## Chapter 45 – Dungeon
If we could just find and defeat three more Skeleton Mages and each get a staff, I was ready to do three somersaults on the spot.
We walked as carefully as possible, because a magical projectile might suddenly fly out of the darkness like before.
As expected, Meria volunteered to take the lead.
She seemed genuinely happy that her shield could block magic. She might even be hoping for the same magic to come flying again.
Of course, it would be great if she blocked it, but if necessary, I would have to throw myself to dodge.
“…Are skeletons coming up from underground?”
As we moved through the darkness, we saw passages leading underground on both sides of the straight path. Skeletons were climbing up to the 4th floor through those stairs. The sight of them coming out like Marines from a barracks felt strangely familiar.
“THIS IS SPARTA.”
I kicked the ones coming up in the chest, sending them back to their hometown. The skeleton with shattered ribs tumbled down into the abyss of darkness along with his comrades.
“Should we go down?”
“Well… I wouldn’t recommend it. If those guys are coming up from underground, maybe the 5th floor is already packed with skeletons.”
No matter how weak the skeletons were, if they attacked us packed together like bean sprouts, we would be the ones getting wrecked. Then I would remember the old saying that no one can stand against a mob and shed tears of blood. Ah, those martial artists, those bastards. Suddenly reminded me.
Of course, there might be more valuable ancient artifacts further down. But now is the time to be careful. There might be a Necromancer, and we’ve already collected some things on the way here.
It’s not like we came up empty-handed, so there’s no need to risk our lives. An adventurer should always be able to coldly weigh the value of money against their own life. The ones who make mistakes are the first to die.
“I’ll draw a map for a moment.”
Elise, who had stopped, took out the rolled-up map and started scribbling something on it again.
I wondered if her drawing skills had improved, so I leaned over her shoulder to check, but it seemed like if she handed that map to anyone, she would get a lot of complaints.
“Is that mark a passage to the underground?”
“No. It’s where we encountered skeletons. I’ve marked everything for now.”
“Ah, so that cat drawing is the passage to the underground.”
“That’s not a cat drawing, it’s a letter, and it’s a simple memo of the situation.”
“…”
What the hell are you drawing?
Or is it writing?
Anyway, it doesn’t matter as long as she can understand it.
We gave up going down to the 5th floor and continued exploring the 4th floor.
As expected, nothing much happened. When skeletons appeared, we smashed them. Sometimes slimes or giant bats appeared. After seeing only skeletons, we were so glad to meet those familiar guys that we ended up killing them.
Elise was very happy with that impulsive, murderous act.
Needless to say, the party’s atmosphere became even more harmonious when Elise smiled. With our tension heightened, we found what looked like a room.
“Someone’s there.”
There was a guest in the room.
“…Isn’t that bastard holding a staff?”
ㅡCreak.
I made eye contact with the skeleton in the room. He was holding something like a wooden stick. A stick? It was dark, so I thought it was a stick, but it was definitely a staff. Thanks, you son of a bitch.
He was a Skeleton Mage.
“That’s right. A Skeleton Mage. I thought he was a Skeleton Stick-Man.”
“Heh heh heh… That’s a funny joke.”
“Really?”
“I’m lying, you barbarian bastard. Keep your nonsense to a minimum.”
“Crazy.”
Copson dissed me.
The Skeleton Mage was standing still in the middle of the room, and somehow something black seemed to be wriggling under his feet. Could it be an evil aura? Wizards could use area-of-effect spells called auras.
That would be a little dangerous. It might just be my imagination, but it would be troublesome if something hideous like black thorns suddenly sprouted from under his feet. Mainly because I’d end up with two or three more butthole-like openings.
Sensing something similar, Copson, who was tense, slowly walked forward with the lantern. As if he believed that the light of the lantern had a sacred power to drive away evil, his hand trembled.
Finally, their identities were revealed.
“Oh my. Shit.”
“Eek.”
Meria twitched briefly.
ㅡSquirm, squirm.
ㅡWriggle, wriggle.
What was lying under the Skeleton Mage’s feet were Tooth Worms. Those monstrous larvae were worse than an evil aura. I quietly stepped forward.
ㅡCreak, creak.
The Skeleton Mage began to move.
He swung his staff as if he were whipping. A faint black mist rose along its trajectory, and the Tooth Worms that touched the mist trembled for a moment and then all looked at us.
Shit. Disgusting.
Something like saliva dripped from one of their jaws.
“D, disgusting!”
I was horrified and slashed at a Tooth Worm that jumped at me. Shwuck! Since they had no bones and were just flesh, they were easily cut in half. The two pieces fell to the ground with a splat.
ㅡScreeeeeech!!
Starting with that one, the Tooth Worms, more than ten of them, rushed at us. Perhaps because they were just muscles and were elastic, they didn’t crawl but all jumped and charged. It was a very surprising sight.
It seemed that this Skeleton Mage was controlling the Tooth Worms with his magic.
“Ugh! I hate bugs!”
“Evil creatures!”
However, his ability to tame monsters was commendable, but he couldn’t subdue us with just these worms.
We quickly slaughtered all the Tooth Worms and stabbed the Skeleton Mage with a sword. He collapsed powerlessly.
“Another staff acquired.”
I was covered in unpleasant fluids, but I felt good. I had already obtained two staves with black crystals embedded in them.
Meria had the shield, Copson had the lantern, and Elise was holding one of the staves she had acquired earlier, so this time I held it. A staff in one hand and a sword in the other, I’m a complete magic swordsman, aren’t I?
I need to learn magic too.
“It’s going smoothly.”
Elise used her belt to attach the skull to her waist. Already having two skulls hanging from her waist, it looked like an ornament possessed by a cannibalistic warrior. This skull also had a pattern engraved on it.
“Yeah~. How much do you think a wizard’s staff is worth?”
“I think it’ll be worth more than 3 silver per staff.”
“3 silver? That’s more expensive than my shield.”
3 silver per staff might be a bit optimistic, but it was definitely worth at least silver. We moved again, smashing monsters.
ㅡGrrr…
A low growl was heard from over there. I wondered if a beast-type monster had wandered in here.
ㅡGiggle, giggle…
And a bizarre cry was also heard. I don’t know if it was a cry, but it was a nasty sound like a malicious laugh. Elise leaned her staff against the wall and said.
“I feel an evil aura.”
ㅡMay the light illuminate the darkness.
“Holy Light.”
Immediately, a brilliant light shone around her as she chanted the spell. It was Holy Light, a divine skill that illuminates the darkness like an LED, revealing the identities of the monsters hiding in the dark.
“Evil Hound and Imp. The disgusting fishy smell they spread is very unpleasant.”
ㅡWoof woof!
ㅡGiggle, giggle!
Their identities were a black dog and a black kid.
The Evil Hound was a vicious dog with the setting that it had flowed in from the Demon Realm. A slightly dangerous monster with a black body covered only in furless skin, red eyes, and sharp teeth.
And the Imp is not a pro gamer, but a small demon-like creature with almost no ego. A grotesque monster that looks like a newborn baby’s body inflated about three times and stretched with long arms and legs. The horns on its head are said to be good magic materials.
“Hey, Barbarian. Those are your friends. What did you say, darkies? The darkies are over there. Heh heh heh…”
“Ugh.”
What can I do? I have to kill them since I met them.
I took a breath.
ㅡWoof!
Swish! An Evil Hound rushed in like an arrow. As expected of a beast-type monster, its speed was very fast. But we have a reliable tank, Meria. Meria, who lowered her stance, raised her shield.
ㅡThud!
“Ugh! I’m being pushed back!”
The two collided. Meria blocked the charging monster with her shield. However, the impact was considerable, and she took a step back. A worthy opponent after a long time. I quickly jumped out beside her.
“Hold it there!”
I forcefully swung my sword at the Evil Hound’s empty flank. Thwack! The sound of a blade tearing flesh. I put my weight on it. Then the tip of the embedded blade pierced through the monster’s opposite flank.
Against a shield-wielding warrior and a sword-wielding swordsman, there’s no way this kind of monster could do anything. I twisted the blade. And I turned it like a waterwheel. The monster screamed in pain in all directions.
ㅡKrrrhong!
After twisting its insides like blood sausage, it vomited blood and slumped down. When I pulled out the sword, black blood dripped out. I kicked its head hard for confirmation. There was no response.
“What about the Imp?”
I asked, looking around, since one more was left. The Imp was nowhere to be seen.
“I already took care of it.”
“Ah.”
The Imp was already lying sprawled out with its head crushed to a pulp. Like a [Be quiet!]. Elise was cutting off its hands and horns, saying that she would sell the horns for settlement and keep the wrists for herself.
“There was no turn for me.”
Copson said. A life-or-death duel can be decided in just a few seconds. Especially if it’s two against one.
“I feel a little sorry for it. It was cute.”
“What? What’s cute? The Imp?”
For a moment, I doubted my ears, wondering if I had misheard something. Meria was spouting something like a psychopath. What was so special about that hideous monster? Does that make sense? Could she have been cursed with some kind of mental contamination?
“Yeah. It was round and kind of cute…”
“Did you say cute? Lady Meria. That is a wrong. No, an evil thought.”
“Huh?”
“Lady Meria… I think you need to talk to me.”
Just as Elise was grabbing Meria’s hand to pull her away, another Skeleton Mage appeared from the darkness. The third one.
“Let’s postpone the story for later.”
Elise lowered her stance. It was a crouching start. Her will to jump out and smash his head at once was evident.
ㅡCreak!
Making the familiar sound of its jaw joints, the monster fired a purple magic orb. Meria was about to proudly raise her shield. Just in case, I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away to avoid it.
“What?”
“Just in case. What if it’s a spell that goes through the shield? If you can avoid it, let’s avoid it first.”
I didn’t want to interfere with her hobby, but if that happened, we would all be screwed. Meria agreed.
“It’s over. I saw more Evil Hounds behind it, but they ran away as soon as the Mage died. It seems that they all have magic that can control monsters in common.”
As people leave their names behind when they die and tigers leave their skins, the smashed Skeleton Mage left us a staff. I had Copson carry it on his back.
There was only one left.
