Chapter 11 - 2nd Floor (Part 1)

 

My description was disseminated through the transmission.

[Perhaps they have already separated. If you see a barbarian with a one-handed hammer and shield, do not rush to approach and wait for support].

The description was not detailed, but it didn't matter. Most likely, there were no other barbarians with a shield here.

"Uncle...

Ervena looked up at me with alarmed eyes. I grinned, knowing what she was thinking.

"Don't worry. I won't leave you.

I have already decided to help Erwen. The reason was simple. I've always loved helping people in need... if it was beneficial to me.

— As I have already said, we will divide the production 90% to 10%. Ok?

— Of course. I will definitely repay the service.

Service...

"Yes, please pay back."

If she wants to repay, there's no reason why I should refuse. Although I did not expect much in return.

"Yes, I promise...

Seeing Ervena clenching her fists resolutely, I tightened the laces of my shoes and prepared to move.

"Then what are we going to do next?"

"First we will move through the outskirts. Summon the spirit again. We'll talk about the rest on the way.

"Good.

As we walked through the darkness with a fist-sized flame as a flashlight, I clarified a few more things.

"How long can you keep a spirit summoned?"

"If it's just to illuminate the neighborhood, then it can last a good 10 hours.

— How long will it take to recover after that?

"Two hours of rest should be enough.

- I see.

The situation turned out to be much better than I thought. If all goes according to plan, we can run away from them without risk. Then I will benefit from this situation.

"Uncle?"

While I was organizing my thoughts, Ervena turned to me.

"May I ask where we are going now?"

Oh, yes. I didn't mention it.

— To the 2nd floor.

"Sorry...?"

Don't look at me like that. You heard it right.

"We'll go to the 2nd floor.

"You and me, just the two of us?"

" Yes, you and ya.

It wasn't that there wasn't any other choice, but rather that it was something I'd been thinking about for a long time. On the 1st floor, even if we move together, the profit will only decrease. However...

If we were on the 2nd floor, it would be a completely different story.

"Uh... D-uncle? The 2nd floor is completely different from the 1st. You know about it, right...?

"I know.

Three or four monsters that spawn at the same time on the 1st floor increase to ten, and other changed species may appear, even monsters of a higher rank.

"But if we move only at the initial section, then everything will be fine. Our skills are well combined.

"Are you and I going together?"

I don't know why it surprised her so much, melee tanks and truckers are a good combination. It was for this reason that I had been thinking from the beginning of going upstairs with Ervena. There, even if we split the mana stones in half, our income will increase significantly. But since there was no way to get through the darkness, I discarded the idea.

"No matter how much I think about it, it's like going to an orc den to avoid the goblins...

Seeing such a reaction, even if I had known about it and made an offer, she would have categorically rejected it. Now the situation was completely different than before.

"So, do you have any other plans?" As you know, these guys are everywhere on the 1st floor.

Now Ervena had a reason to go to the 2nd floor, and I was able to use this opportunity to raise the ratio to 90:10. Of course, this did not mean that the decision was completely devoid of emotional factors.

The message stone sounded again.

[Whoever catches this elf bitch will receive 10,000 stones and an additional chance to enjoy her first.]

I don't like such bastards. No, it was more hatred than just hostility. But what if I could give those bastards the middle finger, get a reward that outweighs the risk, and even take the satisfaction of doing something good? Isn't that the epitome of efficiency?

"I'll give you a chance to make a decision. What are you going to do?

"I'll go with you...

Ervena nodded reluctantly. It seems that the transmission of messages from the stone has just played a decisive role.

Very timely.

"Then let's keep moving."

— ... But do you know the way to the 2nd floor?

— I don't know for sure.

"Sorry?"

"Don't worry. If we continue to move north, we will reach it someday.

This is not just a wish, but the truth. If you follow only one direction in the darkness, you can reach the portal one way or another, because this darkness was like a passage pointing upwards. But, it's a labyrinthine structure, so we're more likely to stumble upon it.

It was worth it.

"It's a goblin trap!"

As we walked, we saw a trap. It was much later than I expected. Originally, it should have been discovered much earlier.

... Maybe there are not so many goblins where there is no light? Like in the game? If so, then my heart sank.

How could I have been unlucky enough to fall into the darkness from the very beginning and immediately meet a goblin?

"I'll deal with him!" And you rest!

Ervena stepped forward.

"I'm telling you just in case, but don't use any perfume.

— ... Oh, of course I won't.

With a puzzled look that suggested otherwise, Ervena approached the trap.

And...

"Grk!"

The moment the goblin jumped out, she fired the arrow that was already drawn on the bow at very close range.

*Blow!*

Oh, she looked like Legolas. Her technique was much better than I expected, and her body movements were very agile.

"What do you think?"

After she killed the goblin, Ervena looked at me with a satisfied face.

"If you were alone, would you use a spirit?"

"Yes...

"Good job. Seeing how you use a bow, I think you're really an elf.

Ervena looked shy and happy. Was it so nice to be recognized? To be honest, it was indirect sarcasm. Not in relation to skills, but in relation to personality.

"But from now on, I will fight in battles. It would be best to save arrows as much as possible.

"Oh, I can just pick them up and use them again. There is no need to even pull them out.

Ervena bent down and returned with a mana stone and an arrow. The arrow was in good condition, without damage.

"I see...

What an embarrassment. In the game, arrows were disposable items that disappeared after each shot. To compensate for this, you could carry a thousand pieces with you.

"Here!"

Ervena held out a small hand.

"Take it!" When you have a 9, I'll get a 1, right? I will work hard! Then I can earn some money too, right? I promised to buy something for my little brother and sister when I got back!

Uh, ah, uh...

"Yes, work hard...

What is this? Indirect sarcasm?

We moved quickly north in the dark and continued to catch goblins from time to time. Then, after being quiet for a while, a voice rang out through the message stone.

[Additional Information: Hearts, who was attacked by the elf, said that he would raise the reward to 20,000 stones.

That means the bastards are within 300 yards.

Almost instinctively, Ervena clung to me.

"Relax." No one will use the torch to find us.

"Really?"

— Yes.

In fact, it was close to certainty. That's what I learned from eavesdropping on conversations through the message stone: they looked like a bunch of punks loitering around. It doesn't look like the group was well organized. Presumably, at best, they simply served as a convenient community for each other. In any case, on the 1st floor, a group of more than 5 people could not work together.

The message stone spoke as the group members relayed a few more messages.

[I plan to move to another location to hunt the Blade Wolves. Is there anyone who wants to join? No transfer required].

[I'm tired, so I'm looking for someone to rest. Come to the pond next to the big rock. No transfer required.]

In fact, when we walked here, we heard similar transmissions from everywhere. This meant that there were people here who didn't care if they were after their heads or not.

However, I did not relax.

It wasn't that everything went awry, it was that everything was going too smoothly.

Gosh darn...

That's how my life always works, something bad always happens at moments like this, but the fact that everything was quiet made me even more worried.

"Uncle!"

"What?"

"Ghouls ahead!"

I didn't see him. As I tilted my head, Ervena moved the flames forward.

... You have really good eyes.

At that moment, ghouls appeared in my field of vision. Rotten skin, empty eye sockets, sharp and long nails that resemble claws, and even four humanoid-shaped legs. It was the same as in the illustration I saw on the loading screen.

However, something was wrong...

A what? Why are there ghouls here?

On the 1st floor, the type of monsters that spawned changed depending on the east, west, north, and south. Ghouls appeared in the southern region.

Did we really reach the border while we were wandering? Well, maybe.

We were going north, but having reached a dead end, we began to move in a circle. I'll have to think about it later.

— ... Should I fight alone again this time?

Ervena, who had been full of motivation when fighting the goblin, had now made it clear that she didn't want to fight. Maybe she was scared because it was the first time she had seen this monster? This woman even had an eccentric side.

"I'll take what's ahead." You take care of the one in the back.

"Good!"

After sharing a rough strategy, I slowly moved forward. The passage was blocked by a total of three ghouls, and they all sat like dogs.

*Step*

Despite the fact that I got quite close, the ghouls did not move. Hmm, in the game, in order to make the first blow, you had to come to a certain distance. Maybe everything is the same?

*Step*

As I cautiously took another step, three ghouls rushed towards me at the same time.

"Ghhhhh!"

The sound they made was similar to that of a goblin. Could it be because it was also a rank 9 monster? Let's talk about the lack of individuality.

"Hiya!"

Instead of retreating, I took a step closer and hit the ghoul on the head with my hammer.

*Crunch!*

At the moment when the head of one ghoul was broken, an arrow was fired from behind and hit the other.

*Tunk!*

She seemed to like her forehead very much.

Then, after repulsing the attacking ghoul with his shield once, the battle easily ended with another Hammer Strike.

[You have defeated a ghoul. Experience +1].

It was a battle that ended instantly, but I still took a little time to examine it. In terms of combat power, ghouls were superior to goblins. They were much stronger and faster. The goblins had traps, but well... It was the fault of the idiot who stepped on her.

... Provided, of course, that there is light around.

"Anyway, it's better than goblins.

"Excuse me?" Why?

"Because it takes time to catch goblins.

As long as you are not pushed back in an all-out battle, hunting ghouls seems more effective than hunting goblins. At least these guys didn't set one trap on the ground and waited stupidly nearby. It was also a huge advantage that they didn't attack until they were approached first.

"Next time, it will be more effective to start by first bringing down one ghoul with an arrow.

"Good. Sounds good.

After exchanging a brief plan for future battles, I collected the mana stones that had fallen to the ground and put them in my pocket.

— Эм, дядя...?

"What is it?"

"I... This is... Now it's my turn to take 1...

"Oh, exactly.

We continued through the tunnel.

***

My prediction that we were near the border turned out to be correct. For a while, ghouls and goblins appeared alternately, and as we continued north, only goblins began to appear again.

How much time has passed?

[22: 47]

The end of the 3rd day was already approaching. After resting for about four hours on the way, we discovered something on the route to the north.

A single dark red line was drawn on the ground.

"A bloodstain?" I don't think it's a goblin, who could it be?

... For some reason, it seemed to me that I knew its owner.

Therefore, I constantly watched the pieces of fallen bread at regular intervals. With confidence, I continued to monitor the blood stains.

"Hmm, you haven't said anything recently...

10 minutes passed.

"Are you mad at me?"

30 minutes passed.

"Sorry?" Uncle?

2 hours passed.

After a long journey, I finally came across a sandal thrown on the ground. The obscenities fell down instantly.

"Hm...

"Damn, are you kidding?"

"I... I'm sorry! Whatever I do!

And right in front of my nose there was a portal.