Volume 2 Chapter 14 The Misty Forest
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
We’ve reached the second floor of the Dungeon.
We stepped down the stairs and into what lay ahead────
”Outside…?”
I couldn’t help but mutter.
Before us spread a vast forest of towering trees.
Looking up, each trunk was thick, reaching high into the sky.
They reminded me of the giant trees of Yakushima.
”So huge…”
Overwhelmed by the scale, I let out an involuntary gasp.
The trees were spaced apart, not looking like they’d hinder our movement.
However, a thin mist drifted over the space,模糊ing the view into the distance.
I strained my ears, but there was no sound to be heard.
No wind, not even the cries of birds or beasts.
A deep Silence, as if the whole world had caught its breath, dominated the area.
The mystical scene was enchanting, yet there was something eerie about it too.
”Is this really the second floor of the Dungeon?”
We had descended stairs leading underground.
Logically, we shouldn’t be above ground, but this forest landscape seemed too natural to be beneath the earth.
Glancing back, a sheer cliff rose behind us.
The stairs we had come down emerged from within it.
The top of the cliff was obscured by the mist, its full form invisible.
”Lifia, can you sense the path?”
I asked Lifia, standing beside me.
”I’ll check. Mooluum, Ex Vent.”
Lifia closed her eyes and chanted the spell.
Concentrating.
I watched her for a while, her face growing more intense by the moment, sweat beading on her forehead.
She opened her eyes and exhaled.
”I’m sorry, Master… it’s too vast, and I feel like something’s interfering. I can’t get a grasp on it.”
Lifia apologize, bowing her head.
”I see.”
I nodded, sorting out the situation in my mind.
I had anticipated this possibility.
In such a wide space like a forest, the wind spreads out too much, making exploration not as easy as in a cave.
Moreover, the mist and other factors might be suppressing the effectiveness of Spirit Magic.
”Can you sense any enemies?”
”Even that is limited in range…”
Lifia drooped her shoulders sadly.
She looked cute even when down, but now was not the time to enjoy that.
I patted her head to comfort her while thinking about what to do next.
We were facing a new challenge.
I didn’t think it would be easy, but as soon as we entered the second floor, the difficulty shot up.
We had to come up with a plan.
”Oh, some adventurers are coming from the first floor. They look rough,”
Lifia said, turning to the stairs.
Those guys again.
They were probably up to no good.
They might attack us and mess with Lifia.
It was silly to even think about dealing with them.
”Well, it’s getting late, so let’s call it a day.”
”Okay,”
Lifia replied, nodding softly.
We headed to the red door of the “Love Hotel” we set up in the dungeon and went inside.
When the door closed, a quiet and cozy space opened up.
I chose “External Information” from the menu provided.
The scene outside the door appeared on the screen.
Three adventurers were coming down the stairs.
’Which way did they go?’
’They shouldn’t have gone too deep yet.’
’Any signs?’
’Nothing. They either moved away or are hiding.’
’Did we make them too cautious?’
’A rookie can’t spend a night in this forest. They should just wait here.’
They sat down, chatting like that.
They pulled out some rations and started munching.
They could just wait there.
We decided to enjoy some warm room service.
A fancy meal was laid out on the table, and after filling our bellies, we took a nice bath.
Then, we had fun in bed with Lifia.
A peaceful and comfortable time that the adventurers outside didn’t have.
I realized again how useful this skill was as I drifted into a deep sleep.
* * *
The next morning, on the second day in the dungeon.
We were observing the movements of other adventurers from the Love Hotel’s external information.
Of course, the rough adventurers who had been lying in wait had already left.
They probably wasted their time waiting for us.
I could picture their frustrated faces.
How pitiful.
After observing, I figured out the general patterns of the adventurers’ movements.
As each group moved in different directions, I noticed several groups with large bags heading the same way.
Also, adventurers who must have returned from deep inside appeared from that direction.
So, that direction must be the path to the third floor.
In the future, we need to aim for the third floor.
But first, we should get used to this second floor and learn how to deal with it.
We opened the red door and left the Love Hotel, starting our exploration.
”Okay, Lifia, please scout ahead.”
”Yes!”
Lifia used Spirit Magic to sense the surroundings.
The range was narrow, but it was enough to detect any approaching monsters.
”I found something. It’s a 4-legged animal. It looks bigger than a dog.”
Following Lifia’s words, we moved deeper into the forest and spotted it.
It was a deer.
It looked like a normal deer, but it was a bit larger and had impressive antlers.
However, what caught my eye the most was those antlers.
”Are those… blades?”
The branched antlers were thin, sharp, and gleamed like metal.
It was clear they had the power of a weapon.
If I got gored or sliced by those antlers, it wouldn’t end well.
”For now, let’s call it ‘Blade Deer’.”
Watching carefully, I had Lifia attack with magic.
”Lifia, give it a try.”
”Got it. Mooluum, Air Sense!”
As Lifia cast the spell, a blade of wind flew toward the deer.
I watched the monster’s reaction to that movement.
The wind blade hit the Blade Deer.
The sharp edge sliced its skin, but surprisingly, the wound was shallow.
”It’s tougher than I thought…!”
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply