Chapter 46

King of Unique had been inside the Kenzaki Dungeon for about 40 minutes. Zero and the others were advancing towards the deepest level with a torrential momentum.

Suddenly, five Red Boars appeared in front of them.

"Sakura, what are the appraisal results?"

"They're all recommended to be defeated at level 500, it should be a piece of cake."

"Ah, that's right—Thunder Strike."

The lightning released from Fumi's hand instantly incinerated the three Red Boars in the center. Zero and the others broke through the path that formed in the middle.

The progress was smooth, but Zero had one concern.

"Hey, we've only defeated a few of the monsters that have appeared so far. Is that okay?"

If the goal was just to break through, it would be fine, but it felt insufficient in terms of clearing the way.

However, Fumi nodded confidently.

"Of course. After all, the B-rank party will be passing through here later. The monsters that we can break through in an instant are no match for them either."

"…I see."

Zero wasn't entirely convinced, but he thought there was some logic to it and decided to follow Fumi's plan. They continued to defeat the monsters that appeared, sometimes bypassing them, and pushed forward. The number of monsters they had to fend off increased as they went deeper.

When Zero asked the same question again halfway through, Fumi just brushed it off. As a result, they arrived at the boss room of the deepest level just one hour after entering the dungeon.

(We arrived much earlier than I thought.)

While thinking this, Zero adjusted his breathing. All that was left was to wait for the B-rank party that was already on its way.

—Or so he thought.

"Yeah… As expected, the 'dungeon collapse' was just a name. It wasn't really that serious."

Fumi suddenly said this.

What was the intention behind this statement? As Zero was wondering, Fumi continued with something unbelievable.

"Hey everyone, I have a proposal. Why don't we challenge the final boss on our own?"

"—What?"

At this unexpected suggestion, Zero's eyes widened, and Sakura, who had been the only female in the party before Zero joined, frowned.

"Hey, Shin, what do you mean? Weren't we supposed to wait for reinforcements?"

"That was the plan, but I changed my mind. If the monsters inside the dungeon had really become powerful due to the dungeon collapse, I would have waited, but that wasn't the case. We should be able to defeat the final boss easily."

After a pause, Fumi continued.

"Besides, don't you think it's time we add some luster to our reputation?"

"Luster?"

"Yes. Just by looking at our levels, we are C-rank, but we can defeat a boss that should be handled by a B-rank party on our own—this is a perfect opportunity to show our true strength to everyone."

Zero couldn't understand what Fumi was saying. The most important thing right now should be to stop the dungeon collapse. Yet, he was saying that their honor was more important.

Was there anyone who shared his thoughts? With this hope, Zero looked at the others' faces.

However, his hope was betrayed.

"Shin might be right. Our current image is just that we're a party with all unique skills. Let's leave a mark here and spread the word about our excellence."

"Sure, sure. The boss is just a High Orc, right? No matter how strong its attack power is, I can nullify it with my [Fortress]."

"Then, let's go!"

Sakura, Yuya, and Kousuke seemed to agree with Fumi. If this continued, they would really challenge the final boss as a group of five. Zero hurried to stop them.

"Wait. Are you really going to do this?"

"Of course. Zero, you might be worried because you're the only one with a lower level, but don't worry. We'll defeat the boss, and you can just wait in the back."

"But that goes against the agreement we made with the administrator."

"That's a minor issue once we defeat the boss. I don't understand, Zero. Just by standing there, you can gain honor and the rewards for clearing the dungeon. There's no reason to oppose it…"

"……"

At this point, Zero finally realized the difference between himself and the others.

His top priority was to end the dungeon collapse and prevent further damage to the outside world. However, Fumi and the others saw this situation only as an opportunity to shine. Rescue and minimizing damage were secondary to them.

"This is my decision as the leader, and the majority of the members have already agreed. If you have any complaints, Zero, you can stay here and wait by yourself. If you can defeat all the monsters that attack you alone, that is."

That's why he could say such things so easily.

Zero closed his eyes and thought. The monsters became stronger as they went deeper into the dungeon. While one or two might be manageable, five or more attacking simultaneously would be very dangerous for the low-level Zero. He wasn't sure if he could hold out until reinforcements arrived.

In the end, Zero had no other choice but to follow Fumi and the others.

"…Alright. I'll go with you."

"Great! I'm glad you understand!"

Fumi put on a deliberately broad smile and immediately opened the door to the boss room. Fumi, Sakura, Yuya, and Kousuke entered in that order, and finally, Zero mustered his courage and stepped in.

As the door slowly closed behind them, Zero looked back and thought to himself.

Now, there was no hope for reinforcements. The next time that door opened would be when they were all wiped out.