Chapter 53
A Long, Long
20 Minutes
Translator : PolterGlast
As I placed my hand on
the doorknob, my palms were sweating profusely.
I desperately
suppressed the urge to give in to my weakness.
(I have to be able to
handle the Elder Lich. I... I have to.)
It was clear at a glance
that it was completely different from anything I had encountered before.
If one were to fight
such a monster... even Kazuma-kun or Mitsukawa-kun wouldn't escape unscathed.
Besides...
[What kind of girl do
you like, Masaru-kun?]
The scene of Miku-san
visiting my house before flashed through my mind.
If I could just
conquer this dungeon, I could at least avoid putting her in danger.
It might just be
delaying the inevitable... but everyone with gifts and growth cheats should be
able to get stronger in the meantime.
But the king is a
king, trying to send heroes into a dungeon with such monsters.
Varietta-san must have
told him about it.
As I was getting angry
thinking about the king and remembering Miku-san, the tension in my body eased
nicely.
(Come to think of it,
how did I answer that question...?)
I couldn't remember,
and with a slight feeling of unease, I opened the door and returned to the
tenth floor of the [Knight's Holy Remains]...
First, I applied
buffs.
Strength, Fortify,
Quick, Accelerate.
The main purpose is
not victory but investigation.
If it looks dangerous,
I can just go home immediately.
Next, Wind Search...
oops, dangerous.
I almost used it out
of habit.
This time, I won't use
Wind Search.
This should clarify
whether that Elder Lich has search ability or is doing something like reverse
detection against my Wind Search.
I keep holding the
doorknob and wait patiently.
I check the
surroundings.
I couldn't see it in
detail due to the sudden battle the other day, but the tenth floor is back to
being a cave again.
But the walls and
ceiling are not covered with soil, but smooth white stones.
And the ground was
paved with white stones of the same material.
It's not at the level
of being made by human hands...
It is obviously so well
organized that it could not have been built without being properly maintained
by human hands.
The stones used are
probably of a higher quality than those used on the eighth floor.
Instead of being
slightly pinkish like on the eighth floor, pure white stones were used.
And the stones
themselves emit a faint light, giving off a somewhat sacred feeling.
Overall, it's somewhat
eerie due to the dim lighting, but if there were proper lights, it would have
been so divine that you wouldn't think it's a dungeon where undead appear.
Perhaps I'm already
quite close to the rumored [Knight's Holy Remains] at the deepest point.
"..."
Of course, I'm not
just observing the inside of the dungeon, but also paying attention to all
directions.
I listen carefully,
concentrating on picking up every sound on this floor, whether I can hear
footsteps or the sound of magic being activated.
"..."
It's my first time
searching with just my five senses without using Wind Search.
Will the Elder Lich
come out from that shadow?
Will the flying Elder
Lich come from the other side any moment now?
Dark thoughts cross my
mind.
I don't know how
anyone could go on like this for a long time.
I can feel my nerves
being worn down.
Time passes in what
seems like an instant or an eternity.
I look at my watch
just as I realize that I have clearly lost my concentration.
Twenty minutes have
already passed.
And still, the Elder
Lich is nowhere to be seen.
...This should be
enough to test.
I release my hand from
the door, and...
"Phew..."
I exhale heavily,
relaxing my shoulders.
I realize that my
throat is parched from tension.
I moisten it with the
green tea in my thermos, but I don't forget to be vigilant.
(I get it now. What
that Wind Elder Lich was doing was definitely reverse detection. In other
words, unless I carelessly use Wind Search, I won't be immediately detected and
forced into battle like that.)
Just knowing that I
won't be suddenly attacked is a big gain.
Now I don't have to be
scared every time I go exploring.
I went back to my home
through the door, took a short rest, and went back into the dungeon.
Feeling more relaxed
than before, and maintaining a moderate sense of tension, I set out on my
search for the Elder Lich--.
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