Chapter 11

Rishido here. when I was still playing old rpg dungeon games, it was typically very easy if you know what may happened to you inside and what can you expect to encounter. Most floors and monsters are just the same and have repetitive pattern or program like attack on site. Maybe it will be different on VR games.

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After I learned alchemy and have Cerous, life become much easier in a way that I can finally compound material that can make an efficient fuel for me and it was hard to imagine how things like water, some grass, tree saps and magic could create fuels. Beats me if I has a clue, all I did is compound them randomly coz I have some free time at night when I don’t have to log out.

It`s been a week in game now after I had created Cerous and also i`m participating the dungeon raids in the scrapyard and I was fun because I gain many materials that most players can’t extract like head components of monsters that is used for magic tools and high quality plates or parts that is not damaged.

Still i`m on solo again but sometimes Chloe-san and her group invite me as well as the first group that I help. But most of the time, I was alone and doing my own thing.

As of now i`m level 27 while Leyla is 33 which isn`t surprising because of my nerf as a clockwork. My alchemy reach basic 5 because I keep compound things like herb, flowers and other stuff that can be fuse, I mean it was fun to see how this things react to one another. For example, the usual healing potions are made from pom-pom grass and tinki herb then add some sutole herb that have a blood clotting which is actually good because if you just drink the potion well you recover heal but not heal the wound, realistic game anyone?

Well that is how the game and system works here, if you gain deep wounds you`ll bleed and healing potion is not a magical potion, it was just magically infuse. Well magical potions are also here but they are much expensive and low on supply so not many buy those instead they learn how to do first aid which piqued my curiosity that I craft a healing potion with sutole herb and dipped the bandage cloth then let the potion sips in and boom you have now a bandage cloth that will help close open wounds but not the extreme ones like your chest get cut open or something.

3 days after Cerous, the silver teams from the guild subdue the floor master of the 2nd floor and 3rd floor yesterday, they are really that skilled to do it that fast. So most teams are on these floors and keep on training. The subjugation quest for this dungeon don’t have a star but only the floor masters ones. Maybe they are preventing early promotion, dunno know.

Leyla is not talking to me because I can`t keep my promise on getting her or creating a pet for her. Yes, she has the right to get mad or something but creating a machine core or even reconstructing the eggs are hard and most of the tries ended in egg destruction and from my account it was 14 now.

3 day from now I am joining the silver teams of Arth-dono on 4th floor subjugation because he insisted to include me. There are also other teams that are include like the Thunder`s Roar which is compose of beastkin, the Watchers which is an elf team only group, the Night Knight a human team, I chuckled at this when they are introducing themselves. Next is a mixture of all races which is called Freedom, I almost say ‘For Freedom’ which is always shouted on epic battle scenes from movies.

Anyways, team composition and numbers don`t really matter if you are just beginning but if you and your team is really into dungeon hunting and adventuring that is when guild comes into play as you will register your team and the card will be updated. Most teams are from peers and room or ‘floor mates’ here so obviously they are good with each other.

Some teams are from one country which I have seen like a team of German or British. But i`m still alone but i`m still having fun here also i`m still helping other natives like doing quest around from moving some heavy boxes for the fruit store or doing night watch with the guards which doesn`t bore me. In fact I feel more alive than ever even before the accident, most of the time in my younger days i`m with my group playing arcade, hanging out the mall and playing sports but not like this. Here I met different people day by day like what Okaa-san told me one time.

‘going out and meet new people or help other is more fulfilling that your own self desire, you may never know what can you do to them or what they can do to you in the future, good deeds are like boomerang, when you throw it there will be two things it may comeback or not but we do good deeds not for the return but for just helping others.’

I missed her.

*

Dungeon raid day and also after 2 day in RL will be the gathering of player per floor in the cafeteria for some live feedback I think or just socialization. But I have to focus now as we are approaching 3rd floor.

In a floor master is defeated the stair going down will be opened, but the floor master won`t be on the same place where the stair is.

From time to time, we engage battles but most teams are inside the dungeon so the enemies are fewer. Some teams are following us as they will clear some rooms or halls down the 4th floor to be passable if we are in need of escape or resting place. All in all we got 18 teams and 4 of those are the silver ranker while the rest are copper and some bronze team. Most bronze team are famous because they are faster than the other but still the rumours of unique race like mine are still on their home towns and keep on grinding like the one on the eastern villages which is an angel but the angel still don`t have wings.

Another one from the east is a kind of fairy or the likes of them but in human size. Most rumours state that even if they are unique or 5 star rated they are not really an OP race because of the nerfs like mine. The western village where Marduk-san govern have 7 other player that is 5 star rated but the thing is they are in one team. Nobody knows their race but they said that they got good team build.

Looks like i`m the only odd ball get thrown here.

As we keep on proceeding while having some battles like right now, we encounter mantis but it was way to huge that in my estimation that height would be around 20 feet. It has giant scythe arms and covered with thick metal armour, it was really intimidating though.

I`m on the rear with Leyla and Cerous and just watching the surrounding for any surprise attack from the sides, well Arth-dono introduced me to do the scouting, mapping and navigation around dungeons because of my scanners and sensors. It wasn`t really hard but i`m not able to participate in fights because I have to give reports like right now there are a group of ore beetles of the left.

“10 Ore Beetle from the left side approaching us, time 5 minutes.”

Well ore beetles are you know beetle with ores of different metals. Teams that heard my announcement quickly take defence formation to intercept the beetles. The mantis is being taken care of the silver team so I don’t have to worry about them.

As I know my role in this dungeon raid, I crafted a bow gun from scratch but this is more powerful than the average bow gun because it is a bow gun turret that is attached on Cerous back. The ammo are just monster parts so I don’t have to worry about this. I envy others that are fighting the monsters from the early battle upstairs so I add a harpoon like thing here which I can use to ‘fish’ some monsters, reel them back and dismantle them.

Other didn`t mind my monster fishing because i`m doing the navigation here and I even save some live with the bow gun so they can`t really complain to me. Still others give me glares but I just brush off the feeling and focus on my new hobby.

Most of the time, some players that finished their encounter give me the corpses of monster and request to dismantle this and that which I comply but I can have what I like after that dismantling.

It was a win-win situation for us even though some good parts are taken by them but I can fish out monsters so I don’t have any more complain about loots.

The progress goes smoothly until night time, technically speaking so we do some monster clearing in a large hall room with water vein that is naturally made from dungeons. It was a free flowing water like a spring from mountains. It was relatively safe but some water vein are poisonous before of the dungeon nature so we`re caution about this but there are some magicians so I don`t have to worry about this besides even if the water is bad I can filter it somehow, maybe.

Teams formed tents or sleeping place while others prepare their meal as the tunnel or gateway is closed by stone wall, a magic from one of the high rankers, so we are safe for now. Some started to build fire and began cooking while others have magic tools for cooking purposes which is really convenient.

I roam around while Cerous is laying down near the edge wall of the room away from other teams. I know that there is an ore vein here because my scanner detect something. Basically we can mine ores because this dungeon is a metal and earth type of dungeon so mainly we encounter machine, insects, earth burrowers, beast or combination. Some insects are edible as long as it is not metalize but most of the time insects are eerie to looked at for being some big.

We are advised to not mine ores while on the mission but I can`t let this one get passed by so i`m searching for it besides we are on break. I`m having this weird tingling feeling inside me like a metal detector that keeps beeping inside so I just follow where the loudest one is.

As I walked beside the wall where I follow the sensation then walked about a few feet off the wall where my scanner detect something deep down. I looked around first to see if any of them might saw me, coast is clear so I equip my drill arm and start digging.

I made a hole on the earth that is around a meter and half then dug deeper as I can see the stone shape and size. As I saw the stone it was just so dangerous to hold if you’re a biological being because the stone is a poison itself but only if you have wound where the dust can penetrate your system that would be dangerous to you.

I got out of the hole and read the description of the stone.

Hurtalo StoneA stone that has a very poisonous outer crust that will cause inflammation and blood poisoning if the dust or crumbs of the crust enters the body. The stone is used for storing mana and other form of energy

After so many failures finally, finally I can try to create a clockwork like core.

“And what do you think you`re doing with that stone?”

Damn it, a silver team just arrive.

“It was a clockwork thing so leave it as is.”

I need this stone and I won’t let it go even if I have to fight until the bitter end for this. As I scanned them, the one that asked is the demon guy from before with the troll and the dog, great just great.

“We agreed that we will not mine any ore because it might cause our life, am I right?”

“You don’t have to remind me horned guy, besides the agreement is that no one will mine ores but what I do is dig a rock out not use pickaxe to mine some ore vein.”

“Even if you’re recommended by Master Arth I won’t tolerate your attitude towards us.”

“Are you picking a fight or something coz I have a lot of work to do.”

Then Luin intrude to my heated conversation towards the demon guy, I know I can`t see his name but i`m sure he isn`t too high like Arth-dono and Marduk-san.

“You’re really cocky aren`t you metal boy and I don’t care if you are Master`s favourite just because you’re just a clockwork.”

“If you don`t like me to be here fine, I’ll just resurface because I found what I needed.”

I just ignore Luin insult of me for just being a clockwork but I have to let it pass for now. If they don’t like me then fine I’ll just walk away and resurface.

“Why you—“

“Luin stop this childish act.”

And my life saver just come, i`m not a princess so why is there a knight in shining armour? Well, as long as he can stop this trio I won`t complain. Oh and usagi-chan is with him so basically the five silver leaders are here.

“This is none of your business Gerhard.”

“We are on exploration team Luin and in fights are not tolerated.”

So they got some issue between them. Interesting.

“Hello Clocky, what you got this time?”

Scanning size... we got a D size people. But how can she keep that melons from excessive wobbling better not ask. And she gave me a pet name, do I looked like an abandoned dog or something.

“Nothing special, just a poisonous stone that will be used for antidote.”

“See Luin, nothing to get fuzzed up about this.”

“What if he`s lying about that and it might put us in danger.”

He really don’t like me. Why those two are not backing him up.

“Enough Luin, Gerhard is right. It was just a stone with poison.”

“Tsk.”

Ohh so that demon have some kind of identifying skill. Better be careful about him when showing things. Luin just walked away with the two but the demon looked back again. Very doubtful.

“Next time that you will do things that will jeopardize the agreement, inform us first before acting so this won’t happened again.”

“Okay I got you, so i`m asking that if I find another stone like this I would like to dig it out.”

“But you don’t have any use for poison because you’re a clockwork.”

“I`m training my alchemy and you may never know when you need an antidote.”

“Fine by me. let`s go now Ahya.”

“Hhmm... I will stay with clocky a bit more besides i`m not really sleepy.”

What?! Is this kind of harem plot or something? Please shiny knight take her away, I have work to do.

“it`s up to you, but don’t drag my team with your team.”

NO!!! Don’t walk away and leaving me with this bunny girl with slave capturing boobs.

“Hi hi. Don’t worry Gerhard, besides were still far from the floor master, am I right clocky?”

“Erhmm... yeah I haven`t detected any monsters that is too high for me.”

Great just great, she and her big double diversion will really get into my work. Focus Rishido, focus.

As I return to Cerous with Ahya-chan tailing me and grinning like she just saw a new toy or something but please don’t stare to me too much.

As I open Cerous work place and cover the stone with cloth as I placed it on the table, Ahya-chan is leaning on the table with her boobs on the table. Dangerous, really dangerous. I`m really thankful that I have a helm with indestructible poker face.

“So what are you making this time?”

“I’m extracting the crust parts of the stone and store it for future poison-antidote examination.”

“Oh so you’re like Nyuufy that like to craft thing and do some potions right?”

“Maybe, but i`m also doing smiting so we have some difference.”

“Okay so can I watch your work because when master is making weapons and armours when I was still a junior, i`m always watching him.”

Huh? Do I and Arth-dono have similarities beside of being a blacksmith? Well he does teach me but why is she so fond of me or is she being directed by Arth-dono to observe me, I wonder.

“Okay but please stay away from the work area.”

“Nn”

I gave her a metal stool as I grabbed a mini hammer and hit the stone lightly just to break the crust and not the stone itself. I don’t want to mix the poison and the Hurtalo stone in my experiments.

I hit some more after seeing the cracked from the first hit. As I uncovered the stone and see that the crust is all removed from the core stone, I wipe the remaining dust and crumbs from the stone and place the cloth with the poison crust inside a metal box that I made from my rest hours and mark the top lid with ‘P’ meaning poison then stash it out to the compartment.

I scanned the hurtalo stone and confirmed that it`s malleable and can be melted so I cut it in four then stash the 3/4 of the core because i`m just experimenting this and I don`t want to waste an important material.

Ahya-chan is watching me with her eyes full of sparkles. Ohh no, another Leyla. Her stare is really disturbing if i`m a person with feeling but i`m a clockwork so mind attack and charm from the valley of the gods can`t affect me.

As I return to the table with the things I needed like silver spider string I got from the mines one time, then a magic core that I gain from dungeon hunts, a hollow circular metal ball with four holes and sockets to go along with the holes to be like vessels for the energy if it was a success.

First I bundle the strings and make a wire for the sockets then connect the wires to the other socket to make a cross from the hole then I set aside. I crush the magic core that came from an elite monster I encounter from the mines just to increase the chance. Then I heat the hurtalo inside the forge until it was melted and remove some residue as I poured it on a moulding cup while sprinkling the crushed core.

Then I prepare the pseudo-core near the forge. I fished out a normal jewel then punch a small hole in the center then place it at the intersecting wires at the center then reheat the melted hurtalo and stir it a little then pour it inside the pseudo-core and cover it. The critical part is that to wait if there will be any reaction.

My scanners can’t identify the pseudo-core so I can’t really tell.

“Are you finished?”

“Almost, all I have to do is wait then power it up but I will do it in the morning.”

Then she walk near me and look closer to the core with admiration.

“What is this ball for? Is it like the ones that mages use?”

Mages use this? Maybe just a look like. Better investigate about this. WAIT! I quickly grab her hands and she take an initiative to poke the core.

“Please don’t touch it because it is still unstable and any other force or mana can affect the outcome.”

I quickly active my mana scan and confirmed that her hands does release some mana but it didn`t reach the core.

“Really?! I`m really sorry I didn`t know.”

“don’t worry it wasn`t affected but please if you are watching or looking at the items please refrain from touching anything just to be safe.”

Please let the excuse pass.

“Okay, uhmm... can you release my hand?”

“Ohw sorry”

Damn I just hold her hand so tight... I haven`t done it beside with Okaa-san. I’m such a failure.

“Okay don`t worry about it. So what will you do now?”

“Maybe construct a monster body.”

“REALLY!!”

Please don’t shove your face and near me while pressing your melons on my chest. I do feel them but it was only a vague feeling. Damn it!

“Yeah... uhm can you move a little?”

“Ohw, Teehee”

Great, an anime reference. But it was so kawaii. Snapshots.

As Ahya-chan goes back to her sit, I quickly proceed to create a monster pet that Leyla like. I wasn’t really that hard because she likes cute animals so it was pretty easy for the design the thing that bugs me is that how can Leyla control the mech-pet so I have to make a control unit for this.

Ahya-chan had left me hours after the core creation but I keep on tinkering the monster body as I try the programming that I created. My night goes down to creating a pet until everybody is awake.

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As of now, we are almost near the floor master room but we are in a tight situation right now because of the mobs that keep on pouring out from the intersection that were at.

I detected the monsters from earlier but they are at least a mile from where we are. I didn`t detect any traps that could agitate the monster to come here. Even the silver team are surprise from the sea of monster.

Each of them are protecting all sides while the others are helping them even the guides are doing all they can to help us. Most of the rear guard are near me and Cerous but I didn`t let Leyla participate because i`m worried that she might be injured. I had a hard time persuading her to stay but I managed to convince her.

I keep on firing spear until I change it to sling catapult for massive destruction from afar. Earth mages create boulders then ignite it with fire magic. Many vanguard are keep on getting injured from this massive monster swarm and the medical supplies are diminishing so fast.

The only option for us is to find an escape route and use the rope to resurface. The native teams that`s with us are all exhausted and demoralize while the players are dying one by one.

I need to act fast or we will be wipe out. I order one bearkin to take my position as I got down and opened my workshop. I checked everything I needed for this escape and I have to do it fast.

“How long can all of you hold your ground!!!?”

“What are you saying?”

“Shut up you mutt and answer me if you want to live.”

He snarled and growled at me with rage as he looked back as he dodge the rain of attacks of a mantis mob.

“I`ll give you two hour to finished what you are planning clockwork.”

Said Mr shining armour. That might be too short but I don’t have any other choice.

“Any one that could do blacksmithing here are needed to make it fast”

Twenty participants came to me as I instruct them to take out the corpse with metal parts and create a box that could fit a group of 6 to 8 people. They don`t question any of things that i`m ordering because we are on pressure right now.

From the 18 teams five of them are keeping a clearing for resting and escaped route. From 15 that is here right now, most of the players are dead while the native teams are on rear guard or helping me so all in all we are roughly 10 teams, 4 silver, 3 native and the players.

As I checked and some carts but it don’t have any wheels just a thick flooring, a waist height walls and cables that attached each carts. The front of the carts is modified like a sledge to lessen the impact it there are bumps.

As I recalled we can do I straight run to the wall where the stairs is parallel to it. After some adjustment like tightening the large cables and reinforce that attachment of the carts, I hook the end on Cerous back and tied it.

I dismantle the turret and order that able one that could do earth magic to be in the front seat and control the floor surface to be smooth or just to remove the rocks and other things that could damage the carts.

On my sensors, the monsters are keep on pouring but from a far I saw a where they are pouring out and it was just endless like we trigger a switch to make a hole for monster to swarm us or trigger a beacon.

I shouted that we are finished and we started to retreat to where we are escaping. The injured ones are first board the carts then the magician and others with artillery or long range attack to support the swordsmen and others.

I take the turret`s post and shouted the others that we ready to go. The guides that are still here are order to return to not endanger them as well as Leyla. As we make it in the narrow way things get even more dangerous as the monsters are climbing up each other like waves that could swallow us.

Cerous start fighting of monsters that come near to us with the Ahya-chan and her team then Gerhard shouted to start moving as they run towards the end carts. Then the one companion of Ahya-chan board the front seat and do her earth magic as Cerous starts to running and trample the monsters that is in the way.

As the last one of Gerhard team is on board, I ordered Cerous to increase the movement and shove the monsters away. I cut, smash and destroy all the monsters that came flying in near me that could fall in the carts while others do the same to protect themselves and the cart.

The monster train are still chasing as and some monsters den that is on the path are disturbed and start attacking us but they seems to manage to defend themselves. I have to make it faster so I change gear to burst mode to double the running speed of Cerous but the energy consumption is too high and it will only last for a minute or two and we are still far way.

I dug out a cable from the front seat side and open my back to attached that cable and relay my mana energy to Cerous to pumped up the speed and increase the duration. As the mana energy got drain steadily and speed keep a good pace to avoid monsters to attack the carts, I felt so weak but I keep on pushing monsters from falling at the back.

My mana energy is down to a hundred but thanks to the boost were at the wall edge where the stair is just several meters away up north and the monster train is so far away now. Cerous is overheating and damaged greatly because burst gear is inappropriate for him while i`m lying at my back from energy drain.

As Cerous is cooling down, they remove some carts to lessen the luggage but let the injured stay there and recover.

After a few minutes we are on the move to the stair while calling the teams that stayed here to retreat back the surface. I checked the rope and saw that it was ready but other teams are still on third and second floor so the silver team will take care of them and tell them to go out because of monster train that could come upstairs.

As we agreed to this terms one by one we used the escape rope and resurface.

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A/N

Well hello for those who are still reading this series, thank you very much.

i still dont have an editor... *sigh* still i`ll continue this series so for those are saying bad grammar blah blah..

why not try to help me with this make it more appealing because i`m still working things out you know.

critics are do welcome but if its like redundant please keep it.

we have tons of complain.

well updates are taking more time because i`m rereading them and maybe improve a little so yeah.

that all folks msg everyone next post.