part1 · 034-ep34
Episode 34: The Fang Spear
The next day. Ren was on his way back to where he'd fought yesterday.
One goal: to collect materials from the monster he'd killed yesterday.
After a short walk, yesterday's spot came into view.
"...Still there."
The monster lay where it had fallen yesterday. Ren approached, staying alert.
No sign of monsters.
"All right..."
Ren began examining the monster's body.
The first things to catch his eye—
the sharp fangs.
And the thick pelt.
"These... look useful."
Ren got a grip on a fang. Pulled.
"...!"
It wouldn't come out.
"Tough..."
He put his strength into it again. Still, it didn't budge.
The fang was fixed in the jaw more firmly than he'd expected.
"How am I supposed to get this out...?"
Ren let go for a moment. After a little thought, he picked up a hard stone from around him.
Checking the fang's root, he worked at it, bit by bit. Changing the angle again and again.
Too much force, and he'd damage the fang. But too little, and it wouldn't move.
"...Kh."
After wrestling with it for a while—
—Crack.
"...!"
At last, the fang shifted. Ren applied his strength even more carefully.
And—
—Pop.
"...Got it."
In his hand, a single sharp fang. The point was keen, and it was harder than he'd imagined.
Ren looked at the spear he was using now. From all those fights with monsters, the point had gained more and more nicks.
"With this..."
He held the fang against the spear. The size wasn't bad, either. Above all, with that sharpness, it looked like it could serve as a spearhead just as it was.
◇
Ren looked around. Then he gathered a few of the long, thin plants growing nearby.
The plants were slim but tough for it. Tie something down tight once, and it wouldn't come loose easily. He'd used them before, too — bundling food, fastening tools.
"This'll hold it in place."
Ren removed the point from his current spear. Then fitted the monster's fang to the top of the shaft.
He slid the root in and wrapped the plants around it, layer on layer.
—Squeeze.
Tightened further. Once more.
Finally, he tied it off good and tight.
"...That should do it."
Ren lifted the finished spear. Its look had changed quite a bit.
It was no ordinary spear. A crude weapon that used a monster's fang as its point, just as it was.
But—
"Let's give it a try."
Ren thrust the spear at a nearby hardwood tree.
—Stab!
"...!"
The fang bit deep into the wood. Clearly different from his old spear.
"...It goes in."
Ren pulled the spear out. Thrust again. It went deep this time, too.
"This'll make fighting easier than before."
Ren gazed at his new spear. He hadn't just beaten the monster. He'd turned what he'd taken from it into power of his own.
"...Gotta use what I can use."
◇
Ren decided to gather the rest of the fangs, too. Not just one — if it looked usable, he'd bring back as much as he could.
And he turned his attention to the thick pelt as well.
"This looks useful, too."
With this thickness, it might work to keep off the cold, or as bedding. The meat, too — he'd process what he needed and carry it back.
He wouldn't waste any of it.
◇
On the way back, Ren looked at his new spear again and again.
The fang. Material from the first strong enemy he'd ever defeated.
"...From now on, I'll keep looking for things I can use, like this."
There were dangerous monsters in the dungeon.
But—
there were things he could make use of to survive, too.
Thinking that, Ren walked on.
◇
Back at his bed, Ren propped the new spear against the wall. Then he looked at the map carved into the rock wall.
The places he'd walked so far. The places he hadn't explored yet.
Ren traced the blanks that remained with his finger.
"...There might be stairs beyond this point."
He'd explored this floor quite a lot. Even so, the stairs still hadn't turned up.
In that case—
all he could do was search the places that were left.
"...Tomorrow, let's try searching over this way."
Ren looked at the new spear. His next goal was set.
Find this floor's stairs.
And—
head down.
Ren took up his spear and made ready for tomorrow's exploration.