“Phew, we finally made it. Rei, Elena, Seto... thank you for the escort. It was a huge help.”
They stood in the small room on B12F that housed the magic circle. Having just descended from the floor above, Pleiades let out a long breath of relief as he addressed the two humans and the beast.
“Think nothing of it. It was beneficial for us to learn about the desert floors, so we didn't lose anything by coming along,” Rei replied.
In truth, they would have likely wasted much more time on B11F if they hadn't known that the stairs were sitting exposed in the open desert. Even with Seto scouting from above, searching for a small room was a completely different beast than searching for a staircase hidden among the dunes.
“Guruuu.”
Seto gave a soft trill as if agreeing with Elena, who had nodded at Pleiades’ words.
“I’m glad you feel that way,” Pleiades said. “Well, we should head back to the surface now. Otis, Sharl.”
“Right. Thanks, both of you... and you too, Seto. I’ll treat you to something next time we’re in town,” Otis said with a wink.
“Rei, I’d love to see your magic items again if we get the chance,” Sharl added. “This floor is a different kind of desert from the one above, so be careful if you decide to explore.”
Prompted by their leader, the three adventurers stepped into the magic circle near the stairs and teleported away.
Watching them vanish, Rei and Elena turned to survey their surroundings.
“Guruuu?” Seto tilted its head slightly, as if asking what their next move would be.
Elena voiced a similar thought. “So, what shall we do? As for me, given the situation with Iero, I am somewhat hesitant to begin a full exploration of this floor immediately.”
With Iero currently tucked inside the folds of Rei’s Dragon Robe, it would be difficult for Rei to fight properly with the Death Scythe. He wasn't entirely incapacitated, but it was clear he should be cautious. If Iero were a bit larger, it might have been different, but the hatchling was still tiny. Dragging it into the middle of a battle would likely end poorly.
“You’re right. It’s been a few hours since noon, so I think we should just take a quick look at the environment to prepare for tomorrow... and finish absorbing the magic stones we got on B11F,” Rei suggested.
He ran a mental tally of their haul. Three Sandworm magic stones, one Sand Snake magic stone, and one Grand Scorpion magic stone.
(The Sandworms are fine, but deciding who gets the other two is the issue. I hope more of them show up on this floor.)
He looked at Elena and Seto as he pondered. Seeing no objections, the woman nodded and the gryphon gave a small purr.
“Alright, let’s go outside and handle the stones.”
“Hmm? Wouldn’t it be better to do it in here?” Elena asked, her usually dignified face clouded by a hint of worry. “If this is like the floor above, the area outside this room is an endless desert. There is a risk that other adventurers might see you.”
Rei gave her a small smile and reached out to pat Seto’s back.
“Don’t worry. I’ll have Seto scout the perimeter before we start. We need to be careful of monsters anyway. Compared to the outside where Seto can fly and scout for miles, it’s actually harder to guard against adventurers who might suddenly teleport into this room through the magic circle. Right, Seto?”
“Guruuu!” Seto trilled confidently, as if to say, Leave it to me!
Elena finally seemed to relax. She nodded and reached out to stroke Seto’s head.
“Very well. I shall leave the scouting to you, then.”
“Guru.”
With Seto leading the way, the party stepped out of the safe room and onto the floor of B12F.
“...Heh. It really has changed quite a bit.”
“Indeed. It is hard to believe this is the same desert field as the floor above,” Elena remarked as she took in the vista.
While Seto took to the sky to survey the area, Rei and Elena examined their surroundings. They were less on guard than the gryphon, choosing instead to take in the scenery.
B11F had been a sea of sand, the quintessential image of a desert. On B12F, however, there were no sand dunes to be seen. Instead, hard dirt ground stretched to the horizon, dotted with massive boulders and towering cacti.
It was a desert, but of the variety known as a rocky desert.
(This is going to be a pain,) Rei thought as he eyed the massive rocks.
A landscape filled with boulders meant plenty of hiding spots. It was an ideal environment for ambushes. Furthermore, Seto’s aerial vision wouldn’t be nearly as effective as it had been on the flat dunes of the floor above. They would have to rely more on their hearing, sense of smell, and sixth sense.
“Seto, go ahead.”
“Guru.”
Responding to Rei, Seto took a few running steps and leaped into the air.
Watching the gryphon soar, Rei reached down and picked up a stray stone.
“What is it?” Elena asked.
“Just thinking this could be a weapon in a pinch.”
“...You have your spear, Rei. I don't think you need to collect rocks. Especially desert stones—the environment usually makes them quite brittle. They’d likely shatter on impact.”
“Maybe... but catch!”
Rei flicked his wrist, hurling the stone with a sharp snap. He had just been voicing a random thought and didn't seriously intend to use pebbles as weapons.
They chatted for a few minutes until Seto flapped its wings and descended back to the ground.
“Guru.”
Confirming there were no issues, Rei concluded that no other adventurers were in the immediate vicinity. Still, just to be safe, they moved into the shadow of a five-meter-tall rock some distance away from the stairs.
“Alright, let's get to it. First up, the Sandworms. Since I have three of them, we’ll start with you, Seto.”
Rei pulled a Sandworm magic stone from his Misty Ring and tossed it toward the gryphon. Seto caught it in its beak and swallowed it whole.
“No good, huh?”
“Guruuu,” Seto trilled regretfully.
Rei gave its head a comforting pat. He gently took Iero—who was still curled up asleep—out of his Dragon Robe and placed the hatchling on Seto’s back. Then, declaring it was his turn, he tossed a second Sandworm magic stone into the air and swung the Death Scythe.
The blade whistled through the air with a stroke sharp enough to rend space itself. The magic stone was sliced clean in half and vanished into nothingness. No announcement of skill acquisition followed.
“Failed on my end too. I wonder if I have bad compatibility with dungeon monsters, considering how things went in the caves up to B10F.”
“What about when we were at the Altar of Inheritance?” Elena asked. “You obtained several magic stones there as well, did you not?”
Rei searched his memories. “I learned Flying Slash, Power Slash, and Water Ball, along with a few others.”
“Then it is likely not a matter of the dungeon itself. The scale of this place is much larger, so perhaps that plays a role... regardless, there is no reason to be discouraged. It is not as if the failure is due to some fault in you or Seto.”
Rei nodded at Elena’s encouragement.
Shaking off the disappointment, he pulled out the Grand Scorpion magic stone. This monster had been one of the apex predators of B11F. Surely its stone would provide a skill for either Seto or the Death Scythe. After a moment of hesitation, he made his choice.
“Seto.”
“Gururu?” Are you sure? Seto tilted its head.
Rei nodded. Sensing the impending event, Iero—who had been flattened by the desert heat—gave a small flap of its wings and moved from Seto’s back into Elena’s arms.
Rei had his reasons for giving the most promising stone to his partner. Seto’s highest-level skills were Fire Breath and Poison Claw, both at Lv. 3. Since the Grand Scorpion was a creature known for its potent toxins, there was a high chance it would strengthen Seto’s Poison Claw. He tossed the stone to Seto, who caught and swallowed it instantly.
[Seto has acquired the skill: Poison Claw Lv. 4]
The announcement echoed in Rei’s mind. He let out a sigh of relief; it had been a while since their last success, and he had been starting to get anxious.
“Gururururururururururururuuu!”
Unlike Rei’s quiet relief, Seto let out a thunderous roar of joy. The sound reverberated through the rocky desert. Instinctively sensing danger, the monsters that had been creeping toward them immediately scurried back into their burrows or fled in the opposite direction.
“Did you succeed?” Elena asked with a hint of excitement.
Rei nodded, a smile on his face as he stroked the back of the trembling, happy gryphon.
“What kind of skill was it?”
“It wasn't a new one, but it reinforced an existing skill. His Poison Claw is even stronger now.”
“Poison Claw? I see. It is certainly fitting for a Grand Scorpion. And it is a practical skill for Seto, is it not? Flashy magic is difficult to use when others are watching, but Poison Claw is discreet.”
“Exactly. It’s a great result. Though, I do have mixed feelings about poison becoming Seto’s strongest skill when he’s supposed to be a majestic gryphon...”
“I can understand that.”
If asked whether a venomous claw suited a gryphon, both of them would have said no. It was perhaps the least fitting skill imaginable for Seto’s image.
(Well, that’s exactly why it’ll catch people off guard,) Rei thought.
Normal gryphons didn't use poison, so the effect would be devastating. As Elena mentioned, it was a subtle skill he could use even in front of people who didn't know Seto’s true power. And at Lv. 4, the toxin was bound to be even more vicious. It was a perfect "first-encounter kill" ability.
“Guruuu.”
Having calmed down, Seto rubbed its head against Rei, demanding more attention. Rei laughed and obliged, scratching the gryphon’s head. Watching them, Elena felt a sense of warmth and allowed a small smile to play on her lips.
After a few minutes of pampering Seto, Rei decided it was his turn. He pulled the Sand Snake magic stone from the Misty Ring and focused his mind on the Death Scythe.
“Alright... Seto got one, so I’m next!”
He tossed the stone into the air and swung the Death Scythe in a flash. The blade carved through the air, and the magic stone vanished as it was sliced into pieces.
[Death Scythe has acquired the skill: Flying Slash Lv. 3]
Rei blinked as the announcement registered. “...Huh? Why Flying Slash?”
Baffled by the unexpected result, he stared at the Death Scythe in his hand. Nothing about the weapon’s appearance had changed.
“Rei? What is it? Did you fail?” Elena asked, seeing his confused expression.
Rei shook his head slowly. “No, something unexpected happened.”
“Unexpected?”
“Yeah. I absorbed the Sand Snake stone, but the skill I got was Flying Slash Lv. 3.”
“Flying Slash... if I recall correctly, that is the one where you fire a blade of wind.”
Elena remembered it well, as it was a skill Rei used frequently due to its utility.
“Yeah. But I don't get why a Sand Snake—a snake monster—would give me a slashing skill.”
“Perhaps there was something in the way it attacked? Some hidden trait?”
“That’s the most likely explanation. Well, I’m not going to complain about getting a power-up. I’m happy to have it. Let’s see how much stronger it’s gotten.”
Rei tried to rationalize it as he prepared to test the skill's new potency.
(As Rei would later discover, Sand Snakes occasionally fire their venomous fangs as projectiles—a behavior that likely triggered the upgrade to Flying Slash.)
[Seto] Water Ball Lv. 2, Fire Breath Lv. 3, Wind Arrow Lv. 1, King's Intimidation Lv. 1, Poison Claw Lv. 4 (New), Size Change Lv. 1, Tornado Lv. 1, Ice Arrow Lv. 1, Optical Camouflage Lv. 1
[Death Scythe] Corrosion Lv. 2, Flying Slash Lv. 3 (New), Magic Shield Lv. 1, Power Slash Lv. 2, Wind Hand Lv. 2, Terrain Manipulation Lv. 1
Poison Claw: Secretes venom from the claws, poisoning any target wounded by them. The potency of the toxin increases with level.
Flying Slash: A skill that launches a concentrated shockwave. While it possesses significant power, only one projectile can be fired at a time.