[Last update for a few days, I'll only post on P@tr3on till I get the +20 for the subs]
[Be right back!!]
On the road to the end of the 7th floor, luck seemed to be on their side.
In a broad chamber, they ran into a group of rare-spec "Blue Papilio."
These are monsters that only appear on the 7th floor, their bodies extremely slender.
Four crystalline wings shimmered, glowing with a dreamlike blue halo.
The elegant arcs they traced through the air were beautiful enough to make one gasp.
"Pretty to look at. What a waste…"
Zyhark had just been about to warn them that the scales might carry special effects.
Mahiru had already raised her hand without hesitation.
Several searing white orbs streaked out like precision-guided missiles!
[—Yata Light Orbs!]
[—Yata Light Orbs!]
[—Yata Light Orbs!]
The orbs drew graceful curves through the air and struck the dancing Blue Papilio in an instant.
Puff, puff, puff—
No thunderous explosion.
The moment the orbs touched their targets, they evaporated like purification into wisps of blue smoke.
Only three pairs of slowly falling "Blue Papilio Wings" remained, still gleaming with gorgeous blue light.
"Tch. What a waste of good drops."
The utterly unromantic solution made Yukino slip into her usual snark.
"Better than certain people dawdling until they freeze things into ice statues and then accidentally shattering them."
After the retort, Mahiru stepped forward, picked up the loot, and handed it to Zyhark:
"Here you go, Zyhark-sama."
…
At the end of the floor's corridor, standing before the stairway leading down to the 8th floor—
Zyhark let a trace of reminiscence flicker by and resumed his role as a walking encyclopedia:
"Starting on the 8th floor, the Dungeon's scenery and terrain change a lot."
"Chambers get more numerous and wider, corridors shorten, and the ceiling rises to nearly ten meters."
"The walls turn wood-colored and mossy, and the ground grows short grass like a prairie."
"The phosphorescence above looks like sunlight, giving you the illusion of being out on the open plain…"
Before he could finish—
Yukino had already stepped onto the downward stairs, leaving only a line behind:
"The environment changes. The 'monsters' don't. What's the difference."
Zyhark showed a somewhat helpless expression.
Mahiru gently tugged his sleeve, her tone a touch softer:
"Let's go, Zyhark-sama."
"Once we see it with our own eyes, it'll make sense."
The journey ahead confirmed Yukino's words, and the 8th and 9th floors were just as Zyhark had described.
Chambers became broad and bright, like prairies underground.
The monsters that appeared were still goblins, kobolds, orcs, and needle rabbits.
Only now there were more of them, a bit larger, and they respawn a bit faster.
Against Yukino and Mahiru with "Additional Magic" active—
This tier of 'monsters' still didn't amount to much.
Yukino's ice blade was a winter wind; wherever it passed, monsters became ice statues and shattered.
Mahiru turned into a trail of gold.
Light-swords and snap-cast light orbs crossed paths, carving lines of destruction across the grass.
Zyhark barely kept up with their clearing speed, and the backpack grew heavier by the eye.
On the way, they encountered almost no resistance worth mentioning.
The three easily traversed the 8th and 9th floors and reached the entrance corridor to the 10th.
The instant they stepped into the 10th floor, the scenery shifted again.
A sight-blocking sea of white fog draped the surroundings.
The phosphorescence that had felt like sunlight turned hazy, like a misty morning.
Though the structure was still prairie-like chambers—
Visibility dropped sharply, and the distance turned shadowy and vague.
"Hmph. Finally, something with a bit of challenge."
Yukino's eyes grew a shade more solemn as she looked around, her voice still cool.
"This fog…"
"It really does hand an advantage to 'monsters' that like to ambush."
Feeling the inconvenience of reduced vision, Mahiru's willow brows knit slightly.
As a god, Zyhark's divine sight was unaffected; he could see through the mist.
"Even so…"
"Your vision doesn't seem that hindered either, does it?"
He asked.
"Yes."
Mahiru answered softly.
After passing a mist-shrouded corridor, their view opened up again.
They entered a giant chamber.
The fog here thinned a little, letting them see the broad central space.
Ground like rolling grassland.
Within the haze—
Stood several leafless, branchless dead trees, one to two meters tall.
"These stumps…"
Mahiru was curious.
"The Dungeon's 'armory,'" Zyhark explained.
"Monsters on this floor pull them out and use them as weapons against adventurers."
"In short, be careful."
"Looks creepy. Unpleasant atmosphere."
Yukino's verdict was curt.
"Warmer than a certain person who radiates cold air from head to toe."
Mahiru reflexively sniped back.
Just as the two slipped into their habitual bickering—
A deep, bestial growl rolled from within the fog:
"Buguu uuuuu…!"
Heavy footfalls followed, making the ground faintly tremble.
The fog parted around a hulking mass, a huge silhouette coming into focus.
A massive monster, taller than three meters—slightly taller even than a Minotaur.
Rough brown skin, a boar's head, tusks flaring outward.
Filthy drool dribbled down its mouth.
A ragged fur kilt clung to its waist, its physique a round, wobbling lump of fat.
A large-type monster—an "Orc"!
"Tch. Disgusting."
Yukino showed naked distaste, folding her arms and taking half a step back:
"Yours, Angel-san."
"Pigs this filthy don't deserve my ice to be 'purified.'"
Being called "Angel" again made Mahiru's brows pinch.
But facing that onrushing hulk, she felt a wave of nausea too.
"…Got it, Ice Queen."
The fat pig-monster spotted prey at a glance.
"OooooOOOOOOOO—!"
It thundered across the ground, booming as it stomped forward, reaching a hand out between the stumps.
And then—
That massive arm wrenched a dead tree out by the roots.
In that instant—
The tree became a crude club.
Mahiru drew a deep breath, forced down her revulsion, and stepped up.
This time—
She didn't use ordinary "Yata Light Orbs."
Instead, she poured far more "mental power" and "mana" together in her palm!
She wanted a one-shot kill to end the nauseating thing fast!
Dazzling gold gathered and compressed madly in her hand, radiating a pulse of power that made the heart quail!
Even—
The fog nearby was partly blown away by the force!
[—Yata Light Orbs!!!]
With a crisp shout—
A beam far thicker and more solid than before—like a laser cannon—roared forth!
The beam tore the fog apart in an instant.
With the momentum to annihilate everything, it slammed into the Orc's flabby chest!
BOOOOOM—!!!!!
The blast drowned out all that had come before!
Blinding light swallowed the Orc's bulk!
A ring-shaped shockwave rippled outward—
Ripping up the short grass by the roots; even the distant stump clusters rocked violently!
At the center of the blast, a charred crater gaped dark in the ground.
Smoke and steam-mixed gore spattered in all directions!
When the light and smoke dispersed, the hulking Orc was gone without a trace.
Only a large magic stone remained, and a small piece of what looked like a tough "beast hide."
"Haa… haa…"
Mahiru panted a little, a fine sheen of sweat beading on her forehead.
That strike had nearly drained more than half her "mana" and "mental power."
The power was tremendous, and the cost was indeed huge.
Yukino's brows lifted; for once the snark had a sliver of concern in it:
"Already winded?"
"Looks like 'Angel-sama' needs to work on her stamina."
Mahiru steadied her breathing and glared back:
"…Still better than a neat-freak who won't even dirty her hands!"
Zyhark stepped in at the right moment:
"All right."
"Mahiru's spent a fair bit."
"We pushed straight to the 10th floor today and killed hundreds of monsters."
"Just the 'Killer Ant' swarm on the 7th was close to a hundred."
"As newcomers—"
To be honest, getting this far in one go was impressive.
That prodigy Ais had taken half a year to reach the 10th floor back then!
Zyhark patted the backpack bulging near to bursting and went on:
"And the pack is nearly full. If we keep going, there'll be nowhere to put the spoils."
Yukino nodded and, for once, agreed:
"Mn."
"Today's training load is sufficient."
"Overreaching for merit is what fools do."
"If certain people run out of 'mana' and become dead weight, that's the real problem."
Mahiru wanted to shoot back—
But feeling the "mana" left in her body and the faint mental fatigue,
She knew today wasn't the day to push deeper.
After all—
Magic exacts a price.
To invoke and cast magic, you shave away mental power and mana in proportion to your stamina.
Just as stamina has a limit, mental power bottoms out too.
Mahiru looked at Yukino's "I'm only thinking of you" blank expression.
In the end, she nodded:
"…Fine."
"Let's call it here for today."
And so—
The three, with packs stuffed full, set out for the surface.
The trip had been full of sniping and squabbles, but unquestionably a very successful hunt.
…
7th floor.
A narrow corridor.
Back on this level, the trio met two male adventurers coming head-on.
The two wore slightly shabby leather armor, stained with dust and the smell of blood.
Their eyes carried the twitchy greed forged by desire and poverty.
On the sleeves of their combat gear was an emblem of a crescent and a wine cup.
Bottom-tier members of the Soma Familia, only Lv. 1.
To buy "Divine Wine" with Valis—
They risked their lives daily in the Dungeon, and often dabbled in things better left unseen.
As the two groups drew abreast—
The men's gazes snapped to Yukino and Mahiru.
Even though the girls wore cloaks to hide their faces,
The delicate jawlines peeking from the hoods and the unintentional grace in their stride
All hinted that the faces under the hoods were far from ordinary.
What made them greedier yet—
Was Zyhark in the middle, carrying an overstuffed, enormous pack.
The one with a knife scar on his face spoke first:
"Hey. Hold up."
He blocked their way.
His partner, a tall, gaunt human with a vicious look, smoothly closed off the other side.
Zyhark's brows knit as he stopped, "Divine Might" tucked away.
To others right now—
He looked like a lucky porter-type supporter who'd been carrying the loot.
Just like in the original's dark age, seven years prior—
The dark god Erebus had disguised himself as a commoner and asked Ryu what "justice" was on the street.
So—
These two low-level adventurers didn't recognize Zyhark as a god at all.
Yukino and Mahiru halted as well, eyes going cold under their hoods.
Mahiru slid half a step forward, placing herself slightly in front of Zyhark.
"What do you want?"
Her clear voice carried through the hood with a hint of hard-to-notice vigilance.
Knife-scar grinned, eyes raking between Mahiru and Yukino—
Finally fixing on Zyhark's heavy pack:
"Nothin' big. You're unfamiliar faces, and looks like a sweet haul."
"Newbies, huh? Which Familia you with?"
"That bulging thing's gotta be stuffed with nice finds, yeah?"
His tall, gaunt partner was even more direct.
Those ill-intentioned eyes practically bored through Yukino's hood.
He smirked:
"Heh, especially you two ladies. Can't see your faces, but those figures…"
"Tsk, tsk. I've never seen ones that perfect in all of Orario."
"Cold and frosty's just my type…"
Saying that—
He actually reached out, trying to flip Yukino's hood!
At the instant his fingers were about to touch the edge—
Swiish!
A flash of icy light snapped past like lightning!
No one even saw how Yukino drew the blade!
Only a soft "splitch," and then a shriek like a knife through bone!
"AAAH—!"
"My hand!!"
The hand reaching for Yukino dropped clean at the wrist!
The cut gleamed mirror-smooth beneath a film of rime.
The spurting blood froze at once into red crystals of ice!
The severed hand hit the floor with a "clack," quickly going rigid as the chill invaded it.
Yukino stood where she'd been, as if she hadn't moved at all.
Only the bared sword's tip carried a single drop of blood not yet frozen.
Her face under the hood was unreadable.
Only a voice cold to the marrow blew through the corridor like a winter gale:
"Too… much… talk."
Silence fell over the corridor.
Only the pig-butchering howls of the dismembered adventurer remained.
Under her hood, a flicker of astonishment crossed Mahiru's pretty face.
She hadn't expected Yukino to act so cleanly and ruthlessly.
The knife-scarred adventurer had gone deathly pale.
He stumbled back a step—
Staring in disbelief at his partner's severed wrist and Yukino's killing frost.
No pity showed in Zyhark's eyes, only chill indifference.
He came to stand beside Yukino and said evenly:
"Nicely done."
"For trash like this, mercy is wasted."
His gaze slid over the pale knife-scar and the wailing cripple, voice turning glacial:
"Don't forget—this is the Dungeon."
"Kill a man and toss him in any corner, and 'monsters' will gnaw him clean. Not even bones left."
"This world is not the sunlit surface of Orario."
The words made the knife-scarred man shudder, the blood draining from his face.
And the maimed one, goaded by pain and fear—
Snatched the great cleaver from his belt with his remaining hand.
He howled like a madman:
"You—you dare…!"
"Damn it, I'll cut you to pieces!"
Hatred and greed swallowed his reason whole.
He swung the blade and rushed Yukino in a blind charge!
His partner, after that moment of terror, flashed a vicious light in his eyes as well.
He drew his weapon too—ready to fight to the death.
...
…
(End of Chapter)
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