Chapter 53

In the twenty-sixth layer that separates the middle and upper levels, Worm was undergoing his baptism. The fireball, refined and launched with magic power, continued to burn after releasing the contained magic power, illuminating the labyrinth.

Compared to the Will-o'-the-wisp, the fireball had a smaller range and duration, but it surpassed in instantaneous firepower. Naturally, if the fireball hit directly without being affected by defensive measures or terrain, an average monster would be rendered unable to act. Indeed, the monster that Worm targeted during the encounter was engulfed in flames and now smoldered on the floor.

Despite this, the remaining monsters penetrated the dancing flames and approached Worm. The armor he wore, the longsword in his hand, glowed eerily with the fire. The being inside was not human; after all, the head that should have been there was missing.

A headless knight, one of which Worm had already defeated, but two remained, burning with the desire to turn the living Worm into a corpse.

"Without a head, it's troublesome."

The neck, a weak point of humanoid monsters, and the skull that should be shattered, did not exist. Abandoning the feint with a thrust, Worm lowered his arm and released his halberd. The Dullahan, judging that the upward swing from the "Strong Attack" was disadvantageous, rapidly slowed down and barely escaped the range. Meanwhile, the second Dullahan, in a low, sliding stance, thrust its longsword at Worm.

Worm deflected it with the axe head and returned a thrust, but the distance was too far to make it a killing blow. Worm leaped back. Even if he wanted to counterattack, the first Dullahan had already regained its stance and blocked his path. Despite lacking a head, they possessed the intelligence to coordinate. Truly, an unreasonable existence. Worm tried to circle around using his agility, but the Dullahan maintained a nasty distance, exchanging feints.

If the noise attracted more monsters, the situation would turn disadvantageous. Worm had no intention of holding back. As Worm formed a fireball by refining his magic power, the Dullahans clearly split left and right, closing the distance. Their aim was to avoid being caught in a single attack and to hesitate in casting magic at close range, but for Worm, who had a high affinity for fire, it was a poor strategy. Otherwise, Worm would have been consumed by the blue flames when using the Will-o'-the-wisp.

The fireball that struck the headless knight's lower abdomen exploded, forcing open the sturdy armor and scorching the contents. Fire is highly effective against the undead. The headless knight was forced out of the battle without a chance to struggle.

The Dullahan, having bought valuable time and distance for its comrade, launched a thrust, throwing its entire body into the attack. For a human, this would be a self-destructive move, considering a counterattack to vital points, but for the Dullahan, which lacked clear vital points, it became a troublesome move.

The tip of the longsword made contact with the halberd's branch blade, and with a high-pitched sound of metal scraping, it was deflected to the upper left. Worm's crisis was not yet over. A shoulder charge, utilizing the weight of the armor, was approaching.

Worm thrust the halberd's handle and pressed it against the Dullahan's shoulder. After a dull collision sound, Worm suppressed the charge and suddenly relaxed his footing. The headless knight, with its center of gravity forward, leaned to the side to maintain balance.

Naturally, Worm, who had aimed to destabilize, did not miss the opportunity. Slipping his arm through, he hooked the branch blade under the Dullahan's knee and cut it, accompanied by a shift in his center of gravity. The sensation was sufficient; the feeling of severing the cruciate ligaments and menisci, derived from a human, was transmitted through the handle. The Dullahan, having lost its mobility, turned and swung its longsword, but it was a futile struggle.

Worm, without stopping, circled behind and brought his halberd down from the highest position. The blow, infused with magic power, cut diagonally from the Dullahan's shoulder to its waist, through the armor.

"Still moving?"

The two halves of the body fell to the ground, bouncing a few times, but the resistance did not last. After a brief breath, Worm, using all his senses, searched for enemies, but none had arrived yet.

Worm, as a precaution, kicked the longsword out of the Dullahan's hand and knelt. He then ransacked the freshly slain corpse. In the makeshift waist pouch, a few silver coins and other coins were stored.

"Obviously, the armor is out of the question, but the sword, barely."

Sliding his wrist into the magic bag, which had been filled with collected items as he progressed through the layers, he felt a strange resistance and repulsion. Although he had prioritized picking up precious metals, magic stones, and valuable items, the magic bag, limited to personal use, had reached its storage limit.

If he obtained bulky items in the future, he would have to discard something to carry them. Even if it was just jewelry or coins, adding weight to his waist or back would make him heavier.

Just as he collected the coins scattered from the Dullahan when he was burned, the curfew arrived. The sound of metal scraping against the floor reached Worm's ears. It was undoubtedly a new group of headless knights wandering the labyrinth.

"Time."

Fortunately, they had not yet appeared within the range of engagement. Having completed the recovery, Worm left the area quickly.

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As the receptionist had advised, the twenty-sixth layer and below were composed of troublesome monsters. The Poison Worm, protected by venom and stingers, and the Kira Plant, with its strong regenerative ability and powerful tentacles. Engaging multiple such monsters would inevitably lead to exhaustion, and the concentrated use of magic, which he had been saving for the mid-layers, became unavoidable. Worm, who had experienced the value of prior information, even worried that the armlet he had given as payment was too cheap.

"Phew, even in death, they're a pain."

The venom that leaked from the Poison Worm, now a bonfire, evaporated, polluting the air. Although not at a concentration that would cause death, inhaling too much could lead to vomiting or convulsions. According to the sword merchant, who was the main buyer of the collected items, proper extraction and processing could turn the venom into a protective armor against potent poisons, but Worm did not have the equipment or skills to disassemble the venomous insect's body, contaminated by venom and stingers.

On the other hand, the Kira Plant, with its troublesome regenerative ability and strong vines, was a monster that plagued the front line, but being a plant, it was vulnerable to fire. Worm stared intently at a burned tentacle. The burned surface was covered with countless spines. They would attach to armor, pierce the skin, and draw blood. This was the attack method and feeding habit of the Kira Plant, a parasitic plant.

Worm pulled out a knife from his waist. Stepping on the tentacle with his half-boots, he shaved off the spines with the knife and cut it to a suitable length. Lifting the tentacle and raising it above his head, he drank the liquid flowing from the cut end.

"True to the word, the sweetness is intense."

The taste was like sugarcane juice, even sweeter and more viscous. For Worm, who rarely tasted sweetness, it was one of the best. The Kira Plant's demand was high, as it was a valuable ingredient and seasoning, even among the wealthy.

The intense sugar content spread through his body, and his brain rejoiced at the nectar. If the air were not polluted by the poison, he would have savored it more. Quickly peeling another tentacle, Worm squeezed the sweet liquid into a bottle and discarded the remaining residue in the labyrinth. The labyrinth would automatically clean up, which was a relief.

After enjoying a small snack, Worm searched for the stairs to descend deeper. The depth reached the twenty-eighth layer, and after two more flights of stairs, there would be a rest room. Wiping the juice from his hands, Worm focused on searching.

Thinking about the unseen rest room was futile. Passing through several corridors, clearing rooms, and entering a new small room, Worm carefully examined the surroundings. If it were a wandering monster, its presence would be easier to detect, but the Kira Plant could hide under debris or on the ceiling.

If caught, it would deprive him of limb movement and extract blood. Worm liked to extract sweetness from the Kira Plant, but not the reverse. Fortunately, the room's damage was minor, and there were no gaps to hide in. As Worm was about to leave the empty small room, he sensed something unusual in the corridor ahead.

"Dullahan...? No, it's wearing a helmet."

A headless knight should not wear a helmet. Moreover, it had four arms, each holding two swords and two shields. Worm, seeking information, named the monster.

"Dollslime, huh."

A slime that can enter armor or dolls and control them at will. It was a new encounter, and for an unknown opponent, firepower was the most effective solution. Refining his magic power, he began to form a fireball. The Dollslime's reaction to the fire was dramatic. Its semi-soft body trembled, and it emitted a metallic scream through its pseudo-vocal cords, spraying liquid from the gaps in the armor.

Worm, undeterred, launched the fireball but realized it was a mistake. The water jet, perceived as an attack, was actually a tentacle, moving like it was sliding on water. The slimy body reduced friction, allowing for high-speed movement. The Dollslime approached Worm with an initial speed and angle that a normal human could not achieve.

Worm, lowering the axe head of his halberd, met the attack, but the two round shields provided enough defense to only break one. The Dollslime, closing the distance, simultaneously launched short swords from both sides. Worm saw the first strike and dodged the second by twisting his upper body, but the armor's elbow rotated, changing its trajectory.

"Ugh, ah!!"

Despite the armor, the soft body inside could approach at an impossible angle. Even though he deflected it with the pommel, blood trickled from his cheek. Suppressing the bleeding with a magic barrier, Worm engaged in a sword fight with a clear mind. The joints were far more flexible than a human's, but the exoskeleton of the armor hindered its adaptability. If the first strike failed, the eyes would naturally adjust. Cutting off the fingers in a single move, he destroyed the short swords, which rolled on the floor.

The round shield's deflection did not function with the second "Strong Attack." The only remaining short sword was entangled by the halberd's branch blade and fell to the floor. The Dollslime, losing its means of resistance, extended tentacles from every gap in the armor, grabbing at Worm.

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