Surviving in the Cave
Confusion was confusion, but this was this.
The moment I registered the Bloody Mantis roaring, I immediately clenched my fist.
Smoke - Muyeong (Mist Shadow)
Black smoke billowed up.
Gritting my teeth, I swung my Black Dragon fist at the Bloody Mantis's abdomen with all my might.
"Kieeeek…."
Unlike on the second floor, maybe because my synchronization rate had gone up.
The Bloody Mantis that used to take two hits to kill happily went to meet its maker with just one. Hooray! Victory!
I survived the sudden situation!
I could've thrown my arms wide and cheered.
Of course, I wanted to.
"What a pain in the ass."
If the surroundings hadn't been packed with Bloody Mantises, I probably would've.
No time to celebrate—I hurled myself backward.
The very next instant, a Bloody Mantis's foreleg slammed into where I'd been standing.
Its scythe-like, razor-sharp foreleg sank smoothly into the solid ground.
I lashed out wildly at that foreleg with my fist.
"Kieeeek!"
The foreleg snapped in half.
Having smashed it, I quickly scanned my surroundings.
'Roughly twenty or more.'
These massive bastards surrounded me densely.
I forced myself to exhale calmly and looked around.
'...Not a forest this time.'
Up until now, the Evergreen Tower had been nothing but endless forests.
But not this time.
It was a pitch-black cave all around.
And right now, the only exit in this space was the dark passage behind the horde of Bloody Mantises.
Like it or not, there was no going back.
The only way out was through there.
"...So I have to punch through all these Bloody Mantises, huh."
Tatata-tat-tat!
The Bloody Mantises had already locked onto me and were closing in.
Fooling their eyes and slipping to the exit was practically impossible.
So, I'd have to take them down.
I reached out and grabbed the broken Bloody Mantis foreleg embedded in the ground.
With a yank from my Black Dragon right arm, it came out easily.
Then, gripping that foreleg tight in my Black Dragon right hand, I charged forward.
"Kiiik!"
The previous Bloody Mantis swung its remaining foreleg at me.
I hurled the foreleg I was holding right at its forehead.
"Ooh."
It embedded perfectly in its forehead, nice and easy.
Way more effective than expected.
Confirming the Bloody Mantis collapse, I reached out and grabbed the tail of a massive one.
"Hup!"
Kugugugu-gung!
The Bloody Mantis corpse slammed roughly into the ground and whipped around.
Its huge, sturdy body collided chain-reaction style with the charging Bloody Mantises.
A single impact flipped several onto their backs, flailing helplessly.
Guess their size made it hard to roll over quickly.
The ones that hadn't fallen didn't bother helping—instead, they trampled their kin and kept coming at me.
"No camaraderie, huh."
Orcs at least got scared seeing their buddies die.
Tsking in annoyance, I hurled the corpse I'd been holding at them with all my strength.
"Kieeeek?!"
A fellow's corpse flying at their heads.
To them, it was just an obstacle—they sliced it apart with their forelegs without a millimeter's error.
And there, where their prey had been revealed...
"Kiiek?"
Nothing.
Of course.
The puny prey they'd tried to gobble up...
"Peekaboo, you bastards."
Was charging in right behind the flung corpse.
I grinned, jamming my fingers into the belly of the central Bloody Mantis.
Its sharp claws couldn't hold—my fingers sank deep into its abdomen.
The Bloody Mantis raised its foreleg toward me.
But I was faster, blasting Smoke from the embedded fingers.
"Try and endure this."
"Kik, ki-gik, kik."
Twitch, twitch.
The moment the black mist flooded in, it froze, trembling finely.
Confirming cracks in its tough exoskeleton, I yanked my hand free.
"Whew... Using that much Smoke takes it out of me."
It was the most Smoke I'd ever used at once.
This is rough.
I wiped the cold sweat beading on my forehead and slipped past the twitching Bloody Mantis.
The remaining ones charged at me at full speed.
But I didn't brace myself.
Didn't even clench my fist.
Hell, I released the active Black Dragon.
Why?
"Cheori. Cover your ears."
"Kkung?"
Boom!
A massive explosion roared from behind me.
I smirked and stopped.
Turning back, the scene was pure devastation.
The cave filled with black mist.
And the sprawled corpses of giant mantises within.
I'd pretty much expected this.
Grinning in satisfaction, I gazed at the dead Bloody Mantises.
"Kkung?"
"How'd I do it?"
"Kkung kkung."
"Simple."
Think about it.
A sealed suit of tough armor.
I crammed it full of physically forceful black mist until it burst.
And I can control that black mist with my will.
'Though controlling it isn't as simple as it sounds...'
What I did was straightforward.
Fill the Bloody Mantis's exoskeleton with enough Smoke to crack it.
Then expand the Smoke in an instant.
That alone turned its exoskeleton into grenade shrapnel, spraying everywhere.
"Hoo..."
I let out a long sigh and flopped down on the ground.
No more threats here for now.
Time to catch my breath.
'Tougher than I thought.'
Not a straight fistfight, but combat using Smoke.
First time dumping that much at once—I didn't know it'd drain me like this.
Never felt tired in the tower before, but this was my first real physical exhaustion.
As I sat recovering, Cheori slithered out of my pocket, flicking its tongue, and started crawling somewhere.
I stared blankly at where it was headed.
"Whatcha doing."
"Kkung, kkueng."
Wait a sec—that's what its cry seemed to say.
Cheori dug something out from a dead Bloody Mantis corpse and dragged it over.
I eyed the baseball-sized blue stone it was carrying.
Looks familiar.
That’s like...
"Mana stone?"
"Kkung!"
"What, you gonna eat this too?"
Nod.
Cheori bobbed its head without a word.
Oh yeah, it said it was hungry earlier.
I casually transformed my right hand into Black Dragon and smashed the mana stone it dragged over.
"Here, eat up."
"Kkung!"
Nom nom nom.
It gobbled the chunks happily.
I watched it thoughtfully.
'Baseball-sized mana stone...'
Sell that on Earth, it'd fetch a fortune.
Too bad only Cheori can leave the tower with me.
"Just in case, maybe try it."
Never tried taking mana stones out.
Might work.
I pondered seriously as Cheori finished one and dragged over another.
"Tch."
Nah.
Just let it eat.
Smacking my lips, I shattered the new mana stone Cheori brought and finally turned my gaze aside.
Toward the system window that'd been floating since I entered the tower, which I'd been ignoring.
Alright, so what's the clear condition for this floor?
5th Floor
Escape from the cave.
Simple and clear condition.
Escape the cave.
I pinched my throbbing forehead between thumb and forefinger.
Too simple and clear—can't see what's ahead.
"Haa..."
Escape from here?
Felt it in the Tutorial Tower too, but why do all the 5th floors have to be like this?
Not even a maze—no cheating by punching through walls.
Have to walk straight through the damn cave.
Unlike Tutorial Tower, dealing with monsters along the way too.
"...That's why they say you can't clear 5th floors."
Dunno who designed this tower, but they're a real sadist.
If this isn't a test of time and sanity, what is?
To survive the cave, can't waste stamina like that anymore.
Thought it was a good trick, but can't use it again.
Tsking softly, I scooped up the sated-looking Cheori into my hand and stood.
"Cheori. We're lost again."
"Kkung?"
"Yup."
It looked like the world had ended.
I gave it a pitying look.
"So we gotta get out of this cave."
Cheori nodded slowly, like it understood.
I set it on my shoulder and took my first step away from the Bloody Mantis corpses, toward escaping the cave.
Three hours of pushing forward.
"...Back here again."
The Earth Bear I'd run into on the way—used its hide and fat to flame Cheori's fire into a torch.
Now, biting my lip at the marks on the wall.
I'd scratched triangle markers into the cave walls as breadcrumbs in case I looped back.
The one right in front of me now? Second time seeing it.
"Definitely went a different way."
This was a fork—left looped back, so I took right.
Right looped back too.
"What now?"
Is there even an exit?
I scanned around seriously.
Looks like early section, but already stuck.
Headache.
"...Just smash through?"
Not a bad idea, honestly.
As I clenched my fist to punch anywhere...
Cheori hopped off my shoulder suddenly.
It slithered off fast somewhere.
Figured it was hungry, so I reached into my pocket for the mana stones I'd packed.
But nope.
"Kkung!"
It stopped dead at one wall, crying loud like look closely.
I approached, tilting my head.
"Something beyond here?"
"Kkung!"
Looks like a normal wall...
I knocked it lightly with my hand.
Sounds like a normal wall too...
"Huh?"
Tong.
When I tapped with my solid Black Dragon right hand, a clear, ringing sound echoed.
For real?
Actual passage beyond?
"That's why I couldn't find it."
Chucking, I clenched my right fist.
And swung at the wall with all my might.
"Kup, kelek."
Choking cough as thick dust billowed.
Covering my mouth, I peered narrowly beyond.
"Whoa... what's this now."
The wall chunk—blasted thirty centimeters back.
Beyond: a sheer chasm, carved clean.
I picked up a debris chunk and tossed it into the gorge.
"..."
No sound, even after ages. How deep is this thing?
Sighing long, I eyed the far side.
Obviously wider space over there, not like here.
That's gotta be the right path.
Distance to the other side? Eyeballing it, dozens of meters.
Normal jump? Not even close.
Plopping down, I pondered crossing methods.
"Guess only one way."
Racked my brain—no other answers.
Tsking softly, I backed up slowly, muttering.
"Just swore not to waste it again..."
Tatadot, thump!
Running-up from behind, I leaped full-force toward the far side.
Smoke endlessly spewing from my hands.