hotmtlnovel Book 4: Chapter 7
Book 4: Chapter 7
Book 4: Chapter 7
Dungeon Exploration Floor 70
Originally conquering a dungeon took a lot of time. Even at the beginning floor, without the map that the adventurer guild had finished, just conquering the first floor would take more than one day.
That was even truer for the lower floor where the monsters were stronger and the path complicated. There would be traps to evade, monsters to deal with, and sometimes there would also be path that led to the floor above instead to below. There would also be cases where it took multiple days to conquer a floor.
But, the route to head down from floor 70 of this dungeon was recorded in the document that the royal family owned.
Normally the objective of entering a dungeon would be to collect the treasure that was created by the dungeon in that floor, but we ignored all of them and simply kept advancing deeper. We took no side trip and followed the route that was written in the document.
My general impression of dungeon was that I thought the monsters would become more powerful the deeper we went.
In the upper floors there were only low ranked monsters and they would become stronger the deeper you went, but it didnt mean that below floor 70 there would only be mythical class monster appearing.
What changed from there wasnt the monsters strength, but the difficulty. At the middle level the monsters appearance was still sporadic, but at the lower level they kept appearing without giving us any time to rest. It made it easier for us to get ambushed.
The monsters in this area were mostly rank 3 ogre or orc. Furthermore they didnt appear solo but always in group. What was even more troublesome than that was that the monsters in low level were very aggressive.
The monsters at the low level were hungry. From the start there wasnt any food inside a dungeon to fill the monsters stomach. But the monsters gathered here because the dungeon was alive and transforming into the optimum environment for them.
Magic particles could also serve as nutrient. The thick magic particles inside the dungeon could allow monster to survive even without them needing to eat a lot.
But it didnt mean that it could satisfy their desire to eat. What the monsters sought was human meat.
The dungeon were regulating the monsters by guiding their mind to prevent them from devouring each other, and dropping the corpses of human who unfortunately got caught in a trap at the upper level to lower level so that the monsters wouldnt get too used to being hungry.
Because of that the monsters in this lower level were constantly aggressive. They would sniff our scent even from afar, followed the track we left on the path we passed through, and attacked through day and night.
But, not all of the enemies were rank 3. When monsters appeared in great number, not all of them would have high rank. Some of them would come as subordinate of the higher ranked monsters, like rank 2 hobgoblin or high kobold that was just barely rank 3.
In that kind of situation, the royal guards would also join the fight, but the royal brother Amor showed his disapproval when they went out to fight like that.Updated from
What are you doing!? Its the job of the adventurers to clear out the enemy. You knights have the duty to protect the next generation young royalties like Ervan and Elena arent you!?
The way he said it was bad but it was a correct argument. We were hired for that duty, and nobody among us adventurers had delicate mind that would feel hurt from hearing such words.
But, although it was the correct argument, there would still be people who felt dissatisfied if it was said with the wrong tone.
Wouldnt the group be able to advance quicker if they also joined the fight? The knights who felt like their chance to show off their stuff got taken away from them were accumulating dissatisfaction. In turn Sera and Elena who were doing their best to quell that down were also accumulating mental fatigue.
But more importantlyCarla was still not making any move even though no one would be able to stop her when inside the dungeon like this. Her silence felt just a little eerie.
.
At the beginning everyone still felt somewhat high spirited when they prepared to camp. Even when the royalties ate the modest meal which was a first experience for them, they were still putting on a smile.
But now, several days after entering the dungeon, people who scowled each time it was time for meal started to appear. Inside here we couldnt know whether it was noon or night. They had to sleep in fear and even when they woke up, the area would still be dark like before. Gradually dissatisfaction and fatigue were starting to show in everyones face.
Its only us and that young lady who are still energetic huh.
Uh huh.
Viro muttered while nibbling on ration during the break. I also replied noncommittally while glancing at her direction.
Carla didnt join the royalties even during break and stood alone. The servants of the royal family feared her and wouldnt approach near her. Sera and Elena acted tactfully and did things like offering her tea and the like. In respond she would accept what they gave her but other than that she would take out something like a candy from her spatially expanded bag and snacked on it.
Carla who was used with being inside dungeon looked like she was having fun instead for being given food even if she stayed quiet. I knew because I was the same. I who was used to camp outside alone found the current situation to be not that hard.
Conversely I thought that someone like Viro who was in the group of wanting to rest in an inn as much as possible during journey would complain for having to eat while standing but.
This is still better than the food you made.
We could easily find monster meat everywhere here, so I thought that we could just eat that without touching our precious food store, but I was strictly ordered that I must never touch them, Well, it wasnt like I wanted to eat the meat of humanoid monster by preference.
Setting aside Carla, Elena too was eating her food without complaining. Her body was weak so I was concerned that she might not have an appetite, but nobody could complain in this situation. Other than him.
Head maid! This meal isnt suitable for Elena. Isnt there anything better?
Uncle, Im fine
He too must be trying to protect his niece in his own way but, it was completely a futile effort and caused a burden instead to Elena who tried to stop him.
The knights were discontent seeing the frail Elena forcing herself like that, but Amor who got his hands full with himself didnt realize that there was such atmosphere.
.
That delicate atmosphere crumbled when we had gotten down by two floors.
There was an open space where multiple paths crossed. Several people including Viro and I lifted our face when everyone reached the center of the place.
Everyone-!
Draw your weapon! A lot of monsters are coming-!
The warning pushed us and the knights to draw our weapon. Mira sent the low rank wind spirit she employed to the air.
O spirit of wind, place the protection of wind around us!
The protection of wind enveloped the group, at the same time low rank monsters like goblin and hobgoblin surged out from several paths that connected to this open space.
Tsk, a monster room!
The monster room that Viro shouted was a kind of trap in dungeon. It referred to a phenomenon where a lot of monsters suddenly overflowed in a place that seemed like safe.
Lets go!!
Well back them up too with our pride as the royal guards on the line!!
For the pride of the royal guards!!
Dalton and Feld rushed forward, at the same time the knights who didnt get too many chance to fight until now also rushed toward the monsters that were trying to surround us.
In this situation the priority should be to protect the royalties. But the dissatisfaction of the young knights who had been held back until now had reached the limit and they became unable to even make a normal decision after staying for several days inside this dungeon.
It became a sudden melee and I also took out my pendulum to give back up. But then a voice stopped me.
Is it alright for you to leave?
Carla?
The monsters started moving simultaneously in terror seeing that.
I ducked to dodge the multiple spears that the monsters thrust, grabbed the stone floor with my hands like a cat, and shot out like arrow using my arms muscle strength and my legs kick. I slashed apart the throat of a hobgoblin with my heels knife while knocking up the jaw of the orc right in front me with my palm heel, then I horizontally cut apart its throat that became completely open with my knife.
GAAAA!!
I used my left arms hand protector to parry the rusty hatchet that a hobgoblin haphazardly thrust. The blade was diverted to a nearby kobold, cutting it apart. I cartwheeled to kick up the arm of a high kobold that attacked me with its sharp claws while directing it to the hobgoblin that attacked me with hatchet. The two crashed on each other and lost their balance before I killed them simultaneously with knife and dagger.
I dodged the blades of the approaching monsters only using Detection that I focused to the extreme. I crouched like a cat, grabbed on the stone floor to slip through right under the feet of the monsters while killing them in turn starting from the monsters that showed opening.
No hesitation. Also no fear.
I killed all the enemies before my eyes.
I constantly spun to change position while swinging around my pendulums with centrifugal force to cut open the neck of monsters, smashed their skull, and tore through their carotid artery.
Only half remaining
***
Whatsthis
Hoarse voice leaked out from Amors throat.
That adventurer was a slender girl with traces of childishness still remaining in her looks, no different at all from his niece Elena and the fiances of his nephew Ervan.
It seemed she was acquainted with Elena but, the way she acted to her was disrespectful for a mere adventurer in the presence of a royalty. Just like how she ignored the existence of Amor who tried to protect the young royalties and faced the monster swarm on her lonesome.
Even the royal guards here who had reached rank 3 wouldnt get out unscathed if they got surrounded by five armed hobgoblins while alone. That was because knights were trained with the assumption that they would have comrades at their side in the battlefield and there would be no need for them to face many enemies alone. On top of that they also had no experience of going through such thing in real battle.
Furthermore here the opponents werent just rank 1 goblin or kobold, there were also rank 2 hobgoblin and orc and high kobold that were rank 3 although only barely.
Even if the girl was a member of the famous adventurer party Rainbow Sword, there was no way she would be able to win. That was what he thought.
But the girl used strange weapon and martial art to kill dozens of monsters in the blink of eye.
A life would have been reaped without fail each time the girl whirled as though she was dancing and her black blade glinted. The girls ash covered hair became dyed red from the blood spurt and spray of the monsters. That look coupled with her well-ordered appearance reminded him of a rose made from iron.
Ash Crowned Princess
One of the luggage carriers who also served as guard absentmindedly muttered those words. Amor spontaneously turned toward him.
Whats that, do you know about that girl-!?
Amor grabbed at the cloth of that guard. That guards expression convulsed even while he nodded his head.
I-I dont know that much! Butif I remember correctly, there was an ash covered girl who got called like that after destroying many branches of assassin guild and thief guild
The man answered based on the rumor that he remembered some merchants or the like were talking about. Then behind him another servant looked as though he recalled something and raised his voice.
I also heard about it once! There was a rumor that a single girl annihilated a group orc that attacked a baron territory at the north by herself
Ervan and Clara also gulped from hearing that statement. Even Elena and Sera who knew about that rumor opened their eyes wide when hearing that coupled with the fierceness of the scene in front of them.
Clara also knew about that information. After all that assassin guild branch that was annihilated by that Ash Crowned Princess was near Dandall.
There was also other unbelievable rumors like a thief guild that was made up from fierce fighters getting annihilated by the same girl, but they could only believe those rumors after watching the girl fighting before their eyes. Clar felt like her sight turned dark when she recalled how she was thinking of eliminating such girl.
As though to seek for salvation, she turned her eyes toward Ervan who told her that he would protect her and continued to hold her hand. There she saw how even though he was also feeling afraid like Clara by the violent scene before them, there was only that girl being reflected inside his eyes as though he was under her charm. It made Claras consciousness slipping away.
Clara-!
Ervan caught Clara who fainted and fell down, while continuing to stare and tremble at the girl who he thought as simply a pretty girl when he got acquainted with her before.
Amor too muttered in a daze after hearing the unbelievable stories.
Thats absurd
Impossible. There was no way such things could be true.
That common sense got rewritten by the reality of the girl who killed monsters before his eyes. It engraved fear into Amors mind like a wedge.
Aria
Seeing the unbelievable growth of the girl who once exchange an oath with her in the past, Elena called her name while placing her hand on her chest as though to ascertain the oath once more.
While gazes of surprise, excitement, and fear were directed there, only Carla was staring at the figure of the girl who fought as though she was dancing with ecstasy in her expression.
Carla kept doing nothing except watching without dirtying her hand until now was because she wanted to saw the figure of the girl killing and getting hurt even more than taking away life with her own hands.
She let out that twisted passion together with a heated sigh, then she turned a heated gaze toward the girl.
As I thought, no matter whose blood it is, a blood soaked Aria is pretty
***
GUGAa
*GOKIN-* The neck snapped with such sound. The last high kobold fell down after I loosened up the string around its broken neck.
It was over with this. The dungeons trap ended and around me there were the corpses of more than fifty monsters lying in pools of blood.
The extermination at the other side had also just finished. The knights who returned back in panic saw the situation here and took a step back in shock.
There were also the young knights who talked to me on the ship among them, but even they backed away from feeling overwhelmed seeing me soaked in blood. The opened a path for me to walk through.
I lightly waved my hand at Elena who was among the royalties in the middle of the knights. In respond she sighed with a slightly angry face before finally she smiled just a little, as though saying that it couldnt be helped.
Aria-!
I saw Feld and Mira running this way from my path ahead. I too took a step ahead toward the height where they were standing on.
I became stronger yet again.
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