Chapter 42

The closer I got to home, the hotter the summer weather became, making my tongue hang out like a dog’s. Camping in the tent meant I had to sleep with mithril cooling me down. Even Suri was seen hugging a small piece of mithril ore while sleeping, clearly showing how scorching this season had become.

On the way back, I stopped by the village that had suffered from flooding to say hello. Being so close to the Valley of Starwind, it felt even more familiar and welcoming. I cooked another large meal and shared food with the villagers, nearly wiping out all leftovers. Honestly, it didn’t matter; once I got home, I could just replenish everything with the 800,000 gold I earned.

A cute little kid greeted me warmly, flashing an adorable grin with his tiny teeth. Though I cooked for them, it was a bit disappointing not having much food left to spare. If only there were more, I could’ve left some behind.

With 800,000 gold in hand, I decided it might be wise to carry extra materials as a precaution against future situations. Proper preparation allows one to handle unexpected scenarios flexibly.

Finally, on the ninth day of summer, I returned home. Summer started a bit late compared to others. Immediately after arriving, I transferred ownership of the horse I rented back to Bass. After washing up at home, I collapsed onto my bed like a corpse.

You can only access the system shop when sleeping at home, and summer crops can only be purchased during the summer. Thus, today wasn’t suitable for farming tasks. The spring crops I planted earlier had long since wilted and died. It seems reality mirrors games—crops don’t grow without proper seasonal care. Without a greenhouse, I could’ve made a fortune off those spring plants.

To farm year-round regardless of seasons, you need a greenhouse. With Reyvik City now part of my trade network with the princess, my stock of crops diminishes rapidly. Opening the partially destroyed greenhouse became a top priority. However, the requirements aren’t easy.

Achievements:

– “Life Only Comes Once!” (Dungeon End)

– “How About a Mole’s Life?” (Mine End)

– “Have You Ever Grown Crops?” (Plant 1 million seeds)

Materials needed:

– 15,000 wood

– 10,000 stone

While simple, these achievements aren’t exactly easy. I already completed the mine achievement but haven’t reached the dungeon or seed planting milestones yet. At 10,000 seeds per day, it would take until the end of summer to hit the goal.

“Will this trick work?”

Of course, there’s a loophole: buying cheap seeds and planting them solely for achievement progress without growing actual crops. Whether it still works is uncertain, but I’ll check tomorrow.

Wood and stone quantities are starting to exceed what a single person can gather easily. This explains why basic resources always seem to vanish despite constant collection—they’re required in vast amounts for various purposes, pushing logging and mining levels upward.

Eventually, you resort to buying materials with gold due to the sheer demand.

“Haa…”

Though anticipated, seeing the details confirmed was heart-wrenching. I sighed and reluctantly stood up. Truthfully, I didn’t want to leave the air-conditioned comfort of home. Leaving such coolness in summer isn’t easy.

Opening the door revealed blazing sunlight baking the ground, creating shimmering heat waves. Just standing exposed triggered instant sweat under the oppressive heat. Summer’s inconvenience lay here—it’s uncomfortable everywhere except Earth, where conditions might be similar.

Fortunately, it wasn’t humid yet, though monsoon season might change that soon.

“Peeek…”

Suri waddled over weakly, looking exhausted. Even the cage must have been hot. Despite embedding mithril near him, he seemed listless, trying to climb onto my shoulder pitifully. Luckily, we had mithril to help keep things bearable.

“Suri.”

“Chirp.”

“Do you want to stay inside?”

“Pii?”

Does he actually understand me? Tilting his head curiously while expressing himself atop my shoulder made him look intelligent. Crawling back indoors, I let him experience the glory of AC breeze.

“Pii! Pii!”

Not like a chick but chirping happily nonetheless. His talons pressing lightly into my shoulder reminded me of a cat kneading dough. Who knew screech owls did this? A new discovery—Suri enjoys cool environments too.

“Do you wanna stay here?”

“Pii?”

“Uncertain if you’ll understand, but I gotta go somewhere dangerous. It’s risky for you, so… Are you asking to get down? Alright.”

My plan to separate Suri before heading to the dungeon went smoother than expected. Spreading his wings, he signaled descent then crawled into bed, curling up under the blanket casually. His calm confidence amused me.

Flapping his wings, was he saying goodbye—or inviting me to join him?

Chuckling at Suri’s audacity, I stroked his forehead affectionately.

“Dad will be back after work.”

Closing his eyes contentedly, he relaxed into the soft mattress. Birds usually sleep standing, yet this guy already mastered lying down.

Feeling slightly disappointed he wouldn’t follow, it’d cause trouble otherwise since our next destination was the dungeon. With no more spring crops to grow, opening the greenhouse became necessary. But first, I needed to reach the dungeon’s end per achievement requirements.

Leaving the cool house behind, I stepped outside. Thick heat enveloped me instantly, every breath unpleasantly dry. Thankfully, my bag preserved cold water, making the trip bearable.

Walking northward steadily, hesitation absent, the dungeon awaited. Unlike mines, dungeons have 50 floors total. No guarantees I’d clear it today or even find lodging within, but leveling combat skills and farming miscellaneous materials justified the trip.

Summer heat mixed with pre-battle tension soaked my hands. Entering the dungeon through its crimson-streaked entrance exuding rotten alcohol scents, I equipped all eight empty slots.

Custom-made equipment (4 slots):

– Level 33 Gold-Mithril Alloy Gloves

– Level 55 Orichalcum Ring

– Level 31 Gold-Mithril Alloy Helmet

– Level 34 Gold-Mithril Alloy Armor (Lower)

Treasure chest items (4 slots):

– Level 29 Longsword

– Level 33 Chain Mail

– Level 29 Chain Boots

– Level 17 Ring

Older gear may feel insufficient but remains serviceable. Glancing at my sharp blade’s blue glow, I moved forward. Its chill countered my overheated body.

Descending into the dungeon with metallic clinks, battles proved easy.

Slashing, thrusting, clearing all monsters up to floor 19 smoothly. Red spiders provided venom—a nice bonus for painkiller ingredients.

Floor 20—an unfamiliar territory.

Cool air, smoky scent, eerie atmosphere surrounded me. That thrilling anticipation rose subtly.

“Gruuuh…”

A boss monster perhaps? Like level 10’s fixed spawn, another unique creature appeared.

Black aura streaming, half-decomposed face revealed—a [Dark Knight]. Sword in one hand, shield in the other.

First time facing a knight in 1v1 combat. My body reacted instinctively, heightened expectation coursing through me. Though awkward discrepancies between mind and body existed, I relied partly on instincts entering battle cautiously.

Careful pacing, measured distances. Sword grip, blade length, shield placement, extended arm—all read intuitively like a boxer’s orthodox or southpaw stance.

Clank!

Slow then fast—variations matter most in combat. Maintaining tension amidst sudden attacks defines crucial moments.

Bang!

Sparks flew as swords clashed violently. Impact absorbed effortlessly, likely manageable one-handed.

“Huff!”

The shield posed problems. Charging recklessly with iron protection masked its wielder’s vision. Instinctively shifting to blind spots, I seized initiative. Shield barely grazed my armor, producing faint pings.

Creak!

Massive shield motions. Concealed movement beneath. Reading unpredictable sword trajectories proved tough for the dark knight.

I sliced deeply into his shoulder, cleaving toward the chest. Dropping his shield, he swung wildly with the remaining sword.

Clang!

Familiar sparks erupted. Brief strength contests ensued before overpowering him with a swift kick. Losing balance, I stabbed straight through his heart and neck decisively.

“Phew…”

That’s why combat thrills. Short engagements often involve critical moments brimming with variables. Experience deepens understanding gradually. Muscles twitched relaxing post-battle tension.

He dropped a pulsating dark stone. Pocketing it labeled [Dark Flame], it marked both first encounter and item. Game mechanics lacked such intermediate or final bosses every ten floors, leaving usage unknown till encyclopedia research later. Moving on nonchalantly, target set for floor 25. Returning consideration factored heavily against exploring deeper.

Secretly tempted to challenge floor 30’s boss, I suppressed urges. Combat excitement’s addictive thrill demanded restraint lest addiction develop. Patience triumphed over impulse.

Undead dominated floor 20 onward—mummies, skeletons, zombies, ghouls, specialized bone knights and mages, even giant zombies fell systematically en route to floor 25 before retreating.

Monsters noticeably tougher here suggested mid-level combat proficiency recommended. Likely influenced by game-derived dungeon design principles evident throughout.

Rushing back minimized unnecessary fights post-retreat.

Exiting revealed clearer skies despite approaching evening. Longer daylight hours highlighted full summer arrival.

Body coated in sweat, slime, blood, and death’s acrid stench, desperate desire to wash consumed me entirely. Returning home found Suri sound asleep. Air conditioning worked perfectly refreshing the room. Letting him rest peacefully, I cleaned up then joined him on the bed ending today early.

Day nine of summer concluded thus—homecoming complete after travel.