.
But with all this shopping, when would my exploration ever turn a profit?
Prepared, I headed to the dungeon entrance.
"Oh, if it isn't Ichinose-kun."
"Huh?"
Suddenly called out to, I was startled.
An acquaintance here? I thought, turning around.
It was an explorer named Sannomiya, whom I'd met in the dungeon last week.
"Ah, Sannomiya-san. Hello."
"After that, we managed to defeat the Huge Slime safely. Thanks to watching you defeat it, our tension eased, and we could attack without fear. Thank you."
Right, I had entered the first-floor boss room with them, but since I quickly defeated it myself, they said they'd try again and we parted ways.
"No, no, I didn't do anything to be thanked for."
"Exploring today as well?"
"Ah, yes."
"If you'd like, how about we explore the second floor together? Even for you, solo on the second floor might be tough, don't you think?"
"Huh? No, I'm going to the fourth floor today. Well then."
"Eh?"
Leaving the surprised Sannomiya and his companions behind, I quickly entered the portal. As I entered, I heard Sannomiya's voice from behind saying, "Already that far?!" but I tried not to mind it.
Fourth Floor, Forest Floor. Visiting it again after a week, the same scenery as last week spread out before me.
The smell of damp earth and the thick, green air filled my nostrils. A low, buzzing noise like insect wings echoed from somewhere. With each step, I felt the soles of my boots sink slightly. Different from the cavern floors up to the third floor, I felt a bit of tension.
It wouldn't help to stop and be nervous. I started walking slowly.
As I advanced, not only did I sense monsters, but I could also hear sounds of battle from various places. There were probably many explorers here. The presence of people eased my tension somewhat.
Then, I sensed a creature slowly moving out from the shade of a tree ahead.
What squirmed out was a giant caterpillar.
"A Caterpillar…"
I'd seen pictures, but seeing the real thing moving was different.
In a word, it was gross.
A different kind of grossness from what I felt when killing goblins. The grossness of an insect.
Even so, I couldn't retreat. I gripped my wooden sword tightly.
Its height was above my knee, and its length was probably over two meters. Seeing such a giant caterpillar squirming towards me, even though I'd steeled myself, I felt intimidated.
I didn't know what attacks it would use, but it seemed aggressive, crawling straight towards me.
I moved to the side of the Caterpillar and swung my wooden sword down.
Under its hard outer skin, a soft, squishy sensation absorbed the impact of the wooden sword.
Perhaps because it confirmed my attack, the Caterpillar suddenly extended a poisonous stinger from its back.
I hurriedly put some distance between us.
I mustn't touch that.
I circled around to the side of the turning Caterpillar, repeating attacks and retreats. It seemed to be immobile when the stinger was extended. I aimed for the moment it retracted the stinger and struck with my wooden sword.
I kept landing attacks unilaterally, but it wouldn't go down easily. I had imagined a soft body like a insect larva, but the monster Caterpillar's skin was surprisingly tough. Also, I was level 3, exploring the fourth floor, which was recommended for level 4 and above. I couldn't deny that my power was somewhat lacking.
But at this rate, if I kept landing many attacks, it seemed possible. …That was the moment I let my guard down.
Whoosh!
The Caterpillar sprayed liquid from its mouth.
"Crap!"
I twisted my body in a hurry to dodge.
Dodging by a hair's breadth, I swung my wooden sword, held in one hand, hard into the Caterpillar's face.
The Caterpillar stiffened again, extending its stinger, and I moved to its side.
"That was close!"
The research I'd done earlier mentioned that Caterpillars sprayed a highly acidic liquid. That must have been it. I knew I shouldn't stand in front of it, but I got careless.
At the same time, I was relieved I'd done my homework. If I'd gone in with just momentum, I probably would have been seriously injured.
I had a goal of turning a profit from exploration sooner rather than later. If I got injured, treatment costs would increase my deficit. I couldn't afford to get hurt.
Taking repeated attacks slowed the Caterpillar down, which increased my number of strikes.
Finally, hit by the last blow, the Caterpillar abruptly vanished, dropping a Magic Gem.
"Haa, haa, tired… But it seems doable…"
Just as I relaxed after the battle, I heard a buzzing sound and hurriedly took a battle stance.
What flew out from the bushes was a giant grasshopper.
Flapping its wings, it flew straight towards me. I raised my buckler and intercepted it.
Thud!
It collided with a dull sound. The impact of the grasshopper's charge ran through my whole body. Fortunately, I'd braced myself properly, so it wasn't serious, but if I'd been caught off guard, I might have fallen or been injured.
I was glad I noticed the buzzing quickly.
"You bastard!"
I struck the grasshopper's head with my wooden sword.
The grasshopper (looked closely, it resembled a migratory locust) then jumped and charged at me.
I hurriedly deflected it with my buckler. Seeing it up close, its body surface had spiky hairs.
I recalled the knowledge I'd researched in the Dungeon Reference Room.
This was a Needle Hopper.
Unlike the Caterpillar, it wasn't poisonous, but those spines would hurt like hell if they stuck you. I was glad I blocked it with the buckler.
The Needle Hopper wasn't as tenacious as the Caterpillar; after dodging its attacks and hitting it several times with my wooden sword, I defeated it.
I picked up the Magic Gems from the two I'd defeated. My exploration of the fourth floor had only just begun.