Chapter 5

--- 45th Floor

Seeing Lucifer's "loneliness" up close, I stroked my head, wondering if there was anything I could do for my savior. I am fully aware that this is inappropriate, but Lucifer, shedding beautiful tears, looked so beautiful.

I wanted to embrace her! But since I was in tatters and dirty, I feared I might soil Lucifer, and I struggled to suppress the impulse.

It seems that the floor master, Cyclops, is not here, which is a relief, but I also have to think about how to fight from here on up.

I believe Lucifer's power is tremendous, but I really want to conduct various experiments, considering what lies ahead.

I've been thinking about it for a while now,

(Since I was able to "wash away" the "sin," maybe I can wash away anything...)

This thought keeps sticking in my head.

I'm excited about the possibilities of "washing." While I do have some fear, my curiosity about "adventuring" is much stronger.

(I am an "adventurer" after all...)

When I muttered this to myself, I felt my curiosity grow even stronger.

"Lucifer. I want to try various things, so please let me handle it? I'd be happy if you could support me..."

"Leave it to me! I'll do my best to be of assistance to you, Luke-sama!!"

Lucifer seemed to have completely recovered and looked very happy, which made me feel relieved. But I asked her about something that had been bothering me.

"Lucifer. This 'Luke-sama'...?"

"......?"

Lucifer tilted her head and looked straight into my eyes. Her cuteness made me blush. Her white wings, beautiful hands and feet, golden hair, and eyes—all of them were so beautiful that my heart raced when she looked at me.

"Umm, just 'Luke' is fine. And you don't have to use formal language. Lucifer is my savior!"

"N-no! I can't! I can't compromise on this! I have sworn my loyalty to Luke-sama!!"

Lucifer's voice rose slightly, and she looked startled, her face turning pale.

"Huh? Lucifer?"

"I have defied the will of the gods again..."

"Lucifer!?"

"How arrogant I am..."

Lucifer's shoulders slumped, and she looked like she was about to cry.

"Okay, okay! Just don't cry. Besides, I'm not a 'god.' I'd rather you tell me if something bothers you! We have a few days before we reach the surface!"

"...What a merciful Luke-sama..."

I was taken aback by Lucifer's entranced expression. When we reach the surface, our time together will end, and I'll feel a bit lonely, but I want to make sure we have some good memories!

This floor is only inhabited by the floor master. We should hurry up and climb before we revive. All the middle floors converge here, so there are countless staircases leading up.

I know the best way is to go back the way we came, but if I meet Kyle and the others now, I might feel hatred again. I don't want to dampen my excitement.

"Lucifer. Which path do you want to take?"

"...That path is the most dangerous... There are powerful monsters. This one is relatively easy in terms of the balance of numbers and strength. This one has a large number of monsters... That one has fewer monsters, but the strongest monster in this area is there..."

I was speechless as Lucifer calmly described each path.

She must have a perception skill... I remembered the powerful light and black arrows from earlier and how she healed my leg. It's no longer in doubt that Lucifer is incredibly strong.

As I stared at her, our eyes met.

"Hehe. Luke-sama can handle any path with ease! Luke-sama is the strongest!!"

Her golden eyes, clear and unwavering, caught me, and Lucifer smiled beautifully.

I recalled my father's smile and strongly resolved to meet Lucifer's expectations!! It's a simple desire, but it's a man's nature to want to meet the expectations of a beautiful woman...

It's a different feeling from before. I'm still happy, but there's no anxiety this time. I'm not the same person who was wrapped in a sense of tragedy...

(This is where it begins... My 'adventure'!!)

"Alright. Let's go to the strongest one!!"

"Yes! I expected you to say that, Luke-sama. I thought you would be the brave one to face the greatest challenge!!"

I was thinking I might want to test the weaker monsters first, but seeing Lucifer's carefree smile made me feel like everything would be okay.

If someone asks if I have no anxiety,

Of course, I do. I was almost killed just a moment ago with the words "incompetent!"

But I have so many things I want to try.

I want to prove that "I can still do it!" I want to believe that my efforts so far haven't been in vain. I want to prove that I have the right to pursue my "dreams" rather than fear "death"!

Most of all, I want to meet Lucifer's trust and expectations. I want to show her that she's not wrong for swearing loyalty to someone like me.

Suddenly, I remembered a picnic with my parents.

"Men have to look cool in front of women!!"

"Say that after you get rid of your likes and dislikes! Come on, Luke."

I chuckled at the nostalgic memory and met Lucifer's gaze, opening my mouth.

"Men have to look cool in front of women, right?"

When I said this, Lucifer's face turned a slight shade of red,

"Of course, Luke-sama! You're so cool!!"

She beamed with a radiant smile.

(Here we go, starting my skill experiments!)

I took a deep breath, tightened my resolve, and stepped onto the staircase leading to the upper floor.

Next chapter: "Washing Experiment"

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