Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Exploration (3)
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"No matter how much of a veteran you are, you can't predict what happens inside a dungeon."
This was a common saying used to maintain vigilance in dungeons.
It meant never to let your guard down in a place teeming with all sorts of traps and variables.
But that only applied to high-grade dungeons. Low-grade ones were exempt.
Think about it.
If you were weak enough to die in a low-grade dungeon, you'd die soon enough without even entering one.
Conversely, if you were skilled enough to clear a high-grade dungeon, nothing in a low-grade one could kill you, no matter what happened.
So, if a party of skilled fighters got completely wiped out in a low-grade dungeon...
"Haha, are you scared? Hilarious."
It had to be some freak natural disaster.
"Guys~ I'm lonely here. You're just gonna ignore me all the way to the end, huh?"
Sera's shoulders trembled violently.
It was a sensation she'd felt before.
Just his gaze alone made her feel like her breath was stopping.
The feeling of inevitable death right in front of her, with nothing she could do about it.
Memories from before resurfaced.
The humiliation of passing out pathetically in front of everyone. That sensation was still vivid.
'...It's exactly like that time.'
The only silver lining was that she'd been through it once before.
Sera lifted her bowed head.
That's when she saw what had been hidden from view.
"Oh, eye contact. Guess you're not that scared of me?"
Pale skin.
Silver hair that was almost unkempt.
At a glance, not much different from a human, but those sharp fangs were anything but.
"...Vampire."
"You know our kind."
This was the worst.
Among the known high demons, vampires were at the very top.
Sera's mind raced desperately.
'Can I win?'
Absurd.
'Run?'
If that were possible, she'd already be out of the dungeon.
'All-out attack to take it down...'
That seemed the most feasible.
We had Roel, and this demon was underestimating us right now.
If we struck its vital points while it was off guard, we could definitely kill it.
"Looks like you're scheming something."
In that instant, the demon's aura crashed over Sera and the other two.
Her thoughts scattered.
The plan she'd hastily formed, her struggle for survival—all forgotten, replaced by pure terror.
"Hah, hah, ha..."
Still...
It was bearable.
"Roel, Laila! Get ready!!"
Sera charged.
She activated her blessing to its maximum, enveloping her body in aura.
"Ho ho."
Sera's blessing, Swiftness, was precisely described as an 'increase in final speed.'
The multiplicative speed boost, combined with aura-enhanced physical strengthening, accelerated further as momentum built.
She outpaced the wind.
She put her full body weight into her forward step and leaped.
She didn't expect this to kill it.
So, there was only one thing she had to do.
Slash!
Pretending to aim for the neck, she slashed at its leg instead.
In battle, legs were life itself. No matter how strong, a severed leg made movement difficult.
Now, if Laila and Roel attacked together...
"...Ah."
No support came.
Roel stood motionless, and Laila was collapsed, trembling.
Sera had been the only one to charge from the start.
"All done?"
Facing reality brought despair.
The ambush failed. The demon wouldn't let its guard down now.
...Why did it fail?
Did I act too independently?
But there was no time to coordinate a plan; she had no choice but to push forward.
This was the best she could do.
"Didn't go as planned, huh."
The demon, its leg already healed, stood behind Sera.
It exuded a menacing aura, grinning unpleasantly.
Sera's instincts screamed.
'I'm the first to die.'
She saw the sword in the demon's hand—the one taken from Roel.
And she saw it flying toward her heart.
Too fast to dodge. Recognizing it visually and reacting were different things.
Sching—
The blade tip nearly reached Sera's heart.
"Pretty good plan, Sera. Though you didn't consider your allies at all."
Sera didn't die.
"Should've waited just a bit longer, huh?"
The blade halted right before her heart.
Someone had gripped it firmly, preventing further penetration.
"It was the same last time, right? When you fought me. Always charging in recklessly—that's why it never ends well."
Roel was right beside her.
Roel blocked the sword barehanded, smiling leisurely.
The terrifying killing intent that once pressured Sera was now directed at the demon.
Sera realized.
She didn't need to step up at all.
We had someone here for whom plans were meaningless.
The high demon, Kehelrn, found the current situation utterly bewildering.
"...What the hell are you?"
His tone had changed from before—a sign that Kehelrn was now viewing the battlefield seriously.
Just moments ago, this worthless human had transformed.
It wasn't just getting stronger. This was clearly a 'different entity.'
What the hell is that human...
An ominous premonition gripped him.
'No point in fighting. I should grab the item and get out.'
Kehelrn took a step back.
The human advanced a step in response.
This human wasn't intimidated at all, even with a high demon before her.
"You were going for the heart. I'll do the same."
Kehelrn halted.
Arrogant.
Infuriatingly arrogant.
How dare she threaten to pierce his heart?
Kehelrn usually enjoyed tormenting the weak.
Fights with the strong were just tiring.
But not this time.
He couldn't tolerate some mere human looking down on him.
Scrap the plan to just grab the item and leave.
As planned, he'd take the item and the heads of these three humans.
"I'll kill you."
"Eh, I hate lines like that. Sounds so third-rate."
Kehelrn charged straight ahead.
No matter how ominous the aura, a human was still a human.
She couldn't possibly stand against a high demon...
Thwack!!
Before the thought finished, Kehelrn's head snapped back.
"...What."
When he came to, his head was embedded in the wall.
Pulling it free, his abdomen throbbed painfully.
'...I got hit? Me?'
And that wasn't all.
The sword he'd just taken was stolen back.
The foe rested it on her shoulder, casually asking Kehelrn,
"Why are you here?"
"You insolent human...!"
"That's not an answer."
Blood rushed to his head.
How long had it been since he felt this? Easily over a century.
"Fine. Good... I'll get serious."
Kehelrn sharpened his nails.
Not for attack—more like preparing for one.
Screeech.
Kehelrn slashed his own arm. Blood began flowing from the line-like wound.
The human stood still, watching.
As if saying, 'Go ahead,' she didn't interfere with his preparation.
"You'll regret not stopping me."
In an instant, blood blades formed and surged forward.
Not flung wildly—each one targeted vitals that would be lethal on a mere graze.
This would make the gap crystal clear.
He'd leave her barely alive, begging for mercy.
Yeah, you're weak in the end, just like the rest.
"Hm."
"...?"
But the human still stood there.
Not a single blade touched her.
"All done?"
"How dare you mock me!!"
Enraged, bat-like wings unfurled from Kehelrn's back.
One flap, and he rose into the air.
"Running away?"
"Proud demons don't run."
"Ceiling's low. Watch your head."
"You arrogant human bastard, to the very end...!!"
Kehelrn flapped again.
This time for straight-line flight, not ascent.
Weapons of blood orbiting him, he charged at near-sonic speed.
Full power attack.
Even another high demon wouldn't escape unscathed.
He never imagined going this far against a human, but it was fine.
Killing a hero candidate would be helpful enough.
That's what he thought.
"Guh, urk...!"
It happened in a flash.
His blood weapons shattered at once, and her sword pierced his heart.
Blood spurted from his body.
Once the heart was destroyed, staunching the flow was pointless.
Not even a blood-manipulating demon could handle this wound.
'What the hell just...?'
Kehelrn couldn't comprehend.
He hadn't registered the sequence: weapons breaking, sword piercing his heart.
He just blinked, and blood was pouring out.
'...Impossible.'
The situation spoke for itself.
That human had attacked at a speed beyond Kehelrn's reaction.
Impossible.
Impossible, yet it happened.
...Strength beyond reason.
Kehelrn realized.
That wasn't human.
"I told you, right? I'd do the same."
The final voice he heard was chillingly cold.
Terrifying. To the point where he felt relieved to die quickly.
Kehelrn collapsed without even a death cry.
The demon fell.
Seeing it splatter blood and die miserably brought a strange feeling.
You have committed a kill.
Additional points have been accrued.
You have killed a demon for the first time!
A bonus has been awarded.
+2450p
Remaining Points: 9780p
"Even this gives points..."
Maybe it was fortunate. Getting points dulled the sensation of 'killing' a bit.
Probably because it gave her more things to think about.
Anyway, she now had a clear idea of the criteria.
It awarded points based on good-evil scale, more for actions closer to 'evil.'
The stronger the impact on the real world, the bigger the payout.
And 'Inner Evil'-worthy actions would net even more.
"Hoo..."
Tension released, a sigh escaped naturally.
Soon.
Soon, she could buy the avatar.
She could set foot in this world with her own body, not Roel's.
"R-Roel."
"You okay?"
Joy was short-lived as Laila and Sera spoke up.
She looked at them briefly, then closed her eyes.
Her role ended here.
Releasing full possession.