Chapter 7 : Fifth floor?

He should have been this cocky, he blocked on ax attack, rolled to evade an incoming thrust. The kobolds were trying to corner him. Dark memories appeared in his mind, he still remembers when he was caught by those three kobolds.

Sidhe's real chance to kill both of them was to spring a trap, his eyes were searching for possible escape routes, there were two, though he didn't know where they lead, cursed be the lack of knowledge.

He parred a thrust to his head, sidestepping a incoming blow from the ax. He swung his saber and slashed the spear holding kobold. He smiled, and ran. The kobolds were following him, like mad dogs they were hunting him.

They couldn't close the distance, breathing a sigh of relief as the monsters were at least slow, that would make his chance of killing them easier. His plan was simple, the kobold with the ax will get tired pretty fast, or maybe not, but he doesn't bet on that. The weak point is the spear user, it has its side. The more it runs, the faster it loses blood.

He increased the distance between them, the plan was to get them in a tight space, making it harder to wield the spear and the ax. Of course, it was a luck based one, how he would find a tight space without knowing the place? That's a good question, because he too is in search of an answer.

His only chance was to hope. He ran for like ten minutes already, he was getting tired, the kobolds closed the distance. He lost the bet, they had more endurance, at least the spear user is getting weaker, he was left a few good meters behind the ax kobold.

Sidhe's eye twinkled, this was his chance, he aggressively leaped at the ax kobold, he needs one swift stroke. He lowered his head as the ax passed by, then putting behind all of his force, he swung at the kobold's throat. It died, the head flying off in air.

The corpse stood still two seconds as blood started spraying from the body, falling down on the ground as the head hit it too. The spear user arrived, it thrust. Sidhe used his blade to deviate the attack.

The kobold did multiple thrusts, Sidhe easily evaded all of them, they only hit his large robes. Sidhe broke through his defence, and again injured its hand. The kobold winced every time it attacked.

The thrusts were getting slower and weaker, it started to swing the spear like a staff, Sidhe sidestepped, or jumped to avoid the attacks.

The kobold attacked, Sidhe bended and ran straight into the spear. He used the saber to change the trajectory of the spear, when he got close to the kobold, Sidhe took his dagger from the waist and plunged deep in it.

The kobold collapsed down. Sidhe looked at the dead kobolds with a predatory smile, like a victorious cat after killing a mouse. He survived and killed them, even if they had numerical advantage and were equals to his power.

After taking their magical crystals he continued to roam the fourth floor, goblins were the easiest to kill, the lizards where harder only because they can scamper through the roof, if you didn't catch them in the moment they jumped on you, they are gone by the time you try to catch them. Kobolds are nasty, hard to kill and dumb creatures.

He meet a squad of goblins, only two were armed with weapons, the rest were using their natural weapons, fangs and claws. He kept himself hidden behind a corner of the cave, observing what the surroundings. They were in a hall with little rocks or spots to hide behind, with only one exit, and that was past them.

He could bait them here, where he would use the corner to constrain them, and take them by surprise. A tried and working tactic. Though, should he try something new?

He could make a beeline straight through them, kill what he could in the first try, then kill the rest. Sounds too risky and dangerous, but would take less effort. But the less effort justify getting an injury? In this cases safety is the winning factor.

He thrown a rock at them, hitting one goblin in the head. They started shrieked and tried to find the source. The imbeciles couldn't do it, they even came right next to the curve, yet they didn't enter it.

Seeing this, Sidhe was forced to show himself, hitting another goblin in the head. They run towards him with their little legs, saliva flowing from their fangs, disgusting beings, Sidhe never liked goblins, they stunk, were ugly and the most important, they were unclean.

Sidhe took his saber and killed the first goblin who turned, it thought he will continue to run, its mistake. The rest came, Sidhe targeted the weapon users. He parred a sword, then swung his sword from a low stance, slashing the legs. That goblin was taken out of combat.

The one without weapons leaped at Sidhe, thinking it could get close and bite or claw him. Sidhe inserted his saber in the goblin's belly. Only one remained, it had a scimitar. It did a swipe, wanting to cut his head. Sidhe found it amusing, as cutting heads was his specialty, he blocked with his dagger, then cut its head with his saber.

He gathered their magical crystals, then sat in a corner to eat a sandwich, as he was eating he heard sounds of battle in multiple places, shrieks and cries of pain. Today is a lively day, he rarely hears so much of them, like he heard today. A long scream of anguish, he jumped on feet. Looking right and left, he saw nothing, yet his heart was like of a rabbit.

He sat back down, his content mood broken, someone just died, he let a long sigh, miserable is the life of adventurer, driven here by the lust of adventure, fame, or in his case gold, just to die like an animal without burial, eaten by monsters, or in the lucky cases buried only as a hand.

He wondered how he will end up, because single adventurers have a bigger chance of dying. He took another sandwich and as he was eating it, he thought how much magic crystals he had at the moment, nine crystals, it was good, but he could do better, he wasn't yet tired.

He whetted his weapons, making them shine in the low light of the dungeon. Then continued to crawl through the dungeon.

Sidhe made some more kills, gathering thirteen crystals, he looked at the entrance to the fifth floor, his tail swishing through air, with a cat smile splattered on his face, his body was starting to pump adrenaline.

He wanted to enter the fifth floor, his rational brain was screaming how much of a blunder he will do, the cat brain, just said do it. He then remembered that odious scream, he shook his head and remained on the fourth floor. He gathered fifteen crystals and left.

He sold the crystals. Misha was this time free, drinking a cup of tea, while chattering with a half-elf. He approached her to report what he did in the dungeon.

Misha was furrowing her brows, gesticulating, while she was saying something to Eina.

Sidhe stopped in the front of her booth and said, "Hi. I had gone till the fourth floor."

Misha turned her head towards him, blinking, then said, "Oh. Hi. You startled me. Fourth floor you say, you know the danger, right?"

He nodded, while the fourth floor was more dangerous than the first three, it was still recommended for rookies, he didn't say that he thought about entering the fifth, that was were the danger increased, and the sixth was the ultimate test for a rookie.

He saw that Misha was really interesting in talking with him, so to not make the situation awkward for he left after giving his report.

Lord Miach hasn't yet came from that gods gathering, he was thinking what to do.

He heard the door being opened, but to his disappointment it was only Naaza who was smiling, intrigued he asked her, "Something good happened?

Her tail was waggling behind her, and responded ,"Yes. My potion shop is growing, more people are coming everyday to buy my potions."

He was impressed, saying, "That's good. Nice."

She then made herself a cup of tea and something to eat. He made for himself a coffee and took his last remaining sandwich.

She looked at him, and aid, "How is dungeoning?"

He took a bite from the sandwich, and said, "It's okay."

She nodded, taking a sip of tea, then ate a piece of meat. Her half-lidded stare was scary, Sidhe noted. She then said, "What was the lowest floor you have gone to?"

He thought that was the last question, surprised, he responded, "Fourth, I was thinking of going to fifth, but decided against it."

She narrowed her eys, saying, "Good thinking, or not, as you entertained the idea of going to fifth. You are a newbie, going to fifth would have spelled your doom. War shadows and Killer ants roam that part of the dungeon. They are known to be end of many rookies. What weapon you use?"

He took her warning to heart, she was an experienced adventurer, "A saber at the moment."

She took another sip of tea, "I don't have experience with sabers. Though, if you ever want to learn the bow, I can help you with that," smiling at the end.

He got suspicious, there never was a free lunch from her, and they weren't on good terms, he said, "What's the catch?"

She blinked innocently, "There's no catch, though, I will never know when I will need a helping hand at the shop, or in other place."

It will not hurt having this offer, he may need to know how to use a bow in the future, as for her being this nice, there must be something she needs, there's no other way.

He didn't let his guard down, observing her, she looked relaxed, tracing a hand to her chin, she continued, "When you will start to buy potions, buy them from me, I will offer you a good price," she lowered her voice, eyes became fully opened, an menacing atmosphere was spreading from her, saying, "But if I catch you buying from Dian Cecht familia… you will wish to be dead."

He didn't voice any complain, he didn't even entertained the idea to buy from them. They are petty, arrogant and full of themselves. He wanted nothing to do with them.

She smiled, saying, "Good."

He finished his sandwich, and drunk the last bit of coffee. He washed the dishes as Naaza left to her laboratory. She was dedicated to medicine after Miach helped her.

And got a hate towards Dian Cecht, much stronger than him, because they treated both her and Miach like animals, even worser than animals.

He entered his room and took a piece of paper, it was time to calculate his fond, and how many days he needed of adventure to reach that one-hundred million of valis. If he makes around 1000 vali per day, he will repay the debt in around one hundred thousand days, that's… much, not counting days that he will be sick, or be injured, days that he just didn't want, and other stuff. He needs to increase the valis, because he will make enough in 274 years.

He doubt he will live that much. If he levels up and becomes stronger, he will increase the amount of valis made. His goal was to repay the debt in five years, and he will do his best.

He has around five thousand valis in his personal fond. It's not great, he will need a new weapon when going to fifth floor. The monsters there have a stronger weapon.