Volume 4 Chapter 6 Valley of Trials – Fourth Floor
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I brought the hard-baked bread given by Ms. Claire to my lips, but the moment I took a sniff, a violent wave of nausea surged up.
It’s a crusty loaf, as hard as a biscuit, but it’s got great shelf life──can last over ten days without issue.
The queasiness wasn’t because the bread was rotten; it’s just my body acting up.
Even the smell of dried meat was making my stomach rebel, and before I knew it, I’d thrown up every drop of water I’d gulped down.
I know I have to eat, but forcing this down will just waste precious food.
Headache, nausea… Must be a cold, or maybe overexertion?
Either way, the only cure is to rest and take it easy.
I don’t have time to spare, but fortunately, time flows 3 times faster inside the dungeon than outside.
Six hours of sleep in here is only about 2 hours out there.
Guess I should make sure to get some proper rest here.
Besides, getting enough sleep is a lesson from my master too.
All-nighters and excessive overtime just lower the quality of work and lead to more unnecessary failures, causing a vicious cycle in efficiency.
As a top-tier blacksmith, I sometimes work with irreplaceable materials, and failure is not an option.
Mr. Zenom always said that working without rest is not a virtue──it just makes you a second-rate craftsman, no matter how long you keep at it.
Whether it’s blacksmithing or adventuring, the body is capital, and proper rest is crucial──my master’s words ring true without him even saying it.
Alright, time to sleep in the dungeon.
I pack my sleeping bag, rations, and a large water skin into my backpack.
Ms. Claire hands me a bag with my snacks.
Inside, there’s rock salt and granulated sugar──perfect for a boost when I’m feeling wiped out.
I bought these for her, but to the slave, Ms. Claire, they’re among her few cherished personal belongings.
Ms. Claire is truly kind; I should be grateful for her gift.
I make my way back down to the third floor.
Since Lamia seems unwilling to leave her territory, most areas are relatively safe.
Other adventurers are what I need to watch out for; you never know what they might do while you’re asleep.
I pass through several of Lamia’s rooms, and decide to bed down in a dead-end room, far from prying eyes.
In the center of the room stands a little altar-like setup, with a treasure chest perched atop it.
Inside the chest? An Intermediate Antidote Potion.
Frankly, it’s a piece of junk any adventurer worth their salt would chuck the moment they found it.
The stuff you find in treasure chests in dungeons like this is just asking to be laughed at.
And as an extra kick in the pants, there’s a simple poison needle trap on the chest.
Too easy for a Thief to pick off for skill points, but a novice adventurer trying to muscle it open would get a nasty surprise.
It’s a pretty infamous chest, for all the wrong reasons.
Should be a ghost town around here, no adventurers in sight.
Even if someone does come by, they’d have to pass through Lamia’s territory to get here.
I figure even in deep sleep, a scuffle nearby would wake her up.
* * *
I crawl into the sleeping bag I brought, hiding in the shadows by the altar.
Beats sleeping on the stairs, that’s for sure.
Nice and flat here.
The headache and the hunger are making sleep a fussy guest, but you rush it, and it’ll just mock you with insomnia.
It’s all good.
Just gotta close my eyes and lie down.
Even that’s enough to get some strength back.
My throat is burning, so I suck on a piece of the hard sugar I got from Ms. Claire.
That southern hard sugar is a luxury, and Mr. Laken teases me for spoiling my slave with it.
But hey, thanks to that, I’ve got this sweet treat to savor now.
Hard sugar is like Earth’s brown sugar, solidified into a slab, with a unique molasses-like aftertaste I’m not too fond of.
For a centaur, carrying hard sugar and rock salt is a big deal, I guess.
I’ve been buying it without blinking at the price.
Makes sense to refuel with calories and salt when you’re exhausted.
The sugar’s harsh sweetness sure does spread through the body, tired as it is.
That medicine-like aftertaste?
Instead of making me queasy, it’s actually easing the pounding in my head.
I chew on the hard sugar, then wash it down with water from my flask.
For a chaser, I suck on some rock salt, then take another swig of water.
The taste is almost nostalgic.
Aftertaste is like a sports drink, now that I think about it.
Then again, it’s mostly just sugar and salt at the end of the day.
Must’ve been the sugar numbing my hunger, but I must’ve dozed off at some point.
Slept like a log, too.
Woke up feeling a lot better, actually.
Still got a headache, but it’s way more manageable now.
And no more nausea, so I’m starting to nibble on some dried meat.
My appetite’s coming back.
Guess I’ve turned the corner.
Even my tattered heart feels a bit better.
Pathetic as it sounds, I’ve debated ditching Ani-Ani more times than I can count, just ’cause I was hungry.
Now, let’s see if I can breeze through the next floor.
The enemies on the 4th floor are a party of 4: a Naga, a Pixie, a Lamia, and a new Salamander.
The Salamander’s joining the usual lineup, but she’s no match for Lamia when it comes to Searching ability.
Shouldn’t be a threat to me, I reckon.
Nearby the stairs, that 4-person Hero party was taking a catnap.
They all asleep seems a bit too unguarded, but what do I know?
They’d probably get mad if I drew on their faces.
Better not mess with them, yeah.
The 3 of them are decked out in similar plate mail, and the thief-looking guy’s wearing some leather armor nicer than mine.
Can’t imagine sleeping in metal armor’s comfortable, but they’re probably used to it.
Plate mail might be better than mine, but my leather’s still no picnic to wear.
Used to be I couldn’t stand it for more than half a day, but now I can sleep in it no problem.
Judging by their gear, the one in plate mail with the mace is probably a priest type.
The other 2 knights are wielding regular swords, and one’s got a big kite shield, so he’s gotta be a knight type.
The third one’s got a small round shield like the priest’s.
It’s easy to use even without a shield skill, so it’s popular.
A knight with a round shield seems like a waste of shield skills.
Maybe he’s a warrior type?
Warriors tend to shine more on offense than defense.
I’d think a battle axe or something 2-handed would suit the job better than a sword, but whatever floats your boat, right?
Still, why does everyone want plate mail so bad?
It’s heavy, hot, and chafes like crazy.
Heavy armor makes your movements sluggish and clunky, and the clanking sounds are unavoidable.
But isn’t that toughness──your strength──a kind of charisma in itself?
Personally, I prefer hit-and-run tactics.
Heavy armor doesn’t really scream charisma to me.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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