EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons

"Uuuooh! I'm so excited! We finally get to enter a Dungeon...!" exclaimed Riko, scrunching her body and squeezing her fists excitedly as the Party prepared to enter the indisputably safest of the F-Rank Dungeons, known as the Snail Forest.

"Save the celebratory energy for when we all return safely..." said Vahn, plopping his hand down atop Riko's helmet. Since they were the clothes she would be wearing into the Abyss, she had swapped her training attire for an upgraded version of her Delver outfit. It looked virtually identical to her old one, but instead of being made from ordinary leather and layered cloth, it was formed from the hide of various monsters, elevating it from F to C-Rank.

"Right...!" responded Riko, taking a moment to adjust her helmet before facing Roxanne and Fran with a determined smile and stating, "Once we head inside, we'll secure the area around the portal. The Snail Forest may have the lowest difficulty, but we shouldn't underestimate the monsters who inhabit it. If you spot a snail with a yellow or purple shell, be wary of their paralytic and poisonous gas."

"Understood," responded Roxanne, sporting a markedly relaxed smile as she offered an affirming nod.

"Nn...safety first..." appended Fran, her usual taciturn self but modeling a focused, determined look. Like Riko, she had also exchanged her training attire for an outfit and equipment that wouldn't appear out of place in her original world. Specifically, due to Roxanne's influence, she was modeling form-fitting black pants, a white tunic with black accents and somewhat billowy sleeves, stylish black and white knee-high boots, forearm-length black gloves with thin but durable metal plating on the back, and a simple but functional black, wyvern leather breastplate. A black buckler adorned her left arm, and since the monsters they were facing were susceptible to crushing attacks, she had swapped her usual silvery-white shortsword for a one-handed hammer with a pick.

Following one final gear check, Roxanne took point, passing through the nebulous blue vortex that would transport them to the Snail Forest, with Riko, Fran, and then Vahn following. What awaited them on the other side was a fairly ordinary-looking forest, but the ground was largely devoid of grass and detritus, the result of enormous snails with cartoonish eyes and colorful, rounded shells slinking about at a slow and gradual pace.

"Oh, wow, they're much bigger than I expected..." remarked Roxanne, her reddish-brown eyes wide with curiosity as she eyed a snail with a pale red shell a short distance from the portal. It was nearly a hundred and twenty centimeters tall from the forest floor to the tips of its eyes, situated on the ends of antennae-like protrusions, and its rounded, pale red shell sat even higher atop its nearly three-meter-long body.

"Well, if they were the size of normal snails, it would make much sense for them to be classified as monsters," remarked Vahn.

"Alright, everyone, let's stay focused...!" interjected Riko, suppressing her almost instinctual urge to approach and try riding the giant snail. Instead, she took aim at it with a weapon that looked like a pistol but with a round, egg-shaped barrel and a large opening at the front. It was a rare weapon from her world known as a Relic Gun, and when fired, it used compressed air to propel exceptionally dense spherical projectiles that either impacted the target with impressive force or exploded like tiny cannonballs.

POP POP POP

Though the type of Relic Gun Riko was using typically had a capacity of one round, requiring continuous reloading, the Equip Function vested by the Tower's System allowed her to store as much ammunition as he had in a slot reserved for ammo. Rapid firing reduced the velocity of each bullet and increased the likelihood of a jam, but it was extremely convenient in a pinch.

As all but the elusive Turbo Snail moved at a rate of approximately three kilometers per hour, the wide-eyed snail monster, known simply as a Red-Shelled Snail, had no hope of avoiding the projectiles Riko fired at it, each traveling with a median velocity of 120 meters per second. And with each projectile weighing a hundred grams, they tore through the fleshier bits of the Red-Shelled Snail like tofu. One struck its shell and ricochetted off it due to the curved angle, but it still left a prominent crack in the near iron-hard surface.

Seeing the snail promptly evaporate into reddish-orange motes of light, leaving behind a floating, opaque white crystal in its wake, Riko's gloved hands trembled, her face paling. Despite this, her expression remained determined as she added, "Let's clear the area around the portal and set up wards. Afterward, we'll make our way East. Based on the map created by Miss Nami, the Boss monster, Grandfather Snail, should be located in a cave 33.8km away. Even if we pace ourselves, we should be able to reach our destination and clear the Dungeon well before lunch."

"Understood," responded Roxanne, offering a curt nod as Fran issued her usual "Nn." Then, at Riko's instruction, they set up four spear-like wards in each cardinal direction before leaving behind a floating blue crystal with a golden, rune-covered ring encircling it, known as a Waypoint. If a second paired crystal were set up someplace else, it would allow them to transfer between the two with a short cooldown. However, as they radiated a faint magical aura, monsters were naturally drawn to them. The wards repelled most monsters, so by setting them up with the Waypoint, a Party could return the moment they bested the Boss and collected their loot, sparing them a return trip on foot...

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"Fran, up...!" exclaimed Roxanne, positioning her buckler as a platform, allowing Fran to step atop it before she propelled the petite cat girl into the air, allowing her to land atop a white-and-gold-shelled snail with a stern expression and a mustache, its height more than five meters tall from the ground to the tips of its eyes and more than seven meters with its shell.

Shaking its shell from side to side, the colossal Grandfather Snail tried to remove Fran but was unable due to her impeccable sense of balance. As a result, she was able to continuously smash her hammer into its shall as Riko, moving around to the flank, peppered the Boss's fleshy and durable side with her Relic Gun. The projectiles didn't appear to do much damage at a glance, disappearing into the Grandfather Snail's hide, but once their internal fuses had ignited, muffled explosions emanated from where they had been absorbed.

Groaning in pain and frustration, the Grandfather Snail swiveled its head toward Riko, its mustache raising like fleshy flaps before it spat out a net-like web of visibly steamy, white, and incredibly viscous liquid. Riko's eyes widened at the realization that she wouldn't be able to evade in time, but she ultimately didn't have to as the adhesive liquid became suspended in the air, thwarted by Vahn's domain.

"Remember, unless you're in a fortified position, never stop moving," said Vahn, his expression and tone calm as he observed the battle rather than participating.

"R-Right...!" responded Riko, gripping her Relic Gun with both hands and moving counterclockwise around the Grandfather Snail as it tried to track her with its head. At the same time, Roxanne stepped in with her sword to slash at its neck-like underbelly, leaving a deep gash that promptly closed seconds later.

"Taaaake this...!" exclaimed Fran, finally breaking through the Grandfather Snail's shell with one final hammer swing. It once again tried to wiggle her off, but she managed to stand firm in a three-point crouching stance while producing a red canister grenade from her Inventory, using her teeth to pull its pin before flinging it into the hole she had made in the Grandfather Snail's shell. What followed was a loud hissing sound and a tremendous amount of smoke as the grenade enkindled, producing a thermite reaction that seared the groaning Boss's back and gradually penetrated its insides.

In a fruitless attempt to remove the incendiary grenade from its shell, the Grandfather Snail rocked from side to side until it fell over, forcing Fran to leap to safety. Roxanne seized the opportunity to move in and slice at its neck, just below its mustache and mouth parts, but she only managed to cut through around 40% of its dense flesh.

Abandoning her weapon, Roxanne placed her buckler between herself and the Grandfather Snail's mouth as it expelled its highly pressurized and adhesive fluids. The force pushed her back, but only briefly as she performed an evasive pirouette, evading the stream as it attempted to follow her by rolling across the ground, producing her spare shortsword from her Inventory, and slicing off one of the Grandfather Snail's eyes as she darted past its head. It could grow a new eye within a few seconds, but its aim was severely compromised with only one...

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[Twenty-Seven Minutes Later]

"Finally..." groaned Riko, plopping onto her butt and falling backward onto the ground with her arms and legs splayed, her body caked in sweat and her chest heaving from protracted tension and exertion. There was never a moment when she, Fran, and Roxanne were in peril due to how slow the Grandfather Snail was, but its regenerative abilities were a nightmare for a Party with limited damage output.

"The aftermath of a battle is when you should be most on alert..." stated Vahn, appearing next to the panting Riko and extending his hand to help her stand. Fran and especially Roxanne were faring much better thanks to their beastkin heritage, but as a relatively ordinary young human girl, Riko had reached her limit.

"I can't...my arms and legs are completely numb..." panted Riko, huffing and puffing as she trembled from her core, feeling cold despite her body temperature surpassing 38 degrees.

"Then, here, drink this..." said Vahn, kneeling and producing a spherical flask of transparent, reddish-gold liquid from his Inventory, supporting Riko's head as he brought it to her lips. She struggled to drink it at first, but after the crisp and cool liquid coated her throat and permeated her body as a pleasant tingling, she began gulping it down until the 300ml flask was empty.

"Well done..." muttered Vahn, nodding approvingly before returning the flask to his Inventory and guiding Riko to a seated position. Her muscles were still extremely sore, but she could at least sit up straight, allowing her to ask, "What was that...?" in a curious tone, remarking, "It tasted like Apple Juice, but I feel super energetic."

"It was Apple Juice," confirmed Vahn, appending, "Specifically, it was a type of Apple Juice created from special apples that restore a marginal amount of health and stamina without the negative side effects of Healing Potions. But don't force yourself."

"I'm fine..." lied Riko, utilizing Vahn's assistance to climb to her feet, not wanting to be the only one out of commission since she was supposed to be the Party leader. Fortunately, the recovery effects of the Apple Juice functioned similarly to Health Regeneration over thirty seconds, so once she was on her feet, it didn't take long for her to become steady.

"You okay, Riko...?" asked Fran, her usually impassive expression tinged with a hint of concern.

"I'm feeling better by the moment...!" responded Riko, forcing herself to appear energetic as she smiled, cupped her right bicep, and held up her right fist.

"Let's take a short break," Vahn suggested, producing two more Apple Juices for Roxanne and Fran, even if they didn't strictly need them. He was then tempted to set up camp and prepare lunch there and then, but as it might ruin the trio's immersion if he produced an entire living room and kitchen setup to accommodate a short rest, he settled on producing wooden stools, a portable stove, and a kettle for hot water. Then, for the better part of half an hour, he joined the trio in discussing how they could have handled things better before reviewing their Status Windows to see how much they had grown...

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Name: Riko

Race: Human

Age: 12 Height: 109->111cm Weight: 24.3->27.2kg B/W/H: 58->60/51/63->65

Origin: Earth[MA-4207]

[Parameters]

Power Level: 4->14

Strength: F

Dexterity: F

Constitution: F->E

Intelligence: D+

Wisdom: D+

Charisma: D+

Luck: C+

[Skills]

[Child of the Abyss(B)], [Adventurous Spirit(C)], [Intuition(C)], [Cooking(C)], [Taxonomy(D->C)], [Dismantling(D)], [Artistry(D)], [Iron Stomach(D)], [Hyperesthesia(E->D)], [Climbing(E)], [Load Bearing(E)], [Marksmanship(F)]

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Name: Roxanne

Race: Wolfkin

Age: 18 Height: 163cm Weight: 48.3->47.4kg B/W/H: 96->94/58->56/92->93

Origin: Sefira[SH-2443]

[Parameters]

Power Level: 24->28

Strength: F

Dexterity: F+->E+

Constitution: E+

Intelligence: F

Wisdom: E

Charisma: B+

Luck: B+

[Skills]

[Stunted Genius(C)], [Keen Senses(C)], [Proprioception(C)], [Limber Body(C)], [Bedroom Arts(C)], [Housekeeping(D)], [One-Handed Sword Mastery(E->D)], [Shield Mastery(F)]

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Name: Fran

Race: Black Cat

Age: 12 Height: 137cm Weight: 31.2->32.9kg B/W/H: 65/53->52/72->73

Origin: Ragnastar[RS-0014]

[Parameters]

Power Level: 8->19

Strength: F

Dexterity: F+->E+

Constitution: F+->E+

Intelligence: F

Wisdom: F

Charisma: C+

Luck: A+

[Skills]

[Burgeoning Beast God(-)], [Keen Senses(C)], [Proprioception(D)], [Hunger Resistance(D)], [Disease Resistance(E)], [Pain Tolerance(E)], [One-Handed Sword Mastery(F)], [Shield Mastery(F)]

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