Infernal Apocalypse

Before I entered the cave this time, I took out a food pill. All that moving around earlier must’ve made me hungry. Which makes sense. What I don’t understand though is how sudden the hungriness comes. Instead of slowly getting more and more hungry, everything will be fine then all of a sudden I feel immense hunger.

Anyway, it took 3 pills before the feeling finally went away. I wonder how much food that is the equivalent of?

Moving on, I entered the cave and laid my bag down in time to see the big one charging at me. Just the other day the speed of this same charge felt like I was being chased by lightning and was enough to have me run for my life all the way back to the Outpost. Now it just looks so slow. Cultivating really is amazing.

A short while later, I was the only thing alive in the cave. Though I wasn’t feeling very happy.

My spear broke.

Like it really broke.

It didn’t even break on contact or anything. After I used it to pierce through the head of the big one, I took it out and went for a powerful swing to decapitate a bunch of the remaining Goblins at once.

It quite literally snapped mid swing, and I was thrown off balance. That allowed one of the Goblins to stab me in my thigh, but it didn’t go very deep and honestly it doesn’t really hurt. It’s not even bleeding anymore.

I’m a lot more sad about my spear. This is the second one I’ve broken.

Sigh

Thankfully, my bad mood didn’t last for long. As shortly after all the bodies vanishing, instead of a chest and a new opened pathway, I got a message.

The Green Den

Objective: Complete

Congratulations

Granting Rewards

Also very game like.

But nice, I’m glad I don’t have to do another floor while not having my spear. As I thought that, a much larger chest manifested in front of me. I fully expected to just get a lot more of the mystery metal, but I was glad to be wrong.

Inside the cave were 20 Bronze coins, and even if that was the only thing in it, I’d be happy cause that’s a lot more money than I can earn just fighting in the forest all day, especially with the new exchange rate. Of course, that wasn’t the only thing in the chest. Alongside the coins were a dagger and a ring.

The dagger had a wooden handle that had the carving of what appeared to be a Goblin’s face, but was that a crown over its head? I don’t know the carving was really small. Anyway, the blade of the dagger had jagged edges and was maybe 7 inches in length. Definitely not what I’ve seen the Goblins running around with, they just had little knives. Is this a sign of things to come maybe?

I carefully put the dagger in my bag.

Moving on the ring, it was small and all black in color, it didn’t look expensive or sturdy or anything. It was just a plain old ring or so I thought until I put it on my finger…nope, nothing happened. Just a plain old ring.

I was never big on jewelry, so I just tossed it in my bag, and I carefully added the Bronze coins as well.

After everything was collected, another message popped up in front of me.

Exit Dungeon? Yes/No

Neat, I was a little curious just exactly how I was supposed to get out of here, but I’m guessing once I confirm yes, I’ll get teleported once again. After I confirmed, I was teleported just as expected. A pretty weird feeling but I guess I have to get used to it.

Once I made it back outside, I looked towards the entrance of the Dungeon and a slightly different message from the first one popped up.

Welcome to the Green Den

(F) Class Dungeon

Five 1ST Cycle Body Tempering Cultivators Recommended

Dungeon Dormant (1 Hour)

Well. That’s kind of interesting. So, after the Dungeon is cleared it will go dormant. I guess that makes sense. Though only 1 hour is kind of low when I think about it, I won’t complain, because that means I can farm this dungeon for coins and only need a couple runs to finally get reach 1 Silver Coin.

Anyway, my backpack or rucksack or whatever was way too heavy to carry on my back like normal so I had to hold it in front of me and essentially cradle it so the bottom didn’t tear out.

It would really suck to have to fight anything while doing this and not having my spear, so I decided to sprint all the way to the Outpost. I still had plenty of energy to spare, so it wasn’t too much trouble at all.

By the time I made it back to the Outpost I could see the sun was starting to set. It’s been quite a busy day. Either way, I greeted folks standing guard, and headed straight to the blacksmith, he said to bring stuff back and I needed to find out exactly what the mystery metal even is.

After greeting the blacksmith, I immediately took it out of the pieces and showed it to him.

“This was the only thing that could be considered materials that I got from the Dungeon. I’m not sure what it is though.”

“Rock Iron, a piece of shit metal, filled with garbage.”

Well, that sucks, I carried it all the way over here just for it to be garbage? Shame.

“So, it’s not worth anything? Am I better off just throwing it out?”

“Eh, each one of dem clumps is about 5 Bronze coins, and if ya give me enough of em, I can make a better spear than the Tutorial trash ya started with.”

I stared at his impassive face with a blank look as I try to understand his thought process. He is probably comparing the metal, and even the spear to other things he has seen and worked with outside of the Tutorial which might means almost anything I bring him might be considered trash to him, but like gold to the current me.

5 Bronze Coins for one clump is like finding a gold mine, wait maybe a bronze mine? I don’t know, either way I had 40 of those clumps in my bag. That’s 200 Bronze Coins…in other words 2 whole Silver Coins…

Hm, he also mentioned if he had enough of them he could make me a better spear, I should probably inquire about that first.

“..I see. About how many do you need to make one of those spears?”

“25.”

That would leave me with 15 clumps to sell, so I’ll get 75 Bronze…and when I add that to the pile I already have, that would push me past 100. 2 Silver Coins sound nice, but I can get that later another Dungeon run, and I don’t want to another run, if my spear might break with one full power swing.

I quickly took out all of the clumps on his counter and separated them into two piles. One to sell and one for the spear.

“Come back tomorrow for yer spear, it cost 5 Bronze Coins.”

After handing me what amounted to exactly 70 Bronze Coins, he took all the clumps of what I now know as Rock Iron and went into the back.

I took that as my que to leave.

I almost sprinted to my house to grab the remaining pile of coins I had before quickly making my way to the shop.

I barely even greeted Greja as I laid out all 100 Bronze Coins on the counter.

I could finally buy whatever it was that was listed in the shop. I couldn’t help but be excited. I figured out a while back that no one else could see it since Richard or anyone else in his group for that matter ever brought it up. So, the metal people really pulled some strings to not only get it in the shop, but to make it so that only I could see it.

Greja seemed to notice my excitement as I finally clicked confirm on the purchase.

“You finally reached silver I see. Well, let me not delay you any further.”

She took out a small box and placed it on the counter. She continued talking as I grabbed it, though this time in an unusually serious tone.

“Raizen, listen carefully. I recommend not letting anyone else ever look at what’s inside. Not me, not the Outpost Leader, not anyone you meet in the Tutorial. Letting someone else see the contents of that box could cost them their lives. Do not forget that.”

“I understand.”

That was a bit more somber than I expected, but I made to take to take heed. I didn’t actually plan on showing anyone else, but now I definitely won’t.

Anyway, It was time to go home and see what all the fuss is about.