Manowa

◎ Blue Rifon Fort, Deepest Layer, Heart Orb Room Entrance

「The seal gate has disappeared. So the Childstone reaction disappearance wasn"t a mistake after all?」

A dungeon"s deepest layer was called a Heart Orb room by adventurers. And the entrance of the deepest layer was blocked by multiple seals called a seal gate, with each seal linked to the core Childstone of various powerful monsters scattered among the dungeon"s layers. Therefore, defeating all the Childstone possessing monsters in a dungeon was required to aim at the deepest layer"s Heart Orb room. Even if someone descended that far, they wouldn"t be able to enter the room. That『specification』was the same for all dungeons, so it was the case for Blue Rifon Fort, even if it wasn"t recognized as an official dungeon by the Adventurers Guild.

The seals linked to the Childstones had all been released. Ortova noticed that with his investigation magic around noon. Or perhaps he noticed because they were released at that time?

「Even though we had crushed all the Childstone possessors by yesterday, the reaction revived when we were hit by the Monster House. Really, d.a.m.n this dungeon.」

That rough voice was the dwarf warrior Bax. The quivering of the hands holding his axe wasn"t only due to the pain from his shoulder injuries. The small warrior was filled with both anger and tremors of excitement.

「But the Childstone possessors are all dead, then? That was done by those Stone Minotaurs, don"t you think?」

The bow user Naira said.

「Probably. Even though they aren"t Childstone possessors, they"re that strong. Those monsters were obviously balance breakers. So even the Childstone possessors they should protect were also killed by them.」

The magician Ortova so answered. Fundamentally, monsters would fight when they encountered a species different from their own. The same was true for Childstone possessors. However, Childstone possessors survived. The reason was simple: they were the strongest monster on that layer. But those Stone Minotaurs" strength obviously surpa.s.sed that. Being evaluated as balance breakers was natural.

「Besides. Challenging Childstone holders would be foolish for the group on the surface, and even descending to the 10th layer would probably be impossible for them. Since the dungeon is currently teeming with monsters released by the Monster House, it would be dangerous even for us.」

The quiet priest Agui added after Ortova"s words.

More than half a day had pa.s.sed since they encountered the Monster House last night, but no one had arrived from the surface. All members in that place thought that was natural, since as Agui mentioned earlier, the number of monsters had increased dramatically, which would make a.s.saulting difficult for the adventurers on the surface.

There were about 70 adventurers on the surface, but most of them were rank D or C, with only a few rank B adventurers. So naturally, there shouldn"t be any adventurers capable enough to a.s.sault the current dungeon filled with many monsters scattered about due to the Monster House.

「There"s that Sera, but, well, that might be an over optimistic thought.」

Agui shook his head after Bax spoke.

「Stop the wishful thinking. Rather, you should hope she hasn"t entered.」

「Well, maybe.」

Bax laughed and nodded.

「However. Really, about Yuzu. Wouldn"t it have been better to bring her along, leader?」

「There"s no point complaining about that at this point, Bax.」

「Shut up, Naira. I"m just saying, wouldn"t it be better to stay together until the end? I know that girl"s prince is that Nao boy, but we"re companions, aren"t we?」

Ori smiled and replied to the dwarf Bax.

「Hahaha, don"t misunderstand, Bax. We"re not fighting to die. Yuzu has broken a leg. It would be too dangerous for her to fight when moving around is that difficult, so we"re simply letting her rest for a bit.」

Agui alone nodded after their leader Ori"s words. Ordinary injuries could be handled by Heal or High Heal, but it would take a lot of time and Magic Power to repair the leg bones that were broken by the blow from the Stone Minotaur. His Magic Power was exhausted by the time they escaped yesterday, so even though he had recovered to some extent by today, there was no way Agui could use up his Magic Power before a battle. Applying painkilling techniques was the best he could do.

「Although it happened by chance, discovering that hidden room before the Monster House appeared can only be called good luck. So I think our luck is good right now.」

Everyone laughed at those words. It certainly only happened by chance, but it was a too good to be true situation. They happened to discover a hidden room a few hours before they had to escape from a horde of monsters, which allowed them to get away. One person strayed at that time, but no one said it. They could only pray he managed to get away.

Then today, when everyone awoke after sleeping like logs, the Heart Orb room seal had been released before they knew it. All members smiled and thought there was no mistaking that they had unexpectedly good luck.

「If we defeat the guard beyond this point and obtain the Baby Core, the Golem types will automatically disappear and new monsters won"t generate, so we can pick up Yuzu and Alz and return to the surface!」

Ori drew his sword after he spoke.

「Let"s go, everyone!!」

Then all members shouted and started running. The enemy was a one-eyed giant guard『Cyclops.』

The first attack was made by the『Ice Sword』nicknamed rank A adventurer Ori. He was a genuine swordsman who had only polished his own swordsmanship without any magic swords or spell swords.

There was an ability called『Spirit Wearing』in this world that involved circulating one"s own refined magical power. By doing so, a person"s abilities would be increased, and elements could be added to attacks, like adding Lightning to a spear and throwing it. And Ori"s sword was covered in Ice. It would freeze the cut parts so they could be smashed.

The attack was aimed at the Cyclops"s leg. However, the Cyclops saw it and jumped away to avoid it with agility that didn"t match its large build.

「What"s this?」

The bow user Naira"s arrow struck. It was blocked by a shield in the Cyclops"s right hand.

「When did he take out a shield?」

Bax watched with the situation with surprised eyes. It should have been unarmed when it jumped away. But the reality was that the Cyclops now had a shield in its hand. Not only that, a huge hammer was being clasped by its left hand.

「Not good, avoid it!!」

The hammer was thrown at the same time Ori spoke. The target was the one who fired the arrow, Naira.

「Wait, you"re kidding me!!!」

While shouting that, Naira jumped sideways to avoid it. The wall behind where Naira had just been crumbled with a tremendous noise. Then the thrown hammer immediately vanished as if it had turned into dust.

「UooOOO!」

Bax rushed out. Since it had just thrown something, it should take time for it to take its next action. But the left hand of the Cyclops was holding a huge axe, and the right hand shield had also changed into a huge axe.

(Cyclops ability『Arms Creation』? Trouble!?)

And before Bax"s attack arrived, he was conversely attacked by the two weapons the Cyclops was wielding. Bax promptly used his two-handed axe as a shield to block the attack and was immediately blown away.

「Ortova!」

「Black clouds! Kill their vision!」

In accordance with Ori"s words, Ortova raised his staff to create a blinding cloud around the Cyclops. Ori sprang forward at the same time.

「UooO!!!」

Then Ori"s『Freezing Blade』sent the Cyclops"s left arm flying. But from the other side of the smoke, a light was emitted at the same time.

「What!?」

Ori immediately dodged, and it grazed his left arm. But even just a graze ignited Ori"s left arm with a roar, and Ori couldn"t bear it, so he screamed as he tumbled to the ground.

「Healing hands! Bring salvation to the wounded!!」

Agui the priest chanted High Heal for Ori.

At the same time, the previously blown away Bax started running, then blocked the blow from the axe in the Cyclops"s right arm aimed at Ori.

「Guo」

Bax raised a pained voice. No matter how much dwarves boasted of their strength, blocking an attack unleashed by such a giant head on was reckless. Then that short and stout body was grandly blown away by a successive kick from that giant.

「Bax!」

Ori had recovered to the extent that his left arm could move, and he shouted. But this wasn"t a situation where Ori could worry about his companion. Before he knew it, the weapon in the Cyclops"s right arm was exchanged for a spear, and he blocked the successively unleashed thrusts with his sword, then dodged and regained his posture as he withdrew backwards.

Naira"s special made arrow, then Ortova"s superior Lightning magic『Bolt』was fired at the Cyclops. Then the Cyclops screamed as it was pierced by the steel arrow and struck by Bolt. But that was only for an instant. While emitting white smoke from its wounds, the Cyclops"s eye shone, and judging that Ortova"s attack was stronger, it emitted a beam at Ortova.

Against that, Ortova thrust the accessory in his hand forward. It was a necklace loaded with defense magic.

The necklace in front of Ortova glowed, and that light collided with the light emitted from the eye. The impact caused an explosion, and Ortova was strongly blown away and crashed into the wall.

「OOOOOH!!!!!!」

Then Ori rushed forward at that timing. Agui also approached and attacked with his mace. On the other side, the Cyclops exchanged the spear in his right hand for a halberd and swung it sideways to mow them down with one blow.

「Agui, avoid it!?」

「Don"t worry, Ori!」

Agui shouted as he set up his mace, then blocked the halberd.

「Guu」

Agui groaned, but he endured. He had used defense magic to soften the impact. In order to create a gap the moment after the attack was fired.

And there was no way Ori would miss that gap. He was slightly distracted by Agui, but he immediately switched his focus and swung his sword. A horizontal flash cut across its stomach. Its guts leaked due to the internal pressure.

「This too!」

Two axes lodged themselves in the Cyclops"s back. They were hatchets Bax had for throwing use. Then he ran forward with his favorite battleaxe. The Cyclops tried to respond to Bax with a light beam from its eye,

「Hit!」

Naira fired an arrow at the eye and directly hit it. The light gathered in its eye dispersed, and the Cyclops screamed.

「Bax!」

「Aye, let"s go, Ori!」

Then Ori"s sword and Bax"s axe respectively cut the right arm and flank of the Cyclops. The Cyclops"s fresh blood splattered.

「Did we do it?」

So saying, Bax looked at the Cyclops, but something unbelievable was reflected in his eyes.

「Impossible!?」

With the Cyclops"s『Arms Creation』ability, its stomach wounds were covered by steel armor, and the lost left and right arm were replaced by gauntlets. In the twinkle of an eye, the one-eyed giant was covered in steel. Then its entire body was covered by full plate mail, its eye glowed red, and the arrow stuck in its eye burned away. Furthermore, a huge sword was held in its arms.

That was an excessively hopeless scene. As if to laugh at Ori and the others" utmost effort, the Cyclops standing there was now further strengthened.

「So this is the Heart Orb"s gatekeeper...?」

Ori had never fought against a Heart Orb"s gatekeeper. He didn"t know the true strength of the monsters inside a dungeon"s innermost place. But... he squeezed his sword once again.

(Not yet. I"m not done yet. Still...)

「I can still do it!」

「Ori, run awayyyyy!!」

Naira"s sorrowful cry was raised after Ori squeezed out his voice. Then the Cyclops"s eye glowed red, and to Ori

「Killing Leeeegggg!」

At that same time, a lively voice flew over Ori.

That lively something crashed into the Cyclops, and the red light deviated slightly from Ori and burned the floor and walls.

「Is everyone all right?」

A familiar voice shortly arrived from behind the dumbfounded Ori.

「Yuzu? Why are... why is there a Stone Minotaur here!?」

Ori turned around and saw an unexpected enemy. A Stone Minotaur, five of which appeared from that Monster House. After a fierce battle, they had defeated two of them, but they gave up on fighting the other three and chose to defeat the guard, but one of them was standing at the entrance.

(In this place... is it already hopeless?)

Ori seriously thought, and he fell to one knee with a feeling of futility, but before spitting out the miserable inner thoughts echoing inside, a nostalgic voice successively resounded.

「Hey hey, can you really go down in such a place? General?」

「You"re rank A, so show your guts.」

Lyle and Emily, the Barnes siblings, were there. Ori seemed like he would cry when he heard those voices. If this was a dream, he hoped from the bottom of his heart that he wouldn"t wake up. And the expected『young man equal to myself』was also standing there.

「Can you do it, Ori? Falling to one knee isn"t like you.」

A little disparaging Naoki smiled and looked at Ori.

「Shut up. From now on is the real performance.」

Grasping Naoki"s outstretched hand, the somewhat embarra.s.sed Ori stood up. He didn"t understand the situation. But they came; at the last moment, reinforcements arrived. His most reliable friend had arrived. Then Naoki and Ori laughed and lined up together.

「Well then.」

「Now.」

「「Shall we counterattack?!」」

The two shouted at the same time.

「Eh, why are they getting excited without me? Are they stupid? They"ll die?」

In addition, a slight distance away was a groaning full metal Cyclops collapsed on the floor and a lonely-looking Kazane watching Naoki and the others. She was a solitary sad girl who couldn"t join the atmosphere.

Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Magic Swordswoman

t.i.tle: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Adhesion Sword『Gum』, Spell Dagger, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Ogre Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, Magic Acc.u.mulator, White Magic Acc.u.mulator

Level : 31

Health: 114

Magic Power: 205+420

Strength: 55+10

Agility: 48+4

Endurance: 31

Wisdom : 62

Dexterity : 39

Spell : 『Fly』 『Torch』 『Fire』 『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』

Skill : 『Warrior"s Memory』 『Night Vision』 『Crushing Blow』 『Dog"s Sense of Smell』 『Golem Maker: Lv3』 『Rush』 『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』 『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』 『Air Jump: Lv2』 『Killing Leg: Lv3』 『Fear Voice』 『Invisible』 『Tiger Eye』 『Wall Walking』 『Intuition』 『Cheat Death』 『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield』『Information Link』『Optical Camouflage』『Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Placement』『Thunder Chariot』『St.u.r.dier Teeth』『Crystallization』『Fabricated Coercion』『Stone Minotaur』

Kazane:「I am away (tears)」

Yumika:「There, there.」