Apinsig
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Chapter 288 Homesteading in a fantasy world
🕑 Added 2023-08-08 08:45:07 +0000 UTCWe continued to descend, but progress became increasingly challenging. We were getting lucky in finding boss rooms. However, it wasn't just the bosses that posed a significant threat; even the regular monsters began to deplete a significant portion of our resources.
The more worrying part was that my taunt ability was beginning to falter. The monsters we encountered were becoming more intelligent, which apparently made it more difficult to convince them to only attack me. I guess this was understandable, but I certainly didn’t like it.
Every monster now possessed multiple abilities, and many had mastered elemental control to a dangerous degree. On the 78th floor, the main enemy was a beast covered in quills so sturdy that even my sword couldn't cut through. It was able to shoot them but even more dangerous was its control over lightning.
I needed to kite the monsters as getting close to them would get me knocked out. The best and the only way to do any damage to them was from the side, which would be impossible if they were chasing you down. None of us could have won against it on our own but as a group effort, we were able to prevail.
The push to get this far down and still be within our timeline has only been possible because everyone's mentality has been strengthened. Thanks to that we have been able to keep pushing ourselves past our limits.
I haven’t slept for over five days now. The constant fighting that has happened has pushed me to my limit. Thankfully one of the latest traits vitality overflow, has been able to keep my body and mind going. It was sorely needed to keep me going. Currently, we are having a short rest on the 95th floor with only five days left before two months deadline.
This floor is different and incredibly difficult. We are in a large room with three entrances, and I thank the land for every moment of respite we get. This room was the first we entered on this floor and will be the last, as it also contains the stairs leading downward.
The problem is that the stairway is sealed and won't open for another six hours. We've already spent 14 hours here, and every thirty minutes, a horde of monsters emerges from the three corridors. Now perhaps this wouldn't be that bad if we weren’t fighting monsters that weren’t bullshit and the stupidest fucking things alive.
They stood about two feet tall, with round bodies and stumpy feet. Their faces, as wide as their bodies, boasted even wider mouths. They somewhat resembled frogs, but not quite. They were ranked two, which means we were gaining experience from this. However, I'd rather face more conventional monsters that wouldn't grant me any experience. Killing them wasn't the issue; that was the easy part. It's just that there are so many of them but that also wouldn't be a problem the problem was that those fuckers were deceptively fast and when they died, they exploded.
The resulting burning acid was among the most horrific substances I've encountered. Not only will you never be able to get it off as it's just so sticky. The corrosive aspect and flames combined even burn through my hand in a few seconds.
Luckily, I only got drops on me but even they made my forearm resemble Swiss cheese. During the fighting, Horus has been hit the worst and had his right arm completely destroy five times. He's now running out of swords to replace the ruined ones.
I have no trouble defending my hallway although it is getting exhausting even for me. Luana is also fine and she’s able to keep her hallway clean and over the long hours, she has become extremely efficient at it.
The problem is for Arabella and Horus as they lack the aoe damage needed for this fight. The real problem is that these monsters are basically immune to their own substance that they spill out when they explode. It will eventually get through their skin and make them explode but for how dangerous this substance is they are stupidly resistant against it and most of the time it won't matter because they would already have gotten too close if you didn't kill them yourself.
Our situation improved slightly when we began collecting drops from these creatures. Each time they dropped something, it was their skin, which could be used as a defense against corrosive substances, especially if one had defensive abilities. Fortunately, Horus did.
However, as the battle dragged on, our primary concern became exhaustion. Clearing a wave typically took 20 minutes or more, leaving us with a mere 10-minute respite before the next onslaught. I was usually among the first to clear my hallway, and once done, I'd rush to relieve Horus and Arabella, allowing them a bit more rest.
When the battle finally ended, we were all so exhausted that we practically collapsed. Our reward for this fight was intriguing: we received three scrolls. As we ate, Luana examined the scrolls. "These are magical spell scrolls. They cast a 20-meter circle area up to 100 meters away, which will be covered with the substance those monsters had," Luana explained while stuffing food down her mouth. I was given one scroll, Arabella the second, and Adam the third.
Just holding the scroll felt like holding something incredibly dangerous. How could mere paper hold so much destructive power? I transported it into my tattoo storage, placing it close to my wrist so I could access it quickly if needed. The scroll will burn up when we use it, which makes them a one-time weapon but it would probably save our lives against some sort of a monster that we shouldn't even be fighting.
We decided to take a long rest so we would be properly rested as none of us thought that we were going to get an ounce of rest when we descended those stairs before we got out of the dungeon. I woke up before the others and began preparing food. Using our best supplies, I made a meal, as it might be our last chance for a proper feast. From here on, we’ll likely rely on rations.
I quite often checked in on my mind companion, but I still didn't know why he was absent for such a long time, but when he returned he seemed to be quite excited. He mentioned needing to change everything, telling me about enhanced defenses and attack capabilities.
When I asked about attacking other minds, he looked at me as if I was stupid, telling me that I can't attack another's mind. He seemed irritable after that, so I gave him space. It's probably not a good idea to upset someone in charge of your mental defenses. I've yet to name him, but I'm considering Alan. Maybe my apprentices will have suggestions. Thinking of them reminded me of my homestead and how much I missed it.
Going to see the world, exploring, and fighting in dungeons is all good, but being away for two months is already pushing it, in my opinion. There is still so much left to do at home. I want to make a proper bow-making workshop. Perhaps later, I might consider having more animals, like goats.
However, I have a feeling that I won’t be able to stay at home constantly to care for them, so that might not be feasible. The few cows and chickens aren't much of a problem, and I could always ask Val to check up on them once in a while. But managing a proper herd would be too much work to simply ask as a favour.
It seems I zoned out thinking about my home, as everyone else seemed to have woken up and started to eat what I had prepared. After finishing my meal, I took some time to sharpen my blade and maintain my armor.
My equipment has been holding up incredibly well, and I just hope that I wouldn’t damage it in the last couple of floors. We packed everything up, took a few minutes to ready ourselves, then stepped downwards. We felt the familiar displacement once again and found ourselves in some sort of ruin one floor down.
