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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Viola, that arm…”
“I made it with, well, Mister Johann.”
Viola pulled up her sleeve to show Lewis and Shuri the steel hand. The prosthetic gleamed a dull grey, reflecting the bright sunlight.
“That replaces your arm?”
“Yeah. It’s still in the testing phase, so I don’t know how it’ll hold up in combat, but it’s fine for everyday life. I’m going to make a fortune with this.”
[She’s completely ecstatic.]
Viola’s excited voice was music to my ears.
It was nice to see her so much brighter than when she first came to me for help. The all-nighters I pulled, crafting over ten prosthetic arms in the past few days, had been worth it.
“Have either of you seen Sif?”
“No one else has been here.”
It was unusual for Sif to be late. Had something happened?
As I was worrying, I spotted a black cat running towards us from down the street, waving frantically.
Just late, then.
Sif skidded to a halt in front of me, panting.
“Sorry, I was looking after my siblings…”
“It’s alright. We’re all here now.”
She wasn’t excessively late, so I could wait.
“The five of us are going into the dungeon? Wow, I’m nervous…”
Shuri, the gentlest face in this rather intimidating group, wagged her tail excitedly.
I was hoping she would act as a buffer within the team, as she had the most agreeable personality. She was already friends with Viola, so there shouldn’t be any major conflicts.
“Sif, you’re on reconnaissance. Lewis, take point. I’ll be behind you. Shuri and Viola, take the rear.”
“A well-balanced formation.”
I wasn’t sure how parties were typically formed in this world, but nothing beat the basic combination of a warrior at the front and a mage in the rear.
Actual adventurer parties rarely included mages due to their scarcity.
Mages could easily find safe and stable jobs, so there weren’t many who risked their lives exploring dungeons.
“Johann, why am I on reconnaissance? You can do it.”
“You said you can disarm traps. Scout the area while you’re at it. I need to keep an eye on the rear as well.”
It wasn’t like she had anything else to do.
Her combat abilities were practically non-existent… If I had finished developing the bombs, I would have had her throw those.
Sif nodded, seemingly unable to refute my point.
She was the only one in this party incapable of fighting, so she needed to contribute in some way to maintain her position.
“Alright, everyone take a seat. We’ll have drinks at the cafe while I brief you on the dungeon.”
I settled into a corner booth at the cafe where I had previously met with Sif and placed a stack of papers on the table.
“The dungeon we’re going to is an unexplored one located in the forest near Belen, west of Kalon. It’s called the Beast’s Grave. The party that explored the entrance said they found traces of beasts, hence the name.”
“Beasts…”
“The exact type is unknown. However, considering that even experienced adventurers were overwhelmed, it’s highly likely that powerful monsters not found in the surrounding cities inhabit the dungeon. Therefore, follow my instructions precisely.”
The group nodded in agreement.
They understood the importance of following an experienced leader in situations like this.
…Come to think of it, the rift incident had been good training for them.
Young adventurers often overestimated themselves and ended up as monster food.
I handed each of them a small pouch. They exchanged glances, confusion written all over their faces.
Lewis was the first to ask,
“What are these?”
“Deodorants. They’ll mask your scent, not completely, but enough to give you an edge against the monsters.”
Ah, I almost forgot.
I pulled out the key items for this dungeon raid from my bag and placed them on the table.
Four in total, one for each member.
“Take one each and put it on as soon as we enter the dungeon.”
“What are these? They look strange…”
“You’ll find out when we get there. Don’t take them off until we’ve cleared the dungeon. They’ll save your lives.”
They would regret it if they did.
As expected of those who had followed my instructions in the rift, they accepted my words without question. This was why I preferred working with familiar faces.
Explaining and convincing new members would take forever.
“Check your belongings one last time. We can’t turn back once we enter.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Understood.”
Everyone started rummaging through their bags.
I opened mine for a final check as well.
Everything I had prepared for the Beast’s Grave raid was there.
I hoped it would go smoothly.
I closed my bag, secured it tightly, and stood up. It was time to head for the carriage if we wanted to arrive on time.
Everyone stood up as I rose.
“Let’s go.”
“Ugh, my back…”
Sif, the first to jump out of the carriage, groaned, clutching her back.
I followed her out, adjusted my backpack, and looked up at the sky. The half-day journey from Kalon to Belen had painted the sky a vibrant orange.
“My shoulder…”
“Is it hurting badly?”
“It feels like my flesh is being pinched every time the carriage shakes. I don’t know if it’s phantom pain or real.”
At Viola’s words, I looked at her shoulder. It was hidden beneath her clothes, but her complaint about the pain worried me.
Was there a defect in the prosthetic?
“I’ll check it when we get to the inn.”
“Thanks, Mister.”
“Mister…? Mister! She called you Mister! It suits you!”
Sif tilted her head, then burst into laughter as she looked at me. Her laughter, which sounded strangely like a cat’s meow, was incredibly annoying.
I gave her a final warning in a curt voice.
“I’m going to have to rethink your pay.”
“Sorry! Sorry! Young and handsome sir!”
Did she think such blatant flattery would change my mind?
“Ahaha.”
Shuri giggled at our exchange, then quickly lowered her tail and avoided my gaze when our eyes met.
[You’re being too petty, Contractor. Women like generous men.]
I wasn’t exactly unpopular with women.
…Though it felt more like a father-daughter relationship than romantic interest.
I hoped Milia wouldn’t cause any trouble while I was gone.
No, that wasn’t something I should be worrying about right now. I stood at the front of the group and announced our final schedule for the day.
“We’ll find an inn, have dinner, and then get some rest. You might be excited to be in a new city, but don’t forget our objective is the dungeon. No going out at night.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Yes!”
It felt like only Lewis and Shuri were responding seriously.
“Where are we staying?”
“I’m going to look for an inn. Do you know any good places?”
“I’m a Kalon native, I’ve never been to Belen.”
It made sense.
Coming from the slums of Kalon, she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to travel.
I asked the other students as well, but no one knew anything about Belen.
I didn’t know much either. I had heard the name in the game, but it was just a minor village. There were a few side quests, but otherwise, it was insignificant.
“…Then we’ll have to search on foot. Let’s go.”
[You look like a mother duck followed by ducklings.]
So I was a mother duck now.
Ignoring Rue’s strange analogy, I walked towards the entrance of Belen.
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“Yawn…”
“Shuri, are you alright?”
“Mmm… Just not a morning person…”
I tore my gaze away from the lovey-dovey couple and carefully examined the dungeon entrance, which reeked of decay.
It looked like a simple cave at first glance, but the ominous aura unique to dungeons confirmed that this was indeed the Beast’s Grave.
“Leave your bags here and wait. I’ll set some traps just in case.”
I extended my shovel and drew lines on the ground, sketching a rough blueprint. This should be enough.
“Crafting.”
A pit appeared instantly in front of me.
It was wide enough to trap even a bear. I created several more pits around the entrance and called out to Rue.
“Rue. I’m going to use magic.”
[Big one? Small one?]
“Small one, of course.”
I extended my hand and chanted the activation word.
“Sprinkler.”
[Such creative naming.]
A transparent liquid sprayed from my hand like a mist. The viscous fluid, as sticky as snot, coated the area around the traps.
“Mister, what are you spraying?”
“Sticky mucus. It’ll slow down anything that steps on it. Smaller creatures will be completely immobilized.”
Simply put, it was magical rat poison.
It might sound trivial, but spreading it over a wide area would prevent monsters that fell into the pits from easily escaping.
After thoroughly coating the traps, I addressed the group, who were standing idly by the entrance.
“We’re going in. Light your lamps.”
Everyone hurriedly lit their lamps.
It was a necessary precaution, as we didn’t know how well-lit the dungeon would be. If it was anything like the rift, lacking a light source would be a major inconvenience.
I slung my backpack over my shoulder and stepped onto the downward slope leading into the dungeon.
“Maintain formation and follow me. And don’t question my orders.”
Tense replies came from behind.
A satisfactory response.
Time to go in.
We walked into the darkness, beckoned by the allure of the unknown.
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