Chapter 135
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: The Kingdom's Strongest Female Knight's Pussy, Rei (2)
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Rei navigated the dungeon alongside Eugene.
Their goal was the depths. Dungeon bosses typically lurked at the innermost point. It was obvious that Sharlott, captured by the monster, would be there as well.
"This dungeon is overflowing with malice, though."
"Indeed it is."
Rei spoke with a weary expression.
On the surface, it was a peaceful dungeon with expansive fields.
Trees dotted the landscape here and there, and the air carried the fresh scent of damp grass.
Honestly, it was nice enough for a picnic.
But a dungeon was still a dungeon, harboring sinister corners.
The monsters roaming about served as traps in themselves.
This time was no different.
"Lady Rei! Incoming!"
"I see it."
Slash-!
Rei cleaved the orc in a single stroke. At the same moment, a repulsive purple tentacle shot up from the ground right below her.
It was covered in thorns.
Far more threatening than the orc.
But to Rei, that level of threat was almost cute. She swung her sword lightly, slicing through all the emerging tentacles.
'At this level, even a regular knight... no, a squad leader would lose their life in an instant.'
The killing power was too high for a mere trap.
Restricting entry had been the right call. If anyone else had come with her, they might have died pointless deaths in seconds.
Rei glanced at Eugene.
'And as expected of Eugene. He stays calm even in this troublesome dungeon.'
While she cut down the orc, Eugene dispatched other monsters and neutralized traps with ease.
His prowess was on another level entirely.
Someone you could truly rely on.
"Let's keep going."
"Yes."
Rei urged Eugene onward, and together they raced toward the dungeon depths once more.
How many hours had passed?
As they delved deeper, the number of trees embedded in the fields increased, and fog began to roll in.
The fog was so thick it obscured vision.
It didn't bother Rei and Eugene, who detected mana as naturally as breathing, but for anyone without mana sense, it would be a nightmare.
Once again, she thought restricting access had been a wise decision as she pressed through the dungeon.
From this area onward, bizarre mushroom-shaped tentacle traps appeared—ones that hadn't been there before.
They spewed toxic gas, but it had no effect on Rei with her high resistance.
Slash-!
Rei bisected the mushroom-like tentacle and disrupted the gas with a sword gust.
As if waiting for that moment, thorn-covered tentacles surged toward her, but Rei neutralized them all with a single swing.
"Impressive as always, Lady Rei."
"Save the praise. Let's move."
"Yes."
The dungeon wasn't as large as expected.
After a few more hours of sprinting, smashing monsters, and dodging traps, they reached what felt like the dungeon's end.
The forest gave way to a barren black rock zone devoid of any life.
And at that moment, a faint voice echoed from afar.
"...Help me!"
"Sharl!!"
Rei's composure cracked for the first time. Gripping her sword tighter, she charged like a beast. Eugene followed close behind.
Soon, a vast open arena unfolded before them.
"Kieeeek!"
"Eu, Eugene! Rei sis! Save me!"
In the center of the dark arena, Sharlott trembled mid-air, her arms and legs bound by some strange slime.
Beside her, a massive monster with eight gaping maws roared and writhed its body.
Rumble-!
"That's... the boss."
"Yes. Be careful. It's strong."
"I'll win. Support me!"
Rei surged her mana in an instant. Her blade, stained with monster blood, gleamed as she kicked off the dirt-covered ground with her combat boots and leaped.
Boom-!
It was certainly huge and looked powerful.
Just facing it conveyed its strength.
No wonder no one but Eugene could stand against it.
'But not against me.'
Still, Rei was confident. She knew at a glance. The monster was no match for her.
She thought she could defeat it relatively easily at full power.
Rei exhaled.
[Christia Style Battle Arts, Stage 3 Sword Technique - Holy Radiance Single Slash]
Tremendous mana gathered in her sword.
Light-attribute mana enveloped the blade, white particles converging to make it shine like the sun.
The technique was complete. A single sincere downward slash would bisect the monster before her.
Just as she prepared to unleash it—
Thud-!
"Guh!?"
A explosive impact struck her from behind. Rei spun mid-air to regain her footing.
Instinctively, she raised her sword toward the source.
Sharp light-attribute mana hummed.
Turning, she saw Eugene floating behind her. The warm smile she knew was gone, replaced by the cold gaze of a slaughterhouse.
"Eu, Eugene! What are you doing!? You just...! Wha—!"
In lieu of an answer, his back split open, tentacles bursting forth. Thick smooth ones, thorn-studded threats, hammer-tipped behemoths—dozens in total.
Rei's eyes widened.
"Tenta...cles?"
"I wasn't planning to reveal them so soon."
Eugene's lips curled up.
"Don't go for such aggressive attacks right off the bat. That would've killed a kid if it hit."
Splurt-
With a gesture from Eugene, the ground heaved. A massive mana formation spread at the landing spot, crackling with lightning-attribute mana.
From the side, wind-attribute mana blades—his favorite—surged toward Rei.
But this was no spar.
The power was on another level.
Sizzle-
Rei gritted her teeth.
[Christia Style Battle Arts, Stage 3 Sword Technique - Starlight Wheel Breaker]
Vrrr-!
Light-attribute mana enveloped her sword once more.
The sun-like blade blazed blindingly, and Rei spun her arm like a windmill, sword in hand.
Whoosh-!
Fearsome slashes infused with light power scattered in all directions.
Boomboomboom-!
The crackling mana formation on the ground shattered, and the wind blades were all severed.
But Eugene deployed a massive shield-like tentacle to block the slashes.
It was strange.
Those were sincere slashes. The Eugene she knew couldn't have blocked them unscathed.
No matter his monstrous growth rate, it didn't make sense.
'He's been hiding his true strength...!'
Thanks to the cheat defensive tentacle with its 1.75x durability bonus, but from Rei's perspective, unaware of that, it was the only conclusion.
"Eugene! What is the meaning of this!!"
She couldn't comprehend it.
He had been a good man.
He rescued the Lilac Village survivors, trained diligently before the monster wave, and even helped other knights with their practice.
He'd grown close to Sharlott, easing her burdens, and shone brilliantly during the wave.
Yet here he was, sprouting tentacles from his back with a monstrous grin.
'It was all a lie?'
Was he actually a monster, deceiving them all along?
Incredible as it was, she had no choice but to think so.
The monster that kidnapped Sharlott only warily eyed her, ready to attack with its eight maws bared.
They were in cahoots.
"Not going to answer, huh."
"This is real combat, not a spar."
"Then you know I won't hold back?"
Rei ground her teeth.
She glared at Eugene with blazing eyes.
One thing was certain, regardless.
Eugene was the enemy.
Just like the monster.
No, Eugene was a monster himself.
She had to kill him and the monster to rescue Sharlott.
Rei angled her sword diagonally.
[Christia Style Battle Arts, Stage 3 Movement Technique - Light Dragon Flying Wings]
Shuuuk-!
Pure white mana wings bloomed from Rei's feet, propelling her skyward.
By then, a massive explosion rocked the ground where she'd stood. She'd anticipated it and taken to the air.
Clear of the blast radius, Rei's sword took on a moonlight hue.
[Christia Style Battle Arts, Stage 3 Sword Technique - Moonlight Chain Slash]
Shwaaak-!
Fearsome slashes, each packed with devastating power, rained down on Eugene without respite. But he defended with those strange tentacles as before.
Light-attribute mana clashed against the tentacle wall, scattering wildly amid thunderous roars.
"Too tough."
Rei clicked her tongue.
In that gap, Eugene launched tentacles at her. Shielding his body while attacking with those from his back.
An unfair setup, but Rei plummeted to the ground, building speed.
As the first massive hammer-tipped tentacle descended, she parried it with her sword's flat, channeling the impact into the earth.
When the second lunged, she twisted her ankle, ducked low, and slipped past sideways.
Boom-!
Just before the third smashed down with its hammer, Rei flipped her blade and unleashed an upward strike at the Heaven-Splitting angle.
Clang-!
Splurt-!
'Not all tentacles are tough.'
The tentacle struck by her sword exploded at the hammer tip.
A tentacle that blocked Moonlight Chain Slash bursting from one strike? Each tentacle had different abilities.
Specialized traits per tentacle.
The massive ones covering his body were unnaturally tough, while hammer types focused on power, thorns on speed.
The counter was simple.
[Christia Style Battle Arts, Stage 3 Sword Technique - Moonlight Chain Slash]
Rei's sword gleamed with moonlight once more.
No need to target Eugene's main body. Slice and burst all the weaker tentacles without getting blocked by the tough ones, and his offense would vanish.
But then.
Vrrr-!
[Christia Style Battle Arts, Stage 3 Sword Technique - Moonlight Chain Slash]
'What the...!?'
Eugene, emerging from behind the massive shield tentacle, had dyed his sword in moonlight.
Copying it after seeing it once? Impossible.
She knew it defied logic, yet Eugene shattered common sense, mirroring her stance perfectly and countering every slash with his own.