Treasure Hunt
Kieeeeeeeeeek!
A grotesque monster with a bizarre, unnatural form. The chimeras unleashed thunderous roars as they charged straight at the party. Abel stood in their path, sword and shield raised.
“Over here!”
Using the mana manipulation he had only recently mastered, he seized the attention of every monster. The simple-minded chimeras couldn’t resist the provocation. They rushed in like wild dogs, hammering away at Abel’s shield. Having lost all reason, they were riddled with openings.
Alissa and Yas slipped in from the flanks, carving through the chimeras with vicious efficiency. Their numbers shrank rapidly. By the time only half remained, Yuni’s magic was complete.
“Everyone, get back!”
At her warning, a colossal fireball streaked forward. KABOOM!
The violently descending sphere of flame detonated in spectacular fashion, swallowing the chimeras whole. The brutal shockwave hurled them helplessly into the air, where they blackened like charcoal before crashing back to the ground. The power was breathtaking.
“Yuni, that was incredible!”
“Hehe! What? Abel’s the real star—he blocked every single one of those chimeras!”
“Haha! Yuni’s right. You’re something else, friend. I thought it was strange when you suddenly insisted on learning shield techniques, but now I get it. Keep looking out for us!”
“That’s enough praise. It wasn’t just me—everyone performed well. Alissa, Yas, you two worked hard. Thanks to you, my burden was a lot lighter.”
While the three of them exchanged warm compliments, Alissa wiped the blood from her rapier and scanned the path ahead.
How much farther?
They had already been inside the dungeon for two hours. They seemed to have made decent progress, yet this endless corridor showed no sign of ending.
As Alissa examined their surroundings, Abel—who had finished soaking up the praise—called out.
“Let’s take a short break. Everyone’s stamina looks pretty drained.”
Following Abel’s order, they shoved the chimera corpses into a corner, unpacked their gear, and sat down. A brief silence settled over the group. Yas, leaning against the wall and enjoying its cool touch, suddenly spoke up with open curiosity.
“Abel. What are you planning to do after you graduate from the academy?”
“Me? I’ll probably become a knight. I don’t really have any clear goals.”
“That so? After I graduate they’ll just drag me straight back to the tribe. I’m jealous. What about you, Yuni?”
“Hmm… I want to join the Magic Tower first. After that, I’m not sure.”
“Everyone’s pretty similar, huh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
Having nodded in understanding, Yas’s gaze finally landed on Alissa. When everyone turned to look at her as well, she furrowed one eyebrow in clear annoyance and spat out bitterly.
“I’ll probably just get married off to some rich, powerful noble. That’s all I’m worth. Actually, maybe not even that anymore. I’d be lucky if I don’t end up as some old noble’s concubine.”
Who would want a bastard daughter who had already lost her purity? Everyone listening to those thoroughly negative assumptions was startled.
Yuni quickly shook her head.
“N-no! Alissa, you’re beautiful and your swordsmanship is outstanding. You’ll become someone even greater in the future. By then your family won’t be able to push you around.”
“She’s right! If you keep working hard like this, you’ll be able to live freely!”
Abel and Yuni were desperately trying to lift her spirits, but to Alissa their words only had the opposite effect. They had no idea she had been raped. The realization that they were speaking so carelessly without knowing anything made her sneer.
“Do you really believe that? Can a bird whose wings have both been torn off still fly?”
“Uh…?”
“It’s impossible. Without wings, how could it fly? I’m the same. Nothing I do now can change anything. It’s all already decided.”
Despair spreads quickly. Alissa’s darkness infected the whole group, leaving them at a loss for words. When Abel hung his head, Alissa regained some of her composure and sighed.
“You don’t need to feel sorry. I’m not blaming any of you.”
“Even so…”
“I said it’s fine. Keep pushing and I might actually get mad. More importantly, let’s get moving. Everyone’s stamina should be back by now.”
Wanting to change the subject, Alissa urged the party to their feet. Advice, no matter how well-intentioned, breeds resistance when the recipient doesn’t want it. Respecting her wishes, the others silently resumed their journey.
At that same moment, I—who had been monitoring Abel’s party—flinched at Alissa’s words.
“A bird with its wings torn off…”
It really was the perfect metaphor. What I had done was no different from ripping every feather from a bird’s wings. In the original game, Abel’s line would have planted a flag and advanced the story, but here it had been wasted without any effect. To her, who had already lost all hope for the future, it must have sounded like empty noise.
Facing my own sins in such an unexpected place left my heart in knots.
How long do I have to keep living like this?
From now on—whether I want to or not—I have to keep raping countless women to grow stronger. Some will be villains not even worth pitying, others monsters where the distinction between good and evil is meaningless, and some will be good people like Alissa.
Could I really endure all of it? Would I be able to stand on a mountain of hatred and resentment and run solely toward my goal? Or would I collapse long before that?
It was a question I had asked myself thousands upon thousands of times every single day, yet the answer still hadn’t come. This was a war with myself that no one else could define.
I had sunk so deeply into my own world that I only came back to my senses after a while. I slapped both cheeks.
Slap! Slap!
“Get it together.”
I had become far too emotional. Shaking off the complicated thoughts, I refocused on Abel’s party. The boss room was coming up soon.
Thirty minutes after their break, the party finally emerged from the long corridor into a vast cavern.
“Is this the end?”
“Abel, watch out!”
“Whistle~ Damn, that’s impressive. You see that statue? It’s insanely detailed. Looks like it could come alive any second.”
Just as he said, a gigantic monster statue stood in the center of the cavern. Its jagged teeth inspired pure dread, and its two wings were massive enough to support its enormous body—fully spread, they would easily span four meters. If something like that ever moved, it would be a catastrophe.
Alissa frowned in open displeasure, about to scold Yas, when—
Clang!
A wall slammed down behind them, sealing the passage they had come through. At the same time the massive statue began to move with a heavy groan. Yas, who had been whistling casually while admiring it, instantly paled in shock.
“Whoa! What the hell? It’s actually moving?!”
“Sigh… I knew it.”
“It’s coming! Everyone, dodge!”
With Alissa’s groan and Abel’s warning as the final words, the gargoyle flapped its wings and hurtled forward. Taking the charge head-on would be suicide. Abel instinctively raised his shield, but a split-second later he followed his gut and threw himself sideways.
KABOOOOOM!
The deafening crash sent a shockwave slamming into his back. Abel rolled to his feet and saw a massive crater where the gargoyle had landed. He swallowed hard.
“You all saw that, right? One solid hit and it’s over. Avoid as much as possible.”
The tank couldn’t fulfill his role. It was a serious problem. Abel felt embarrassed even as the words left his mouth. The others, however, saw it differently.
“It’s fine, Abel! I’ll finish it with my magic!”
“Yuni’s right, friend. No need to get so down on yourself! This guy will take care of it!”
“If you’re going to say something stupid, take responsibility. Anyway, the gargoyle’s attacks are slow. Dodging them isn’t hard.”
“…Understood. Thanks, everyone. I’ll take the front. As long as it doesn’t hit like that again, I should be able to block a few strikes!”
Reinvigorated by their encouragement, Abel quickly closed the distance. The farther away he stayed, the more dangerous it became. It was the correct decision.
Grrrrung!
The moment Abel entered range, the gargoyle brought its massive fist down. KABANG!
Stone fist met shield. The crushing weight bore down on his entire body, but Abel clenched his teeth and held firm. While he kept the creature’s attention fixed, Yas and Alissa slipped in from both sides exactly as planned and attacked its wings.
Claaaaang!
A clear ringing echoed through the cavern. Yas’s sword, unable to use sword energy, couldn’t even scratch the gargoyle’s wings. Alissa managed to open a wound just over a span long. Still, a wound was a wound. The instant the enraged gargoyle tried to counter—
“Both of you, fall back!”
KABOOOOOM!
Yuni’s magic struck. The fireball shot across the space and exploded against the gargoyle’s face. The attack stopped, but there wasn’t a single burn on its features. Its magic resistance was simply too high.
Yas, who had retreated in that opening, scratched the back of his head.
“Huh? Not even a scratch? Hahaha…”
His awkward laugh revealed how embarrassed he was after talking so big yet contributing nothing.
Alissa instantly revised their strategy.
“Yas, support me. Move as obnoxiously as you can and draw its attention. I’ll attack during the openings. Got it?”
“Of course! I’ll be as annoying as possible.”
BANG!
Abel blocked another strike. Yas and Alissa immediately exploited the gap. The battle’s balance shifted—slowly but surely—in the party’s favor. The wounds on the wings grew larger until one was finally severed.
Slash!
—Kieeeeeeeeeeek!
With a scream like nails on a chalkboard, the wing crashed to the ground. The gargoyle had lost its ability to fly.
“Yes! Victory is ours!”
“Shut up. And stop making weird noises.”
After snapping at Yas’s triumphant shout, Alissa poured every last ounce of stamina into piling damage onto the gargoyle. Her movements grew even faster, her sword energy sharper, mercilessly slicing through its tough hide. In the end, Alissa’s rapier pierced straight through its forehead, and the creature went still.
THUD!
“WHOAAAAA! We won!”
“Haa… Alissa, you did great!”
“That was amazing!”
The whole party showered her with praise. Alissa unconsciously smiled before catching herself and waving them off with a straight face.
“Don’t make such a fuss. I didn’t do it alone.”
“Still! I’m so glad we brought you along!”
Having fought for their lives together seemed to have closed the distance between them. Yuni clung tightly to Alissa. While the two girls shared their own private skinship—
Grrrrrrrrung—
The mechanism in the blocked wall activated, opening a new path. At a glance it was clearly different from the corridors they had traveled so far. Bright lighting illuminated the interior completely.
“What is that place?”
Abel tilted his head. Everyone narrowed their eyes, studying it carefully, when Yas spoke as though it were obvious.
“What else could it be? It’s the reward! Let’s go check it out right now!”
Yuni stopped him as he tried to dash forward.
“Yas, calm down. It could be a trap.”
“She’s right. We should be care—kyaaaah!”
Alissa, who had been nodding in agreement, screamed at the smoke bomb flying in from behind. Smoke bombs were pure trauma for her. The memory of being raped by Luan instantly resurfaced, freezing her body. She couldn’t even warn the others.
BOOM!
The smoke bomb detonated magnificently, filling the entire cavern with thick white smoke. Their vision shrank instantly; everything became hazy.
“Cough! Cough! What is this?!”
“Everyone, gather up! It’s dangerous!”
As they coughed and stood back-to-back, warily scanning their surroundings, an irritating voice rang out.
“Puhahaha! The treasure is mine!”
The voice was deliberately distorted with mechanical distortion, making it thoroughly unpleasant. The mysterious figure suddenly appeared in front of the newly opened passage, waved mockingly, and slipped inside.
“Ah! It’s a thief! Everyone, after him!”
Yas spotted the culprit and tried to give chase immediately, but the thick smoke made it nearly impossible. By the time the party pushed through the haze and stepped into the new area, the intruder had already vanished.
Alissa looked around and gritted her teeth.
“Everyone, search the area! There has to be something here.”
Following the reasonable suggestion, the party sharpened their senses and began thoroughly examining the space.