The day after the cactus incident, Ray and his men, who dive into the dungeon as usual, let out a sigh as they leave the small room and look around.
　The sigh was a mixture of various emotions that I couldn't understand.

"You ought to have expected the sand desert, the rock desert, and the sand desert."

　Beyond Ray's muttering gaze is a rocky desert with many rocks lying on it.

"But, as expected, it's not that bad, considering that it's easier to move than the 13th basement."
"Well, if you say so, that's the case.

　Usually, before escaping from the dungeon, it was transferred by magic after checking the location of the story, but yesterday, the purpose was to deliver the bodies of adventurers and cacti to the Silwa family as soon as possible, so they came down the 13th basement stairs and moved to the ground by magic without checking the situation outside the small room.
　That's why the Ray's first glimpse of the 14th basement today.

"And, as was the case with the twelfth basement, a rocky desert is convenient for absorbing magical stones, isn't it?"
"That's true of you, too,"

　Ray nods to Elena's muttering and looks around.
　There are a number of huge rocks in sight that you don't need to look for, and unlike the 13th basement, it's certainly very convenient to hide.

"Well, let's start with the absorption of magical stones. In which direction is the staircase on the fifteenth basement?"

　Hearing the absorption of magical stones, Ray asks Elena, caressing Seto happily.
　Elena opens her mouth, comparing the map taken from her waist magic pouch with the terrain from where she can see it now.

"There's a place over there full of that rock, and this sword-like rock over there. Then... this way."

　And the direction Elena pointed to was southwest. There are countless 10m high rocks lined up, and we look at a section that is close to a simple maze.

"More importantly there,"

　Ray mutters a weary look on his face as he sees a section that is more right to describe as a canyon than as a rocky desert.
　But in terms of absorbing magical stones immediately, he steps forward half telling himself that it is safer to do so than to do it normally by the rocks.

(And even if there's a maze, you can see through the sky with Seto. ...and it might have been easier for us to do so.)

　He takes a step forward, looking to the rocky area, as if this were never going to start.
　With such a ray in between, Elena on the right and Seto on the left walk down the rocky desert.
　the intense sunshine falling from the sky and the dry wind peculiar to the desert While feeling them, two and one of them walk on without seeming to care.
　As for Ray and Elena, it's probably because they have dragon robes and overcoats. However, Seto didn't seem to have any patience, even though he didn't use any magic or skills.
　Even though the desert hierarchy has hated the heat at all.

"Are you okay, Seto?"
"Grull!"

　Realizing the situation, Ray asks, and Seto grins as if there is no problem at all right.
　No, he was even in a good mood.

(Are you used to it...? Well, certainly a high-ranking monster like Gryphon would not care about desert heat.)

　Listening to Ray and Sett's conversation beside her, Elena shakes her head inward, tucking her blonde hair into the hood.
　He thought it might have been better to bring Yero with him, even if he had gone a little too far.
　But he immediately shakes his head off the idea.
　Seto and Yero are similar and different. Just because Seto was OK doesn't mean he's OK. In particular, perhaps because yellow was born as a dragon species, it is still a child... or even a baby, and Seto has a sufficient body size.

(The difference between errands and sorcery is that much, but I envy that they are big enough from birth. ...however, if it had been the same size as the dragon species that had grown up since the birth of Yero, it would certainly have caused many bad things.)

　Keep walking thinking like that for about half an hour. While walking through the dungeon, there is no sign of an enemy appearing at all, and it is crowded with huge rocks that lead to the maze of nature.
　Elena tilts her head, touching the huge rock in front of her.

"Well, there hasn't been a single enemy so far. What do you think?"
"I suppose you're waiting in this maze of rocks, if you take it for granted." Even for monsters, if possible, it will be easier to fight in a place where you can launch a surprise attack than in a place where you can secure visibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"So, smart monsters lead other monsters, but I've never seen monsters working together in a different race, let alone in the same race as sandworms and cacti?"

　Ray shakes his head and opens his mouth to Elena, who asks with a look of surprise.

"There's a possibility that there's such a powerful monster... or,"

　You see? Elena nods to Ray, who asks so with her eyes.
　What passes through their minds is the term "abnormal species."

"Anyway, it's no use doing this here. Anyway, I have to get through here to get to the next level."
"Yes, I'm counting on you,"
"Grull!"

　He caresses Seto, who cries out, "I'll do my best too!" and the two of them go into a maze made of rocks.
　It's just a natural maze, and it's not that complicated to say it's like a maze.
　However, it was also true that there was a blind spot in an unintended place because it was created naturally.

"...as long as it is sold as a map, don't you think it's OK to write the correct route for the maze?"

　As Elena muttered when she was looking at the map, there are many correct paths, as long as the maze is natural.
　And because it was a natural maze, it was possible for some reason to change at any time, so the right path was different from person to person.
　In this maze, some plants grow only in certain places, and those looking for such materials add explanations to their maps themselves.

"Well, it can't be helped because it's our first time,"

　Ray explains them and shrugs his shoulders to say so.
　Accepted by the explanation, the Rays go down the maze without further comment.
　After a five-minute walk, you will soon arrive at the fork.

"Where are you going?"
"Wait a minute," -- according to the map, to the right, there is a dead end."
"Then to the right,"
"... Ray?"

　Why are you going in the direction that you said was a dead end?
　As Elena asks, Ray caresses Seto on the back and opens his mouth.

"As it is the first fork in the road, I don't think there will be anyone here to the right of the dead end. for it would be perfect for absorbing the magical stones."
"... surely no one likes to come all the way to a place like this?"

　Ray's words easily convince him and he continues on to the right.
　In less than ten minutes you will arrive at a dead end that looks like a square.
　It's about 20 tatami mats, and there's no problem with moving around a little.

"I wonder what this place is for, again. I don't think it came out very naturally."

　Ray muttered while looking around, but it was actually a little distorted but not wrong to say it was circular, so it didn't seem to have been made naturally.

(No, it's natural.) This is a dungeon. Then did the core of the dungeon do this for any purpose?)

　I thought that way, but I concluded that there was no use thinking about it now, and I looked around just in case.
　There are no monsters or adventurers looking at them, and even if you look at Seto and ask him with your eyes, he'll scream and say he's safe.
　I turned to Elena and saw her nod that there was nothing wrong with her. Finally, he breathes a sigh of relief and takes out three magical stones, Ant Hell, Skyfang, and two dead sand ants from the mist ring.There were seven magical stones under Ray, one from Skyfang, one from rock spider and one from ant hell, and two from cactus and one from sand ant.
　Just take out the magic stone, so it doesn't take much time, and wash away the dirt with a running dagger.

"Well, how do we divide this... from two cacti and ants?" set."
"Gruly!"

　When Ray swallows the cactus magic stone he throws, no announcement message is heard in his mind.
　He then swallows the sand ants' magic stone, which has not changed.







　With a half-convinced expression on his face, Ray also absorbs two magical stones in death size, but as a matter of course, he doesn't acquire skills either.

"Well, he's basically not that strong a monster,"

　What's scary is just a needle that's released like a machine gun, and it doesn't necessarily cause fatal damage to that needle.
　It's painful to hit and painful to pull out, but that's all I can say.
　...though that pain is the reason why cacti is shunned.
　Even ants fall into the category of vulnerable monsters in the desert hierarchy. The only thing that scares me is if we attack by an overwhelming majority.
　Even Elena, who had been watching the situation, must have understood from her experience that she could not acquire skills on a magical stone as large as a cactus and ants. I didn't say anything in particular, but I was staring at Ray and Sett as if it was the next real thing.

"Well, there are three left... one for me and one for Seto, and the other for someone who couldn't master the skills?"
"Gruly!"

　There seems to be no particular objection to Ray's words, and Seto agrees with them.
　When Ray sees it, he hands out three remaining magical stones to Seto.

"Set, you can choose first. Which one?"
"Glu?"

　Seto nods his head and asks, but Ray nods that he doesn't mind.
　He turns his eyes to Ray, and then Seto's round eyes catch his eye on one of the magical stones and swallow it straight away as it is.

[Sett has mastered the skills of Optical camouflage Lv.2]

　an announcement message running through one's mind

"Slurrurling.

　Seto exclaims at the strengthening of his skills.

"Is this reasonable in a way...? Anyway, I'm quite happy that the optical camouflage has been strengthened."

　an involuntary muttering ray
　Iwagumo are rocky in appearance and, as the name suggests, have the habit of ambushing enemies by imitating rocks.
　With that in mind, it may have been natural in a way that the skill of optical camouflage would be strengthened.

(Well, the optical camouflage of Seto that becomes transparent and the rock spider that mimics the rock seem to be very different when it melts into the surrounding area, but it is no use thinking about it now.)

　It seems like a skill with similar effects many times, and I've actually learned skills with completely different effects many times.
　Ray, who already recognized it as one of the characteristics of witchcraft, immediately urges Sett to use his skills without thinking more deeply.

"Seto, try using optical camouflage."
"Gruly!"

　Leaving it to her, Seto makes it transparent the next moment.
　Then, after about 20 seconds, they reappear.
　The place where it appeared did not move a step away from the place where it used optical camouflage, which showed how useful its ability to use optical camouflage was.

"About 20 seconds? I'm glad that the effect time has doubled, but ... is it just 10 seconds more or 10 seconds more than 20 seconds? I'll be holding my judgment until the optical camouflage is strengthened next time."
"But I've shown it several times before, even if it' Isn't it pretty amazing to think that it's been 20 seconds?"

　Ray nods to Elena's excited words.

"That's true," But where is Sett headed?"

　a muttering ray patting Seto's head
　Transparent and toxic nails are the most advanced skills, and they are growing differently from the Gryphon in Ray's image.
　I can't argue with you if you say that it's because it was created by magic, but there's no doubt that you'll feel a little better about it.

"I have no complaints as long as Set is Set,"
"Phew, I'm sure," Sometimes I envy the connection between Ray and Seto."

　In response to Ray's muttering, Elena nods in agreement.
　His cheeks turn pale under his hood and look at Seto as if to mislead him.

"At level one, it took about 30 minutes for the optical camouflage to be used again... has that changed?"
"Guru..."

　I'll never know until I try it.

"Well, then you should try again over time and see how much it takes to reuse. Do we need to look into the time it takes to affect the person we are touching? Now it's my turn."

　Turn your eyes to the remaining two magical stones in your left hand, Ant Hell and Skyfang's Magic Stone, and after a few seconds, put your death size on the ground and stretch your right hand.