Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: 4th Floor: Dancing with the Wanderer
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Crack!
Swords clashed, their crossguards locking together and halting both blades in their tracks.
A standoff that lasted but an instant.
Reading the flow of power from the pressed blades, I twisted my sword upward to block the intruding edge while simultaneously countering.
A perfect fusion of defense and offense—blocking the enemy's strike while landing my own.
Not flashy, but efficient and safe.
Yet she reversed the trajectory, her blade flowing like water to press forward. I took a step back, pressing my sword down to pin it to the ground.
Our blades restrained each other, frozen in place.
From there, it devolved into a brutal close-quarters brawl to seize the advantage.
"That's enough."
At Albert's words, I stepped back, breathing heavily as I wiped the sweat from my brow.
"Impressive for a beginner. You've only just picked up the sword, so your proficiency is lacking, but your basic motor skills and instincts are exceptional. If you'd started young, you might have become a renowned knight."
"I'm pretty damn good."
"Not good enough to get cocky, though. Rookies who talk like you never last long."
He was just stating facts, but it felt like a curse. Irritated, I kicked Albert in the shin before chugging the clean water from the altar area.
It had already been three days since I started learning swordsmanship from Albert.
We weren't delving into profound, intricate techniques, but I could at least absorb the basics and theory.
Albert taught not just swordplay, but handling all sorts of weapons and physical conditioning methods.
There was a shit-ton of it, but the core principles boiled down to one-handed or two-handed sword techniques with slight variations for different weapons, so I could force myself to keep up.
"Still, why bother learning the sword from me? A knight's swordsmanship is for fighting people. Against monsters, you don't need it—and you couldn't use it anyway."
"I know. But I'll need it going forward."
I gave a curt reply to Albert, whose face screamed confusion about why I'd learn to kill humans.
"...You're talking about that portal at the end of the sewer?"
"Yeah."
I'd shared with Albert and the criminals that even if we handed over the Wanderer, the Sewer King awaited—and that the exit didn't lead near Whitechamber, but to a portal instead.
No point in backstabbing or fleeing during the boss fight; it'd just mean dog death. They got the message, growing gloomier but more cooperative toward me.
"Besides, I need to know how to use it properly. Can't keep swinging it wildly like a retard forever; gotta look cool."
That was the extent of why I was learning from Albert.
It was necessary for humanoid foes in the next sewer section, but if anyone saw me swinging before, they'd think I was doing some epileptic dance.
"What are you, some kid from the neighborhood?"
"Shut up."
I'd smash that stubborn bastard's head.
Our food supplies were running critically low.
With around ten people hunkered down and foraging, it was no surprise the 4th floor's ecosystem was wrecked.
Traps were all mapped, enemies wiped out—so yeah, the 4th floor was basically a safe zone now.
'Of course, the irregular polyhedron's magic would respawn more if we wait.'
After pouring nearly a week into sword training, I could swing with a decent— if forced—level of proficiency. Not perfect, but usable.
This must be basic swordsmanship.
To my eyes, it looked pretty slick, but to a real knight like Albert, my stance was unstable, power uneven, blade wobbling—plenty to nitpick.
"Anyway, today's the day."
"It's been a long haul..."
"We leave the sewer tomorrow."
"A long haul..."
I hoped the time spent learning wouldn't be wasted.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Rooooaaar!
The final passage where water from the 4th-floor sewers raged fiercely.
Standing in its center: a lone woman.
Opposite her, ragged men gripped their weapons, glaring murderously at the pitiful figure.
The tension was like a bomb ready to explode at the slightest movement, swallowing the water's roar whole.
Gulp.
With that tiny swallow, the first to move was the woman in her eerie stance.
From her frail body surged impossible power. Wielding a massive greatsword, she collided with the men at flash-like speed.
And the man's body split vertically—
Clang!
—or it should have. A jet-black axe blocked the descending blade.
Her trembling arms betrayed desperation just to hold it off, yet the forceful strike was still parried.
"H-Hiiik!"
"Damn, you're impatient!"
Smack!
The kick to her gut sent her flying backward, tumbling across the floor.
A heavy blow, but not devastating—and above all, the pain wouldn't stop her.
Without even propping herself on her arms, she twisted her body using her legs, rising in a grotesque pose to glare at the man who'd blocked her.
Cleaner than the others. Jet-black hair like ebony. Matching crow-feather black eyes. A long scar across his cheek. Arrogant confidence.
She pegged him as their leader.
"Uh... Uhh... Aaaah..."
And she sensed it.
That familiar, intimate mana from his body.
She needed it. The source.
She reached for the man. But a plate-armored brute like a siege ram intercepted, as if denying her.
He caught the thrusting sword barehanded.
"Hmph..!"
Skin tore, blood flowed—but such minor pain meant nothing.
Her greatsword arced to bisect the armored giant from torso to legs.
Kagagang!
Silver blade and black axe crossed like scissors, sparks flying as they interrupted the greatsword's path.
It was that man.
"D-Die!"
Smack!
A heavy blow to the back of his head. His brain rattled, balance shattered, and he crumpled.
The limits of flesh.
One-sided beating followed. Amid the men's fear-laced violence and disgust, she curled up, mechanically obeying the onslaught.
"Hahaha! W-What the hell! She's nothing special!"
"You bitch! Do you know how many died because of you?!"
Venting.
Under extreme stress, the sadism buried in their hearts resurfaced. Dominating the cowering woman swelled their groins with superiority.
Fighting for survival was forgotten. Now it was just violation. Playtime for pleasure.
But—
In that moment, the men beating her froze, feeling inexplicable emptiness.
Their hands, feet, arms, legs.
They'd detached from their bodies, soaring through the air.
Kaaaaaaaagh—!!!
Horrific screams echoed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Kagagak..!
My Silver Longsword was sizable enough for two hands, but it still couldn't match the Wanderer's greatsword in weight class. Using the center of gravity, I barely held on—that was my limit.
Yet my arms sank bit by bit; her raw Strength stat was on another level.
Thud!
"Kuh..."
The force flung me back like butter.
Crash.
I rolled spectacularly across the floor, tasting thick blood—probably bit my cheek.
"Hoo... She's a monster. Not using that summon?"
"Not yet. Need to kill her at least once."
As I rose and reset my stance, Albert—mid-joint assault beside me—caught his breath, sword trained on the Wanderer in a standoff.
She couldn't press easily against his vigilance.
Glancing around, the scene was gruesome.
Four criminals who'd piled on the downed Wanderer lay scattered, limbs severed one or two each, wailing pitifully.
The fresh-cut stumps turned my stomach.
Wanderer's Half-Moon Slash
A pattern dealing damage to all in range with a chance for gore hits—tough for melee types.
Delay turn allows defense or evasion timing, but too much for these mid-tier criminals.
The others, morale shattered at the sight, hesitated.
'This is bad.'
Albert looked grim too, but charged, thrusting his sword.
Still, we'd chipped her HP plenty.
Cautious grinding could stable Phase 1.
The Wanderer mechanically swung her greatsword upward at the approaching Albert. He countered with a powerful downward slash, their strikes canceling amid fierce metal clangs.
I slipped in, axe crashing down.
Kwachik—Blood sprayed, muscles crushed. The axe embedded in her shoulder sapped the greatsword's power; Albert won the strength contest.
The Wanderer staggered.
But her muscles and joints didn't stop.
Chiiieeng—!!
My reflexively raised axe shuddered like it might snap as her strike hammered my body.
Boom!
Agonizing impact to my back. I flew into the sewer wall.
"Kuhuk!"
Air tore from my lungs like it shredded my throat. No time to savor the pain.
Albert, suddenly grabbed, was hurled at me like a shot put.
I dropped low and dashed forward.
A massive thud and pained groan echoed as he hit the wall behind me—but others' worries weren't priority.
'Fuck, she's strong for real.'
Albert's swordsmanship was useless now.
Block and fly, parry and fly, slash and lose a limb—what good is technique against that?
I got why he said knight arts were for humans.
So, back to basics: twist my body.
Dodge wildly, risking spine and joints. Punch if I can, smash if possible, slash if open, stab if close.
Exchange like a puzzle.
Sharp metal screeches like a grade-school music room cacophony.
Others began joining the "orchestra" one by one.
"Kuhuk..!"
"Watch out!"
The flurry didn't last. Her sword ripped my leather armor, gashing me deep.
"Slime!"
Purrurung!!
Shwaaaaaak—!!
But there's always a way out. I summoned the slime into the path of her diagonal greatsword slicing my torso.
Sticky body clung, visibly slowing it.
I tackled her shoulder-first, toppling her, then axed her chest.
Kwachik—
"Ah, ahh..."
Ribs and flesh pulverized.
Revulsion at her human shape? Long suppressed by brain opioids.
Just desperation now.
Kwachik—Kwachik! Kwachik!!
"Ugh, aaaghh... Kah..."
Smash after smash.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You have defeated the Wanderer. "Hahk... Hek... Fuck... Gonna die..."
"You okay?"
Albert extended a hand to me as I straddled the chest-slashed Wanderer.
I took it.
"Fine... Except the big stab wound. But it's not over."
"Groan..."
Crack—
I pulled out the radiant irregular polyhedron from my pocket.
The black gem, once dark save red lines, now cracked and emitted profane light.
That light aimed at the motionless Wanderer on the ground.
Shatter!
It burst like a mirror, vanishing formless. But the profane glow lingered.
Bathed in it, the Wanderer's chest heaved violently.
Thump-thump—like heartbeats, vibrations healed her wounds, body convulsing like defibrillation.
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiii—!!!!!!
With spasms, long fleshy tentacles erupted from her mouth.
Everyone with strength left gaped in horror.
"Alright, Phase 2."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You have learned about the Bell of the End.