(EP-261.2) #3

261 – Fight Fire With Fire #3

Mirna’s attitude seemed somewhat brusque and angry, though I already knew the reason. So, to calm her down, I spoke up.

“Mirna-nim, it wasn’t my true feelings; I was just reciting the activation phrase. There’s no reason for me to say that I like naked women in public.”

“… Who said anything? More importantly, why is the dungeon’s activation phrase like that?”

“They say dungeon activation phrases are set to words that aren’t commonly used in everyday life. That’s probably why.”

“Humph.”

Women’s hearts were difficult to understand. Now I got why the kings of Angmar, who took many wives, often met short and tragic ends.

To change the mood, I said cheerfully.

“Mirna-nim, let’s start by reading the dungeon entry rules. It says we should repeat them out loud before entering.”

「32nd Street Central Market Dungeon Entry Rules」

「1. No gossip or horseplay in the dungeon.」

「2. Return the manual and hourglass found inside the dungeon to their proper places upon exiting.」

「3. Be sure to fill out the entry register…」

Was there a manual for the dungeon?

Looking around, I saw a small booklet tied to a pillar.

Opening it, I found it contained information on the flora and fauna that inhabited the dungeon, the boss monster, and the drop rewards.

How surprisingly thorough… Was this what a managed dungeon is like?

As I was scanning the notice posted on the pillar…

“I’m not a novice like you, Sir Theo. I’ve received an A twice in the Introduction and Understanding of Dungeon Studies!”

A motivated Mirna ran off without even reading the rules.

I wondered if it was okay not to read the precautions, but judging from the manual, there didn’t seem to be any monsters that could harm Mirna.

━Crab, crab-.

━Crab-.

Click, clack.

As we walked through the old ruins of a collapsed temple, giant crabs covered in gray lime swarmed us.

They were called Trap-Crabs.

Their size was about half my torso, making them quite intimidating. If caught by one of their two pincers, it could cause serious injury.

“Lady Mirna, be careful. It said that any magic below the 2nd rank will just bounce off their hard shells. Also, you need to be careful of…”

“With guys like this, a sword is enough!”

Sreung.

Mirna drew a longsword from her waist.

She deftly maneuvered between the crabs, gracefully slicing through the thin joints of their limbs.

“Kyaah!”

Her peculiar battle cry was unusual, but Mirna seemed quite skilled with a sword. Was it because swordsmanship was a basic discipline for high ranking young ladies?

Paseuseuk-.

Just then, something emerged from the ground and grabbed Mirna’s ankle.

━Crab-. Crab-.

“Kkyak-!”

Mirna screamed. It was a crab lurking underground that grabbed her ankle.

It was called a Trap-Crab because it was good at ambushing like a trap. I had meant to explain that, but Mirna hadn’t listened.

“Are you alright?”

It looked like I had to help her.

Yet when as I was about to chant a spell…

━Kyuiing!

The Cloudling on Mirna’s head began to vibrate.

Finally, the creature, whose blue body had turned black like a storm cloud, released a visible bolt of lightning that struck the crab holding Mirna’s ankle.

Pajijik-!

A sound sharp enough to make all the hair on one’s body stand on end rang out, and the charred crab let go of Mirna’s ankle. I nudged the crab with my foot.

“It’s dead.”

━Kyuiing.

Yingying returned to its blue color, and settled back on Mirna’s head. I only thought of it as looking a bit odd, but who would have thought it possessed such powerful offensive capabilities?

“You’re more useful than I expected… It’s certainly worth the price of an apple! You can have this crab.”

━Yingyingyaing.

“Huu….”

Mirna let out a sigh.

Then plopped down on the burnt ground.

“Sir Theo, I can’t feel any strength in my body. My ankle feels tingly….”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Seukseuk-.

I took off her boots and examined the ankle where the crab had grabbed her.

There didn’t seem to be any major wounds, but with my sensitive half-fairy senses, I noticed a small puncture mark on her ankle.

“Here, the description says that a trap crab’s pincer has a small stinger. It dulls the movements of anyone stung and can even cause temporary paralysis in severe cases.”

It didn’t seem poisonous that would threaten a person’s life. Apparently, trap crabs preferred to eat their prey alive.

Mirna asked.

“Is there an antidote?”

“It says here that you can make one from the grass and flowers that grow in the dungeon, but they can only be found during the dungeon’s night time.”

I took the hourglass I had brought from the entrance. The enchanted hourglass indicated that there was still a long time left before it got dark.

“So, does that mean I have to stay here without being able to move until then? Sir Theo, is there no other method written there?”

“A Grade A student like Mirna-nim is asking me questions….”

Realizing the meaning of my words, Mirna’s face turned bright red.

“… I was wrong. I won’t complain anymore. Just check if there’s another method written there.”

She admitted her mistake surprisingly quickly. It would be harsh and unmanly of me to keep teasing her like this. Let’s see what else was written in the manual.

“If the body starts to stiffen, it says that massaging can temporarily prevent the progression of the paralysis.”

“… Massage?”

Mirna’s ruby eyes wavered nervously.

Edited by: faker