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Chapter: Dungeon — Floor 11 (Part 1)
After registering our transfer point by touching the teleport stone, we decided to begin exploring the eleventh floor of the dungeon.
According to the guild branch manager, hardly any explorers have ventured this deep. That means no one has an accurate map of the area yet.
If we could explore it properly, our data would help complete one — and the guild was even willing to pay for the information.
More importantly, a reliable map could save future explorers’ lives.
We’d been helped by one before, after all.
So, we decided to thoroughly investigate this floor to help create a proper survey map.
The dungeon was vast, and we probably wouldn’t finish in a single day.
Still, there was no need to rush — safety always came first.
When I asked the spirits to begin scouting, they flew off in every direction.
Our first goal was to locate the passage that led to the twelfth floor.
After that, we’d map the left side of the floor, then the right.
Most likely, today would end with just reaching the twelfth-floor entrance.
If we rode on Kuromitsu’s back, we could probably get there in no time, but then we’d miss all the finer details along the way.
After a while, the scouting spirits began returning one after another.
“Did you find the entrance to the twelfth floor?” I asked.
The spirits nodded eagerly.
“Alright, lead the way.”
They flew ahead, guiding us through the dim stone corridors.
We followed at a calm pace, watching for monsters.
Along the way, three orcs appeared, but the spirits took care of them in an instant — their bodies scattering into motes of light.
I decided to let Daria handle some of the combat this time. She was still a lower-ranked spirit, and I wanted to give her a chance to earn experience.
As for Yomogi, I still thought of her as more of a soothing presence — a healer of hearts rather than a fighter. I didn’t want to push her into battle unnecessarily.
Yomogi walked between Misuzu and me, holding our hands as we made our way down the corridor.
Snow padded quietly ahead of her, while Bach and the others followed behind. Our knights brought up the rear, maintaining a steady formation.
Dense forest flanked both sides of the path, and I could see shapes moving among the trees — orcs, most likely, prowling through the underbrush.
Every so often, one would emerge from the shadows, but Daria’s fire magic burned them to ash before they could get close.
Eventually, the path ended at the foot of a mountain.
A single cave entrance yawned in the rock face ahead — and two orcs stood guard before it.
“What’s going on here?” I wondered aloud.
Before I could decide what to do, Yomogi stepped forward, relaying the words of the scouting spirits in her gentle voice.
“Master, that cave is a monster nest. The passage beyond it leads to the twelfth floor. There are many monsters inside.”
“I see… thanks, Yomogi.”
Her ability to speak human language made communication with the spirits much smoother — a great help during expeditions like this.
Well, with our current team, a nest full of monsters shouldn’t be a problem.
“Misuzu, shall we head inside and clear the way to the twelfth floor?”
“Mm-hm. I’m ready!” she replied with a determined nod.
With her approval, we advanced into the cave.
Our knights took point, swords drawn. Snow followed close behind.
Misuzu, Yomogi, and I formed the center line, while the spirits floated above us to provide support. Bach and the others guarded the rear.
“Alright,” I said quietly, “let’s move out.”
The knights charged first, cutting down the two orcs guarding the entrance in a single motion.
We stepped into the cave.
It was dim inside, the air thick with moisture. Faintly glowing moss clung to the walls, casting a pale green light across the stone.
“Master,” Yomogi said suddenly, “the spirits report something approaching from above.”
I looked up, scanning the darkness.
Something glided through the air — soundless, fast, and too high for the knights’ blades to reach.
They could have launched magical slashes to hit it, but instead they waited.
It seemed they were trusting the spirits to handle it.
A flutter of movement — several winged creatures swept over our formation.
The spirits fired their attacks, beams of light piercing the darkness.
The flying shapes vanished one after another, dissolving into glowing motes before dropping to the ground as magic stones.
Clink… clink…
The sound of gems hitting stone echoed faintly.
“They turn into magic stones… so they must be monsters,” I murmured. “But what kind?”
We’d need that information for the map report later.
At that moment, Yomogi let go of my hand.
Her arm morphed, elongating like a whip as it lashed upward.
In one swift motion, she caught one of the flying monsters out of the air — then slowly drew it down, presenting it to me like a cat bringing back a prize.
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