"Wow… I feel really light," Lily said. "I also feel like I have a better control of my body."
That was probably because of the effects of the extra Dexterity. It was good that Billy didn't enhance the bracelet… otherwise, Lily would think that the gem was something super rare. It was probably something Adventurers could get at least once after getting three hundred or so of those gems. Considering it was just a bracelet made of stone, it wouldn't be worth a lot in case it is sold, but it should cost at least five silver coins.
"Don't show it outside the dungeon. We don't want to make ourselves stand out," Billy said.
"Why not?" Kate asked. "Wouldn't show our resourcefulness something good for our town?"
"Clearing the dungeon will be enough advertising," Billy replied. "Achievements like that can't be stolen. Do you understand?"
"Billy is such a worrywart… but I suppose some caution is necessary," Lily said.
It didn't take long for the bracelet to come in handy. Lily made the Earth arrow pierce the eye of one of the targets pretty easily… and that was something that didn't happen in a while.
Dark Crawler - Lv 47
HP: 228/ 228
MP: 108/ 108
SP: 141/141
Strength: 47
Speed: 39
Magic: 16
Endurance: 41
Dexterity: 29
Status Points: 00
Skills: Bite Lv 22, Dash Lv 15
Spells:
Passive: Earth Resistance Lv 54, Fire Resistance Lv 22, Wind Resistance Lv 15
Skill Points: 00
You obtained 10 experience points.
The skill Appraisal obtained 10 experience points.
The skill Earth Manipulation obtained 10 experience points.
Although the monsters were getting stronger, the experience they were giving was the same. In any case, by Billy's estimations, things would be fine if the monsters even reach the level eighty. But beyond that, and if they attack in groups larger than five… then Bily will have to fight as well. That was the only leeway they had. In any case, they found another path that was divided into three, but before they could choose one, Natalie stopped them. Lily also heard some footsteps approaching… After a while, they found a party of Adventurers. They looked pretty beaten down, and one of them had a nasty wound in his left arm… they were at a party at least five years older than them.
"You guys must be the party of visitors that we have been hearing about," A man armed with a short sword and round shield said. "Since you have reached this point, you guys must have some skill, but the encounters are getting more frequent from here onward, so I would recommend you raise your guard."
"Thank you for the alert. We will keep our guard up," Billy said and then signaled for his friends to open the path.
The other party members nodded, and then they left. Billy noticed that their leader saw Lily's bracelet, but he only looked for a moment and lost interest. It was made of stone, after all. Most people would think that the best materials make the best gear… while they had a point, things weren't that simple.
"Did you guys see that?" Billy asked. "If we proceed forward, one of us might get their arms bitten, and after that, our combat power will decrease, and the fights will be a lot tougher to the others."
"We are ready for that," Natalie said.
"I want to see you say that with a straight face to the parents of the wounded if someone gets hurt like that…" Billy said.
While Natalie showed a complicated expression, the others didn't get fazed by Billy's harsh words. In any case, Billy checked the other party, and they were at level fifty… their level was basically the same with the exception of Kate. Still, their status was relatively low. They probably weren't trained like them from their youth… it was only natural. Most of the people of the Hiloh state had been trained when they joined the army, or they were self-taught.
In any case, that part they arrived in was most likely, the middle of the dungeon. The group felt that they didn't make much progress since it looked like they were walking in circles… as expected of a dungeon with a maze design.
As the leader of the previous party said, the number of encounters had increased, and Billy barely had the time to write anything on the map now… much less gathering the gems. So, they had to split the work to make real progress. Due to their experience as a hunter, Lily knew how to use a knife, so she took that role.
"Phew… things are getting pretty intense," Lily said as soon as they had their first battle against five monsters.
This time, two of them appeared in the front and behind the group, and when they split up, another appeared between the group, and Billy had to pierce its head with a spear that emerged from the ground. So, he had to agree with her.
"They are getting tired again… not because of the atmosphere, but because of the continuous fights," Billy thought. "Although they are getting better, unless we get another special gem, we will have to call it a day here…"
Considering that they progressed quite a bit after meeting with the other party, Billy would say that they completed around seventy percent of the dungeon… not bad for their second day of exploration. Even if they were unlucky… they were bound to find another special gem the next in one day or the other, and they reach the last part of the dungeon… clearing was another matter, though. Just when Billy was thinking about that, a giant beetle appeared behind them.
Although the arrival of the monster surprised everyone, they reacted on time to grab their weapons. Even Billy did that before confirming the status of the monster with Appraisal. After all, the beast was as big as a car and completely blocked their path to the retreat.
Dark Crawler - Lv 47
HP: 642/ 642
MP: 229/ 229
SP: 309/ 309
Strength: 112
Speed: 76
Magic: 29
Endurance: 116
Dexterity: 55
Status Points: 00
Skills: Bite Lv 22, Dash Lv 15
Spells:
Passive: Earth Resistance Lv 74, Fire Resistance Lv 22, Wind Resistance Lv 29
Skill Points: 00
