Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Bordo Dungeon Conquest
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"Hey, what do we do?"
"What do we mean? Let's just go."
The companions I'd pointed out ignored Salik and walked away.
"Damn it, damn it!"
Salik crouched down, spitting curses.
The onlookers whispered about his pathetic state before losing interest and drifting away one by one.
Now it was just me and Salik.
"Quit being an adventurer and look for something else."
This wasn't taunting—it was sincere advice.
Adventurer Salik was finished. Thanks to the suggestion I'd planted, even the easiest quests would be out of his reach now.
"Or maybe go pick herbs or something."
"Ugh...!"
I walked right past him, but Salik could only collapse without a word.
I'd accomplished my goal for the day, so maybe head back?
With no more idiots picking fights, I was tempted to check out the dungeon.
The entrance to Bordo Dungeon was on the ground level.
A large staircase descended into the bare, muddy soil stripped of grass.
It was too dark to see what lay at the bottom, and it didn't exactly scream "come on in."
I guess I wasn't adventurer material.
How much guts does it take to walk into a creepy haunted spot like this on purpose?
Especially knowing you'd get attacked for sure once inside.
"Mister."
Someone tapped me on the shoulder.
I turned to see a grubby boy with a big bag on his back staring at me.
"If you're thinking of going in, hire me. I'll be your porter."
Porter...
I had a personal inventory, so I didn't need one.
"Got a torch?"
"Yeah."
"Then light it up. Payment on the way out. Deal?"
"Sure."
Things moved fast.
I headed underground with the boy.
"But why approach me, out of everyone alone?"
"You just smell like money."
I let out a chuckle.
"Smell like money"? You hardly hear that back home, and coming from a kid, it was ridiculous.
Sharp nose, though. I might not have money, but I'm not hurting for it.
"But mister, can you fight? No weapon or anything."
"You'll see."
A noise came from ahead.
A familiar sound. Goblins. But unlike the ones outside, these spotted us and charged immediately.
I kicked the charging goblins down one by one, then cast a spell.
"Fire Arrow!"
Flames burst from my hand, and the boy's eyes went wide.
"Mister! You're a mage?"
I fired Fire Arrows at each goblin, detonating them.
"Kieek!"
"Yeah. Mage."
"Amazing!"
"It's the only spell I can use."
"Never seen someone your age cast attack magic before."
His attitude flipped, like sudden respect had bloomed.
"Isn't this just basic magic anyone can learn?"
I played dumb and probed.
"You're kidding? In a hundred bronze-rank adventurers, maybe ten use magic! And of those, one knows attack spells."
"Oh?"
I'd just gotten it as a bonus with the goddess's blessing.
"Second time seeing it in person. Wild."
"Can we keep going now?"
"..."
The boy shut up, embarrassed belatedly.
"Name's Decal. You?"
"Vindel."
Dungeon monsters are aggressive, right? Totally true.
Even those easy goblins spotting us first and charging amped the tension tenfold.
Their gear was different too. They wielded filthy blades from inside the dungeon—getting hit could be dangerous.
Yeah, tetanus maybe...
When was my last tetanus shot? Supposed to last ten years. Man... worrying.
"Fire Arrow!"
(Your level has increased.)
"Mister, over there!"
Once he knew I was a mage, Vindel scouted a few steps ahead, spotting monsters first.
Like he was playing warrior.
Better than solo, at least. Felt solid.
Bordo's first underground floor was a labyrinth of countless goblins and even more empty rooms layered in subterranean architecture.
Half the walls had crumbled soil instead of proper stone—not sure I'd call it architecture.
Made me worry pointlessly. Hope it doesn't collapse and bury us.
"Fire Arrow!"
Goblins poured out endlessly.
My magic handling improved with each one.
Gained confidence hitting moving targets, figured out some traits.
First, incantation or not.
Fire Arrow needed one incantation to summon or fire the arrow.
Could cast without, but power halved.
Max two arrows at once.
First with incantation, second without.
Mana cost doubled.
I chugged water from my bottle to refill MP as I advanced.
(Your level has increased.)
(Your level has increased.)
"Mister, your casting speed's getting faster."
"Feeling it too."
I checked my status.
Level: 12
Status
HP 290/290 MP 354/463
Veleira's Blessing (True) 「Fire Immunity, Fire Magic Power Up, All Skill Proficiencies ++」
Goddess's Proxy 「Communicate in all languages, read all scripts. Qualified to traverse worlds.」
Stats
Strength 46 Mana 59 Vitality 50 Agility 51
Skills
Fire Arrow (★☆) - Basic but practical fire magic. Leaves embers for extra damage sometimes.
Status showed Fire Arrow proficiency up.
Cast time around 1.5 seconds now. Huge leap from the clunky start.
Bottle kept MP topped, so I advanced leisurely, dropping every goblin in sight.
Hey, this is pretty comfy now, huh?
Too late to notice, but goblins couldn't even reach me.
No need for crude melee anymore.
Simple, strong attack magic plus infinite MP refills. Better than I'd dreamed.
Narrow paths meant stepping over goblin corpses funneled souls into the soul stones nonstop.
"Fire Arrow!"
"Kieek!"
The satisfaction of souls slurping in.
Thrilling.
"Head to floor 2?"
"Yeah. Glad I stuck with you, mister. We've got as many as a full party already."
"Soul stones from this haul worth much?"
"First time adventuring, mister?"
"Kinda."
"This many? Guild rate's 1 gold."
Nice. 1 gold per hundred goblins.
What's next?
Floor 2 had more goblins, occasional skeletons mixed in.
First one startled me—human bones standing dumbly.
Slow movers, though. Easy to drop.
"Fire Arrow!"
Bigger than goblins, easier to hit even.
Didn't always one-shot, but sometimes did.
"Hm?"
Something felt off.
Same spell, same spot—why the difference?
Individual skeleton variance?
Soon realized it was the [Focusing Bracelet].
"Fire Arrow!"
Delay after arrow formed to focus.
MP drained faster, arrow swelled.
Skill overcharge. That was the bracelet's trick.
"Vindel, step back."
Warned him, then unleashed overcharged Fire Arrow.
Boom!
Skeleton shattered instantly.
"Whoa..."
Vindel gasped in awe.
Same here inwardly. Bracelet was nuts.
Boosted skill power 3—no, 5 times at least.
Not all upside, but pros crushed cons.
One-shots on skeletons? Just precise MP investment.
Control power to one-shot skeletons? Nothing to fear.
"Mister, gonna fill all five soul stones today?"
"Think so?"
Vindel's grin stretched ear to ear. Happy for his cut.
After a bunch, learned skeleton souls equaled three goblins.
Vindel lit the way, spotted monsters first; I blasted them.
Rinse and repeat diligently.
[Focusing Bracelet] for skeleton one-shots.
Armored ones? Max overcharge and obliterate.
Filled all five small soul stones—I was unrecognizable.
Level: 16
Status
HP 440/440 MP 653/653
Veleira's Blessing (True) 「Fire Immunity, Fire Magic Power Up, All Skill Proficiencies ++」
Goddess's Proxy 「Communicate in all languages, read all scripts. Qualified to traverse worlds.」
Stats
Strength 71 Mana 112 Vitality 61 Agility 55
Skills
Fire Arrow (★★) - Basic but practical fire magic. Ignites on hit for ongoing damage.
Thanks to Veleira's blessing from isekai transfer,
My growth felt freakishly fast even to me.
Cast time down to 1 second.
Arrow speed leaped, power enough for no-incant goblin kills.
Bordo monsters? No match.
Conquered to the bottom easy.
"Mister, last room?"
"That the boss?"
Bordo's depths held a skeleton mage.
"Fire Arrow!"
Two overcharged shots straight at it.
Explosion, dust cloud, then clearing.
Skeleton mage obliterated, no trace.
"Wow, down. Can I check for loot?"
"Go ahead."
Vindel rushed over.
"Mister! Spellbook!"
"Where?"
Tattered book by the skull mage's head.
Title: [Necromancy Primer]
"Spellbooks are valuable. Hundreds of gold easy."
"Score."
Stashed it in personal inventory.
"Head back?"
Nothing left after clearing bottom.
Beating the skeleton mage cleared monsters en route—no sign of any.
Mid-floor 1, adventurers noticed the anomaly, one asked me.
"You went all the way?"
"Yeah."
"Ahh!"
Groans everywhere.
"How tough was the bottom monster?"
"Not bad. Skeleton mage with a staff."
"Ooh!"
They hung on my words—awkward.
"Hit it fast before it could do anything. Worked."
"Right!"
"Told you it was a skeleton mage."
"Damn, got to floor 2 end yesterday."
Left the chatting adventurers, exited dungeon.
Outside, dusk falling.
Forgotten fatigue crashed in.
Hour walk to village? Brutal.
Wish I could call a cab.
"Vindel, heading to village too?"
"Gotta. Don't forget I stuck by you all day helping."
"Yeah, pay your share after cashing in."
Soul stones go to guild—can't hand whole ones over.
Returned to Marn with Vindel.
"Oh, adventurer's back."
Guards grinned at me.
"Decent haul?"
"So-so."
"Haha, look beat. Get some rest."
Back in Marn Village. Cash in, crash. Where's Esty?
Crowd oddly thick at guild.
Some spectacle inside?
"What's up?"
Grabbed a random guy. Men answered without turning.
"That elf's inside."
"Hasn't left yet."
"Waiting for someone? Who?"
"......"
Situation clear instantly.