Chapter 100:
Chapter 100:
First Treasure Chest
"[Giri giri giri Pegusha! (Bofun!)]"
"Kofuuu! (Bikooon!)"
On the 9th underground floor, Etsuki, who crushed the head of a giant stink bug with one hand, emerges from the smoke that appears after the monster falls, shining red eyes in the fearsome slaughter machine wrapped in the insect king suit.
"Gyuchichii! Gyuchi!!"
"[Zubiyarraa! (Bofubofufun!)]"
Monstrous cockroaches with jaw-like faces leap at Etsuki. However, when Etsuki flashes Excalibur held in her right hand, they instantly disintegrate mid-air, turning into smoke. Monsters killed in a fit of heartbreak, nothing but collateral damage.
Truly unparalleled. However, Ezuuki's body is covered in numerous wounds from the monsters, with thorns and fangs still stuck. The Bug King Suit is stained with bright red blood.
No matter how strong one's mental strength may become, the heart desires love. Therefore, the sense of loss from losing a lover for the first time in one's life is extraordinary. And the anger that welled up to fill that sense of loss was driving a man named Ezuki mad.
"Fushururu~! (Bikoon!)"
Exhaling strongly, and with the eyes of the Bug King Suit shining red, he searches for his next prey, rotating his head. A complete tantrum. However, even the monster insects, who would hardly feel fear, showed signs of hesitation before his overwhelming intimidation.
But that's no surprise. Ezuki had leveled up and become even stronger.
Current Level: 38 (Previous: 37)
Race: Human
Occupation: Teacher
Attributes:
Strength: 245 (Previous: 212)
Stamina: 250 (Previous: 218)
Intelligence: 246 (Previous: 215)
Mental Strength: 271 (Previous: 240)
Agility: 248 (Previous: 220)
Luck: 166 (Previous: 133)
Frustration: 356
Blessings:
[Salt's Blessing]
Skills:
[Strong Acid 2] | [Agility] | [Disease Resistance 6] | [Usurpation] | [Mucus 5] | [Space 4] | [Good Luck 1.4] | [Footwork] | [Meditation] | [Salt 5]
Titles:
[Bug King] | [Saltmate] | [Salty Guy]
At first, driven by anger, he rampaged through the dungeon. As the anger subsided, he became a cold-blooded killing machine, hunting monsters calmly and mercilessly.
Moreover, to elevate his skills, he actively pursued skill orbs. The skill [Strong Acid] went from 1.1 to 2, [Disease Resistance] increased from 5 to 6, and [Slime] went up from 4 to 5. He even persistently hunted creatures like the [Monkey Throwing Poop and Mocking Me], raising his [Space] skill from 2 to 4.
Despite the attributes showing a growth of around 30 points each, his heart remained clouded.
"HmmI'm hungry. Should I make a meal?"
To take a break, he returned to a relatively safe area near the staircase, surrounded by a slime net. Ezuki sat on the stairs and, from his spatial storage, pulled out well-cooked giant Kamadouma limbs. He sprinkled salt on them and voraciously bit into the meat.
"[Chomp! Crunchchomp]"
Initially avoiding eating the giant Kamadouma limbs, he started consuming them when he secluded himself in the dungeon after the heartbreak and quickly ran out of food.
Despite self-deprecating thoughts like [Without a job or a girlfriend, eating giant Kamadouma limbs suits me], the limbs surprisingly tasted like chicken with the flavor of shrimp, making them an ideal meal for Ezuki, who aimed to become stronger with a high-protein, low-fat diet.
After all, a single giant Kamadouma limb was as big as a goat's hind leg. Even if he ate his fill, one limb was more than enough for three meals."[Chompcrunchchomp]
Using magic to open only the mouth part of the Bug King mask, he devoured the roasted giant Kamadouma limb. In this state, invisible to others. If anyone were to witness this, Ezuki would appear as nothing more than a monster with a mask. However, unperturbed by such thoughts, Ezuki filled his hunger with a vacant mind. Three days into the dungeon, where no humans were present, Ezuki was starting to see himself as just another monster in the dungeon.
[Gulpmunch]
..
Dungeon antechamber.
"Maybe I should sleep"
Ezuki, clad in the Bug King Suit, exhausted from days of relentless battles driven by anger, sprawls on a makeshift bed of cardboard in the antechamber. Sleeping inside the dungeon is too risky, hence the return to the antechamber.
[Shuwawa~ Gapo. Gubon!]
Infusing magic to loosen the Bug King Suit, he removes its parts one by one. Lazily lying down, he casually tosses the parts aside. Revealed beneath are countless scars on Ezuki's body. Though not deep wounds, numerous bruises and scratches mark his body.
Dealing with monsters on the 9th underground level can pierce through the Insect King suit's defense and inflict damage. While Ezuki could avoid such injuries more strategically and cautiously, he intentionally engages in rough battles to enhance his endurance.
[Dopupu Meri meri meri]
Now, he enhances the viscosity of the lubricating mucus that covered his body while wearing the suit, peeling it off. Sweat and sebum mix in with mucus. By peeling off the high-viscosity mucus, his body is left clean and non-sticky. The highly adhesive mucus also acts like a facial mask, removing impurities from the skin.
[Shakoshakoshako (Poi poi poi)]
Finally, brushing his teeth in the nude, he disposes of the peeled-off mucus on the 1st underground level.
By doing so, the dungeon would absorb it, or slimes would find and consume it. Therefore, there's no need to worry about disposing of waste.
""
Having finished brushing his teeth, Ezuki, still completely naked, slips into the tattered bedding and drifts off to sleep.
..
And just like yesterday, Ezuki descended back into the 9th underground level. His stamina was already about 25 times that of an average person. Even if he sustained injuries that would take a normal person 10 days to heal, his astonishing recovery ability would have him back in shape in just half a day. Additionally, by covering the affected area with the pseudo-exudate produced by the skill [Slime], he could further expedite the healing process.
As a result, the wounds and bruises on his body from the previous night had disappeared completely, leaving only faint traces of a few cuts.
"[Gacon! Sugogogogo!]"
"Huh!? What's this"
Ezuki for the first time in the dungeon, discovered a hidden room. He found an odd pattern on the dungeon wall and, upon pushing it, the wall suddenly started moving.
" (Peeking)"
He peeks into the room from the corridor. The room is about 10 meters square, with nothing particularly unusual except for a conspicuous treasure chest placed in the farthest corner.
"Don't underestimate me Mucus Field!"
"Kyubababaa~!"
However, his response upon discovering the treasure chest had long been simulated as part of his otaku nature. First, using the skill [Slime], he covers the entire room with a moderately thick layer of slime. The floor, ceiling, and wallsall covered. That should render most traps useless. Even a forcefully thrusting spear would be blocked by the slime. Arrows wouldn't shoot out, poison gas wouldn't be released, and pit traps that open with a snap would be futile with the entire room covered in slime.
(So all that's left is to be cautious of traps on the treasure chest and open it.)
"Go, Mucus Slime!"
(And as for opening the chest, it's simple. By manipulating the Mucus with magic, I can move it like a slime.)
[Unyunyunyu Paka! It hurts, hurts]
The slime easily opens the treasure chest and retrieves a rod-shaped item.
"Hmm What's this? A wand??"
The object brought by the mucus, though too short to be called a wand, and a bit thicker than a stick, resembles a square mallet about 30 centimeters. It looks ivory-like white, probably made of stone or some creature's bone. The shape is reminiscent of a resin peg used to secure a tent to the ground so it doesn't fly away in the wind. The thing that made him think of this item as a wand is the large red gem, like an unopened umbrella, embedded at the tip.
Yes, it protrudes significantly, and rather than saying it's [filled], it's more fitting to say it's [embedded].
However, regardless, it's the dungeon's first treasure.
There might be curses or explosive dangers, but worrying about that would lead nowhere. So, still enveloped in mucus, Ezuki grasps the wand with the red gem in his left hand. Even if it were cursed or explosive, the calculation was that if it tasted bad, he could cut off his left arm.
Having ventured and fought in the dungeon, he had long been prepared for such possibilities.
"(Gashii) Hmm, there's no sign of an explosion or curses. So, does that mean it's a magic wand as it appears? Alright, let's give it a try. Well, I don't know if my abilities are skills or magic"
He clears away the slime covering the surroundings and, imagining the wand shooting out slime balls from the tip, sends magic into the wand.
[Bwah, Bogyu~!]
Then, a moment later, flames appear at the wand's tip, turning into a fireball and flying away.
"Huh!? Could this be a Fire Wand that produces flames based on the injected magic power!"
The knowledge gained from playing numerous games informs him that the item in his hand is likely a Fire Wand.
(Amazing, I wonder how much it would sell for.)