Kitty, What on Earth Is This Guy #5
Kitty, What on Earth Is This Guy #5
"Feels different from mana."
The power radiating from the treasure was obviously something supernatural, but it didn't seem like mana either. I sure as hell hope I'm not mistaking radiation for treasure energy.
"Hik!"
Shit, now that I've thought of it, I'm getting kind of creeped out.
VP, you bastard, do you think I'm some kind of Chernobyl liquidator? Then again, I don't have a metallic taste in my mouth.
I immediately stuffed the treasure into my bag.
—Fwoosh.
The fireball reacted again.
"There's more?"
It just wanted to keep moving. Nothing else to see here. I shut the treasure chest lid and stepped outside.
—Thud. Thud.
I walked through the dark underground just like that.
This feels exactly like exploring some dungeon... A dungeon, huh. The basement Kitty first screwed me over in had this same vibe.
—Fwoop.
The fireball stopped and pointed downward again.
"Okay."
—Vwoom.
I stabbed my sword into the floor again, carved out a square, and dropped to the level below. Looks like this basement is pretty damn big.
The moment I landed.
"Groooaaar...!"
An ominous sound came from deeper inside.
—Boom. Boom.
—Boom.
Heavy footsteps. There was a monster in here. Soon, it entered the lantern's radius.
"A big one, then."
A Shebla.
[Shebla.]
[Enhanced Type.]
Bigger and more muscular than the ones I saw earlier, with white carapace growths on its body. Its claws were savage, like an eagle's talons.
"Groooaarr!"
Anyway, the thing spotted me and charged, so.
"Hup!"
I kicked off the ground lightly and jumped back up through the hole I'd come from. At the same time, the creature leaped after me, shoving its head through the hole—
"Tsuuaaap!"
"Grook?!"
Like a lightning strike.
—Crack!
I executed a clean downward slash and split open the skull of the monster that had poked its head up after me.
—Fshhh.
It vanished, leaving behind a magic stone.
"Heh heh heh, a competent hero uses the terrain to his advantage."
That's exactly the kind of thing they drill into you at school. Heroes need to know how to exploit their surroundings. It minimizes damage and cuts the enemy's throat.
I dropped back down through the hole, grabbed the magic stone, and continued my journey.
It looked like there'd be more of those things around, but judging by the feel of that skull-splitting strike, a head-on fight shouldn't be a problem.
—Tap, tap.
I knocked on the wall.
Even if I got surrounded from both sides, I could just cut through the wall next to me, jump in, and fight. Or I could just charge the one behind me, finish it in one blow, and then deal with the one in front.
Right now, a bunch of different ways to slaughter any monster that suddenly appeared were blazing through my head.
That just meant I'd grown that much stronger, and confidence surged into the hand gripping my sword. No problem at all. I've gotten stronger through all the real combat I've been through.
"Even I'm starting to scare myself."
As I walked on thinking that.
"Groaar."
A monster appeared again.
—Boom.
Strike first and win.
The instant I locked onto it, I kicked off the ground and charged like a marlin slicing through water, thrusting my sword straight through the bastard's neck.
—Pwaang!
The mana-charged tip of the blade caused a small explosion, blasting the thing's neck off. Such a lightning-fast ambush, it lost its life before it could even react.
"Nice."
I picked up the magic stone and moved according to the fireball's guidance. Soon, something like an iron door appeared.
"Here?"
I coated my blade in sword aura and stabbed it into the area around the handle. I cut through the lock, gave it a few shakes, and the door opened.
"Oh."
A sort of altar came into view.
There was an altar, and atop it sat an ornate stand holding a beautiful gem. It looked a little big to just shove in the bag... well, I could cover it and strap it down. This weight was nothing.
"This is it, right?"
—Woomph.
The fireball flared in response.
"Seriously, are you making me do interdimensional grave robbing or what?"
All I'd done here was kill a few weak-ass monsters, explore an old castle, smash whatever I pleased, and hunt for treasure. Literally feels like I'm being used as a mercenary.
Anyway, if I don't get paid, I'm not forgiving you.
—Squeeze.
After I'd secured the treasure to my bag.
[Complete.]
The fireball displayed the word.
"So it's over now."
Then let's find the fragment and head back. I'm gonna collect a hefty fee for this errand. I know VP is supposed to be scary, but I've already talked some big shit to her before.
* * *
After leaving the basement, I covered myself with the straw mat and climbed onto the roof of the old castle. From the highest vantage point, I surveyed the surroundings and spotted a familiar cluster of light in the distance.
—Flash!
That was where the fragment was.
But looking closer.
—Flap!
Those Watcher-type Sheblas I saw earlier? A whole bunch of those winged eyeball freaks were gathered and circling around that area. And with all that swarming... it looked like a shit-ton of Sheblas had clustered around there.
"Tsk."
A tough job right at the end, huh.
Seems like I'll have to show off if I want to grab the fragment and get home. Having reached that conclusion, I climbed down from the roof, hid in a suitable spot, and replenished my energy.
An ion drink packed with various vitamins, two protein bars, and a special fat-replenishing block made for heroes who burn massive calories.
It didn't look like much, but when I roughly calculated the calories, it came out to a whopping 1,400. Although, eating it just felt like having a light snack.
"Burp."
As I waited for the nutrients to spread through my body, I checked my remaining mana. I hadn't even used 10% since arriving here. That's what happens when you minimize mana usage even while killing monsters.
Honestly, at the start of the semester, my sense for handling mana was so trash that I'd swing my sword while wasting mana like crazy, with the whole blade wrapped in sword aura. But now, having finished the whole first semester, I've learned to fight while properly regulating my mana output.
And on top of that, I'm even training in the Lion's Roar. No problem at all.
"Let's go."
I started moving again.
Toward the place where the fragment was.
"Grrrk..."
"Grrurrk..."
Along the way.
The Sheblas on this side were just quiet. Were these guys not interested in the fragment? The Zora and the Antillery both showed a tendency to obsess over fragments.
Whatever the case, seeing so many clustered around the fragment made me lean toward the judgment that these bastards just don't have very good senses.
Anyway, I kept bypassing them until I got close to the fragment.
"Oh."
—Swarm, swarm.
Literally a swarm.
"Groooaaar!"
"Groooaaar!"
Several different kinds of Sheblas were circling the fragment, which was enclosed in a barrier, and attacking the barrier every so often.
—Flap!
The Watchers in the sky were also taking turns firing beam-like attacks at the fragment. It looked like they all wanted to peel off that barrier and get what was inside.
But I could just reach right through it.
Now that I knew that, forming a plan was simple. I mentally mapped the terrain I'd seen on the way here and ran a quick simulation in my head.
No need to fight everyone.
I just need to charge toward the fragment like I'm going for a touchdown in rugby. Sure, the numbers are so insanely high right now that breaching the encirclement is impossible, but with my skills, I can create an opening.
—Slip.
Having finished my observation, I revealed myself to the bastards.
And then.
"Hup."
I drew in my breath.
"KIYAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOH—!!!"
I unleashed the Lion's Roar taught to me by the Chairwoman!
—Pwaaaaang!
I could feel the air flow. A kind of shockwave clearly exploded outward from me at the center. The distance meant I couldn't deal direct damage to the enemies, but...
"Grrrk?!"
"Grrurrrrrk!"
I succeeded in drawing aggro.
—Papapapat!
—Papapat!
—Rumble!
The bastards that had been practically clumped together like ants around the fragment opened their jaws and started charging straight at me.
Their speed easily surpassed any ordinary short-distance track athlete, but...
One look told me they were doing fifty kilometers per hour, tops.
Running away would be easy.
"Uwaaaaaaahk!"
Having drawn their aggro, I pretended to be panicked out of my mind and bolted down the path I'd scoped out. At exactly fifty kilometers per hour.
"Groooaarr!"
"Grrurrrrk!"
I glanced back and saw the frenzied monsters in hot pursuit. And the Watchers in the sky were... huh?
"Aaaaaaaaahk!"
"Aaaaaahk!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahk!"
What the hell are those bastards screaming about!
"You crazy fucks! That's my trademark!"
Right after screaming, the bastards started firing something.
—Pwaang!
—Pwaang!
Those beam cannons I saw earlier. But not made of pure light. More like they're firing some kind of energy in cannonball form.
—Kwaang!
Dodging wasn't hard. I just had to throw my body. In fact, the blind barrage hit the Sheblas harder.
"Groooaaar!"
"Nice!"
I just kept running and herding them like that.
"Hap!"
I jumped with full force, kicked off something like the window frame of a nearby building, launched myself back up, and got onto the roof.
"Coming through!"
—Fwat!
I smashed through that roof and propelled myself to another roof. Then to another. Then another. Then I hopped along a shattered pillar and finally touched back down on the road.
"Heh heh heh, too late, bastards."
I'd completely shaken them off.
Nearly a hundred monsters were clustered over there, milling around in confusion and roaring.
—Slip.
The path to the fragment was practically no-man's-land. Nothing much there except about twenty Shebla stragglers. There were Watchers in the sky, but their attacks couldn't surpass my mobility.
—Fwat!
Just like that, I sprinted straight for the fragment.
"Groooaarr!"
"Kruuaaar!"
The straggler pack rushed me all at once. As I ran, I scanned each of their faces one by one.
"Hup!"
I swallowed my breath.
The moment they threw their bodies at me.
"KIEEEEEEEEEEEK!"
I blasted the Lion's Roar once more!
—Pwaang!
"Kruuuaak!"
"Kuooooooo!"
A small shockwave erupted, hurling back the charging Sheblas. As they lifted off the ground, I looked at them.
—Shing.
I drew my sword like a flash.
"Die!"
Charging forward fiercely, I thrust with all my might.
—Shwak!
I felt the impact.
The explosive trajectory of my blade swallowed the Sheblas. The bisected monsters instantly turned to dust and vanished. I stomped down hard with a stamping step, launching the fallen magic stones into the air.
—Fwat!
Like snatching up pebbles, I grabbed them all.
"Bye!"
And dove right toward the fragment.
Slide.
As expected, the barrier the fragment created didn't repel me. I slipped inside with zero resistance. The moment my hand closed around the fragment.
—Vwooom!
An intense radiance burst out, and I felt myself being sucked somewhere. Hard. At the same time, old knowledge began to surface in my mind.
Was it surfacing?
Or flowing in from somewhere?
I wasn't sure, but I closed my eyes and tried as hard as I could to read that information.
"Huh?"
What the...