Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: Red and Three Times Stronger
Four top guilds were attacking the deep layers of the dungeon together.
We reached Floor 6 while facing monsters.
Aside from me and the Princess, I think the other guild members felt this floor was at their limit.
Therefore, we cannot let our guard down.
We gathered our spirits and advanced to Floor 6, but enemies greeted us immediately.
Waiting for us was a massive horde of Wraiths.
Wraiths are insubstantial monsters like ghosts.
Since they have no physical form, physical attacks are ineffective, and we rely on the mages' magic, but we were starting to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of Wraiths.
Among them, I discovered that my dagger, enchanted with Corrosion magic, is effective against Wraiths.
I took down one for now, but more enemies keep spawning, and the mages' magic might run out.
"Princess! This is a losing battle!"
"I know."
The Princess, the overall leader, understands this too, but I can't find a way to break through.
"Anyway, do Wraiths spawn in such massive numbers?"
"No, I've never encountered a horde like this either."
It seems Iroha hasn't encountered such a large swarm either.
"So, is it because we're fighting with such a high-level party?"
"Maybe!"
So, the number of spawns depends on the party's level and size—that's how it works.
I remember games having that kind of mechanic.
In this ridiculous dungeon that mimics games, it wouldn't be strange to have similar mechanics.
The enemies seemed to notice the mages' attack power dropping and descended from the air to the ground.
"You bastard! You!"
Gorilla swung his giant sword, trying to drive them off.
When the sword hit, they scattered for a moment, but then reformed into one.
Wraiths came around me too, so I used the Corrosion Dagger.
"Gyaah!"
When the sword hit, the white mist screamed and dispersed.
I didn't think Corrosion attacks would work on spiritual bodies, but for now, I've repelled them.
Even as I took down one or two, the number didn't decrease at all.
I noticed blue light gathering around Kaorulko.
This is a spell chant.
"Everyone, fall back!"
At the Princess's command, Kaorulko's magic activated.
"Tear apart the enemies who seek revenge -- Chain Lightning! 《Chain Lightning》"
When the magic activated, the air around us tightened in an instant.
Energy released from her exploded, birthing countless lightning bolts in the darkness, brightly illuminating the dungeon.
The flowing electricity shone sharply as if alive, rushing toward the enemies in a chain with the speed of lightning and thunder.
With a roar that split the sky, they surrounded the enemies with the flexibility of a snake and the raging power of a storm.
With every hit of that intense flash, an explosion rang out, the white mist scattered, and the enemy count decreased.
Amidst the flashes and thunder, the enemies collapsed one after another before the destructive power without time to dodge.
"Amazing!"
I couldn't help but cover my ears.
Since it was thunder in a closed space, the roar made my ears hurt painfully.
Everyone else was covering their ears too.
That magic seemed to scatter quite a few Wraiths, but some remain.
If things continue like this, more enemies might spawn and return to the original number.
I have to finish them off here -- though, the magic is running low, and my dagger is the only magical weapon.
"The Princess's long sword is the one dropped when we killed the Griffon, right?"
"Yes!"
"That was dropped by that monster, so I think it's a decent rare drop..."
"But it's a normal sword."
Is it because it's a special sword that it requires a lot of mana?
I borrowed the sword from the Princess.
"What are you going to do, Darling?"
It seems I have mana.
I can't use magic, but I can put mana into Magic Stones -- which means...
Maybe I can pour mana into this sword too.
"Mmm~"
I poured the hot sensation rising within my body into the hand holding the sword -- and felt it being sucked in steadily.
"Darling!"
"Whoa, what is this?"
Eventually, the tip began to glow.
Maybe if I use this sword as a medium, I can use magic too.
To confirm this effect, I charged at the enemies while holding the glowing sword.
"Ugh! Tora!"
I jumped and slashed at the Wraiths dancing in the air.
At the same time, a flash ran through the darkness, dispersing three Wraiths simultaneously.
"Ooh!"
Voices rose from the adventurers.
"This is amazing. Even I might be able to use magical attacks."
I thought that, but it seems I can only use it once per charge.
A bit disappointing.
I taught the Princess how to use it, but it seems she lacks the mana.
I can't have the mages charge it every time.
"Hmm, if there were other magical weapons -- Ah!"
I remembered the weapons in my Item Box.
I picked them up along with a large number of potions in the Nuclear Power Plant Ruins dungeon.
The idea I came up with was this:
Attack the Wraiths with the weapons I take out first.
Normal weapons without enchantments won't work on floating monsters, so I'll discard them.
I'll repeat that -- that's all.
I'm sure I picked up over ten of them, so maybe one has some kind of enchantment.
Normally dropped weapons can't be Appraised, so I don't know if they have enchantments, but with this method, I can check.
If this succeeds, won't this method become popular?
"More importantly --"
I took out one sword from my Item Box, held it, and charged into the enemies.
Swung -- but the enemies just scattered with no effect.
"Next!"
I threw the sword away and took out the next weapon.
Attacking the enemies clinging to my body with the dagger -- no effect.
"Next!"
The next weapon was a mace -- just scattered.
I threw the weapon into the darkness.
"Next!"
After trying about six, the seventh was a long sword.
"Oryaa!"
I took a stance, jumped, and smashed it down onto the Wraiths.
Not a slash this time, more of a smash.
"Gyaaaah!"
This time, I saw a reaction different from before.
The slashed enemies screamed, scattered, and something seemed to fall below.
This weapon has some kind of magic enchanted on it.
I don't know what the effect is, but for now, it works on the Wraiths here.
Just knowing that is useful for this battle.
I tossed the sword to the Princess.
"Princess, this is effective against Wraiths!"
"Understood!"
After tossing the sword, I thought "oops!", but she caught it easily.
Well, since she can see enemy tips as lines and movements in slow motion, catching a flying sword is easy.
I thought I could do it now too.
The Princess, having caught the sword, swept away the Wraiths flying around.
"Hiiiii!"
While letting out dry screams, the Wraiths dispersed and returned to the darkness.
"Amazing, Darling! This cuts Wraiths!"
"Hehe, cut them all!"
"Of course!"
I left the other side to the Princess; I had my own things to do.
There are still swords left in my Item Box.
I took out the eighth sword and smashed it down at the Wraiths.
"No effect! Next!"
I threw the sword away.
The ninth also had no effect.
"The last one -- Daaaaah!"
I slashed the approaching monster diagonally, cleanly splitting it in two.
It disappeared immediately.
This one is also effective against Wraiths.
"Iroha! Use this! It has an enchantment!"
I tossed the weapon I was holding to her, who was swinging the long sword.
"Seriously?"
Iroha, having caught it, slashed at the monsters around her.
"Gyaah!"
Letting out a high-pitched scream, the Wraiths disappeared into the darkness.
"Ooh! We got this one!"
No, it's fine.
If our combat power increases, it gets easier for us.
Anyway, even if I kill a lot on this floor, I won't level up.
The same goes for the Princess and Kaorulko.
They can't level up unless they face enemies from Floor 7 or 8.
For me, I probably need Floor 9 or 10.
In other words, the place where those Dragons are swarming.
I took out my dagger and tried to join the fight, but a Wraith charged at me.
I instinctively reached out.
As my hand was sucked into the spiritual body, I felt an unusual sensation in my palm.
At the moment of touching the skin, it felt as cold as ice, and a piercing chill seeped deep into my skin.
My hand sensation dulled, a discomfort like blood freezing spread, and a dull pain ran from my fingertips to my arm.
The sensation of passing through the spiritual body felt like being dragged into a separate space cut off from reality, stripping away the sense of reality.
The cold seeped into my bones, and a terror that made my whole body numb clung to me.
This is bad -- I thought, but a realization struck my head.
I can counter this with magic.
I can't use magic, but I could put mana into Magic Stones.
Can't I do the same to the Wraith's body?
I pushed back the cold traveling through my body and coming from my arm.
Then I hammered mana into the monster.
"Gu!"
Whether it was a voice or a sound -- I couldn't tell, but the white mist burst with a flash of lightning.
"Got it! This works!"
I tried to act tough, but my arms were covered in white frost.
My hands move, so it seems they aren't frozen inside.
Even if I get frostbite, I'm a high-level adventurer, so I can heal with potions.
As I found a new attack against Wraiths and felt a bit proud, I heard men and women screaming.
These weren't Wraith voices.
"Uwaaaaa!"
"Kyaa!"
Looking where the voices came from, Gorilla and the female mage of the Golden Path were half-merged with a Wraith.
In my case, it was just my arm, but if it's the whole body, it looks dangerous.
I have to save them immediately.
I drew my Corrosion Dagger and ran toward the two, but a large part of them had already merged with the Wraith.
Their faces were half-transparent, as if something had penetrated them, frozen in expressions of terror.
"This means weapons -- that's it!"
Maybe I can use the method I used to repel Wraiths earlier with mana.
I stuck my hands into the Wraith's body merged with the two.
I poured the mana coming from my palms into that numb, cold thing again.
As the coldness of my palms reversed, the white mist blew away.
"Are you okay?!"
"..."
Even to my question, the two stared with terrified expressions, mouths open.
Their bodies and faces were half-covered in white frost.
"Oops."
I looked around, but few enemies remained.
I can stop filming now.
For now, the Princess and Iroha seem able to handle the remaining Wraiths.
After confirming that, I took out potions from my Item Box.
I tried to make them drink it, but they were frozen stiff and wouldn't move.
Could it be too late?
I touched the woman's neck -- there was a pulse.
This is probably -- status abnormality, like in games?
I took out a spray bottle from storage.
I poured potions into the container and sprayed them on the two.
I thought about putting it in my mouth and blowing it, but if an old man did that to them, the two would feel pitiful.
When the potion mist hit their faces, the frost melted immediately.
"Hmm."
Even in this state, they probably can't swallow it.
So I used the spray bottle toward their nostrils.
If there's a pulse, there must be blood flow.
It should be absorbed through the nasal mucosa -- I thought.
I pointed the spray nozzle at Gorilla's nostrils too.
I was a bit skeptical myself, but changes appeared in the two's condition immediately.
"Cough! Cough!"
The two coughed while drooling.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Peeking at the female mage, her eyes were teary.
Well, having a ghost-like thing enter your body is a terrifying experience.
"...Uwaaaaah!"
She cried loudly and hugged me.
Her slender body trembled slightly, so she must have been terrified.
"Good, good, it was scary."
I stroked her brown wavy hair.
"U, uwaaaaa!"
"What is it now!?"
While distracted by the woman, Gorilla, whom I thought had regained his senses, ran into the darkness.
"Waaaaa"
"Hey! Come back!"
I could hear the armor clanging loudly, so he seems to be stumbling, but I can still hear his screams.
Is he panicking?
Since the voice is getting smaller, he seems to be moving away gradually.
"Princess!"
"We're done here!"
The Princess's voice came from the darkness.
"Leave it to me, Darling!"
Iroha seems fine too.
"Kaorulko, do me a favor! Go check on that idiot."
"Okay."
I called Kaorulko to handle the woman.
Yuuki seems fine, and the other mages are okay too.
It seems fine to leave the remaining enemies to the Princess and Iroha.
I ran into the darkness chasing the fleeing Gorilla.
There's nowhere to run from this place.
Maybe he's trying to escape to the safe zone at the entrance, but the distance is considerable, and there's a high chance of encountering enemies.
The Minotaurs I defeated with my Item Box trick on this floor seem to be monsters originally from this layer too.
It's quite dangerous.
Chasing Gorilla in the darkness, I heard screams.
"Uwaaaaa!"
This -- is that man's voice?
Did he encounter an enemy after running away?
We struggled quite a bit even with a large group, so it might be very tough for one person.
He's at a certain level too, so if he can hold out until I arrive --
While thinking that, the screams turned into death throes this time.
"Gyaaaaa!"
This is not normal.
Could he have been taken out?
Hurrying toward the direction of the voice, something floated up in the darkness.
I couldn't tell the color.
A large humanoid with dark-looking skin.
I took out a camera from my Item Box.
The monster was illuminated by the light attached to the camera, revealing its skin was a dark red.
The monster standing before me exuded a terrifying sense of pressure.
Dark patterns pulsed on its surface like fire.
Two sharp, thick horns protruded from its forehead, as if ready to pierce prey.
Its eyes were black and shiny, looking like red flames burning within the pitch black.
Sharp teeth protruded from its mouth, it growled lowly in rhythm with its breathing, and a creepy smile floated on its lips.
It seemed to have quite a bit of intelligence.
Large wings spread from its back, their shape resembling bat wings wrapped in darkness.
Black veins floated between the membranes.
From the monster's shape, one image came to my mind.
Could this be -- a Demon 《Demon》?
Gorilla was lying beside it.
He wasn't moving at all, so maybe he's already on his deathbed?
I might need to retrieve him and escape from here.
I regretted turning on the light for filming a little.
Before the enemy noticed us, it closed the distance in an instant.
"Fast!"
Is it three times faster because it's red? A dad joke?
Now that I think about it, it's unusually red.
Attacks launched from arms like giant trees and claws like blades appeared as white trails in my eyes.
I barely dodged attacks that cut through the darkness.
With attacks like these, normal armor might not be useful.
Plus, I need a buff to increase defense.
Even though it's a monster from the same Floor 6, isn't it overwhelmingly stronger than the Minotaur I defeated before?
I took some distance for a moment.
"Rock Summon!"
A giant rock taken out from my Item Box attacked from above the monster's head.
"&&*!"
Even attacks that were previously fatal were blocked by some kind of transparent wall.
The mass of the block stopped in mid-air.
"Artif -- no, maybe a defensive magic?!"
Using magic too? Is it human, or something more?
It definitely has quite a bit of intelligence.
The rock stopped above fell to the ground.
Taking advantage of that gap, I approached the monster -- jumped into its range.
I clung to its legs, which were like giant trees.
If this were a beautiful woman's thighs, I'd say nothing, but it's a monster.
At least, why didn't a Succubus show up?
If it had, I would have kept it as a pet.
"Oryaaaa! Tenchi Gaeshi!"
Let me explain.
Tenchi Gaeshi is famous for something at a certain ramen shop, but originally it means turning over topsoil and subsoil in a field.
I suppose they likened it to ramen.
I grabbed the monster's thigh and threw it.
I adopted the strategy I used with Golems for this monster.
Humanoid enemies are slammed head-first into the ground as if they took a backdrop, so the effect is huge.
The giant enemy plunged head-first into the ground upside down.
For any living thing, this should cause massive damage, so I followed up with a strike.
I thrust the dagger I took out from my Item Box into the monster's crotch.
"Oraaa, Kintama Goodbye!"
"Gyeeeeee!"
The monster's scream echoed through the dungeon.
The corrosion starting from the dagger quickly ravaged the monster's waist area.
Once the muscles are destroyed, the humanoid can't stand anymore.
Well, it might be able to crawl -- but of course, I won't allow that.
I stepped on its thick red chest plate and thrust a missile I took out from my Item Box into the monster's throat.
"Goyogo!"
"With this, it can't chant magic anymore."
This time, I thrust the dagger into the monster's chest.
As the skin dissolved, a giant Magic Stone appeared.
"Go! Go!"
The monster spat blood from its mouth.
I don't hate this one specifically, but since we're enemies, it can't be helped.
Since it has intelligence, is there a possibility of coexisting like with Harpies?
"This is your power source, isn't it?"
In principle, it's no different from a Golem.
It's probably active by gaining mana from this.
-- Which means, if I take this, the monster dies.
I thrust the mace I took out from my Item Box into the monster's internal organs and used the lever principle to take out the black Magic Stone.
"Go! ... Go..."
The light faded from the monster's eyes.
"Phew..."
It was a formidable enemy, but does it die when the Magic Stone is gone?
If so, long-range attacks taking advantage of gaps might be possible.
If it's a surprise attack, it can't use defensive magic either.
The Magic Stone is broken, so it won't turn into money, though...
This floor has many things that don't turn into money.
I don't think this one's meat is edible.
For now, since the enemy is defeated, I stopped filming.
"Darling!"
I heard the Princess's voice.
"Princess! Over here!"
I headed toward Gorilla, but he wasn't moving at all.
I touched his neck -- the pulse -- was there.
I tried using the potions I used earlier again.
"Cough... Cough..."
It seems he managed to breathe again.
"Darling!"
The Princess arrived.
"Whoa! What is this!"
Iroha seemed to have come along too, and she was amazed by the red monster I defeated.
"How about over there?"
I asked the Princess about the situation.
"It's taken care of. I'm collecting the drops now."
"I see."
"How about Gorilla? Was he taken out by this one?"
Iroha peered into the monster's corpse.
As a veteran adventurer, she's probably used to this.
I've gotten used to it too, somehow.
"Yeah -- I used potions, but it might be bad. Take him to a mage who can use Healing magic."
"Got it."
Iroha hoisted Gorilla onto her shoulders.
As expected of her, she lifted the fully armored man lightly.
"Haa -- what an idiot man..."
I could hear her sigh.
I stored the red monster in my Item Box and asked the Princess.
"Princess, do you know what this is?"
"Based on the features I've heard, I think it's a Lesser Demon."
"So, it's a demon or something like that."
If it's Lesser, does that mean there are real Demons too?
Is it really a demon, or just looks similar?
I stored the monster's corpse, and we followed Iroha.
When we arrived at everyone's location, some kids had leveled up.
Yuuki seems to have leveled up too.
Beside them, Gorilla was being beaten up by the female mage.
"Hey, hey -- if you go too far, you'll need potions and Healing magic again."
It seems Kaorulko was listening to the female mage.
Gorilla's reported level was lower than his actual level.
It seems he was at that level at first, but since he made it to the top ranks, he had been slacking off on dungeon patrols.
If you don't attack floors higher than your level in the dungeon, you will level down.
I felt he hadn't contributed much this time, but there was a solid reason for it.
"Princess, what do we do? We found out one of the Golden Path is useless, and the mage's mana is almost depleted?"
"For now, let's return to the safe zone at the Floor 6 entrance."
"Understood."
I took out the Lesser Demon's corpse in front of everyone.
"Ooh~" "Kyaa" "Uwaa!"
The adventurers murmured, and the girls screamed.
"He was taken out by this one. It was a formidable enemy, and there might be more, so be careful. This red one used magic too."
"Magic too?!"
Yuuki, who had finished leveling up, reacted to my words.
"Yes, this time it was defensive magic, but it might have offensive magic too."
"That possibility is high."
"..."
The adventurers nodded with serious eyes.
We decided to retreat to the safe zone to regroup for now.