Chapter 79
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: 27. Dungeon
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Slash!
"Kieeeek!"
A soft sensation, like slicing through tofu, traveled up my fingertips.
The troll's thick neck spun through the air along the blade's path, followed by a final scream.
The last troll standing slowly tilted over and crashed to the floor.
Thud!
The moment its massive bulk slammed into the ground, sticky bodily fluids erupted from the severed stump, splattering everywhere.
Hissing corrosively wherever they touched.
The highly toxic acidic liquid boiled with a terrifying sound, melting the stone floor.
"Whoa, almost got hit."
After felling the final remaining troll.
I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"…I figured as much, but they're really tenacious."
I stepped back to avoid the splatter and shook off my sword lightly.
Sticky green blood dripped from the blade onto the floor.
Sizzling like meat on a grill, the troll's acidic blood was visibly corroding the blade in real time.
Watching it happen made my chest tighten.
This was exactly why I hated coming into dungeons because of these trolls.
If it weren't for this emergency, I never would've set foot here.
"Haa."
Acid trolls were such a hassle.
Not just their ridiculous durability, but that damned acidic mucus made it impossible to swing freely.
A whole pack charging at once had given me plenty of trouble, but I'd handled them without serious injury.
"Underground level 1 now, huh."
I left the tangled troll corpses behind and pressed on.
If I'd had time, I'd have harvested byproducts like hearts or hides from the bodies.
Unfortunately, lingering here wasn't an option.
I planned to grab the objective as quickly as possible and bail.
Even the time spent fighting these guys right now.
Sera was burning her own life force to heal Kaien.
'Shortest path.'
Thankfully, the passage down to underground level 1 was easy to find.
The issue was that it was far narrower and damper than the first floor.
Torches lit the darkness at certain points along the walls, game-world style.
But elsewhere, the shadows were so thick it was hard to see a foot ahead.
I had to walk, pause at light sources, pull out the map to reorient, and repeat the process over and over.
Luckily, the cramped space kept acid trolls away.
But as the saying goes, when the tiger's away, the mice will play—lesser acid-spitting monsters like giant spiders swarmed out in droves.
"Chiiit!"
"Such a pain."
The tight space made sword swings impractical.
And the things popping out were all acid-spewing insect types.
Swinging here would've drenched me in blood, melting my own body first.
I sheathed my sword and reached out with my hand.
"Begone."
Magic erupted from my fingertips, chant skipped.
Flames swept through the narrow passage.
The creepy spider horde turned to black ash without so much as a scream, scattering away.
I felt a huge chunk of mana drain, but my pace skyrocketed.
Tat-tat-tat.
"Kieeeek!"
Fwoosh!
Burning, exploding, erasing them on sight like professional pest control.
How long did I run?
Before I knew it, I'd cleared level 2 and reached the spiral stairs leading to underground level 3.
Panting roughly, I checked my clothes.
No matter how careful I'd been, brute-forcing through had torn and singed them in places.
Red welts peeked through the rips, but nothing worth worrying about.
"Short break?"
I'd arrived with more time to spare than expected, enough for a breather.
But after a moment's thought, I shook my head.
If I was resting, better to do it outside the dungeon.
Besides, one more floor down was the boss room.
"Hm?"
A strange stench pierced my nose as I descended the stairs, goal right ahead.
'This smell…'
Not the sour reek of acid trolls or insects.
No, this was.
'Blood.'
Thick, unmistakably human blood.
"…"
I silenced my footsteps and crept down the stairs cautiously.
The moment I reached underground level 3, following the bloody scent, I involuntarily swallowed.
A literal hellscape unfolded before the boss room entrance.
Troll corpses littered the area around the door, signs of a fierce battle.
Not one or two—easily over ten.
'Someone beat me here.'
Charred floors, cleanly severed stone pillars, blood splattered everywhere.
Recent too—steam still rose from the bodies.
Someone, or rather several someones, had swept through.
'Got company.'
I frowned and scanned the surroundings.
The guard hadn't mentioned any other adventurers or mercenaries entering.
Had he forgotten?
Unlikely, but this was reality, not a game—impossible wasn't out of the question. Anxiety stirred.
"…Damn. What now?"
Prior claimants didn't bother me.
Not an undiscovered dungeon; it was public, not exclusive.
Of course others could come.
The problem was my goal: the hidden piece.
Someone already inside meant waiting for their fight to end was awkward.
Different objectives and all.
Clunk.
"…?"
"…Kuwo?"
"Ah, sorry. Pretend I'm not here and carry on."
"…As if you could pull off the same."
Hmm.
Stuck dithering at the boss room door.
I pressed my ear to it and focused on the sounds inside.
Not some ritual—just practical.
No sounds if the fight was over.
If ongoing, combat noises or voices, something.
"…"
Listening closely, faint noises filtered through.
"…Wooor!"
"…ha…kill it. Please!"
The boss's bellowing roar.
And voices from multiple people.
Steam from corpses meant recent entry.
Head knew the fight was still on.
But a sliver of hope they'd cleared quick and left.
Wasted effort, as you can see.
'Sigh. Not done yet.'
Undoes all that shortest-path rushing.
About to pull away for a quick rest.
The floor shook like an earthquake.
"…Damn it. Eri!"
"…Someone help!"
A desperate woman's scream, near agony.
And a gruesome rupturing sound of something blunt colliding.
'…Still going?'
Sounds suggested they weren't the hunters—they were the hunted.
Honestly, I'd planned to ignore it.
My own problems first.
Here for Kaien's antidote, no bandwidth for others' messes.
Dungeon accidents happened daily.
Overconfident or unlucky adventurers died in droves in this world.
Cold truth: their fault.
But.
"…No! Zeil. You can't die! Anyone…please!"
Another gut-wrenching scream hooked my ankle.
The raw despair in it was so vivid.
Couldn't tear myself away.
'…Fuck.'
I spat a curse under my breath.
Thought I'd shed pointless mercy, but remnants lingered.
Or maybe guilt over failing to protect Kaien shoved me forward.
Would nag if I let a saveable life slip.
Excusing it to myself, I took a deep breath.
Yeah, just hate the nagging feeling.
Bang!
No more hesitation—I kicked the door with all my strength.
The heavy boss room door flew open with a thunderous boom.
"Krwoooarrr!"
Fetid blood stench blasted out as the door swung wide.
The horrific scene inside hit me all at once.
The vast boss room floor was strewn with half-smashed corpses.
In the corner, a blood-soaked female adventurer huddled, trembling violently.
And looming before her, a colossal shadow.
A giant on another level from normal trolls—at least five meters tall.
Muscles like plated armor covered its body, twisted horns grotesque.
Every breath melted the floor with hisses.
The dungeon's master: Acid Troll King.
"Krrrar…"
The King Troll slowly turned its head toward the intruder—me.
Murderous yellow eyes gleamed with killing intent.
“Eh, uh…?”
The woman in the corner stared blankly at me.
Face pale with terror, torn clothes revealing wounds large and small.
Clearly at her limit.
I glanced at her, then turned away.
Stepped toward the dungeon's lord.
"Krwoooarrr!"
Its roar shook the entire dungeon.
Ear-shattering boom as it stomped—the ceiling rained dust and pebbles.
“Kyaaak!”
The woman screamed and curled up tighter.
Her fighting spirit long gone, eyes drowned in fear.
'Situation's not great.'
"Krhuu…!"
Every drop of drool hitting the floor sizzled horrifically in my ears.
Predictably, the sudden interruption ruined its fun—it looked thoroughly pissed.
“Krwoooarrr!”
"Sorry to crash your meal. Bear with me."
An apology to a beast that wouldn't understand.
Of course, it had zero intention of accepting.
“Krrrar…!”
Muscles bulging as if to charge any second, I let out a low sigh.
"Sigh."
If words could fix this, it'd be a breeze.
Won't go that easy.
“Ca-careful! That thing's…!”
"It's fine."
The cornered woman shouted urgently, but I raised a hand to hush her.
“Just a big dumb brute.”
“Huh…?”
She looked stupefied, but I ignored her and gathered mana.
[Phantasmal Projection]
Wooong.
Black energy flowed from the ring, rippling around me.
Sssrrk.
My shadow stretched long, and another me rose from within.
Same looks, same aura—a perfect duplicate.
"…What. Got work for me?"
Obvious question.
Why summon a dead ringer otherwise?
“Woman over there. Get her out.”
I nodded toward the female adventurer.
"Got it. You're taking that guy?"
The clone smirked.
Classic question from a mind-sharing duplicate.
“Yeah. Might as well get a workout while I'm here.”
I drew my sword and replied.
If Tundra were here, I'd have sent him, but he was guarding Kaien.
Had to handle it myself.
“Byproducts from this beast'll fetch a nice haul. Hye-ra'd love 'em.”
"Always so calculating."
"That goes for you too, y'know?"
The clone tsked and shook his head but approached the woman without argument.
Her eyes went wide at the second me.
No time for explanations, the clone hoisted her up like a sack of rice.
"Hold on tight. Not liable if you fall."
“Y-yes? Kyaaak!”
Clone bolted from the boss room with her screaming in his arms.
So blindingly fast, even the Troll King just gawked.
“Krwo?”
Perplexed at its vanishing prey, it swiveled its head.
Didn't take long for those savage eyes to lock back on me.
“Just us now.”
I glanced around the now-empty boss room.
“Intruder's gone. Shall we play for real?”