As I stood up to leave, I heard shouting in the distance behind me. I quickly ducked around a corner.
“It’s that way! The minotaur’s over there! Please, do something!”
“Man, I hate finding stuff like this on the new floors!”
“Quit complaining and get used to it! It’s always like this. The treasures’ll make it worth it!”
Their footsteps stopped.
“It…it’s dead…?”
“Some other mercs got to it first, huh?”
“No, look…there aren’t any wounds on its body. Some kind of magic, you think?”
“Wait, look! There’s a wound here.”
“Somebody took it down with a single blow from a shortsword?! Man, that’s terrifying!”
It wasn’t a single blow from a shortsword.
I hurried down the hallway and deeper into the ruins.
Having eyes in the back of my head is really useful. Back in the Ruins of Disposal, I was so scared of being ambushed that I was always on edge, sneaking around with my back to the wall…
“Squee, squee squee!”
“Safe to proceed!” Piggymaru seemed to say. At the edge of my vision, his tentacle flashed green at regular intervals—the sign for all clear. Thanks to Piggymaru, I could focus on whatever was in front of me. My ruins-clearing adventure was going well.
Most mercenaries have to buy themselves a map, but when the inspector realized I didn’t have one, he’d winked and slipped one into my bag. Thanks to him, I had a good idea of which parts of the ruins had already been explored.
It’ll be easy to find my way until we reach that new level…
He’d also given me a pen and ink with instructions to draw a map as I went and sell it to somebody when I was back up on the surface.
I have a lot to thank that inspector for.
The monsters in the Mils ruins were barely an inconvenience—nothing compared to the ones I’d met in the Ruins of Disposal. They were weak—I probably could’ve killed most of them with my shortsword alone. My stat modifiers were improving my overall strength and stamina.
I’d heard that there were basically two different kinds of monsters—ones that delve down to the bottom of the ruins and ones that try to climb up and out. It would be easier if there were some way of stopping these monsters from traveling between floors, but the ruins in Mils had no such barriers.
The strongest monsters were all gathered in the upper levels in the Ruins of Disposal too…
Strong monsters blocking the upper levels meant that the lower ones didn’t get explored, so famous mercenaries would be called in to clear a path.
Some mercenaries don’t want to spend time exploring but are happy to earn some coin by killing a few monsters, I guess.
This is all based on what the Baron said, though. I don’t know how much is true. I really don’t want to get involved with any mercs, anyway—I’m better off keeping my distance. I don’t know enough about the magic systems of this world to answer any questions about my status effect skills, and there’s always the risk they could discover Piggymaru. Plenty of reasons to stay away.
I headed down the passageway to a lower level.
“So this is floor six…”
The new floor is fifteen levels down, so there’s still a long way to go.
I picked up the pace. These monsters were way weaker than I was used to, so I didn’t want to slow down.
I mean, it doesn’t really matter, but…I feel off about this. I have no idea how strong any of these monsters really are.
“Shhrraaa!”
Another one lunged at me from the dark.
“Paralyze.”
“O… Gh—”
“Poison.”
As they died, I dragged the poisoned monsters into a corner where I thought they wouldn’t be discovered.
I don’t want to draw the mercenaries’ attention.
I chewed some dried meat and had a drink of water while I wanted for another paralyzed monster to die.
The monsters in the Ruins of Disposal, the Soul Eater, the White Walkers…they were all actual threats. I even needed to put on a show for them to buy myself time to attack. But the monsters down here are like nothing.
“Nh?”
Piggymaru’s warning tentacle turned red. I instinctively pressed my back to the wall, trying to disappear into the shadows. Soon, I heard footsteps and conversation nearby.
“—Hm? You’re that guy who was shouting his head off in the square earlier, ain’tcha?” said a voice.
“I wasn’t the one who started that conflict! It was that infernal woman!”
I poked my head around the corner to see what was going on.
His name was Monk, right? Weird name, but easy to remember.
Monk was speaking to two muscular men.
“What do you want?” one man demanded in a low, gravely voice.
“I have a special favor to ask of you…”
The other man grinned, nodding his bald head and stroking his thick beard.
“We saw what happened earlier, y’know? Didn’t think much of ya when I saw you up in the square! You’re really somethin’, though, taking down three ghoul wolves at once without a scratch on ya! You’re strong, eh?”
“Of course! I’m Monk ‘The Flash’ Droghetti, am I not?”
The bearded man looked like he was sizing Monk up.
“Yeah, I’ve heard that name before. Ain’t many in Ulza that know it, but you’re a big deal back in Bakoss, eh? What’re you doing in a backwater like Mils?”
“Oh? You know my name, do you? I knew you weren’t like those other ignorant mercenaries!”
“’Course! None of those idiots have a freakin’ thing on us! So you got a job for us or what?”
“Yes. I will pay handsomely, if you do it right.”
“Heh heh… We’re in it for the money! Whaddya need?”
Monk began to cackle.
“That girl who humiliated me in the square… I want you to make her wish she’d never been born.”
Chapter 2:
The Princess Knight
“TO BE CLEAR, you want us to kill her, right?”
“Yes, I want you to kill her.” Monk sounded annoyed at having to clarify.
“Hmph.”
The two men spoke quietly with each other, apparently considering their options. Monk quickly broke in to inform them of the reward. They changed their tune immediately.
“We’re in.”
“I want her to beg for her life before she dies—give her time to truly regret the way she treated me, you know?”
“We can have our fun with her before we kill her though, yeah?”
“Of course. So long as you capture her alive, you’re welcome to do whatever you want with her body.”
“Oh man, really?!”
“Be my guest! She wounded my pride! She assaulted my dignity with her contempt! Teach her the consequences of her actions! Break her apart!”
The bearded man looked delighted.
“This is sounding better by the minute. Even under that big cloak, I could tell she’s got quite the body…but she’s some kind of traveling warrior, ain’t she? How strong is this girl?”
“There’s no doubt she’s feisty…but she looked so tired, like she was about to fall over. I could take her by myself, of course, but on the off chance she surprises me, I thought I’d hire some help. I want this done right.”
The bearded man gave his axe a resolute swing.
“No little girl could beat us anyway! Not like we’re fighting the Goddess Vicius or nothin’!” He laughed heartily.
“She was tired, but I saw her hurrying through the ruins. She must be after the Dragon-Eye Cup… All she cares about is money, it seems!” said Monk. “Just another greedy whore. She’ll probably do anything for coin, eh?”
“How’s about this? We find that Dragon-Eye Cup first and pretend to offer it to her. Then we take her by surprise!”
“Th
-that’s brilliant! You’re a freakin’ genius!”
“Then, when she’s begging for her life—we’ll take her prisoner!”
“We can sell her when we’re done with her. Bet we’ll get a good price for her, even with some wear and tear!”
“W-wait a minute now, my good men! You’re to kill her, mind! I hope that’s understood?” pressed Monk.
“Heh. You’re real pissed with her, ain’tcha?”
“Of course! She humiliated me, yet she’s still out there walking around with her nose up in the air! And then she acts like she’s completely forgotten about our encounter! Oh, it gets under my skin…she’s driving me crazy!” he spat furiously. “I-I won’t get a good night’s sleep u-until I see that smug face of hers twisted up in agony! She thinks she can take me lightly?! Me?! I-I won’t allow it! I’ll kill her and feed her to the monsters…I’ll watch as her pretty face is devoured by beasts!”
By the end, Monk was screaming, and the men looked taken aback.
“I mean, that’s all well and good, but…let us have some fun with her first, won’t you? It’d be a waste to just kill her so quick.”
“Sure, but as soon as you’re done with her, she’s monster food! She’s going to regret how she treated me!”
The men smiled tightly. They looked like they were already having serious doubts about Monk.
“Are you even paying attention? Go wait for her at the bottom of that staircase!” he ordered, pointing down into the caves in my direction. “I found the perfect place for an ambush!”
Didn’t he say he saw Mist on the upper floors? She’ll be coming down here soon…
I walked slowly out of the shadows. The bearded man saw me first.
“Huh? Who the heck are you? You listening in on us?!”
“Worthless. All of you.”
Monk glared at me with bloodshot eyes.
“What did you say?! Are you talking to me, boy?! I’ll kill you! No, I have a better idea. If you can’t respect your superiors, I’ll feed you to the monsters!!”
This guy is unhinged.
The two men reached for their weapons.
“Tch! Some stupid brat with a hero complex? Die quick for me, won’tcha?!”
“People die in these ruins all the time! We can cut off his arms and legs and let the monsters eat him alive!”
I reached out a hand toward them.
“Wait a minute,” I said.
“What?!”
“I’m sorry. Please, forgive me.”
“Pfft! You’re begging for your life already? Pathetic! Can’t back up your big mouth, huh?”
“Paralyze.”
They froze.
“Wh— hh— Nhh…?”
“Wha— the…? I can’t… Move…?”
These guys are so much weaker than the four I faced in the forest. I can tell just by how they respond to my Paralyze skill. It was way too easy to trick them—why did I even bother?
“H-how…?” struggled Monk, his eyes bulging, frozen wide open in shock. “What did…y-you do…?”
“Who knows? Anyway…”
I walked over to Monk and whispered in his ear.
“You’re going to kill me, are you?”
He gave a stifled shriek.
“Wh-wh… Who are y…ou? You’re just…some dumb…w-weakling…”
“Heh, sorry. Did I surprise you?”
My inner bad guy bubbled to the top.
“Exterminating scum like you…it feels kinda good. I could get used to this.”
“Huh?”
That’s not all, of course…I owe Mist a favor for helping me out earlier, and it’s not like I was gonna side with these guys over her. But it’s not a question of right and wrong. Too-ka Mimori is nobody’s friend, and nobody decides anything for him. I do what I want.
“People die all the time in these ruins, don’t they?”
Multiple targets acquired.
“Poison.”
“Uh… Gh… Wh—?! Wha…?”
“I-it burns…”
“H-he…lp…”
Monk stared at me with intense, hate-filled eyes.
“Y-you’re… going t-to… regret th…is…”
“Ha ha ha, are you braindead or what? You think I’m going to let you live?” I laughed and gave my most twisted smile. “I’m going to crush you. Right here, right now.”
You tried to kill me, so I’ll return the favor.
“Ghh?! Nh…”
I noticed several monsters slowly creeping closer.
Good enough.
I turned to walk away.
“Looks like you’re gonna be monster food.”
I heard the attack cries of the monsters behind me as I took the staircase down to the next floor.
“Geh!”
“Geh-geh!”
“Gyogah!”
For a moment, the noises stopped—then they started up again, even more frenzied.
“Kyah Shyaaaaa—!”
Guess they found Monk and his friends. I wonder whether the poison killed them, or if the monsters got them first.
I heard a faint scream in the dark. Piggymaru stuck out a tentacle in my direction.
“Squee!”
The slime seemed angry with the three guys we’d just met.
“Harsh, but fair,” I said.
“Squee!”
I sat down in the dark and began rearranging my stuff.
“Sque-sque-sque? Squee!”
A warning.
The monsters had finished their meal and were coming this way. Did they catch my scent?
“Looks like they’re still hungry.”
“Gyaaaah!”
I fired off my usual combo at every monster that came around the corner. They all went down quickly.
“Gh— Gyo—?”
Doesn’t seem like eating Monk poisoned them…I guess my Poison skill is only poisonous to the target itself?
When I returned to see what had become of Monk and his cronies, they had all been devoured. Only blood-spattered bits remained, deep red stains that seeped into the ground. Their coin purses were split, silver spilled out across the gruesome scene.
I should leave the money…it’s got blood all over it. The inspectors upstairs might check my coin when I’m leaving this place. It’d take ages to clean them off one by one…besides, I have money to spare.
I left what remained of their bodies untouched and returned to the monsters I’d just poisoned. They were still alive, at least for the moment.
I don’t want to wait for them to die.
I walked up to each monster and slit their throats one by one.
Did that get me any experience points? I haven’t leveled up once since I got to this place…I guess they just don’t give much EXP. It’s not worth it to go out of my way to kill them.
I continued down to the next floor.
From what I’ve seen of these ruins, a single floor isn’t that big a deal—they’re almost small. The Ruins of Disposal might be messing with my sense of scale.
I kept killing monsters with my usual combo and moved quickly through the ruins. Since it had a shorter range than Paralyze, I saved my Sleep skill for reapplication. The range on Paralyze was around 20 meters, suited for long-range attacks, so I invariably used it as my first strike.
I’m reapplying Sleep to targets when I have time…I really want to get that skill to level 3 soon.
The deeper into the ruins I went, the fewer mercenaries I encountered. I stopped a moment and leaned against a wall to check my MP.
MP: +58517 / 59037
No need to worry about running out, then…
I’d woken up that morning with full MP and realized that it had regenerated in my sleep. It seemed that it had to be a pretty substantial rest, though—no uncomfortable naps like the ones that got me through the Ruins of Disposal.
I was levelling up so regularly that I never had to worry about MP. But if I’m getting it back every time I get a full night’s
sleep, it gives me a lot more leeway—I can use as much mana as I need.
I checked the pocket watch I’d bought with Mist.
“Time for a break.”
“Squee!”
There were break rooms built by past mercenaries and soldiers scattered throughout the ruins. Sometimes, kind souls had even left them stocked with food and drink. Unfortunately, the rooms had a tendency to be infested by monsters and humans alike before I got there. On the tenth floor, I headed to a break room that was marked on my map, but when I approached, I heard voices from inside. People. I tasked Piggymaru with watching my back and crouched down to listen.
“Tenth floor already, and we’re not even breaking a sweat!”
“Always good to make it down first in a ruins clearing, eh? We’re kicking their butts, and we even have time for a rest!”
“It’s ’cause we’re the best hunters! I can take down any of the monsters from that new floor—just let me at ’em!”
Did they head down right after the Baron’s announcement?
“Listen up, that Dragon-Eye Cup is ours! That thing belongs to the Sabre-Toothed Tigers!”
“Heck yeah!”
“Just five more floors to go before we’re in unexplored territory! We’ll rest here a little longer, then get a move on. Sound good?” That voice sounded female.
“Whatever you say, Boss!”
Sounds like they’ll be here a while. What do I do? I’d rather stay on my own. There’s no way I can rest with these guys around—I’ll have to keep my guard up the whole time.
Yeah…I’ll find myself another break room.
I made my way down another three levels before I found an empty break room. The map wasn’t as complete this far down, so I wandered around until I found the break room mark painted on the wall.
“Grrrgh!”
“Hff!”
Infested with monsters. Fourteen of them. Definitely can’t rest with those there.
Multiple targets acquired.
“Paralyze.”
“Grrgh?! Gh…?”
“Poison.” I had finished off the monsters but created a new problem for myself. “I’m going to need to move these corpses.”
Some of them are big.
I decided to try my luck with floor fourteen instead. After searching for a long time, killing monsters as I went, I gave up.
“Nothing else for it, huh?”
Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells (Light Novel) Vol. 2 Page 4