Vol. 2 - Ch. 3

After an hour of wandering through the dungeon, with ten encounters against C and D types and three dead ends, we finally reached what seemed to be the deepest part.

As is customary in dungeons, there was a large door in front of us. If we went through it, we would face the boss, and once inside, there was no escape until we won.

"There's probably a Type B up ahead. I won't be able to defeat it without your help, sensei. Will that be a problem?" Aookuji asked, probably because I was only there to support her.

"If it's too much for you to handle alone, I'll step in. But it would be better for you to gain some experience too, right?"

"That's true. If the chance arises, I'd appreciate it."

"Okay, we'll follow your lead. Do as you see fit. I'll intervene if it gets dangerous."

"Got it. Thank you very much. I'll go ahead then."

Aookuji bowed, opened the door, and stepped inside. I followed behind.

The room was about the size of a gymnasium, though it felt more like a warehouse attached to a factory.

"Incoming," Aookuji warned as magical power gathered at the center of the room. From the feel of it, it was definitely a "Type B."

The only problem was—

"There's two of them? And they're both higher-level species?!"

Exactly.

As I watched, a black mist gathered, forming two gigantic, four-armed praying mantises. One was similar to the one I had encountered in the park at night, but the other had a more ferocious appearance, covered in thorns.

Using "Analyze," I confirmed that it was indeed a superior species.

"Aookuji, I'll take the stronger one. Do your best."

"Understood. I'll leave it to you."

I moved ahead and dealt a light blow to the higher-ranked one to get its attention. In the meantime, Aookuji used "Sprinting" to close the distance and sever one of the other mantis' arms, starting the fight.

"Now, let's see what this higher-ranked one can do."

As I closed in, the "Type B" swung its four huge scythes. It seemed to rely on speed and power, overwhelming its opponent without much finesse. Simple but troublesome, as there was no room for tricks.

I parried all of its strikes with my mithril sword.

For an average vanguard, this would be tough. Even a heavily armored knight wouldn't last more than five minutes under this assault. Normally, they'd rely on others for support.

"Well, that's enough."

I concluded that Aookuji wouldn't be able to handle it just yet, and with a burst of "Flash," I severed the creature's head as we passed each other.

The mantis dissolved into the dungeon floor, leaving behind a large "Abyssal drop."

I turned to see Aookuji searching for an opening, staying outside the "Type B's" range. It still had three arms left, meaning she hadn't inflicted significant damage yet. If you were hit by one of those scythes while wearing just a blazer, it could be fatal, so her caution made sense.

The "Type B" lunged forward, swinging its scythe down. Aookuji dodged with a backstep and tried to counterattack, but another scythe blocked her strike. This exchange repeated several times.

Lacking both speed and power, a one-on-one with a monster often ends in a stalemate. In such cases, humans run out of energy first, leading to defeat. That's why teamwork is essential, and why I was here.

"Aookuji, I'll create an opening. Attack when I do!"

I shouted and activated "Rock Bolt," a spell that launches chunks of rock. When I use it, it can become a siege weapon, but I limited it to blasting off one of the "Type B's" arms.

Crack!

The unexpected blow caused the "Type B" to turn its head toward me for an instant. Aookuji seized the opportunity, sprinting forward and slicing off another arm. She had already mastered the technique of moving and slashing simultaneously. With only one arm left, the battle quickly tipped in her favor. She darted around the creature, slashing its legs and arms until it lost balance. Finally, she decapitated it.

"Haa... Thank you, sensei."

"You fought well. It looks like you've already started to master some of the moves I showed you. Impressive."

When I praised her, Aookuji's expression softened slightly. She might have even smiled.

With the dungeon boss defeated, the dungeon should disappear.

"Shouldn't the dungeon vanish now?" I asked.

"It should, but... something's strange," Aookuji said, puzzled.

Such irregularities either mean the boss still remains or there are other conditions to fulfill. I looked around, seeing no new boss, but I noticed a strange sphere embedded in the wall opposite the door we came through.

"Is this also a 'Drop of the Abyss'?"

"It seems so. Judging by its size, it's a high-level 'Type B' item. Could it have something to do with the appearance of this 'Abyssal Cave'?"

"Maybe."

The atmosphere reminded me of the "dungeon core" from "That World"—a device used to artificially create dungeons.

If my intuition was correct, someone had created this "Abyss Cave."

Abyssal Core: A fusion of multiple abyssal drops, processed to release the spiritual energy of the abyss. Generates an abyssal cave proportional to the amount of energy contained.

My analysis confirmed it. This was definitely the cause of the "Abyss Cave."

"It seems this is what's causing the 'Abyss Cave'," I said.

"How do you know?"

"It's a skill... a hero's intuition, you could say. Let's take it."

I pulled the "Abyss Core" from the wall and stored it in my "Magic Space." This should stop the release of spiritual energy.

The surroundings suddenly turned transparent, and the scene shifted back to the abandoned factory. The "Abyssal Cave" had disappeared, returning everything to normal.

"It's back to normal, just as you said," Aookuji remarked.

"Is this your first time handling something like this?"

"I have no experience with it, but maybe my mother knows something."

"Let's go back and ask her. I have a bad feeling about this."

"... Are we flying back again?" Aookuji asked with nervous eyes. It seemed she wasn’t a fan of thrill rides.

"If you're scared, I can carry you like a princess."

"Please just carry me on your back..."

She didn't seem to have the energy for jokes either.

I hoisted Aookuji onto my back and activated my wind magic.

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