Chapter 101 Second Floor
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Hiroya’s POV)
”This is a cave-like dungeon, huh…”
Martina, who was the first to step down from the lobby of the first floor to the second floor, muttered.
”There are caves ahead and to the left. This place is set up the same way as the previous dungeon, right?”
”If that’s the case, to get to the next level… we should go left, right?”
Martina, who has the map in her head, and Liz, who knows the previous dungeon, start walking left.
Even though it’s a passage, it’s pretty big. We can stand side by side comfortably, and it’s about 3 meters high.
”Martina, please do Detection. If this place is the same as before, I’m worried they might have set up more traps.”
”Got it.”
Liz, who has experience going down to the third level of the previous dungeon, walks ahead with Martina, who is good at detecting traps and monsters. I follow them about half a step behind. Kazumi, Aluda, and Dorothy follow behind us, protecting Kazumi, while Eluda and Meluda protect Rena.
”We’re almost at the first hall.”
”…There are monsters. Big ones.”
Martina stops Liz, who is about to move forward.
”Yeah. There are 3 of them. An ogre… or a troll…”
It seems Rena’s ‘Detection’ picked them up too.
”I’ll scout ahead. If they’re trolls, we need to prepare.”
”Martina, be careful.”
I say this, and Martina smiles back at me before quietly moving ahead.
* * *
”There are 3 trolls in a big hall. They have clubs.”
Martina reports as she quickly returns after peeking into the hall.
”This is a problem… We might need fire ‘Enchant’.”
”With just Rena and Kazumi, it’ll be tough to give everyone the enchantment.”
”I learned fire ‘Enchant’ from Kazumi to prepare for fighting trolls.”
Oh right, Liz could use non-elemental ‘Enchant’ before.
”I can use it too,” says Dorothy.
”Then we should be okay. Rena, please give the enchantment to Aluda and the others. I’ll take care of Hiroya and Martina.”
Kazumi and Rena start using magic.
””Enchant.””
* * *
”Okay, Hiroya, Dorothy, and Martina will each take on one. Rena will support Dorothy, and Kazumi will support Martina from the back with magic. Aluda and the others will protect Rena and Kazumi.”
”I’ll try to take them down as fast as I can. I’ll cover the other 2 right after.”
I encourage Martina and Dorothy, who look a bit worried. They nod strongly.
”Both of you, focus on dodging. Look for a chance to attack. Don’t fight them head-on.”
Liz tells them.
”I’ll go first. I’ll draw the attention of all 3, and then everyone can jump in.”
I grip the handle of ‘Yamikirimaru’.
”Physical Boost.”
Then I dash toward the hall.
As I jump in, the 3 trolls turn toward me and swing their clubs to attack.
(Middle one! I’ll take it down!)
I accelerate and dive into the middle troll’s space.
””Flaming Arrow!””
Kazumi and Rena probably cast magic toward the trolls on the sides. The trolls get distracted by that.
I dodge the swinging club at high speed and slash off the troll’s arm with my drawn ‘Yamikirimaru’.
──Whoosh!
Flames trail behind the blade as I make my move.
”Ha!”
With a quick follow-up, I slash at the troll’s left leg. The arc of fire cuts through the troll’s knee.
As I sheathe ‘Yamikirimaru’ and turn back to face the troll again, I see another troll on the left side swinging its club down at me.
(Can I deflect it…!)
I jump back and, adding centrifugal force, I strike the incoming club with ‘Yamikirimaru’.
(Ugh! I’m definitely losing strength here!)
I managed to push back, but I lost my balance.
The other troll also lost its balance and swung its club wildly.
”Gotcha!”
Then, Dorothy charged in with her spear ready.
With flames rising from her spear, Dorothy looked like a ‘flame spear.’
Her thrust pierced from the side of the troll’s body to the opposite shoulder.
In that moment, I quickly regained my stance and delivered a powerful strike aimed at the troll’s neck as it started to fall from Dorothy’s hit.
(That was perfect!)
The troll’s head fell off,
──How about that!
It collapsed. I sheathed my ‘Yamikirimaru’ and looked at the first troll. It was surrounded by 3 flames rising from the ground, probably from Kazumi’s ‘Fire Pillars.’
(Next… Martina!)
I spotted Martina at the edge of the hall, dodging the troll’s attacks with quick moves.
The troll’s body was flickering with flames. Looks like Rena, Kazumi, and Liz’s attacks were working.
Dorothy and I exchanged a quick glance and ran to support Martina.
The troll turned to face us, creating an opening.
”Haaah!”
Martina struck the troll’s shin with her short sword and a quick punch.
Liz’s arrow hit the troll right in the forehead.
”Fireball!”
Kazumi’s magic, way bigger and stronger than a beginner spell, flew at the troll and blew its head off. …That was amazing, it was like the size of a watermelon…
* * *
”Wow…”
”Eluda and the others didn’t even get to help…”
”Meluda thought… she was going to wet her pants…”
The 3 sisters stood frozen in front of Rena and Kazumi, clearly scared of the troll.
”Is everyone okay? Hiroya looked a bit rough…”
Liz asked with concern.
”No, I just lost my balance. I’m fine.”
Hearing my words, Liz looked relieved. Then I realized.
(What happened to the troll’s body…?)
”Oh right, this was the first time you guys defeated a monster in the dungeon.”
Liz said as she checked her composite bow.
”Strangely, when you defeat a monster in the dungeon, it disappears into black mist. ──Just like when we defeated that youma (demon). And just like then, only a mass of miasma is left.”
”I heard the dungeon consumes them.”
Martina made a good point about Liz’s explanation. Got it.
”Okay, let’s check our gear first. Is there any damage to our weapons? Keep an eye on how many arrows we have left and our magical power too.”
Following Liz’s instructions, everyone checked their gear. Looks like everyone was fine.
”Alright, let’s move on. We’ll keep the same formation as before.”
Liz started walking alongside Martina. I followed behind.
* * *
(Martina’s POV)
”Wait…”
After walking a bit down the hallway, I stopped and held back Big Sister Liz.
”There’s a trap here──everyone stay back.”
I said and took a few careful steps forward, crouching down to check the ground.
* * *
(I found the trigger. What kind of trap is this…)
”I don’t know what kind of trap it is. But there’s a trigger, so I’ll disable it… everyone step back.”
I called out to everyone and took a small shovel from my pouch to dig into the ground.
(I found it…)
The mechanism was simple. I carefully disabled it.
”Phew…”
”Are you okay?”
Big Sis Kazumi took a step forward.
(Huh? Something feels off…)
I felt something, but it was strange.
(Could it be… a double trap?!)
If I disable the first trigger, a second one activates.
”Big Sis Kazumi! Don’t move!”
As I said that, Big Sis Kazumi’s foot touched the ground.
──Click
I suddenly felt a rush of air.
(Is this… a shoot!?)
”Martina! Physical Boost!”
Big Brother Hiroya ran really fast and reached out his hand to me.
I reached out too, but I couldn’t grab his hand.
Then Big Brother Hiroya jumped in.
”──!”
(Not just me, but even Big Brother Hiroya…)
Soon, everything went dark…
* * *
(Rena’s POV)
”Hiroya!”
”Martina!”
Everyone rushed over, but the hole in the ground was already closed up.
”…Looks like he got shot… He probably fell to the lower floor…”
”Noooo! Hiroya! Hiroya!”
”Kazumi, calm down.”
Rena held Kazumi back from behind.
”It’s my fault… Hiroya… Martina…”
Kazumi’s eyes were filled with tears.
”It’s not your fault, Kazumi.”
Rena hugged Kazumi to comfort her, but the tears kept flowing, and she was shaking.
”It’s okay… At least Mr. Hiroya is still alive.”
Dorothy said this while rubbing her stomach. Oh, Dorothy can tell.
”We need to find the stairs down quickly!”
Aluda tried to move forward, but Liz stopped her.
”…Don’t rush. Let’s think about what to do first.”
”Why not!? We have to hurry!”
Eluda also tried to move forward with Aluda.
”No way!”
”Why not!?”
Liz shook her head slowly at the 3 sisters’ protests. Ah… right. This is a time to think.
”Martina was our ‘eyes,’ right? Now that she’s gone, we can’t just move forward blindly.”
”Meluda is here! If it’s a cave…”
Liz grabbed Meluda’s shoulder and shook her head slowly again.
”That’s not all… We’ve lost our ‘party’s strongest close combat power’…”
Everyone gasped at Liz’s words.
”Yeah. It’s too risky for Rena and the others to go on alone… especially to go down to the lower floor…”
Rena continued Liz’s painful words.
”Can we have a little… time to think?”
Liz said this with difficulty and sat down.
Rena could only rub Kazumi’s back, who was still crying.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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