MTLNOVEL Chapter 88
“The atmosphere has changed again now that we’ve moved to a different floor.”
After finding the teleporter, I proceeded to the next level.
This floor resembled a cave, with jagged rock surfaces and only faintly glowing walls as a source of light. Normally, descending a floor meant encountering stronger enemies. On the previous level, there were B-rank monsters in isolation, A-rank ones in groups, and the weaker variants of A-rank creatures.
The floor’s attribute had also shifted to earth, meaning I needed to stay on guard.
“In any case, no letting my guard down from here on. If anything unexpected happens, I’ll retreat to that safe zone, so I’m counting on you for covering fire.”
After double-checking my safety measures, I began my exploration.
“Amazing… there’s so much rare metal here.”
“Master… aren’t you being a little too careless?”
I could hear Eve’s exasperated voice, but I couldn’t help it.
“I mean, look at this. There’s mithril and valite just lying around.”
This floor appeared to be a mine, with ore embedded all over the place. I had been considering ways to extract it as I moved forward. While mining would be possible with time, turning my back in an area teeming with powerful monsters was a death sentence. No amount of resources was worth risking my life.
I had decided to abandon the idea of mining when I noticed something glittering on the ground. Small, stone-sized chunks that gleamed dully under my magic light. When I picked one up, I was astonished—it wasn’t a mere rock but a solid chunk of metal.
Upon sending a sample to Eve for analysis, she confirmed that it was mithril and valite.
These two metals were among the rarest in this world, and here they were, scattered like pebbles. It was only natural that I started scanning the ground for more.
“Phew, Eve, how much have we gathered?”
I had been sending every piece of metal I found to Eve, leaving the sorting to her. Now, I wanted to check our haul.
“If we’re talking about mithril and valite, we’ve collected enough to forge a few short swords.”
“Oh, that’s quite a lot. As expected of a Rank VII dungeon. It’s a treasure trove.”
High-rank dungeons contained materials that were impossible to obtain in lower-rank ones. Some items could only be found in these places, so collecting as much as possible was crucial. Feeling satisfied with the smooth progress of the expedition, I was about to continue when—
Grrrnnn…
“Eve, I’m getting a bit hungry and thirsty. Can you send me something?”
I had been moving nonstop, and my stomach was starting to feel empty.
“Understood. How about some fruit?”
“Yeah, that works.”
Shortly after, a few peaches were sent my way. Among them was a golden peach, a rare fruit that could only be obtained when using the Amplification blessing. Its flavor was something special.
“Mmm, the sweetness really seeps into my tired body.”
Just as I was savoring the taste—
“Kyurururururu.”
“Huh?”
A small, squirrel-like creature had appeared before me, gazing up at me with round eyes.
It had sharp front teeth, shimmering golden fur, and an adorably tiny nose that twitched as it sniffed the air.
I had never seen a creature like this before. Since it didn’t seem hostile, I ignored it and took another bite of my peach. But then—
“Kyukkyururun!”
The little creature scurried closer, its nose twitching even more fervently.
“Wait… do you want this?”
I lifted the peach slightly, and its gaze immediately locked onto the fruit. It must have been drawn by the scent.
“Alright, here you go.”
I tossed the peach toward it, and despite the fruit being larger than its own body, it caught it with remarkable skill.
“Kyukyuu!”
Letting out an excited chirp, it immediately started eating.
Its little head bobbed rapidly, and it devoured the peach at an incredible speed. Its cheeks puffed out as it stuffed its mouth, and before I knew it, the entire peach was gone, its cheeks returning to normal size.
“Kyururun?”
Its gaze shifted toward the remaining peaches.
“Wait, this peach is…”
The golden peach was something that could only be harvested when using a blessing. It felt wasteful to give it away.
“Kyuuu… kyuuu…”
The little creature let out a sorrowful cry and clutched its belly, its expression one of utter despair. A wave of guilt surged through me.
Even in my past life, I had a soft spot for cute animals.
“Fine, fine. Here, take it.”
I still had a few stored away, so giving up one wasn’t a big deal.
As soon as I handed over the golden peach, the creature joyfully began devouring it.
“Master, isn’t it about time to head back?”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll start making my way back.”
I had spent quite a while watching its adorable eating habits when Eve’s voice brought me back to reality.
I had progressed significantly today, and I had also gathered a good amount of rare metals. With the enemies growing stronger, it was time to return and make preparations within The World.
“Alright then, take care, little guy.”
As I stood up and opened the entrance to The World—
“Kyurukyurukyurun!”
The small creature suddenly climbed onto my shoulder.
“Huh? Are you planning to come with me?”
It responded with a firm nod.
“Well… I suppose I have plenty of food, so it should be fine.”
It seemed I had unintentionally tamed it. Since it didn’t show any signs of aggression and appeared harmless, I decided to take it into The World with me.