Chapter Fifty-eight: To The Dungeon
“It really was close to town, huh?”
“That’s probably why the guild was so frantic about it…”
After about ten minutes of walking from the main gate, we found ourselves in an unremarkable forest.
…Yup. It looks like just a regular forest, but when I hung the amulet Mr. Ville gave me around my neck… I can suddenly see it—a cave-like opening gaping within the forest.
According to Mr. Ville, a few guild staff members disguised as adventurers completing gathering quests in this area have cast an illusion spell here. This way, only those with the given amulets can see the entrance. The amulet essentially serves as a "pass for authorized personnel.”
Additionally, they are monitoring the surrounding magical energy and magnetic fields while guiding other adventurers away from this dungeon entrance. Conducting a real-time investigation of risky areas and keeping people away from potential danger zones is a sound approach to safety management.
"…No enemy presence detected so far…”
"Got it, let me know if anything comes up.”
"Hey, Ville, the passage looks pretty wide in there. Can’t Rin just blitz through with her skill?”
"Part of our job is gathering intel on what monsters appear, their strengths and tendencies if possible. Rin’s skill won’t let her even spot enemies.”
"Ah, that is troublesome…”
From a distance, the cave seems small and unassuming, but up close, it is quite imposing. The sight of a pitch-black hole gaping amidst the lush greenery can only be described as "eerie.”
Near the entrance, which looks as though it might be exuding miasma, Ms. Aria is inspecting the cave interior. She is acting as a scout, using threads infused with magic to map out the general layout and locate enemy positions.
While Ms. Aria is busy, I take another look at the cave before us. It resembles an old tunnel with a rough, uneven interior, as if concrete had been directly sprayed onto the excavated rock—what’s known as a rock mortar-sprayed tunnel. It seems to have enough width and height for the Camping Car to pass through easily, but if we need information on the enemies, progressing while still inside the vehicle wouldn’t be feasible. There’s no easy way, right?
"The vanguard will be Aria and me. Rin, you’ll be in the middle. Ed and Xenon will cover the rear.”
"For us in back, we just gotta support Rin if anything happens? Okey dokey!”
"During a back attack, we’ll rely on the vanguard to provide support, alright?”
With Ms. Aria’s signal, we finally ventured into the dungeon. Apologetically, I took my place in the middle of the formation since I have no combat abilities. Even with my Survival, I wouldn’t be able to escape from enemies if I were in the front. And if I walked at the rear, I’d either lag behind and get lost or be attacked by monsters—neither option sounds appealing!
Following everyone in the Camping Car was another idea, but we concluded that avoiding floor traps would be too difficult.
"U-Um, sorry to trouble you all like this…”
"Every party with a porter has to make accommodations. Don’t worry about it.”
"Ville’s right, Rin. You’re the reason we even took on this potentially prolonged job, so indulging you is only natural.”
"Mhm. Without Rin’s cooking, we’d have to abandon this mission halfway through… Food is crucial!”
"Yeah yeah, you’ll get used to adventuring life as we go!”
As I dejectedly hunched my shoulders at my helplessness, they reassured me with pats on the head and back. Oof, their kindness is touching…! No matter what happens from here, I’ll leverage my Survival to the fullest to detect danger and retreat to Campy when needed. Until I level up, I’ll be relying on you all.
Internally bowing deeply in apology, I step into the cave, doing my best to keep my footsteps silent. I have been prepared for total darkness, but… there’s this faint greenish-gold glow illuminating the surroundings. It’s like a night light—slightly brighter than the tiny bulb in a fluorescent lamp—just enough to make out our surroundings. While torches or lanterns would provide better visibility, the sudden flare of light in the usual darkness would draw too much attention. Having this faint light, even without a proper light source, is a blessing.
"The walls are glowing…?”
“Luminous moss. No idea why, but it gives off light.”
“…This level of illumination should allow even those without night vision to navigate without a light source.”
The source of the light turns out to be a thin layer of moss clinging to the walls. True to its nature, it is called "luminous moss." I’d heard about “hikarigoke” also known as “luminescent moss” before, but this was my first time seeing it in person!
…Well, who knows if this is the same species found back home, but still.
As I curiously studied the moss, Mr. Ville muttered about the ambient light level while scanning our surroundings.
…"Those without night vision," huh…? I am not a night blind, but this dim light is tough to navigate for me… I’m finally getting my eyes adjusted, but I still feel uncertain about my footing… Do people in this world adapt to the dark faster or their level of night vision is just better?
Suddenly, Mr. Ville’s palm is thrust in front of my face. Startled, I look up to see his eyes, now sharp and serious, as he presses a finger to his lips. At that moment, Aria’s whispers "They’re coming" reach my ears, and Survival alert flashes red before my eyes.
…Ah! That means be quiet…!
Silently taking combat stances, the rest of the party comes into view as I press myself flat against the cave wall. The damp moss and rock feel unpleasant, but complaining isn’t an option!
Shhurlll… sharalll… If I had to transcribe the noise, that’s about what it sounded like—the subtle dragging of some wide object echoing from the depths.
"…A musty scent, with that distinct sweet-and-sour syrupy aroma… A maarflower, I suppose?”
"Aahh… In that case, we just burn it, right?”
"Maarflower…?”
"It’s a plant monster with highly developed leaves that allow it to move on its own. Look, there it is.”
Mr. Xenon’s murmurs seem to ease the tense air a bit. Had they dealt with these "maarflowers" before…? The casual tone gave me an "Oh, that thing" vibe. Could it be that it’s not as strong as I thought…?
Having never encountered one myself, though, I have no basis to judge! As I tense up further, Mr. Ville points subtly deeper into the cave.
…Oh, what is THAT…?
It’s like someone took the leaves of a snake plant, enlarged them, and spread them out on the ground like a massive dandelion. In the center of this sits a tulip flower with a short stem. The whole silhouette looks bizarre enough, but those leaves are actually moving, crawling along the ground. So, the faint slithering and rustling sound I’ve been hearing is from these leaves dragging and sweeping across the ground… unbelievable.
When I check Survival’s window, I see that it is indeed labeled "maarflower." The edibility rating is "edible." Well, that’s not very reassuring! It means it’s not tasty! Wait a minute… The description also says it’s "carnivorous"!?
"That flower emits an enthralling scent to lure in other creatures and flora as food.”
"Oh… A carnivorous plant, huh? Yikes…!”
"Yeah. But since it’s a plant, it’s weak against fire, see!”
Oh my god, I’ve heard of insect-eating plants, but meat-eating ones?! This could throw the whole ecosystem out of balance! And more importantly, the way it moves is just… unsettlingly creepy!
…Mr. Ed laughs and reaches out, snapping me back to reality. His easy-going demeanor seems to dissolve the tension in the air.
"Well, that’s that…!”
"…Huh?!”
"For plant-type monsters, burning them is by far the easiest solution!”
As Mr. Ed clenched his outstretched palm, the previously squirming maarflower halted abruptly, crumpled, and with a fwoomp, swiftly blazed up and promptly burned to ash…!
"Your flames burn hot as ever, Ed.”
"Eh, huh? A fire just… What?!”
"Just isolate, compress and ignite! Simple, right?”
"I don’t understand at all!”
As I stood there in stunned silence, even the remaining ash dispersed with a soft whoosh, leaving behind a seed about the size of a clenched fist and what looked like a leaf. Since they had called it a "monster," I assume these are drop items.
As Mr. Ville picked up the scattered items from the ground, Mr. Ed puffed out his chest proudly. His smug expression looked so much like Ms. Aria’s. Well, they do say couples start to resemble each other over time. Though, I had no idea what he was saying!
In any case, I need to stay on high alert. Mr. Ed made it look easy this time, but there’s no guarantee it will go as smoothly next time. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to escape successfully.
After all, the investigation has only just begun…!
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