Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 5

by Fujino Omori

  A prum girl, Lilly, carried her large backpack over her shoulders while dragging him with one hand—exactly the same way she would carry the corpse of a monster—over the ground without much concern for his well-being. However, the ground was not smooth due to small crystals that came up naturally from the Dungeon soil. The man yelped in pain every time he hit one.

  There was no panic in Lilly’s movements. Part of being a supporter was being able to accurately assess the movements of monsters and adventurers to stay clear of battle while fulfilling her duties. She weaved in and out of the brawl, dragging Mord closely behind her until they were finally out of danger.

  “Please find somewhere to hide if you are unable to fight. Don’t waste the life that Mr. Bell saved.”

  Lilly let go of Mord’s collar as soon as they were in a monster-free area of the plain.

  The wide-eyed man quickly sat up and asked her a question.

  “H-hey?! Why is he…helping us?”

  Even now, Mord could see Bell taking on monster after monster to save the adventurers who not too long ago were cheering at his pain. Bolts of scarlet lightning erupted from the boy’s outstretched arm, slaying monsters in their tracks no matter the distance.

  Lilly turned to him as he watched the battle from afar and said:

  “Be grateful that Mr. Bell isn’t the type of person to hold a grudge.”

  Lilly squinted her eyes and stuck her tongue out with a “Bleh!” before turning her back on him and rushing back into the fray.

  Tup, tup, tup. Lilly’s footsteps got quieter, leaving Mord alone with his thoughts.

  The man looked dejected and whispered to himself:

  “What the hell was that…”

  The only answers he received were the fierce sounds of battle.

  “Chigusa, are you sure it’s okay for us to leave?”

  “Y-yes…First, if we don’t gather enough weapons…”

  They were on the west side of the plain, moving away from the battle.

  Hestia and Chigusa ran toward the lake as fast as they could, a pouch and a backpack filled with items shaking as they went.

  “I’ve never experienced it myself but…weapons and shields break all the time when fighting floor bosses. So if we can’t get enough spares, Captain Ouka and the others…”

  Chigusa’s long bangs covered her eyes as she spoke between breaths. Hestia hit her fist to her palm as if to say I got it and nodded back to her. Of course, fighting a monster of that caliber for a long period of time would require a large stock of weaponry.

  Chigusa and Hestia were on their way to the town of Rivira. They were hoping to persuade the adventurers there to provide weapons and items for the fight. Chigusa was only Level 1 and Hestia was far below that—the two of them would only be a liability on the front lines. So they entrusted Lilly with the support of Bell and the others and decided that this was the best way to help them.

  “Wah…?! Ch-Chigusa?!”

  “…!”

  A bugbear spotted the girls just as the tree bridge to the island in the middle of the lake came into view. It charged straight at them. They had managed to evade any encounters with monsters up until now, but there was no way to avoid this one.

  Chigusa bit her lip as she jumped in front of Hestia to protect her. The monster’s forepaws slammed into the ground with each step, the vibrations in her boots getting stronger and stronger with each passing second. When suddenly—an arrow pierced the monster’s head through its eyes.

  “Whoa!”

  An elvish archer was the one who brought the bugbear to a screeching halt. He was not alone—the adventurers of Rivira had arrived.

  They ran around Hestia and Chigusa toward the floor boss on the other side of the plain.

  “Chigusa, reinforcements!”

  “The town’s adventurers…!”

  The two of them were filled with hope and admiration, blushing as more and more adventurers came into view.

  The ones who had already passed them were yelling out signals to one another and pointing in different directions. They split into three groups: one hung back to eliminate the monsters blocking the path to the battlefield; one broke off to assist Bell in the brawl; and the rest made a bead for the floor boss.

  All of them had weapons drawn and ready, yelling at the top of their lungs as they charged forward.

  “You’re always so reliable in a pinch!”

  The first person out of Rivira’s reinforcements to reach the floor boss was none other than Asfi.

  She had weaved her way through the surprised yelps of other adventurers all the way to the feet of the Goliath. Reaching into her belt holster, she withdrew two small bottles and hurled them at the beast.

  The giant was still trying to follow Lyu’s quick movements when both of the bottles hit it square in the face, exploding on contact.

  “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?!”

  “Oh come on, at least singe a little…!”

  Most monsters in the middle levels would have been incinerated by just one of those Burst Oil grenades—as an item maker, these were her specialty. However, they left no mark on the Goliath’s thick skin.

  The giant counterattacked with a howl, but Asfi was able to dodge it easily and meet up with Lyu.

  “Lyon! I believe you figured it out already, but our reinforcements are preparing to launch a large magic assault. Please keep the Goliath entertained until they’re ready!”

  “Understood. You and I shall take turns drawing its attention.”

  “Eh? No, wai—”

  “All right, you maggots! Andromeda is going to be the decoy, so get those spells going!”

  “—Boris?! You’re going to regret this!”

  Being given the most dangerous role in their operation, Asfi silently cried to herself as she and Lyu raced out in opposite directions to surround the giant. It was up to them to buy enough time for the others to prepare, with speed as their only advantage.

  “We’ve got more than enough weapons, dammit! If anything breaks, come get a new one!”

  A small group had gathered on a hill a little ways from the Goliath. The inhabitants of Rivira had established makeshift bases next to the crushed Central Tree and a short distance from the rock slide that covered the southern tunnel. Swords, spears, and shields were lined up on the outside of the bases with more spares on the inside. Dwarves and animal people with muscular builds took broadswords, greatswords, and thick shields without hesitation as they headed for battle. Hestia and Chigusa arrived at the supply base just behind them.

  “W-we have a shot!”

  “A-amazing…”

  Hestia and Chigusa watched as hundreds of adventurers from many different Familias worked together to trap the giant monster.

  “Surround it—! Surround it—!!”

  The adventurers moved to set up a perimeter around the Goliath. Even though none of them knew one another very well, much less fought side by side, they stayed close together while maintaining enough space not to bump into anyone.

  Elves and other magic users gathered together in small groups and started reciting their spells to cast Magic. Magic circles of various sizes, shapes, and colors appeared at the feet of a select few. These mages had acquired the Advanced Ability “Conjure,” which increased the power and range of all magic. It was proof of their prowess as magic users.

  However, their magic required a very long spell to cast. Each magic user was reciting their spells as quickly as possible.

  Their clear and rhythmical voices were quite pleasing to the ear. Unfortunately, they were completely defenseless in the middle of casting. Therefore, groups of dwarves wielding thick shields that stood as high as they were tall stepped forward to protect them.

  “—AAOO!”

  The Goliath had noticed their presence and launched a howl at the closest group, but the wall of dwarves held strong against the attack. Not even the slightest bit of energy made it past their shields to the magic casters.

&nb
sp; When compared to a direct hit from the giant’s fist, a howl wasn’t all that powerful. As long as the monster didn’t get close enough to land a punch or a kick, the dwarves’ shields were more than a match for the Goliath’s ranged attack.

  Knowing this, the lines of Level 3 adventurers left the attacking duties to Lyu and Asfi to keep the walls protecting the mages intact.

  “We need a front line! Get in there! Cut that thing down and claim your glory!”

  Fearless groups of attackers came out from behind the walls and charged toward the beast. Whipping themselves into a rage, the attackers broke off into parties of four to five adventurers as they closed the distance.

  The first ones to arrive waited for Lyu or Asfi to distract it long enough for a window of opportunity to attack one of the beast’s two legs. The Goliath looked down in surprise as greatswords, hammers, and axes slammed into its lower body before looking up as a shadow flashed in front of its face. Asfi threw another one of her Burst Oil grenades into its eyes, momentarily blinding the massive creature. It cried out in anger and frustration as six groups of attackers continued their assault on its knees and feet.

  “Bell, you all right?!”

  “Welf!”

  Rivira’s enforcements had rescued Mord’s group from the monster brawl, allowing Bell to join the adventurers at the forward base. He had never seen so many magic users casting at the same time and was a bit overwhelmed by their intensity as Welf came running up to him.

  “What about Mikoto and Ouka?!”

  “They’re fine; joined up with the guys fighting the normal monsters.”

  The Goliath might be taking center stage, but many smaller battles were taking place around the forward base. Considering that the tunnel to the seventeenth floor and the path to the lower levels under the Central Tree was cut off, no new monsters would be appearing on the eighteenth floor. At the same time, there was a considerably large amount of monsters on this floor already. Bell scanned the battle and quickly found Mikoto and Ouka fighting alongside lower-level magic users and adventurers to protect their stronghold.

  “So, what now? Want to join me in the monster cull?”

  “I…”

  Bell paused for a moment, when another voice came from a little ways behind him.

  “Yo! Rabbit boy! Get over here for a piece of the action! Or are you too scared?!”

  A group of attackers was getting ready for another run and their leader called out half jokingly to Bell.

  They had heard the rumors and invited him to join them in the adventurer style, a challenge.

  “…Show ’em how it’s done. I wanna brag that I’ve got a contract with the guy who took down this floor boss, got that?”

  “—Count on it!”

  Bell smiled as Welf gave his shoulder a small shove. The boy nodded as they wished each other luck and went their separate ways.

  Bell raced off to join the group of attackers, caught up with them, and joined their formation. A large man with an eye patch gave him an affirmative jerk of his chin as if welcoming him as soon as Bell arrived.

  “Little Rookie! Are you goin’ in with those weapons?!”

  “A greatsword, please, the best one you’ve got!”

  “I hear ya. Take this one!”

  One of the attackers in the group took a spare greatsword off his back and handed it to Bell. The boy thanked him. Bell held the greatsword in his right hand, resting the back of the blade on his shoulder as the group of attackers, four in all, left the forward base and charged toward the giant.

  However, it saw the group coming and ran to meet them.

  “““OH, SHIT!”””

  “Huh?”

  The “brave” attackers immediately changed course, leaving Bell behind. Still a relative newbie, Bell didn’t recognize the danger in time to get out of the Goliath’s path like they did.

  Bell wondered if maybe he was falling into a trap as he charged toward the Goliath, alone. The giant’s damaged, bloodshot eyes managed to lock onto the single figure charging toward it.

  Zing! The monster’s ferocious aura hit him hard. Bell looked around, searching for an escape route, when suddenly—the image of locks of golden hair passed through the back of his mind.

  “—”

  The girl who’d slain a floor boss just like this one, on her own. An image of the knight who was far more powerful than him.

  Bell’s ruby-red eyes flashed with intensity as he looked up. Gripping the greatsword in his right hand with all of his might, the boy kicked off the ground and charged headlong toward his target.

  “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

  “—!”

  He pointed the sword at the giant’s leg and sped up.

  One path, straightforward to the target—Don’t run, fight! He reached his top speed. He managed to pass under the beast’s oncoming fist by the slimmest of margins, the ground behind him erupting in a cloud of dirt and crystals.

  Legs a blur beneath him, he stayed on course. He was now inside the Goliath’s defenses, but the threatening presence of its massive fist just behind him kept his senses on high alert as he closed in on his target, the beast’s left leg. Grabbing the hilt of the greatsword with both hands, he swung—and hit.

  “Gah!!”

  A dull impact. The creature’s hide was too strong to pierce; however, the impact did inflict some damage.

  Bell’s strike caused the floor boss’s leg to quiver. The damage inflicted by the hit-and-run raids of the attackers had been immense.

  Bell took a page out of their book and escaped between the legs of the giant and out behind it, amid cheers from the people who’d witnessed his deed.

  “Mr. Cranell, that was reckless.”

  “L-Lyu…”

  “No amount of life will save you if you try that again.”

  Lyu caught up with him, running side by side as she scolded him.

  Bell could feel her sky-blue glare coming from underneath the hood. His shoulders sank like those of a child being put in timeout.

  “I will give a signal; follow my lead to attack. You should be able to keep up.”

  “…! Yes!”

  Lyu looked forward before speaking. Bell nodded enthusiastically and moved behind her.

  The two advanced like master and apprentice as they continued their assault on the floor boss.

  The attackers tenaciously targeted the floor boss’s legs in an effort to bring it to ground, or at the very least restrict its mobility. Although they were unable to injure the Goliath enough to keep it in one spot due to its extremely thick hide, their attacks made the beast’s movements clumsy and awkward.

  The mages finished their spells just as a group of attackers celebrated another successful run.

  “Front lines, get back! Big stuff’s comin’ in!”

  Lyu, Bell, and the other attackers immediately withdrew. They had drawn the Goliath into the middle of a small network of magic users protected by walls. The beast’s bloodred eyes opened wide once it realized what was about to happen.

  Every single magic caster grinned, knowing there was no escape for their target now, and thrust their staffs upward.

  New colors flashed throughout the battlefield. Magic circles shone brightly as wave after wave of magic hit the beast all at once.

  “?!”

  Magic of every element continued to pound the monster. It was assailed by burgeoning balls of flame, followed by thunderbolts in the shape of spears, all while being caught between massive tornadoes and skewered by a rain of long, thick ice shards. A group of attackers equipped with magic swords added yet another round of flames to the assemblage of smoke and explosions that had completely engulfed the Goliath’s body.

  At long last, the magic barrage came to a stop. Everyone’s ears were ringing as the echoes of the last explosion died out. Every set of eyes was trained on the ball of smoke in the middle of the battlefield…A massive arm emerged as the smoke started to clear, but there was no ha
nd attached. Next, a heavily damaged head and shoulders were revealed as they slumped forward. The Goliath’s skin was torn to shreds, exposing raw muscle and spewing blood from every angle.

  White smoke billowed out of its mouth as the beast tried to draw breath, showing just how much damage it had absorbed.

  The adventurer ranks yelled out in celebration.

  “Let’s finish it off, maggots!! ATTAAAAACK!!”

  All of the attackers moved in at once. They came in from every angle, all of them looking to be the one who delivered the final blow.

  This time, their target was the Goliath’s head.

  “…?”

  “Lyu?”

  Bell had the same triumphant smile on his face as the other attackers, until he noticed that Lyu’s shoulders were shaking.

  Her eyes were very serious, narrowed beneath her hood, until they suddenly snapped open.

  “—FUOOOO.”

  The other adventurers noticed it at about the same time, too.

  The Goliath should have been too badly injured to move, and yet it raised its head. The injuries that it had sustained were gone.

  Red specks of light emerged from its body, more specifically from its wounds. The adventurers watched in horror as the Goliath’s skin regenerated right before their eyes. The red specks were multiplying while all the damage was being erased. Soon, all that was left on its body were scars.

  The Goliath stood up with renewed vigor.

  “Self-regeneration?!”

  Screamed Asfi in disbelief. The Goliath recovered from its injuries at an astounding pace and locked its eyes on the attackers who had charged in close—then the stunned and horrified mages—before raising its arms above its shoulders and bringing its hands together above its head.

  Then it brought both massive fists straight down into the ground.

  “”

  The great plain split.

  The ferocious explosion sent a destructive shock wave through the ground. The attackers were instantly swallowed up by an ever-expanding tsunami of debris. It was no time at all before the adventurer walls were overwhelmed and the mages overtaken.