Chapter 18: The Ice-cooling Potion
“Ugh… it’s so hot.”
“Yeah. If we go a little further ahead, we’ll enter the volcanic area.”
“The… volcanic area?”
At Sena’s puzzled words, she tilted her head, her brows knitting slightly in confusion.
“Did you know that this dungeon is divided into several distinct areas?”
“First I’m hearing about that!”
“That’s right. There are five areas in total. Up until now, we’ve been exploring the cave area. Beyond this lies the volcanic area. Everything—the environment, the monsters—changes drastically from the cave area once you enter.”
Despite explaining basic knowledge that any newcomer should probably already know, Shifa never once showed annoyance. She spoke patiently, her calm tone carrying an air of experience.
“The volcanic area isn’t very popular,” Anii added as a footnote. “Even just exploring it is tough, so that’s understandable.”
The all-female trio led by Shifa had now reached a deep part of the cave area. The cave area stretched out from the dungeon’s entrance and was considered the easiest in terms of difficulty.
“What other areas are there?” Sena asked, curiosity brightening her expression.
“There’s the forest area, the ruins area, and the underwater area,” Shifa explained.
Each area connected in a complex web, forming the dungeon as a whole. None of the areas could be reached without first passing through the cave area, which is why it’s often called the foundational area.
“The most difficult area is said to be the underwater area. So far, no one has cleared it.”
“Cleared it?”
“That’s someone who defeated the boss lurking somewhere in that area. The cave area has bosses too, but they’re constantly being defeated by adventurers, so encountering them is rare.”
“Next in difficulty is the volcanic area. Harsh conditions, not many parties dare to challenge it. But since it’s less overrun, it’s profitable if you can take it on.”
“Provided you have a mage who can wield water magic—or heat-resistant gear. Otherwise… you’d dry out in no time.”
“Huh. I like dried food, but I don’t want to become dried food myself,” Sena said lightly, giving voice to her easygoing nature even as the seniors explained the dangers.
Then, seemingly on a whim, Shifa began rummaging through her bag.
“Look at this, both of you.”
“Is that… a potion? I’ve never seen a color like that before.”
“It’s so pretty… like ice!”
What Shifa held up for them was a potion they had just obtained from Merlin’s apothecary.
“An Ice-cooling Potion. Drinking this should… grant resistance to fire and heat.”
“Eh? Really?”
“That’s what Merlin says.”
“Wow… if it really works, we could challenge the volcanic area, right?” Anii exclaimed, eyes sparkling.
Shifa nodded firmly, as if to confirm it without a doubt.
“How did you even get such a potion?”
“It’s made from a rare herb called Hyari Grass.”
“Hyari Grass? Never heard of it… wait, could it be—”
“Apparently Geo sold it to her. Likely grown in his garden.”
“Onii-chan… why do you always make things unnecessarily complicated…” Sena muttered under her breath, a tinge of exasperation in her voice.
Ignoring Sena’s grumble, Shifa kept one potion for herself and handed one to each of the other two.
“Though, Merlin hasn’t confirmed the effects yet. In exchange for being the test subjects, we got these three for free.”
“Ah, that means we can drink them without hesitation.”
“But… they look kind of tasty?”
Without a moment’s pause, the three drank their Ice-cooling Potions, trusting fully in Merlin’s skill as an apothecary.
“Ah! S-So cold!”
“It’s ice-cold!”
“My head… hurts?”
“Wha—me too!?”
The sudden gulp of icy liquid sent sharp, gripping pain through their heads.
The discomfort passed quickly, replaced by shivers running violently through their bodies.
“““Cold!”””
Though they had been sweating just moments ago, they now felt as if they’d been plunged into an ice bath. The sweat evaporated almost instantly, replaced by a chilling numbness.
“This effect is incredible!”
“Let’s hurry and get into the volcanic area.”
“Ah-choo!”
The three hurried forward, stepping into the volcanic zone. Rivers of molten lava flowed in jagged streams, scorching heat radiating from every surface. Even near the entrance, the temperature was akin to a sweltering midsummer day.
Yet, having drunk the Ice-cooling Potions, they felt nothing but a refreshing chill.
“Feels almost… cool rather than hot.”
“Yeah, just perfect.”
“Nice and comfortable.”
Clearly, the potion’s effect was real. For a while, they explored cautiously around the entrance of the volcanic area.
“Seems safe even near the lava… though directly touching it would probably still be deadly.”
“Eh? Really?”
“W-Wait, what are you trying to touch!?”
Sena reached toward the lava, prompting Anii to grab her arm in alarm.
“““Grrr…”””
“…More importantly, monsters!”
A pack of flaming dogs appeared, their entire bodies engulfed in fire. These Flame Dogs were common in the volcanic area, often attacking in groups. Five of them circled the trio, teeth bared and eyes glowing.
“Take this!”
“Gyaun!?”
“Huh? Weak?”
Sena, charging alone, effortlessly scattered them with a swift kick. Shifa and Anii exchanged glances.
“Did you see that?”
“Yeah… when she hit them, their flames seemed to weaken.”
“Could this… be thanks to the Ice-cooling Potion?”
It appeared that the potion imbued their attacks with cold, a fatal weakness for the Flame Dogs—and likely for most creatures in this area.
After about an hour, the effect of the potions began to wear off. Not a bad duration at all.
“With these potions, exploration becomes much easier.”
“How many do you think we could get?”
“Probably as many as we want.”
“…We should probably keep this potion a secret, at least until we’ve fully explored this area ourselves.”
And so, they resolved to concentrate their efforts on exploring the volcanic area intensively for the time being.
◇ ◇ ◇
“I… might have gone a bit overboard with this cultivation…”
I stared at it, torn between excitement and regret.
A gigantic egg, about thirty centimeters in diameter, rested before me. Its pale blue-white shell shimmered softly. And make no mistake—it was a monster’s egg.