Rusty slowed his steps and raised a hand. Gleam immediately froze beside him, her antennae twitching.

  “( ?-? )…”

  “Better not get too close. Some of those adventurers probably have high-level detection skills.”

  While he was not planning on attacking anyone in the dungeon just yet, he was unsure how people would react to a lone adventurer emerging from the shadows. He knew from experience that the morality humans displayed in open cities often vanished the moment they entered a dungeon.

  They crept forward until the tunnel widened enough to give them a clear view of the next chamber. Rusty pressed himself against a crystal-studded outcropping and peered around it. Gleam scuttled up his shoulder and settled there, her silvery white body blending almost perfectly with the pale glow of the cavern.

  What they saw made Rusty’s visor widen with interest. A group of five adventurers was locked in battle at the center of the chamber. Judging by their equipment, posture, and coordination, they were all D rank.

  “Poor formation. Mediocre gear. Overconfident.”

  Aburdon’s voice echoed inside Rusty’s helmet, his dark glow emanating from one side of the visor.

  “They are alive, though. They seem to be managing.”

  Alexander replied quietly as they continued to observe the fight.

  “They aren’t that bad… but neither…good.”

  Rusty had only recently evolved and grown stronger, reaching the middle of D rank himself. Even so, as he watched the way they moved and fought, he was convinced that he could have defeated the entire group even in his previous form.

  The monster they were fighting was unlike anything Rusty had seen before. It resembled a massive lizard, roughly the size of two horses standing side by side. What made it truly interesting were the crystals erupting from its flesh. Jagged growths of blue and violet crystal burst from its shoulders, spine, and tail, as if the creature had grown around them rather than the other way around. Each movement produced faint chiming echoes as the crystals brushed against one another.

  Its scales were dark and matte, absorbing light instead of reflecting it and making the glowing crystal growths stand out even more. Mana pulsed visibly through the veins inside the crystals, flashing brighter as the creature grew more enraged. As the battle dragged on and it sustained more injuries, the glow continued to intensify.

  “It’s around the strength of that bear, but not quite.”

  After reading the description, he was intrigued. These were not ordinary reptilian monsters, but creatures that stored vast amounts of mana. They seemed similar to Gleam, and that resemblance quickly became obvious as the adventurers jumped back to protect themselves.

  The massive lizard thrashed about, releasing mana from the crystals embedded in its body. The result was a dazzling light show, with small beams of energy shooting in every direction. To make matters worse, the beams began to bounce off the dungeon walls.

  “It’s as if the dungeon is helping that big lizard!”

  Rusty commented as he took in the adventurers’ predicament. Some were grazed by the attack, but fortunately, the beams were not that powerful, and each refraction weakened them further. Even so, it was an assault that would likely eradicate F and E-ranked adventurers and monsters alike.

  He continued watching the fight. It seemed that the best tactic against these monsters was to shatter the crystals protruding from their bodies with heavy weapons. Two fighters in the party focused solely on that task, one smashing the growths with a large mace while the other wielded a two-handed great hammer. Once enough damage was dealt, the monster’s magical output dropped, making it much easier to target.

  “It seems to have some kind of lesser mana veil surrounding its scales. Best be careful of that, my dear Rusty.”

  Aburdon commented as Rusty slowly moved away from the area. The battle was coming to an end, and he did not want the adventurers to think he was waiting for the right moment to strike. Still, his research continued, as there were other parties farther ahead.

  He crouched and peered through a curtain of crystal growths that jutted from the wall like frozen flames. Beyond them was another chamber, smaller than the last but more dangerous. This time, the adventurer party was actually losing.

  A group of four D-rank adventurers had formed a loose semicircle, their breathing ragged, armor scorched and chipped. At the center of the chamber stood something that barely resembled a creature at all.

  The monster was enormous, taller than his Goliath form, and the group fighting it was struggling. There were five of them, but the one who looked like an archer appeared to be down. It seemed the group had been attacked from behind, as their formation was odd and disorganized. They were packed far too closely together, and the fighters were having difficulty keeping the monster away from their physically weaker party members.

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  “Maybe we should help them, Rusty…”

  Alexander called out to him, but Aburdon instantly dismissed the idea.

  “Why should we do that? It would be far better to wait and let that creature dispose of them. Then we can pocket their equipment and resources.”

  As always, the two disagreed, and Rusty was left to decide whose opinion to follow. From what he could see, the group was struggling against a slow-moving yet powerful monster. If they had not started off on the wrong foot, they were probably capable of defeating it, but as things stood, they were about to be steamrolled.

  “Hm… I do not really want to waste much time on this…”

  In truth, Rusty did not care much either way, as he had his own plans. There was no real reason to use underhanded tactics against either the adventurers or the monster they were fighting. His monster rank had reached a proper D rank, and even if he simply walked over there, he would likely be victorious against all of them.

  He reached into his storage and took out one of his newly modified bows. It was made from the same steel mixture as his body, and he notched a standard arrow into it. After taking aim at one of the crystal joints, he let it fly. The arrow flew in a clean arc through the air and struck exactly where he intended, causing the crystal-covered giant to topple over from the force of the impact.

  The effect was immediate. A sharp crack, clear as a ringing bell, rang out as the arrowhead bit into the joint where crystal met stone. The Crystalline Golem staggered, its massive frame listing to one side as mana shone wildly within the fractured section. Light pulsed erratically through its body, and it tumbled forward, breaking several crystals along the way.

  The adventurers jumped back as it fell and realized they now had a chance to counterattack. The golem tried to raise itself, but the damaged joint refused to fully cooperate. Its leg began to move, but before it could stand, the adventurers rushed in with their heavy weapons. Like the other group, they carried hammers and maces, ready to smash the joints.

  With Rusty’s help, the tide of battle shifted. The injured archer was pulled away to safety, and for a moment, he locked eyes with Rusty’s form in the distance. Rusty did not hide or flee. Instead, he waved at the group with Gleam perched on his shoulder.

  “Bah, why did you help them!”

  Aburdon muttered angrily.

  “Well, it’s best if some people see me in these dungeons. Having some good rumors spread could be beneficial.”

  Rusty was no longer the naive suit of armor he had once been. He understood very well how relationships among humanoids formed and what they could become. Helping in this way was enough. If he did too much, most would grow suspicious. This, however, was sufficient. The group was now indebted to him, and they would likely spread word of an adventurer with a silver ant on his shoulder. As his reputation grew, new doors would open. It was a small investment in the future that exposed him to little danger, just enough to stir the waters.

  “If you frame it like that… then fine.”

  It seemed that as long as Rusty was not helping others for altruistic reasons, Aburdon was satisfied. Alexander did not comment. That alone was enough to show his approval, though Rusty suspected the former hero wished he had done more.

  “(?? ? ??)”

  “I think you might be overdoing it a little, Gleam.”

  Rusty spoke in a cheerful tone as he watched his ant partner wiggle across his shoulder, performing her usual little dance.

  “(?—?—)”

  “It’s fine, I bet those guys won’t forget your shiny form!”

  “(?? ? ??)”

  With that handled, he headed into the deeper parts of the caverns. Armed with information about potential enemies, he soon encountered his first real opposition. A large crystal encrusted lizard stood in his path, and there were two of them.

  “The coast seems clear. Let’s go, Gleam.”

  “( ?? ? ?? )?”

  The battle began as he transformed into his largest Goliath form. A massive tower shield filled one hand, while a mace rested in the other. He clashed with one of the monsters, and just as expected, it was sent flying. A creature that normally required five adventurers working together was hurled back by him alone. Yet despite this display of power, Gleam was not as fortunate.

  “(?—?—)”

  She climbed onto the ceiling, out of reach of the second lizard, but even with this tactic, she could not deal much damage. It was magic against magic, and the crystals scattered her beams harmlessly away.

  “It’s okay, Gleam. Leave it to me.”

  “( ?? ? ?? )”

  Gleam felt sad that she could not help much, but he was not worried. Like him, she was still evolving. If one type of magic did not work, another might. These monsters were weak to blunt attacks, and that kind of magic existed as well.

  As she clung to the ceiling, the lizard could not reach her. The two monsters used their specialties, turning the chamber into a brilliant light show. Yet even when the beams collided with his massive body, they failed to pierce his metal hide. It would take much more to damage him, and he knew it.

  His mace struck one of the large crystals on the lizard’s back, shattering it into tiny shards. Another blow crushed its knees, and soon its head was being driven into the ground. The battle was going well, but Gleam was not about to let it end like this.

  “( ????? )”

  She emerged from her hiding place after the laser show faded and focused her energy. Her silvery body began to glow, mana swirling around her as she gathered her power on the remaining enemy. The ceiling soon started to rumble as a chunk of earth forced its way out, dense and solid.

  The block of stone hovered for a moment as it shaped itself into a rough sphere. The Crystalhide Giant Lizard snarled at it but could do nothing against such a distant foe. Rusty watched in awe and stepped back, leaving it to his partner.

  “You got it, Gleam!”

  He cheered as the stone began to spin, then surged forward toward the last monster. Gleam’s antennae trembled as she concentrated, her tiny mandibles clenched with effort. This was the first time she had tried this spell, and her aim was a bit off. The high-speed rock shot forth and collided with the monster’s side, shattering one of its crystals but not dealing much damage.

  She wiggled her antennae in anger and began again. This time, the rock was even bigger than before, but the monster would not allow it. It seemed to recognize the danger and chose to use its multiple beam attack. Even though it could not hit her directly, stopping her casting would be just as effective.

  “Oh no, you won’t!”

  Rusty, who had been standing by idly, leapt into the fray. His mace collided with the monster’s head, breaking its concentration and halting the skill before it could activate. This gave Gleam the opening she needed.

  She poured all the mana she had into forming another, heavier projectile. It spun forward and struck the largest crystal on the monster’s back. When it shattered, the smaller ones lost their luster and with it their special properties.

  “Gleam, your regular mana spells should work now!”

  Alexander shouted from within Rusty’s helmet, and the little ant responded by bombarding the monster with standard attack spells. This time, the bolts did not bounce off. They bit into the monster’s scales and then its flesh. The creature roared in pain, but soon collapsed as Rusty delivered the fatal blow.

  “There we go!”

  Gleam jumped down from the ceiling in joy, as this marked their first real hunt since his evolution. Both lizards were down, and with the help of his SP, their parts were quickly stored. It was quite a haul.

  “Let’s see what we got…”

  Aside from the usual claws and fangs, the two monsters yielded a large number of crystals. Some were filled with mana, while others appeared to be useful as alloy additives or alchemical materials.

  “I might have to ask around to see what all of these are for, but I think this one should work.”

  He held a large mana crystal in his hand. It pulsed with power and was perfect for infusing with either light or dark mana. Now that he had a way to farm them, he could begin his hunt for resources. His two guides had been without bodies for a long time, and now he finally had a way to give them proper forms. No longer would they merely observe. From now on, they could perhaps take part in battles alongside him…