Chapter 121: Bone Hunter
And that's why I want bones from a monster found in the deeper layers of the dungeon. Specifically, I'm looking for a large enough bone to craft a battle axe. Obviously, the person I'm making this for is Miyamoto-san.
"So, when thinking about monsters that leave behind bones as materials... the first thing that came to mind was the Skull Dragon."
: Never heard of it
: Why do you always go to the deep layers…
: Here he goes again, casually streaming from the deep layers solo
: What are you talking about? It's been a while since he's done a solo deep dive
: Last time was the Nagoya Dungeon, so... a few months ago?
: Yeah, sounds about right
: But, seriously, solo streaming in the deep layers is not normal, man
: I forgot how extreme this guy is, probably because of all the newbie training recently
The Skull Dragon is exactly what it sounds like: a dragon made entirely of bones. It's a monster that swims in magma in the Aso Dungeon, located at the foot of Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture. Since I'm trying to craft a crucial weapon that Miyamoto-san will likely use for a long time, I made the trip all the way to Kyushu just to get these materials.
"The Aso Dungeon doesn't get much attention, does it? I bet a lot of you have never even heard of it."
: Huh? I'm from there, I know it!
: Never heard of it
: I know Mt. Aso, but not Aso Dungeon
: Are there even dungeons in Kyushu?
: Okinawa, Kumamoto, Fukuoka, Kagoshima
: I didn't even know Aso Dungeon had deep layers
: Of course, it does
: Not every dungeon has deep layers, though
The reason Aso Dungeon is so obscure is simply that it's not that rewarding. The monsters there are mostly skeleton-based or adapted to high heat, but they don't drop large magic stones. There aren't that many monsters either, so while it's better than Hachioji Dungeon, it's still pretty inefficient for making money. Plus, there's a more lucrative and popular dungeon nearby: Fukuoka Dungeon.
So, yeah… it's no surprise Aso Dungeon flies under the radar.
I've been talking a lot of smack about Aso Dungeon, but that's only from the perspective of an average explorer. To those with certain needs, Aso Dungeon can be a gold mine.
"It's actually really popular with blacksmiths, though."
: Totally agree (as a blacksmith)
: Wait, there are blacksmiths here?
: Of course, man, you never know who shows up in Kisaragi's streams
: This stream is so random
: Please put more Aso Dungeon bone materials on the market!
: Nah, I'll sell you Fukuoka Dungeon materials instead
: Nooo, Fukuoka Dungeon stuff is overpriced!
: Isn't Aso Dungeon's stuff even pricier?
: Sure, but it's better quality, from what I hear
"But, you know, if I flood the market with too much of it, people get mad. There's always someone who complains about the rarity factor."
: I don't care, just flood the market
: The blacksmiths are fuming, lol
: Bone weapons are so expensive, man
: Is your sword made of bone too, Kisaragi?
"This? Nah, it's made of regular ore. I'm not really into swords that much."
: Yeah, figured
: We all knew that
: Come on, take more pride in your weapon!
: He really doesn't care about swords, huh
What can I say? I don't collect weapons as a hobby, and I'm not even that good at wielding them. Lately, I've mostly been in the backline, shooting beams during group dungeon runs. Let the others handle close combat. Miyamoto-san and Doumoto-san are our dedicated frontline fighters in the company, anyway.
: What exactly are you doing right now?
: Doesn't it look obvious?
: Bro, all I see is you throwing rocks at magma…
: Same here, I'm confused
: Yeah, no one knows what's going on
"The Skull Dragon swims in the lava. So, I'm throwing rocks and waiting for it to come out. I came all the way here wanting its bones, but it could take hours for one to appear. Maybe I'll get lucky and see one after a few hours."
Skull Dragons are pretty rare. I'm on the 72nd floor of Aso Dungeon, and I've already been sitting here, chucking rocks into the lava, for about an hour. Exploring dungeons requires a lot of patience.
"Just so you know, if you get bored and start watching videos on your phone, you might get ambushed and die, so don't do that."
: Who would do that??
: I wouldn't be watching videos in a dungeon, come on
: Do people actually risk their lives to watch videos?
: No way
"Didn't someone die from that a few years ago? There are always idiots, no matter the era."
For the record, I'm keeping an eye on my surroundings with my shikigami, so I'm not in any danger. By the way, throwing rocks into the magma serves no real purpose. I'm just killing time. Normally, I'd be maintaining my weapons or petting my shikigami, especially my Raijuu.
"Oh?"
: What's happening?
: Did you get a hit?
: Is it biting?
: This isn't fishing, man
: It's basically lava fishing at this point
: Lava fishing sounds pretty cool, not gonna lie
I noticed the lava ripple unnaturally. No way—I wasn't expecting to find a Skull Dragon after just an hour. Today's my lucky day!
Or so I thought… but instead of a dragon, a giant skeletal snake lunged out of the lava with its jaws wide open.
"Huh?"
The entire thing was made of bones. I was expecting a Skull Dragon, so this pissed me off. I sidestepped its charge, grabbed its head, and slammed it into the ground, stomping on its skull until it shattered.
: Whoa
: That was brutal, man
: Poor snake didn't deserve that
: Don't feel too bad, the Skull Dragon's gonna get the same treatment
: RIP random snake, you'll be missed
: Ouch, that hit me in the gut
: Why though?
: Kisaragi, you got a bit of a delinquent streak, huh?
: Also, why aren't you using your sword?
That was annoying… Well, if nothing else shows up soon, I'll head to the next floor.