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093 First Things
First, I'll Punch!
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Translator : PolterGlast
For three days, we
repeated the 8th-floor boss runs. My Reincarnated Hero reached Level 53, Heroic
Sword Master also Level 53, and Assassin Level 50. Gandarvan and the others
also leveled up, and it was on that day, just as I thought of proceeding to
conquer the 9th floor.
"Master, look at
that," Bath said, prompting me to look out the window as we rested after
lunch at the mansion. Several plumes of smoke rose into the sky. A fire?
"That's in the
direction of the dungeon," Anneliese observed.
"The dungeon...
could it be Grissom...?" I murmured.
"I will send
subordinates to confirm," Gandarvan began, watching the smoke beside me,
but I stopped him.
"I'll go."
My weapons and armor were in my Item Box. I could equip them instantly with
quick-equip.
"Then I will
prepare immediately," Gandarvan said. I was about to say I'd go alone but
stopped myself. Gandarvan wouldn't let me go alone. The correct response in
this situation was...
"Hurry with the preparations."
It was safe, and probably the model answer.
"Understood!"
Gandarvan led everyone out of the dining hall.
Fifteen minutes later,
the usual members, fully equipped, gathered. Anneliese, Rosalina, Gandarvan,
Jojok, Bath, Lin, Solidia. All of them had determined expressions. Colon and
Karon were left behind to guard the mansion with the other soldiers.
"Itsukushima-san.
I'm counting on you to look after the mansion," I said.
"Okay. Leave it
to me. Be careful, Toi-kun," she replied.
"Yeah. Alright,
I'm going," I said.
"Wait a minute!
Why don't I get any words!?" Yamato shrieked.
"Annoying,"
I replied with a single word and got into the carriage. Yamato was making a
fuss, but I was in a hurry, so I ignored him.
We started out
smoothly from the mansion, but the carriage soon stopped. People were fleeing
from the dungeon's direction, blocking the road. Instead, we were being told we
were in the way.
"Let's get out of
the carriage." I left the carriage and horses to the soldiers and
proceeded against the flow of people. Intense explosions were heard without
interruption. Just as we approached the dungeon, most people had disappeared.
No, people were lying here and there, and a horrific and tragic scene spread
out before us.
The buildings were
severely damaged and collapsed, and the stone building surrounding the dungeon
was nowhere to be seen. The devastation was so immense that Gandarvan and the
others were speechless.
WHUMP!
"!" The
second floor of a building was gouged out and blown away, and a black shadow
appeared from behind it.
When the shadow, about
the size of a three-story building, was fully revealed, I winced.
"The town is a
mess!" I exclaimed.
"That's... no
way!?" Gandarvan murmured.
"...A
demon!?" Anneliese replied, though she wasn't responding directly to
Gandarvan's murmur, but yes, it was a demon. Its human-like body had jet-black
skin, and it had 11 arms and 6 faces. Where a normal face should be, there was
a demonic face with ram-like horns, blood-red eyes that evoked madness, and
sharp fangs protruding from a torn mouth. Two faces, human faces, were on each
shoulder. I'd seen those faces somewhere before, but then I remembered when I
saw the last face.
"Grissom!?"
In the center of its huge, thick chest, was Grissom's face. The four faces on
its shoulders belonged to Grissom's comrades. To be precise, Grissom had five
comrades, so one face was missing. Could that demon's main head be that missing
comrade?
"Grrroooaaah!"
The demon's face let out a roar, and a shockwave traveled through the air,
destroying buildings. Buildings that were on the verge of collapse were
completely destroyed, turning into piles of rubble, and cracks ran through
undamaged buildings, causing walls to fall.
"Don't think you
can win just by yelling loudly!" I said, placing my hand on the hilt of my
demonic sword Salman, which was at my waist.
"Toi-sama. Please
calm down," Anneliese said, gently placing her hand on my arm.
"Anger provides
strength, but one should not fight while consumed by anger. A battle fueled by
anger will never benefit, Toi-sama." Hearing Anneliese's angelic voice, my
anger miraculously subsided, and calmness returned to my face. Anneliese, who
had been directly harmed by Grissom, calmly admonished me. She should be the
one angry, yet she calmly soothed me. I truly can't praise her enough.
"Thank you,
Anneliese. I'm calm now, it's alright." Having calmed down, I used
Detailed Appraisal on him.
His name was
Intermediate Demon Motoro. It seemed Grissom and his group had acquired a part of
Intermediate Demon Motoro's arm in the dungeon. And using it seemed to have
turned them into a demon. I never thought the contents of that poisonous swamp
treasure chest would be this... I had heard that cursed items could be obtained
in dungeons, but this was more troublesome than a curse.
Don't keep things that
cause trouble to others locked away carefully in a treasure chest. Ah, but...
is there a way of thinking that the demon's arm was sealed in the treasure
chest within a treacherous poisonous swamp to prevent anyone from getting their
hands on it? If so, I wish it had been sealed on a deeper floor. Whatever the
reason, Grissom was at fault for using something without appraising it to
confirm its safety. In the first place, mistaking a demon's arm for a staff...
I'm too dumbfounded to speak.
"Baron
Footscythel!" the Royal Knight Commander Barbados called my name. He was a
strong individual, almost the same level as Barukan, and said to be the
strongest man in this country. Barbados must have been fighting Intermediate
Demon Motoro; his armor was tattered. And he seemed to be severely injured.
Blood flowed heavily, spreading into a pool on the ground.
"Anneliese!"
I called.
"Yes!" she
replied. Anneliese's healing magic healed Barbados's wounds. While it couldn't
replenish the blood he had lost, it would prevent him from dying.
"This is..."
Barbados began.
"Commander
Barbados. Explain the situation!" I said. No need to inquire about
Anneliese's magic.
"Understood... We
received a report that Grissom had emerged from the dungeon and immediately
moved. Grissom reported to the Explorer's Guild that he had lost a comrade in
the dungeon, and while he was exchanging items obtained in the dungeon for
money, we surrounded the guild," Barbados explained. Barbados's movements
were swift; he tried to apprehend Grissom as he received money and exited the
Explorer's Guild. At that time, Grissom, who had gone berserk, pulled out
something like a staff, and then reportedly transformed into that figure.
So, the staff Grissom
pulled out was Intermediate Demon Motoro's arm, huh? It's fine. Demon or god,
if Grissom's face is on it, I'll just send him flying.
"Commander
Barbados, please have the soldiers retreat. We'll take over from here," I
stated.
"That cannot be
done. We are the knights who protect this country. We cannot retreat in the
face of a demon!" Barbados retorted. I understood his pride, but...
"If your fighting
force weakens due to that pride, won't you be unable to protect this
country?" I argued.
"Ugh..."
Barbados groaned.
"There will be
places where you absolutely cannot retreat. But that's not now. Leave this to
us and please focus on rescuing the victims," I urged. The place where
Barbados and his team should risk their lives wasn't here, but somewhere else.
Though it would be better if such things didn't happen.
"Understood. I
will withdraw the troops. Thank you for the reinforcements, Baron
Footscythel," Barbados conceded.
"Yes. I accept
your gratitude," I replied. Barbados walked away from me. His face was
pale from losing too much blood, but he was probably moving his body with sheer
willpower.
"Gandarvan!"
I called.
"Understood!"
he roared.
"That is an
Intermediate Demon. Its level is 54, higher than the lesser demon we defeated
in the past. Can you handle it?" I asked. Gandarvan's lips curved upward.
It was a fearless grin.
"I will not fall
behind such a small fry," he replied confidently. That was good. If he was
intimidated by something like that, he wouldn't be able to handle the 9th floor
of the royal capital dungeon.
"Rosalina!"
I called.
"Yes-nanodesu!"
she replied.
"Bath!"
"Understood!"
he affirmed.
"Jojok!"
"Understood!"
he affirmed.
"Lin!"
"Yes!" she
replied.
"Solidia!"
"Yes!" she
replied.
"I don't know if
I should call it lucky, but the surroundings are filled with rubble. Don't hold
back; hit it with all you've got!" I commanded. The five of them nodded
with determined expressions.
"Anneliese,"
I said.
"Yes," she
replied.
"This is where I
settle my score with Grissom."
"Yes," she
affirmed.
"Sorry to keep
you waiting," I murmured.
"Just hearing you
say that makes me happy," Anneliese replied. Anneliese's smile invigorated
my spirit.
"Now, shall we
begin, Grissom?" I challenged. He might be possessed by a demon, but that
didn't matter. Even if he was a demon, if he contained Grissom, I would just
punch him in the face.
The soldiers retreated
at Barbados's command. Anneliese's magic power swelled.
"Unleash a big
one!" I shouted.
"Yes! Thunder
Burst!" Anneliese chanted. A roar and a flash of light. A single bolt of
lightning fell from the sky, scorching Intermediate Demon Motoro at ultra-high
temperatures, and causing its entire body to convulse from the ultra-high
voltage current.
"Grrroooaaah! How
dare mere humans!" it roared.
"What, you can
speak properly? The lesser demon I fought before spoke brokenly. Heroic
Slash!" The moment the Thunder Burst effect disappeared, I leaped forward
and brought my demonic sword Salman down on Intermediate Demon Motoro's head.
Heroic Slash is a Heroic
Sword Master skill that reduces the enemy's maximum HP by 20%. This Heroic
Slash alone makes boss battles and fights against demons like this easier.
Intermediate Demon
Motoro's head was split in two down to its neck, but its 11 arms lunged at me
to capture me. I'll give him credit for moving to counterattack even with his
face split in two. But...
"You're
naive," I stated. Intermediate Demon Motoro, who had taken Gandarvan's
charge to its abdomen, was sent flying.
"If you only look
at me, you'll be tripped up," I taunted. He had 6 faces, after all. He
should've paid attention.
"Anger
Lock!" Gandarvan activated Anger Lock, gathering its aggro entirely.
"Mere
humans!" it shrieked.
"Is that all you
can say!?" Jojok's Secret Sword Slash exploded. It was a difficult skill
to use, as it dealt 5x ATK damage but made him unusable for 30 minutes after
activation, but after my Heroic Slash, its effect was immense.
Intermediate Demon
Motoro's HP plummeted.
" " "
" IDONTWANNADIE! " " " " The voices of Grissom's four
comrades. I don't think I'm the only one who thinks they're already dead. And
even if they were alive, they probably couldn't return to their former human
forms.
" " "
" IDONTWANNADIE " " " " Ugh... what is this...? My
body feels heavy... I felt a pressure as if gravity had multiplied many times
over. My body felt heavy and sluggish.
"IDONTWANNADIE!"
"IDONTWANNADIE!"
"IDONTWANNADIE!"
"IDONTWANNADIE!"
We heard the four
voices and fell to our knees. It seemed to be a mental attack. A troublesome attack.
"I won't let
you!" Lin's demonic spear pierced the face on its left shoulder. It seemed
to have no effect on Lin, the Lance Saint, or the effect was minor.
My main job was Heroic
Sword Master, and my sub-job was Assassin, so I couldn't resist. However, if my
sub-job had been Reincarnated Hero, I might have been able to resist, but I
needed the Assassin disguise because I didn't know where I might be appraised.
In broad daylight, with the possibility of being watched from anywhere,
Reincarnated Hero was a death job.
After Lin's attack,
the mental attack stopped.
"How dare
you!" Bath shouted, and an arrow, imbued with immense magic power from his
Demon Poison Bow, was shot, deeply piercing the face on its right shoulder.
"GYAAAAH!"
The female face pierced by the arrow shrieked. A purplish-blue bruise spread
from where the arrow pierced its face. The poison slowly encroached upon
Intermediate Demon Motoro.
Meanwhile, the demon's
face that I had sliced was regenerating. The face, restored to a state without
a single wound, wore a fearless grin.
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