Chapter 251 - Chapter 222 Overconfidence is the Enemy
After eating, we immediately headed to the Lighthouse Rear.
Just in case there was a way to exit towards the Mountain Cabin or the church, I stuffed everything I wanted to bring back into my inventory and backpack.
"Still, it's an inexplicably wide passage, isn't it?"
Perhaps for transporting something large?
"I see. So they unloaded from a ship and brought it in from here?"
Or were they taking things out? But what were they transporting?
More to the point, there was that large underground room where Argenta-san had transferred to…
"Alright! I'm opening it!"
"Woof!"
"~~~♪"
[Access by a Blessed One confirmed. Unlock?]
"Yes."
I gripped the handles with both hands… and pulled it open.
Presence Detection didn't indicate any monsters, but it was too dark to see. Just as I thought that, the Fairies conjured three or four small lights, softly illuminating the entrance.
"It's wide…"
"Woof."
Lupi smoothly went ahead, looking around cautiously. Sweee, meanwhile, left my shoulder and hovered around my feet.
"Ah, maybe that thing is here."
The emergency one, right?
Looking at the illuminated area, I thought it was just a wide passage continuing, but it was a recessed, U-shaped room, raised about 1m on both sides.
"Hm? Is that it?"
A mysterious small window visible after climbing the step on the left. I followed Sweee as she flew towards it.
Up close, it looked exactly like the one I found in that large underground room, so I was pretty sure it was it.
"Is this the right one?"
"~~~♪"
Sweee gave a thumbs-up, so it seemed correct.
When I gently slid it up, a medium-sized Magic Crystal Stone appeared, so I slowly infused it with mana.
After about 20% was filled, the ceiling lit up, and the entire room became visible at once.
"Ooh?"
It's vast.
"Amazing."
It wasn't as deep underground as where Argenta-san came from, but it was a large room about the size of our Mitsumori University Affiliated High School's gym.
The recessed part continuing from this passage stretched straight to the back. I've seen something like this somewhere before…
"Ah, is the raised part a station, and the area we're walking on the tracks?"
Oh!
I thought maybe a boat instead of a train, but would water really get this far in? No, it's a world with magic, so hovercraft-like boats probably exist.
"Woof."
"Let's check upstairs."
Urged by Lupi, who had jumped up onto the step in one bound, I also went up the left side.
There wasn't anything particularly noticeable, no, it seemed a passage connected to the back on the left.
Looking across to the right side, it wasn't as wide as this side, just enough for two people to walk abreast, and there was nothing else.
Shall we go further in?
"Yeah. Direction-wise, it's towards the center of the island? It seems to be heading towards the Control Room."
Since there are Transfer Elevators and such, the actual direction might not match where we're headed…
"Woof-un."
"Yeah. Be careful."
Lupi went ahead, Sweee stayed in her usual spot. The Fairies were guarding my rear.
Lupi, who had been advancing slowly, stopped, sensing something with Presence Detection.
"Sweee, if it gets dangerous, you all run."
Sweee nodded and left my shoulder.
As I slowly approached Lupi, what emerged from the connecting passage was a viscous, toxic-colored mass.
And the floating nameplate displayed in red: [Venom Slime].
Damn it. I never expected a Slime to appear here…
"Vwoooh~"
Lupi braced her four paws and growled.
Apparently, it's best to smash them rather than cut them, but I don't have any blunt weapons.
"Whoa!"
Suddenly, a liquid was spat from a part of its body, and I hastily shielded Sweee and the Fairies.
A tingling pain shot from my shoulder, where the liquid hit, all the way across my back, and I realized my own foolishness for not having Spirit's Blessing active.
Shou-kun!
"Tch! Blessing!"
Light surged from the Spirit Stone, covering my body and suppressing the pain in exchange for MP… but my consciousness felt fuzzy… my vision was blurry… This must be poison!
And besides, the Camlus compote has Anti-Poison II, so Lupi and I should have eaten it. What was I thinking…
I pulled out an antidote I made from Lexon and chugged it down.
"Ugh… bitter…"
Perhaps thanks to its bitterness, my consciousness and vision snapped back to normal.
Then, I also took out a Hermit Bamboo Grass potion and gulped it down, and my HP, which was nearly 40% depleted, began to recover.
Are you okay!?
"""~~~?"""
Not just Mion, but Sweee and the Fairies were also looking at me worriedly, which was a bit embarrassing.
This time, it was entirely my carelessness, or rather, I was too overconfident…
"I'm fine, fine. I was just getting a bit ahead of myself."
According to Nat, Slimes weren't particularly strong, but fighting them with a proper party is naturally different from fighting them just with Lupi and me.
"Vwoooh~ Bau!"
Turning at her howl, Lupi's front paw attack hit the Venom Slime, shearing off a piece of it and sending it flying against the far wall.
But!
"Water Shield!"
I blocked the poison liquid it spat towards Lupi from the severed spot with a Water Shield.
It's easy to understand that it retaliates from the spot it was attacked, but it's a troublesome opponent.
Lupi seemed to understand, repeatedly trying to attack and then stopping.
"Lupi, you don't have to push yourself."
"Woof-uuh…"
Lupi let out a regretful whimper.
I had to do something, but Fireball was a bit hard to aim. So then…
"
Stone Projectiles shot from my outstretched hand, repeatedly piercing the Venom Slime and pushing it backward.
And before it could retaliate,
"
A square stone wall, 1m by 1m, dropped from above, crushing the Venom Slime flat.
[Character level increased!]
[Spirit Magic skill level increased!]
[Elemental Magic skill level increased!]
[Applied Earth Magic skill level increased!]
"Phew…"
Looks like I defeated it. Presence Detection… seems clear.
I let out a sigh of relief and deactivated Spirit's Blessing.
"It's good that I won, but I was too overconfident…"
That was amazing!
"Woof!"
"""~~~?"""
Lupi happily returned, and Sweee and the Fairies rejoined us.
The Fairies still seemed worried about me.
"I'm okay."
When I replied,
"~~~?"
"""~~~♪"""
What were Sweee and the Fairies starting to talk about, I wonder?