I was a bit disappointed that I spent most of today in the Larzack forest resting instead of training.
There were opportunities to develop my abilities and become even better than I already was, yet I chose to take a break instead. I shouldn't let my loss to Rose linger, but instead use it as motivation to become even better.
I shouldn't settle for my current level, but strive to reach my full potential instead. Although not participating in the tournament, it was still a fairly good idea to keep my abilities sharp however best I could.
I was bemused to find that the Arcadian Castle, the previous domain of the Demon Lord— Alkaedius Div Nedra, was so worn out and covered in moss.
Despite this, the contents of the castle were still intact, providing me with a great opportunity to scavenge. I had yet to explore every part of the dungeon and the castle as a whole, but I was determined to do so.
But most importantly, it was a training ground for my complex magic spells.
"What do I do today...?"
I was deeply invested in my decision to remain alone for the remainder of the day. I hadn't even changed out of my uniform - a decision that I now regret.
As I stared at the ruins of the castle, my eyelids became heavy and I found myself yawning. I had foolishly allowed myself to drift off to sleep, instead of finding a more productive way to spend my time.
I opened my eyes.
"Shoot! I goofed again didn't I!"
"I let myself fall asleep dammit!"
I was shocked and appalled to find myself in this situation.
For some reason, my arms and body felt so tight and I had made so many failed attempts to break free from my restraints. I had to ask the only person I could talk to at the time, "Scentia... Where am I?"
Her response was not what I expected, and I felt a deep sense of unease. I was left feeling confused and uncertain about my future.
[>> Displaying information from the past thirty minutes of inactivity <<]
From the information transmitted into my brain, I had a pretty good idea of where I was, and honestly, it wasn't good. I was taken by spiders from my place of rest, and it's not your average spider, but the Blackulus Spider.
A species of man-eating creatures that use synthetic webbing made from mana to trap their prey. Uh-huh, that meant I was stuck in a Blackulus Spider's web! No wonder it was so durable.
While I thought of many ways this could go wrong, it actually did.
A large black spider was making it's way toward me, I panicked immediately and asked Scentia [Oracle Engine] for the best strategic approach. I was already feeling a burning sensation from the web seeing as it's made of energy.
[>> The Blackulus Spider (B+) Its force field-like webs are capable of neutralizing gooey materials and extremely dense colloidal suspensions, and it can deliver a jolt of energy to anyone who touches it. Additionally, it has enhanced hearing. Advised tactic: Type Magic – Grand Storm; heat cracks the shell of the Blackulus Spider and Type Magic would be the ideal for speedy magic activation. Permission to initiate the attack? <<]
"Ah-Ahhh! Initiate! Initiate! Initiate!"
I was clearly in danger with the spider approaching me, I had no choice other than to accept her proposed tactic.
Because I did, a large magic seal manifested in between the spider and I, and coming forth was a powerful breath of flame. One which not only decimated the shell of the spider but also reduced a portion of it's body to ash.
Immediately I'd done that, the webs vanished with a buzzing sound of energy. I fell from the apex of the current dungeon floor to the next one.
I'd have gone splat had I not fallen into and broken the water surface, almost drowning but I was able to crawl my way out in the end.
Sigh. I was almost eaten by a spider, wet and stranded in the dungeon. I was lucky the webs made by the spider was a mana phenomenon, so defeating it ultimately wore off the mana it conjured.
Still, I was angry from getting drenched in water, my hair was wet and so were my clothes, an absolutely bad day.
"Just great, where do I go from here.."
I was talking to myself at this point. Removing my clothes my clothes and drying them was the best option, so I don't catch a cold.
[>> Analysis complete. Preparing updated magic skill chart; "Energy Webs", "Enhanced Hearing" acquired. <<]
"Great, now got anything that could get me outta here?"
I was being sarcastic but I to my surprise she provided an answer, although it wasn't one that was nearly helpful.
[>> Failure to develop two or three dimensional map as there is no account for the unobservable part of the dungeon <<]
"Unobservable? Wait, wouldn't that mean I haven't been to this part of the dungeon before? The Oracle Engine can only account for things that I've seen so if it has no knowledge of it to relay, that would mean..." I sighed "I'm completely stranded."
I'd have to find my way with the usual manpower and trust in instinct. No time to waste! I started running, but then I stopped.
"Crap! I'm naked!.."
My clothes were still wet, meaning I had to waste a bit of time dallying around for it lose some water. I couldn't risk using a fire spell on it, that may end up burning the fabric. Since it was my uniform, I had to treat it with care.
Most of my time was spent throwing rocks at the water bodies in midair, the same one I'd fallen "into", "across" and "through." The high magicube density in the dungeon also distorted the gravitational force.
This meant that a river could flow from the walls to the ceilings, and some areas of the dungeon could have a lower gravitational field, causing anything in the area to float.
An hour elapsed and my clothing was fairly dry...
I didn't waste time wearing my uniform although I left the tie loose as it was more convenient in this case.
Now that my exploration was about to begin I decided to make some inquiries relating to the dungeon. It had to deal with all the information Scentia could muster on the dungeon so far, no matter how small.
[>> The inside of a dungeon is much bigger than what it looks on the outside. This is due to the higher density of magicube which distorts the space within the dungeon. To prevent any intruders from reaching the treasures, the dungeon is also equipped with numerous traps. These traps are activated upon contact and can have different attributes, ranging from fire-based traps to plant-based traps. <<]
She only relayed the information I didn't know yet, if not she'd have informed me of the likelihood of the dungeon creatures that could be roaming any corner.
"Ah Geez, time to test out my survival skills.." I first took the time to flex the muscles I had present, saying words like "You're the man", "Big dawg", "World's strongest." I entirely forgot I had something doing at the moment.
"Damn it, I lost focus again!"
I slapped my cheeks numerous times, not my butt cheeks mind you. It was a gesture to encourage focus.
After a very deep breath and exhalation I began running.
"You will not conquer me gods of the dungeon! But I... you!" it sounded totally cringey but it was fun to say it when I was alone.
So I could express my love for Shakespeare's playwright on Dungeon wars one of his most popular work.