Chapter 38

Although a bit late, my work has finally surpassed 20,000 points!

This is all thanks to everyone's support.

Thank you so much!!

"Kuren! Stop attacking! Fall back!!"

"―Y-Yes!"

Kuren obediently followed Haruki's instructions.

It seemed she panicked when the hate shifted towards her.

Her voice was slightly strained.

Kuren would be completely helpless if her owner approached her.

Haruki charged in to draw the hate.

He would not let the enemy pass from here!

A dagger alone was not enough, so Haruki also used his feet to deal damage.

"Hmm?"

As he continued his attacks, shallow cuts naturally increased on the owner's arms.

But he noticed one particularly large wound.

This...

He rewound the attack footage transcribed in his mind and overlaid it with the owner's wounds.

Then,

―He found it!

On the fifth attack, a slightly deeper wound appeared compared to the others.

However, it was the last of three consecutive attacks.

A strike while retreating in response to the owner's counterattack.

Compared to normal attacks, it was a flawed one.

But it inflicted the deepest wound on the owner.

What made this attack different from the others?

His consciousness was heavily tilted towards thought.

That was not good.

"Kyaah!"

"Ugh! Cough―!"

"Mr. Sora!"

The moment Kuren's scream was heard,

Haruki's vision spun around.

His breath was knocked out.

He couldn't even take a proper breath.

His vision wavered.

Haruki clenched his back teeth and slowly stood up.

"Haa... haa..."

His mind had slightly wandered from the battle, and he took a direct hit from the owner's attack.

If the opponent had been a Silver Wolf, they would have followed up with another attack.

But the owner did not.

It was because Haruki, in a desperate attempt, managed to land a counterattack.

The owner must have been surprised.

Until now, Haruki's attacks had been at a level that did not affect survival.

But this counterattack had cut a third of the owner's arm.

The owner, being smart, became cautious.

They were cautious and hesitated.

Haruki smiled slyly.

The only time Haruki managed to give the owner a significant wound was when he defeated the Werewolf.

It was because he matched the power of the opponent's attack, and for another reason.

Haruki's attack had a circular motion added to it.

The tips of blades, like those of a katana or a knife, are made up of tiny serrations.

The same goes for knives.

Serrations mean that pressing alone won't cut.

Like a saw, it only cuts when pulled.

Pressing and pulling simultaneously is what a circular motion does.

Western swords cut flesh with their weight.

But a dagger has no weight.

It only becomes a weapon with maximum cutting power when a circular motion is added.

By confidently applying his hypothesis and swinging his weapon in a circular motion, Haruki managed to cut deeper into the owner's body.

However, the owner's defense was outstanding.

What could have easily been cut with just pressure against a Silver Wolf was blocked even with the added cutting power.

But it was enough to create an opportunity for victory.

"Well, let's see more."

Haruki moistened his lips and approached the owner again.

He had seen all the patterns of the owner's responses.

Now, it was only a matter of how the owner would respond to dangerous attacks.

He cut, thrust, dodged, kicked, and circled.

He attacked in a flurry, in sync with Kuren's breathing.

It was easy for Haruki to toy with the owner, who was confused by the counterattack.

Plus, Kuren's powerful magical support was a bonus.

From there, the battle became one-sided.

It took time, but Haruki managed to defeat the owner.

The moment the owner's breath stopped, Haruki's body became warm.

It was a strong level-up dizziness, the first in a long time.

Haruki held his head and leaned against the wall.

The battle lasted about five minutes.

Despite his stamina being at level 2, he was completely out of breath after just five minutes of fighting.

It was probably due to extreme tension and concentration.

The same phenomenon occurred when he faced the Werewolf.

His breathing was hot.

His body felt heavy.

But it was the best.

It felt good.

He hadn't fought anything other than Silver Wolves for a while, so battling a different monster was refreshing.

Plus, the owner was at a strength level that matched Haruki's preferences—difficult but manageable.

It was good.

Really good.

He was adventuring.

There's no adventure in the safe path.

Adventures must be like this...

However, they were currently searching for Ooi Suka. There was no time to indulge in adventure.

"Leveling up is great, but time is precious now. It's better to avoid battles as much as possible."

"Yes."

Kuren was also sweating on her forehead.

If a counterattack came now, they would be easily cornered.

Haruki put down his bag and started preparing.

"Kuren, I'm sorry, but can you carry this while we move?"

"Yes... Wait, no..."

What Haruki took out was a long, black, slimy object.

Kuren's face contorted when she saw it.

"What is that?"

"Slippery Eel."

"......Huh?"

"I said, Slippery Eel."

Kuren looked at Haruki suspiciously.

"Hmm, so you like making girls carry such things, Mr. Sora?"

The cold, disdainful gaze hurt.

No, no, it's not a hobby...

"It apparently keeps monsters away. The effect lasts for a day."

"......A monster repellent, huh? But why didn't you use it from the start?"

"I thought it would be better to quickly defeat and move on, but the owner took quite a while to defeat."

The battle took five minutes, and with a break, seven minutes.

Since they were currently searching for Ooi Suka, they couldn't afford to spend that much time on a single battle.

"The effect isn't perfect, so don't let your guard down."

"......Yes."

Kuren's voice was dejected.

It seemed that just holding the Slippery Eel was draining her mentally.

Why was she so bothered by something that was just slimy?

Tilting his head, Haruki thought that two eels would be more effective than one and equipped them to both hands.

"......By the way,"

Behind Haruki, Kuren spoke hesitantly.

"Why are you carrying Rea on your back?"

"Hmm?"

During the break, Haruki had taken Rea out of the magic bag.

He placed Rea's planter in his bag.

The bottom of the bag had a pot, so Rea was exposed from the top half of her body.

"I thought she might work as a shoulder cannon."

"......Haa."

Kuren exhaled in exasperation at Haruki's response.

If the Slippery Eel didn't work on the owner, they would have to engage in battle.

Of course, since they had won the first battle, they would be fine as long as they weren't caught off guard.

But the battle would still be tough.

That's where Rea came in.

With Rea's throwing ability, they could easily repel the owner as they did before.

The pot was at the bottom of the bag, so Rea could continuously supply ammunition.

They could use throwing attacks without worrying about running out of ammo.

Rea, who was about to face a higher-level monster, grabbed Haruki's shoulder with her vines and shook her head.

She didn't seem to mind.

"Besides, I'm holding eels in both hands, so I can't attack on the spot."

"Couldn't you have left one hand free?"

"No!"

Of course.

Safety measures must always be overdone!

Ignoring Kuren's gaze, which seemed to say, "So it is a hobby after all," Haruki focused on searching for Ooi Suka.

After walking for a while, they spotted a monster ahead.

"Be careful. Rea, don't attack yet."

"Yes."

"(Nod)"

Haruki and Kuren watched the movements of the Silver Wolves and the owner, holding their breath.

At that moment, a Silver Wolf noticed them.

Their eyes met.

The moment Haruki thought so,

"Kyaa?!"

The Silver Wolf let out a cute cry and ran away.

The owner also turned to look, wondering what had happened.

"Kyaa?!"

Like the Silver Wolf, the owner saw Haruki and Kuren and immediately followed the Silver Wolf.

"The effect of the Slippery Eel is amazing!"

"Ah, no, I don't think that's the only reason."

"Hmm? What else could it be?"

"......If you haven't noticed, it's fine."

Was there another reason for them to run?

He had no idea.

While Haruki tilted his head, Kuren shook her head and sighed.

Every time monsters noticed them, they ran away in a comical manner.

"It feels like I've become the ultimate boss."

"More like a natural enemy, perhaps..."

Watching the panicked monsters run away, Haruki continued to map the area in his mind.

The area of the 8th floor was about twice that of the 1st floor.

It would take three hours to explore without fighting.

Plus, the grass that started growing from the 6th floor was now waist-high in some places.

He would have to be very focused to avoid missing Ooi Suka.

If she was alive, she might be using a tool that prevented detection by monsters.

If she was using such a tool in the overgrown grass, even Haruki would have trouble spotting her.

Haruki increased his concentration and carefully navigated the dungeon to avoid traps.

*

Ooi Suka was hiding in the bushes on the 8th floor of the dungeon.

She wanted to escape immediately.

But her broken left foot wouldn't allow it.

The pain had lessened since the initial fracture, but even a slight movement made her want to scream.

"If only I had brought expensive medicine... No, I shouldn't have chased the Silver Wolf here..."

Ooi Suka had come to the 8th floor to collect materials from Silver Wolves.

Silver Wolf materials from the 6th floor would have been fine.

But Ooi Suka came to the 8th floor.

The reason was the quality difference.

The darker the fur of a Silver Wolf, the higher the quality of the material.

However, the buyback price was uniform, with only a slight premium for higher quality.

It never went up, only down.

Of course, this was a company secret.

It was not disclosed to adventurers.

If it were made public, the company would lose all trust.

People would realize they had been buying different quality materials at low prices.

But the buyers had their reasons.

If they paid more for darker fur, someone would inevitably dye the Silver Wolf's fur to make it darker.

Dyed fur made identification difficult.

It took time to identify, reducing profits.

Reduced profits would be reflected in the price.

In the end, no one would benefit.

That's why Ichibei bought materials at a uniform price regardless of quality.

Ooi Suka was asked by the workshop to collect materials to meet the order quantity.

But greed got the better of her.

Since she was collecting them herself, she decided to make them all high-quality.

If she delivered high-quality materials, her evaluation from the workshop would surely improve!

If they thought, "Ichibei's Sapporo buyback store can deliver high-quality materials," Ooi Suka's evaluation would rise.

She could outshine other branch managers.

She could crush the detestable Yuzuki with her skills!!

That's what she thought, and this is the result.

The 8th floor was full of leftover monsters from adventurer hunts.

Ooi Suka was surrounded by injured Silver Wolves and their owners.

She tried to cut her way through with her prized longsword, but it was a many-against-one situation.

She was gradually cornered by the more threatening monsters, which were more dangerous due to their injuries.

Still, Ooi Suka fought well.

She retreated while taking down several monsters.

But her resistance didn't last long.

In a moment of slight carelessness, her longsword was knocked away.

She fell into a pit while trying to escape and broke her leg.

Against monsters she should have been able to defeat, Ooi Suka could barely escape.

It was utterly pathetic.

She had been trapped in the dungeon for over a week.

Her body was covered in sweat and dust.

But there was no smell.

She had used stealth tools to eliminate her scent.

Without them, she wouldn't have survived a single day.

"Hehe, so...?"

What was the point of surviving?

Ooi Suka mocked herself.

An adventurer's life is a life of death.

If an adventurer goes missing in a dungeon, it's rare for help to come.

Adventurers, who must be the first to protect the people, are the most expendable in Japan.

Unless they are extremely rare talents, no search party will be sent.

Or unless they are in the top ranks.

Ooi Suka was neither.

No one would come to her rescue.

In such a situation, her desperate attempts to survive, even for a moment, were ugly.

She had put herself in this situation through her rash actions.

That alone was already an ugly spectacle.

To survive, she was now drinking muddy water.

Her heart felt increasingly tainted.

Would it be better to die cleanly rather than let her heart become even more polluted?

A dark, hope-like emotion flashed in her mind.

On the other hand, a faint, bright light desperately shouted, "Just a little longer!"

"Just a little... more..."

She had intended to return in one day.

She only had five days' worth of food.

Her food supply was already depleted.

Now it was a matter of how long the effect of the stealth tools would last...

"......!"

She should just die.

Ooi Suka, who had been mocking herself, trembled at the thought of what would happen after the tool's effect wore off.

She almost went mad.

But she didn't have the strength to go mad.

Scary, scary, scary, scary, scary, scary, scary, scary!!

She didn't want to die.

She didn't want to die yet!

Death, which had approached her and become clear, terrified her.

She hugged her trembling body with both arms.

Tears streamed down her face, and sobs escaped from the back of her throat.

"......Someone..."

Tears touched her cracked lips.

They stung her wounds.

It was ridiculous to lose precious water to tears.

Plus, her mouth was dry. Even speaking was a chore.

But Ooi Suka couldn't stop the tears.

She couldn't help but whisper.

"Someone, help...!"

At that moment, the bushes where Ooi Suka was hiding rustled unnaturally.

A monster!?

Ooi Suka was startled.

But she had no strength left to prepare.

She just looked in the direction of the sound, ready to accept the worst possible future.

"......Finally found you."

―What appeared was,

Two slimy tentacles.

A plant monster on his back.

―What appeared was,

A floating, hideous demon with a mask.

"Kyaaaaaaaah!!"

Ooi Suka screamed, using the last of her strength, and fainted, rolling her eyes.

Finally found Ooi Suka!

But for some reason, she fainted.

Why is that...? (Playing dumb)