Now, there were several matters I wished to contemplate, but first, let’s take a short break and then proceed to the lower levels of the sewers, which had been called the “Forgotten Catacombs”.
Speaking of which, catacombs, huh? In stories, when it comes to monsters appearing in burial grounds, isn’t the classic choice usually undead creatures? Yet, the one guarding the entrance were Ratmen. What could this possibly mean?
Let’s set aside these thoughts for now. First, let’s observe the catacombs. Descending the stairs that were previously guarded by the Ratman General and his entourage, we entered a pitch-black corridor. The floor was paved with stone, and the walls of the passage were lined with shelves that were tightly packed with skeletal remains.
Judging by the chaotic nature of the burials, this was probably where the bodies of the impoverished were laid to rest. Namo Amitabha.
“Whoa, it seems like we can collect these bones.”
“Hmm, it’s rather unsettling to take the bones of the deceased with us.”
Ruby reluctantly stated that it seemed possible to collect and take these bones home. From my perspective, it was a treasure trove of materials, but Genjuro seemed to resist the idea of desecrating graves.
Getting into an argument over such a trivial matter would be foolish, so let’s refrain from collecting them. Once again, Namo Amitabha.
“Wait, there are enemies ahead!”
It seemed that Ruby, at the front, had spotted an enemy. Honestly, even if they had given us just a moment to consider the bones, it wouldn’t have caused any harm. That aside, let’s start with an [Appraisal] for now.
――――――――――
Race: Ratman Warrior Lv21
Job: Warrior Lv1
Skills:
- [Robust Digestion]
- [Sharp Fang]
- [Sword Mastery]
- [Spear Mastery]
- [Axe Mastery]
- [Physical Strength Enhancement]
- [Strength Enhancement]
- [Defense Enhancement]
- [Agility Enhancement]
Race: Ratman Mage Lv23
Job: Mage Lv3
Skills:
- [Robust Digestion]
- [Sharp Fang]
- [Earth Magic]
- [Fire Magic]
- [Dark Magic]
- [Intelligence Enhancement]
- [Command]
――――――――――
There were three Ratman Warriors and one Ratman Mage. The warriors seemed focused on physical combat, while the mage specialized in magic.
While a knight who could use both physical and magical abilities might be stronger in a one-on-one battle, I believed it would be more troublesome when facing a group of specialized individuals. This wouldn’t be an easy fight!
“Joojoo!”
“Juga!”
Oh dear, it seems they noticed us. A surprise attack won’t work. So let’s confront them head-on.
“Diamond Magic Circle Remote Activation, Silence!”
“…What?!”
My initial move was to use the new spell, Silence, from the [Curse] skill, to seal the Ratman Mage’s magic. The catacombs were quite narrow, and even Jigoro and Genjuro, who were skilled fighters, would find it challenging to evade magic attacks.
So, if we can prevent them from using magic in the first place, that’s even better. Silence is a spell that disables magic usage for a certain period of time. It is similar to the “Magic Jamming” spell of [Void Magic], but unlike it, Silence has a chance of failure. However, it can specifically target and seal the designated opponent. This makes it significantly more convenient for our purposes.
“Heh, that’s weak!”
“Hmph!”
Jigoro and Genjuro were engaged in one-on-one battles with two Ratman Warriors. It seemed that the two of them were holding their ground. Jigoro, being in the same level range, was to be expected, but Genjuro, who hadn’t even undergone his second evolution yet, was winning without any difficulty… Truly the embodiment of real-life cheaters.
“Ruby!”
“Leave it to me!”
On the other hand, Iris and Ruby were fighting the third Ratman Warrior together. It appeared that their basic strategy involved Iris restraining the enemy with her tentacles while Ruby swiftly slashed with her dagger.
However, if the opponent let its guard down and got distracted by Ruby’s irksome attacks, the Ratman Warrior would be vulnerable to attacks from Iris’ wooden hammer, axe, and weaker magic spells compared to mine. It was a tricky combination.
“I won’t lose. Diamond Magic Circle Remote Activation: Ice Circle!”
Next up was the new spell from the [Water and Ice Magic] skill, Ice Circle. This spell rapidly lowered the temperature within a specified range. Its range was relatively short, and the area covered was somewhat narrow, but with remote activation, there was no problem at all.
Indeed, the spell couldn’t instantly plummet the temperature to absolute zero, but when activated in quadruple form (Diamond), it should have dropped by several tens of degrees. As expected, the Ratman Mage, trembling all over, knelt down.
“It seems like you’re feeling cold. Let me warm you up. Diamond Magic Circle Remote Activation: Lava Shot.”
With kindness in my heart, I unleashed the Lava Shot, a spell of the [Lava magic] skill that scatters molten projectiles, upon the shivering Ratman Mage.
You could say it’s a shotgun-like variation of lava bread spell. It consists of five smaller globs of lava that fly through the air. Since I activated it in quadruple form (diamond), a total of twenty shots were launched.
“…!”
All the shots hit the Ratman Mage, who was immobilized by the cold, and I successfully heated his body forcefully. Yeah, it felt so good that he ascended.
“Anyway, enough with the jokes… this is the end.”
Just as I delivered the final blow, it seemed like Iris and Ruby, the dynamic duo, had also defeated their Ratman Warrior. Quite impressive, I must say!
As for the drop items, they turned out to be quite underwhelming. We obtained some slightly higher-quality rat skin, front teeth, and a marginally better iron weapon that the Ratman Warriors carried as their starting equipment. While they provide decent experience points, the loot itself was rather disappointing.
Come to think of it, the drop from the Ratman General was also nothing special. Generally, we have an agreement to share the drop items once and then discuss among ourselves to decide who wants what.
However, it’s only natural that the one who delivers the finishing blow gets priority. So, Genjuro, who landed the final strike on the Ratman General, offered it to us since he didn’t need it.
Well, the drop consisted of an axe and armor. Iris ended up taking the axe since it could be useful for woodcutting, but it turned out that none of us actually needed the armor.
Upon closer consideration, Jigoro, our vanguard, already had light armor, and as for Genjuro, with his exoskeleton, adding any additional armor would hinder his movements. The rest of us, of course, had no use for it either.
The armor itself had quite impressive capabilities. Apparently, its defense increased as one’s health decreased. That must be why it became incredibly resilient towards the end of the battle.
Thus, it remained in Genjuro’s possession. It would likely become inventory clutter. It was a good piece of equipment, but sometimes you just have to accept that the loot you come across isn’t always ideal.
But I went off topic. With this victory, we successfully marked our triumph in the first battle of the Catacombs. We now understood that our enemies were considerably formidable. We must proceed with caution.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
――――――――――
Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
The level of [Staff Mastery] skill has increased.
The level of [Magic Control] skill has increased.
The level of [Earthen Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Water and Ice Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Flame Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Wind Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Forest Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Lava Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Sand Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Mist Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Lightning Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Explosion Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Enchantment] skill has increased.
The level of [Magic Circle] skill has increased.
The level of [Curse] skill has increased.
The level of [Trap Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Archaeology] skill has increased.
The level of [Linguistics] skill has increased.
The level of [Appraisal] skill has increased.
The level of [Assassination] skill has increased.
――――――――――
We have completed mapping the first level of the Catacombs. It was quite a challenging task. We walked around for a considerable amount of time. In the process, I carefully used [Appraisal] on the wall paintings and burial items in the burial grounds, which significantly increased my knowledge-related skills.
It was revealed that this was a rather ancient burial ground. Although we couldn’t gather much information about the world’s past circumstances. However, it’s intriguing to have the sewers and burial grounds underneath be larger than the city above. It seems like there might be some secrets hidden in the city of Firth.
Speaking of which, we had to battle a significant number of Ratman monsters. I’ve reached the point where I don’t want to encounter any more Ratmen for a while. Well, it’s inevitable since they inhabit the sewers, but still…
After thorough exploration, we discovered a staircase leading to a deeper level. It appears that the Catacombs are far from over.
We also encountered Skeletons a few more times. They were mere small fries, but the drop of monster bones was greatly appreciated. Since I defeated them and obtained the items, Genjuro didn’t object to me bringing the bones along.
Furthermore, we came across an interesting type of Skeleton that moved in a unique way, although it was also a small fry. This was the opponent we encountered.
――――――――――
Race: Bone Wall Lv16
Job: None
Skills:
- [Defense Enhancement]
- [Bone Absorption]
- [Night Vision]
- [Status Resistance]
- [Light Weakness]
――――――――――
The name said it all—it was a wall formed by countless bones. However, it was weak. That’s right, It was weak, but it could serve as a reference for creating undead through [Necromancy] in the future. Maybe one day, I could gather enough bones to create a Bone Castle!
Anyway, it’s about time to head back. After consecutive battles, my magic power was running low, and the items to restore the front-line party’s health were almost depleted. It’s probably wise to retreat at this point.
It seemed like everyone shared the same opinion, as we concluded the first attempt at conquering the Catacombs. We don’t know how deep it goes, but we’re determined to see it through to the end!
◆◇◆◇◆◇
We retraced our steps and safely returned to the laboratory. Phew, this place really brings a sense of calmness, just as I thought.
Normally, once his magic power is replenished, Jigoro would head out for hunting. However, we have something we must do. That is preparing for tomorrow. Each of us will design our own dungeon, decide what kind of boss it will have, and submit it to the goddess that made the quest.
Iris, Ruby, and Genjuro have already submitted theirs, while Jigoro and I haven’t. As for why we haven’t finished yet, I didn’t have the time because I was busy leveling up for today, and Jigoro has a tendency to postpone troublesome matters. Although I was also among the ones who haven’t submitted, I should warn him that the goddess wouldn’t be happy.
Now, what kind of dungeon should I create? It’s obvious—it will be filled with undead. I’ll make it challenging while indulging in my own hobbies.
“Let’s see, according to this… it appears that the dungeon possesses construction points, and the difficulty level is predetermined, as indicated by the recommended level. Furthermore, the allocation of construction points varies depending on the difficulty level.”
The dungeon seems to allocate construction points for its creation. It appears that the higher the recommended level and difficulty, the more construction points are provided. Additionally, the initial level of the monsters that appear changes with the difficulty level. It should align with the recommended level range.
“It seems that manipulating traps and the monsters that appear affects the allocation of points.”
For instance, designing the interior of the dungeon to resemble a cave or creating a grand hallway akin to a lavish castle does not consume construction points. It’s merely a matter of the stage’s aesthetics.
However, configuring the monsters that appear and enhancing them does consume points.
Conversely, for each recommended level, there is an initial level assigned to the monsters that can appear. If lower-level monsters are included, it seems that some points are saved.
Furthermore, there are elite monsters that guarantee the drop of treasure chests. They require a significant number of points, though.
“I wonder if the default size of the dungeon and the number of treasure chests and their grades are also subject to point fluctuations when adjusted.”
The more we expanded the dungeon, reduced the number of treasure chests, or downgraded the contents of the chests, the more points were consumed. And vice versa. Additionally, incorporating intricate puzzles for door openings also consumed points. It was only natural.
“Players who are more than 5 levels below the recommended level cannot challenge the dungeon. If we set it too high, only the top players will come, but if we set it too low, it will be treated as a training ground for newbies.”
Players who were more than 5 levels below the recommended level couldn’t attempt the dungeon. This was crucial information.
We had received a request from the goddesses and needed to appeal to the second batch of players. That meant we required illustrations that depicted high-level players being overwhelmed. It had to be either the highest difficulty level or the second highest.
In that case, I should choose the highest difficulty level. So, what kind of undead creatures could be featured at the highest difficulty level? Let’s take a look.
“There are high zombies, ghosts, skeleton swordsmen… among others. They are monsters ranging from level 20 to 25, huh?”
I see. So the highest difficulty level is equivalent to the “Forgotten Catacombs” that we were just challenging. Well, the default size is smaller than the first level of the Catacombs, so in terms of difficulty, the Catacombs might be higher.
Hmm, I understand the specifications completely. Now, let’s get started on the construction right away. The plan is to prominently feature undead creatures while incorporating traps that are not too unfair for first-time challengers. After all, it would be pointless if no one made it to the boss’s room.
Let’s place this here… Ah, it would be good to position this one here. And then, we can hide a secret treasure chest here… Yes, if they investigate thoroughly, they’ll be able to find it. A booby trap would be effective in this area. Oh, if I put this here… Kukuku, it would be delightful if they fell into it.
The interior design is now complete. All points have been perfectly used. I can confidently say that it has turned out exactly as planned. As for the boss they will face, there’s no doubt about it—it will be this one.
Yes, it’s great! The horror-like atmosphere is coming along nicely. Is it finished now…?
“Hmm? Do we need to decide on a name for the dungeon?”
A name, huh? Hmm, what should I go with? I don’t want to choose a name that sounds weak, but I also don’t want it to come off as too arrogant. Alright, I’ve made up my mind!
“[The Cursed Tomb Tower]. That’s it. I’ll submit it with this name.”
The ‘Cursed Tomb Tower’ with a recommended level of 25. That will be the name of the dungeon where I’ll be the master for the entire day. Now, players, come forth and challenge the depths of my dungeon!
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