Chapter 98: Lost in the Dungeon

There were monsters scattered throughout the area. If they attacked, there was no helping it, but there was no reason to chase after monsters that simply avoided them and fled. So Qiu Nuoya followed Igor until they eventually reached a dead end.

"Huh? Did we take a wrong turn? You know the way, don’t you, Igor?"

"Nope. I’m just going wherever. Isn’t that part of the fun of exploring a dungeon? Getting lost is one of the joys of a dungeon. There’s always the chance of discovering some treasure after getting lost. Doesn’t that sound exciting?" Igor had been confidently leading the way, so Qiu Nuoya had assumed he knew where he was going.

But, who knows he was actually just wandering around at random!

"Igor, this is exactly what I’m talking about with you. No matter how safe this dungeon is, please don’t be so careless. Besides, anything you find as treasure on these lower floors is bound to be fairly insignificant."

"You really have no sense of adventure. This is their first time in a dungeon. Wouldn’t it be more fun for them to get a little lost?"

"Well... I suppose that’s true." Viktor let out a long exasperated sigh. "If things were going to turn out like this, I would have used the Mapping skill myself. If you had told me beforehand, I could have explained how to deal with it. At this point, we are completely lost!"

Viktor was right. Qiu Nuoya and the others had already followed several branching paths according to whichever direction Igor happened to walk, so even if they wanted to return to their starting point, they were no longer certain they could find their way back.

Qiu Nuoya had never expected them to get lost so easily. It made him realize just how dangerous it could be to underestimate a dungeon.

Only weak monsters such as slimes and goblins appeared on this floor, but since it was underground, there were also several monsters Qiu Nuoya had never seen before.

On top of that, if they became lost and could not find their way out of the dungeon, their supplies and food would eventually run out. That alone could become a matter of life and death.

"Come on, don’t get so angry. This is also a lesson, isn’t it? You know, learning that things like this can happen in a dungeon."

"That may be true, but... sigh. Nuoya, it looks like this is the perfect time to try Search skill. It should be good practice, so why don’t you give it a try?"

"Ah, of course! This is exactly the kind of situation Search skill is meant for." Qiu Nuoya then followed Viktor’s instructions and created a current of wind, then lightly infused it with his own magical power.

That lightly part was surprisingly difficult. He failed several times before finally managing to get it right.

When he released the wind, the scenery around him and his awareness seemed to transform inside his mind, forming itself into a map from an overhead perspective.

What is this? Amazing!

A complete image of the dungeon appeared in his mind. He could see the movements of people and monsters as clearly as if they were right in front of him, allowing him to grasp the entire layout of the floor almost instantly.

"Um... The dungeon boss is over there."

"...Nuoya really is as extraordinary as ever." For some reason, Viktor let out another long sigh at Qiu Nuoya’s words.

"Huh? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, quite the opposite. I have a feeling you are about to tell me that you completely mapped this entire floor with that one attempt, aren’t you?"

"Uh..."

"After using Search skill, how large did you determine this floor to be, Nuoya?"

"Well, maybe about three kilometers in every direction?"

"I believe I told you earlier that my range is approximately one kilometer in areas with many obstacles. If you can search a radius of three kilometers, then naturally, your Search ability is superior to mine."

Ah...

"No, but maybe it just happened to work particularly well this time! You know, beginner’s luck or something!"

"You do not need to offer me such a poor consolation. I understand that your abilities are extraordinary. At this rate, however, perhaps I will only be able to call myself your master for a little while longer."

"That’s not true! I still have a long way to go. There are so many things I still need to learn from you!"

"All right, I get it. Nuoya is incredibly talented. But there’s no point in arguing about it like this. Let’s go, let’s go."

As though putting an end to the conversation between Qiu Nuoya and Viktor, Igor once again took the lead and started walking.

Qiu Nuoya and the others hurried after him. "Ah, Igor, it’s a dead end over there, but there’s something there."

"Oh? What do you mean by something?"

"I can’t tell what it is from here..." Qiu Nuoya zoomed in on the mental map, but it gave him no information beyond the fact that something was there.

"Hmm." Igor thought for a moment before heading in that direction.

When they reached the dead end, they found a single medicine bottle lying on the ground.

"Oh, I don’t know what kind of medicine it is, but we found some treasure. Can your Search really detect things in that much detail, Nuoya?"

"Isn’t that what Search is supposed to do?"

In a sense, Qiu Nuoya’s mental map was similar to a map from a video game strategy guide. It showed where monsters appeared and even indicated the locations of items, although it could not tell him what the items actually were. But wasn’t that simply how Search magic worked?

"With you around, we could clear a dungeon without making a single unnecessary detour. If we’re not careful, we might even be able to completely explore the entire Dungeon Castle," Igor burst out laughing.