Chapter 47

Tall's knees buckled for a moment as he kicked the ground with all his might.

At the same time, he drew his sword, instantly bringing out its maximum sharpness.

With Mew hanging around his neck, Tall moved like a gale, rushing towards the monster.

But.

Even so, he couldn't close the distance to the girl.

His sword tip cut through the air, missing by just a hair's breadth.

The monster's arm stretched out from the tip of the blade that didn't reach, grabbing Sora's hair and pulling her in.

The revived master of the labyrinth lifted the captured girl into the air.

Seeing the girl held out like a shield, Tall abruptly stopped.

A scene from the past, buried deep in his memory, rapidly surfaced in his mind.

Nine years ago.

A horde of goblins broke through the outer wall and attacked the residents.

A girl who had been left behind was captured by a monster, and at that moment, the only one nearby was Tall.

The rest is a common story.

As a result, Tall suffered an injury that cost him the grip strength in his left hand, and the girl was left with a scar on her back that would never fade.

While Tall, still holding his sword, remained frozen, the monster's head rapidly regenerated.

Seemingly confident in the effectiveness of the hostage, the master of the labyrinth let out a muffled laugh from his restored mouth.

Hanging by her hair in the monster's arm, Sora didn't flinch and looked at her companions with a gaze full of trust.

Tall immediately regained his composure at the sight of the girl.

"Mew!"

"Coming!"

Mew, instantly understanding Sora's call, summoned a purple snake to her body.

The effect quickly reached the girl, causing a violent reaction with the monster's hand that was holding her hair.

Paralyzed by the <Electric Spine>'s electric shock, the monster's arm let Sora slip away.

The master of the labyrinth, showing a look of agony for a moment, stretched out his regrown right hand to grab the girl again.

—<Reversal>.

The monster's attention was slightly diverted by the unexpected movement of the arm.

That moment was enough for Tall.

Without realizing it, Tall had closed the distance to the point where their breaths almost touched.

He slashed upward, downward, horizontally, and thrust.

He then cut and finally brought the sword down straight.

Tall performed the series of movements almost in a single beat, then stepped back and lightly shook the blade to fling off the blood.

The sword, which had reached its maximum sharpness, returned to its pristine state as it slid back into the sheath.

The next moment, the monster, whose body had been torn apart, collapsed, spilling its insides onto the ground.

Tall, taking a deep breath, gently embraced Sora, who had run up to him.

The girl, burying her face in his chest, soon showed a delighted expression.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Tall."

"My stomach is cold now!"

"I'm sorry for worrying you. Mew."

"Don't apologize. That was my mistake. I'm sorry."

"But Tall, you did save me. Yes, really, thank you, Tall, Mew!"

Hearing Sora's words of gratitude, Tall silently tightened his embrace.

"But it didn't hurt much when my hair was pulled. Maybe it was because of that ability earlier?"

"Probably."

"Then I was really lucky, huh?"

The two shared a small laugh, but Mew, who had noticed something, pointed to the back of the square from Tall's back.

"Tall, Tall."

"What is it, Mew?"

"It's sealed again."

As Mew said, the miasma hole was covered by a stone lid again.

Tall approached cautiously and gently touched it.

He opened his eyes slightly wider as the power flowed into him again.

Tall's skill tree had gained a new ability, <Strength Enhancement>.

"It seems that when the stone lid is <Restored>, the labyrinth returns to its state before it was conquered..."

"Really?"

"Both of you, touch the stone."

"Ah, it tingles!"

"Yep, it's the same as before! Tall."

Sora gained <Accelerated Recovery>, and Mew, surprisingly, gained <Magic Amplification>.

<Magic Amplification>—Enhances the extraction and increase of magic.

Activation: Automatic / Effect: Small / Range: Self

"Nice, Mew got a good one."

"Seems you've gotten stronger again."

"Nice, Mew."

While Sora was rubbing Mew's head, making the child's face relax, Tall quickly thought.

The remaining number of uses for <Restoration> was six.

He wanted to try it, but it would probably be impossible to stop just before the stone lid appeared.

Considering the revival of the master of the labyrinth, it was also necessary to maximize the sharpness of the iron sword.

There was a risk of encountering a horde that couldn't be avoided on the way back, so he could only try it twice, but that should be enough.

With his mind made up, Tall confirmed the position of the monster's remains and told the two.

"Alright, let's try it two more times."

"Doing something, Tall?"

"Opening the lid again?"

"That's the plan. Mew, I need <Electric Spine> and <Lightning Needle>. Sora, stay with Mew."

This time, Tall and the others were well-prepared and mentally ready as they opened the miasma hole again.

Approaching the hobgoblin chief who was about to revive, Tall waited for it to stand up and then cut it to pieces.

On the third try, Tall gained <Pain Relief>, Mew gained <Accelerated Recovery>, and Sora gained <Strength Enhancement>.

On the fourth try, all four abilities were confirmed, and Tall exhaled contentedly.

"Feels good. Alright, let's head back."

"Hey, did my arms get bigger?"

"I'm hungry, Tall!"

"Don't let your guard down. The dungeon exploration isn't over until we get back up."

However, the return trip was uneventful, and Tall and the others easily reached the surface.

They received congratulations from the waiting miners, the group of four young men, and, for some reason, Bettina and the others.

After waiting a while to confirm the collapse of the cave, Tall and the others escorted the chief miner back to town.

The other miners had already returned, accompanied by Sisan and the others.

By the time they returned to the town, the sun was setting.

At the appraisal counter, they were greeted by the familiar receptionist, Enna.

With her usual gentle smile, she responded to Tall, who handed over the ears and magic stones collected from today's hunt.

"Welcome back, Tall. How was it?"

"Yeah, it's finally over. It was a tough two weeks."

"Thank you for your hard work. Is this the proof of conquest?"

"Yep, I confirmed that the cave is gone. This job was long, but honestly, I was surprised. To complete it on the first attempt, and with just three people, one of whom is younger than my daughter. Wow, they're really something. They're the real deal, genuine adventurers."

"Thank you for the high praise."

"No, no, I should be the one thanking you. It was fun working with you. I look forward to your future."

Tall firmly shook the hand offered to him.

The chief miner, who had also shaken hands with Mew and Sora, signed the conquest certificate and left with a big wave.

"Then, let me offer my congratulations again. Congratulations, Tall, Sora, Mew."

"You're welcome."

"Hehe, I'm blushing."

"Hehe. Any treats for a job well done?"

"Sorry, no food or drink allowed at the counter."

"Ah, I see. Tall, are we eating yet?"

"Let's hurry back. Yuril should have a feast ready for us."

Tall's words made Mew's purple eyes sparkle.

"Tomorrow, we'll have new adventurer cards ready for you at the counter."

"Thank you, Enna. I'm looking forward to it."

"Ah, Sora, today is your thirtieth day. Congratulations on completing your first month as an adventurer."

"Ah, it's only been a month. Thank you for everything. I look forward to working with you more."

Bowing with a smile, Enna bid farewell, and Tall and the others headed back to their familiar boarding house.

The amount earned from the goblin cave this time was 106 silver coins, 5 large copper coins, and 40 copper coins.

Expenses were 16 silver coins for equipment and 7 large copper coins and 1 medium copper coin for the magic stone lamp rental.

The net profit was 89 silver coins, 7 large copper coins, and 90 copper coins.

The skill points earned were about 2,400 for Tall and Mew, and about 1,700 for Sora.

Upon returning home, the three thoroughly enjoyed Yuril's wild boar stew.

Laughter filled the house until late into the night.