As Kai prepared to venture back into the dungeon to see Hori again, he was suddenly met with the armored figure once again.
The figure stood there as tall as ever, with a few new scratches covering the armor. Kai stared at them for a moment, wondering why they had suddenly returned.
Maybe they were hungry again or perhaps they had come for more food. Either way, Kai wasn’t sure if he should approach first, especially since he still had no idea who was hiding underneath the armor.
"Are you hungry?" Kai asked cautiously.
The figure remained completely silent, standing there without moving. Kai waited for a response, but nothing came.
He was about to ask again when a loud growl came from underneath the armor. Kai blinked before looking at the figure.
"Oh, so you are hungry." Kai said with a small smile.
The figure didn’t respond, but Kai took it as a yes. He turned around and went back toward his little cooking area, deciding to make something quick.
He still had several ingredients left from the people who had visited him earlier, so he picked out some meat and vegetables before placing his frying pan over the fire. The armored figure remained standing behind him the entire time, silently watching him cook.
"You know, you really don’t talk much." Kai said as he chopped the vegetables. "Actually, I don’t think I’ve heard you say more than a few words since we met."
There was no response.
Kai glanced behind him before continuing to cook. "I guess you’re one of those quiet types. That’s fine. I’m kind of used to talking to myself anyway."
Still nothing.
Kai placed the meat into the pan and listened to it sizzle. The smell quickly filled the area, and even Kai’s stomach began growling despite having eaten earlier.
"This should be pretty good. I haven’t tried this combination before, but I have a feeling it’ll work." Kai said while stirring the food. "Although if it tastes horrible, don’t blame me. You’re the one who showed up while I was about to leave."
The armored figure continued watching him silently.
Kai eventually placed the finished food onto a plate and held it out.
"Here, eat this before it gets cold." Kai said.
The figure accepted the plate without saying anything and began eating. Kai watched them for a moment, curious about their reaction, but their armor made it impossible to see their face properly.
Still, the figure seemed to enjoy the food because they finished the entire plate without hesitation.
"I’m guessing you liked it." Kai said with a small laugh. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
The figure finally moved. They reached into their belongings and pulled out a strange glowing object before placing it in Kai’s hands.
Kai looked down at it.
"What is this?" Kai asked, turning it around.
The object was small and round, glowing with a faint blue light. It looked like some kind of crystal, but there was something strange about the energy coming from it. Kai immediately activated his Food Appraisal skill out of curiosity.
A window appeared in front of him.
[ITEM: SPATIAL CRYSTAL]
[EFFECT: CREATES A STORAGE SPACE]
[STORAGE CAPACITY: UNLIMITED]
Kai’s eyes widened.
"Unlimited?" Kai asked, staring at the crystal.
The figure nodded.
Kai couldn’t believe his luck. He had been carrying all his ingredients and cooking equipment around in whatever bags he could find, and every time he wanted to move somewhere, he had to worry about leaving something behind.
"Can I really put anything inside?" Kai asked.
The figure nodded again.
"This is amazing." Kai said, smiling.
Kai immediately activated the crystal. A strange blue light appeared in front of him before forming into a small space that seemed to lead into another dimension. Kai cautiously placed one of his cooking pots inside.
It disappeared.
Kai’s eyes lit up.
He quickly began putting everything away. His frying pan, pots, knives, plates, ingredients and all the other equipment he had collected disappeared into the storage space one after another. Within a few minutes, he no longer had to carry anything with him. Follow the newest chapters on NovelPing.
"Now this is convenient." Kai said, looking at his empty hands.
When he turned around to thank the armored figure, however, they were already gone.
Kai stared at the empty space.
"They really like disappearing without saying goodbye." Kai muttered.
He didn’t have time to worry about it for long. Hori was still waiting somewhere in the dungeon, and Kai needed to find him. He gathered himself and headed toward the dungeon entrance, preparing to venture through the first level once again.
The forest looked just as dangerous as he remembered. Strange plants grew everywhere, and the sounds of monsters echoed from deeper inside. But this time, Kai felt different. He still wasn’t strong, but he had better equipment, more experience, and most importantly, he knew what he was dealing with.
He carefully made his way through the forest, avoiding several monsters along the way. Eventually, he reached the area where he had encountered the spider before.
Kai slowed down.
His eyes moved across the surroundings, remembering the path he had taken when he was being chased. He couldn’t hear anything at first, but then a familiar screech suddenly echoed through the forest.
Kai froze.
Eight large eyes slowly appeared from behind the trees.
The giant spider crawled forward, its enormous legs digging into the ground as it stared directly at him. It was the same creature that had poisoned him before.
Kai stared back at it.
Instead of running, he slowly clenched his fists.
The spider suddenly lowered its body and rushed towards him at full speed.
Kai remained standing where he was, watching it approach.
"Come at me, you beast." Kai said.