Chapter 88

"Once we pass this, it's the next area...!"

Fifth Station.

According to Vier's initial explanation, this should be the final level.

The areas we've passed through so far. The first station, Ichigome, was for low-level players, and the subsequent stations were named after the seasons—spring, summer, and autumn. It's easy to imagine what the next Fifth Station will be like.

"Winter...!?"

It must be freezing cold.

"Should we call it a day and head back?"

"Yeah, we didn't even prepare for the cold. We should at least dress warmly and get ready."

Plati, who had her stamina drained in the summer area, also seemed to want to go back. The Hylacanths, who joined us in the summer area, immediately drooped their tails when they realized we were heading to a cold place.

"Alright, let's go back!!"

"Wait a minute!!"

Just as I made the wise decision, who's the one objecting?

I turned around to find a silver-haired girl in an extravagantly luxurious dress.

Vier (Human Version). Why is she here?

"That's terrible, Master! How can you leave my dungeon without clearing it all the way? You must finish it properly!!"

"Why are you here!?"

Weren't you supposed to be waiting at the final point as the last boss of this dungeon!?

"I got bored waiting, so I decided to join you."

"Vier...!?"

So free...!!

"The monsters waiting at the next Fifth Station are special! You'll be surprised when you see them! Compared to them, the monsters you've faced so far are just grunts! Grunts!"

The wolves barked at Vier.

Perhaps they were protesting being called grunts? They don't consider Vier part of their pack.

"Listen! From now on, I'm joining you to conquer the dungeon. Let's reach the summit together, where the final boss awaits!"

"That final boss is right here...!"

There's no helping it.

If it comes to this, I'll just have to go along with Vier.

I'm also curious about the special monsters at the Fifth Station that Vier is so confident about.

* * *

And so, we stepped into the Fifth Station.

As expected, it was the winter area.

In the snowstorm on the snowy mountain, the monster waiting for us was...

"A bear...!?"

It was a bear-type monster!

Unlike the monsters that had attacked us before, which often came in groups, this one was alone.

Despite that, its massive body and powerful arms made it far more intimidating than any of the others.

When it stood up, it was over three meters tall, and just looking up at it made me feel like I was about to wet my pants.

The wolves surrounded it from all sides, barking and trying to intimidate it, but it had no effect.

"Stay back! Just a touch from me and you'll be sent to the underworld!!"

Orcbo and Gobkichi were holding the bear off with their subordinates.

Even with their two-stage mutations, which would allow an average hero to handle them, they were struggling against the bear.

"...Vier, what kind of monster did you create?"

This one is completely different from the others.

"Is that so? I could still turn it to ashes if I got a bit more serious."

The scale of the strongest creatures is completely arbitrary.

There's no helping it.

If Orcbo and the others get hurt, it won't be fun anymore.

"Orcbo, Gobkichi, step back."

"Understood!!"

As they jumped back, I drew my Evil Holy Sword and swung it in a diagonal upward slash.

A diagonal line of blood appeared on the bear's body, and it fell to the ground, spewing blood.

"Wow! Such a formidable enemy!?"

"In one hit! Truly, our lord is amazing!!"

Orcbo and the others praised me, but it's all thanks to the 'Bearer of the Supreme' and the Evil Holy Sword.

The Holy Sword, created by Hades to ensure the victory of the demon race, and the 'Bearer of the Supreme' gift from Hephaestus, which maximized its potential, allowed me to one-hit kill a powerful monster.

It's not my achievement at all!

Don't praise me!

"Ah...!?"

"Not yet, my lord...!"

The bear, which was thought to have been killed in one hit, stood up and glared at me.

However, the wound was deep, and it couldn't move properly.

The wolves could easily finish it off, but that would be too cruel.

"My lord...?"

"Are you going to put it out of its misery?"

As I approached the dying bear, I called out to someone else.

"Plati."

"Yes!?"

"Give me a healing potion."

Everyone must have been confused by my request.

I took the healing potion from Plati and applied it to the bear's wound.

"Master! What are you doing!?"

"It's no good. I shouldn't have failed to kill it in one hit."

Seeing it suffer like this, I can't suppress my sympathy.

I'm the one who inflicted the wound, and I've killed dozens of monsters for food and defense, but I can't be heartless.

Well, you know.

What would I do with a bear? I don't know how to use its meat or fur. There's no point in hunting something I can't use.

"The fur is thick, so the medicine isn't penetrating the wound. It will take time to fully recover."

"That's better."

If it recovered immediately and attacked again, I'd have to kill it this time.

"Alright, we've cleared the Fifth Station. Let's move on."

I led the way, and we moved forward.

The bear watched us with a blank expression, its thoughts unknown.