Chapter 38: For the Love of God, Don't Work With Adventurers (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38: For the Love of God, Don't Work With Adventurers (7)
While waiting for my companions’ orgy to end, I recalled the events of the past two days.
Taking down the wolf boss, each of us playing our part.
Laughing as we divided the loot after a hard-fought battle.
Shouting and yelling as we fled from a horde of kobolds.
The more I thought about it, the more I chuckled.
It would’ve been even better if we’d raided the Kobold King at the end.
It couldn't be helped, but I was still disappointed. To be honest, the wolf boss raid had been a little underwhelming.
But what if it had been the much stronger Kobold King?
Wouldn't that have been a more thrilling fight?
Ah... the more I think about it, the more I regret it.
It's fine. It's not like he was the last boss, anyway.
There were still the bosses on the 20th, 25th, and 30th floors.
From now on, I’d have to slow our descent to make sure the party was in peak condition right before entering a boss room.
That was the only way to do a raid properly.
Besides that, what would happen to this party once we got out of here?
Would we just go our separate ways?
Tsk, that would be a bit of a shame.
Since it’s come to this, should I make a proper party invitation?
If I revealed I was the Hero and promised them wealth and fame after defeating the Demon King, wouldn't they accept?
It seemed like a pretty good idea.
They might be ordinary NPCs with low growth stats, but I could make up for that with good items or elixirs.
But how long are these bastards going to fuck for?
It felt like I’d been out here for a while.
There’s a limit to even the most impressive stamina.
Did they fall asleep in the middle of it?
That was a real possibility. They had to be exhausted after being chased by kobolds for hours.
Damn it, I waited out here for nothing.
Muttering to myself, I pushed open the stone door.
Something sharp shot toward my face.
Whoa, what the fuck?
Startled, I snatched it out of the air.
He caught it?!
She had driven him out with crude words to lower his guard.
She’d thrust her spear from the blind spot of the entrance as he opened the stone door, but…
Cloud had caught the spearhead as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
What kind of reflexes are those?
Horrified, Gravelli swung a dagger at the right hand gripping her spear. Cloud released the spearhead to dodge the dagger, and in that instant, she leaped back to create distance.
“...!”
Kyle shot her a look, asking if she was okay.
“Yeah, I’m fine. He’s a strong one. Get ready, now.”
Kyle nodded and raised his greatshield. Gravelli hid behind him, prepared to thrust her spear at any moment.
The two were ready to fight.
But their opponent made no move to advance.
He was just staring blankly at his palm.
…Has the poison already taken effect?
Just as Gravelli and Kyle were thinking the same thing, a voice cut through the air.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
A chill ran down their spines. Cloud’s gaze was cold as he looked at them. They had only traveled together for a short time, but they had never seen this look in his eyes before.
He hadn't even looked like this when he beat up those three adventurers right after they entered the dungeon.
Is he that angry?
Good.
A man consumed by anger can’t think clearly. It would only make the fight easier for them.
I just have to hold out until the poison kicks in.
The poison she had applied to her spearhead was none other than Cockatrice poison.
A venom lethal enough to kill even a seasoned knight.
She hadn't managed to inflict a deep wound, but it would be more than enough to impair his physical abilities.
He might even just drop dead.
Gravelli forced the corners of her stiff mouth into a smirk.
“Can’t you tell? It’s a betrayal.”
“A betrayal?”
“Isn’t that a familiar word to you, Lord Hero Cloud?”
“...”
“There’s no way a mere A-rank adventurer could take down that giant kobold alone. If you’re going to act, you should have done a better job, Lord Hero. Then again, maybe your companions left you because you couldn’t even manage that?”
Gravelli watched Cloud’s expression, hoping her taunts would make him lose his cool.
But Cloud’s expression remained unchanged from when he had first looked at them.
“Betrayal… you say betrayal…”
Muttering to himself, Cloud let out a short, sharp laugh.
“I’ve really become a fucking idiot.”
Even though he laughed, the heavy atmosphere didn’t change.
“Gurua. What happened to him?”
“Who knows? Why don’t you find out for yourself?”
“I will.”
Thud. Thud.
The sound of Cloud’s footsteps echoed through the corridor. There was no urgency in his stride. He walked with a leisurely air, as if out for a stroll.
Gravelli wasn’t fooled by his demeanor.
The moment he entered her spear’s range, she thrust without hesitation.
Got h—
She didn’t.
With a single, uncanny step, Cloud dodged the spear. The moment her attack missed, his sword moved.
A silver blade aimed for her neck.
A spiked greatshield blocked its path.
Clang!
“..!!!”
Kyle’s brow furrowed deeply.
He had blocked the sword, but it felt as heavy as a mace.
[Strong Blow]
A skill that deals double the user’s attack power in damage.
Cloud didn’t stop his assault.
[Strong Blow]
[Strong Blow]
[Strong Blow]
[Strong Blow]
[Strong Blow]
Kyle gritted his teeth and endured the continuous barrage. But despite his will, his body couldn’t hold up.
He began to be pushed back, little by little.
“You bastard!”
Gravelli thrust her spear to give Kyle a moment to breathe.
[Piercing Thrust]
[3-hit Thrust]
[6-hit Thrust]
[9-hit Thrust]
[12-hit Thrust]
She even used her combo skills, trying to drive Cloud back.
But none of it helped Kyle in the slightest.
Cloud’s sword never stopped, even as he dodged her spear.
“Fucking hell! I know you’re the Hero, but isn’t it a bit much to be perfectly fine after being poisoned by a cockatrice?!” she screamed, unable to contain her frustration.
Then, to her astonishment, his assault, which hadn't paused even for her combo skills, stopped.
“Ah, so this was Cockatrice poison?”
Cloud took his sword and sliced open the palm he’d used to catch the spearhead.
Drip. Drip.
Black blood, not crimson, trickled from his palm. As the black blood hit the floor, it sizzled and bubbled.
“Ha… what is this crazy…”
“...”
Faced with such an unnatural sight, Gravelli and Kyle were at a loss for words.
Watching the black blood turn back to crimson, Cloud raised his sword again.
“..!!”
One of Kyle’s arms was severed. Taking advantage of the moment he froze in pain, I lopped off the other one.
“Kyle!”
Gravelli lunged with her spear.
She was fast, but her target was obvious.
I dodged the spearhead and grabbed the shaft. Gravelli’s eyes widened in surprise.
I kicked her in the stomach, sending her tumbling to the ground.
“..!!!!”
Kyle’s face contorted in a silent scream.
I cut his head off.
I had no use for a mute bastard who couldn’t even speak.
“You son of a biiitch!”
Gravelli, who had been rolling on the floor, was somehow back on her feet, rushing at me and swinging her fist.
The courage to throw a punch at an opponent armed with a sword.
Impressed by her bravery, I rewarded her by cutting off her swinging arm.
And her opposite leg, for good measure.
She hopped on one foot for a few steps before collapsing in a heap.
“I still don’t get it. Why did you betray me?” I asked, walking over to her fallen form. She let out a weak laugh.
“Why, you idiot? Because you’re a fucking pain in the ass, obviously.”
“I thought I did everything I could for you. Don’t tell me you did all this because you were pissed about what happened when we first entered the dungeon. Are you that much of a child?”
“It was a joke, you moron. You think I’d risk my life over something so petty?”
“Glad to see you still have the energy to joke. I still have some questions.”
I plopped down right next to Gravelli.
“Why did you do it?”
“Why should I tell you?”
I pulled a potion from my pouch and showed it to her.
“If you don’t talk, I’ll throw you to the goblins as a sex slave.”
“Fuck. To think something like you is the Hero. The world is doomed.”
“Don’t change the subject. Why did you do it?”
“Because I want to live, obviously.”
I frowned. Her answer still made no sense.
Seeing my expression, she chuckled and continued.
“You said it yourself, right? This dungeon has 30 floors.”
“Yeah.”
“And we’re on the 15th floor right now.”
“That’s right.”
“See? We’re only halfway through, and we’ve already almost died.”
“But you didn’t die.”
“That’s not the point. The point is that we almost died. I don’t want to die. But you, who are stronger than the three of us, insist on going deeper where it’s more dangerous. So what was I supposed to do? To survive, I had no choice but to ambush and kill you, did I?”
“Killing the Hero because you want to live… isn’t that a bit of a contradiction? If the Prona Kingdom or other nations find out about this… Ah, I guess there’s no need to say it.”
No matter how heinous the crime of killing the Hero was, it didn't matter if no one found out.
And a dungeon was the perfect place to hide a body.
“If you wanted to kill me, weren’t there better ways? Killing me in my sleep, or poisoning my food?”
“Everyone knows you’re a light sleeper. You wake up if someone even gets close. Besides, you never ate the meat we cooked, did you? You have to give us an opening if you want us to do something.”
...I guess I still haven't shaken off my old habits.
“Did you feel no guilt, then? About the suffering the people of the nation would face after losing their Hero?”
“That’s not something the Incompetent Hero should be saying, is it? I heard the people of the Prona Kingdom have already given up on you because of the rumors about how unreliable you are. The king is supposedly already in contact with another hero… Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”
“I’m not interested in politics.”
“…I see. Anyway, that’s the whole reason I tried to kill you, Lord Hero. I wanted to live.”
Her attitude suggested she had told me everything. I sighed.
“I never intended to let you die. You know I’m strong, right? You even figured out I was the Hero. Wasn’t trusting and following me an option? If you had, you would have gained fame and fortune beyond compare…”
“Trust the Incompetent Hero? Aren’t you overestimating yourself a little, Lord Hero?”
“...”
“Heh… Don’t make that face. I knew that even the Incompetent Hero was far stronger than the likes of us. But I didn’t know that back then. That’s why I was planning on handing this dungeon over to another hero. It’s a dungeon we could never clear anyway. And it’s a dungeon that Lord Hero Cloud himself covets, right? If I handed it over, wouldn’t they at least toss me a barony?”
“The more I listen, the more I realize what a fucking bitch you are. I should’ve known not to get involved with you the moment I saw your pink hair. Fuck me, if I ever trust someone with pink hair again, I’ll be damned. More importantly, what did you do to Gurua?”
“At first, I planned to bring him into the plan. But he said no. Said something about how following you could make him a great warrior. So I stabbed him with a dagger slathered in Cockatrice poison. He was dead in less than five minutes.”
“…I don’t know how I’ll face Gurua’s family.”
“He was cheating on his perfectly good wife, so who cares? Ah… I think I’m about to die. Hey, Lord Hero. I know this is a strange thing to say now, but can’t you save me? I’ll live only for you for the rest of my life.”
“As a goblin’s flesh slave?”
“Fuck… just kill me.”
Her chuckling face was pale, drained of blood.
Looking at the pool of blood spreading across the floor, it seemed she didn’t have much time left.
“Ah, before I die, I have something to say to our Incompetent Hero.”
She turned her head from the ceiling. Her eyes met mine.
“The way I see it, you’re living in a fairytale, Lord Hero. You think that once you become companions, it’s only natural to risk your lives for each other.”
“...”
“Wake up, you fool. You’ve been through so much, and you still don’t get it? Companionship is just a transactional relationship. When someone’s no longer useful, you throw them away. Especially rootless adventurers like me.”
“...”
“…Still, if you really want companions who would die for you, there is a way.”
“What is it?”
“Find their weakness. Physical or emotional. And use it. Think about it. Why do you think Kyle fought to the death for me?”
“You’re husband and wife. It must be love.”
“And do you think I loved Kyle? A mute who couldn’t even speak?”
“You… fuck, I’m speechless.”
“Heh… Our naive little Hero might not know it, but that’s how the world works. Use everything you can. They’re tools, just tools… Don’t… give them your heart… That’s… the secret… to surviving… until the end…”
The strength in Gravelli’s voice faded.
Soon, the light in her eyes dimmed.
I sighed and closed her eyelids.
I lay down on the floor and stared at the ceiling.
There was nothing but stone above, but my eyes saw other things.
“Why do I miss you all so much today…”
Gravelli’s words replayed in my mind.
—Find their weakness. Physical or emotional. And use it.
—Use everything you can.
—They’re tools, just tools… Don’t… give them your heart…
“I just wanted to feel a little of what I felt back then… but I guess that’s not possible here.”
If so, there was no reason to start over.
A bitter smile formed on my lips.
I closed my eyes against the wave of emptiness washing over me.
—Cloud, the Imperial social gathering is approaching. Do not forget to attend.
Frillite.
For a moment, I thought I heard her voice in my ear.