Once I crushed its head to finish it off, the Sharp Snake lingered for a few seconds before dissolving into particles, leaving behind a drop item. Having a vague suspicion about its identity, I stepped closer. Just as I thought, it was snake skin.
Is it safe to touch? It won't... cut my hand, will it?
"It’s snake skin. Well, I had a feeling that’s what we’d get."
"Grass Lizards drop lizard skin, so it’s no surprise that a Sharp Snake would drop snake skin," Yuji added.
"Snake skin... I wonder if it’s intended for belts or wallets?" Hiiragi-san mused.
A wallet made from Sharp Snake skin... I could almost picture a scene where a bullet gets stopped by the wallet in someone’s pocket, saving their life. It would probably be more expensive than a mediocre bulletproof vest, though.
"More importantly, Daiki, is that thing safe to handle?"
"Hold on, I'm checking... Yeah, it's fine. It’s a durable skin with plenty of flexibility. It doesn't look like the scales will cut you even if you touch them with your bare hands."
I shared the results of my Appraisal Analysis with the other two while picking up the snake skin. It was much more supple than I had expected. To think it could become so dangerous through the effect of a skill...
As I checked the condition of the skin by lightly pulling it between my hands, Yuji spoke up, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"Hey, Daiki? Is that really just a durable, flexible skin? Any chance it has an added effect like the heat resistance on lizard skin?"
"It’s not exactly an added effect, but the surface scales have an impact-dispersing structure. It might be resistant to strike-type attacks."
"Might, huh..."
"I haven't actually tested it, so I can't say for sure."
I tried flicking the skin with my finger, but since it wasn't fixed to anything, it just swayed. I couldn't really tell if the impact-dispersing effect was doing anything. Well, it was dispersion, not negation; the impact itself would still transfer through.
"I see... but if it can disperse impact, it might be useful for explorer innerwear."
"Innerwear, huh."
An explorer wearing snakeskin undergarments... It would probably be excellent armor, but it felt like it would give off a sketchy vibe.
"Kokonoe-kun, what exactly are you imagining right now?"
At Hiiragi-san's pointed look, I shook my head several times to brush away the shady imagery. Clearing my throat to cover the lapse, I brought the conversation back from its derailment.
"W-Well, more importantly, the problem we identified in this battle is that bisecting a monster doesn't necessarily mean it’s dead. Until now, things ended when we took off a head or cut them in half, but with an enemy like the Sharp Snake, we have to pinpoint the head and crush it."
It was a bit of a blunt pivot to clear the awkward air, but since the topic was relevant, both Yuji and Hiiragi-san grew serious.
"Right. It would be a hassle if enemies like this appeared in groups," Yuji agreed.
"You're right," Hiiragi-san said. "If we think we've defeated it but it’s actually still active... depending on the situation, we could suffer a fatal blunder."
"When facing multiple enemies, it's hard to wait for each one to turn into particles. I don't intend to get sloppy, but from now on, we shouldn't stop being vigilant until particleization actually begins, even if we think the target is down."
Assuming the fight is over just because we lopped off a head... that’s probably not going to cut it anymore. While it was a disadvantage that our attention would be divided for longer, it was better than getting hit by a surprise attack from a "dead" opponent.
And while we were still within a manageable range, things might get grim if we ever ran into multiple monsters with a regeneration ability.
Having finished our brief review meeting on the Sharp Snake, we decided to head back to the staircase plaza at the starting point. We would do a proper debriefing after we left the dungeon; this area was too overgrown to be safe.
Once we were back at the staircase plaza, we began selecting a route to the 34th floor, keeping the Sharp Snake’s traits in mind.
"Setting aside the lizards, we should avoid places where the snakes are clustered," I suggested. "It's not that we couldn't handle it, but I think Yuji and I should experience a fight with a Sharp Snake before we do anything else. Their movements are unique, so I’d rather avoid fighting groups right away."
"True," Yuji said. "I'd rather not instinctively throw a punch or a kick because my weapon was out of position and end up cutting myself."
Even with quick-acting recovery potions, there was no reason to take unnecessary injuries. Pain could be a distraction, and distractions led to death. It was better for everyone to fight one and get a handle on their habits.
"Hiiragi-san, what was your impression of fighting it directly?"
"Let's see... as you saw, they can move even while they're in the air. Since a snake is basically one long muscle, it uses that strength to forcibly change its posture and expand its attack range. Even if you think you’ve dodged, you should assume its entire body length is a danger zone."
"In other words... don't try to dodge at the last second?"
"Yes. Or dodge on the premise that it will follow up mid-air."
Thinking you’ve dodged only for the attack range to suddenly expand... that was a headache. Moreover, the Sharp Snake's entire body was a blade; even a light graze could cause a nasty wound.
"It's fine when it's one-on-one, but in a group fight, we’ll have to make sure our dodge paths don't overlap with the other snakes' reach," Yuji noted.
"That means knowing everyone's positioning is going to be more important than ever," Hiiragi-san added.
"If we lose track of each other, we might dodge our own target only to jump right into the path of someone else's."
The ability to change direction in mid-air made the Sharp Snake a very troublesome foe. It was probably best to crush them before they could leap.
On top of that, our combat style relied on individual strength rather than tight coordination. We focused on not getting in each other's way while providing support. But it seemed that wouldn't be enough going forward. We needed real synergy. That meant more training under Juzo-san... or maybe Genya-san.
"I guess the best countermeasure is to crush the head immediately," I said.
"Yeah. Crushing them before they can start thrashing around is the safest bet."
"We should prepare suitable weapons or magic so we can react instantly," Hiiragi-san said.
"Considering the risk of weapon breakage and the cost, maybe iron pipes are the way to go?"
Scaffolding pipes from a home center would be perfect. If we swung those with our full strength, they’d be devastating blunt weapons, even if they bent or snapped in the process.
"Iron pipes... They’d need some grip tape, but that’s a solid idea," Yuji agreed.
"They have plenty of reach and weight. They’re perfect makeshift clubs," Hiiragi-san said.
With their approval, we decided to pick up a bunch of them, including spares, before our next dive. If I sold one snake skin, I could probably buy them by the dozen.
"As for magic... maybe just stick with Air Cutter? Like in that fight just now, bisecting them doesn't kill them, but it slows them down. It makes it easier to follow up on the head."
"True, it’s better to use something reliable. Besides..."
"It’s a narrow attack, but the activation and projectile speed are fast," Hiiragi-san noted. "It's easy to land."
For a preemptive strike, Air Cutter was the most balanced choice. High-power spells often had a long wind-up, which wouldn't work against a fast, thin target.
"So, we use iron pipes and Air Cutter as our primary counters for Sharp Snakes?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Yes, that should be fine."
Iron pipes would be extra weight, but with Spatial Storage, they wouldn't be a burden. They’d work on the lizards, too.
"Now that that’s settled, let’s pick our route to the 34th floor. Since Yuji and I need to fight a snake, let’s find a path with isolated specimens, even if it’s a detour."
"How about this one?" Yuji pointed out.
"It goes through two single Sharp Snakes, then a spot where five Grass Lizards are gathered," Hiiragi-san observed. "What do you think, Kokonoe-kun?"
"I'm fine with that. There are a few Grass Lizards near the snakes, but if we take the snakes out fast, we shouldn't have to worry about a pincer attack."
We didn't find any perfectly isolated snakes like the one Hiiragi-san had fought, but we could manage. We set off from the staircase plaza.
After Yuji and I both finished our own fights with Sharp Snakes—thankfully without interference—we were walking with identical frowns.
"The movement really is weird. The way the head snaps to a different position the moment it senses danger is a pain."
"It's only a small shift, but hitting a moving target that small is tough. We definitely need to hit them with a preemptive strike to slow them down first."
Having faced them personally, we finally understood how annoying they were. They weren't strong, but they were hard to finish. It wasn't an issue one-on-one, but in a crowd, the extra time needed to confirm a kill would be lethal.
If only the Sharp Scale skill would deactivate once they were cut, I could just stomp their heads.
"You two, focus. The next enemies are close."
"Oh, right. Sorry, Hiiragi-san."
"Got a bit distracted there."
We pushed the snake issue to the back of our minds and slapped our cheeks to focus.
A short walk later, we found them. They glared at us, hissing in warning.
"Four, five. Just like the drone saw. No ambushes."
"Then let’s finish these off and move on."
"Agreed."
We readied our weapons. I scanned the area one last time. In this long grass, visibility was low—the perfect place for a surprise attack.
After a brief standoff, the Grass Lizards and our group moved at the same time.
"Hah!"
"Hmph!"
"Yaah!"
The lizards lunged—one at me, one at Yuji, and three at Hiiragi-san. It looked like they were trying to pin the two of us down to swarm her.
However, it was over in an instant.
The lizards were cut down before they could even touch us. Even with three attacking at once, Hiiragi-san wasn't someone who would be overwhelmed by that level of opposition. After all, she’d been through the same training as us.
As the lizards began to dissolve, we finally relaxed.
"Phew... no signs of other monsters nearby. That’s that."
"Yeah, but look at this..."
"Five of them, and only two drops?"
Only two pieces of skin remained where the five lizards had been. Well, they sold for a good price, so it was still income. I gathered the skins and tucked them into Spatial Storage.
We walked a bit further and finally reached the stairs to the 34th floor.
"We made it. Knowing the route ahead of time really speeds things up."
"Cuts out all the time spent wandering," I agreed.
"However... it's about that time," Hiiragi-san said, pointing to her watch.
"Oh, right. I guess we stop here for today?"
"Wait, wait! Since we have the drone, can’t we just do a quick scout of the 34th floor before we head back? We can record the footage and analyze it tonight. It’ll only take ten minutes!"
Yuji was desperate. Hiiragi-san and I shared a look. There was a practical benefit to it, sure, but I suspected he just really wanted to fly the drone again.
We eventually gave in to his enthusiasm. Since we had a few minutes to spare, we decided to run a quick reconnaissance flight of the 34th floor before calling it a day. Was flying a drone really that exciting?