Our footsteps echoed off the stone walls as we descended the spiral staircase toward the first floor of the Dungeon. Bell walked up front, while Lili trailed close behind him. I stayed a step to the side, glancing now and then at the adventures we passed.
"Hey," Lili said quietly, sidling closer to me when the stairs leveled out. "If it's not too intrusive… how much did the Guild actually pay you for those potions?"
Thinking about whether to admit the full sum. But I was now part of their party, and we were all in the same Familia. "They ended up giving me six thousand valis," I replied, keeping my voice low in case wandering adventurers had greedy ears.
"Six thousand—?!" Her eyes went wide, and Bell nearly tripped over his own feet. They both stopped mid-step, gawking at me. Well, there goes that idea of keeping it a secret....
Bell managed to find his voice first. "That's… an incredible amount for a handful of samples."
I shrugged, swallowing the small spark of pride flickering in my chest. "They decided it was worth it, I guess. Guild alchemists tested everything, found them safe and powerful, so… yeah."
Lili let out a shaky breath. "You basically made more on potions than some Level One adventurers earn in weeks of dungeon-crawling."
Bell flashed me a dazzled grin. "Wow, that's amazing! Lady Hestia's going to be thrilled—think of what we can do with that kind of money." Then he seemed embarrassed. " That's your Valis..."
"Yeah, well, don't worry. I plan to use it for the familia…" I cleared my throat, feeling embarrassed myself. It's not all free spending. We should probably invest it carefully. For now, though—" I unlatched my satchel. "I made these to share."
I drew three of my green healing potions from within and placed them in Lili's hands. Her mouth parted in surprise. Next, I dug out two larger bottles, the Mega Potions. "Take these too," I said, pressing them gently into her grasp. "I want you to have them, just in case. If we're in trouble, I'd rather you be able to heal or help Bell than fumble looking for my bag." I wasn't sure if she would be able to actually use it.
She stared at them. "These… thank you. Are you sure?"
"Positive." I nodded, stepping back to check the corridor. Bell was still smiling, as though impressed all over again. "Between you and Bell, I trust you'll keep us alive."
Bell laughed a bit nervously. "We'll do our best, right, Lili?"
She nodded, tucking the potions carefully into a hidden pouch in her cloak. "You can count on us."
At that moment, Nyx stirred. She slipped out of my shadow, stretching. Lili let out a tiny squeak, she was still getting used to Nyx's presence.
"Nyx, got something for you, too," I said, slipping a small, sheathed short sword from my satchel. The hilt was sized for a Pallum, perfect for her smaller paws. I held it out, and Nyx approached, sniffing curiously before chirping in delight. With a smooth motion, she unsheathed a few inches of gleaming steel, as if testing its weight.
Bell blinked. "That's… a new sword? For Nyx?"
I nodded, scratching the back of my neck. "Her wooden katana wasn't doing the best in here. This'll stand up better in a real fight." I winked, and Bell chuckled at the mild absurdity of it all. Even Lili allowed herself a small, wary grin.
Nyx tapped the blade against the floor, apparently satisfied, then slipped it neatly onto her back. She gave a short, triumphant chirp. Lili watched the entire display with wide eyes, muttering something about how she'd never get used to it, but she kept any deeper questions to herself.
We continued onward, the conversation drifting to safer topics, like how we'd handle basic monster encounters or whether we'd push deeper than the first few floors. My mind, however, started to drift. There was that faint tingling again, the same sense I'd had just before receiving a quest in the past. Sure enough, a translucent window popped up in my vision:
[Mission: Slay three rank 1-star monsters]
[Prize: Smithing Experience of Gemma]
[Failure: If you leave the Dungeon before completing this mission, you will be sent to a Pocket Plane. Survive 24 hours.]
The others didn't notice the glowing text that hovered in my field of view. This was my first time heading into the Dungeon with a group—and apparently, it was time to do another Summon Monster challenge. Could I handle that with Bell and Lili around?
"Everything okay?" Lili asked, noticing my sudden pause.
I forced a quick nod. "Y-yeah," I lied, blinking the mission window away. "Just thought I heard something." I couldn't exactly blurt out the quest info in front of them. Not unless I wanted to explain everything. That conversation would be… complicated.
Bell, bless his innocent soul, simply smiled. "We'll keep an eye out." He shifted the dagger at his hip, as though preparing for whatever might lurk ahead. "Let's go check the first floor corridors for any wandering monsters. Once we're warmed up, maybe we can head down to the second floor."
"Sounds like a plan," I said, clearing my throat to regain composure. Three rank 1-star monsters… Summoned monsters. Would Bell and Lili freak out if I conjured them out of nowhere?
Nyx padded beside me, the faint glimmer of her new sword occasionally catching my eye. She chirped, almost as if reminding me that we'd done this before, at least, done it alone. Still, going through a Summon Monster fight with the two of them present was a different beast entirely.
The path opened into a broad corridor lined with flickering crystal growths. I recognized the area from my earlier forays. It was usually swarming with weak goblins or occasional kobolds and some Konchu, but so far, it looked empty. Bell led the way. Lili followed closely, a small crossbow in her hands. I took up the rear, scanning the shadows. Maybe I should make Lili a lightbow gun?
We pressed on for a few more minutes, dispatching a handful of stray goblins that scurried too close. Bell handled them easily, and Lili fired off neat little bolts to finish those that tried to flee. I stepped in only once, Nyx providing quick strikes that ended fights before they truly began. It was a comfortable synergy.
Then, at last, we reached a quieter stretch of corridor. Bell paused, gesturing for us to circle up. "We should decide whether to keep farming the first floor or try for the lower floors," he said, his voice echoing softly. "What do you think?"
Lili pursed her lips. "We could push on, but… maybe we test this formation a bit more? Amara's new to working with us. No offense," she added hastily.
"None taken," I assured her. My eyes darted around, searching for a relatively secure location.
Bell, noticing my distraction, lowered his voice. "Amara, you're quiet. Something on your mind?"
Caught off guard, I plastered on a half-smile. "Just… thinking about what's next."
He nodded, apparently satisfied. Lili gave me a curious look but didn't press. A moment passed with only the faint drip of water somewhere in the depths of the Dungeon. Eventually, we agreed to continue exploring the first floor, gather some crystals, and see if the rumored new monsters were still roaming here.
As we stepped out of the side passage, my heart pounded a little faster. I had no intention of leaving the Dungeon without completing that mission. If the penalty was a forced 24-hour survival in a Pocket Plane, I wanted no part of that. But how to do it discreetly? Summoning three monstrous creatures, like the Chatacabra or worse would be… complicated.
Nyx nudged my shin, tail flicking. I gave her a brief nod, mental resolve firming. One step at a time. I'd figure out how to handle this Summon Monster quest without giving my entire secret away. We wandered along the branching corridors of the first floor.
"Look," Lili whispered suddenly, pointing to a small alcove in the wall. A faint metallic shimmer caught my eye. It was a chunk of ore, dull gray on the surface. I crouched, gently tapping it with the corner of my new pickaxe. With a few careful strikes, the ore dislodged: a chunk of iron, along with something faintly turquoise, Machalite. Perfect.
Bell peered over my shoulder. "Is this stuff valuable?"
I shrugged, slipping it into my satchel. "It's... useful, to me, anyway." I didn't elaborate, which made him frown in curiosity, but he let it go.
We proceeded through a wide tunnel where the walls glowed faintly with embedded crystals. Twice, I found mushrooms that definitely weren't typical Dungeon spawns, small bulbs with bright caps that I recognized instantly from my personal knowledge of Monster Hunter's world.
Lili raised an eyebrow, but merely collected them silently at my nod. A few scurrying insects, a color-tinged Godbug or two, flitted around the cracks in the walls, and I deftly scooped them up. Bell and Lili continued to exchange perplexed looks, but they didn't question me.
Eventually, my pickaxe struck something that let off a muted, glassy clink. I cleared some debris to reveal a faintly luminescent rock with striations of white. Earth Crystal. Carefully, I pried it loose and tucked it into my satchel.
"You gather the strangest materials," Lili commented, her voice trailing off as she peered at the Earth Crystal.
I mustered a casual tone. "They come in handy for… certain plans I have."
Bell grinned faintly. "Well, if it helps the Familia, I'm all for it. Just don't let me slow you down."
We continued down a twisting corridor lined with flickering sconces. Now and then, we paused, hearing distant clashes from other adventurers. Typical stuff for the early floors.
It wasn't long before we reached a larger chamber, where battered columns broke up the open space, forming pockets of shadow. Bell stepped forward, weapon at the ready, while Lili and I hung back a moment, scanning for signs of monsters. Nyx stirred in my shadow, tensing.
A low, guttural croak echoed from the darkness. From behind a crumbled pillar emerged a Chatacabra. Immediately, my eyes zeroed in on its dull red eyes, bright with the Dungeon's life force. This wasn't a summoned creature; it was a true spawn. The scales across its bulky body glistened with slime, and large chunks of stone adhered to its forelimbs like heavy gauntlets. But it seemed smaller than the one I had summoned.
So the Dungeon' began to create these based on that monster I summoned? That was… not good. If the Dungeon was copying my imports, who knew what else might show up later?
Bell took a careful stance, dagger held at the ready. Lili backed away, crossbow in hand, eyes wide. "Amara, that… that's the monster rumored to appear on the first floor, right?" she whispered.
I nodded grimly. "A Chatacabra. Nasty amphibian brute. Hits hard." The memory of being launched across the corridor by my own summoned Chatacabra was fresh enough to make my ribs ache in sympathy.
With a roar, the Chatacabra lunged at Lili, the smallest target. Her eyes went wide, and she scrambled back, raising the crossbow but lacking the time to fire. Without a thought, I rushed in, shield up. My braced stance caught the blow with a deafening clang. The force rocked through my arms, nearly rattling my teeth.
I felt the feedback surge through my shield arm as though something in the air crackled with energy. This was the same sensation I recalled from my "instinctive" knowledge, gleaned from how Monster Hunters would guard. As the Chatacabra's massive, stone-laden fist ground against my shield, sparks of tension flared around the point of contact. I pushed back on it, leaning my weight forward while it continued to pound away.
"Bell!" I shouted, voice straining. The Chatacabra was mid-clash, not pulling away yet.
Bell acted fast. He stepped sideways, raising his free hand. "Fire Bolt!" he cried, voice trembling with adrenaline. A spark of red ignited in his palm, flaring into existence before lancing outward. The streak of flame struck the Chatacabra in the side, drawing a guttural bellow and forcing it to shift its stance.
Seizing the moment, I shoved upward with my shield. The tension from the Power Clash snapped, hurling the Chatacabra back a few steps. The monster stumbled, swirling its thick tongue in the air in a furious hiss. Gouts of steam rose from the scorch mark Bell had left on its flank.
"Nice shot," I gasped, giving Bell a quick, grateful smile. I could already feel the mild bruise forming along my shield arm, but I wasn't about to let that slow me down.
Lili fired a crossbow bolt into the Chatacabra's shoulder. It impacted with a dull thunk, lodging in the slimy hide. The beast roared anew, swiveling its gaze to her. This time, I wouldn't let it charge.
"Nyx, now!" I commanded.
From the corner of my vision, Nyx darted out, the short sword glinting in her paws. With quick, nimble slashes, she targeted the Chatacabra's hind legs, forcing it to pivot around to guard. Meanwhile, Bell dashed forward, unleashing another "Fire Bolt!" that scorched the monster's stony forearms. Chips of rock tumbled away, leaving raw, slick flesh beneath.
The Chatacabra reeled from the combined assault, flailing wildly with its heavy fists. When it pivoted to slam Nyx, I took the opening and lunged in with a slash at its shoulder. My sword bit deep, thick amphibious blood spattering across the stone floor.
It roared, spinning about, bringing that rocky fist down in an arc that threatened to crush me. I braced, shield angled high, but the blow never landed, Bell darted in, hooking the monster's arm with his dagger, throwing it off balance.
Seeing an opening, Lili yanked the crossbow's lever and fired a final bolt that sank neatly into the Chatacabra's neck. The monster gurgled, staggering sideways with a wet wheeze. Its bulging red eyes flickered ominously. Then it collapsed in a heap,its body sagging into the floor.
The entire chamber fell silent except for the ragged sound of our breathing. My chest rose and fell, arms tingling from the force of that guard. Bell gasped for air, flickers of leftover magic swirling around his hand. Lili exhaled shakily, crossbow trembling just a touch in her hands.
The Chatacabra's body broke apart into countless motes of white dust, dissipating into the Dungeon's walls. A single somewhat big crystal thunked onto the stone floor, flickering with the faint glow of magic. Lili stepped forward, carefully prying it from the slimy remains. It resembled a standard magic stone albeit one larger than you'd see in a kobold or goblin.
Bell exhaled, shoulders sagging with relief. He glanced down at the smoldering mark on the ground where his last Fire Bolt had struck. "That was… intense."
"Tell me about it." I shook out my shield arm, which still tingled from that Power Clash. "You really saved my hide with that second Fire Bolt."
He gave a self-conscious laugh. "Team effort, right?"
Lili eyed the deep gash in the stone floor from our collective attacks. "If this is what it's like to fight new, stronger monsters on the first floor, maybe we should keep our guard even higher."
Nyx, sword still in paw, scanned the shadows for more threats. When she didn't sense any immediate danger, she slipped back into my shadow with a satisfied chirp. But no sooner had she disappeared than another distant rumble echoed through the corridor.
"Let's move," I said, gesturing for Bell and Lili to stay alert. "The Dungeon might decide to toss more surprises our way."
We navigated through another passage, this one lined with a jagged outcrop of crystals that cast eerie beams of light across the floor. No sign of other adventurers, maybe they'd gone deeper. Bell led us through a side corridor.
Before any of us could comment on the emptiness, a chorus of shrill, raptor-like screeches tore through the air. At the far end of the cavern, shadows rippled and broke away, revealing a pack of creatures about the size of large dogs, but built like predatory birds. Brown scales covered their lean bodies, and their angular heads tapered into vicious jaws lined with sharp teeth.
"Talioths…" I whispered in disbelief. "But… I've never seen them in the Dungeon before."
Bell, confusion plain on his face, took a wary step forward. "Talioths? Are those what these are called?"
I clenched my fists around my shield, mind racing. Talioths were bird wyverns from the Monster Hunter Wilds, known for pack tactics and relentless hunts. "I… I don't know. They definitely shouldn't be here."
Lili squinted, crossbow at the ready. "we have killed these before so don't worry."
I'd absolutely encountered Velociprey. I'd even killed some. Other adventurers had complained about them, too. "Something's not right," I mumbled.
Bell tightened his grip on his dagger. "Well, these Talioths aren't. We handle them first."
Nyx emerged partway from my shadow, giving a low hiss as she eyed the five or six Talioths prowling toward us. Their slender limbs dug into the Dungeon floor, readying to pounce.
"Here they come!" Lili warned, leveling her crossbow.
The Talioths struck in a rush of scything claws and snapping jaws. One lunged for Bell, aiming for his midsection. He twisted aside at the last second, letting the beast sail past while he slashed at its hindquarters. Another Talioth veered toward Lili, jaws agape, but she managed a well-timed bolt that pierced its shoulder, forcing it to skid sideways.
Two converged on me in a coordinated strike, one from the left, and one from the right. Nyx dove out from my shadow, intercepting the left attacker with quick sword slashes, while I raised my shield to block the right. The Talioth's momentum hammered my shield. Unlike the massive Chatacabra blow, this impact was smaller, but the Talioth raked at the edge, threatening to slip past my guard.
Pivoting on my heel I slammed it into the floor crushing it, it crumpled, dissolving into dust a moment later.
Meanwhile, Nyx finished off her foe with a rapid series of small but precise cuts to its legs and throat. Two Talioths down. Bell killed the one he'd wounded earlier. Lili reloaded her crossbow, pivoting neatly to put a final bolt through the skull of a Talioth that tried to flank her. That left one last Talioth, eyeing us with a frantic glint of desperation.
The creature let out a shrill, rattling hiss. It lunged, straight at me, apparently deciding to gamble on the battered shield user. But Nyx streaked into its path, sword raised overhead. She brought it down in a clean arc across the Talioth's snout. The beast yowled, momentum lost. I seized the chance to ram the shield into its torso, toppling it. Bell stepped in, finishing it off with a dagger thrust.
The Talioth burst apart like the others, scattering dust and leaving behind a magic stone that clattered on the ground. We all took a collective breath, scanning the chamber for any more signs of movement. Nothing.
Lili exhaled. "At least they're not as large as that Chatacabra."
"Still plenty dangerous in a pack," Bell murmured, picking up the magic stone.
Lili frowned. "But you called them Talioths like you recognized them?"
I hesitated, inhaling slowly. "I… might've heard about them somewhere else," I said finally, which was true but didn't answer her real question. "But from what I remember, they prefer open terrain. This cramped corridor is hardly ideal for them. Yet here they are anyway."
Lili gathered what few crystals remained. "We've got enough for a decent payday. And these magic stones are bigger than the ones from goblins or kobolds. Still, if you see any more mushrooms or weird bugs you want, Amara, let me know. I'll pick them up."
"Right," I said, trying to keep my tone steady. "Thanks."
Bell clapped his hands together softly. "Let's keep exploring. We've already beaten a Chatacabra and these Talioths."
"Agreed," Lili said, nodding emphatically.
We formed up again, Bell at the lead, Lili just behind, and me at the rear, shield ready. My mind was swirling with half-formed questions: What if the Outer God is erasing references to certain monsters that it's decided to remove from the Dungeon spawn list?
I tucked those thoughts away. Distracting myself with paranoia wouldn't help us survive the next fight. For now, I'd keep my guard up, watch for more Monster Hunter creatures, and see if the quest demanded I start summoning. If so… I'd have to be even more cautious about how my actions might alter this world's reality.
With that uneasy notion lingering in the back of my head, I followed Bell and Lili back into the winding corridors. Nyx's soft patter echoed behind us. And though I held my shield and sword at the ready.