Chapter 15

"……! ……!"

"Whoa! W-What is it!?"

Suddenly, my body was shaken, and I jumped.

Turning around, Tao was opening and closing her mouth.

But I couldn’t hear any sound.

Oh right, I had used 'Sound Block'.

After canceling it, I could hear Tao’s voice.

"Roberto, you finally responded!"

"Ah, sorry, sorry. I was just concentrating."

"Geez, you didn’t even watch me defeat the Gray Wolf."

Tao’s cheeks puffed up, looking angry.

I guess I did something bad.

But thanks to that, I was able to investigate the dungeon’s barrier thoroughly.

First, this room where the boss is located is like the heart of the dungeon.

More specifically, the room with the treasure beyond the boss is the heart.

The boss is created and the barriers are set up, all from that source.

The amount of mana contained there is enormous, and it doesn’t seem to rely on any rituals.

It feels like it’s simply using a massive amount of mana to create the barriers and monsters.

The nutrients probably come from the monsters, humans, and animals that die in the dungeon.

When monsters die, they return to the dungeon.

The efficiency is terrible, but it works because of the sheer volume of mana.

There’s still a lot I don’t understand, but that’s the gist of it.

"Alright, let’s go see the treasure."

"Sounds good."

Beyond the defeated boss, there’s supposed to be treasure.

Coincidentally, it’s in the heart of the dungeon.

Does that mean the treasure is the core? No, that doesn’t make sense—

"Stop, Tao!"

Suddenly, I sensed a strong mana and grabbed Tao’s hand.

"Ah! What are you doing, Roberto? Even if we’re in a place like this..."

A black blade passed in front of Tao’s eyes.

That’s a dark magic spell, 'Death Blade'.

I think it’s a spell that monsters often use.

"Eh... We defeated the boss, so why is it here...?"

"It seems something is still around."

Looking carefully, I saw the figure of the enemy who cast the 'Death Blade' in the darkness.

—It was a human skull.

A skeleton wearing a tattered black hood, dressed like a mage.

"Ah, that’s a Lich!"

"Right, a Lich is a pretty high-level monster, isn’t it?"

Tao nodded silently.

According to the monster encyclopedia, a Lich is an undead monster that uses magic.

The reason Tao couldn’t sense its 'aura' is probably because of this.

I only noticed it because I sensed the mana. The strange mana I had been feeling earlier must have been this thing.

It’s written that it’s a high-level monster that requires caution.

But why is such a monster here?

"…Probably that Lich is a stray. It wandered here and made it its lair. …Worst case."

Tao muttered resentfully.

A stray is a monster that left its original dungeon for some reason.

Whether the dungeon disappeared or it left on its own... in any case, such monsters live on the surface or hide in other dungeons.

But it’s rare to encounter a monster with such a level difference, and it’s a crisis for the entire party when it happens.

"I’ll handle this, you run. With my agility, I can dodge its magic to some extent. I should be able to buy you enough time to escape."

"What are you planning to do, Tao?"

"Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to escape. Hurry up!"

As soon as she said that, Tao ran towards the Lich.

Oh, this looks interesting. I’ll pretend to run and watch the fight.

I hid in the shadows and observed the battle.

While dodging the black blades, Tao released 'Aura Bullets'.

But the Lich deployed a mana barrier to block them.

"Damn—"

Even as she cursed, Tao charged at the mana barrier.

Her breathing was deep, and the ground shook with each step.

A tremendous impact sound echoed.

Cracks appeared in the mana barrier.

—That’s a palm strike infused with 'aura'.

To damage a barrier of that level with bare hands is impressive.

Then, Tao smoothly delivered an elbow strike.

From there, a left hook, a backfist, a knife hand, and a roundhouse kick, all hitting the exact same spot as the first strike.

Tao didn’t stop. The cracks grew larger and deeper.

"I can’t die here! I’ve been training every day since I was five. Rain or snow, without a break, every day! I didn’t even have a boyfriend! After all that effort, I can’t die here without a boyfriend—!"

A moment later, a flying knee strike shattered the mana barrier, leaving a gaping hole.

But, oh no. She’s wide open. And the Lich wasn’t just standing there.

The Lich’s jagged teeth rattled.

It was casting a spell. A black flash enveloped Tao.

"Shit—"

A huge explosion occurred.

Tao was blown away and fell to the ground, rolling several times.

She was lying there, looking lifeless. It’s bad.

"Tao!"

I rushed over and lifted her up.

Tao raised her head with a pained expression and opened her eyes.

"Ugh… Why did you come back…?"

I couldn’t tell her that I hadn’t run away and was just watching nearby, so I kept quiet.

"Maybe it’s for me…? …Geez, you’re such an idiot. …But, it’s fine. If I can die with a handsome guy like Roberto, I’m content…"

Saying that, Tao turned her face away from me.

"Hey, are you giving up already?"

"It’s no use. My body won’t move. Even if it did, there’s no way I can beat a Lich…"

"What are you saying—"

As if to cut off my words, a black flash enveloped the area.

The Lich had cast a spell at us, who were turned away.

Tao squeezed her eyes shut. Immediately, a shockwave hit us—

—But nothing happened.

The mana barrier I had set up blocked the Lich’s spell.

Tao, who had cautiously opened her eyes, blinked in surprise.

I stood up and stared straight at the Lich, grinning.

"—This is where it gets fun, right?"