Eminira Dungeon (1)
The knights accompanying us are Meyer, Wilson, Mick Hamilton, and Raul Kamuela. Hamilton and Kamuela are apparently good with earth magic and swords.
I introduced Canal and the Golden Wings to Brother Gerald and the others.
"He's the nephew of Commander Arcland, and an adventurer from a B-rank group?" Meyer seemed to question the combination, so I explained that Canal is learning magic from Commander Arcland together with me, and that Canal and the Golden Wings are connected through Shinana Village. I also mentioned that I’d practiced magic together with the Golden Wings before.
Once everyone had finished introducing themselves, we entered the dungeon, where we found a transfer room with a crystal ball sitting in the center, and a large door. That door leads to the exit on the tenth floor.
We used the transfer system to move to the first floor.
Apparently, this dungeon starts from a point halfway up the mountain and descends downward. The so-called dungeon "entrance" at the foot of the mountain is actually the tenth floor.
From the eleventh floor on, it becomes underground. But since it's a dungeon, the atmosphere of each floor varies, and even the underground ones don’t always feel like they're underground.
Canal’s group and mine transferred separately to the first floor.
The transferred location was a forest. We were still in a safe zone, but entering the forest would mean encountering goblins. Canal’s group arrived shortly after.
"Reinhardt, we finally get to fight together! I won’t lose!"
"Canal, I won’t lose either!" We were both excited for our first dungeon.
The first and second floors are forest areas where goblins appear. On the first floor, goblins show up in groups of about five. On the second floor, it’s around ten.
Canal and I were to each take down at least one goblin when we encountered them. The rest would be handled by Brother Gerald and the others.
Using water magic—Waterball—Canal and I took down goblins.
Their loot were rusty knives.
The path through the forest on the first floor was a straight line, with goblins suddenly jumping out from the sides again and again.
After walking for about two hours, we saw two or three groups of adventurers resting beneath a large tree. It seemed to be a safe zone.
"About one more hour of walking and we’ll reach the boss room. The boss consists of three Hobgoblins. If Hardt and Canal each take one down, what about the last one?"
"Let us take down all three ourselves."
"I also want to try if we can. If it gets dangerous, help us out. Is that okay, Brother Gerald?" I said,
"Woof, woof! (I want to defeat one!)"
"What? Atre, you want to take down a Hobgoblin? I’ve never seen you use magic though. Can you?" Apparently, Atre wanted to join the battle to train, since he hasn’t been using magic much.
It was decided that he could try, as long as he didn’t overdo it. So Atre would take on the third one.
We continued defeating goblins as we moved through the forest, eventually arriving at the boss room.
There were about five groups ahead of us, so we waited while taking a break.
"By the way, have you already decided who’s taking which Hobgoblin?" asked Allie from the Golden Wings.
Canal answered, "I’ll take the left one, Reinhardt will take the center, Atre will take the right."
"Totally relaxed for a bunch of first-timers."
"Well, no worries for floors one and two. These two are solid."
"Don’t let your guard down though, anything could happen." said Gregory, Will, and Salem from the Golden Wings.
"Looks like our turn is coming. Everyone, let’s go." Brother Gerald said, so we headed to the door of the boss room.
"Hardt, Canal—when this door glows blue, you can enter the boss room. It’s the same for every floor’s boss room, so remember that."
""Yes!""
"When the door glows, go in when you're ready. We’ll be right behind you watching.” Brother Gerald added.
After a while, the door glowed blue.
Canal and I looked at each other and nodded. I asked Atre if he was ready, and he said he was, so Canal and I opened the door.
The boss room had a rocky surface, and it wasn’t clear where the Hobgoblins were hiding.
We waited a while, but they didn’t show up...
Why? I thought, puzzled—and just then, three of them leapt out at once.
I panicked and shot a Waterball, but they dodged. Hobgoblins are apparently smarter than regular ones.
In a flurry, I launched a Big Waterball straight at one of their faces, enveloping it in water so it couldn’t breathe. The Hobgoblin thrashed around, then collapsed, no longer moving.
When I looked over, Atre and Canal had both taken down their Hobgoblins.
The loot from the boss room was three small pouches containing iron grains.
We exited the boss room.
"This boss room is known as a ‘Feint Room.’ The goblins don’t come out immediately. The moment your concentration slips as you think 'They’re not coming...', they strike." Explained Salem.
It seemed everyone had kept quiet about it on purpose so we’d get real practice.
Atre hadn’t flinched at the feint and took one out in a single blow with an Iceball.
I wish I’d seen his moment of glory!
Canal took his down by firing several Waterballs at its head.
I was the one flailing the most.
Apparently, Canal has experience—he runs into goblins every month in Shinana Village’s forest or on the road and takes them down, so he’s used to it.
As for me, aside from training, I have almost no real combat experience.
I’m glad I got to defeat monsters in a dungeon together with Canal this time.
What do you think about this chapter?
