"So this is B6F... It’s a world of difference compared to the floors above."
Rei murmured as he surveyed their surroundings from the small room containing the stairs and the magic circle.
Though they were still within the safety of the room, the environment was clearly distinct from the stone-paved corridors of the previous floors.
He stepped out, his Sleipnir's Shoes pressing into the exposed earth.
Unlike the path down to B5F, this floor felt like the interior of a literal cave. The ground beneath him was bare soil, and stones of various sizes were scattered throughout the passage.
"It certainly has that 'dungeon' atmosphere, but..."
"Yes, you can pretty much treat it as a cave. However, because it's a cave, there are spots where you can mine ore, and you'll find plenty of Golem-type monsters. Though, when I say Golem-type, I'm referring to things like the Mud Puppets made of mire or the Stone Puppets made of rock. They're only about your size or slightly smaller, Rei."
"Nn."
Byune poked Vihera’s arm and pointed toward the ceiling. Noticing the gesture, Vihera nodded.
"Right. There are also Wind Bats that use wind magic. Unlike the golems, you need to stay alert for those..."
Vihera trailed off, her gaze shifting between Rei, Seto, Elena, and Iero, who was perched on the woman’s left shoulder.
"...Or so I would say, but for people like Rei and Elena, I suppose it goes without saying. If anything, I feel more like warning the monsters to be careful."
"Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration? At the very least, while I may know Golem-types, this 'Wind Bat' is a monster I have yet to face."
"But they're just low-rank monsters. Would the famous Princess General truly struggle against such trivial opponents? If so, perhaps my estimation of you was mistaken," Vihera said with a provocative, daring smirk.
Elena couldn't let such a challenge slide. A small, confident smile played across her lips.
"I have plenty of confidence, of course. However, it is only natural to remain cautious when facing a creature for the first time, is it not? Or do you, Vihera, simply charge recklessly at every unknown foe without a plan?"
Elena herself hadn't realized it, but the fact that she was naturally addressing Vihera by her name was a sign that she was beginning to trust her after their time together.
Vihera gave a firm nod in response to the question.
"Of course. An encounter with a brand-new monster is a rare treat, isn't it? The only way to develop the intuition needed to handle the unknown is to face it head-on and let your body learn the rhythm."
"...I see."
Elena let out a faint, weary sigh at the words of a true battle maniac.
"Nn."
Byune lightly patted Elena on the hip as if to offer her some encouragement—a sight that Rei found quite heartwarming.
"Anyway, regarding combat with golems... Oh, right. I have dealt with them before."
Rei spoke up as he recalled the golem Vel had used back at the Altar of Inheritance.
(That golem was an alchemical construct, so it didn't have a magic stone... but do these wild golems have them? Well, I'll find out once we get into a fight.)
"Oh? So you've fought a golem before, Rei?"
"Well, the one I fought was created through alchemy, so it’s likely a different breed from the monsters here. That's why I wanted to ask—do the golems in this dungeon, or rather, the lower-tier puppet-type monsters, carry magic stones?"
Rei asked because he was worried that if the puppets lacked magic stones, their hunt would be a waste of effort. Vihera nodded immediately.
"They have magic stones. Besides, puppets are essentially 'delicious' prey for this girl."
"Nn."
Byune nodded without a hint of hesitation.
Seeing the girl nod slightly faster than usual, Elena tilted her head curiously.
"Are puppets truly that lucrative? Can their proof of subjugation parts be sold for a high price?"
"I'm afraid not. While they do sell for a decent price, the real value is in the materials. A Mud Puppet's body can be used directly as alchemy material, and Stone Puppets sell as high-quality building materials because they're infused with a bit of magic power. It's not all good news, though. Since they crumble into mud or stone when they die, the only part that serves as proof of subjugation is the magic stone. You don't get the extra payout for a trophy part like you do with normal monsters, though the guild usually adds a small bonus to the magic stone purchase price to make up for it."
"...Nn."
Even for the money-motivated Byune, this seemed to be a point of regret. She looked down and nodded sadly.
"And because of the sheer weight and volume, it's impossible to haul back all that stone and mud without a porter... but fortunately, we have Rei with us today."
Vihera glanced toward Rei as she spoke. It was obvious what she was hoping for.
Rei had no intention of hiding the capabilities of his Misty Ring. He might have been more guarded if he were dealing with the typical arrogant nobles he disliked, but he trusted this group enough.
"And to finish what I was saying earlier, I wanted to tell you to watch out for the Wind Bats' approach. But with Seto here, that's likely a non-issue."
"Their approach?"
"Yes. Being bats, they're naturally good at stealth, and they use wind magic to further hide their presence. ...Normally, they're very hard to find."
"Ah, I see. No matter how skilled those Wind Bats are at hiding, they won't be able to fool Seto's eyes, ears, or nose."
"Exactly. There are also Orcs and Goblins scattered about, but they aren't worth worrying over. Since Byune wants to earn some coin, we’ll be doing a bit of hunting on this floor. Any objections?"
"Nn."
Byune nodded and looked toward Rei and Elena.
"I don't mind. Our maps only go up to B5F anyway. I was planning to buy maps for the deeper floors after we finished today, but if we can reach B7F before we head back, that would be perfect."
"I agree. I have no objections to Rei’s plan."
"Guruuu."
"Kyu!"
As Rei and Elena gave their consent, Seto and Iero chirped in agreement.
With everyone on the same page, the party of four humans and two beasts set off into the cavernous dungeon.
Stalactites on the ceiling glowed with a faint, dim light, and the ground was dotted with shallow puddles. Given the dirt floor, the footing was undeniably worse than the paved paths of the first five floors.
"...Looking at it again, the change from B5F is quite drastic."
"Indeed. Just like the dungeon we explored before, the environment seems to shift by stratum."
"Mmm, you're half-right."
Vihera chimed in, overhearing Elena’s remark.
"Technically, the first five floors are standard dungeon corridors, then B6F through B10F are this cave style. From B11F, it turns into a desert environment. It generally changes every five floors. ...Though, from B16F onward, the changes happen every floor or two. That might be a bit too much for you two right now, though."
Elena knit her brows slightly at the perceived slight, but since she and Rei were indeed newcomers to this particular dungeon, she kept her mouth shut.
They continued their conversation as they walked for about thirty minutes. Eventually, Byune, who was leading the way, raised a hand to signal a stop.
From ahead came a wet, squelching sound—a disgusting noise that set one's teeth on edge.
(That kind of sound in a dungeon... it reminds me of the zombies we fought in the Dungeon of the Altar of Inheritance.)
Rei thought this to himself, but his sense of smell didn't pick up the telltale stench of rotting meat.
He glanced at Elena beside him; she seemed to be making the same association, as her brow was furrowed in a similar fashion.
Feeling his gaze, Elena looked back at him.
As their eyes met and they shared a wry smile over their shared thought, a small cough—"Ahem"—interrupted them.
They turned to see Vihera watching them with an exasperated look.
"I don't mind you two flirting, but could you at least wait until the fighting is over?"
"No, Rei and I weren't exactly..."
"There, there, it's fine. Based on those footsteps, that's definitely a Mud Puppet approaching. ...Well, Rei? Do you want to take this one?"
"Me?"
"Yes. It sounds like there's only one. It’s better for you to get some combat experience against them early. ...Byune, you don't mind, right?"
"Nn."
Byune nodded at Vihera’s suggestion.
While Mud Puppets were a decent source of income, she didn't feel the need to hog the kill. She likely thought it was more practical for Rei and Elena to learn how to handle them now to avoid trouble later.
The squelching grew louder as it echoed from the darkness of the passage. Finally, a humanoid figure made of mud emerged into Rei's sight.
"So that's a Mud Puppet. It really is just a doll made of mire."
It stood about 150 centimeters tall. While it was humanoid, it was a crude, rough shape, just as Rei described. It had limbs, a torso, and a head—looking like a giant version of a mud doll a child might sculpt while playing in the dirt.
Its head lacked eyes, a nose, or a mouth, appearing as a smooth, featureless surface. Despite this, it seemed to sense its surroundings perfectly. Upon detecting the group, its pace quickened, its squelching steps growing more frequent.
With every movement, chunks of wet earth sloughed off its body and splattered onto the cave floor.
Watching the creature soil the path as it approached, Rei frowned.
(I'd rather not get my Death Scythe messy in close combat. I'll use magic.)
He focused his magic power and began the incantation.
"Flame, burn my enemies according to my will."
Among his repertoire, this was a spell with a short chant but high power relative to the magic power infused. As he finished the line, a fireball roughly thirty centimeters across manifested at the butt end of his scythe.
"Fireball!"
With that shout, the spell was released. The fireball streaked toward the target...
"Ah!"
Just before the impact, Vihera cried out.
It was too late. The fireball struck the Mud Puppet dead center. In an instant, the mud doll was engulfed in an intense blaze. The heat flash-dried the mud, incinerating the monster's form. In seconds, the Mud Puppet crumbled to the floor—no longer a pile of wet mire, but a heap of scorched, bone-dry earth. Byune muttered in a voice thick with disappointment.
"...Nn."
It was just a single syllable, but it spoke volumes of her regret.
"Oh dear, I didn't think you'd go quite that far. I assumed you'd take it down with that great scythe of yours... well, I suppose this counts as experience too."
"...What are you talking about?"
Rei tilted his head, looking down at the pile of burnt dirt.
"Remember how I said the mud of a Mud Puppet is a valuable alchemy material?"
"Yeah. I remember."
"Well, it’s only useful if it’s actually mud. Apparently, the water content that keeps the earth moist is the critical part."
Rei's brow twitched. Looking down at his handiwork, he saw only scorched, partially vitrified earth where the moisture had been flash-evaporated by his spell. If Vihera was right, this meant the creature's remains were now utterly worthless for alchemy.
"My bad."
Realizing that his choice of flame magic had been a failure in terms of looting, Rei bowed his head in apology.
However, Byune and Vihera simply shook their heads to show they didn't hold it against him.
"It's a learning experience. Your magic is certainly powerful, Rei, and there's no denying its effectiveness in eliminating an enemy. Just remember that with some monsters, overkill means losing out on the loot."
"Nn."
Byune nodded in agreement with Vihera’s words.
"Guruuu."
"Kyu!"
Seto cooed and rubbed its face against Rei as if to comfort him, while Iero perched on his shoulder and chirped, patting him with its front paws.
The sight brought a smile to everyone's faces.
"I didn't know either, so I can't fault you. Don't let it weigh on you," Elena added encouragingly.
After Rei retrieved only the Mud Puppet's magic stone, the party set off once more into the depths of the cavernous dungeon.