The next morning, I pondered over the Familiars Department when an idea surfaced.
"System, can I use or summon the monsters displayed in the shop?" I asked, excited by the thought.
"Negative, that is not a function the host has access to at the moment."
"Oh, so you mean I'll be able to later?"
The silence from the System spoke volumes. Initially, I had thought of summoning a mount to help me cover more distance, but for now, I'll have to be patient.
I continued walking through the abyssal caves at a moderate pace to avoid tiring myself too quickly. After all, I had no idea how far I had to go. The sound of my footsteps echoed rhythmically in the stone corridor as the landscape changed from time to time. It transitioned from a corridor to small caverns, to bridges spanning bottomless chasms, and always circled back to another corridor. Sometimes the path was rough, while at other times it was flat and defined, as if someone had worked on certain sections.
After a while, I spotted what seemed like a figure sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall. As I approached, I was surprised to see that it was the little creature that had been giggling incessantly. Feeling cautious, I slowed down and prepared my musket. But even as I got closer, there was no visible reaction from the creature. When I reached its side, I could see that its body had changed color, shifting from gold to dark green. It seemed to have been poisoned by the Turdra. I'm no poison expert, but it was clear I shouldn't touch it. I prodded the creature's lifeless body with the tip of my weapon, but nothing happened.
Deciding to move on, my eyes caught sight of the bag the monster had held the previous day. I carefully picked it up, avoiding touching the corpse, and inspected it. The interior of the bag was much larger than the exterior, indicating that it must be a magical artifact. With the help of my Identification skill, I examined each piece of equipment, and to my astonishment, they were of excellent quality. The little creature must have seized the opportunity to steal from the Turdra. If I had known, I would have done the same. If the equipment doesn't serve me, I'll give it to my family. Speaking of which, it's been a really long time since I last saw them. Fortunately, the past year has kept me occupied, preventing me from dwelling on it too much and ending up with a broken heart.
To take my mind off things, I decided to examine the items with my expertise before continuing on my way.
Magic Old Bag:
An old magical bag, crafted long ago by the hands of an expert. The inside of the bag contains an extra-dimensional space to store a variety of objects. As for the dimensions of the space, nobody knows them except perhaps its former owner.
Anti-Poison Ring:
A simple iron ring with a small transparent stone in its center. A few runes are inscribed beneath it. It used to serve as protection against poisons. It offers some immunity to general poisons and detects their presence when the transparent stone changes color to black.
Ring of the Setting Sun:
A ring made of a warm-to-the-touch material, with a red stone resembling a setting sun embedded in its center. Additionally, the ring grants the ability of the Setting Sun.
Setting Sun (ability):
By pulling the arms back, mimicking the drawing of a bowstring, the wearer manifests a bow and arrow of pure light from the ring onto their hands. The projectile shot by the solar bow inflicts fire damage that varies based on the intelligence stats of the caster.
Cape of the Rising Sun:
The fabric of this resplendent cape appears to be woven from living flames. When you wear this cape, you are resistant to cold damage and the effects of extreme cold. Additionally, by lifting the hood, the cape ignites, granting you the following benefits: The cape emits light in a five-meter radius.
Scepter of Amber Ashes:
A scepter carved from Tarnifur wood, it contains and absorbs the energy of fire and lightning. Nestled atop it is a cut energy crystal belonging to an ancient storm giant.
Flaming Storms (ability):
Harmless embers gently blow upward and around the caster. Each ember contains the energy of fire and lightning to generate a flaming storm. After a brief moment, the storm will unleash a rain of fire and lightning in all directions. The ability doesn't target the caster but doesn't differentiate between allies and enemies. Additionally, the lightning causes sequential explosions that leave the area devastated and the embers not easily extinguished. The damage and strength of the explosions vary based on the intelligence stats of the caster.
Ancastor, the Flame Gauntlet:
Crafted from a metal formed in a foreign world, a protective spike protrudes behind the wearer's knuckles, showcasing a detailed sculpture of an unknown creature. The creature's mouth emits a burning fire that reaches up to the wearer's elbow. The gauntlet increases the wearer's strength and resistance to the fire element.
........
The corridor continues and seems endless. Several times in the past few days, I asked MT to send me some mechanical golems to mine mineral deposits or clean up a collapsed section of the corridor. It slowed me down a bit, but I had no choice.
As I move forward, the corridor maintains a slight incline, indicating that I am still ascending. I use my Natural Mapping skill to get an idea of the environment, and based on the gathered information, I should soon reach the surface.
After what feels like an eternity, I finally spot what appears to be a sturdy door at the end of the tunnel. The door is quite large, about three meters high and two meters wide. It is made of rough stone, and without the two huge rings attached to it, I wouldn't have even noticed it was a door. Upon closer inspection, I can make out some symbols and words, but they are indecipherable due to the passage of time. I believe it was meant to camouflage the tunnel; otherwise, it would be in better condition.
I try to push it open, but it only budges a few centimeters after several attempts. With some additional effort, the door finally opens, and the sunlight floods my face. I can finally breathe in a refreshing breeze.