Steam Contemplation
<figcaptionattachment__caption"">Under the blue sky, the pixies are flitting about merrily.
(Haaah... So this is what clearing a dungeon feels like...)
Just a few hours ago, I was on the verge of kicking the bucket from the Great Ant’s venom, one foot already in the coffin.
But I didn’t give up. After all, my left leg is a Red Slime—stubbornly tenacious, clinging on like mucus. I endured the poison, the self-destruction, and rose from the brink of death like a phoenix.
Well, Phoenix might be too fancy. More like a bug-man freak or some weird bird.
Still, it’s precisely because of that tenacity that I can now enjoy this breathtaking view and the hot springs. Mmm. Humans really do lose the moment they give up.
That said, while the Great Ant minions of the boss were tough as nails, the final boss—the giant aphid—was surprisingly fragile.
(Hmm... But if something like a Fly Queen-tier ant queen had shown up instead, we’d have been totally screwed...)
In that sense, it was incredibly lucky that the giant aphid was a healer with low defense.Thinking about it, that lineup seemed balanced at a glance, but was actually a bit uneven? If, say, there had been winged ants shielding the aphid, the outcome might’ve been completely different.
(Well, no matter what, the greatest reward is that we all made it out alive.)
This experience will fuel our growth, pushing us to greater heights. The skills and life energy we gained are nice, but that’s the real prize.
Alright, let’s check my stats again...
Current Previous
Level: 19 → 18
Race: Human??
Skills:
[Strong Acid 2], [Agility 2], [Disease Resistance 7], [Usurpation], [Mucus 7], [Space 6], [High Luck 1.4], [Footwork], [Meditation], [Salt 5], [Crafts], [Maggots 2], [Female], [Martial Arts 6], [Paralysis 4], [Jump 9], [Sturdiness 8], [Charm]
Titles:
[Bug King], [Saltmate], [Salty Guy], [Insect Queen], [Woman Killer], [Bug Friends], [Dungeon Clear Man]
Hmm... Even after reviewing it, my race still says Human?? with extra question marks. Guess hitting the 700s in stats pushed me even further beyond human limits.
No changes to blessings or skills. Titles, though...
"Wh—HUH!?"
Since when did I get another title!?
"Jeez. What’s wrong, Egetsu-san? Why the weird noise?"
Serai-san, who’d been playing with the pixies, turned to me with a questioning look.
"Ah, uh... Just checked my stats and got surprised by a new title."
"Oh, really? Huh, I got one too. Dungeon Clear 1."
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. You’re right. Dungeon Clear 1 got added."
<figcaptionattachment__caption"">(WHAAAT!?)
They get Dungeon Clear 1, with a counter for clears, while I’m stuck with some cheesy mascot title like Dungeon Clear Man!?
Ughhh! Dungeon Clear Man? Seriously?
C’mon, Stats-kun, you really do hate me, don’t you?