Earth Dungeon 60.1

Test

Chapter 60.1. Terrain

Shizuku accurately reads the easiest route through the fallen trees and runs through it. She takes care not to step on small stones, fallen branches, or anything unnecessary. Her goal is to enter the still-standing forest.

[Accelerator]

To surpass Azure Dragon, which is faster than herself, she uses combat skills to move. When she covers her body with a red aura, she leaves afterimages as the girl accelerates rapidly and successfully enters the safe forest.

"Kishaa!"

Almost simultaneously, Azure Dragon enters the forest. It opens its mouth, ready to bite Shizuku, while breaking trees like matchsticks.

[Hyper Throw]

Focusing her combat energy on her small body, Shizuku raises her spear for a throw. The spear, cloaked in a red aura, slices through the air, heading towards the dragon's mouth. However, Azure Dragon creates a high-pressure water wall right in front of it.

Instead of a splash, it makes a sound like hitting concrete, and amidst the splashes, the spear gets deflected.

[Accelerator]

Shizuku accelerates once more, kicking the trunks of trees to create dents as she moves underneath the spear's trajectory, extending her hand to retrieve it.

Seeing Shizuku approach, the dragon releases the water wall and breathes out a breath attack.

A laser-like breath of water. But as Shizuku thrusts the spear forward, she pushes it against the approaching breath, deflecting it and creating distance.

"Creating and dispelling water walls here consumes a significant amount of mana, doesn't it?"

After creating some distance, Shizuku rotates her body, planting her feet on a tree trunk and using other trees as stepping stones to move backward.

[Water Shot]

The frustrated Azure Dragon uses water magic to create countless fist-sized water balls around itself and fires them one after another.

Each strike is powerful, as they hit the giant trees, causing them to shatter and fall with a crashing sound. Amidst the water splashes, Shizuku calmly deflects the approaching water balls with her spear.

She spins her spear like a baton, skillfully calculating the angles, speed, and power of the fast-approaching water balls. Her dexterity surpasses that of the dragon. 

However, under normal circumstances, such actions would be impossible. One mistake would mean a lethal strike. Despite Shizuku's improved stats through combat skills, they still fall short of the dragon's. Fear should have prevented her from taking such actions, but she handles everything with mechanical precision, like a well-practiced task.

[Water Prison]

Azure Dragon concentrates mana, causing water to well up at Shizuku's feet, shaping it into countless spears attempting to pierce her like a porcupine, encasing her like a cage.

Shizuku dodges the thrusting water spears with graceful ballet-like movements, occasionally getting grazed, but she dances like a fairy, not showing pain even when her skin gets cut.

"It's slow to activate. It starts with creating water, so it's a bit delayed."

As soon as all the water spear attacks end, the dragon tries to bite her and approaches by knocking down trees. Shizuku forcefully stomps the ground, soaring high above the dragon's head while wielding her spear.

"Shh."

Upon landing on Azure Dragon's body, Shizuku raises her spear and swings it down. There's a clinking sound, and the dragon's scales effortlessly deflect the spear.

"Mmm... As expected, weapons from C-rank dungeons don't work well. Especially against dragon types; they're tough."

Azure Dragon vigorously moves its body, attempting to shake Shizuku off its back. However, by slipping her toes into the small gaps between scales, she skillfully counters the movements to avoid being thrown off, all the while casually muttering.

[Weapons, like fantasy weapons? Swords and spears?]

Realizing she can't be shaken off and as Azure Dragon lunges to bite her, Shizuku pulls her toes from the scales and nods in response to Sakimori's question.

"Magical weapons are necessary. Against C-rank bosses, you need combat skills and magic. Without high firepower like anti-tank guns, you won't deal any damage. But carrying anti-tank guns around won't help you conquer dungeons, and you can't leisurely aim them against agile enemies, right? So missile attacks are the fastest way to clear, but we can't use that method, nor do we intend to."

[Indeed, to become stronger, Dungeon Cores are a must. So, what's the plan?]

As Azure Dragon's head passes by like a storm, Shizuku's hair is tousled, and she feels the wind pressure. She wears an unusual expression of concern.

"Leveling up the owner of a Craft Skill. Or, we have to dive into dungeons and obtain it from treasure chests. But it's a problem if we don't have any other options."

[Perhaps we need to find someone with a Craft Skill or obtain equipment from the inner town. ...The latter is probably the quickest. There are likely plenty of high-level items lying around.]

Shizuku agrees with Sakimori's words, thinking there probably aren't many high-level status holders. There likely are unused weapons somewhere, and if they're covered in dust, it's probably better if they use them.

She calmly avoids Azure Dragon's lunging bites, deciding on her course of action.

"Understood. Let's defeat Azure Dragon."

With a narrowed gaze, she stops evading and readies her spear. The dragon seems to have realized it's caught in a trap, but it shows no signs of fleeing.

"Azure Dragon's maximum ability is water manipulation. This manipulation significantly boosts water magic. The boss room in the dungeon is filled with water up to the knees. All magic activations happen instantaneously, its magic power gets enhanced, and mana consumption is reduced."