Chapter 34

A monster resembling a wild boar charged at the three of us.

Unlike a regular wild boar, this one had a massive body over 3 meters long. Additionally, its snout to upper body was as hard as rock, and it had four tusks extending from its snout.

We were on the 4th underground floor. The area felt more like a wasteland than a forest, with rocks and the roots of giant dead trees exposed on the ground, making it difficult to move.

In such a setting, the wild boar-like monster charged at us with agility that belied its size.

"【Flame Spear Quadruple Shot】!"

Kuuna was the first to act. She fired four 【Flame Spears】, which are known for their rapid firing and penetration capabilities. The magic projectiles, shaped like streamlined bullets, were accelerated to supersonic speeds by adding flammable gas.

The four 【Flame Spears】 each followed a different trajectory and hit the charging wild boar monster. Upon impact, the tip of each spear shattered, causing a directional explosion that burned the target with ultra-high heat. The principle was similar to an anti-tank rocket. The rock-like skin was penetrated, and the monster let out a scream.

"Is this all the damage it can take!?"

Kuuna screamed. Her flames had gouged out about 20 cm of flesh and caused burns, but that was all. The wild boar monster was still capable of movement.

"I'll take it on. Weak attacks won't work on this thing. Kuuna, stay back and prepare a major spell."

"Understood. I'll try to hold it off. I can't perform any more magic without focusing on the calculations. But I'll show you something special!"

Kuuna gave a thumbs-up, then took a step back from us and began to concentrate her magic power and start the calculations for a major spell. The wild boar monster, sensing the threat, glared at Kuuna and took a stance to charge.

"Leave it to me. 【Mithril Synthesis: Black Form - Shield·Wall】"

I channeled magic power into my mithril ring, transforming it as I inserted myself between Kuuna and the wild boar. The completed form was a massive mithril shield, with a spear-like protrusion at the front.

Even with the shield prepared, the weight and strength of the monster, combined with its charging momentum, would likely send me flying upon impact. ...But that's only if it were a regular shield.

"Uooooo!"

This shield had a large stake at the bottom and two diagonal stakes on the sides. First, the stake at the bottom pierced deep into the ground, followed by the diagonal stakes piercing the ground behind me.

"Take root, my shield."

From the stakes embedded in the ground, numerous thin spikes extended underground, forming a silver root system. The wild boar's charge hit the shield, and a thunderous boom echoed around us.

"Haahaaa!"

I lowered my center of gravity and leaned my entire weight against the shield. Thanks to my full strength and the three stakes anchoring it, I was able to withstand the wild boar's charge.

Still, the impact was tremendous, numbing my arms and gradually pushing me back. But that was fine. The spear-like protrusion on the shield's front had pierced the rock-like skin. With my strength alone, I couldn't have done it, but using the wild boar's overwhelming power, I could.

And once the blade was in...

"【Lightning Strike】"

I channeled lightning through the embedded mithril blade, burning the wild boar from the inside. This was the plan from the start.

"GYUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The wild boar monster screamed, and its charge halted. No matter how strong a monster, its insides couldn't be as well-trained. The muscle contractions from the lightning should have immobilized it, allowing me to burn it completely. However...

"GRAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Unbelievably, it firmly planted its feet and violently shook its head, even with the blade still embedded. A bad sound echoed, and the stakes in the ground broke, losing their support. I was blown away with the shield, flying through the air and slamming into a large rock. I used my left hand as a cushion to protect my spine, but it shattered, and a light of protection rose.

But I wasn't done yet. Before the shield was pulled out, I severed the blade from the shield. Thanks to this, the blade remained inside the monster. The blade had a thin silver thread extending from it, which I held in my hand. In other words...

"I can still continue the lightning! 【Lightning Strike】!"

I channeled lightning through the thread. The mithril thread was strong and had enough length to withstand the monster's thrashing without breaking. At first, it went wild as if it were going insane. Gradually, its movements slowed.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

I had to finish it off. But I was still recovering from the damage. Standing was difficult. However, we had one more member in our party.

Anne ran up, holding her magic sword at her hip. The wild boar monster, distracted by the pain and anger from the lightning, didn't notice her. Anne delivered a single, decisive strike.

"【Moon Slash】"

It was a diagonal slash with a full-body twist, one of the basic techniques I taught her, inspired by my own 【Divine Spear】. My magic is ideally composed of optimal body movement + α, but her calculation ability made it difficult for her to achieve this.

Therefore, she compensated with her own training and focused on enhancing the slash. The magic's true nature was conceptual enhancement, strengthening the concept of "slashing." Combined with her skill and the sharpness of her magic sword, it delivered a lethal blow.

The calculation took thirty seconds. She could only use this technique with a diagonal slash, which was her specialty. Despite these limitations, it was a powerful attack.

"GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

Anne's diagonal slash precisely cut the wild boar monster's neck artery, and purple blood spurted out like a fountain. However, it was a shallow cut, not enough to sever the head and deal a fatal wound to this monster. Still, the wild boar was still active, using its muscles to forcefully close the wound and glaring at Anne with yellow, murky eyes.

"Finally, the calculations are done. Anne, step back. I'm going to use a major spell! Sōji, I'm borrowing your mithril!"

Kuuna's shout echoed, and Anne jumped back.

"Finally, huh!"

"It's a spell worth the wait. A spell I'm proud of, passed down from my mother. Watch this! 【Fire Fox's Tail】!!"

Kuuna's spell used the shield that had been blown away earlier. The mithril, melted and liquefied by the flames, writhed like snakes and attacked the wild boar monster.

"I know you're resistant to fire. Then I'll burn you with fire that has mass!"

The fire snakes split into three, whipping and increasing in speed. Their tips exceeded the speed of sound, creating sonic booms and leaving countless wounds on the wild boar's skin. The fire snakes mercilessly pierced the wild boar's lower body, burning it from the inside with their intense heat. In an instant, the wild boar's lower body was burned away, and it died without even a chance to scream.

"Wha, what a joke."

I couldn't help but mutter. The principle was clear. Kuuna could handle twelve times her own magic power by borrowing the power of fire mana. Normally, fire mana could only be used for fire magic, but she had managed to manipulate the mithril by treating it as magma and forcibly attributing the fire element to it.

However, more than half of this was in the domain of earth magic, which manipulates minerals. To handle it so delicately and powerfully with her low-rank calculation ability was a level of skill that couldn't be described as mere genius. A mix of jealousy and awe swirled in my chest. If she continued to advance in rank, what kind of power would she show?

"Hehe, this is the power of a fire fox princess! I hope you regret challenging me!"

"You're saying that, but your legs are shaking."

Kuuna, with her usual smug face, pointed and struck a pose, but her waist was slightly pulled back, and her tail was still bristling with alertness.

"Of course! That monster was incredibly intimidating! I thought I was going to die."

"Honestly, I thought we were done for too."

Anne plopped down, and Kuuna fell forward, her tail drooping in exhaustion.

"Good work. I didn't think you two could do this much."

I meant it sincerely. I hadn't expected such strength. When I saw that wild boar monster, I even considered using the "trump card" in my pouch, a chunk of miasma.

"Hey, Sōji, aren't these monsters a bit too strong? I almost died. This is only the 4th underground floor. What kind of monsters will we face on the 5th floor, which is our goal?"

"True, if we keep encountering this level of monsters, it will be tough. If another one of these appears, we'll definitely be wiped out."

"Indeed, if two of these monsters appear at once, it would be the end."

That wild boar monster was that kind of enemy. Even a high-rank 1 party of four might struggle to defeat it.

"Let's go back immediately. This floor is too early for us! Or rather, let's get back up as soon as possible before we encounter the next monster."

Kuuna, who had been slumped over, stood up and faced the stairs leading to the 3rd underground floor. It was a wise decision. But that was based on the assumption that we would encounter more monsters of this level.

"Not really. This was an accident. Remember what the instructor said? The deeper the floor, the stronger the monsters, but sometimes powerful monsters appear on shallower floors using the mana of dozens of monsters. That's what happened here. It's called an 'accidental spawn.'"

"Is that so? I'm relieved."

"Yes, we don't have the energy to run anymore. I wonder what floor this monster would normally appear on."

Both of them must have been exhausted from the battle. Their voices lacked energy.

"That one, I'd say, is in the highest class of rank 1 monsters. In terms of floors, it would be around the 8th or 9th underground floor."

"Surprisingly close."

"Don't worry. By the time we get there, we'll be much stronger."

Today, we had advanced along the shortest route and obtained a considerable number of magic stones, which might be enough to bring the two of them to mid-rank 1. The rank 1 top-tier magic stone we obtained this time was a valuable find.

"Let's set up a tent and take a break. We've also obtained some good ingredients."

"Wait, Sōji, you mean the ingredients are...?"

"Yeah, today's dinner is the one we just defeated."

At that moment, Kuuna and Anne made very unpleasant faces. I wondered what their reaction would be if I told them that there was no water source on this floor and that we would have to get water from this monster. I was a little looking forward to it.