The black mist dispersed, and silence swallowed the entire sea of monsters. Bell raised his dagger before him and took a step forward. The surging wave of monsters, as if faced with a natural predator, recoiled in fear.
"...?"
"Gah!!"
The pitch-black Goblin roared.
Driven by that furious cry, the monster horde surged forward once more. But before this overwhelming threat, the Goblins completely lost their formation. They were easily cut down by the boy—none managed to cross the entrance.
Each time he struck, claws turned to black mist. Advance, perish... Like moths drawn to a flame, the Goblins threw themselves into death.
This reckless assault made Bell uneasy. What were they trying to accomplish? Were they buying time, watching how the fight unfolded?
The boy's movements blurred as he weaved through the chaos. In the dim phosphorescence, a pair of crimson eyes gleamed from the shadows, watching his every motion intently—from the white-haired youth himself, to the wooden pole on the wall, and the position of the Saint.
The dark Goblin took it all in.
After a long silence, a twisted grin crept across its face, as if it had uncovered the boy's plan.
"Gah!"
It snarled again.
A massive Goblin wielding a huge axe stepped forward. Compared to the ones Bell had already defeated, this one was even larger—its presence far more terrifying. Each step made the ground tremble.
The giant axe rose high, like a deadly guillotine, and then came crashing down along the wall.
Bell understood instantly. Its target wasn't him. It was the wooden pole lodged in the wall.
The blade struck hard. The long pole that held the Magic Stone lamp shattered and fell to the floor. Bell grasped what the enemy was after, but he couldn't stop it.
The Goblin's movements were slow, yet every swing carried tremendous power. To face it head-on would mean being crushed into paste, just like the monsters beneath its feet.
The broken pole rolled through the passageway, its jagged edge hinting at their fate. Without a way to climb, the boy had no means to reach or strike the giant Goblin.
That should have been the end of it.
But the dark Goblin had overlooked one crucial fact.
In his first battle against the mutated species with Heith, Bell had been unable to pierce the monster's hide, trapped in a desperate deadlock. In just one day, he had grown stronger.
And this time, the dagger in his hand was the gift of a Cat girl—its blade sharp enough to cut through anything.
At the instant of engagement, the enemy swung its axe elsewhere.
Bell didn't waste the opening.
Dash. Charge.
Bell, cloaked in healing light, became a gale sweeping across the battlefield.
The mutated Goblin's massive frame was like that of a giant—striking its heart was impossible. But as a target for daggers, it was simple. White light intertwined with sky blue, bursting into a shrill wail.
"Gahh!!"
Slash, slash... One failed strike followed by another.
The giant Goblin howled and swung its left leg, but the youth dodged effortlessly. He had already anticipated the move. The slow, heavy kick stirred a fierce cold wind.
Bell reversed his grip on the blade and thrust toward the other foot. The dagger tore through skin and sank deep. Maintaining the angle, he shifted sideways with a powerful motion. Like slicing through eel flesh, the blade cut cleanly through layers of muscle.
The giant Goblin lost its balance and toppled backward, crushing countless monsters beneath it as it fell into the center of the black mist.
In its final moments, those bloodthirsty, enormous eyes caught sight of the white-haired youth—a hero bathed in white light.
The boy charged straight toward the monster's heart. The sky-blue dagger traced a bright arc through the air.
With a sharp crack, the massive form vanished, and the black mist thickened.
Airmid didn't know what expression she wore. Joy? Surprise? Or perhaps worry for the youth?
She stood proudly within the magic circle, chanting Dia Fratel while watching over her own hero. Her voice, distant and soaring, drowned out the furious roars of the black Goblin.
…
The third mutant moved. It was fast, its body much smaller than the others. Its claws, sharp as daggers, grazed the boy's throat.
As Bell dodged, rows of fanged teeth lunged from the creature's gaping maw. He kicked up a fallen staff and thrust it backhanded to block those hideous fangs.
The wooden staff splintered piece by piece. When the monster was only an arm's length away, Bell finally stopped his assault and retreated to the entrance.
Just one clash was enough for him to understand—this enemy was troublesome. In this siege, its speed was deadly. Though Bell could read its movements and evade them, one more step back and the monsters would pour inside.
If the previous mutant had evolved toward brute strength, then this one was built specifically to counter him. It carried no weapons—only sharp claws and fangs. It had both speed and power, making it the hardest kind of foe for Bell to handle.
The dropped magic stone lamp shattered underfoot, though the magic stone inside remained intact. Its dim light flickered, casting a ghostly glow on the goblin's twisted face. Bell clearly saw that the mutant's eyes weren't on him.
Like a predator eyeing its prey, it stared at Airmid behind him. Those blood-red eyes had already sized up the battle. The mutant grinned savagely and lunged again. Its claws shot toward Bell's face.
He knew he couldn't retreat. Even if he had to use his own body as a shield, he would protect the Saint. Gripping his dagger tightly, he charged forward.
Clang!
Blade met claw, the sharp sound echoing through the passage.
"Gah?"
The mutant froze in confusion.
"..."
So did Bell.
Too light. The strength behind that attack was nothing compared to the mercenary's. Bell easily deflected it and parried the strike. His dagger cut across the mutant's arm, leaving a long wound.
Then he realized—his Status had grown.
Until now, Bell had only faced overwhelming enemies or weaklings that posed no threat. His weapons were the skills he had painstakingly trained in. He had never fought an opponent truly equal to him.
Facing this mutant—fast, but with average strength—Bell sensed for the first time how much he had grown.
If one compared adventurers to vessels, he was different. Most people defeat monsters, grow stronger, then slowly adapt to their new strength while learning harder techniques. Their [Vessel] grows first, and their [Heart] follows later.
But Bell was not like that. Trained by his grandfather and his grandfather's old friend, his [Heart] had long surpassed the limits of his vessel. So for him, each increase in Status brought a leap in quality.
If this had been yesterday, that strike would have killed him. But now, he swung forward.
His slash flashed like thunder. The mutant's prized speed was countered by pure technique. Its claws and fangs were all blocked. Azure arcs of light formed an unbroken dance of blades.
He dodged the fangs, lifted his right hand in a rising slash, deflecting each attack and striking back again and again.
"Gah!"
The mutant roared, fury spilling out with each cry.
It was a fierce battle. Neither side yielded. But between Bell and his foe lay an insurmountable gap.
The Saint's song continued, mending his wounds and restoring his strength. That decisive difference opened a fatal gap. As the mutant's injuries mounted, Bell pressed the attack.
"...Gah!"
The mutant had been created to slay youths like him—yet facing this boy, it felt only fear and confusion.
It trembled. Hatred gave way to terror. This white-haired youth should have died long ago. What had happened? Who was he? How had he grown so strong in just one day?
The mutant shook uncontrollably. The malice it had held for a fledgling adventurer evaporated. It wanted to flee.
But Bell gave it no chance. His dagger sliced through its claws, ran up its arm, and pierced straight through its heart.
The magic stone shattered. Black mist rose. The dungeon's malice toward the boy was crushed by the growth of the [Unknown].
...
And above the chaos, the pitch-black goblin perched atop the giant creature only laughed, its grin growing darker and more sinister.