After everything that happened with Orphelia... I had some hard times regaining trust in Olivia and Catalina, who spent days apologising for turning their backs on me.
Oh, hello there. It's me again, Elise. The vampire girl.
It's been a month since the events that led me to erase two individuals from existence from the [Lesser Ranking of the Sapient Monsters], it's a bit of a long name they gave it, but totally understandable for what it seeks to do.
Such a ranking list has my name at the top now. Since that time I've had a lot of fights on all floors that didn't necessarily involve genocide on my part, hehe...
I'm already calmer than I was at that time. And right now I'm getting ready to continue with what I had left pending while I was helping Olivia out of the dungeon. She had a hard time adjusting to her new basic attributes as a vampire.
I really don't feel guilty about what I had to do. It was better to do it than to lose a life of someone Saeko considered more or less important.
Olivia has already left the dungeon, and as I thought, she couldn't burn in the sunlight. And I continue as I started, from the lowest point.
After making Catalina queen of the [14th Floor], she set up a new government for the Beastmen who were left over from the [13th Floor] and had no place to go. She has managed everything well with Seth's and my support. I am beyond proud of that.
So much of my stats being invested to make someone king, that's what made me stay at the bottom of the food chain again. But with a high tendency to return to the top.
I must say that at that moment my bloodlust went so high that even I couldn't believe it. For a moment I thought I was going to stay like that forever, but as the days went by, that bloodlust subsided on its own.
Anyway, now I'm back in independent action. Without companions or anything like that, I've been going back and forth helping the dungeon dwellers.
And right now, I'm on the [19th Floor]. Finishing upgrading my new equipment with the help of an old dwarf who is reputed to be the best blacksmith in the whole dungeon.
He is Mirue's friend, I had already introduced myself to him a few days ago to give him my condolences. To keep his late friend's promise, he helped me learn some things I didn't quite understand about weapon crafting.
Thanks to his teachings, my skill, [Recreation] was able to be perfected even further. And with it, I've been able to mimic more complex contraptions like monster cores and such.
I'm just finding out that almost all monsters have a [Mana Stone] which is what basically functions as their hearts... I devoured a lot of monsters in my early days, but I didn't really think those things had any kind of value.
They come in different types and vary in size depending on the power of the monster. Although it's worth mentioning that I don't have something like that.
I've also learned a bit more about materials and their uses, and using Saeko's memories, I've managed to make more than a few interesting things. For example, a wireless microwave and a small motor.
But of course, those are real, not made with [Recreation] the way I usually do things. The fact is that I would need to get viable, non-volatile fuels that can be created.
And I've found out... I've been so focused on [Recreation] that I don't really use any other kind of magic.
My combat style has been mostly focused on physical strength and little else. I created the TDR... but I left it to Catalina as a souvenir...
It would have made a good weapon, but she's grown fond of the rifle so there's not much I can do about it.
I finally acquired [Energy Manipulation] using Skill Points, but I never thought it would be so complicated to do the real magic...
Let's reminisce. Using [Flaming Reinforcemente] isn't exactly magic, as this is, rather, an ability derived from burning a chemical fluid that my body produces when I activate it.
Using my nitroglycerine bombs isn't magic either, it's chemistry...
[Acrobatic Aerodynamics] is an imitation of [Wind Magic] but it only allows you to do what the name says, acrobatics. I can't manipulate anything in particular.
And [Recreation] although it has its magic part, I don't use it for that purpose per se...
So after a bit of shopping around, I was able to get my hands on a book on the basics of magic that looked good, but, surprise, I can't read it!
Why is that? Simple, it's because my translation is only possible through dialogue, not reading. Therefore, without knowing what each letter means in the language in which the book was written, I don't have the slightest idea what it says.
And neither does Mirue's friend, who by the way is called Uldricth, know how to read it. All he knows is that the text is written in a language that died along with the writer of the book.
-Lady Elise, everything is done. -. Uldricth communicates to me.
Heeding what he said, I stand up. And I slowly start to take off my armour.
What the dwarf meant was that he completely removed the magic imbued in this armour that prevented me from removing it. I spent too much time with this thing on me...
- - -
┈┈┈✦ Immortality has regained full function. [Upgrade from 99% to 100%].
- - -
I could sigh from relief... this armor that carries the blood of so many people is something I never want to see again.
I only just realised that part of my bloodlust was influenced by this cursed armour. I didn't realise it until I had already killed so many... I'll keep it in the [Inventory] to always see it as a lesson.
Now that I'm starting from scratch, I want to take things more calmly.
I'm in no hurry to get out of this place.
I put away the rest of my things, the book, some notes on basic language writing, and a few materials I bought for practice.
I arrange my worn, magic-made clothes... with a smile, I turn to the dwarf.
-Thank you very much for everything, Uldricth. Take this as a token of my appreciation.
From my inventory, I pull out a glass flask filled with a violet liquid. I place it on the workbench. To which the dwarf reacts immediately.
-Dragon's blood? There aren't many these days... excuse my foolishness, how did you get this stuff?
-It was from the dragon of Orphelia. I kept it to trade with, I know its value. And I want you to use it to get out of this damned dungeon.
-I appreciate your willingness, Lady Elise... but I refuse. I have spent seventy years in my blacksmith's work and I have many things yet to learn. I ask that you keep the dragon's blood to yourself.
Well, if he says so...
-That's all right. Anyway, thanks for everything, Uldricth.
-It was nothing, I'm glad to have met you. Here, Lady Elise.
The dwarf approaches me and places a glowing stone in my hand. It has a runic script on its surface. I can't read it...
I activate [Valuation] to inspect it.
- - -
┈┈┈✦This is a [Magic Rune] imbued with [Space Magic]. It has long distance teleportation enabled.
- - -
Lately I notice that the descriptions provided by this skill have improved quite a bit... I'm a bit proud of it.
-What is this for? -. I ask with some intrigue. Since I don't quite understand why he's giving it to me.
-It's for you to teleport to this place. Don't you think it's good to have a place to flee to in a situation that might get out of control?
-Oh... Thank you very much, then! I'll come back if I get to a point where I could easily die.
-I'll wait for her for as long as it takes.
And with that, I finally left Uldricth's smithy. Likewise, I activate my own [Space Magic] to quickly reach [Floor 29] and then go down to [Floor 30].
I find it curious how teleportation works, because when you use it you create a shortcut, a space that is interconnected between two doors. This space is like a passageway, which changes depending on where you want to go.
[Floor 19], which is where I come from, has a mountainous terrain. So half of this road is pretty much a rocky road in its entirety. And [Floor 29], which is where I'm going, is a swampy kind of floor... the mycelium that fills my boots is unpleasant.
After going through the door, I was directly in front of the vine that is used to descend to the next floor. I got the map of this floor the first time I came here, so I already basically had it registered in my mind where I was going to teleport to.
I've been told many times so far, that the change in difficulty of the dungeon increases to nightmare levels at this point. Once I finish descending, my own safety is going to be in constant threat.
Now. I let out a small sigh. Relaxing.
I have no idea what I might find down there.
But I take a step forward anyway. A step into the void. I quickly let myself be carried by gravity on this descent to [Floor 29].
Remember. My name is Elise, and I'm still a vampire.