Chapter 7

"Did it! We're saved!"

The thief's expression, which had been tense just moments ago, changed dramatically as he rejoiced.

"Did you really defeat it!? That Skeleton!"

"Saved... we're saved..."

The four adventurers, who had been standing together, slumped to the ground. The tension that had gripped them since the defeat of the Skeleton Ogre must have finally eased.

"Still, you're pretty amazing! I mean, you must be really strong to come this far alone in a place where such monsters roam!"

"First, let's prioritize healing. Lay him down there. I'll use a healing spell."

The armored man instructed the thief, and together with the other adventurers, they helped the injured man, who had been barely walking with their support, to lie down on the ground. The female priest approached them.

"Heal his wounds—*Cure*"

A warm, white light emanated from her palm, and the various wounds on the injured man's body quickly closed, and his previously pale face regained its vitality.

"Saved! I was running out of magic power halfway through. Thank you."

One of the four adventurers, a man in a white robe similar to the female priest's, bowed in gratitude.

"No, it's mutual. Without him, we would have been done for."

The armored man turned to me and said, but I had only fought for myself.

"You really have our gratitude. You did a great job defeating the Skeleton we brought here!"

"No, don't worry about it."

I was actually grateful because I had unexpectedly gained a new ability.

Moreover, I learned that the instant death spell also works on undead.

So far, the instant death spell has been effective on all targets, but I've also discovered that some are more resistant, possibly due to skill level or resistance.

In such cases, I'll use the 'Quadruple' ability I obtained this time.

"Still, to have Skeletons appear in the upper levels..."

"Yeah, I've heard that there have been a lot of such incidents recently, but I let my guard down. Sorry."

One of the four adventurers, wearing a light armor made of leather and metal and carrying a one-handed axe on his belt, said with an apologetic look. He seemed to be the leader of the party.

"We should report this to the Adventurer's Guild. Depending on the situation, the country might issue a hunt request."

The armored man said, placing his hand on his chin.

"Is it common for monsters from the middle layers to appear in the upper layers?"

When I asked, the armored man nodded.

"Yes, in the dungeon, monsters generally have a certain range of movement based on their rank, but sometimes they exceed that range."

In other words, there's a possibility of encountering a powerful enemy if you let your guard down. I hadn't heard about this before.

"Still, it's not that common. But recently, it's been happening a lot, and adventurers are starting to talk about it. I hope it's not a bad omen..."

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

The thief, looking at the Skeleton Ogre's bones on the ground, called out.

"These Ogre bones are heavy, right? I'll carry some, so can you give me a share?"

"Ugh... As soon as the danger is over, you're thinking about this."

The armored man sighed deeply at the thief's words.

"But indeed, these Ogre bones, especially since they're undead and infused with magic, would fetch a good price."

Hearing the man's words, I decided to make a suggestion.

"If you don't mind, you can take them."

"Huh? Really?"

"In return, I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about what happened today to others."

"...I see. As a favor from the one who saved our lives, I'll report to the Adventurer's Guild that the Skeleton was in the upper level, but I'll say we cooperated to defeat it."

"That would be a great help."

Everyone nodded with a bright expression.

I raised my hand over the Skeleton Ogre's bones and stored them in the 'Coffin of the Dead.'

"Whoa!? The bones disappeared!?"

"I'll give them to you when we get to town, so don't worry."

"O-Okay... You're a pretty powerful mage, aren't you?"

Thus, I returned to the town of Voltana with the adventurers from the upper level of the dungeon.

I needed to rest and organize my thoughts for the future.

Before entering the town, I took the Ogre's bones out of the 'Coffin of the Dead' and divided them with the adventurers.

"Just to be safe, if you're going to act alone, it's better to buy a cloak that identifies you as a mage. Your current outfit doesn't look like an adventurer at all. I'll pay you back for this favor someday."

The armored man said this to me and left with the other adventurers.

He had a point. For example, a priest can be easily identified by their white robe, even if it's just a formal symbol.

If I entered the dungeon in my current outfit, I might attract more attention.

Tomorrow, I'll look for a shop that buys materials obtained from the dungeon and get some equipment.

After parting ways with the adventurers, I rented a room at a small inn on a back street of the town, where few people would notice me.

Lying on the bed, I reflected on the hectic day.

So much happened today. The commotion at the Adventurer's Guild, the battle, and the skill level up.

Defeating the Skeleton Ogre improved my stats, but I still don't match the S-rank adventurers.

For now, the only way is to steadily level up.

Defeating the Skeleton Ogre raised my skill level to 25, and I have 5 points to allocate.

I'm tempted to allocate the points immediately, but I might need different abilities later, and I don't want to run out of points.

If that happens, I'll need to level up further...

(But there's a problem I can't ignore)

To level up further, I need to avoid suspicion when wandering the dungeon alone.

Adventurers usually form parties to help each other, as each has their own strengths.

Many adventurers gather in Voltana, so I might encounter other parties like today.

This could hinder my leveling up.

But I can't form a party, so this problem is hard to solve.

Then, what's the easiest solution?

(For example, acting at night when people are asleep might be a good idea)

Night is when monsters are most active, so few people would be out.

For me, this might actually be more convenient.

(Alright, I have a plan for what to do next)

Tomorrow, I'll visit shops in town to get equipment and wait until night.

Closing my eyes, I felt sleepiness overwhelm me. I must have been more tired than I thought.

To prepare for tomorrow, I decided to rest well.