Chapter 48

As usual, I illuminated the dark dungeon with my and Kaena-san's headlamps—these are the type that are attached to the side of the abdomen, right at the waist, leaving both hands free for easy movement. The walls and floors made of clumps of earth stretched endlessly, showing no signs of being affected by the land. It could be described as a very standard dungeon.

I've gotten used to this, so I push forward confidently. It's rare for monsters to appear in the corridors; combat usually starts only when you enter a room. Of course, I've already checked the condition of my skill, *Walking Through a Wilderness Where Not Even the Wind Blows*, and I'm in a position to counter, but we proceed with the exploration without being overly cautious.

"Ukikikikii!"

"Kiki, kikikii!"

"Ukyaa! Ukyakya ukyaa!"

"Huh? Monkeys?"

As we entered a large room after the corridor, screams immediately echoed. Without panicking, I shone the headlamp around and found three monkeys threatening us.

These are also monsters. *Screaming Monkeys*—what a straightforward name, but there's no better way to describe them.

Despite their threatening monkey calls, these monkeys don't come closer. In fact, when I take a step forward, they take a step back. Yes, these *Screaming Monkeys* are not much of a threat. They're just noisy, maintaining a certain distance, occasionally throwing stones, and being noisy.

However, the stones they occasionally throw are of poor quality. Being monsters, they throw sharp and large stones, and even pebbles like shrapnel, at speeds that would surprise professional baseball players. For high-level explorers, it's no big deal, but for those who have just upgraded from F-rank, they might let their guard down against the seemingly harmless monkeys and get killed by the thrown stones.

Of course, the danger has been well-known for a long time, so they are now dealt with using long-range attacks. For me, who only uses my bare hands, these monkeys were initially the most troublesome.

Staring at the monkeys, who continued their deafening screams like Rive, I got ready.

"Haah? Treating the cute, cute Rive-chan the same as those Ete nobles?! I won't allow it! Apologize immediately and list 10 cute things about Rive-chan! Mkyahahaha!"

Look, you're being noisy on purpose, aren't you!

Teehee!

But, after a moment of this ridiculous internal dialogue, I immediately took action based on my experience. I had to take them down before they started throwing stones; otherwise, it would be troublesome.

—Lowering my stance deeply, I unleashed a straight punch.

With the effect of my skill, my physical abilities are ten times stronger, and I have ten times the special effectiveness against monsters. It was swung with incredible speed, enveloped in light. An instant shockwave was released.

"Nun!"

"Ukii!?"

With just one strike, the shockwave shot straight ahead, hitting the monkeys. It swallowed, trampled, and tore apart the monsters in one breath. ...That was it. I won't go into detail, but the monsters, who ended up in a miserable state, disintegrated into particles and disappeared.

The battle was over. It might seem like it ended too quickly with just one strike, but I went through a lot of trouble to be able to use this technique.

After all, this kind of thing doesn't exist in ordinary martial arts. It's a technique from a manga world, with shockwaves and all.

This is the technique I used to take down multiple monsters at once during a stampede. At that time, I was unconsciously using it to scatter multiple enemies, but I realized that if I could use it consciously, it would be the completion of a long-range attack. After some trials, I found that I could only release it from punches and chops, but I managed to control it to some extent. It's like a transparent beam, yeah.

So, this completed technique, the shockwave. Currently, the range is about 50 meters, but I want to make it reach distant targets like a sniper rifle eventually.

I might be going a bit overboard with the non-human lord, but that's how I became a bizarre creature, a bare-handed fighter who can also use long-range attacks.

"You finished them off instantly, Kosei-kun. For someone who has only been an explorer for a month or so, that's completely unprecedented. It's amazing."

"Hehe, well, I'm stacking cheats on top of cheats, you know."

I replied with a wry smile to Kaena-san's praise.

Honestly, it's a bit hard to say it's all my power. I've been given incredible skills and titles by the system, like grandparents who buy everything for their grandchild. That's why I am where I am now. It's hard to call it my power. Anyone would end up like this if they were given the same treatment, absolutely. It's not something to be proud of; no way, absolutely not.

Did Kaena-san sense something from my words? She was silent for a moment, then quietly placed her hand on my head and gently stroked it.

"Whether it's a cheat or not, it's your power. Even if all your cards are jokers, if it follows the rules, they are your legitimate cards. You have the right to use them."

"...And the responsibility to use them correctly."

"I love that you can say such things immediately. I'm saying this to no one but you."

Kaena-san's smile was so gentle.

I couldn't help but be captivated by her.

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