Chapter 39

The situation keeps twisting itself into knots.

That fiend of a demon, the one who planted the landmines after setting foot here, seems to be clinging to his miserable life still.

It’s been almost two weeks since I demanded the withdrawal of demons from the Ikilipptus Forest from the high-ranking demon, meaning this demon in the dungeon has survived within it for more than two weeks.

Demons, at their core, are creatures that can sustain life without eating or drinking. Add to that their ability to theoretically regenerate their bodies indefinitely as long as their ‘core’ remains intact, and perhaps it’s not so surprising.

However, the level of ordinary, low-ranking demons starts around 20, and rarely exceeds level 30, no matter how high.

But to survive for over two weeks in this dungeon where even the trash mobs exceed level 40 speaks to a demon of considerable skill.

After all, this dungeon’s difficulty level is such that ordinary, low-ranking demons wouldn’t last two days, let alone two weeks.

“We track his trail immediately. Knowing a demon lives, we cannot let him survive.”

“You speak truth. If we leave him unchecked, there’s no telling what he’ll do with the mutated creatures in this dungeon.”

“This dungeon is clearly high-level. A demon who survived in a place like this is likely of significant rank. If we give a near-dead fiend time to recover his strength, things will become difficult. We begin the pursuit immediately.”

“How did you ascertain that he is near death?”

“The mutated creature lacked power. I can hardly believe that a demon of a grade high enough to survive in this dungeon could have created it.”

Indeed, the mutated creature formed by weaving together two enormous spiders was shattered to pieces by a single arrow from Trian.

“He probably doesn’t have the strength left to weave mutations with any precision. But demons recover their stamina over time, even without sustenance. We must pursue him immediately.”

Trian emphasized his opinion once more, passing the spider mutant’s corpse and heading toward the door on the opposite side.

Judging by his resolute attitude, he was ready to deal with the demon himself if we voiced any objections.

Lir and I followed his back with our heads lowered. We couldn’t bear to remain in the same room as the shattered spider corpse.

The spider’s body, spewing acidic blood in all directions, melting the webs it had spun itself and the floor, inevitably evoked nausea in anyone who looked upon it.

Even the word ‘disgusting’ felt inadequate to describe the scene.

“We will pick up the pace from now on.”

Trian opened the next room’s door without delay. There, too, the signs of battle were readily apparent.

For an elf ranger armed with extensive experience and keen senses, tracking a wounded demon wasn’t a difficult task.

He picked up his pace, seemingly pushing himself, unlike the deliberate caution he had displayed until now.

“Haa… damn it, hiss….”

He tried his best not to show it… but in the end, my breathing grew increasingly ragged.

Thankfully, Trian’s sensitive awareness didn’t miss my labored breaths. Before opening the tenth door, he looked back and forth between me and Rex.

“Listen.”

Damn it, I’m already about to die from exhaustion, what does he want me to listen to all of a sudden?

While I was mindlessly swiveling my head around, a thick arm suddenly hooked around my waist.

I was slung over the giant orc’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

No, even if I am just a general, I still have some dignity left….

“Do something about your pathetic stamina. You’re a burden. Calling yourself a soldier.”

“…”

I’d do something about it if I could, you b*stard.

I clenched my teeth, unable to avoid being infuriated by the elf’s characteristically rude tone.

No. Stay calm for now. I can get angry after we catch the demon and escape the dungeon.

“Let’s go, keep the distance close.”

Annoyingly, there was a significant difference in speed between me running on my own and being carried like luggage on Rex’s shoulder.

On average, it had taken about 30 to 40 seconds to clear one room. But since Rex had slung me over his shoulder, the speed had drastically increased to about 20 seconds, or even less.

…And I, too, found being on Rex’s shoulder far more comfortable than running on my own two legs.

The solid muscle of his shoulder made my abdomen ache a little, but it was far better than trembling legs and gasping for breath.

I hated the way I found comfort atop such brutally broad, unyielding shoulders.

“Why are you so fast?”

“Pardon?”

I picked on Lirr, who was effortlessly keeping pace with the archer and barbarian’s movements, just to be difficult.

*You’re not exactly a profession that requires physical exertion, either. Why are you keeping up with the ranger and barbarian, who are really pushing themselves?*

“Why?”

Lirr looked up at me with wide, uncomprehending eyes, as if my question made no sense at all.

“…Never mind.”

Seeing such a pure expression, I couldn’t bring myself to keep being petulant.

A sigh. I should have been born an elf.

Beautiful to look at, long-lived, naturally agile with swift movements, and flexible to boot. Excellent stamina, keen senses…

What riches did I expect to gain by choosing to be human?

“Brace yourselves, we’re quite close.”

While I was regretting my past, foolish choice, Trian, without breaking his stride, issued a low-voiced warning.

For the past two weeks, we’d only run through the rooms that had been cleared of traps and monsters by the demons, which had allowed us to break through almost 60 rooms without encountering a single trap or monster.

How he managed to find the traces of the demons’ passage and choose the right doors with such uncanny accuracy was beyond my comprehension.

…If only Trian could do something about that infuriating mouth of his, he’d be the greatest soldier imaginable.

“Halt.”

Having traversed nearly 80 rooms, we froze in place at Trian’s sudden command.

This little exercise was nothing for Trian or Rex, who didn’t even break a sweat. But beads of perspiration dotted Lyr’s cheeks and forehead, and her robe clung to her, damp.

“…A Variant.”

Trian pressed his ear to the door, then hefted his longbow and moved behind Rex. Rex, in turn, flattened himself against the wall next to the door, pulling me down behind him.

“Stay close to the wall, it offers a sightline.”

Rex spoke to Lyr, who fumbled inside her sweat-soaked robe, drawing out her staff.

“Ah, yes.”

Lyr pressed close behind me, clutching her staff. It was a small, one-handed thing, a gnarled branch wound tight with shimmering, cerulean thread.

She began to murmur something under her breath, too low for even me to understand. A moment later, sparks began to crackle from the tip of her small staff.

“Ready.”

Trian spoke, having drawn the bowstring taut, positioned at the far wall. He held himself perfectly poised to loose an arrow the instant the door swung open.

“…”

Rex nodded silently, gripping his axe in his mechanical arm, his other hand on the door handle.

The fingers of his prosthetic hand were extended, three in all. Just before he opened the door, he began to fold them in, one by one, signaling the timing to Trian.

3.

2.

1.

The moment the last finger clicked shut, the door burst open with a violent crack.

And with it, an ungodly torrent of poison surged toward the entrance. They must have known we were right outside the door.

Whatever comprised those dozens of liters of venom, it ate through the dungeon floor, melting a pit nearly a meter deep. If Lyr or I had been standing in the doorway, not even our bones would have remained.

Whoosh!

Beyond the threshold, now slick with venom, an arrow hissed from Trian’s longbow.

The sound of flesh and bone parting reached me from behind Rex’s broad back. I couldn’t see it clearly from my vantage, but it seemed Trian’s arrow had found its mark true.

“Hold.”

Trian, with a distant view into the room, commanded a pause.

He nocked another arrow, his legs a blur as he peered past the doorframe, then loosed another shaft across the threshold.

*Whoosh!*

The sound of air splitting was followed by the weighty thud of something massive collapsing to the floor.

Something, undeniably, had died.

Rex, gripping his axe in both hands, edged his head beyond the door to scout ahead.

As if expected, venom spat toward his head, but with uncanny reflexes, Rex snapped back behind the wall.

“Eleven o’clock! One more!”

Having glimpsed the far side of the room, Rex bellowed out the information.

Reacting instantly to Rex’s call, Trian shifted position, loosing arrows in quick succession.

Three shafts flew across the threshold. Three consecutive sounds of flesh tearing and bone splintering. It sounded like the same creature.

“Tenacious.”

Trian had driven three arrows straight into its bulk. Yet, no sound of it falling followed.

The wet, slapping sound of footsteps scraped at my ears from the other side of the wall.

“…Tch, Lyre!”

The reason Trian called Lyre’s name, not mine, was simple.

We were locked in combat with an enemy, all within the confines of a narrow doorway.

In this dance of inches, each step a potential fatal blow, it was paramount to shove the attack through the doorway before snapping oneself back behind the sanctuary of the door.

I judged my sluggishness ill-suited for this close-quarters combat around a meager doorframe.

“Ah, yes!”

Lir, her focus laser-sharp on the tip of her staff, ready to unleash magic at a moment’s notice, could only react a beat late to Trian’s command.

Rex, easing his body back from the entrance, carved out a sliver of space for Lir to take cover. She darted past Rex and me, then pressed herself flush against the wall beside the door.

No sooner had she done so than she poked her head slightly beyond the threshold. A reconnaissance mission, it seemed, to pinpoint exactly where to drop the lightning.

“…Wait, what are you–!”

The problem was, Lir’s movements weren’t exactly expert-level either.

When Rex cautiously peeked beyond the doorframe, only half of his head became visible to the unseen threat. But as Lir leaned out to ascertain the enemy’s position, her entire shoulder, even the tip of her foot, betrayed her position beyond the wood.

“You wish to die?! What are you thinking, exposing so much…!”

Horrified by the magician’s clumsy maneuver unfolding before his eyes, Rex yanked at her robe.

A fresh barrage of venom immediately followed, aimed precisely at the spot where Lir’s shoulder, head, and toes had just foolishly been.

“Did you skip basic combat training?! When exposing yourself to a doorway guarded by the enemy, minimize exposure! Shoulder glued to the wall, only half your head beyond the edge…!”

“Damn it, this is what happens with those who only know desks! Lir, focus!”

The two veterans, seasoned by countless battles, roared in unison. For them, having clawed their way through hell and back to stay alive, Lir’s careless act was simply unforgivable.

“…Still, I saw exactly where they are!”

Perhaps fueled by the adrenaline of the battle, Lir, unlike her usual self, stood her ground against the two soldiers’ harsh reprimands, not shrinking in fear but standing firm.

Was this the same young elf who had nearly lost her life to Tauros just a short while ago, collapsing in tears at the scene? I marveled inwardly at Lir’s sudden and total transformation.

“This time, I can burn them to a crisp.”

“…Make a mistake, and you die. Do not forget it!”

Rex studied Lir’s determined gaze, deciding to trust her, one more time.

“Focus on keeping your shoulders pressed tighter to the wall! Another lunge like that and I might not be able to pull you back.”

Even as he spoke, Rex gathered a handful of Lir’s robe in his large hand, ready to yank her back. The loose robe clung to her form, a matter to which she paid no mind.

Her entire focus was on the electricity crackling at the end of her staff and the target lurking beyond the doorway.

“……Huu.”

Lir took a steadying breath, then thrust her arm and face beyond the threshold once more.

It was a movement that exposed far more arm and face than necessary. One wrong twitch and her flesh would melt away in a reeking mess.

Of course, this clumsy maneuver was far from pleasing to the eyes of veterans, hardened by countless hours on the battlefield.

“Tch……!”

So, as Lir revealed herself beyond the doorframe, Trian’s arrow sliced past her hair.

The sharp arrowhead, having grazed her golden locks, struck precisely into the grotesque mass of flesh, poised to unleash its poison.

The poisoned flesh faltered, losing its balance, and the vile venom meant for Lir sprayed uselessly against the ceiling.

“Lightning Strike.”

Even as the arrow grazed her ear and the deadly toxin erupted before her like a fountain, Lir remained unshaken.

The tiny spark gathered at the end of her staff swelled in an instant. Light engulfed the space and the air grew hot.

In stark contrast to her earlier clumsiness, the blinding white lightning she unleashed was beautiful and intense beyond reproach.