Chapter 50

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 50

Chapter Title: Ruins Underground (3)

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"Eek! Minions! Why aren't you attacking that guy!"

Thankfully, the undead that had popped up around us were definitely Hiro's creations, but they weren't following his orders. Instead, they acted like mindless undead without a summoner, charging solely at signs of life.

So I cast [Sensory Block] on the undead closing in while fighting them off. Using it on Hiro right now wouldn't do much...

"You useless pieces of trash!"

I cast [Sensory Block] once more, freezing a skeleton in place and using it as a shield to dodge Hiro's attack. He smashed the skeleton in a rage. If Hiro were a proper necromancer, he'd command the undead directly to swarm me instead of relying on life detection... Could he not do that? At least the undead weren't attacking him.

Thanks to the skeleton shield, I bought a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠brief moment to catch my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠breath. Instead of striking during the opening, I steadied my breathing and assessed the situation.

Swordsmanship? He had the edge. But with [Body Enhancement] hitting level 3, my physical stats were superior. Hiro felt lacking in raw physical training compared to his sword skills. That gap let me hold my own against his blade.

My options... [Venom Arts] was out—trying to pull out poison now would get me sliced. No good for one-on-one: [Stealth], [Assassination]. [Throw] might work depending on the moment.

And [Regeneration]. My new skill, but its effects were already proving invaluable. It didn't heal deep wounds in a flash, but minor cuts from combat stopped bleeding fast.

On top of that, the muscle strain from intense dodges and blocks was easing up. Without [Regeneration], I'd be done for already.

Other moves? [Sensory Block] and [Limit Break], maybe?

[Sensory Block] failed on vision, but other senses might work. Worst case, I could tap [Sensory Release]. [Limit Break]... Save it. Only for a do-or-die moment—side effects could backfire fatally.

"What are you scheming?!"

Hiro closed in, swinging. I countered with my dagger, knocking his sword aside.

-Clang! Kaang!

Sparks flew between our clashing blades. Countless exchanges already. The dagger from Miranda's shop was cheap but quality—still, it had taken a beating. The edge was chipped in spots.

Damn... At this rate, my dagger breaks first! Ugh... Go all-in with [Limit Break]?

"Cough... Fire Spear!"

As I barely held on, scorching heat hit, followed by Lena's voice from where she'd collapsed. Glancing over, I saw her ragged form staggering up, chanting a spell.

Empty potion and holy water vials rolled nearby.

-Boom!

While Hiro looked shocked, I rolled back urgently—but his green barrier flared again, blocking the spell the instant it struck. Damn, pre-cast barriers persist without recasting?

Ignoring the shield, Lena chanted again. Hiro ditched me mid-charge for her. I tried my new [Taunt], but he ignored it and rushed her.

"Die! Steel Blade!"

-Thud! Boom!

Using nearby undead as shields, Hiro closed on Lena and swung to kill. But a blue barrier enveloped her just in time, deflecting his strike. Was this the shield she mentioned yesterday?

"Ignite... Cough!"

She'd downed potions and holy water, but the curse and poison permeating this space lingered. Lena's face worsened; her chanting voice shook. She canceled the spell mid-cast, reaching for more holy water instead...

"■■■!"

With a furious glare, Hiro chanted something eerie. Green flames erupted from him, shattering Lena's barrier in one go.

"Guh... Cough!"

The backlash made her vomit blood again. Already hit by mana backlash, forcing more spells had pushed her to the brink. This damned space's curse gnawed relentlessly.

She'd burned too much mana getting here. The curse eroded her body nonstop, and her wretched heat cycle—worsened in life-threatening peril—urged her to reproduce.

In her worst condition ever—barely half, no, 40% of peak—Lena denied the reality closing in.

'Dying like this? On just the 9th floor? I'm... an Intermediate Adventurer!'

Her life flashed before her eyes, regrets and fears overflowing.

Shouldn't have taken this quest? Checked party members closer? Never entered the ruins? Not split up against the skeleton mage? Skipped the 'Pink Rabbit' herb last night? Accepted Ian's massage offer to lift the curse?

Locking eyes with Hiro—who looked deranged, like he was enjoying this—Lena braced for agony and closed her eyes.

"Raaagh!"

Just before his sword struck, a thunderous shout rang out. Ian's blade thrust with otherworldly power, worlds apart from before.

Hiro barely deflected, but the force shoved him back several steps.

Overloaded mana circuits, curses, heat—plus sheer relief from near-death—Lena blacked out.

Her last sensation: the musky scent of her stalwart protector, mingled with something squealing...

While Lena's barrier held Hiro off, I frantically chugged potions and holy water to recover. What I saw: her shield shattering.

Hiro—using offensive magic unlike before—looked drained; not a power to spam. But Lena's barrier broke, leaving her one strike from death.

No more hesitation. I activated [Limit Break]. The skill I'd never used despite unlocking it, fearing side effects. The instant it triggered, overwhelming power surged through my body—unlike anything before.

Like when I pierced the troll's heart by forcibly surpassing my limits.

Difference: back then, one desperate burst wrecked my arm and dropped me.

This power lasted 3 minutes. Weaker output than the troll burst, maybe—but full-body boost, sustained. Problem: from activation, my body broke down in real-time, excruciating pain ripping through.

[Regeneration] kicked in simultaneously. Not just pain—actual internal collapse.

"Phase 2?!"

"It's not a fucking phase. You treating this like a game?"

I couldn't hold back a curse. He was gunning for lives like it was gameplay? Reminded me disgustingly of my early days—fresh isekai'd, diving into the Labyrinth like a game, getting wrecked on floor 1. Could that have been me?

"Game? ...You too!"

He caught my 'phase' and 'game' slips, eyes lighting up like he'd figured something out—but I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠didn't wait, swinging hard. Maximize [Limit Break] uptime!

"Player! You're a player too! Those swears earlier were off for mob taunts! I'm reporting you! Banning your ass!"

Ignoring his yapping, I slashed wildly. Minor wounds? Trust [Regeneration]. No fear—dive in recklessly. He countered with mechanical precision, but my boosted raw specs overwhelmed.

Undead mostly wrecked from Lena-Hiro clash and my improvised obstacles. Just drop this guy!

My dagger's shorter reach sucked. Using sped-up body, I pressed close, limiting his longsword arcs. Short weapon perks: stab rapid-fire during his guards.

Finally—gap in his defense. Dagger slipped through.

'Got it...!'

-Clang!

Not flesh tearing—metal halting. My dagger hit his green barrier, thinned from prior spells but still mighty.

"Pointless."

Scoffing, he swung. Instinct: [Sensory Block] on him—vision again.

"Ha! Underestimating me? Hack, huh? Thought it was a skill! You hacking bastard!"

Feeling vision blocked, he bellowed. His eyes didn't track me, but blocks perfectly parried my stabs.

Damn... Attacks bouncing? Even [Limit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Break] lacks punch to pierce?

Half the duration gone. This edge? All [Limit Break]. Ends soon, I'm toast.

To breach: stronger hits. Or non-blockable means. Poison on an opening?

"Just vision hack? Doesn't touch my control!"

Maintaining vision block, I tested audio, touch blocks in skirmishes. No change—he tracked and struck precisely. Need... an opening...

"Moron! Hacker scum! Steel Blade! Fun gaming like that?"

Fuck, block my own hearing? Tired of his bullshit...

Hearing?

"Hey."

"What?"

Ha, gotcha. Attacks blocked, but sound gets through, right? Don't need sword or magic.

'[Sensory Block]. His hearing blocked.'

First time targeting specific sense. Curious? Skipped tests fearing mishaps—but perfect guinea pig.

"Suuuuuck in..."

Deep breath. Cursing earlier felt cathartic after ages. Time to scream my lungs out.

"Just give up and die quietly..."

"Ah."

Sound bomb incoming.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Kyaaaaaaaangaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

-Boom boom boom! Clang clang! Kreeeeeeek! Ziiing! Kreeeeeeekreeeeeeekreeeeeeek! Grreeeeek! Crack crack!

Never screamed like this in my life—let it rip. Not once: full-throated, endless. Scraped dagger on armor for metal shrieks, clashed throw-knives—noise hell even for me.

Nearly 30 seconds of max-volume mayhem. Worked?

'[Sensory Block] release. Add [Sensory Release] and [Sensory Amplification].'

Taste peak noise pollution.