"Well, looks like we're finally hitting the Desert of B11F."
"Guruuu?"
Seto tilted its head and let out an inquisitive purr at Elena’s murmured words. From atop the gryphon's back, Iero mimicked the gesture, tilting its own head while wagging its small tail.
Rei looked at Elena with a wry smile before scanning their surroundings. They stood upon a floor of packed dirt and scattered stones. Phosphorescent stalactites hung from the ceiling, casting a faint, ambient glow alongside the luminescent walls.
By all appearances, this was not a desert.
Of course, that was only natural. They were still on B10F. The desert floor Elena was so eager to see didn't begin until the next level; they would have to clear this floor first.
"It's fine to be excited, but the desert is below us," Rei said.
"Umu, I am well aware. I simply find myself unable to contain my curiosity."
As they moved out of the Small Room containing the Magic Circle and the stairs, Rei tilted his head just like his companions. He’d noticed since yesterday that Elena seemed unusually enthusiastic about their upcoming change in scenery.
"Why are you so focused on the Desert Floor anyway?"
"It is not so strange a sentiment. I have simply never visited a desert in my life. Even if this is merely part of a dungeon, I am happy to see such a place with my own eyes."
"...I don't think they're actually all that great," Rei countered.
"Hm? Given that opinion, have you seen a desert before, Rei?"
Because they were conversing as they walked, the group was naturally conspicuous. A Wind Bat attempted to swoop in and attack the distractible Rei from behind, but he was ready. He reached into his Misty Ring and pulled out a Skewer of a Lizardman Skewer—one left over from his meal before entering the dungeon—and threw it.
A wooden skewer was hardly a conventional weapon, but in Rei’s hands, it was lethal. It sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, impaling the Wind Bat just as it opened its mouth to fire a Wind Arrow. The force of the throw pinned the creature's body to the cave wall.
Rei finished the monster off with a practiced swing of the Death Scythe's Blade before turning back to Elena.
"I haven't seen one firsthand, either. It’s just stuff I’ve heard from people or read in books, so I could be wrong, but I hear they’re incredibly harsh environments."
"Are they not an endless Sea of Sand? A truly majestic sight?"
"Ah—I wonder about that."
Back in Japan, Rei had seen programs on the TV explaining that deserts weren't always the vast dunes Elena imagined. In fact, those were somewhat rare; many deserts were actually sprawling expanses of parched dirt and jagged rock.
Then again, I shouldn't expect the common sense of my old world to apply to a dungeon, he thought.
This was a world of magic, after all, and the dungeon even had its own internal sun. The idea that a desert was synonymous with a Sea of Sand might not be entirely wrong here.
"Guruuuuuuu!" Seto suddenly let out a sharp cry.
It fired two Water Balls in rapid succession. The spheres of water flew around a corner and slammed into a Mud Puppet just as it was coming into view, exploding into a mess of wet sludge.
"Good job, Seto. Well done."
"Guruuu."
Seto purred happily as Rei stroked its head.
Rei gathered the mud and packed it into an empty barrel before retrieving the Magic Stone. As he moved to store it in the Misty Ring, he paused and looked around. Currently, they were alone—just the two men and two beasts. There were no other adventurers in sight. He decided it was as good a time as any for Magic Stone Absorption.
"Elena, sorry to hold up your desert trip, but give me a second."
"What is it? Did you find something?"
"Not exactly. I just want to handle the Magic Stone Absorption now while we have the chance."
Elena scanned their surroundings as well. Seeing no signs of other presences, she nodded.
"I suppose so. It is best to complete the absorption while we can. We might run into another Anomaly Species further down, after all."
"An Anomaly Species, huh? Come to think of it, we haven't seen one since that Stone Puppet."
Rei pulled the stones from his Misty Ring. He currently had two each from a Seal Worm, a Stone Puppet, a Mud Puppet, and a Wind Bat.
He started by giving one Wind Bat Magic Stone to Seto.
"Guruu..."
Seto let out a dejected cry; it hadn't learned a skill.
Rei used the Death Scythe to absorb the other stone, but he met with the same result. The disappointment didn't stop there. By the time they had finished with the stones from the Seal Worm, Stone Puppet, and Mud Puppet, they had absorbed a total of four stones each without a single Skill Acquisition.
"...Are you kidding me?" Rei muttered, leaning against the cave wall in shock.
The statistical failure of eight consecutive stones was a heavy blow to his morale.
"Guruu."
Seto rubbed its face against Rei, letting out a small, apologetic purr. The gryphon had clearly wanted to learn something new to make Rei happy. In the end, Magic Stone Absorption was a gamble; while stones from powerful monsters usually had higher success rates, it wasn't a guarantee. Conversely, they had previously learned skills from a Rare Species Goblin Magic Stone, proving that even weaker monsters could yield results.
"No, don't worry about it, Seto. It's not like it's anyone's fault. If I have to blame something, I'll blame our luck."
Comforted by Seto's earnestness, Rei reached out and gave the gryphon's head a firm scratch.
"Guruuu."
Realizing that Rei was cheering up, Seto purred in delight and pressed its head harder into his hand, demanding more attention.
"Kyu!"
Jealous of the attention Seto was receiving, Iero flapped its wings and landed right on top of the gryphon's head. It chirped loudly, demanding its turn.
"You're right, I was ignoring you. Sorry. Thanks, Iero."
"Kyu!"
Iero chirped happily as Rei scratched its neck. The little dragon purred alongside Seto.
Rei spent about 5 minutes petting the two creatures before finally pulling his hands away.
"Alright, let's get moving. Much as I'd like to stay here playing with you two, we're never going to reach that desert if we linger."
"Guruu?" Seto tilted its head as if asking, Is that all? Rei gave it one last pat before looking toward Elena, who had been watching the display in silence.
"Sorry about that. I showed you a rather pathetic side of myself."
Rei felt a flush of embarrassment for getting so depressed over a few stones, but Elena simply smiled and shook her head.
"There is no need for concern. Showing one's pathetic side is merely proof that you have truly opened your heart to your companion. As far as I am concerned, it is something to be welcomed, not avoided."
"...It's still embarrassing for the one doing the showing, you know," Rei muttered with a sigh.
Elena didn't seem to mind. She reached out and, mirroring the way Rei had petted Seto, ran her fingers through Rei’s red hair.
After a few seconds of satisfied stroking, she pulled her hand away.
"Now then, since I have been sufficiently recharged by our interaction, let us head for the depths. According to the map, if we follow this passage, we will reach a cluster of small rooms. One of them leads further down."
"And the other rooms?"
"Dead ends. ...And most likely rigged with traps."
Rei frowned at Elena’s assessment. He wasn't annoyed by her words, but rather by the fact that the expensive map he'd purchased didn't mark the location of the traps. Whether it was a monster-made ambush or a built-in dungeon mechanism, he felt that such things should be properly documented.
However, Rei was partly mistaken about the nature of the dungeon. Traps in these depths often shifted locations at random. Most adventurers believed this was a deliberate countermeasure orchestrated by the Dungeon Core itself. Because few researchers ever reached the cores of such deep, massive dungeons, the phenomenon remained poorly understood.
"Well, no use complaining about it. Let's just reach B11F. Elena’s looking forward to it, after all."
"Umu. I truly wish to behold the majestic scenery of the desert."
"...I wouldn't set my expectations too high for a dungeon if I were you."
Elena gave Rei a slightly sulky look as he shrugged.
"Is it so wrong to be excited? I have never seen a desert before, after all."
Though she didn't seem to realize it, Elena was acting somewhat spoiled—a direct result of the trust they shared. If anyone who knew them only by their reputations as the Princess General and Crimson had seen this sweet, relaxed atmosphere, they wouldn't have believed their eyes.
The two men and two beasts continued down the passage.
"Is it this Small Room?"
"The map says so. ...The area beyond this room is a rather complex labyrinth, so do not let your guard down."
Elena warned him as they stood before a door. They had already bypassed several traps on the way here, most of which they had avoided triggering entirely. Rei nodded, understanding the gravity of the warning. This room was a bottleneck they were forced to pass through to reach B11F, making it the perfect spot for a lethal trap.
"All right, I'm opening it."
"Guruu."
Elena nodded silently and Seto let out a low, wary purr. Iero perched on Elena's Left Shoulder, ready to take flight the moment trouble started.
Knowing there's almost certainly a trap but having to trigger it yourself just to move forward is a pain, Rei thought. At times like this, a disposable Golem or a slave would be handy... No, buying a slave just for this would be a nightmare.
Rei had grown up in Modern Japan, and while his time in Elgin had eroded his initial aversion to the concept of slavery, he still found the logistical burden of owning one too much of a hassle.
Resolving himself for whatever was coming, Rei threw the door open.
"―!?"
Instinctively sensing a projectile, he swung the Death Scythe. A sharp, metallic clang rang out as he cleaved something in midair, sending the two halves clattering to the floor.
He didn't relax his guard. He waited for About 10 seconds, searching for further signs of a trap or an attacking monster. Only when he was sure the initial ambush had ended did he lower his stance slightly, though he remained alert.
He looked down at the floor to see what he had cut. It was a single arrow. However, both the shaft and the head were made of solid metal, suggesting a trap with incredible piercing power.
"It seems to be safe now," Elena said, lowering the Sword Tip of her Whip-sword with a sigh of relief. Even with her absolute faith in Rei’s strength, she couldn't help but worry.
Rei, seemingly unaware of her anxiety, picked up the two halves of the metal arrow and stored them in his Misty Ring.
Does he have a use for those? Elena wondered. She didn't ask, deciding that clearing the room was their priority.
The group pressed on for About 1 hour, cutting down monsters, evading traps, and using brute force to smash through the mechanisms they couldn't bypass. Finally, they reached the stairs leading down to B11F.