Familiarity

Borrowing a page out of Kaia's book, Cairn smacked the surface of the Aberrant Aegis with his sword, shouting, "Come at me, you beady-eyed bone freaks...!"

Happily complying with Cairn's demand, most of the Bone Creepers in the area charged toward him with swiftness belied by their lanky frames. The one closest to Cairn leaped at him, but he stood his ground, changing the Aberrant Aegis from defensive to offensive mode.

Using the gladius-like blade protruding from the end of his shield, Cairn stabbed into the base of the Bone Creeper's elongated neck. It grabbed him with its three-clawed hands, but because his blade had severed the ghoulish creature's spinal cord, it promptly went limp, still alive but unable to move.

Though the added weight forced him to have to hold his shield closer to his chest, Cairn used the body of the disabled Bone Creeper as a buffer, intercepting the attacks of its kin. Their momentum nearly caused him to slide backward and trip over the Gaudy Treasure Chest, but the moment before they overwhelmed him, Cairn used Shield Bash, releasing a pulse of bluish-white energy that dealt between 300-500 damage to everything in a cone extending roughly 5m.

("There goes a quarter of my Mana...") noted Cairn, a discernible 'weight' spreading through his head, similar to taking several shots in a row on an empty stomach.

Fortunately, while Cairn expended a quarter of his Mana in a single go, he managed to stun ten of the sixteen Bone Creepers. They also happened to be in the range of the Frenzy Pheromones, so he stepped back and leaped over the open treasure chest, hoping the ghoulish creatures would attack each other in their confusion.

Leaving Cairn disappointed, the Bone Creepers charged toward him the moment their stunned state had worn off. They hindered one another by trying to climb over each other, but their only interest was attacking him.

Providing Cairn some breathing room, Kaia threw her spear with enough force to skewer four Bone Creepers in a single go. Immediately after that, she leaped in, using Shield Bash to stun more than half the group before bouncing back to safety, skillfully avoiding the monster's aggro.

Taking advantage of the monsters' stunned states, Cairn tried to behead one of them, astonishing himself as the effect of his Shadowsilk Stinger triggered, ignoring the unfortunate Bone Creeper's defense. As a result, his sword passed through its neck like it was gliding through the water, followed by a dopamine-inducing ding sounding in Cairn's ears.

*Ding! 123 Experience awarded for slaying a Bone Creeper(Lv12)!*

Though 123 Experience might not sound like a lot, Cairn smiled as nearly five times the Experience rewarded for killing a Naked Horned Rat. With his Training Collar, the actual value was something along the lines of 246, but half had gone to Kaia. That meant that once they killed the remaining 15 Bone Creepers, their Experience totals would shoot up by nearly 2,000 in a single go.

Emboldened by his realization, Cairn used the serrated edge of his shield to slice open the gullet of a second Bone Creeper, smoothly transitioning into a slash to its neck. His sword stopped when it hit the monster's spine, but the combination attack did more than 1,700 damage, shaving off more than half the Creeper's remaining HP.

Recalling his lessons with Asim and Kaia, Cairn pulled his sword from the Creeper's neck, dealing further damage as he backed away to better his spacing. This was the correct decision, as the moment he did so, another Creeper slashed at him from his left, its claws slamming heavily into the surface of the Aberrant Aegis but failing to deal any damage. Rather, the moments its attack impacted the Aberrant Aegis, the shield released a 'snort,' repelling the attack and causing the Creeper's claws to fracture.

"Nice...!" exclaimed Cairn, assuming the snort indicated his Retaliation enchantment had activated, reflecting 20% of the Bone Creeper's attack back at it. The effect only had a 10% chance of triggering, but that was a godsend in fights with multiple enemies.

Before Cairn could be too happy, a Bone Creeper latched onto him from the right, its maw, capable of snapping and chewing bones, biting into his neck. Cairn felt intense pressure on his neck, but thanks to the Training Collar and his Ookami's Visage, the opportunistic monster was unable to lock down on his throat.

"You son of a—!" shouted Cairn, stabbing the Creeper in the side of the head with the Aberrant Aegis's blade. At the same time, three additional Creepers tried to dogpile him, but Kaia utilized the tried and true tactic of spamming Shield Bash, stunning both the swarming creatures and Cairn himself. Fortunately, Legendary Classes were blessed with a 20% bonus to their resistances, permitting Cairn to recover just a bit faster than the ghoulish, bone-white creatures...

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"If we encounter another group like that, I should be able to reach Level 20," said Kaia, unable to keep a smile from her face. The battle could have gone better, but neither she nor Cairn was grievously injured, and, thanks to him getting most of the killing blows, they had earned 1,792 Experience apiece.

"Before that, it's nap time," said Cairn, unabashedly pulling out his futon and bedding set. He had used Shield Bash three times before the fight had ended, so his head felt like there was a lead weight inside it, causing him to feel like he would tip over every time he swayed.

"Understood," replied Kaia, planting her fluffy rump on the ground, ready to stand guard. Fortunately, the room was still sealed off, as they had yet to remove the stone blocking their passage, so they didn't have to worry about being attacked unless some curious Freelancers decided to bust it down. However, as they were right next to the entrance, the odds of that happening were slim...

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After a few hours of rest, Cairn and Kaia were back to full Health and Mana, eager to delve deeper into the Dungeon. Before that, however, they had to do something about the massive stone slab blocking the entrance.

"Its defenses aren't that high, but its durability is monstrous..." said Cairn, inspecting the slab using his Insight.

"What do you suggest we do?" asked Kaia. "My spears would be worn smooth long before I managed to clear such an obstruction."

Though he placed his hand on the hilt of his Shadowsilk Queen's Stinger, Cairn didn't want to reduce its Durability, hoping he could trigger the 10% chance of ignoring the slab's defense. A 10% chance was pretty good, but just as they would in his previous world, knives, swords, and other blades would quickly dull if used outside their intended functions.

"I could try going at it with Elle's pickaxe," suggested Cairn, opening his Inventory to pull a large pickaxe with a fairly unorthodox design, at least compared to the picks of his world. It had a long slender shaft covered in runic markings, a bandage-wrapped handle allowing for easier grip, and a rather fierce-looking tip, the pick size resembling a scythe and the head a flattened mattock resembling the hammer of a pistol.

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Name: Mr. Boomy

Rank: Epic Pickaxe

Weight: 17.5kgs

Durability: 14,992/16,830

Level: 29/60

P.Atk: 290+234

M.Atk: 30+26

Enchantment(s): [Hardening], [Dynamite Impact], [Big Yield]

Description: The favorite pickaxe of the Sixth Generation Dwarf, Elle. It hasn't seen much use in the past two hundred years, but it's regarded as a precious treasure by its owner.

Ingredients: [Mithril], [Elderwood Tree Branch], [Ignition Stone]

Restriction(s): Anyone can use it, but it only shows its true power in the hands of a skilled Miner.

[Hardening]

Effect: Reduces the rate at which Durability decreases.

[Dynamite Impact]

Effect: Has a small chance of generating an explosion within ore or stone, causing it to crumble without harming the user. However, there is a risk of a cave-in occurring.

[Big Yield]

Effect: Occasionally causes harvested minerals and ore to double in a process similar to mitosis.

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"I never thought I'd be holding one of these again..." muttered Cairn, experiencing a sensation similar to nostalgia as he held the foreign yet familiar-feeling pickaxe in his hands. It had only been three months since his seven-year stint as a dedicated Miner, so even though he lacked the Mining Talent, he felt like he could tear through the Dungeon's walls in just a few minutes if he put his back into it...

With such thoughts in mind, Cairn performed a smooth, arcing overhead swing that caused a sizeable chunk of the stone slab to splinter off. At the same time, a familiar ding echoed in his mind, dutifully informing him that he had acquired the Mining Skill. More surprisingly, rather than starting at 1, like most other Talents, it shot up to 19 in a single go.

("Of course it would shoot up...") thought Cairn, removing large chunks from the stone slab with each swing of Elle's pickaxe. His Mining Talent had reached 79 in his previous life, and it was well documented, even in the virtual worlds, that a person who was skilled at a particular action in reality would have their skills materialized through their avatar. He might never have used a pick since his transmigration, but that didn't mean he had forgotten how to wield one.

As dings continued to fill Cairn's ears, the stone slab quickly crumbled under his onslaught. His Health was draining with each swing, but his Shadowflame Talent restored it just as quickly. Unfortunately, this came at the cost of his Mana, so he needed to stop, rest, and fill his stomach before clearly a large enough hole for him and Kaia to pass through. On the positive side, his Mining increased to 23 despite exerting himself for less than an hour.

"You have a talent for Mining," remarked Kaia, genuinely impressed by how quickly Cairn had gotten them through the Dungeon's bedrock-like stone.

"Nah, I'm just an old hand..." replied Cairn, resting Elle's pickaxe on his shoulder as he seriously contemplated using it as his primary weapon for the remainder of the Dungeon. It was much slower than the Shadowsilk Queen's Stinger, but its weight, combined with its attack power, meant he could probably one-shot monsters around the Level of a Bone Creeper.

Seeing through Cairn's intentions, Kaia asked, "Are you planning to use that as a weapon?"

Shrugging, Cairn argued, "It depends on the variety and quantity of monsters we face. This will definitely be useful against monsters with tough hides and exoskeletons, but I'll swap back to my sword if there are a bunch of weaker enemies."

Nodding in approval, Kaia said, "I've also been considering learning a new weapon. If we keep facing large groups of enemies, my spears will quickly wear down or run out."

"Then here, feel free," said Cairn, materializing his Shadowsilk Queen's Stinger and passing it to Kaia. Her eyes widened as he did so, but she accepted it without a fuss, smiling happily as she hugged it to her chest and said, "I'll take good care of it."

"I don't doubt that," replied Cairn. Then, as he was starting to feel a little awkward, he made his way over to the entrance of the second chamber, peering inside to find that the chest had already been looted.

"Looks like this one is a bust," said Cairn, taking a moment to check the time in his system, noting, "There are only three hours remaining until the Dungeon shifts. Want to stick around here and wait for the rooms to reset, or should we head deeper inside?"

"Ordinarily, I'd be all for delving deeper into the Dungeon," replied Kaia. "However, as I'm less than 3,000 Experience from reaching Level 20, it is better for us to stay close to the entrance. That way, we can immediately return to the surface once I Level up."

"Sounds good," replied Cairn, taking a seat as there was no need to check the final room. The stone debris around its entrance was a fairly clear sign that it had also been a trap, so, with nothing better to do, he pulled out an oil rag and started wiping down Elle's pickaxe, not wanting its condition to deteriorate too much since he technically hadn't asked for her permission to use it...

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(A/N: Wielding a pickaxe is slower than a sword? Not if you increase your Strength...!)