Being well-prepared is exactly what it sounds like, and it's based on careful checking.
In our party, every member of our party goes to great lengths to check our equipment before entering the dungeon.
Armor, weapons, supplies, and disposable mages.
We'll dive into the dragon's lair.
I'm sure we'll never run out even if we do it again and again.
I know you all have the map in mind, but it's been a long time since then. I'd expect more than a few changes.
And it's not only the tools to check, but also the schedule of action.
We are everyday people who listen to you while you inspect.
So you listen to my words, but your eyes are engaged in the inspection process.
Although it is expected that we will be split up on the spur of the moment, please do not force us to join you, but if something happens, send a retreat signal and leave the place.
But even while checking, the reply comes back.
I'll check for as many replies as there are people, and then I'll return as well.
And when I finally see what I've got on my back, I stand up.
And then they line up behind me.
Well, let's go look for some lost and found.
I hope you don't forget about getting rich, that I do.
I know.
We went through the gate, answering the south's snide question while taking it easy, but not carelessly, as usual.
I've been here for a long time, but it's a great place.
I know it's different from other dungeons in that it's open, but I'm not sure it's this open. How did you find a place like this when you lost a sword?
And then the canyon appears.
A dragon's den woven by nature, Kaido and Kitamiya let out a mixture of dismay and admiration from the first step.
Kaido holds out his hand to look into the distance and Kitamiya shakes his head in front of the vast land.
You can't feel it from their appearance, but only their eyes show their wariness of the dungeon they are about to take on.
The dragon's voice echoes through the canyon.
"Did he notice you?
Maybe you've noticed this.
"We're too wary of foreign objects here. If we stay here long enough, the dragons will be here in no time.
So we'll have to move quickly, that we will.
And put on the hood of the robe that everyone had pre-clothed.
A hood with a built-in concealment tactic.
This equipment was purchased for this dungeon attack.
It's only a comfort to the upper dragons, but it's an item that will be effective against lower dragons.
At 50,000 yen a piece, it's not impossible to buy one, but it's not cheap either.
Kitamiya and Minami, who usually wear different robes, are now also wearing dark green robes and jump down the ravine following me as I lead the way.
"The depth here is estimated to be around three hundred meters, wasn't it? It's shallower than I thought it would be, that it is.
It's not exactly what you'd call a "feel". The deeper you go down to the bottom of the valley from near the entrance, the darker it gets and the further away you go, maybe the deeper you go.
"Ugh, that's a pattern that's going to be a pain in the ass to find, isn't it?
The magician Minami and Kitamiya in the center, with Katsu and Amelia on either side to keep an eye out for Katsura and Amelia, I'll lead the way, with Kaido in the hall. It's different from the last one, and it's quicker, following your memory as you move forward.
I jumped around like a ninja for a while.
As I was saying that, here it is!
"Wow, that's a trail, how bad can it be?
"Wow, big hole ne
It's not a hole, it's just that it already feels like a road up here.
You find it not long after you start running.
A trail of the dragon's roar stretches out in a straight line.
It's a trace from the last battle with the eight headed skull dragon.
Amelia is genuinely surprised as Kitamiya frankly pulls at the area of attack revealed by the traces.
Kaido's tone was dumbfounded, but he must have been a little scared because his mouth was drawn together.
Their gaze goes to the base of the gun, trying to trace the source of the shot, but the destination is obscured by darkness.
This is a direct route to the destination, which has been scraped away to the point that it seems like this is a natural canyon in itself.
I'm sure this will lead you to your destination, but after all, there are a lot of them out there.
How could you not be on the lookout for such a boulevard?
Even in the dark there's something crawling around the passage.
A basilisk or a hydra or another dragon.
All I know is.
You're right. There really is a struggle.
That's probably why the population is so high.
Even now, underneath your feet is a battlefield where dragons fight each other.
From time to time, the light is brightened beneath your feet and the dragon's breath ensures that there is light.
And it's not just the roar of the dragons that reaches your ears, but the sound of claws slashing, large objects colliding, and the sound of trampling the earth, and many other things interwoven.
And not just one or two.
It's all over the canyon below.
"Stronger material sells better, that it does. Now, are we on schedule, that we are?
"Oh.
The only reason to plow through the middle of such a battlefield is for the purpose of recovering materials from the south.
That can wait for later this time.
Conserve your strength and use this direct route to hurry to your destination.
Where are the enemy shadows?
"There are three rampaging bodies ahead, that we can bypass them, that we can.
Amelia, how are you doing?
"It looks fine for now, there's no loud noises coming up or anything.
The shadow of the wary dragon king is gone for now.
I'm an atheist but I want to pray to God now that he's safe and sound.
Set a route to avoid getting caught up with finding a dragon entangled and meshing its neck in the distance.
And .
"We're stopping, that we are, and there are four, no, five dragons ahead of us, that we are hiding. They are hiding, that they are.
"It's a basilisk if you're going to hide in here. Can we go around?
"You can do it, but it's going to take you quite a long way, that it does. It will increase the chances of encountering enemies, that it will.
The destination is the place where there is a mineral tree, and I was moving to avoid fighting as much as possible until there.
You are going to be able to find a way to make your life easier.
When you finish pointing your finger in the direction and counting one or two, Minami says that there is something in the dark.
Based on the surroundings and the opponent who is going to act as a lurker, there is no doubt that the one ahead of you is a basilisk.
You should avoid fighting if possible, but it's better not to go the long way and add an extra battle.
Then prepare for battle. Let's set up the first move and take them out all at once.
Grabbing the handle of the thing you were carrying on your back, you bring it to the front.
"Nuh-uh, the price of materials for the basilisk was quite high. My arms are growling.
Don't let your guard down and turn to stone.
It's likely.
"Nuh, Kitamiya and Masaru are rude, that they are.
It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for, but it's not a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
It's a good idea to buy such a large shield,
I rather thought it was something we didn't have at our party.
Then Kaido, who has taken over the rear guard for Amelia, comes forward and looks at the object I'm holding.
Is it a long hexagon in shape?
It's a dark blue, rugged shield.
It's large enough to easily hide a single person.
it's just about ready, that it is. Our two vanguards were holding the front line with two choices: cut in to draw the enemy's attention or cut them down, that they were. Honestly, it's helpful to have more options to defend here, that it is.
I smiled at Minami, who nodded her head admiringly and said sorry, and I held up my shield again.
There is a fighting method called "shield art".
You'll be able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.
It also prevents ranged attacks called dragon's breath.
I bought it because I thought it would be useful as a hard vanguard that would draw in surrounding enemies when combined with the cries of the crowds, but I bought it because I liked the gimmick on the back side of the shield, which I thought was a bit playful.
It's a good idea to have a shield that can be used as a fixed platform for firing magic when the situation calls for it.
That's our downfall.
"So, that's it.
I thought it would be better than buying a badly made weapon and getting into a strange habit, so I took a look at it and found that it was surprisingly comfortable to use.
So, after some light practice, I decided to put it to the test.
This battle is the real battle.
"Kitamiya, lure them out, that it is.
"Okay, okay, I know.
And now the war begins.
Kitamiya creates ten ice spears in the air.
It's a smooth start, and in less than two seconds it's created.
But...
He's seen it!
The magic power flows through the senses of the mineral tree, and my gaze is drawn to the shield that was being strengthened.
My magic power is at odds with the sensation of being petrified.
That's just like a dragon.
You're quick to react to the intent of an attack.
A sound as if something slipped through the air echoes around us.
"That's surprisingly fast. After surrounding the area, the petrified eye is firm, that it is.
"Get off your ass and get on with it.
I will do my best to show off my new equipment, that I will!
Each man readies his new equipment.
The southern staff glows and instantly a mist surrounds us.
But just because we're surrounded by fog doesn't mean our vision is impaired.
Magic blocking spell that utilizes a magic mirror.
You'll be able to see clearly from here, but it will be hard to see from the other side.
That's a load off, cut in.
"Whoosh!
Feeling the pressure from the shield at hand lessening and dampening the petrifying eye, I direct it toward Kaido.
With a silvery white blade glimmering, I cut into the black shadow unity that moves with the shuffle.
"Amie-chan, I want you to secretly stab me in the head, that you can do that?
"OK, you got it!
Then, the moment the basilisk's consciousness gathers on the conspicuously fighting Kaido, Amelia hovers in the air with a staccato, light-footed gait and disappears into the darkness.
You'll be able to see her off as light as an assassin, and we're going to set her up too.
Now let's attack, that we shall. If you throw a flashlight, then a teargas shell, that it is.
"Okay, what about the numbers?
"Two flashbulbs at two o'clock and one at eight o'clock, and one tear gas is fine, that it is.
Okay.
The threat of the basilisk is its petrifying eye and its deadly poison.
Knowing these two things well, the first thing Minami does is try to squash the eye.
Kaido fights loudly, and two basilisks are caught.
Whether hiding or timing, there are only three remaining basilisks as far as Minami can detect.
Katsu throws a softball-sized sphere toward the point where the three are hiding.
"At the same time Kitamiya is a magic salvo, that it is.
How do you allocate?
Fifty-fifty is fine, that it is.
It's like Tsume-shogi.
Unlike games, there is no behavioral pattern in these monsters to know when your opponent will move.
But from the south, as if they could see it, they make the first move and take the countermeasures they think they can based on prior information.
The sphere that Katsu threw at the location of the basilisk, which was carefully timed, rolled and glowed.
I closed my eyelids and tried to protect my eyes, but I already saw a powerful flash.
Eyes aching, the petrified eye was chased down by an icy spear fired by Kitamiya to chase down the enchanted basilisk, albeit temporarily.
Blood splashes and cries of anguish rise.
This alone is not fatal, and more spheres roll in front of you to spur on the anger of the damaged basilisk, which is blinded and damaged.
With his eyelids closed, Basilisk thought.
You fool.
I wondered if the same trick would work.
The eyes in his eyelids still hurt, but they'll heal eventually, and he sneered at what he thought was going to come at him in a fit of pique at the attack.
You've been planning to pounce on him even after the ball had flashed.
But contrary to the basilisk's wishes, out came the smoke.
It's...
Grua!
"Oh, you've hit the jackpot, that is.
You're relentless.
"Don't show mercy to the enemy, it's common sense in the dungeon, that it is.
The dust that emits pain so intense that it threatens to crush the respiratory system.
The three basilisks, who had been taking it easy, inhaled all of the smoke and writhed in intense pain.
Kitamiya looks on in disgust as Minami, realizing that he has succeeded by his agonized voice, flies a supportive attack to Kaido accordingly.
His eyes were squashed, he was attacked, and his nose and throat were crushed.
Even in that situation, the basilisk still hadn't given up.
Unlike other dragon species, the basilisk also has the characteristics of a snake.
It means that it can use its temperature to find out where its opponent is.
He has been lied to this far.
You'll have to let him go.
Holding back the pain and relying on its magic-enhanced senses, the basilisk attacked Kitamiya and the others at once.
However.
Yes, it's a dead end, that it is. Leader, Kitamiya.
"Oh.
"Yes, yes,
There was no way the south was not expecting such a thing.
It's just that I didn't dare to destroy that feeling, that I did. We are trying to reduce labor and be eco-friendly, that we are. It's nonsense for us to attack them blindly, that it is.
Walk past Tichy and the South, waving his right index finger from side to side, and block each of the three approaching basilisks' heads.
I'll use my shield to knock two of them off their heads.
Nice place, Jiro-san.
The timing is perfect.
Two ice axes are waiting for you where you leap up, and they swing down to the basilisk's neck with aplomb, severing it.
And the remaining one.
You'll fall prey to the gimmick of my shield, which is split lengthwise into two halves.
Two blades sprout from the shield and cross, catching the giant basilisk in the neck.
Scissors are a great weapon, you know?
The last remaining basilisk was pinned under the neck by the blade, and as I put all my strength into my arm, the giant's well-honed blade cut off its head as if it were cutting a marshmallow.
It's all over, that it is. Hmmm, it's a complete victory.
I feel like blockade would be a better fit, though.
It's good to be injury-free.
And looking back, the basilisk that had Kaido's attention was hunted down in the blink of an eye by Amelia.
As if that wasn't enough of a prelude to the eight headed skull dragon.