Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 165

“The rain doesn’t show any signs slowing down, does it?”

“On the contrary, it seems to be getting stronger.”

It had been a while since we finished eating the marsh mantis shrimp.

The rain outside, visible from the cave, was still intense. It pounded the ground forcefully, reminiscent of hail.

I knew that rain persisted year-round in the Terra Phios Marshlands. I had prepared with equipment and even brought items, but with it being this strong, exploration was becoming difficult.

With the sea Guardian’s bracelet, I could carry on gathering, but not both of us. Even if we could, with such heavy rain, visibility would be significantly reduced. It was dangerous to go out exploring now.

“…Hmm, judging by the current situation, it seems the rain won’t weaken anytime soon.”

Leilushka murmured while gazing at the rain clouds.

If she, who was familiar with the marsh, said so, then it was highly probable.

“Should we continue waiting here, or explore deeper into the cave?”

Based on the feeling I got from my detection skill, this cave seemed to extend quite deep.

According to the information Rabis provided, you could mine high-quality ores in the cave, and there were places where beautiful crystals were formed.

Since we couldn’t go outside, it seemed reasonable to explore for those materials.

“Would it be okay if I asked what other toxic materials you two are looking for? There are monsters and flora with some level of toxicity in the cave as well.”

Perhaps exploring the cave might be advantageous after all.

“The remaining toxic materials we’re looking for are the poison needles of the Caicedor and the poisonous thorns of the Tarantos.”

“The Tarantos only inhabits outside areas, but Caicedor can be found in caves as well.”

“In that case, it seems exploring the cave is the way to go!”

Upon hearing Leilushka’s words, Lumia clapped her hands with a bright expression.

“Yes, that would be efficient. I also want to check out the cave, so it would be helpful if we could do that.”

With everyone’s goals aligned, we decided to explore the cave.

We packed away the magic stove, dishes, cups, and other items we had taken out.

Since the coat I had been drying was completely dry, I put it on.

“Sorry, could you turn around for a moment? I want to change into dry clothes.”

“In that case, I’ll make another wall.”

“No, there’s no need for you to go to such lengths just for me. It’s important to conserve mana as much as possible. Just turning around will be enough.”

“Understood.”

I actually have plenty of mana to spare, so it’s not a problem at all. In fact, it would be more awkward to change without a wall behind me, but there’s no point in insisting, so I’ll just obediently turn around.

I heard the sound of clothes slipping off smoothly onto the slime sheet.

It feels even more awkward this time with Lumia standing nearby.

But if I try to start a conversation to ease the tension, it might seem forced, so I decided to gaze absentmindedly at the rain pouring down instead.

“I kept you waiting. I’m good to go now.”

Turning to the voice, I saw Leilushka dressed in the same easy-to-move combat attire as when we first met.

As expected, this outfit suited her better than the spare clothes I had prepared.

“Well then, I’ll take the clothes you were wearing and put them away.”

“Oh, uh, thank you.”

Normally, one might want to wash and return the clothes they had worn once, but since we’re exploring now, this is the easiest and fastest way to handle it.

“Shall we go then?”

“Yes!”

“Yeah!”

After washing the slime sheet with water, storing it, and preparing for departure, we started walking deeper into the cave.

♦ ♦ ♦

“Surprisingly, the deeper into the cave, the brighter it gets.”

“As you go further in, there are more crystals emitting light, so we won’t need any other light sources.”

“That’s true.”

Upon Leilushka’s words, I extinguished the fireball I had conjured as a light source.

While I had initially thought the depths of the cave would be pitch black, it was getting brighter as we progressed.

This was because there were crystals emitting a faint light along the walls.

【Luminescent Crystal】

A crystal emitting a faint light. Once broken or damaged, it loses its luminescence.

Due to impurities, its decorative value is low.

Luminescent Crystal is what appraisal tells me.

“…Even with my alchemy, there doesn’t seem to be many uses.”

If Lumia said that, it likely meant there was a considerable amount of impurities. In that case, it would be much better to polish the crystals mined from the Demio Mine.

But since it was still a material, I decided to use a small hammer to break it and collect some crystals.

The crystals that rolled into my palm emitted a fleeting light that quickly dissipated.

“As you can see, they don’t have much decorative value, and they don’t even emit much light, do they?”

Seeing me collecting luminescent crystals, Leilushka looked puzzled.

“It doesn’t matter if the material has no value. I just enjoy collecting these kinds of things.”

“I see, Shuu is quite peculiar.”

Leilushka chuckled, finding my firm stance amusing.

I was strictly a material collector. Whether the material held significant value or not, it remained a material. I simply enjoyed gathering such items, especially when they had no apparent use.

Acknowledging my own peculiarity, I had no grounds to refute Leilushka’s opinion.

“It could also become a memory of our visit here. I’ll take a few back with me too!”

Lumia’s comment seemed to inspire Leilushka, who decided to put a small luminescent crystal into her pouch as well.

In this world, there were no records akin to photographs of past lives. However, by collecting such items, memories could be accumulated.

Looking at the materials collected during an adventure could evoke memories of the conversations and experiences from that time.

While these memories might be far more ambiguous and less accurate than photographs, I believed they still held a certain charm.

In the future, even if we grow old and can no longer embark on adventures, I want to be able to look back on countless materials and reminisce about the memories.

After finishing our observation of the luminescent crystals, we proceeded further into the depths of the cave.

The sound of water dripping echoed throughout, and with each step we took, there was a splashing sound. Since it was a sunless cave, the water never seemed to dry up after dripping down.

Unlike outside, where the ground is muddy, it was oddly quiet here, so our footsteps were quite noticeable.

Although the cave was illuminated by the luminescent crystals, it was still dim overall. There were parts completely engulfed in shadows, so we needed to be cautious.

As a precaution, I thoroughly scanned with magic for any magical stones.

Then, I detected three magical stones ahead.

“There are three monsters ahead.”

“I have good hearing so I could tell, but how did you notice from this distance?”

Leilushka, being a Dark Elf, had sharp ears, but for an ordinary human like me, it would be difficult to notice.

Even if one excels in such techniques, the constant sound of water echoing in the cave makes it very difficult to discern.

“I have detection skills.”

“I see, that’s reassuring.”

As I revealed my perception skills, Leilushka nodded in understanding.

Without my detection skill, I would never have noticed.

“What kind of monsters are they?”

“I can see silhouettes resembling hermit crabs.”

“Most likely Scissors.”

I knew about that monster because I heard about it from Rabis. It’s a crustacean-type monster that commonly inhabits water bodies.

“Shall we take a detour?”

“No, there’s no need for that. Scissors are generally gentle monsters. Unless we provoke them, they’re unlikely to attack us.”

“In that case, let’s just pass by then.”

If they’re not going to attack, there’s no need to engage with them unnecessarily.

Nevertheless, just to be cautious, I kept myself ready to move at any moment.

As we approached, I could not only see their silhouettes but also clearly make out their features.

They were hermit crabs with blue exoskeletons. They were about the size of our waists and carried large brown shells on their backs.

Their claws were well-developed and gleamed dimly in the light of the luminescent crystals.

【Scissors Danger Level D】

Crustaceans that inhabit places near water bodies such as jungles, lakeshores, and desert oases.

Covered in a blue exoskeleton, they possess high durability.

Although their claws are undeveloped, they attack with sharp, scythe-like claws and agile movements.

Their backs are very flexible, and they carry large shells to conceal this. They have a tendency to carry something on their backs and may even carry something other than shells.

Indeed they are Scissors.

The Scissors were desperately digging into the ground with their developed claws and putting something into their mouths. They were probably eating clams or something similar underground.

The eerie sight of them making creepy noises while eating was a bit unsettling, but as Leilushka had said, they didn’t attack us as we passed by.

“No issues encountered.”

“They’re probably busy eating right now. We’ll soon reach the waters where the Caicedor are. Let’s continue.”

Despite the strange sight, we proceeded further into the depths of the cave.