After dealing with the Frog Shooters, Bell finally picked up their drop items.
'Ugh, aren't these Frog Shooter drops just way too gross?'
Aside from the standard Magic Stones, the Frog Shooters also dropped frog tongues and frog eyes. But both items were disgusting, especially since they were coated in some unknown slime, making them even more revolting in their own way.
Still, there wasn't much choice. These were considered rare drops, and according to the guide, they had value in alchemy and potion-making.
That made sense. After all, most monster drops in the dungeon could be put to use—otherwise, the dungeon wouldn't even bother producing such creatures.
Once he finished collecting everything, Bell quickly moved on toward the fourth floor.
As soon as he stepped in, he spotted the monsters native to this level.
Their entire bodies were covered in a purplish-black exoskeleton with a metallic sheen. A tail stinger swung relentlessly behind them, while their mandibles emitted strange noises. Their claws gleamed ominously, clearly not to be underestimated.
'Venom Scorpions. Their tails are laced with an unimaginably potent neurotoxin. Getting stung doesn't kill you right away, but it gradually paralyzes your nervous system. Their claws are sharp enough to cut through steel—once an adventurer is poisoned, those claws can tear them apart with ease.'
The scorpions on the fourth floor posed the first real test for an adventurer's weapon.
Their only soft spot was the abdomen, but since they crawled so close to the ground, landing a hit there was extremely difficult. Fortunately, the tail stinger was also a viable target.
Although their claws were deadly, their attack range was limited to the front. The area behind and above them was clearly outside their effective range.
If you could remove the tail stinger right away, they'd lose their ability to pose a threat.
The stinger was not only their main weapon but also connected to vital organs, making it their greatest weakness.
However, the stinger was incredibly tough. While ordinary weapons could make shallow cuts, unless the blade was as sharp as a Goblin dagger, it would take dozens of strikes to sever it.
As for pulling it off with brute force—that required at least Lv. 2 strength. A Lv. 1 adventurer simply wasn't strong enough.
A flash of lightning.
The blade, wreathed in lightning, cleaved through everything in its path.
The bolt vanished in an instant, leaving behind the scorched stench of burnt air.
The scorpions' armored shells parted like butter under a hot knife, with glowing red cuts visible across their carapaces.
Their lifeless bodies crumbled into black ash, leaving only Magic Stones and severed tail stingers behind.
After storing the loot in his four-dimensional space, Bell let out a quiet breath.
He listened carefully.
No footsteps yet. The teams that had split off at the entrance hadn't made it down this far.
'Looks like those adventurers are prioritizing caution over speed.'
Bell wasn't particularly fast himself. His magic favored one-hit kills.
But he knew better than to go all out from the start. After all, you never knew when you might have to turn those techniques on allies.
When no one was watching, he could move faster.
But under observation, he had to hold back.
The scorpions on the fourth floor didn't pose much of a threat. It was time to move on to the fifth.
Without lingering, Bell pushed onward.
The fifth floor was a bit different from the previous ones. The most notorious monster here was the Killer Ant—giant ants, hundreds of times their normal size, that liked to lurk in the walls and ambush unsuspecting adventurers.
While Bell listened carefully to his surroundings, he couldn't hear any signs of the ants moving at all.
'Strange... The guide clearly said that if you listen closely, you can pinpoint the Killer Ants by sound. Is this part wrong too?'
Looking down at the strategy guide in his hand, Bell began to question its reliability.
This would be the second time, wouldn't it?
The first was when the guide claimed dungeon monsters lacked self-awareness or even intelligence.
And now, this was the second.
But rather than treat it as a definite mistake, Bell simply took note of the inconsistency and chose one of the branching paths near the entrance to investigate.
...
At a junction in the corridor, a distant noise brought Bell to a halt.
'A cow's bellow?'
'This is the fifth floor, not the fifteenth, right?'
Just as Bell was wondering what was going on, a series of footsteps drew nearer—not just one or two, but four or five sets coming at once. The sound grew heavier and heavier.
"!?"
From around the corner, five axe-wielding Minotaurs charged out.
Minotaurs—humanoid monsters with the head of a bull—were classified as Level 2 monsters. They were only supposed to spawn on the fifteenth floor. So why were they showing up here on the fifth?
But Bell didn't have time to think about that.
At that moment, he heard rapid footsteps approaching from behind, clearly aimed at the Minotaurs.
And suddenly, it all clicked.
'This is when the main story begins.'
Bell's eyes flicked to the five Minotaurs, all glaring hungrily at him.
'Wasn't there supposed to be only one in the story? Why are there five when it's my turn?'
He took a deep breath. If this really was the start of the story, then the identity of the person approaching from behind was obvious.
Ais Wallenstein—the "Sword Princess" of the Loki Familia, and currently the youngest Level 5 adventurer in Orario.
"In other words, I don't have much time."
Bell immediately drew the "Hestia Knife." Since the prey had come to him, there was no reason to let it escape.
Besides, he wanted to see if five Minotaurs would be enough to earn him the "Excelia" he needed.
Lightning Command—activate!
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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