B-Rank Dungeon, The Witch's Forest (5)
Level has increased!
Level has increased!
Level has increased!
Selena's level was surging in real time.
Honestly, compared to me or Soso, her level had been so low that despite her impressive fighting spirit, she had felt a bit awkward to post on the front lines. Now, however, she was finally shaping up into a formidable asset. For an E-rank adventurer, she was remarkably decent... No, calling that "decent" would be completely wrong. Definitely wrong.
"Die——! Why is this hide so damn tough?!"
Selena swung her blade like a woman possessed. Calling a maniac like that "decent" was practically an insult to adventurers everywhere. A total nuisance. A massive, roaring nuisance.
And then there were the other adventurers affected by her.
Watching them lose their minds in real time, whatever excitement had stirred in my chest quietly settled, replaced by a wash of genuine pity. To all the F- to D-rank adventurers out there... I am truly sorry. Really... my deepest apologies...
The madmen—or rather, adventurers—racked up levels at a frantic pace as our march pressed on. By the time the rations we had once scraped together meal by meal piled high enough to last a full month, we had completely eradicated every monster in the northern sector.
Trees had been cleared to stumps. Monsters were devoured down to the bare bone. And lastly, fairies lay drained dry of every drop of blood, leaving nothing behind but limp skins.
Mana +4
Mmm, fairies were absolutely delicious.
The flavor was so sublime that I had filled cups with the nectar and stockpiled them in my inventory just to drink one every morning. It was an ambrosia worthy of being called peerless under the heavens. Given that sharp, tingling aftertaste, was it carbonated? It seemed to possess properties remarkably similar to soda. If I could fence off a breeding ground and farm fairies, I might even be able to start a beverage business.
"Though weirdly enough, everyone else seems to avoid it...?"
I had offered cups to the lunatics with a warm, benevolent smile, but the moment I did, clarity returned to their eyes just long enough to politely decline. What a fickle bunch of bastards. Refusing a lovingly offered mana booster like that.
Well, whatever.
With this, it was confirmed that there was no boss room to the north. That left east, west, and south. It had taken a week to clear out the northern sector, so just as I was estimating it would take roughly three more weeks—
"Got a moment?"
"Mr. Leo? Sure, I don't mind, but why pull me all the way into this secluded corner just to talk...?"
It was suspicious, but because I trusted what the status window had revealed earlier, I followed him into the quiet woods without needless doubt. What he pulled out to show me was none other than...
"A compass?"
"It's one of my abilities... After keeping it active for several days, I managed to track down the Boss Room. If we move with you and the other adventurers, it will probably take at least four days."
"Four days, huh..."
Seeing me immediately sink into thought, he gave me a puzzled look and asked, "Aren't you curious why I only mentioned this ability now?"
"Not particularly? I'm just grateful that you told me at all."
"You're a strange fellow. Normally, people would be screaming things like, 'You deceived us—!' or 'We'd never believe the words of a lying bastard like you!' To think you'd be so nonchalant..."
Nonchalant, was it? Perhaps it was because I had already verified his traits through the status window, but I didn't harbor any negative feelings toward him. If anything, that ability had only boosted my goodwill. He seemed like a decent guy, roughly occupying the role of a reliable neighborhood older brother. He had the casual demeanor of a neighborhood hyung sheepishly admitting, 'Sorry~ I blew through all my cash, could you lend me some?!' Honestly, far from feeling resentful, I was on the verge of laughing out loud.
"Well, things happen. Mortals are creatures bound to carry secrets by nature, after all. I won't lose sleep over it."
"What an admirable spirit you have, lad...!"
Contrary to his rugged exterior, he seemed surprisingly soft-hearted. Tearing up just because I showed a shred of empathy... Then again, seeing a grown man get misty-eyed was a bit much. The man slapped his waist a few times with a hearty laugh and strolled casually back out into the open.
Still, hmm...? How should I put it? Earlier, he had spoken so naturally that I assumed that was simply his personality, but somehow his appearance and his speech felt discordant. His body was that of a middle-aged man, yet his manner of speaking felt like he was imitating someone far younger. I kept my eyes on his receding back for a long while, but couldn't spot anything definitively wrong.
Was it merely a fleeting doubt? Over the few days spent clearing the western sector, that peculiar dissonance never surfaced again. And second-guessing an ally left a bad taste in my mouth anyway.
"Kill them—! Kill—!"
"Kiyahoo——!"
"The Boss gave the order! Slaughter them! Slaughter!"
Issuing continuous commands to dozens of fighters, we mopped up the mobs. My own level had long since climbed from 36 to 39—an efficiency on par with popping an Intermediate Enhancement Ticket.
Ah, and out of curiosity as to why so many adventurers were becoming so heavily swayed by Selena and me, I questioned the mage in the rear guard.
"It's prob'ly 'cause of the leaking mana."
"Mana?"
"Yeah. Non-mages won't see it, but you and that woman keep spewing this ominous red mana. That's prob'ly the cause."
She was a mage with rather peculiar speech patterns, but despite her eccentric delivery, her words made some sense.
"Oh, and if you know how to use Mana Enhancement, try using it on your eyes."
"My eyes? Won't they explode...?"
"Don't worry. With your level of skill, they prob'ly won't burst, at least..."
"Why did you end that sentence like a question?"
"......"
"Hey, hey! Hey, wait—!!!"
Though skeptical, when I gingerly channeled mana into my eyes...
"Whoa, whoaaaa—! Whoaaaaa——!!"
Was it in wuxia novels where people fortified their eyes with inner energy? I had heard that only sharpened visual acuity, but mana operated on an entirely different plane. From zooming in and out like a smartphone camera to illuminating pitch-black shadows, it even revealed the 'colors' of other people's mana. Although the distinctions were still faint, three primary hues stood out: red, green, and black.
Curious, I turned back to question that mage.
"Colors of mana? No such thing is recorded in any literature."
"I can see them, though? Looking in a mirror, mine is red, and yours... well, I can't clearly tell yet, but it's sort of in the yellowish range?"
"Fascinating. That is well worth researching."
Her academic zeal made it look like she might gouge my eyes right out of my skull, so I reflexively took a step back. Still, a technique unique to me... Intrigued, I looked around at various people through these enhanced eyes.
"Whoa... I actually feel a little guilty."
The crimson mana violently swirling off Selena was actively burrowing deep into the surrounding adventurers. It was quite a spectacle. Though not yet definitively proven, the formula Red = Lunatic seemed practically confirmed. In that case, what about green and black...?
Groo———!!!!
Just as I was deep in thought, damn it all...! One of the fairy underlings we had encountered earlier lunged straight at me. Just as I was about to slash my sword—
Wait a minute...?
Wait just a second...??
The monster's form was shrouded in thick, pitch-black mana. Ah, now I finally understood. Black = Monster.
Slash——!
I granted a peaceful death to the minion that had gifted me this fresh insight. My brief exploration of the new technique was cut short as Leo stepped into view to assess the situation.
"Are you alright—?! One managed to slip past us...!"
".........Yes."
"That's a relief, then... I'll see you later. The ambush on our side hasn't stopped yet!"
"......"
Why was that...
Since when...?
Reflected in my mana-enhanced eyes was none other than Leo, swathed entirely in pitch-black mana. To call him an impostor, his presence was identical, and his voice and appearance matched completely... Which meant he was likely one of the monster kind from the very beginning. A doppelgänger? A witch? Or something else entirely?
Questions swarmed in my mind, but I barely suppressed them and waved him off as he departed. Well, knights born from monsters existed too... Let's just consider him one of those. Right. I didn't see anything. Let's pretend I saw nothing at all. Yeah. That was definitely the smarter move.
"Boss~! Looks like everything on this side is all wrapped up~?!"
"Is it... I'll catch up in a second..."
"Okey-dokey——!"
Selena was drenched in blood from head to toe, looking like a fish that had finally found water. How should I put it? She looked somewhat perilous, so I checked her through the status window.
Her trait, which had only been C-rank, had climbed to B. Holy shit. A-rank was her proper cap, and she had already grown this much? This was a 1-star...?
"Hey... Selena...?"
"Yes? Is something the matter, Boss?"
Son of a bitch, her speech pattern had suddenly reverted to normal. When a crazy person suddenly acts polite and composed, the horror only multiplies. In the end...
"Could you turn your head for a second? I learned about an acupoint that supposedly makes you stronger, so I want to test it out."
"Shall I? I was just thinking that I wanted to become stronger..."
"Right, just stay still like that, okay...?"
The sovereign remedy for the Heavenly Murder Star was none other than...
CRACK——!
I swung the scabbard right into the back of her skull. With the sound of something shattering, Selena's body crumpled to the ground. A crimson stream trickled between strands of red hair.
Mhm, right.
Let's just say she tripped and fell while walking!
The sky was red, and Selena's hair was red—it was truly that kind of day.