Eventually James calmed down and became aware of a foul stench emanating from the remains of the spider monster.

He looked around for monsters, being extra careful to check the ceiling for spider monsters, and upon seeing nothing but blank, nondescript maze tunnel walls, he got back to his feet.

He inspected the smelly, oozing remains of the spider monster, but his [Appraisal] skill failed to recognize anything useful. After some digging around, using a handle-less broken shovel head to scrape ooze and chitin away, James found the monster's black magic stone.

This was James' second Black Magic Stone.

However, James couldn't even muster the interest in new Enchanting possibilities, not able to overcome his disgust with the spider monster remains.

He double checked for more monsters and gathered up his stakes and walked back down the tunnel and collected all his other warding stakes as he went and returned to base camp to think about what to do next. Once again, all his gear was fine, save for the ichor-covered broken shovel head which had gone a bit soft in the fourth-floor heat, but that was okay.

He really wanted some paper and ink. That would feel like proper Adventuring with a capital A. Exploring a labyrinthine dungeon, searching for treasure, marking down a map of the floor as he went…

Of course, he realized, as a Smith and Enchanter, he had no business going into Dungeons and exploring in the first place.

Lacking in supplies, but not in ingenuity, the Smith sat himself down at his forge and hammered out a flat square of Red Iron, two feet on each side, as thin and even as he could. He also forged himself a small, thin chisel, also of Red Iron, with which to scratch markings into the metal plate.

The next day he returned to the tunnel maze, set down his warding stakes at the first T-intersection, and began exploring.

It proved mentally exhausting. First he would have to advance, enduring the heat, senses alert for monsters, down the tunnel, and then once he was sure he was safe, focus on remembering how he had gotten to where he was and scratch that into the metal plate. By the time he made it back to the four way intersection where he had fought the Fire Lizard, he was ready for a break. He put down his warding stakes, and then clapped a hand against his helmet.

He could just put down warding stakes while he was working on the map.

Sweat was pouring down his face, and as he took a sip of water from a canteen…

Smith Class Skill [Heat Resistance] has reached level 5.

James sighed. The heat still felt as hot and oppressive as before, sapping his energy.

Forget this, he thought. He was trying to do too much: enduring the heat, exploring, mapping, looking out for monsters, all at the same time.

He activated his cooling strips, and this time, breathed a sigh of relief.

He rested for a short while longer, feeling his thoughts become clearer and finding it easier to be sensitive to his surroundings, the minor drain on his mana proving not to be much of a burden at all. In truth, his [Heat Resistance] skill was putting in a lot of work already; it was just that hot on this floor.

Soon enough he was ready to move on. He moved his warding stakes to cover the entirety of the four way intersection and took the left path where the Fire Lizard had been lurking before. He figured he would keep to the left as he went.

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And so the Smith continued his exploration.

Rustle rustle fwoosh

Crunch wham wham…

Skitter skitter clang!

Thud BOOM wham wham…

Squeak fwoosh rustle fwoosh

Crunch wham wham…

Periodically, the Smith would encounter more flaming bat monsters and Fire Lizards. From the bats he merely collected the red and green magic stones, but from the Fire Lizards he collected not only their red magic stones, but also their claws and hides and Earth-essence infused blood. The hides, of course, wouldn't go in his magic bag, so he just rolled them up and carried them with him under his hammer-wielding arm, dropping them when he encountered the next monster.

Finally, after numerous three and four-way intersections, James reached a dead end.

There was nothing there.

The last intersection he had found was a three-way. There had been a tunnel on the right side of the path, so he retraced his steps to that point and took a break.

How many hours had it been?

He felt tired, but he wanted to keep exploring. The feeling of making progress, of seeing his map grow larger and more complete, was alluring.

The Smith had yet to learn to pace himself.

He only had four more of his Red Iron warding stakes left, for he had left the other sets blocking the first two of the four-way intersections he had come across.

All the same, he pressed on. Foolishly.

He proceeded down the passage. It continued straight for some ten yards before a side tunnel opened on the left side. Another T-intersection. The path to the left continued only a few yards before reaching a corner, also turning to the left. James raised his shield and advanced cautiously, mindful that monsters could be just around the corner. He peered around the corner and saw yet another corner, also to the left.

He advanced, and around that corner…

Were two spider monsters, lurking in wait to ambush him. One was on the ground, and the other was on the ceiling, which he saw right away as he put his mother's wisdom into practice and checked all around for other threats, especially the ceiling.

The spider monster on the ceiling crawled forward silently, while the spider monster on the ground reared back and waved its front two legs at James menacingly.

James' heart pounded as he stepped back, trying to keep an eye on both monsters while also minding his footing.

Seeing that James was retreating, the spider monster on the ground dashed forward, faster than he had realized they could move. Instantly it drew all his focus, and instinctively he started swinging his hammer using his technique.

[Hammer Strike]

[Heavy Blow]

BOOM!

His strike landed true, crushing the spider monster instantly.

It was at that moment, bent over and outstretched at the end of his hammer strike, that James felt the impact of a several-dozen pound something land on his upper back with a skittering noise that rang in his helmet, and both heard and felt the vibrations of a pair of fangs skitter against his armor.

The ceiling spider.

James screamed.

With a strength born of terror and his Smith class and heedless of any risk, the Smith dropped his shield and hammer and reached up with both hands, grabbed the spider, and threw it off his back as hard as he could.

The sensation of the spider's hairy, chitinous body was revolting.

But the spider was removed, sent flying several yards down the tunnel before landing on the floor.

The Smith was already on the move, advancing, hand reaching into his magic bag and pulling out his Earth War Hammer.

With a mighty war cry and all the mana he could muster, he struck before the spider monster could regain its footing.

[Hammer Strike]

[Heavy Blow]

BOOM!

It was the biggest crater he had made in the maze so far.

Hurriedly, with trembling hands, James set up some warding stakes and scanned the tunnel, what he could see of it anyway, for more monsters, found none, and collapsed onto his bottom and sat leaning against the tunnel wall. For some time he sat there, hyperventilating, until eventually he felt the oppressive heat and the sweat dripping down his face again. At some point, he had stopped feeding mana into his cooling strips. He turned them on again, and sipped on some water, and eventually his composure returned.

He focused on his breathing, getting it under control, and looked around. The crater in the ground. The two dead spider monster carcasses. The corner leading to the path back to his base camp.

The treasure chest at the dead end of the tunnel.

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