I jumped in front of her and pulled the Shield of Champions from my Pocket Dimension. It was big enough that I could fit comfortably behind it while the bricks clanged harmlessly away.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes, I am unharmed. Let us go on.”
We continued our search.
“So your protection song doesn’t have any effect on you?” I asked.
“None whatsoever. To make matters worse, I’m quite frail.”
It would be best to assume that even a single brick would kill her. I ran through several scenarios in my head, debating whether it would be more sensible to Bestow a skill on her to improve her defense or if it would be better to give myself something. I felt like it’d depend on the situation, although the ideal would be nice if things stayed more or less like this all the way to the stairs.
“Turn the next corner and go straight on. You’ll find a room. The stairs are hidden in there.”
“Are there monsters in there?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
In other words, best to assume the answer was yes.
There was an open space at the end of the hall, just as the Third had said. But there was no door, and the stairs were nowhere to be seen. It was just an empty space—well, aside from the bricks that started pulling themselves off the wall when we entered. It was probably the same kind of trap as before.
I moved in front of the Third to protect her, but in the end, it was unnecessary. The bricks flew past us and began to pile up in the entrance. Moments later, they had closed off the entire space. It looked like I wasn’t going anywhere until I cleared the level. Of course, I could always use my Dungeon Elevator if I needed to, but I wanted to wait and see what happened first.
Bang, bang…bang! Bang!
It sounded like something was attacking the far wall. The stones were sturdy, but it didn’t take long for a hole to break through. It was too small for a grown person, but it was more than big enough for a goblin.
Eight of them streamed in, one after another. They were all quite small, only around three feet tall, and holding equally tiny spears. Perhaps the weapons had been tailor-made for them. They immediately surrounded me.
“I see what you’re doing!”
I was a little surprised when I looked at their abilities.
Name: Goblin
Level: 16
Skills: Agility (Grade A)
They were just normal goblins, and really low-level ones for this floor of the dungeon too. They all had A-Grade Agility, and I guessed they were planning to use their speed to destroy the Third. It would be easier than defeating me, and it would likewise prevent me from reaching the next floor.
I executed the first strategy I came up with, using 500 LP to create the skill Stone Wall.
“Eeee!”
The goblins flew at the Third with their spears, and I acted quickly—manifesting a wall in front of her that was almost the same height as me. The goblins smashed into it head-first and fell to the floor. Things were off to a good start, but that wouldn’t be enough to protect her.
Stone Wall: Manifests a wall of stone in front of the user. Effect is temporary.
The size and strength of the wall depended on the user’s experience, magic reserves, and talent. I used Editor to make it easier to use.
Add “multiple walls can be connected to create a box.”
It only cost 600 LP, so I didn’t hesitate. After all, the goblins were coming at her from all sides.
“Crouch down, please!”
The Third did as I asked, and I quickly surrounded her with walls.
“Eek?!”
The goblins smashed into the stone box and tried to stab it with their spears, but it didn’t yield. I collected the spears from the fallen goblins. They turned on me next. Seemed they had some kind of decision-making ability after all. I fired off a Holy Flame and a Lightning Strike with one hand and swung my sword with the other—cutting down anything in close range. The goblins were nimble, so it took a while, but I defeated them without a scratch.
“Are you okay?” I asked the Third.
“Yes, I seem to be quite all right.”
As I wondered how to get her out of the box, the effect wore off and the walls vanished.
“I defeated the goblins,” I said. “Let’s look for the stairs.”
Admittedly, I wasn’t exactly sure how to do that. As far as I could tell, the room was empty. I peered through the hole the goblins had come through and saw another room on the other side. It was much the same as this one, and there was no sign of any doors or stairs in there either. The Third took that as her cue to squeeze through the hole.
“Things could get dicey in there,” I warned her.
“That won’t be an issue—because you’re coming with me.”
I followed her through the hole. The Third stood in front of one of the walls and looked back at me.
“The stairs are on the other side.”
“Of the wall? Should I destroy it?”
“No, no need. Open, o wall, let us through~!” she sang.
The lyrics were rather…literal. About twenty seconds later, the wall rumbled and opened up, revealing another small room. Ah, and there were the stairs to the next floor. I guessed there was some kind of trick, but surely I could have smashed my way through too.
“Congratulations, valiant one,” said the Third. “Good luck in the lower levels.”
“Thanks for all your help. What’s going to happen to you?”
“Nothing in particular. I will go on singing, as I always have. Just like this: Hurry on your way~! You don’t have all day~!”
“……”
She was treating me like a pest.
“All right, you don’t have to say it twice. I’m going. Goodbye for now.”
“Fare thee well~! And never come back~!”
Well, that stung. I’d actually kinda liked her! Although I supposed it had been a totally superficial relationship…
With her immense vocal talent to encourage me, I headed down to the seventeenth floor. Before long, her singing faded away, and the entire atmosphere of the dungeon changed.
For starters, it was so bright down here! And the sound of crashing waves was overwhelming. A sandy beach spread out before a vast ocean in front of me. Behind me was a huge green forest. I might as well have been on an island. The sun was even shining brightly overhead. If I hadn’t known better, I’d never have guessed that I was still inside a dungeon.
Considering Dory’s forest and the volcanic level, I really shouldn’t have been surprised anymore, but it was still awe-inspiring every time.
“I guess it’s a deserted island? I bet there are still monsters here. I should probably call it quits for now.”
My elevator skill registered the new level as soon as I set foot on it, after all. Thus, I used my Dungeon Elevator and left. Given how big this floor looked, it would probably take me a while to find the next set of stairs.
On my way home, I asked the Great Sage how I should go about it.
<Give yourself a skill that allows you to sense enchanted items, or obtain an item that possesses such a skill. Use that skill to seek the stairs.>
Enchanted Item Perception was pricey at 5,000 LP. I could have managed it, but I figured it would be better to find an item with the skill already on it. I could have just asked the Great Sage where to find one, but I wanted to avoid that if I could. My head was already throbbing, and if it was a high-grade item, I’d probably get a massive headache for my trouble.