saiki

54

Their expedition had started in the afternoon, and by the time they returned, it was approaching lunchtime. They had been moving continuously through the day and night. The tension of the dungeon had masked their fatigue, but the moment they set foot outside, their bodies felt heavy almost instantly.

"Today is a rest... everyone did well..."

As the group disbanded, each party member dispersed, exhausted and limber, like jellyfish. Lucas and Evangeline had lodgings in this mansion. Damien resided at the temple, and Jupiter stayed at the mercenary guild.

I summoned the carriage driver and instructed him to ferry Damien and Jupiter to their respective quarters.

"Hmm, perhaps I should rest a bit as well..."

With a weary shuffle, I made my way to my room in the mansion.

My plan was to sleep until dinner, eat, and then get some work done...

***

But, as it happened,

"..."

The moment I opened my eyes on the bed, the world around me was enshrouded in darkness.

Glancing at the clock, it showed 3 in the morning. Midnight had come and gone.

"I was supposed to sleep until dinner."

It appears I had fallen into a deep slumber.

I yearned to sleep peacefully until morning, but my grumbling stomach wouldn't allow it.

'Maybe I should sort out the items I gathered yesterday.'

I dipped my hand into my inventory.

No need to assess all the items. A simple review of the additional bonus items I received would suffice.

First off, the 'Blue Flame Torch' I obtained as a full-clear reward for Zone 2.

Whoosh-

The blue torch ignited and danced on its own the moment I pulled it from my inventory.

It was nothing special, just a torch that 'never extinguishes, no matter what happens.'

No matter how fierce the wind, even if it's doused with water, this flame does not snuff out.

Given that exploring dungeons in this game invariably involved combatting darkness, it wasn't a bad item to have.

'There's no other significance though...'

It's better than nothing, I suppose. I swiftly tossed the Blue Flame Torch back into my inventory.

It wouldn't set anything else ablaze in there, would it?

Next up was a surprisingly pleasant surprise. It was the item I received for totally dismantling the boss monster's body parts.

I pulled out a magic scroll glowing blue from my inventory.

[Summon Scroll: Massive Steam Golem <Player Skill>]

"I wasn't expecting to receive this..."

A player skill, summon magic. An item enabling you to summon a boss monster.

Though it's a single-use item, it's extremely useful.

I can control the gargantuan golem boss I encountered during the free exploration.

No need to save it, so I began registering the skill immediately.

[Would you like to use 'Summon Scroll: Massive Steam Golem'?]