“Hey Miko, what are specials shops for a floor?”

I looked at the second floor map I earned from Lack.

“Every floor has a shop that has one of the best products in the dungeon, this floor is a magical cart I believe, it doesn’t mean that other floors don’t have the same product but the specialty shops are more highly known for it.”

Hmm, seems interesting, I’d have to look out for that, maybe I could learn a thing or two from the owners.

Miko and I walked through the town, it was covered in Ume Trees, but it wasn’t blossoming season, so the trees were bare. We walked past the tavern and inn, we knew where everything was thanks to the map, the floor was shaped as a bulls head and it had a desert that was below the forest, the stairs to the third floor were on the other side of the town, in the bulls ear.

“Summoning Crystals?”

I walked past a stall in the market and a glimmering light caught my attention, the sign said ‘low level summoning crystals’ maybe if I bought three of these or even four I could use them as party members and I wouldn’t have to keep looking out for Miko to stab me in the back.

“What is it Master Udon?”

Miko realising I had stopped to look at a stall came over to me.

“Would these count as party members?”

I asked Miko, she looked over at the shinning yellow crystals, she seemed a little upset or was it angry?

“Sorry my dear boy, but one cannot have a monster in their party, more accurately, the dungeon does not recognise a monster as an eligible party member to climb floors with.”

An old dusty looking woman appeared from the tent behind the stall, she wore a purple gown that had yellow stars scattered around it, she held a cane with a dragons head carved out on the top, her teeth were missing and she had a mole on her pointy nose…A classic witch look.

“You see my boy, these summoning crystals are only good for one time battles, once the battle is over the crystal breaks and the beast disappears, these are only low level ones, players use them as a distraction so they can escape from a battle, the more impressive ones are only sold by guilds and they’re rather expensive.”

“And what beasts will these summon?”

It was a fair question, maybe I could use one to hunt some animals down for food.

“These are all based on an ancient animal, they aren’t powerful and these animals are extinct, so they are basically only mana in the form of a big bumble bee.”

“Ow”

Miko grabbed my hand tightly when she heard that, I guess that was why she seemed off when she looked at it, an ancient bumble bee? Were they based on Miko’s species, I didn’t ask, but it was strange that she was the only one of her kind.

“Master Udon, can we please leave”

Miko’s whole manner changed as she looked down into the ground.

“What’s wrong little missy? Scared of a bee huh? Don’t worry I heard these species are quite weak and where nothing but trouble in ancient times, the humans did the dungeon a favour and wiped them all out, no need to be scared.”

Miko held my hand even tighter, I could feel it turn purple.

“Master Udon”

Miko’s voice changed even more, I thought I saw a tear drop from her eye, hmm, maybe not. The old lady witch looked at Miko a little suspiciously.

“Who are you two? I haven’t seen you around? Do we have some trouble here? Are you two some sort of ancient Bee loving players? If thats the case, I’ll need to get the town guard so you don’t cause any trouble.”

What is this old hag mumbling about, a town guard? Thats not going to work for me, I could feel the rage coming from Miko.

“So, old hag, this is what you’re going to do, pretend you didn’t see us, because if you don’t and you keep insulting my dear friend here, we’re going to have some trouble.”

I threatened the old hag but she just seemed to smile…Did I just call Miko a dear friend?

“What are the two of you going to do? I have a hundred or so summoning crystals and you two have some cheap weapons”

Thats why the old hag was smiling.

“You don’t want to know the crimes I have done, but if you want to see how bad I can be, look at this”

I showed the old hag my Crystal clear Guild Gem, yep that did the trick. The old hag stumbled back, knocking some of her summoning crystals from the table in the process.

“H-how is it that clear? W-what did you do?”

The old hag scurried back into her tent in a hurry, she was definitely about to call for the town guard.

“Miko, we need to leave.”

I held Miko’s hand back and ran out of the town towards the forest, we made it to the front of the forest and went in a little further to hide our image from any on lookers.

“Hear my words dungeon, I ask to be surrounded, filled and illuminated with the dungeons flowing energy, hear my plea ‘The Power of Wind’ Wind Cutter!”

Miko unleashed a powerful series of wind cutter spells, cutting down numerous trees.

“Miko? Everything ok?”

I leant against a tree behind her so I wouldn’t get caught up in the spells.

“I’m fine Master Udon”

Miko was huffing and puffing but looked back at me with a faint smile, yeah, she wasn’t fine, something must have happened to her species, the old hag did say humans wiped them all out.

“Is it what that old hag said?”

I asked Miko, I wasn’t going to press for information but I was a little curious.

“It’s, It’s nothing”

Miko replied looking back at the trees she cut down. She didn’t want to tell me, thats fine, I was just curious, I didn’t really care to be honest.

“Floor Two, lets see, the map says, Tenjin has taken control of this early floor to help adventures learn all about the dungeon and tries to help players tame monsters. This helps bring new players into his guild, his favourite tree is a Ume tree found on higher floors, they are now scattered around the town.”

Interesting, I wonder what taming means?

“Do you know what taming is Master Udon?”

Miko asked me, a smile was back on her face as she grabbed my arm…This bee must have a mind reading skill!

“Miko, how can you read my mind? It doesn’t say you have that type of skill.”

“Read your mind?”

Miko let go of my arm and put her index finger on her lips and looked up, was she playing dumb!?

“I don’t know what you mean by read your mind, but, whenever you don’t know what something is, your right eye twitches.”

My right eye did what? I never knew that! Did that happen on earth!? That would explain why I kept getting beat in poker, if I ever had a good hand my eye must have twitched.

“Did you want me to explain what taming was?”

Miko asked me smiling again, does me not knowing things about this world bring her that much joy!? I hate those types of people, they use the smallest bits of information and act like they’re top shit just because you don’t know.

“Fine”

I let out a sigh and stared at Miko,

“Uhh, uhh, ok, I like h-helping you t-thats all”

Miko’s face turned beet red again, what was her problem now?

“A player can unlock the taming trade skill that will allow them to tame and control lower level monsters and animals, once a monster is tamed all their stats and skill level half, a player can also realise the tamed monster which will set its original stats and skills back. An extension to the taming skill is the zoologist skill, that will allow players to approach a lower level monster or animal and study them, but once they start to attack the monster or animal the skill will be broken and if they take to long to study the monster or animal the skill would be broken same as if another player who doesn’t have the skill approached them.”

“Can we use them as a party member?”

I don’t think we can but worth a shot.

“No, we can’t, but players who tame animals can level them up and that will cause their body to grow, some monsters even have the ability to change their appearance slightly by growing wings and other limbs, a perfect example of this is, if a player was to tame a Salamander and levelled them up high enough, that Salamander would start to grow small wings, and would be known as a Wyvan, if the Wyvan were then to level up further they would hit a level were their wings would be able to support them for long periods of time and they would gain the ability to use fire breath or ice breath depending on what species they are and they would then be known as dragons.”

Level up monsters, I wonder what would happen if you levelled them up too much? Hmm, this feels familiar, like an anime I watched as a kid with an electric mouse and a boy that couldn’t control it.

“Master Udon!”

Miko shouted out to me as a group of black shadows appeared from behind the surrounding trees.

Enemy detection activated, 7 enemies circling

“Grrrrr”

A deep growl went across the forest, the shadows moved forward and out of the trees shade. Standing before us was a circle of large wolves, they weren’t as tall as Miko or I but they easily came up to our chest, they had two rows of sharp horns on their back, and two horns coming out their forehead, they had a mane with two strips in a V shape and a horn coming out the back of their hind heels.

“What are these monsters?”

I asked around looking at the different coloured wolves, some where green, blue, yellow and red, although the base colour of them was grey the horns and v strips were a different colour.

“They are horned-back wolves, they shouldn’t be in a group like this though, the different coloured species normally fight with one another, somethings wrong”

Miko you’re supposed to be the ancient Floor Guardian and you don’t even know what’s going on in your own floors!

“Don’t worry Master Udon, they are all low levelled.”

Wait? Really?

“Weak Appraisal”

I used my appraisal skill and looked at all the wolves, some where level 1 weak and Miko had said most of the others were only level 3 Average.

*Weak Appraisal: 1/10 Mastery

“Rooaarrrr!”

A large Red Horned-Back Wolf stepped forward, in front of the pack, I used my appraisal skill.

Weak Appraisal Failed

It must be a higher level than me, damn it.

“Master Udon, its a level 7 weak Red Horned-Back Wolf”

Miko shouted out to me, damn it! That might be too strong for me.

“Miko! You take the leader, I’ll handle the others!”

I shouted too Miko as I grabbed my short bronze sword from it sheath on my belt.

“Are you sure Master Udon?”

Miko replied, but as she did the Alpha Red Horned-Back Wolf lunged at me.

“Damn it Miko! Just do as I say!”

I dodged the lunge by the skin of my teeth and rolled over to the other wolves, I was now surrounded by the lower level wolves but that should be fine…Wait!? I don’t know how to fight!

“Attacking!”

Miko shouted out as she ran towards the leader wolf and slashed its side with her dagger.

“Grrrr”

The Wolves around me growled as they crept forward. I’m not going to be killed by a bunch of fantasy wolves!

“ARRR”

I slashed the closest wolf with my sword, it landed across its head and blood splurted out over the other wolves. Yes! The Blue Horned-Back Wolf went down easily, I’m pretty sure its dead, the face of the wolf was split in half, it had to be dead…right?

*25 Exp Points Acquired, 1 Skill Point Acquired

“Grrr”

Two other wolves lunged at me, I ducked under one, but took a swipe of the others claw into the ribs, it sent me rolling back and I slammed against the tree splurting up blood.

“Damn it!”

I’m still not strong enough, come on! Get up!

“Master Udon!”

Miko shouted fearfully as she saw me hit the tree hard, she was holding her own against the Red Horned-Back Wolf, in fact, it seemed she was winning, the wolf had cuts all over its body and its fur was covered in its own blood.

“Don’t worry, finish the leader Miko!”

I can’t have her worrying about me or she’d die herself.

“Grrrr”

The Wolves had surrounded me again. Damn it! This doesn’t look good, I’m winded and have a gash from the swipe I received, if I can just move.

“Grrrr”

One of the Green Horned-Back Wolves lunged at me, I can’t move yet, what can I do!?

The Green Horned-Back Wolf impaled itself as I managed to lift my sword just in time, the mouth of the wolf went straight through my sword, when I opened my eyes I could see the inside of the wolf, I was covered in its blood and the teeth from the wolf were centimetres from my face.

*25 Exp Points Acquired, 1 Skill Point Acquired

Level up!

You are now level 3.

Weapon Manipulation Skill conditions met [Locked] 3 SP Required >

Basic Monster Tracking Skill conditions met [Locked] 4 SP Required >

Basic Monster Skinning Skill conditions met [Locked] 5 SP Required >

Basic Weapon Smith Skill conditions met [Locked] 1 SP Required >

Attributes boosted

15 Skill Points Acquired

That will work! I gained some more speed from the level up, and got some of my energy back just in time, another Green Horned-Back Wolf lunged at me.

“Not this time”

I managed to push the other wolf off of me and pull my sword out of its mouth, I rolled out the way and the lunging Green Horned-Back Wolf smacked head first into the tree making it a little dizzy.

“Take this!”

I stood up and slashed my sword down onto its neck, it got caught half way through, but the Green Horned-Back Wolf collapsed as the blood poured out of its neck.

*22 Exp Points Acquired

“Whose next!”