Chapter 277

Dungeon Third Floor: Exploration of the Forest Floor Continues
The next day, we continued exploring the Forest Floor.
By now, we’d figured out most of the hiding spots for treasure chests, so the collection process was smooth.
By noon, we’d already gathered 30 chests.

“This Forest Floor sure has a lot of treasure chests.”

“No, no, Lily. This is *not* normal. You’re definitely an anomaly.”

“Really? Am I, Melanie?”

“Yes, without a doubt.”

While I was feeling quite pleased with myself, Melanie seemed skeptical about how we were collecting so many.
It’s not like I was doing anything underhanded—we were simply searching tree hollows and treetops.
I think the difference lies in priorities; regular adventurers likely don’t bother checking such places.
In fact, the few adventurers we occasionally encountered were either hunting monsters or rushing toward the next floor.
Treasure hunting doesn’t seem to be a focus for most on this level.

“Well, putting that aside for now, are you not going to open those chests?”

Melanie asked, her curiosity evident. But I have no intention of opening them.
The fun part about these things is to collect a lot of them and then open them all at once.
When I explained this to her, Melanie looked as if she understood, but also didn't.
And that's fine, because that's what I want to do.

“The timing for opening chests doesn’t really matter. So, Lily, are we going to continue searching for treasure this afternoon as well?”

“Yes, let’s do that. We’ll move to the next floor tomorrow.”

“Understood. I’ll send three of my maids ahead to locate the stairs to the next floor. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

“Good. You heard the orders. Don’t let me down.”

“Understood! Leave it to us!”

Plum issued commands to her maids, who promptly disappeared into the forest to carry out their mission.
I assumed they had an agreed-upon rendezvous point, given Plum’s methodical nature.

We continued searching for treasure in the afternoon, bringing the total number of chests to 73.
Not bad at all.
Even Plum seemed exasperated by the sheer number.

“Lily, isn’t this a bit excessive? You’ve gathered too many chests.”

“I’m just finding them normally, you know. It’s not like I’m setting traps or using decoys.”

“Well… fair enough.”

“Anyway, let’s start opening them!”

I began with the wooden chests, which contained the usual assortment of potions and the occasional magic item.
Next came the iron chests, which yielded better loot, including summoning cards and magic tools.

Finally, I got to the copper chest—a rare find, as it was the first one we’d acquired today and the only one of its kind.
I silently wished for a Skill Crystal as I opened the chest.
A golden light spilled out. Could this be a jackpot?

“Inside is… Yes! A Skill Crystal!”

Sure enough, a genuine Skill Crystal was inside.
Melanie seemed the most shocked.

“A Skill Crystal!? Is it real?”

“I think so. Here, take a look.”

“Wait, you’re just handing it to me? Hmm… Yes, it’s authentic.”

“Yay!”

“However… it doesn’t appear to be the Magic Sewing skill we’re looking for.”

“Huh?”

“This Skill Crystal contains a unique magic called ‘Mist Magic.’ It allows the user to generate a thick fog so dense that even their own feet become obscured.”

Now it was my turn to feel disappointed.
So, it’s not the Magic Sewing skill after all.

“If you offer this to Marquis Vardmoi, he’d likely reward you handsomely. What is your plan?”

“Eh? Am I allowed to do as I please with the Skill Crystals?”

“Yes. While nobles typically buy them for large sums, the finder is free to use them if they wish. But in your case, Lily, you don’t particularly need a reward from the Marquis, do you?”

Well, I don’t have any specific rewards I’d want, but being told that makes me reconsider a bit.

After discussing it with the others, we decided that I would use the Skill Crystal.
It’s versatile for both offense and defense, and Plum already possesses this magic, so it made sense for me to take it.
I briefly considered giving it to one of the members of Wildcat Claws, but they didn’t seem keen on using a Skill Crystal for themselves.

While finding a Skill Crystal is exciting, it seems locating the one I want will still be a challenge.

What do you think about this chapter?