Chapter 24

The space that had been filled with laughter fell silent.

Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, my mind went blank, but my body, which had overcome countless battles, began to move on its own.

(I can only see its back, but those glossy black scales and this pressure are unmistakable. It’s the Black Dragon, the floor boss of the 92nd level. Why is it here!? And suddenly too. —But I don’t have time to think about that!)

My thoughts catch up with my actions.

In front of the Black Dragon are the members of *Yaten no Gin Usagi*.

The Black Dragon was already preparing to attack *Yaten no Gin Usagi*.

Evidence of this was the flames leaking from its mouth.

I run to the others, circling around the Black Dragon, but I realize its attack will be faster.

I change my strategy and instantly construct a spell.

"Guides! Protect the newbies with your lives!"

While shouting, I cast *Life Force Increase* and *Resistance Increase* on Ansem and Bernard, and *Durability Increase* and *Weight Increase* on their armor and shields.

All the guides react to my voice.

Ansem and Bernard step forward, lower their centers of gravity, and ready their shields.

Selma and Cathy deploy magical barriers in front of the defenders.

They are still in the midst of confusion.

Yet, their bodies moved instinctively.

It’s no wonder, given that they are senior explorers selected for the instructional exploration.

The Black Dragon opens its mouth wide and launches a massive ball of fire.

Just before the fireball hits the magical barrier, I activate *Instant Ability Super Increase* on the barrier, raising its hardness to the limit.

The fireball explodes upon impact with the magical barrier, enveloping the members of *Yaten no Gin Usagi* in smoke.

◇

After a while, the smoke clears.

Fortunately, there are no casualties. Somehow, the newbies were protected.

However, the two defenders are badly injured.

Cathy needs to treat them immediately, but she is trembling and can’t move.

Not only the newbies, but Selma is also pale-faced.

It’s then that I finally notice.

The size of this boss area has more than doubled since earlier.

(Is it to match the Black Dragon? The Black Dragon being here is irregular, so why is there such a setting?)

I’m still in a state of confusion, thinking about unnecessary things.

None of the current members of *Yaten no Gin Usagi* are of any use.

I have two options.

The first is to leave them to their fate and head to the 51st level.

The path to the 51st level is already open since we’ve defeated the crab.

The Black Dragon is aware of my presence, but monsters tend to target larger groups.

I can probably move to the 51st level alone.

The second is to fight the Black Dragon.

However, they are of no use now.

Many are too frightened to move.

If I fight, I shouldn’t think of giving them time to escape to the 51st level. The only way to save everyone is to win.

(Damn it! Why do I keep thinking about that time in this situation?)

◆ ◆ ◆

I was born and raised in a small, unknown village.

Oliver and I were the village’s favorites.

Both of us had exceptional memory and physical abilities from birth, and by the age of eight, we had learned swordsmanship from our grandfather and achieved a level of skill comparable to B-rank explorers.

We practiced daily in the mountains near the village to improve each other and to succeed as explorers.

One day, an incident occurred.

The village was attacked by bandits.

By the time we returned, it was too late.

Houses were burned, and the people who were lively this morning were now dead bodies scattered everywhere.

We cried until our voices were hoarse when we realized what had happened.

By the time we stopped crying, the sun had already risen.

"Oliver, it’s sad to leave everyone like this. Let’s give them a proper burial."

"Right."

Fortunately or unfortunately, we were smart enough to quickly find what we needed to do and took action.

We dug holes in silence and carefully placed the bodies inside.

After placing all the bodies, we set the holes on fire.

"Olun, I will become stronger! I won’t let anything be taken away again. I’ll become so strong that just hearing my name will prevent anyone from doing such ridiculous things!"

"I will also become stronger! To prevent anything from being lost, no matter how unreasonable the situation! I’ll become strong enough to protect what’s important, no matter what!"

We shed tears again, burning the image of our village friends burning into our minds, and made our vows.

After the burial, we left the site of the village and became explorers in Tsutrail, where the Great Labyrinth is located.

◆ ◆ ◆

Unreasonable things are abundant in this world.

The current situation is just one of them.

I became an explorer to gain the strength and knowledge to not be overwhelmed by unreasonable events.

The answer has been clear from the start.

My role now is to lead all the new explorers to the 51st level.

To do that, I need to — rid myself of the unreasonable situation in front of me.

"It’s not that difficult. Just defeat the enemy in front of me…!"

By using everything I’ve learned since becoming an explorer, I can defeat this opponent.

There is a chance of winning.

Let’s start the hunt!

◇

I take out a spare sword from my storage magic tool and activate *Strength Increase* and *Skill Increase*.

Although the Black Dragon is covered in hard scales, as a living being, there are places where a blade can penetrate.

I aim for the Black Dragon’s eyes and throw the spare sword with all my might.

The Black Dragon’s reaction is faster than the sword’s arrival.

The sword I threw is blocked by the Black Dragon’s hard eyelid.

The Black Dragon turns its head towards where I was.

—But, unfortunately, I’m no longer there.

I have already moved to the top of the Black Dragon’s head.

I add a spin to my body in mid-air and swing the sword with all my might.

Thanks to the element of surprise and the *Instant Ability Super Increase* I cast on the sword, the Black Dragon is slammed face-first into the ground with a loud thud.

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