episode_0149

Rock Worm.

Just by looking at the name, it might seem like a small, cute worm made of rock.

In reality, it feels more like a dragon made of countless huge rocks.

I wonder if it wouldn’t be better to call it a rock lizard or a rock dragon instead.

But the original name is given by the one who first discovers it. And when it’s coiled up, it looks exactly like a worm.

But when it uncoils its body, several hidden rock arms sprout out like a centipede.

And when it comes charging with its rock body like a snake, roaring, it’s impossible not to be scared.

But the rock worm that was charging ahead is instantly flung back.

Clang-

The rock worm’s upper body flips backward with a cheerful sound, thanks to Jack who succeeded in parrying.

No matter how you look at it, the fact that it not only blocks but also deals damage is cheating.

The opening created thanks to that.

Luka charges into the gap once Jack steps out.

Luka immediately draws out his Wild Claws and cuts the rock worm’s waist.

He cleanly slices the point where the rocks are connected.

Seeing the cleanly cut cross-section, Jack laughed heartily.

“Wow, that’s unbelievable?! I should’ve become a beastkin too!!”

I wanted to say that not all beastkin can use that kind of power.

But since the tail part of the rock worm, whose body was cut, kept moving, my gaze was drawn in that direction.

“It’s moving!!!”

Like animals such as worms, snakes, and eels that continue to move even after their bodies are cut. The rock worm’s tail moved greatly, throwing rock fragments everywhere.

A few were coming towards me, so I threw myself to the side.

Crunch-

While I was looking at the rock that fell where I had been and rubbing my surprised chest.

In the distance, the fight was still continuing.

One rock worm, cut in half, was sufficiently trading blows with just the remaining half of its body.

Jack, the vanguard, was holding one back by parrying as much as possible, but unfortunately, there wasn’t just one rock worm here.

A rock worm charging from behind runs towards Kairek, who is shooting arrows.

“As expected… Ignoring the vanguard and targeting the archer.”

Like the gem soldiers and gem knights on the 7th floor, it doesn’t blindly target the enemy in front of it, but rather seems to assess the situation, charging towards Kairek.

Naturally, Kairek shoots arrows at the charging worm, but they don’t cause significant damage either.

“…Tch.”

Since its body is hard enough that it absolutely won’t break with regular arrows, it seems he’s decided to face it head-on, pulling out a huge, heavy explosion arrow.

The arrow that left his hand greatly misses the rock worm’s head and flies off elsewhere.

Seeing that, the rock worm, thinking the arrow missed, charges even more recklessly.

But the explosion arrow that left his hand went Bang! and exploded, and the intense explosion shifted the trajectory of the rock worm’s charging body.

In the end, the rock worm slammed its head into a random spot.

The acceleration that had built up while it charged like it was sliding disappeared. Noah and Grace appeared next to the rock worm that had momentarily stopped.

Avatar’s Scythe immediately sliced the rock worm’s body, and Grace went into the gap that was split open and used a repulsion field.

Crunch-

With a sound, the rock was split in two.

The second rock worm’s body was also cleanly split in half.

What the, it seems quite manageable even without me stepping in?

I was a bit nervous because it was the 8th floor.

The number is small, and their specs don’t seem particularly outstanding.

Of course, Noah is here, and Jack, the reliable vanguard, has joined, but is this right?

“It’s going to shed its skin!!!”

Jack’s voice was heard then.

Sure enough, as soon as Jack finished speaking, the rock worms began to tremble, and the rocks that maintained their bodies started to fall off.

The rock worm, having completely shed its rock after that, no longer had its giant body, and had become a lizard about twice the size of a human at most.

If that’s the main body, did our attacks so far only break the outer shell?

“Don’t position yourselves in front of it!!!”

Following Jack’s words, we maintained distance and circled around the lizards.

The two lizards stood still in place, looking at us and flicking their tongues.

Then, they instantly charged towards Jack and Luka.

A speed that is incomparable to when they were covered in rock shell.

As Jack said, Luka moved quickly and got out of the lizard’s straight line.

As soon as the lizard arrived where Luka had been, a huge shockwave poured forward, blowing away everything around.

Even Jack, who seemed to find it difficult to time an attack, rolled to the side to evade.

When it was a rock worm, it fought power battles with overwhelming size, but after shedding its shell, is it the type that goes for a decisive blow with speed and powerful techniques?

If we hadn’t known about this monster, if Jack hadn’t been here with knowledge of the strategy, we might have been helpless.

If you don’t know, you get hit. That kind of feeling.

But since we’ve dodged everything, now it’s our turn.

[Level Up] [Fusion] [Terrain Manipulation] [Fireball] [Telekinesis]

Concluding that we could subdue it very easily if we could just tie up those fast feet, I immediately threw a card.

[Terrain Manipulation]

As soon as I confirmed the sense of omnipotence circulating in my body, I immediately moved the terrain to grab the lizard’s legs.

Even if it ran fast and unleashed powerful skills, it stopped while using those skills. So I was able to grab the lizard’s body.

Of course, befitting a mere 3-cost card, the lizard quickly pulled its arms out of the ground, but a slight opening was enough to finish it off.

Kairek’s arrows tore the soft body of the rock worm, and Luka’s Wild Claws split the body of the remaining one in half.

Only then did the two monsters begin to disappear.

Ding!

『Please check your card rewards.』

The status window announced the victory.

*

The first battle with the monsters on the 8th floor.

First of all, the result itself was successful with no damage taken, but.

What if we had entered the 8th floor and fought without any information?

We probably could have won against the rock worms, but there would likely have been considerable damage.

No, maybe someone would have been seriously injured fighting that sunrise flower in the first place.

Since it’s possible to anticipate such a difference based on every single piece of information, it makes sense why all explorers in the world control information and climb the ladder.

If Jack hadn’t been here, we would have been farming on the 7th floor for quite a long time.

“Wow, a purple card from the very first monster…”

“The magic stone is also quite good for an intermediate one?”

The rewards weren’t bad either.

Although Jack said we were quite lucky.

Since a purple card, which is hard to see even after defeating one or two groups of gem soldiers, just appeared, you could say the efficiency is different.

Of course, what’s more important than that.

Would be the card rewards given to me.

[Hellfire (7)] – Summon the fire of hell and burn everything around.

[Chain Lightning (6)] – Throw lightning that spreads in all directions.

[Ice Clone (5) – Power] – Create a clone made of ice. Upon being hit, freeze the enemy.

Even on the 7th floor, the reward table got better, so better cards than those from the mid-levels appeared, but.

It was usually about a 1 out of 3 ratio.

Upon climbing to the 8th floor, good cards appear at a much higher rate.

Hmm. Which one should I choose from these?

Actually, my energy is a bit low, so using very heavy cards is a burden.

That being said, I wonder if the Ice Clone, the only 5-cost card, is really necessary.

I already use most of my mana on the Space Folding card, primarily for evasion.

Do I really need a clone too?

‘Hmm, it’s ambiguous.’

I would understand if it were a card with a groundbreaking effect just by hearing the name.

Hellfire and Chain Lightning, huh.

There’s nothing that really pulls me in.

Nevertheless, judging that it was right to choose one of the two, I thought hard and picked one card.

[Chain Lightning]

Around the time I was looking at the card that returned to my deck.

Grace sniffed her nose again.

“There are more monsters nearby. You’re going to go, right?”

“Of course.”

The rewards are quite good, and while hunting is a bit dangerous, it’s not impossible.

We immediately proceeded slowly in the direction Grace guided us.

*

I know there’s a lack of oxygen due to the plateau’s characteristic, but.

Other than that, no particular features are visible.

At most, there are fewer trees, so the view is relatively open?

But the 8th floor is one of the floors famous for being vast.

There’s no advantage like discovering something first with the open view.

Moreover, thanks to the tall grass covering everything, it’s easy to hide, but most of the monsters are large.

“It’s not for nothing that other explorers liked it when the plateau appeared.”

It was a remarkably peaceful hunt.

Of course, we couldn’t catch many because we tried to avoid fighting the grass-type monsters as much as possible.

To the extent that 5 people could fight on equal terms even without me.

But because it was merely an equal fight where we couldn’t overwhelm them.

It’s not that we took no damage.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“…Yes.”

However, while fighting the rainbow carp just now, Grace got a bit seriously injured.

It was just a slight mistake and carelessness, but like the monsters on the 8th floor with overwhelming specs, even one hit deals significant damage.

Furthermore, since Grace is the guide. Her specs are even lower, so the damage is more serious.

[Hyper Heal]

It was a good thing I quickly healed her using a potion and a card from my Paladin deck.

Almost…

“The 8th floor is definitely not easy.”

“It seems we’re still lacking to be 8th floor explorers.”

Being able to hunt on the 8th floor and staying and hunting all day are completely different things.

It’s not for no reason that there are many explorers with mid-level skills who stay in the 3rd floor Orc’s Holy Land.

Because living by risking your life every single day is too difficult and hard.

“Still, it’s a relief we gained something.”

Luka dangled a golden card.

That golden card, which was so hard to find on the 7th floor, popped out within half a day, so the rewards are definitely not bad.

And it’s not like we fought continuously for several hours like we trained on the 6th floor.

Even just picking easier opponents while wandering around, the rewards are better than on the 7th floor.

“How much would someone earn if they had the skill to catch every monster they see on the 8th floor?”

“People like that probably wouldn’t go to the 9th floor. There are fewer variables.”

“That’s true.”

In the end, the 8th floor is a place with many variables where the field changes occasionally.

That’s why it’s also a place where 7th floor explorers can hunt if things align.

And where 9th floor explorers could die to a fully buffed monster if they’re unlucky.

“It’s difficult to fight right now anyway, so let’s find a place to rest. It’s almost the ‘Transformation Period’.”

Jack said, gazing fixedly at the horizon in the distance.

Before we knew it, the sun that had been high when we entered the labyrinth was slowly setting, creating a sunset.

“The Transformation Period, it definitely comes at some point after the sun sets, right?”

“Right. The speed at which the sun sets is all the 8th floor’s whim. And the timing of the transformation that comes while the sun is set and night lasts is also completely arbitrary. So, if you get the skill to go to the 9th floor, I recommend running away immediately. Jumping to the 9th floor after staying stuck on the 7th floor… might be a bit difficult.”

“It would be hard, wouldn’t it? How hard is it to train on the 1st floor all day and jump to the 3rd floor at once?”

“Mid-level explorers stay on the 3rd floor all day and then go up to the 5th floor, you know.”

“That’s true.”

Since the 4th floor is virtually meaningless for farming, like a wall was built between low-level explorers and mid-level explorers, jumping up two floors at once isn’t easy.

“There’s a place here to shelter from the wind!!!”

Following Kairek’s voice heard from afar, we headed towards a suitable hiding spot.

A narrow space surrounded by huge rocks.

Of course, it doesn’t completely block off all sides like a cave, but wouldn’t this much be enough?

After settling down in a suitable spot and starting a bonfire, around the time we were lightly chewing on jerky or hardtack.

The wind began to blow stronger and stronger.

Soon, pure white fog began to cover the entire 8th floor, carried by the strong wind.

Of course, there wouldn’t be high-level explorers whose bodies would be swept away or pushed by that wind.

Still, it seemed right to avoid it somehow, so we cautiously waited behind the rocks for it to end.

“…It’s taking longer than expected.”

The ‘Transformation Period’ took longer than expected.

Because even after about 30 minutes, the fog still hadn’t disappeared.

But as the wind slowly began to weaken, and the density of the white fog decreased, Grace’s face, which had been faintly visible, started to become clear.

Soon the fog lifted, and the changed new terrain welcomed us.

“…Ah.”

As soon as Jack’s sigh escaped, we too instinctively realized that the situation wasn’t good.

That’s because…

“Of all things, it had to be a swamp!!!”

Because a damp and unpleasant swamp was spread out before us.