BXBX NOVEL Chapter 357 356: Beginner Level Dungeon?
Dungeon delving alone is always risky, and this will be the first time that I\'ve ever done so.
I had always been accompanied by Jahi and the others, and now I would need to rely on only myself to get out safely, which was worrying.
My penchant for wanton violence against things that bled wasn\'t ideal, and the thought of being cornered by either monsters or other people was really frightening, as that would raise too many unknowns for me to guarantee my safety.
However, I also needed to go down into this dangerous place to gather some ingredients to make my journey easier, while also getting myself more money for more gear.
Risk and reward were weighed equally in this situation, and I knew that I needed to rein in my bloodlust and retain control over my actions, so that I could always guarantee an escape route should I need to flee.
So, as I ventured out into the long, winding tunnels of The Mine, I walked carefully away from the larger groups, finding the various side passages that were illuminated by glowing stones or glowing flora.
My boots silently glided over the stone ground, while my cloak made little noise as I walked, the various enchantments and my own skill keeping my movement quiet.
Like the name suggested, the tunnels that formulated this dungeon were much like a mineshaft; straight, narrow passageways that wound around a set depth before certain hubs led into the deeper floors.
Apparently, from what I had been listening to, and from the little that I had asked from the others, the way to leave was simple; the tunnels all held a certain symbol that repeated along the walls, and you just needed to follow the symbol out.
It was an odd arrow looking symbol, and the tip of the symbol pointed towards the depths, meaning you just traversed the other way it told you to go in order to leave.
Simple enough, and I confirmed the symbol and its workings as soon as I entered each shaft, locating it instantly and following it.
I walked in silence for the first minute or two, my ears strained as I listened for anyone following me or the sounds of fighting, while my nose twitched as I took note of the scents around me.
The tunnels were dimly lit, allowing people to hide against the walls if they wished, and I wasn\'t in the mood to be ambushed by some unsavory bandits on my first excursion inside The Mine.
As I walked, I eventually heard the sound of something jiggling from up ahead, and as I turned a corner I froze, my eyes slightly wide as I saw something I had once dreamt of seeing.
A slime.
The cornerstone trash mob from almost every single fantasy game, novel, anime - whatever form of media, honestly - was now... bouncing around in front of me.
Made from green gel, the slime was a translucent blob formed around a core that floated inside the gel, and it lacked any \'face\' or features entirely, instead just... being a blob.
A smile tugged at my lips as I watched the small blob hop into the wall, its green body sliding down it before reforming.
The creature had no features, but I could just imagine the confused, yet blank expression it must be making as it \'stared\' up at the wall, before it tried to jump up the wall again.
It\'s gelatinous body jiggled as it slapped against the stone wall, before sliding down to the floor once more.
Holding in a chuckle, I observed the cute little slime for a while longer, enjoying the simplicity as it continued to try to climb the wall, only to eventually give up and \'turn\' towards a different direction.
Stepping away from the wall, I stared down at the small blob and unsheathed my dagger, watching as it hopped towards me, its green, translucent gel pulsing, like it was aware of my presence now.
Spinning my dagger around, I coated the blade in Wind Mana before stabbing downwards, impaling the slime to the stone floor.
"Sorry little guy... you\'re cute and all, but I kinda need your gel?"
Muttering my apologies to the blob, I watched in interest as the core shattered, causing the pulsating light to fade, before the gel began to harden.
Cursing, I used my dagger to scoop away some of the gel and placed it into a small pouch, noting how it felt more like a thick jelly then something liquidy as I stored it away.
The rest of the slime\'s \'corpse\' dissolved away, and I sighed as I bowed slightly to the creatures last remains, muttering a swift prayer to it.
It was the first actual slime I had seen - they were a rarity in Fovos Forest - and I felt the need to respect the creature that I had once so desperately wanted to see.
After all, everyone in games wanted to see the slimes at least once, since they were such a staple, while the people who wanted the slimes in shows wanted it for... different reasons.
Both were valid, in my opinion...
Ahem, anyways...
Continuing forwards, I followed the symbols and descended to the second floor, frowning slightly as I encountered nothing on the first floor after the first slime.
That quickly changed as I found myself inside a small ten by ten \'cavern\' housing four slimes; one blue, one green, and two red.
Killing them each, I harvested their gels and looked around, before smiling as I found a few Statella Roots growing around the walls, swiftly harvesting them and storing them away.
With that, I had the ingredients for a stamina potion.
Mana Water would be acquired by me infusing some more mana into my water spells, so I had that available easily, and now I had a good bit of green gel.
Of course, I would gather a bit more if I found some more slimes, but I at least had enough for a few potions.
With part of my mission accomplished, I continued forwards, marveling at the easy battles against slimes, rats, and occasional bats as I encountered them inside of small caves or in the tunnels.
I made my way down to the third floor quickly, and I harvested a few more Statella Roots and gels before making my way down to the fourth floor, where I would be searching for the Minka Carrots.
It was also here that I noticed a distinct shift in the dungeons\' atmosphere and coloration.
The soft blue glow from before was gone, replaced instead by a harsher orange glow instead, while the air was thicker and warmer, while the monsters had increased in quantity and size.
However, a slime was still a slime, and a rat was still a rat...
If I had a pickaxe, there were a few veins of ores that I wouldn\'t have minded harvesting, but considering the fact I was alone, and that I didn\'t have the storage to lug metals back to the surface, those metals would need to remain here for others to find...
This truly was a rather lucrative beginner level dungeon...