The Exploding Orb, according to Fiora’s explanation, was supposed to be an item that would explode with a bang.

But what actually happened?

Just when I thought it had flashed intensely, the target it struck had vanished.

In terms of power, there was no issue… but it wasn’t quite what I had expected.

What should I even make of this…?

Fiora, who had descended from above, seemed to have concerns beyond just the orb’s power, as she was investigating the area where the Giant Ape had been restrained.

Personally, I was also worried about the other monsters scattered around, but I couldn’t just leave her side and handle them alone…

Patience.

Fiora continued examining the earthen pillars and the ground for a while before seemingly satisfied, then approached me.

And then, she reached out and started patting my face and hair…

“…What are you doing?”

Since it was Fiora, there was probably some purpose behind her actions… but what exactly was this?

“It looks like you’re not injured… that’s a relief.”

Ignoring my words, Fiora kept touching me, seemingly concerned about the effect of the Exploding Orb.

Once she confirmed I wasn’t hurt, she let out a sigh of relief and withdrew her hand.

“…Was that thing really so dangerous?”

“It wasn’t supposed to be, but… it ended up behaving quite differently than I expected.”

Fiora shrugged her shoulders.

Then, she pointed to the spot where the Giant Ape had been restrained.

More precisely, she was pointing at the ground.

“Look over there.”

“Hmm? …Oh?”

I hadn’t noticed before, but when I looked carefully, the difference was obvious.

The muddy ground was now dry and steaming.

…Was that from the heat?

“…Hey, Fiora.”

“What is it?”

“What was that thing actually supposed to do?”

I’d heard a brief explanation earlier, but this result was clearly unexpected, so I wanted to hear it from Fiora again.

It’s probably fair to call this a failure…

“…You’ve seen me make the Combustion Orb before, so you know how it works, right?”

“Yeah.”

“The basics are the same, but I mixed in powdered metal and various monster materials. When it touches the target, it ignites and triggers a series of small explosions inside. Even though each explosion is small, the continuous blasts combined with fire and heat should have worked for both stopping movement and dealing damage…”

Fiora explained fluently until her words trailed off.

“…But there was no explosion or fire, right? Instead, it produced unexpected heat… Was everything converted into heat energy? There’s still a lot to research.”

She nodded thoughtfully.

Maybe that powdered metal was the issue.

“Well… either way, we can’t use this as is. The blast radius may be small, but unless you’re someone who can completely restrain the target like earlier or maintain strong defenses while quickly retreating like you, you’d end up taking damage yourself.”

Fiora lightly touched the earthen pillar and the dried ground.

Even after several minutes, it still seemed to hold heat.

As she said, the blast area was limited, but it had enough heat to break through the Giant Ape’s defenses.

I’d kept my distance and fortified my defenses, so I was fine. But if a regular adventurer used it… it’d be seriously dangerous.

And… there are still other monsters around.

I’d paralyzed them for now, but in a typical situation, you’d be fighting those monsters too…

That’s why both the Combustion Orb and Exploding Orb had simple throw-and-activate mechanisms.

I glanced at Fiora, who was muttering something like, “Did I go too far…”

The Exploding Orb was probably intended for foes that couldn’t be stopped with just hindering tactics… but as she said, the performance was too intense.

In a situation requiring something this powerful, there’d be too much to worry about during its use.

And for me, even if I could handle it, the power was just too overwhelming.

Even if it takes a little more effort, defeating monsters the usual way is better than using something that yields no Holy Coins or Blessed Items.

Unfortunately, this one’s a failed item.

Looking at Fiora, it seemed she had reached the same conclusion, as she sighed and shook her head slightly.

“Well… it’s fine. Sera, I’ll collect some soil from here. In the meantime, could you take care of the remaining monsters?”

“Sure. Are you okay if I leave you alone?”

“It’ll take some time before more monsters appear, right? Besides, this floor’s monsters aren’t a big deal.”

Well, that’s true… She had just completely dominated that Giant Ape.

“Got it. I’ll make it quick.”

Anyway, leaving her alone for too long wasn’t a good idea either, so I should clear things out fast.

There’s going to be a dust cloud, so no 【Danrem’s Thread】 this time.

I’ll deal with them one by one, the proper way!

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Cloak】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】・24 cards

Seriana・【Area Identification】・【】・36 cards

Elena・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・9 cards