Chapter 16

This story is a work of fiction.

The characters, organizations, and names are all fictional and have no connection to any real entities.

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016 - Disarming the Trap with Brute Force

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On the morning of the 8th day after my reincarnation, I was sleepy. Last night, when I was about to sleep on the floor and laid out a blanket, Annelise said she would sleep on the floor too.

"I have recovered my original body. I can sleep on the floor without any problem."

"No, I can't let a girl sleep on the floor."

We had this conversation a few times, and eventually, we compromised and decided to "sleep together."

Annelise's cute sleeping face was right next to me. There's no way a normal 18-year-old guy could sleep. I spent the whole night staring at her.

Who said that you get tired of a beautiful woman in three days? I could look at her for hours without getting tired. I'm confident that even after three days, I wouldn't get tired of her.

"Good morning, Master."

"Yeah. Good morning."

Her face was close. Our noses were almost touching. Her chest was already pressed against mine. It was incredibly voluminous and soft. Marshmallows can't even compare.

In this world, there are no bras. The underwear is pumpkin-shaped, and there's no allure. Last night, I used what I thought were her used underwear to clean my armor. I wanted to be the armor.

But I digress. Since there are no bras, she's not wearing one. When she was an old woman, her breasts were sagging and not noticeable, but now they are very noticeable. I don't want other men to see Annelise's lack of a bra. This is mine alone.

So, I decided to wrap a towel around her chest like a bandage.

"Is it too tight?"

"It's fine."

Annelise's chest is "too big," so even with the bandage, it's still "big." I want a bra, but I have to endure without one. However, I decided to make one for her someday. Having such a goal gives me motivation.

When we went to the dining hall, the serving lady looked at us with a puzzled expression. She had been looking at us multiple times during dinner last night.

She must think I switched from that old woman to such a young and cute girl. But that's not it; this cute girl is that old woman.

The rejuvenated Annelise no longer eats as much as she did when she was an old woman. She was unconsciously eating to maintain her vitality back then.

On the way to the dungeon, Annelise wore a deep hood to hide her face. I thought that if such a cute girl walked around, someone might try to bother her.

"Master, you don't realize it, do you?"

"Huh?"

"You're cuter than me."

I was quite cute, but I never really thought of myself as cute. Probably because I haven't seen a mirror since coming to this world.

"Then, I'll wear a robe too."

"That's a good idea. Some explorers can be rough."

We were near a clothing shop, so we bought a robe. Since it's not part of the equipment, anything that can hide my appearance would do.

With the plain gray hood and Annelise's black hood, we entered the dungeon. Today, we went straight in without stopping at the market stalls. Since Annelise's appetite is now that of a normal girl, the consumption of the grilled pond squids and tentacles I bought has decreased.

As soon as we entered the dungeon, we used the Dungeon Move to go to the second floor. Today, I plan to fight the monsters on the second floor.

"There's a monster. It's 25 meters away."

There seems to be a monster 40 to 50 meters ahead. It appears right after leaving the boss room.

I changed my job to Hero of the Two-Handed Sword and moved to a position where I could see the monster.

"It's a Gray Rat."

Its level is 2.

I cut it down with my mithril two-handed sword. There was no resistance. It moved slowly. I wouldn't have any trouble with a Gray Rat, let alone a Level 2 one.

"Let's go all out!"

"Yes."

I'm the one going all out, but today I want to defeat the second floor boss as soon as possible.

"There's a monster. It's around the corner to the right. Be careful, it's right after the corner."

"Understood."

I was also searching for the monster's presence, but I couldn't sense anything.

I took a deep breath before the corner.

I turned the corner and immediately saw the monster. I cut it down with one swing of my mithril two-handed sword.

It was another Level 2 Gray Rat.

"Besides Gray Rats, Ash Golems also appear on the second floor, right?"

According to the booklet I bought from the guild, wooden golems appear.

"Yes. Gray Rats and Ash Golems appear together."

This is my first time fighting multiple enemies.

"What should I do when fighting two enemies?"

"Should I take one of them?"

"No, I want to try fighting as much as I can on my own without relying on Annelise."

The information is separate. That's part of the preparation.

"First, I'll take down the faster Gray Rat. During that time, keep an eye on the Ash Golem's movements."

"OK, got it."

After walking for about two minutes, Annelise's magic perception detected a reaction.

"There are two this time. They're 30 meters away."

This is my first time fighting multiple enemies. I'm nervous.

The Ash Golem that appeared with the Gray Rat had multiple roots that moved like tentacles. It had four branches and a head with leaves like an afro.

"The position is bad."

The Ash Golem is in front, and the Gray Rat is behind it. This makes it difficult to take down the Gray Rat first.

The Ash Golem's attack method is to use its four branches like whips. I could either dodge them and take down the Gray Rat or, instead of following the usual strategy, take down the Ash Golem first. I should be able to dodge the Gray Rat's attacks.

"If it looks dangerous, let me know."

"Yes, be careful."

"Haah!"

I closed the distance quickly and attacked the Ash Golem with my mithril two-handed sword. There was almost no resistance.

Without stopping, I dodged the Gray Rat's attack and countered.

Both enemies were eliminated.

The Ash Golem, despite being hard, was no match for my mithril two-handed sword. I've also become quite strong. The Hero of the Two-Handed Sword is not just for show.

"Master's attack power is abnormal."

"Being called abnormal is a bit hurtful."

I don't deny that it's abnormal, but...

"I apologize, but it's reassuring to know."

I'll show you how to handle the two-handed sword better so you can watch with confidence.

As we continued to fight and advance, Annelise pulled my arm.

"There's a trap."

"Huh, where?"

Even though she said there was a trap, I couldn't see or sense anything.

"Stepping on that floor will trigger the trap."

Even when she pointed out the floor, I couldn't understand at all.

"Can you disarm it?"

"No problem."

Since she can disarm it, I'll leave it to her.

"Mana Hand"

A translucent arm extended and pressed the floor.

Thud. Crash.

A part of the wall disappeared, and arrows flew, hitting the opposite wall and falling to the floor.

"The trap is disarmed."

It was brute force, but it worked.

After cutting down the Gray Rat, I dodged the Ash Golem's branches by crouching. The Gray Rat disappeared, but more branches came at me. I dodged them by jumping backward.

I raised my mithril two-handed sword high and took a stance.

I visualized the skill's activation.

"Take this. Buster Slash!"

Power surged through my mithril two-handed sword.

"Haah!"

A faintly glowing, nearly transparent blade shot out from the mithril two-handed sword.

The Ash Golem tried to block it with its branches, but the blade cut through the branches and the trunk.

The charge took about 1.5 seconds, and the post-activation stiffness lasted about 2 seconds. With such vulnerable times before and after use, it's difficult to use effectively.

It's fine now, but eventually, I'll face monsters that can't be defeated with a Buster Slash. I need to think about when to use it.

"I'm getting used to fighting two enemies."

"Yes, your fighting style is quite stable."

"How about my sword handling?"

"To be honest, Master, it still needs improvement."

She's being honest. It's much better than being flattered.

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