The Labyrinth. In an area inhabited by insectoid monsters, I ran through the humid green corridor all by myself.
I dodged the scythes that ca at from all directions, sotis deflecting them with my sword when I had to.
In front of was a giant butterfly boss monster, and many other monstersall in the shape of a praying mantiswere surrounding .
I sorted the information provided by Dinsion in my mind and determined the shortest route to break through the situation. I left the swarm of scythes behind and charged toward the giant butterflythe Queen of Forestwithout looking aside.
In response, the Queen of Forest shook her wings, generating wind scythes that glided through the air towards . Not much of a threat, to be honest. The wind scythes were each only a few ters wide, effectively no different from any normal slash. I had no problem dodging them, getting closer to the boss monster as I did, until I finally brought my sword to the heart of my foe.
The Queen of Forest shielded her chest with her shell-covered arms. However, I changed the path of my sword the mont she did so.
My sword cleanly decapitated her head, and with the sa movent, I also slashed the limbs that had lost their power. The clickity-clack noise of the surrounding mob monsters grew louder. They attacked in their rage.
But it was no use. Their vanguards were no match for , especially after they lost the support of the Queen of Forests long-range attacks.
I slashed at the incoming mantises, one by one.
That was how the battle ended in less than a minute since it started. The Queen of Forest and her underlings disappeared in a flash of light.
Phew
I let a sigh escape .
Conclusively speaking, it was a fight with too much leeway. And rightly so. My level was different from before. However, the accomplishnt of defeating a boss all by myself that previously required two people to defeat felt undoubtedly rewarding.
Imdiately, I checked my Status.
Status
Na: Kanami Aikawa
HP: 302/322, MP: 506/512
Class:
Level: 10
STR: 6.19, VIT: 6.28, DEX: 7.21, AGI: 9.44, WIS: 9.33, MAG: 21.66, APT: 7.00
Constitution:
Confusion: 8.59
EXP: 17501/20000
Equipnt:
Araith Households Treasured Sword
Otherworldly Clothes
Robust Coak
Otherworldly Shoes
Defeating Tida had earned tens of thousands of EXP, pushing up to level 10. My ability values had skyrocketed compared to when I was level 6, and Id bet I could keep up with Tidas movents with those numbers.
However, my Confusion modifier had also increased dramatically.
By the way, Id saved up my Skill points, while my Bonus points were allocated to HP. STR and MAG hadnt failed just yet, so I dumped those points into HP for the ti being since Id discovered that HP could make up for MP in tis of need.
Once raised to that level, the EXP the Queen of Forest provided beca unsatisfactory. However, I felt like sothing in that the Display couldnt show had grown significantly.
I stopped deploying Dinsion.
I judged that there was no need to consu MP in the early stages. I knew the monsters and the trap layouts in the early floors, and there was little risk of dying because of them in terms of level difference. Above all else, ordinary explorers didnt have such a godly radar, naly Dinsion, at their disposal. I planned to refrain from relying on it too much so that I could cultivate my natural observation and attentive abilities. If I could conserve my mana with it, my capability to fight consecutive battles would improve too.
I put the Drop Items into my Item list and put the Map on the Display.
The paths I had taken were mapped out, and the shortest distance to the next floor was marked.
I proceeded along the path and probed around, not by magic but by using my five senses.
Aah Its actually scary
I muttered to myself for the first ti in a long while.
However, that was not the sa sad monologue as my first day in this world. It was a monologue to tell myself that everything would be all right.
I walked down the corridor, trying not to miss anything, and talked to myself from ti to ti to keep my nerves steady.
***
That days goal was twofold.
The first goal was to advance through the Labyrinth alone.
However, there would be no point in proceeding only on the Main Road, so I set myself to defeat one boss monster on each floor. That was also to prevent ignoring too many enemies, as I might end up on a floor with monsters way above my capabilities Although, none of the boss monsters in the early floors were any match for after I hit level 10.
I passed the 2nd floor, 3rd floor, and 4th floor with no problem.
And as I proceeded through the 5th floor, my feet brought to a certain room.
The last room separating the 5th floor from the 6th floor That was the space where we had fought Tida. That was also where I would look for Dias severed arm, which was the second goal for the days excursion.
I looked all around the room, but I couldnt find it. I gave up on it at the ti because it wouldnt enter my Item list, and we didnt exactly have any spare ti, but from the looks of it, it didnt seem like I would ever find it again. Maybe soone took it away, or maybe the Labyrinth had so sort of chanism to cleanse itself. There might even have been monsters roaming around that fed on filth and trash, for example.
I couldnt ask for what wasnt there, so I continued down the stairs to the next floor. When I reached the 6th floor, I spread out my Dinsion to scout out the nearest boss based on the information I had obtained at the tavern, but
UWAAAAHHH!!!
I was interrupted by a high-pitched scream.
That was an ordinary thing down there in the Labyrinth. Everyone faced adversaries at their own risks, so I usually kept a cold heart and ignored them. That ti, however, the scream was of a different kind.
It was a high-pitched scream. In short, a kids.
* * *
* * *
Had that been the voice of an adult, I would have been able to willfully pass it by. But because it was a kids, my conscience began to overco .
I knew it was all hypocritical, but to continue to fight against my conscience was painful. Sleeping at night was already difficult as is. Intentionally letting them die there would make every night a sleepless one.
I ran chasing after the scream, hating my own nature.
Ill just pop in quick and leave just as quickly.
I spread out Dinsion and acquired information before arriving at the destination. A few hundred ters away, there was a party of four engaging monsters in a particularly wide corridor.
There was a huge monster with countless tentacles rampaging in the center, and there were about ten octopus-shaped monsters, which appeared to be its underlings, surrounding it.
One mber of the party, a boy, was captured by the monsters. A girl with twin-tailed hair was trying to force her way in to save the boy. The other two were dealing with the octopus-shaped monsters that kept them engaged, so they seed to be unable to support the forr two.
It was the worst.
It was a party of explorers not too far below my age. They were won and children. If I left them to die, the stress would be too much.
I kept running as fast as I couldeventually, I could feel the humidity rise. Finally, when it felt like I was running in shallow water, I reached the battlefield.
Im not an enemy! Im here to help!!
The first thing I did was declare that I had no intention of being hostile. I didnt want them to attack in the case that they thought I was there to kill-steal.
I approached the enemy as I made my declaration.
Things were getting worse. The captured boy was being brought near the monsters huge mouth. Taking a closer look, the girl who was trying to defend the boy was also captured in the short ti it took to get there.
Magic, Dinsion Gladiator.
The mont my magic was cast, the underling monsters noticed my intrusion and reached out to grab .
I dodged them with minimal movent, cutting down anything that stood in my way, and pushed forward towards the giant monster.
First, I went to the girl who was caught by a tentacle and was about to be thrown into the air, and I slashed at the tentacle with my sword. I quickly resheathed the sword and caught the falling girl in my arms.
KYAaa eh?
The girl seed to have no idea what had happened. After a small shriek, she let out a small questioning yelp.
Then, after a few monts, she realized that she was in my embrace, and her face turned beet red.
I imdiately set her down and broke into a run. The biggest problem was the boy. I couldnt keep attending to the girl forever.
I arrived there right in ti, just before the boy was thrown into the monsters gaping mouth. I quickly sliced open the tangled tentacles, held the boy in my arms, and protected him from falling into the monsters gigantic mouth.
You okay?!
U-uhuh
The boy seed too frightened to speak properly. He was probably just a little younger than . His face was pale, and his body was shaking. Id bet he wouldnt be able to move well.
Seeing that, I patted him on the head.
Its all right now. Dont worry. Just stay a bit farther away.
O-okay, I will
I showed him the most gentle smile I could produce. Seeing that smile, the boy nodded, then retreated.
After that, I turned my heel and faced the monster.
Its underlings were octopi, but the main monster itself was sothing else altogether. Its countless tentacles were oddly similar to that of an octopus, but its main body reminded more of a crustacean, making it look like an amalgamation of a shrimp-octopus. It made a weird clacking sound as it wriggled what looked like crustacean legs around its huge maw.
It was probably about five ters in size. It was a monstrosity with most of its body consisting of a single mouth.
Definitely one of the most disgusting monsters my eyes had ever laid upon.
!!
I held my breath and leaped, using my sword to chip away at its offending mouth first. Its tentacles then gathered towards , sensing that the main body was in danger.
From the looks of it, the main body was dull, making the tentacles the sinew of the monster. I could see from its features that it was aquatic. However, it didnt seem to use any special aquatic ability.
I slit the tentacles one after another before I finally sliced the mouth horizontally. Then I found what I believed to be its sensory organs, naly its eyes and respiratory organs, and crushed them. Then, when the monster shrieked and stopped moving around, I jumped on top of its huge body and stabbed my sword through its brain.
Kii-kiiaaAAAAAAAAAAaaAAAAaaAAAAkkk!!!
The monster let out a screeching sound. I redoubled the strength I applied to my sword and sliced its brain vertically open. Sensing that it must be the killing blow, I quickly moved away from the monstrosity.
The monsters bodily fluids erupted out of it like a fountain, and its massive body collapsed to the ground. The countless tentacles followed suit, and soon after, all of them disappeared in a flash of light.
You have earned the title The Darkness of Ocean Depths
Your Dexterity has been adjusted by 0.01
After witnessing the Display give out its announcent, I turned my attention to the underling monsters. Those monsters didnt disappear even after their master had fallen. On the contrary, they would be enraged and attack the one who had killed their master, aka .
Which was welco. Those monsters stopped fighting the party of four and headed my way, so I doubted there would be any risk of death on those kids part.
I started to cut down the monsters that were drawing closer to . Their attacks made the best use of their elastic bodies, but their movents were just that slow. With Dinsion Gladiator up and running, they would never best .
The mont they were close enough to touch , they were already slashed, crumbled, and disappeared as light. It didnt take long to exterminate them all.
Haa, haa, haa!
Nevertheless, while I didnt take any damage, my breath was still ragged.
As I regulated my breathing, I checked around by way of magic to make sure all the monsters were gone. All that remained in the area was the party of kids and a magic stone that had fallen into the shallow water.
Sohow, I have a feeling I will be able to sleep peacefully tonight
E-excuse !
As I was feeling at ease with the outco, one of the party mbers called out to .
It was the first girl I had saved. She had long, golden hair in twin tailsher fashion sense seed quite outstanding. She was wearing an expensive-looking garnt that looked too out of place to be seen in the Labyrinth. If anything, it looked like a school uniform. It was a fine, indigo-colored outfit designed for cleanliness and practicality.
Err. It looked like you were in danger, so I brought myself to save you. Was I a bother?
I had no idea what I was supposed to do after I saved them. Hence why the words that ca out of my mouth were so strange.
Hearing that, the girl shook her head, a bit panicky.
N-never! It is preposterous to even think so!
P-preposterous?
Even combining both this world and before, that was the first ti ever I heard soone speaking like that. Well, no, I had heard it in stories and gas, but seeing a real live person speaking in that manner was a surprise.
I see. Thats good, then.
I am thoroughly grateful to you for saving us from such a grave situation. It still eludes how you took down that ferocious monster in but an instant If you dont mind, would you please enlighten with your na?
The girls eyes sparkled as she asked for my na. Her cheeks were red, and her nostrils seed to be slightly puffed up for so ti. Simply put, she seed to be in a state of excitent. Her neat and shapely profile, like that of a well-raised young lady, had been spoiled.
E-err, Im not a man worthy
I decided that I probably shouldnt give out my na to avoid getting into trouble, but then I would have to use the phrase, Im not a man worthy of being rembered. It was a phrase quite common in stories, but when it ca ti for to use it, for so reason, it beca really embarrassing to even say it, and so I was at a loss for words right in the middle of speaking.
Please, I am begging you Just give your na!!
Ah, yes. Its Christ.
The girls swarthiness pushed to spit my na out.
Oh dear, Christ-sama it is then. How beautiful it sounds.
The girl ruminated on my na, her expression ecstatic.
Ah, this girls a bad egg.
That was my first impression of the girl sumd up neatly. And then, soon, I would regret that I didnt just walk away without a word, as my impression of her hit the nail perfectly.
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