The harsh portal light faded, and when I finally opened my eyes, the smell hit me first. Wet air. Wet soil. Pungent smell of leaves and moss.
I blinked, my boots sinking into the ground slightly as I moved forward. We weren't in a cave anymore. This was. a jungle.
A heavy green canopy lay over my head, sunlight filtering in ragged streaks. Air clung thick and hot, and everything was alive — vines climbing up trees, flies buzzing, ground spongy with mud.
"This is a place…" I growled, brushing a leaf off my shoulder. "Tries to eat me alive like a sauna."
Seris followed beside me, her silvered hair emitting a gentle glow under the filtered lighting. Her expression was as calm as before, but I could see that she was scanning the surroundings with caution.
"The second floor has shifted ambiances," she stated. "High humidity. Low visibility."
"Yeah, I've already noticed," I complained. "I'm already drenched."
The system voice beeped quietly in my head.
[Floor 2: The Forest of Whispers — Objective: Survive and kill the hidden monsters.]
"Hidden monsters?" I mouthed aloud. "That does not sound good."
Seris' eyes narrowed slightly. "Permission to scout ahead, Master?"
"yeah," I nodded. "Watch your step. If anything is amiss, fall back immediately."
She bowed slightly and disappeared into the thick bush — light on her feet, almost silent. In a few moments, she was gone, and I stood there alone in the muggy stillness.
I wiped sweat from my brow and let out a sigh. "Okay, Yuta. You've got some time before something awful catches up to you. Let's see what the system has to say."
I activated my blue screen. My stats still weren't optimal, but at least I wasn't completely defenseless this time.
[Dungeon Coins: 110]
"Perfect. Just enough for one pull."
I didn't even think. "Let's do this."
The summon circle appeared before me, gold shining again. My heart racing as I expected another person.
Light coalesced instead into something small and stiff — a crumpled black something dropped softly onto the ground.
I blinked. "Huh? A jacket?"
I took it up. The material was thicker than normal clothes — sleek, slightly chilly to the touch. On the system display, I verified and the data showed up.
[Item Acquired: Abyssal Guard Jacket (2★ Magic Object)]
Type: Armor (Body)
Effect: +20 Defense
Passive Skill: Unleashes a temporary shield for 5 minutes when user gets a direct hit. (Cooldown: 5 hours)
I gasped. "Whoa… that's really great."
For someone who literally had a zero defense stat, this was like winning the jackpot.
I quickly put it on. The jacket slid into place easily to fit my measurements, hugging my shoulders snugly. It was nice — light but not loose, with faint glowing lines traced down the sleeves.
"Heh," I whispered, gazing at it. "I guess the gacha gods are smiling on me today."
I took a deep breath, feeling slightly more sure of myself. Maybe fortune really wasn't an illusion.
Before long, soft footsteps cracked through the leaves — Seris returning from her scout. She emerged silently out of the shadows, though a scattering of hairs of silver in her hair were glistening with mist.
"Report," I tried to sound at least some approximation of proper commander.
She tilted her head. "I reconnoitered an area of about a kilometer radius. I sensed several faint mana signatures, but couldn't determine their source. Visibility is poor, and whatever lives around here has camouflage."
"Camouflage?" I scowled, echoing.
She nodded. "They're hiding… not magically, but using natural methods. My senses detect presence, but my eyes don't see anything."
"Great," I groaned. "So they're invisible. Wonderful."
I rubbed the back of my neck, considering. "If we can't find them, then we wait for them to find us."
Seris scrunched up her face. "You're proposing to serve as bait?"
"More like. reluctant bait," I said. "We'll find a high, dry spot. Rest. Let them come to us."
She stood there for a moment, then nodded. "I see. Come on, Master."
We strode deeper into the forest. Mud tugged on my boots, every step squelching unpleasant. Perspiration dripped down my temple, and the air was heavy with the hum of buzzing insects.
Ten minutes passed, and we arrived at a small ridge — hard ground, fairly dry, encircled with heavy timber.
Seris took in the perimeter. "This location is secure. Upground ground lessens surprise attack."
"Perfect," I said, resting against a tree. "Let's camp."
She tilted her head. "Camp?"
"You know, a place to sleep. I don't really have a tent or a sleeping bag, but we can manage."
And as I said it, something fell into place.
I opened the system again. "Hey, Seris. Do you think. it's possible to call things like tents or food out of the gacha system?"
She looked serious. "The system employs the law of probability and the transfer of value. If such objects exist in its data, then yes, it can be accomplished."
"In other words… luck again."
"Yes."
I groaned. "Figures."
We spent an hour gathering supplies. With her help, we stacked dry twigs and large leaves to build something resembling a bed. She did the bulk of the heavy work — hacking at logs with precise sword slashes while I floundered about not trying to get in the way.
"Seris, I could build you a five-star hotel out of sticks," I jibed.
She looked at me slightly perplexed. "If that is what you want, I shall attempt it."
I laughed. "It's a joke, Seris. You're already managing."
We had a small makeshift camp by dusk. The air cooled down, but there was still humidity. Seris returned from the forest with a small bag of fruits — red and yellow, apples-like in shape.
"Eaten," she replied. "I tried one. It tastes mild and non-poisonous."
"Eaten one?" I tightened my eyes. "You ate it?"
She nodded. "It is my duty to safeguard you, Master."
Something fuzzy tugged in my chest. "You don't have to go around risking yourself like that, though."
She smiled weakly. "That is the reason why I do."
I had no response to give.
We ate silently as the darkness descended. The jungle beyond us came to life with noises — chirping, clicking, far-off howls. It was eerie, but in some way, calming.
Finally, exhaustion caught up with me. I lay down on the makeshift bed, looking up at the canopy.
"Seris," I mumbled, half-sleeping. "Wake me if something happens, okay?"
"I will keep watch," she said quietly.
And with that, I slept.
Something metallic rang out.
Clang!
I woke with a jolt, my heart pounding. The ring of metal cutting through air echoed across the camp.
I leapt to my feet in an instant — Seris was already under way. Her blade flashed lightning, cutting through the darkness in biting arcs.
"W-what's going on?!" I shrieked.
"Enemies," she replied with a brief tone. Her voice was grimmer than usual, crisp and vigilant. "Plural. Eye-invisible."
I sprang to my feet, trying to discern what she was fighting against — but there was nothing. Alarming little more than air.
But I could hear it. The wet, slithering noise of something in motion.
Then, on pure instinct alone, I punched out to the right.
My fist hit something soft and wet. There was a squirming little squeak — then a splash.
I looked down to see a transparent, jelly-bean-shaped monster writhing on the ground before it disipated into nothingness.
[Enemy vanquished. +1 Dungeon Coin rewarded.]
[Monster Identified: Invisible Slime (Lv.5)]
I opened my mouth in shock. "Slimes?! Invisible?!"
Seris' sword fizzed as she struck one down out of thin air, the invisible mass disintegrating before it vanished.
"They are numerous," she spoke quickly. "Low attack power, but unstoppable."
I picked up a piece of wood on the floor and swirled it around me. It hit nothing but air to start — then squelch! another slime blob blew apart.
Another little message appeared again.
[+1 Dungeon Coin.]
"They're everywhere!" I yelled, retreating.
Seris floated along beside me, her sword lighting up more intensely as she hit harder, every blow illuminating faint silhouettes in the air — scores of slimes creeping, slithering, closing in.
"Stay near, Master!"
"I'm not leaving anywhere!"
We fought side by side — she did most of the fighting, I did most of the flailing and hoping for lucky blows. Every time she swung her sword, a slime exploded in showers of blue light.
I managed to knock out three more, earning three coins as reward. Small triumphs.
The attacks gradually died down after some minutes. The forest fell silent once more, except for our heavy breathing.
Seris dropped her sword slightly, scanning around. "They retreated."
I wiped sweat from my forehead. "That… was insane."
She nodded. "Camouflage-type monsters. Weak individually, but frightening in numbers."
I sat down on the ground, panting hard. "Guess your estimate was right."
Her expression softened somewhat. "You fought well, Master."
I released a wearily grinning smile. "You mean I didn't die. That's what you're attempting to say."
She cocked her head, a faint glint of amusement flashing in her eyes. "That too."
We stood there for a moment in silence. The moonlight filtered lazily through the leaves, casting a glint on her blade.
"So," I grunted after a moment, "that was the second floor's welcoming party, then?"
"It seems so," she said. "But if these things protect the outer area… the inner sections could be something even worse."
I sighed deeply, glancing at the gentle light of my system display — now at 15 coins.
"Well," I smiled tiredly, "apparently we'll fix that tomorrow then."
Seris nodded and rested back against the edge of camp, looking out into the darkness.
I rested back once more, clenching my jacket tight. The gentle hum of its magic comforted me.
Maybe this world was trying to kill me….
But at least I was no longer alone to experience it.