by volume 1
In a short period of time, the dungeon wall in front of me was broken.
“……!”
Monsters are born from within the dungeon.
It had been born right in front of my eyes, it was as if I had witnessed a life coming from within the walls of the dungeon. The speed of its growth was extremely fast, and instantly evolved into a state that could battle.
This huge dungeon was indeed the mother of the monsters that could threaten the humans.
From the crack on the wall jumped out a monster’s hands that struggled in the air. One hand was clinging onto the walls with all its strength, the other was exposed outside. The dungeon walls messily fell apart.
At the end, a huge explosive sound ignited and the monster landed on the floor.
To express it in one word, it was a
It was about 160 cm tall. It had a body similar to mine although, from his head to the legs, it was completely black and the shape of the two arms and legs were extremely similar to a human’s. However, without the hair and the skin, it did not feel like an animal and its entire body was completely painted black.
The only difference was the cross-shaped head with a face that was like a round mirror embedded onto it.
Just like a shadow that had turned into monster.
The monster that appears on the 6th floor,
“~……”
Gasha, a sound appeared from behind, turning my head around, another War Shadow was born from the wall, and was falling down.
A pincer attack.
No, two versus one. It was an unfavorable situation.
From the previously completely silent state, instantly —— as I had fallen into a trap —— the original face of the dungeon appeared.
“……”
The War Shadow that had no vocal organs, silently moved their bodies, quietly preparing for battle.
From the incredulous luster that was emitted from their face, it was staring at its prey.
“……haaa”
Breathing out a sigh, I once again gripped tightly onto the dagger that was dyed red.
I estimated that I had reached a state where I was not able to completely defeat them, so it was complete despair.
My brain had thought back to the scene that happened at the bar. The body that had cooled down because of the despair, instantly reignited once again.
Ignoring the instinct that was warning me, I rushed out to fight the foolhardy battle in front of my eyes.
× × ×
The War Shadow has very sharp
In front of the unusual two arms, were three fingers, those three thin and long fingers were shaped like a knife. It climbs at a speed that was incomparable to the Kobolds and Goblins, and with their two hands as weapons, they were ready to attack.
The War Shadow’s combat abilities were among the best in the 6th floor.
The War Shadow was designated as the first monster that a rookie adventurer could not defeat in the upper floors of the dungeon, which is within the 1-12 floor range.
“——! ?”
In fact, it ended exactly that way.
While initiating the attack, I was injured.
The two War Shadows moved independently and, although it was very repetitive, they had terrifying power and speed. Using that speed that I had never experienced before, swinging their black hands around, my clothes and even my skin were gently scratched.
The long arms could also retract themselves. It had a decisive advantage in attacking range over the opponent, so it would not let the opponent come close easily.
It was completely different to the monsters I have seen up to now.
Unable to fight back, there were no weaknesses and no chance to escape.
It was, simply put, strong.
“……”
“Kuuuu——! ?”
The soundless attack was a deadly attack.
The curved hook-shaped black edges approached my eyes, so my heartbeat increased, wanting to jump above it and avoid the attack, but I could not do it because, right now, another attack was coming from outside my vision.
From the front, the side and the back.
With me at the center, the four black arms continuously attacked.
My body was like a top, being constantly attacked by the monsters. My sight had already been blurred by the huge amount of sweat and fresh blood, and unconsciously, my life was about to reach to the edge. Suddenly I felt that my life was in danger.
Once I noticed this, I calmly breathed out.
(——Why)
Although it was a bit late, but I felt that my own sense of anxiety was, at the same time, a strong and uncomfortable feeling.
My poor ability to think was startled by my sense of crisis, which allowed me to retrieve a little bit of cool, finally I could confront the current situation.
——Why am I still alive?
The first thing that I had to notice was this.
Why is my body still comfortable on the 6th floor.
Thinking carefully, this was indeed strange. For an adventurer that had just begun entering the dungeon half a month ago, it was impossible to survive on this floor. After encountering the War Shadow and barely managing to survive, it was completely impossible.
I was indeed taught that by that half-elf. And I have also been warned.
With a rookie’s
(——Sta…tus?)
The thought that instantly passed through my brain, despite only being updated once there was a crazy growth of abnormal numbers.
Does that mean my brain was filled with all sorts of ideas.
The
“Ah, Kuuu——!?”
The sudden shock that pierced through my body, brought my own consciousness back to reality.
While I was unnecessarily thinking, the War Shadow had directly attacked my body.
An attack that was like a clenched fist hit my shoulder. My entire body followed the flow of the attack and flew away, the strong impact made me drop the dagger in my hand onto the floor.
My only one weapon issued a crisp sound on the floor.
“!”
My own black shadow also immediately climbed to the location where I landed onto the floor.
The War Shadow that had just attacked and the other one moved their right arms that had stopped earlier on.
Its eyes became very small.
The immediate scene became as if the passage of time had slowed down.
My past memories suddenly flowed through my mind. Like a revolving lantern, the things that I had experienced so far began to replay themselves.
That includes the newest one which is the fateful encounter I had.
(——)
Then, it was the one that granted me the Grace……My most important memory: Kami-sama’s smile.
“——! !”
After a moment, I used all my strength to move my body once again.
Jumping up from the ground of the dungeon, I used my right arm to attack the eye of the War Shadow.
The long black arm passed through my cheek, even if my skin was scratched, I still used all my strength to fully grasp the fist in my right hand and attacked towards the enemy’s face.
What was heard was a dull crushing sound.
“…… , ……! ?”
The fist that contained all my power destroyed the enemy’s mirror-like face, and pierced through the head.
After being pierced, a black liquid leaked out from the back of his head. The War Shadow, in a state where it crossed its arms, had a little spasm, its entire body lost its strength, and fell to the knees.
“——Fuuu!”
I could not stop now.
Retrieving my hand from the face of the monster, I used a lightning-like speed to approach the War Shadow, that was frozen due to his companion being defeated.
I t
ook advantage and picked up the dagger that had fallen to the ground, rushed towards the arms of the enemy.
The swaying body of the War Shadow prepared to intercept the attack, but I reached it first, so I won.
Instantly my dagger.
Towards earning another victory, it sliced off the enemy’s chest.
“————! !”
The Magic Stone within the sliced chest, unfortunately, was broken.
It could not emit any sound and died, the monster’s dark black body turned into ashes.
I, who drew the dagger out, remained at that spot, after looking at the large amount of ashes lying on the floor, I suddenly lost my strength and began to gasp.
“Ha——, Ha——, Haaa……!”
Allowing my lungs to violently breath, I stared at the sky.
Once the tension of being nervous was cut off, the fatigue appeared from my body. Needless to say, this was certainly a very dangerous battle. Gently opening my eyes, I listened to the sound of my rapid heartbeat.
What exactly happened to my own body?
The enemy that was one level higher than me and which I was not supposed to have overcome, was defeated by myself. This overturned common knowledge, was it because of the sharp rise of my
What exactly happened to my body, I completely did not know.
Problems that continued to appear one by one, made me completely unable to respond to it, suddenly it feels that my leg was about to break, seems like I reached my limits. I stopped thinking about these issues and began to move my scarred and tattered body.
Right now, I should escape as soon as possible.
As if I was being pulled by my re-awakened reason, I headed towards the entrance.
However, just like it was informing me that I
“——“
I stopped breathing. Lifting up my head, on the left and right hand side, the walls seemed to be like a spider’s nest, constantly splitting apart. Instantly, four, which is double the previous amount, of War Shadows were born from the dungeon.
……This is one of the reasons Eina-san had mentioned about why you do not venture down to the lower floors of the dungeon.
From the 6th, no, 5th floor, the frequency of the monsters being born was completely different than before.
I could only speechlessly daze off there, plus, a sound, as if I was cornered, entered my ears.
Turning around, from the only entrance, appeared a lot of monster eyes.
(——……Uwaahh)
One following another, the 5th floor monsters began to enter the wide space.
After the only entrance was sealed, I immediately entered a deadlock state. The War Shadows were also surrounded by other monsters.
Although it was like this, my head remained unusually calm.
“……”
I slowly walked over to the place where I defeated the earlier War Shadow and bent down.
Picking up the
Equipping the remaining one finger out of the three, I instantly completed my gear. Holding onto the dagger that did not have any handle, my hands split apart, and blood continuously flowed out.
——Let’s do this then.
I, who was holding onto two weapons, narrowed my eyes.
I, who was cornered, did not hold the idea of giving up, but rather the determination and will of one who would die here.
There is a height which I wished to achieve.
I would not be stopped by this place.
I, who was surrounded by the roars of the monsters, was renewed.
As if I was driven by a burning imprint, I grabbed onto my weapons.
After a while, I began to fight the rushing monsters.
Chapter 4: So I Wanted to Become Your Strength
The mechanical sound that warned about the time rang within the house.
The clock on the wall had its hands pointing at 5 o’clock in the morning.
Within the hidden house in the church, Hestia was constantly walking back and forth.
(No matter what it is, it is still too late……!)
Her arms folded, frowning, her face was showing an anxious expression.
Bell’s growth rate is probably affected by his crush on Aizu and after looking at that kind of
Holding onto her temper and went to drink, but when Hestia returned, what greeted her was only silence, Bell was not in this hidden house.
Because she was the one to tell him to eat by himself, and also because no one greeted her when she came back, she was in a even more terrible mood, as a result, she did not shower and jumped onto the bed, deciding to go to sleep, but……10 o’clock, 11 o’clock, 12 o’clock, Bell who still did not come back even when it was midnight, made her feel anxious.
Because she held dissatisfaction and complaints to Bell, Hestia could only continue to lie in bed with her eyes opened, she finally threw off the blanket that covered her body, stood up and went outside to look.
“Where did you go, Bell……”
In the end, there was no harvest.
The eye-catching white hair could not be seen at all, so she held a glimmer of hope when she returned to her house, but the youth’s body was not there.
Hestia ran around the entire night in the streets, as a result she had a tired expression. It had completely replaced the anxious tension she had earlier on.
(Was it because of what I said? But, even if others brought trouble to this child, but he should have suppressed his feelings within his heart……Normally, he should have run to me and apologized.)
Thinking about when she had last left, Bell revealed an expression as if he was a discarded rabbit.
The sense of guilt that she felt at that time once again surged through her chest, Hestia shook her head.
This is not the time to be immersed in sadness, calm down and think.
(But if it was unrelated to me, then the reason why Bell would not come back is……)
He was involved in an incident.
Her composed body collapsed like a sand castle, and she began to sweat. Hestia, who was impatient, decided to once again search for Bell and headed to the door.
“——Bugyu”
The moment when Hestia placed her hand onto the doorknob.
As if it was calculated, the rectangle door headed towards her.
And gave Hestia a face blow!
At the same time, her boobs made a “mugyu” sound that crushed the sound of her scream!
Hestia trustworthy level immediately increased by 100!
Covering her face that was hit, Hestia groaned.
“K…Kami-sama……S…Sorry……”
Hestia, who had nausea due to the sudden attack, heard the voice that came from above her head, she let go of her two hands that covered her eyes.
Looking at the owner of the voice, and noticed that he was safe, Hestia stood up.
“Bell-kun! ?”
As she had expected, the person standing in front of her was Bell.
She felt relieved. Hestia, who was looking at Bell, unconsciously began to shed tears……But, looking at Bell’s face, she was speechless.
An apologetic expression was faced towards Hestia. The red and brown wounds, the mud-stained body, his weary state were impossible to conceal.
Lastly, his lower body. The pants that were covered by mud, were already broken, and on his right knee, there were three scars that were torn by sharp claws. The black stains means that the blood had already solidified, looks like the knee injury was most serious.
Hestia’s expression changed, and she approached Bell.
“What happened, this injury is! ? Could it be you were attacked by someone! ?”
“I…It’s not like this, there isn’t……”
“Then, WHAT HAPPENED! ?”
“……I entered…the dungeon.”
The words th
at were squeezed out made Hestia completely forget about her anger, and stood there stunned.
“I…Idiot! What were you thinking of! ? Entering the dungeon like that……And also…FOR THE ENTIRE NIGHT! ?”
“……Sorry”
Right now, Bell was not wearing any defensive equipment. It was the same as being naked in the dungeon.
A single attack from a ferocious monster could be fatal. The multiple scars on his body also say this.
Looks like he was still holding onto the dagger he used as a charm……Superficial, stupid, you could only call it this.
Using this sort of equipment to challenge the dungeon the entire night, it was really a simple idiot who did not want his life.
“……Why did you do such an unreasonable thing? As if you gave up on yourself, it’s not like you?”
“……”
Looking at Bell’s current appearance, Hestia also lost the mood to scold him, and used a gentle voice to warn him.
But Bell did not speak. His bangs blocked his eyes, expressing his refusing mood.
Hestia quietly sighed.
“I know, I won’t ask. You are surprisingly stubborn, even if I ask, I know that there is no meaning to it.”
“Sorry……”
“What, forget it. Then go take a bath now. It looks like the blood had already stopped, carefully wash the stains caused by the wounds. Then later, we’ll have treatment”
“……Yes, thank you”
Finally, Bell gave off a slight smile, Hestia, who was holding in the pain within her heart, gave off a wry smile.
Pushing open the door, allowing Bell to come in.
Looks like the injury on the right knee caused a burden to his body.
Hestia, who could not continue to watch it, silently cursed her own height, while she attempted to use her shoulder to support him.
“S…Sorry”
“Today you kept apologizing. If you really feel sorry about it, then properly reflect about it okay?”
“Y…Yes……Sorry”
“You see, again”
They walked together towards the bathroom. Pushing open the wooden white door beside the bed in the innermost location of the house. The door was somewhat crooked, making the angle of the door somewhat strange.
Hestia, who was using all her strength to support Bell, suddenly thought about something, and spoke.