NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 15 – Explorer
Placing my room key onto the desk and wishing the receptionist a good day, leaving the inn. It is a surprisingly short walk to the town gate, there still aren’t any guards stationed, however.
Leaving through the gate, I make my way towards the forest. According to what I was told, the Dungeon should be just inside the forest.
Just before I enter the forest, a black wall appears. It’s a solid black sheet, and I look at it from multiple angles--it’s completely flat.
After a few seconds, people start walking out of the Stygian darkness.
Adventurer - Lv19
Knight - Lv14
Swordsman - Lv22
Explorer - Lv21
Shrine Maiden - Lv19
Wizard - Lv20
Oh, a Wizard?
Cool!
I wonder what the wall is, could it be a creation of the Wizard?
It seems that these six people are a party, and a fairly well constructed--they had tanks, ranged combat, and a healer.
“It’s here.” The Adventurer says.
“I see.”The Knight nods, looking pompous, even though he is the lowest level person there.
The female, the Shrine Maiden rolls her eyes and mutters something, the others nod knowingly--following other two.
I follow the six people, and they are going to a place which seems to be an artificial clearing; the trees seem to be blown down, and the grass is strangely dead--there is a small hill in the center.
The hill still has an arch of crimson stone and a black wall--but this one ripples a few times.
Is that the entrance to the Dungeon?
A single person stands near the entrance.
Explorer - Lv18
“How far are you going?”
“Three floors.” The Explorer from the party of six speaks.
“The furthest down that anyone has gone!” The Knight speaks pompously.
“Do you want a Dungeon Gate, or just enter?”
“We’ll start with the first floor, and work our way down--we have a quest to check daily for any changes.”
The Explorer at the entrance nods, and gestures towards the rippling black wall. They all approach the wall, and then disappear through it.
I quickly bring up my Character Screen and check my stats, and make sure that there are no new Bonus Skills that I absolutely need.
All of the others were between level 14 and level 23 … I’m only level 7 Villager, and level 7 Thief, and 1 Hero--alright, if I add them all together, it’s about level 15.
Exchanging the scimitar which was on my back, I store it and hang Excalibur on my belt, and approach the entrance--the Explorer standing there doesn’t say anything to me as I pass.
I feel nervous as I carefully walk into the wall--it feels like walking through a thin layer of water. For a moment, I enter something that seems like a pitch-black area, before I find myself in the Dungeon.
The room around me is rather small, and cave-like. It’s around 4 - 5 meters square, and dimly lit; three paths lead out of the room.
One goes straight ahead, one to the left, and the last to the right.
There is a black wall behind me--the ‘door’ that I entered through, and probably the same one I will leave through.
However, the paths which lead away are dark tunnels. They are relatively small, with a width of around two meters and a similar height; it’s too dark to see the end.
The path straight ahead turns into a crossroad only a short distance down it--looks like this will be complicated.
I forgot to bring anything for mapping.
Those six people didn’t seem to be carrying lights--maybe the Wizard used some kind of Light Magic.
For now, I’ll try sticking to the left, so it’s unlikely that I’ll get lost.
I head down the path to the left.
It soon splits into two paths, the walls and floor seem solid, without even the smallest cracks in them. As soon as I step into the tunnel, it lights up; it’s not much light, but I’m worried that it might make it easier for Demons to find me.
After walking a little, I hear a noise behind me.
Turning back, and see the group from before--they walk into the black wall and disappear.
I check my Class settings, and since I entered a Dungeon, the Explorer Class is available.
Explorer - Lv1
Effects: (+2 Strength)
Skills: Item Box, Party Organization, Dungeon Gate
I quickly remove Thief, and replace it with Explorer. Dropping my levels by 7 should be alright--but Excalibur should help work as an equalizer.
Time to try the new skill.
“Item Box!”
A floating window appears above my hand, it’s the entrance to the Item Box--looking like an inventory window.
Taking the scimitar from my ring, I place it in the box--there was no problem, even with its length. I close my hand into a fist and the Item Box disappeared; saying the name again, the Item Box reappeared.
However, it only has a single slot, so the scimitar fills it up.
“Dungeon Gate.”
As I try to use the skill, I can suddenly intuit there more information is required; I need to think of a location where I want to go.
Imagining the small room I first appeared in, there is a weird feeling of something being sucked out of me, and a black wall appears a meter in front of me--and I walk into it.
And walk out of the wall in the small room I imagined. In front of me is the is the rippling black wall which is the exit from the Dungeon. As soon as I step out, the black wall behind me disappears.
It seems that I can teleport to places I can remember.
“Dungeon Gate.” I recite the key words while thinking of a small clearing in the forest--a black wall appears, but when I touch it, I feel like it is solid. So…does this mean it can only be used in Dungeons? So, how did the party of six make one in the forest?
Next, I’ll try Overwhelming--the Hero Skill.
It’s likely that it’s only something to be used in combat, and I had been practicing muttering it. So I keep whispering to myself, and continue exploring the Dungeon.
Oh?
Something is moving, further down the tunnel I am currently walking down.
Needle Wood - Lv10
It’s a Humanoid Demon with wood-like skin and a green head. It’s not very big, maybe waist-height--and stick thin.
I draw Excalibur and hold it in both hands, after preparing myself, I rush forwards.
“Overwhelming!”
I shout, swinging my sword down on it’s left shoulder--and cut straight through it. The two halves of the Demon fall to the ground with a clutter and puff of green smoke.
Ah, it took only a single swing.
Even though I tried to use Overwhelming--nothing happened, nothing changed. It may be because I don’t have enough Mana.
But, I got the Skill at Hero Level 1, I should be able to use it with the Mana Pool of a level 1 Hero.
It was probably the fact that I used quite a bit of Mana when I used Dungeon Gate.
Branch
When the Needle Wood disappears, a tree branch remains on stone floor--I try to put it in my Item Box, since it had one slot, which my scimitar is in.
There’s no helping it, so I put the branch in my rucksack. It’s a 10cm long branch; is it used for firewood?
I don’t really think it will sell well.
So, I start looking for my next target. My Mana having recovered because of Excalibur’s MP Absorption Skill. I think I will kill another two--to be sure, before trying Overwhelm.
Needle Wood - Lv10
I quickly approach the Demon that was around the next corner, and at my movements, the Needle Wood raises its left branch-arm; it looks like he is planning on attacking.
But--my swing is faster.
From its right shoulder to the left side of its waist--Excalibur cleanly severs the thin body. It became smoke and disappears--leaving another branch sitting on the stone floor.
Putting the loot in my rucksack, I continue along.
Killing another Demon, I go left again at the next split in the path.
There’s another party up ahead, the tank was keeping a Needle Wood at bay, while the vanguard chipped away at it. The Mage and Rogue-like-person were obviously bored, and the healer was watching; though she obviously knew that her help wouldn’t be needed.
It was only the first floor, with the weakest Demons.
Since I now have Dungeon Gate and don’t have to be worried about getting lost, I go back to the last fork and go right.
There’s another Needle Wood up ahead.
However, the glow that lights up when I enter a corridor is a disadvantage--I wonder how people sneak in a Dungeon.
“Overwhelming!” I recite the skill as I run towards the Demon.
Nothing happens…wait, no--something is different.
The Demon’s movement has slowed down, almost as though the Demon is moving in slow motion. I wanted to watch it a bit longer, but I ignore the urge and raise Excalibur.
I swing, cutting straight through the Needle Wood, which didn’t even get a chance to notice me. It became smoke and disappeared.
So, it seems that the effect of Overwhelming is some form of acceleration, or maybe a boost in Agility. It will be a useful skill if it let’s me out maneuver an enemy.
I’m feeling a bit depressed, maybe because of the Mana usage--when my Mana runs low, I start to feel bad. Overwhelming must take a lot of my Mana, though some of it will have recovered because of Excalibur’s MP Absorption Skill.
The wave of depression slowly fades.
I may have a fairly strong mind, and experience with depression--but if I run out of Mana too many times, or if it gets too low…It may cause problems with my psyche.
Trying to calm down, I check my Character information.
Name: Alex Conner
Age: 17
Sex: Male
Class: Villager, Explorer, Hero
Level: 12, 8, 1
Oh?
Most of my levels went up…except for Hero--I wonder how I level up my Hero Class.
For killing around 8 level 10 Demons, I got 5 levels in my Villager Class, and 7 in Explorer--If Dungeon Demons are like in games and Elite Monsters and give more Experience…it seems reasonable.
I don’t like applying game logic to a real world--but until I know the common sense here, it’s the best I can do.
At least I got 12 Bonus Points; I need to save them for when I need them--the automatically learning languages, both written and spoken, is good but it takes BP.
That’s what I thought at first, until I found…it--
Chant Omission.
I would only have to speak the skill name, instead of reciting the chant as quickly as possible before I engaged the enemy.