Chapter 19: Rabata Mine Sweep Part 1

The quest to purify the mine offered quite the good rewards. Should you succeed, not only could you gain the respect of the Rabata mercenary guild, but also amass a considerable amount of gold. The experience points on offer were generous too, making it an opportunity too good to miss.

Yet, among these rewards, there was one that particularly caught my eye…

It was a special item known as the "Shadow Cloak" that could only be obtained from the depths of the Rabata Mines.

A special item hidden deep in the Rabata Mine by demon Porlasis who was also known as the <Duke of the Night>.

Finding it should be a piece of cake with my [Explorer] trait.

The "Shadow Cloak", an item that could envelop its wearer in a veil of pure darkness, rendering them completely invisible, was not particularly popular in the game world. Why? Because players, whether facing other players or monsters, preferred to simply overpower their opponents with brute force, seeing no need for stealth.

However, unlike players in the game who could respawn in the village five minutes after any death, in this world I was just a common mob. I didn't even have the luxury of squandering money as one might in real life.

Thus, while an item like the "Shadow Cloak" might have been unpopular in the game, securing such an item was important for my survival here. In this world, an item that could evade even 7th-rank detection magic was a rare item worth obtaining at all costs.

I must obtain it, no matter what.

I made a firm determination and took my bow and arrows.

"Ayla, El, let's go."

At my words, a silver-furred wolf dozing off and a little girl decently equipped with gear looked up at me at the same time.

"El, is this your first time in a dungeon?"

"Yes. I've only heard about them from what my father used to say."

"Whatever your father told you, expect the reality to be much worse."

"...."

"So, brace yourself."

I pulled out a fairly decent longsword that I had purchased not too long ago and handed it to El.

In Rabata which was known for its mines, it was easy to find a good sword. Though it looked simple, this longsword was forged from high-quality steel and so it would suit El well for the time being.

It's not yet time to return the Reinhardt family's sword to her.

El's face lit up with joy as she took the sword.

"…. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"It seems much better than the one I used before."

"It should be. It's made from Rabata mountain steel."

"Thank you, really, really thank you."

"....."

El had become stronger.

She was dedicated and diligent. El trained whenever she could, even while on escort missions, and did not stop her training upon arriving in Rabata.

Moreover, the collaborative techniques between El, Ayla, and myself had greatly improved.

Ayla took charge of tracking and guarding the front and rear, El took care of the frontal attack and defense, and I provided support from the rear.

Our coordination was a bit jarring at first, but lately, everything has clicked into place so well that we can rival any regular party.

There were quite a few mercenaries who wanted to join us.

However, we didn't need ordinary mercenaries and turned them all down.

It might have been a different story if they could use magic… But then again, it's unlikely that someone capable of magic would be mingling aimlessly among mercenaries.

In any case, after packing a simple lunch, we boarded a carriage sent by the mercenary guild and headed for the mines.

The atmosphere around the entrance of the Rabata Mine was ominously foreboding.

Though the Rabata Mine was abandoned, the resources inside the mine were still abundant. It wasn't closed due to depleted resources but because of rumors that a demon had appeared.

It was quite common for monsters to pop out from time to time, so the miners operated with equipment similar to that of most low-ranked mercenaries. There was even a saying that "with ten skilled miners, even a troll could be defeated" which pretty much says it all.

So, it seemed unlikely that the Rabata Mine was abandoned merely because of a few monsters emerging from its depths. At the very least, creatures of mid-level or higher must have appeared. Perhaps there might even have been a real demon that appeared.

Moreover, according to various stories picked up here and there, after the appearance of this "demon" all the miners met with mysterious deaths.

As a result, fear kept everyone away, and the Rabata Mine turned into a desolate land, deserted and entered by no one. Such a waste.

However, it was a well-established fact that once a dungeon was conquered, subsequent expeditions became much easier. Once the method of conquest was shared, the difficulty level would greatly drop.

The problem is that no one has yet managed to conquer it.

Being in a bustling port city frequented by many, it was inevitable that those with a bit of power would have attempted the challenge. And yet, the dungeon remained unconquered.

Could it be that the <Duke of the Night> really appeared?

That seemed far-fetched. The quest only mentioned that the demon Porlasis had hidden a shadow cloak within the mine. In the first place, demons weren't the type to linger in such dungeons.

There might be some connection…

Regardless, there is no use worrying about it in advance. It would be more beneficial to spend that time sharpening arrowheads.

As we ventured deeper into the mine, the light emitted by the magic stones placed at the entrance grew dimmer. I distributed the morning star tree fruits I had prepared in advance to El and the mercenaries. These fruits, glowing softly in the dark without the risk of igniting like a lantern, were ideal for use in narrow, almost enclosed spaces like caves and mines.

"Oh, this is much more convenient than a lantern."

Each of the mercenaries looked at the morning star tree fruits with admiration. Given that these fruits only grew in the depths of dense forests, it was no surprise they were a novelty to most.

"In an emergency, you can also eat them. They help with recovering strength."

"Oooh!!!"

"But don't eat them right away."

We went deeper and deeper. The mine must have been taken over by rock goblins or tar orcs or something while the humans were away because it was littered with crude traps, rotting corpses, and random skeletons.

The traps set by the rock goblins weren't particularly threatening, but they were annoying. They consisted merely of heavy rocks that were carelessly balanced, easy enough to spot and avoid but requiring considerable effort to dismantle safely. The risk wasn't just the falling rock; the impact could potentially cause a collapse throughout the mine.

"Damn those goblin brutes!"

Eventually, one of the mercenaries could no longer hold back and cursed at the goblins, but I quietly went about dismantling the traps. Having the [Explorer] trait made detecting traps relatively easy for me. After several instances of this, we finally reached a space that was empty and devoid of any traps.

"This seems to be the halfway point."

The leader of the mercenaries said this while examining the map of the mine. Unlike the narrow paths we had navigated so far, this vast empty space contained a small spring in one corner, surrounded by various items that seemed to belong to the miners. It was the halfway point. I glanced at the mercenary leader while wondering if we were going to take a short break.

"Let's rest and then move on."

I nodded in agreement and chose a spot far from the spring to sit down. El seemed puzzled by my choice and frequently glanced back at the spring.

"Things tend to spring out in places like that."

"Really?"

"Yes."

I gave a brief reply and then pulled out two lunch boxes and a carefully wrapped large piece of meat from my space ring. The lunch boxes were for El and me, while the large piece of meat was for Ayla. I tossed a leg to Ayla and handed a lunch box to El. The inn's lunch boxes were simpler than the day before, but I preferred it that way. Eating too much could slow us down, after all.

As El and I had just begun to open our lunch boxes and Ayla was voraciously devouring a leg, ominous sounds filled the air.

– Bubble, bubble, bubble…

– Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…

An ominous noise was heard.

"Master, the spring!"

"U-uwaaaaaaaaaah!"

Before El could finish speaking, a large, black, and filthy hand stretched out from the spring and grabbed the mercenary closest to it, plunging his upper body into the spring.

"See, I told you. Things like this tend to spring out from places like that."

I quickly closed my untouched lunch box and put it back in my pocket. In that brief moment, the spring had turned into a sticky swamp. Or perhaps it had always been a swamp. Just as muddy water can clear if left undisturbed, the swamp appeared to be clear water only momentarily.

What emerged from the swamp was none other than a tar orc. The tar orc, whose entire body was covered in sticky, black oil let out an unintelligible scream and plunged the mercenary deep into the swamp. Naturally, the mercenaries drew their swords.

That was when it happened.

– Squeal!

– Screech!

– Splash!

– Pop!

As if on cue, arrows rained down from all directions. These arrows were shorter and cruder than usual, and their tips were coated with filth that could infect even a graze with festering wounds. Such tactics were characteristic of goblins alone. I immediately drew my bow and fired arrows toward the uneven ceiling.

– Swiiiiiiiish!

– Thud!

– Thump!

One of the rock goblins that had been hanging upside down from the ceiling was hit by an arrow and fell to the ground.

"There! Goblins!"

The leader of the mercenaries shouted.

Several mercenaries pulled out their crossbows and began firing into the air. While some rock goblins were hit and fell, others merely resulted in arrows sticking uselessly into the ceiling. It would have been a relief if that was all, but there was the risk of the ceiling collapsing from the vibrations, which could lead to unforeseen consequences.

"Sh*t."

I aimed a [Magic Arrow] at the most severely cracked part of the ceiling. The arrow shot out quickly and, upon hitting the crack, roots and vines sprouted from it like a net and they started to wrap around and secure the fractured area.

This should hold for a while.

It was better for me to quickly eliminate the goblins with my arrows than to let the mercenaries continue hitting the ceiling. So I relentlessly shot arrows at the goblins.

– Thwack!

– Thud!

– Thump!

The goblins were dropping helplessly to the ground. Even though they were called rock goblins, they were light enough to hang from the ceiling and move around unharmed, so the arrows penetrated them easily, causing instant death. Should I say I'm glad?

The real problem now is that tar orc.

Because its body was covered in sticky tar, it was uncertain whether the arrows would effectively penetrate. In fact, the creature seemed unharmed by the mercenaries' swords. Instead, the blades were quickly corroding from the filth that coated them.

Ayla probably knew this instinctively, and she didn't rush at the tar orc. A bite could lead to poisoning or acidification.

I looked for El.

With her newly acquired Rabata steel sword, it should be possible to pierce the tar orc's hide.

I aimed a silver arrow engraved with a spell at the tar orc.

– Swiiiiiiish!!!

And shouted at the same time.

"El, kill it!"