Raul Nord, whose title was “High Novice.”
And yet, his ability values were not extraordinary in the slightest.
They could even be described as ordinary.
He had no skills and no magic.
It was simply that his basic ability values had risen to the standard of Level 4.
Although saying this might be a little rude, in reality, with Raul’s personal ability values, when facing other Level 4 adventurers of the same rank, aside from combat experience, he probably would not have any advantage at all.
Using the game terminology Ize liked, Raul was basically just a super minion with no skills or finishing moves.
The girls at the Hostess of Fertility tavern could probably hang him up and beat him.
After all, inside that tavern, aside from Syr Flova, the average level was Level 4, and they were all very strong Level 4s at that.
So, from that perspective, it was not exactly surprising that Raul would envy Ize for having magic.
However, his sighing left Ize unsure how to respond.
Because it felt like no matter what he said at a time like this, it would not be appropriate.
Fortunately, Ize did not have to struggle with it for too long, because Raul noticed the strange phenomenon around him.
“Speaking of which, Ize, what’s that yellow barrier wrapped around you?
Why does it look like some kind of cover trapping you inside?”
After putting away the dropped magic stones, Raul walked up to Ize and could not help but curiously poke the bright yellow energy barrier surrounding his body.
“This?
It’s a shield.
I guess you could call it an additional effect after casting the magic.
It can remain active for a while and help me block attacks.”
Ize tried his best to phrase it in a way Raul could understand.
Rex Lapis’s pillar plus shield.
That was the thing Ize had been messing around with all last night.
It had taken him the entire night, and even with a reference, he had only barely managed to complete this magic.
The initial method of raising the stone pillar was actually achieved through his ability to manipulate the earth element to a certain extent.
Afterward, the stone pillar would erupt with a powerful shockwave.
If the target was an enemy, they would be blown away and heavily injured.
If the target was an ally, then the intense rock element would apply a layer of shield to them.
As for the standard used to judge between the two, it was determined according to Ize’s will.
“It can attack and defend at the same time?
That’s so nice… Now I’m even more jealous…”
Raul, the tool man, once again let out a sigh filled with the feeling that they were simply built differently.
…
Encounter monsters, kill monsters.
Encounter them, kill them.
Encounter them again…
Life inside the Dungeon, when summarized, was actually just a life of encountering monsters and then killing them.
Perhaps some people could experience a sense of adventure from the rewards brought by monsters.
However, most of the time, what it brought people was still the fear of life and death constantly hovering at the edge of danger.
After stepping beyond the fourth floor, the monsters began dropping complete magic stones.
Although they were still small, compared to the fingernail-sized magic stone fragments from the first four floors, they had already jumped up an entire grade.
Aside from magic stones, Ize and Raul also obtained quite a few drop items.
Drop items were materials that would not disappear even after a monster died.
Most of them were parts of the monster’s body, and their appearance rate was relatively low.
Without exception, all of them were rare items.
They could be used to forge weapons and equipment, and even to make medicine and magic tools.
They were beloved by Orario’s craftsmen, and their prices were also far from cheap.
“Is it just my imagination?
Why do I feel like the drop rate for items in the Dungeon is unusually high today?”
After collecting yet another drop item, Raul began to question his life.
In the past, whenever he entered the Dungeon, the number of drop items he could collect in a round trip was usually only in the single digits.
But now, together with Ize, they had not even returned yet, and the drop items they had collected had already filled one section of the backpack.
A supporter’s backpack was divided into internal compartments.
After all, it was impossible to just shove everything inside together.
Medicine, magic stones, drop items, spare weapons, daggers, and the like all had strictly divided sections.
Otherwise, if someone got injured or their weapon was damaged, and they had to rummage through the backpack for half a day without finding what they needed, that would be a joke.
It would be an instant GG.
“Is that so?
Why don’t I feel that way?”
After killing the last monster in the group of war shadows just now, Ize, who did not have any accurate concept of such things, looked over in confusion.
They were already on the sixth floor.
Both the strength and number of monsters had clearly increased.
However, it was still fine.
From Ize’s perspective, they were still within a range he could handle.
As he slowly explored through battle, Ize’s skill, Heart of the Earth, also began to gradually reveal its effects.
Heart of the Earth:
Upon entering combat, Strength and Endurance receive a significant increase.
During every battle, he could clearly feel the enhancement to his strength.
As for the automatic recovery of stamina and mind…
Ize found it somewhat difficult to describe that feeling.
If he had to say it, it was probably similar to standing on a healing fountain.
It was just that the range of this fountain was a little bigger, and the recovery speed was a little slower.
“Ize, isn’t this your first time in the Dungeon?
It would be stranger if you did have a feel for this kind of thing, wouldn’t it?”
Raul asked a soul-piercing question.
“…That’s true.”
“If I remember correctly, up ahead should be the entrance to the seventh floor.
What do you think?
Want to go take a look?”
Along the way, perhaps because he had also noticed how relaxed Ize was, Raul—who had originally planned to explore only to around the fourth floor before taking him back—actually took the initiative to suggest continuing.
“Huh?
I thought this was the part where you were supposed to say something like, ‘Let’s stop here for today.
We can explore the area ahead another time,’ or something like that.”
As if he had heard something unexpected, Ize could not help teasing him.
“Uh… Although I don’t know why you would think that, I definitely sensed the malice contained in your words.
That definitely wasn’t anything good.”
“It’s just your imagination~ Your imagination~ How could I possibly slander a senior in the Familia?
Right?”
“…”
While chatting in a rather relaxed manner, the two passed through the staircase at the end of the sixth floor.
“Crack—!”
As soon as they arrived on the seventh floor, the walls cracked open once again, and monsters began to be born from within the dark-red energy.
Perhaps it was trying to welcome the two brothers to the seventh floor.
This time, the area of the cracked wall was especially wide, almost covering the entire wall at once.
One unsettling monster after another was born from within.
Four legs, two thin arms, and a pair of enormous eyes.
Their completely red bodies made one unable to help but think of ants.
What made them different from ordinary ants was that their bodies were roughly the same size as humans.
From their slender waists upward, their upper bodies stood upright as if raising their heads.
/AkaneTranslations Like it ?