Chapter 12: Impressive
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 12: Impressive
"Um... are you really okay?"
As I sat there, munching on the Alpha's corpse, the female explorer tapped my shoulder and asked.
"Yes. I told you, I'm fine."
"Well... instead of that, do you want some of this? It's jerky..."
"No. I have to eat this. It's not because I like it, and it's not because I'm hungry."
"Then... why?"
"It's because of a skill. Just bear with me."
"Oh... then, should we wait?"
Is there any need to wait? It's already over anyway.
"Thanks, but I'm really fine. Go ahead and do what you need to do."
"W-well, we came here to hunt the Direwolf Alpha... so we're done too..."
"Then shouldn't you be heading back?"
"But you look..."
"I said I'm fine."
My condition? It was better than it had ever been. The Alpha's tough hide, which usually required a blade, tore like paper under my bare fingers. This confirmed it for me.
My injured muscles were healed by what I ate.
The increase in strength was even greater than before; I could clearly feel the Alpha's powerful muscles integrating into my own body.
"Then... we're leaving?"
"Yes. You can go."
"Uh, okay..."
"Ah, if you have a moment, my pouch is somewhere around here. Could you find it for me?"
"Huh? Oh, okay!"
Power surged through my body. I was in excellent shape. I felt incredibly hungry, a sensation that told me the raw meat I'd eaten before falling asleep had already been processed.
Still, I was getting a bit sick of the taste. I’d grown used to the smell of blood, but that didn't mean raw meat started tasting good. It was lean and dry, making it hard to swallow.
"Here, this is your pouch, right?"
"Thank you."
"Are you... going to eat more?"
"No, I'm getting up now. It tastes terrible."
"Well... isn't it supposed to taste terrible...?"
Steak tartare is delicious, though. What's the difference? Is beef just better raw?
"Are you heading back now?"
"Yes. But if I go back with you, I won't make it to Lead Grade."
"Uh... considering you took down a Direwolf Alpha, I think you've already surpassed Lead Grade..."
"Hmm."
Is that so? I suppose that makes sense.
Anyway, enough with the Alpha mukbang. I wasn't hungry anymore, and my physical condition was perfect.
I touched my left eye just in case, but there wasn't much of a difference. It felt like the eye of a normal specimen I’d been using, not the Alpha's.
Since it was only 8:00 PM, the day hadn't changed yet. But since the sun was down, that unusually sharp sense of perception had returned. No, it felt even more sensitive than before.
"Are you all heading back?"
"We have to. Other explorers already went ahead to report the Alpha's subjugation. We stayed behind to ensure your safety."
"Ah, I see. Thank you."
It was nice of them to say that.
"I'm planning to return before the day ends. How long does it take to get to the portal from here?"
"About three hours. Since it's night, we should take it slow..."
"Then, would it be alright if I went ahead?"
"A-ahead?"
I gave a light hop on the spot. I only intended to jump slightly, but I soared nearly a meter into the air. It felt as if I had entered a zero-gravity zone.
With leg muscles like these... I could cut that three-hour journey down significantly.
"Sorry. I promised to be back early. Take your time. Be safe."
"Huh? W-wait!"
Before her outstretched hand could reach me, my body shot forward at an incredible speed.
I'm so damn fast! This speed is insane!
The sensation of cutting through the wind was on a completely different level than before. It was almost comparable to Rubica. Well, maybe not quite that fast, but it was still staggering.
"Huff! Huff!"
However, there was a side effect.
My lungs can't keep up.
My muscles were fatiguing much faster than before. The reason they couldn't sustain the power was... likely a problem with the oxygen supply.
With the Alpha's original specs, it would have used these muscles much more efficiently. What was the difference? If it was oxygen supply...
"The lungs and... ah, the heart."
Right. Trying to power a Direwolf Alpha's muscles with a human heart and lungs meant I couldn't meet the required oxygen intake.
I was out of breath after only three minutes of running. At this rate, it was actually a penalty.
Eventually, I slowed down to a jog for the rest of the way to the portal. Even so, my pace was much faster than my full sprint back when I was a normal human. I could truly feel the power of an Alpha specimen imbued with mana.
I had to be hitting at least 40 km/h.
"This is it...!"
Running toward the portal at such high speed, the base camp appeared relatively quickly. Even with a few short breaks to catch my breath, the time I saved was immense. It was clear I needed training to properly utilize the Alpha's muscles.
As I approached the base, the guard out front waved a torch and called out to me.
"Halt! Hey, are you okay?"
My entire body was stained with blood. My gambeson was in tatters, and my pants were riddled with holes and soaked in gore. To anyone else, I probably looked like a walking corpse on the brink of death.
Of course, my face was full of life.
"Yes. I'm doing great."
"What do you mean, 'great'...?"
This was insane. Vitality was overflowing through my entire body. I had covered a distance that was supposed to take three hours in just thirty minutes. Even after that, I had so much energy left that I felt like I could run the whole way back again.
"Going to the surface?"
"Yes, that's right."
A Return Stone can send you one floor up or to the bases located every five floors.
Since this was the 5th Floor, I could go straight to the 4th Floor or the surface.
If I were to use a Return Stone on the 6th or 7th Floor, I couldn't go directly to the surface; I'd have to return to the 5th Floor first and then head up.
"Alright, you're good to go."
"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."
A portal with a pale, whitish hue—different from the ones used to descend—opened up. I stepped inside and squeezed my eyes shut.
* * *
"Hey, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. This isn't my blood."
"I see... No, wait, your clothes are all torn up."
"It's fine."
It was 9:00 PM, so few people were entering the portal. Instead, the first floor of the Guild was bustling with explorers gulping down mead and beer while bragging about their exploits.
"Oh my..."
"Hello."
Dahlia, who had been sitting at the Guild desk with her chin in her hands, widened her eyes in shock when she saw me. Yeah, I probably did look like someone in need of medical attention.
"A-ahem! One Brass-grade explorer. You've returned?"
"Yes."
On the far right of the paper she handed me, I wrote '5' for the maximum floor reached and handed it back. Seeing that, her eyes went wide like a rabbit's again. Then, she gave a small smile as she took the paper from my hand.
"Good work. You reached the 5th Floor all by yourself."
"Yes. I suppose I did."
"I was worried because it's a dangerous period. How are your injuries?"
"I don't have any. Like I said, this isn't my blood."
"Then whose is it...?"
"The Direwolf Alpha's, I believe."
At those words, Dahlia's eyes darted up, then to the side. She scanned me from head to toe, then closed her eyes.
"Wait a second. Don't tell me..."
"Don't tell you what? Did something happen?"
"I... I heard news that a Direwolf Alpha was soloed on the 5th Floor. They said it was an unidentified black-haired explorer..."
"That was probably me."
"L-lying is bad. Those people traveled for three hours and only arrived ten minutes ago."
Dahlia turned her head away with a pout. But I really was the one who killed it.
Well, I guess it is a hard story to believe. Who would believe that a guy who spent six trips stuck on the 3rd Floor suddenly reached the 5th and soloed an Alpha on his seventh?
Just as I was wondering how to explain it to Dahlia, a loud voice erupted from beside me.
"H-hey!! It's him! The corpse guy!"
"What?"
A male explorer in rugged armor pointed a finger at me. Hearing him, Dahlia looked at me in shock once more.
"Mr. Geldun? Is it really him?"
"Yeah! This is the guy who was lying there like a corpse right next to the Alpha's body!"
"I'm very much alive, you know."
"Well, that's a miracle in itself!"
It was a rare sight to see Dahlia so flustered. If she was just surprised before, now she looked utterly incredulous. This was a treat.
"R-really...? I told you to do your best, but I didn't mean this much..."
"I guess so. Your encouragement was very effective, Dahlia."
The Guild keeps a close eye on Alpha specimens. They are far too powerful for the lower floors, and when they appear once or twice a month, low-grade explorers often end up slaughtered.
To protect beginners, the Guild tracks their location and activity range, steering them away from portals or subjugating them if they get too close.
Just as you shouldn't run into a raid boss while wandering in a game, the Labyrinth doesn't have such systems, so high-grade explorers take on that role.
"Impressive. This hasn't happened in four years."
A senior female employee who had been watching from the side walked over, munching on a pie. She rested her arm on top of Dahlia's head and spoke.
"What hasn't?"
"A Brass Grade soloing an Alpha specimen."
"Did that happen four years ago too?"
"Yeah. It did. You're quite something."
Of course, it hadn't been cross-referenced yet. Once the reports from the other explorers who were protecting me and other data were coordinated, and my solo subjugation was confirmed, my grade would be promoted.
"I'll come back tomorrow. I need to get going."
I needed to head back to the inn to check in, and I wanted to stop by the appraisal office before 10:00 PM. I needed to get a clear picture of my current physical state.