What I Just Noticed

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We had only come here to test the capabilities of my equipment. It was a mine that was supposed have been abandoned quickly. But it had evolved into a dungeon, as monsters dug endless tunnels through it. It seemed that hardly anyone ever came here, and we encountered more and more monsters the deeper we went in. It was not difficult to imagine that a hoard of them would rise up and attack Spiris. And we were the only ones here now. Then it was our duty to do what we can to stop it.

 

“You finished inspecting your equipment. We have eaten. All prepared then?”

“Yeah, ready when you are.”

 

I answered as I stood up. We would try to reach the furthest depths of this place. We didn’t know just how far it went, but we were determined. I also put the iron sword away in the bag. I would fight with an ice sword from now on. I had still to fully grasp the effects of my armor while using it anyway. And that was my original purpose. And it was also something I could use longer, unlike the iron blade. I would actually cry if the iron sword broke on me at this point.

Daniela made no comment as I seemed to go forward without anything on my belt. She knew well how I would fight. And so she took her bow made of the tree of death and life, and promised to be my backup. We were almost perfectly synchronized. That’s my wife for you. I was confident that she would have my back.

 

“There is something up ahead. It’s no kobold.”

“Another mole perhaps. Kill it quickly.”

 

The paths were now on a steep decline as we walked. Then we sensed the presence of a monster. A single creature that seemed quite large. I was eighty percent sure that it was a mole. I generate an ice sword in my hand and approach it slowly. The sounds of something scratching against the walls echos from the shadows. I squint in the darkness and see that there is a mole with its back turned to us. It is digging into the wall with no mind paid to its surroundings. It was close enough that I was sure I could get. It wouldn’t even have time to turn before it was split into half.

 

“I got this.”

“Yes.”

 

And then I run. The distance was bridged in the blink of an eye and then the sword of ice swung down onto the mole’s back, sending it to the afterlife without giving it enough time to scream.

I’ve been calling these guys ‘moles,’ but I wonder if they have an official name or something. I didn’t even know what you were supposed to collect as proof of hunting them…

 

“Ah, they are called hole moles. The proof of a hunt is their claws. You only need three of them.”

 

I see. Hole moles…very creative naming. I joked to myself as I retrieved the claws. Truth be told, we were burdened by enough baggage as it was, but I wasn’t going to leave it here if it meant getting paid. As long as I could carry it. And so we continued to go further in.

 

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Quite some time had passed since killing the last hole mole. I didn’t even know how deep we were now. There had been so many twists and turns, both horizontally and vertically…I lost all sense of direction. We continued to leave markings, but if we miss any, we might have to call this place our new home.

We had just finished filling our hungry stomachs with more stall food, our third meal of the day. In other words, it was dinner. It was likely already night outside.

 

Many monsters had fallen to us by now. We could no longer carry any more proofs of our hunt. We left the bodies under the markings we carved on the walls. Kobolds, hole moles, and hole worms. They were monsters that could use earth magic, much to our annoyance. There were blood bats that attacked with their ultrasonic waves, and rock hunters, which were monsters comprised of many rocks and were humanoid in shape. Apparently, they were different from golems. Golems were magical creations. But these rock hunters were created through parasites that inhabited the rocks.

 

We killed them all and continued downward.

 

“I’ll set up the magic barrier.”

“We are not continuing?”

“We’ll collapse if we don’t rest.”

“I suppose so…sorry, you are right.”

 

I pick up the tools and walk down the tunnel. Our accumulated fatigue wasn’t going to decrease any by continuing on. And we had already rested quite a bit. But it was not enough to be completely revitalized. We would need to get a good rest here or it would affect our ability to fight later on.

 

And so I placed the barrier tools in different spots and stretched my limbs. And then I sensed something strange. It was coming from someplace passed the barrier. Would Daniela know what it was? I slowly move back without making a sound.

 

“Daniela.”

“Hmm?”

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Isekai ni Kita Boku wa Kiyoubinbode Subaya-sa Tayorina Tabi o Suru Jack of all Trades