Sensory Stone Mining, Part 2
"Everyone, back away into the corner of the cave, shut your mouths, and stay absolutely still. Do not make a single sound, no matter what."
Doran spoke with absolute authority. He then snatched the torches from the adventurers' hands and hurled them into the center of the path.
With his back to the flames casting eerie shadows against the cave walls, he gripped the hilt of his cutlass. The system log began flashing warnings in rapid succession.
• You have unequipped all gear! You are now extremely vulnerable to monster attacks!
• Your entire body is covered in cold mud. Prolonged exposure increases the risk of catching a cold and suffering status ailments!
• A horde of monsters is approaching! Prepare for an ambush!
As the sound of approaching footsteps drew nearer, despair cast a dark shadow over the adventurers' faces. Doran, however, merely narrowed his eyes, focusing his sharp gaze into the pitch-black darkness ahead.
I can't afford to die a miserable death in a place like this...!
He had survived a ghost ship crawling with high-tier undead; there was no way he would let himself be killed by mere trash mobs.
Experiencing death once in his life was more than enough.
—Screeeech!
A Radgit burst from the darkness, shrieking as it lunged forward.
Yet Doran stood perfectly still, as if paralyzed by fear, waiting until the monster was right in front of his nose.
Watching this unfold from behind, Razvel and her companions were utterly dumbfounded.
W-What on earth is he thinking?!
Just moments ago, he had stripped naked and thrown filth around like a madman. Now, he was standing there with eerie composure, making absolutely no move to defend himself.
Even if defeating the first monster had been a stroke of luck, there was no way a novice could survive against a pack of that size all by himself.
It was a suicidal act, like a moth diving straight into a flame.
The moment the Radgit's silhouette overlapped with Doran's seemingly defenseless form, silent screams rose to the adventurers' throats—but then.
"Huh...?"
The pack of Radgits ran straight past Doran.
Instead, they swarmed around the discarded torches, tilting their heads in confusion. They poked at the wooden shafts with their claws, letting out bizarre, guttural noises.
—Grrr... kiki?
—Gruk?
Razvel stared in utter bewilderment, but Doran merely suppressed his pounding heart and let out a faint smirk.
Thank goodness I memorized their behavioral patterns.
While the cave-dwelling Radgits possessed incredibly sharp hearing, their eyesight had degenerated to the point where they could barely distinguish light from dark.
Consequently, when faced with a highly distracting light source like a burning torch, they struggled to perceive other objects in their immediate surroundings.
And above all...
Drip... drip...
The mud clumped at the tips of his hair dripped silently to the ground.
As long as the mud masked his scent, he could fool their senses—at least for a brief moment.
Doran slowly turned around, his eyes locking onto the completely exposed backs of the Radgit pack.
I need to make the absolute most of my Agility stat...!
Most of the temporary stats he had gained from Chaos had been funneled into Agility.
*Squish!*
Moving with blinding speed, he closed the distance behind the nearest Radgit and swung his cutlass. The blade sliced halfway through the creature's neck.
The Radgit collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Doran quickly caught the falling body, lowering it to the ground to prevent any sound.
...I can definitely feel the difference. I'm so much faster!
Doran immediately shifted his focus to the next target.
In the blink of an eye, he slipped behind another beast, clamped a hand over its mouth, and slit its carotid artery. The Radgit went limp without even letting out a whimper.
As he slowly drew the blade out to minimize the noise, hot blood sprayed across his chest. The chilling sensation of the cutlass scraping against the vertebrae, like a bow drawing across a string instrument, vibrated through his palm.
Doran ensured the kill in the dark, his cold eyes already scanning for his next prey.
Next.
Catching the falling corpse with the top of his foot, Doran instantly lunged at his next target.
Guided by the flickering light of the torches, he unleashed a swift strike. A silent slash cleaved through the darkness.
The only issue was that his Strength stat was too low to decapitate the creature in a single blow.
—Skreeee!
He quickly swung his sword again to finish it off, but the dying shriek caused the remaining Radgits to whip their heads around in alarm.
They snarled, preparing to pounce, but Doran had already anticipated this.
Doran cleared his throat and let out a deafening roar that echoed through the cavern.
"Kyahahaha! Kiiii!"
• All eyes are locked onto you!
• The Radgit pack has fallen into a state of confusion!
• The adventurers are now absolutely certain that you are insane!
• Due to [Chaos], your Agility has increased drastically!
Insane? Seriously...?
He had never been more serious in his life!
He had hunted so many Radgits in his past life that he could mimic their cries in his sleep.
Stripping down and acting like a lunatic wasn't just to draw attention; it was also to make his physical appearance resemble theirs as closely as possible.
Ignoring the bewildered stares of the adventurers, he shamelessly continued to mimic the beasts. The Radgits tilted their heads in sheer confusion, studying Doran.
No scent...
The movements and cries... identical.
He's got a lot of hair, but he's completely naked without a shred of cloth...
Is he... one of us?
Unsure of what to make of him, the Radgits exchanged puzzled glances.
—Kiiiii?
—Kyahaha...! Kahhh!
—Kakaka!
"Grrrrr... Kahhh!!"
*Slash!*
While they hesitated, Doran swiftly swung his cutlass, decapitating another Radgit.
Only three left.
Realizing they had been tricked, the remaining Radgits lunged at him simultaneously. However, Doran easily backstepped, utilizing his newly boosted Agility.
With this kind of speed, a head-on fight is more than winnable...!
He slipped inside the guard of a clumsily charging Radgit and thrust his blade upward. A severed arm flew into the air.
True to its savage nature, the beast tried to strike back with its remaining arm, but—
"Too slow."
—Kwah?!
Doran instantly pivoted, slashing the creature's waist while simultaneously delivering a heavy kick to its abdomen.
As the beast crashed against the cave wall, Doran adjusted his stance. Another Radgit lunged, swinging its sharp claws, but—
Upper left...!
Knowing their attack patterns inside out, Doran nimbly dodged the strike and thrust his cutlass forward, skewering the beast's shoulder.
The Radgit shrieked in pain and tried to retreat, but Doran pressed his advantage without hesitation, slicing deep into its thigh.
It was a flawless, fluid combo that far surpassed what a player of his level should be capable of.
Even with its leg dangling uselessly, the beast stumbled forward, desperately swiping its claws. But Doran had already anticipated this.
"Eat this."
He kicked a clump of filth from the ground straight into its face, leaving the creature flailing blindly.
He drove the tip of his cutlass through its throat to finish it. The last remaining Radgit charged him in a frenzy, but the outcome was already decided.
*Slash!*
Doran slid across the mud, dodging the attack, and sliced the back of the beast's knee. The Radgit collapsed face-first onto the ground with a wet thud.
He pinned the back of its neck with his foot and drove his blade straight through its heart. Instantly, silence descended upon the chaotic cavern.
• You have successfully defeated the Radgit pack!
• An outstanding achievement!
• Your level has increased!
✨ DISGUISE UNLOCKED ✨
• You have learned how to disguise yourself as the cave ape, Radgit! Once you familiarize yourself with the Radgit's body, it will prove highly effective for navigating enclosed spaces!
"Phew..."
Transforming into a Radgit...
I'm not sure where I'll use it yet, but it's good news nonetheless.
He could test it out later when he was alone.
As he finally let out his held breath, the foul stench of blood and filth coating his body hit him. A wave of intense exhaustion and self-loathing washed over him.
In the dim light of the flickering torches, slimy, wet clumps hung from the cave walls and ceiling.
...This is awful.
It was too dark to see clearly, but his own appearance was undoubtedly far more wretched.
The sad truth was, even if he went back in time, he would have made the exact same choice to survive.
When he looked up, Razvel and her companions flinched, taking a collective step backward.
Swallowing his tears over his shattered dignity, Doran wiped himself down and began gathering his clothes. Only after he was fully dressed did Razvel and the others hesitantly approach.
"U-Um... how on earth...? Why did the monsters just ignore you and walk right past, Doran?"
"These monsters have degenerated eyesight. If you mask your scent and hold your breath, you can hide your presence from them for a short while."
"Ah... so rolling around in the mud was..."
"Yes, to mask my scent, of course! You have to completely assimilate with the environment to fool them!"
"T-Then... what was the point of stripping naked, throwing filth, and screaming at us to look at you?!"
"Ah, that..."
Doran fell silent, staring blankly up at the ceiling.
It was obviously to harvest stats through his Chaos skill, but telling them the truth would mean exposing his connection to the evil god.
Should he accept being misunderstood, or risk being branded a servant of an evil god?
It wasn't even worth debating.
"It's because... I'm an attention seeker."
"Pardon?"
He wanted to drop the subject immediately. The more he talked about it, the more painful it became.
"...More importantly, could you harvest the monsters' ears? We need to bring them back to the guild to report the quest and claim our reward."
"Ah... r-right! Where are my manners...!"
Their mission wasn't over yet.
Having successfully diverted their attention, Doran looked around the area while the adventurers cleaned up the battlefield.
It should be around here somewhere...
"...Found it."
In a secluded corner of the cave, he grunted as he rolled away a large boulder, revealing a hidden passage.
The adventurers, who had just finished harvesting the Radgits' ears, gasped in shock at the sight of the newly exposed path.
"W-What is this? A s-secret passage?!"
"It's nothing as grand as a secret passage, just a shortcut. If we take this route, we can safely reach the mining zone without running into any more Radgits."
"N-No... you just discovered a brand-new route that isn't even on the map! How can you be so calm about this?! Besides, monsters just attacked us, shouldn't we be running away right now...?"
"...Is that a problem?"
"Ah, no. Not at all."
When Doran turned back with a feigned look of confusion, Razvel and her companions exchanged glances that clearly said, Are we the weird ones here?
Whatever they thought, he absolutely needed the Sensory Stones to grow stronger.
As Doran squeezed himself into the narrow tunnel, Razvel and her party followed without another word.