"What? You stabbed that guy more than ten times and hit him with a full blast?" Kaguya asked incredulously, hands on her hips, "And he's still not dead?"
Lyra shrugged, "Don't know, might be some rare skill. Every strike was aimed at vital spots, but that guy was jumping around like nothing happened."
The straightforward blonde elf caught onto something crucial, fixing her judgmental gaze on her pink-haired Pallum companion, "Lyra… Did you deliberately try to kill an innocent Adventurer?"
Alise nodded repeatedly, "That's so unjust! Lady Astrea would be in tears!"
Lyra held her head, "But... that guy was wearing Evilus clothes. Lion, I couldn't tell! I really couldn't tell the difference!"
Alise interrupted Ryuu's criticism, "Shouldn't we find him first? With injuries that severe, he probably won't last long in the dungeon."
Ryuu nodded gravely, "With a body in that condition, he couldn't have gone far. I'll go..."
"Let me go instead." Kaguya stopped her, "We don't know if they're friend or foe, and they're carrying dangerous items like the Kaenseki. If this is just internal fighting within the Evilus, I'm worried that you, little pure flower, might get yourself killed without even knowing how you died."
"What did you say! Kaguya!" Ryuu raised her eyebrows, "We're clearly in the wrong here! We need to make amends..."
Alise grabbed the angry elf who was biting her lip, "Come on, stop arguing. Finding him is what's important right now."
She gestured with her eyes for Kaguya to hurry, while holding back the stubborn, noble elf to calm her down.
Lyra gave Kaguya a pleading look, then closed her eyes to wait for the healer Maryuu to arrive.
❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈
In the tunnel.
Kael dragged his heavy steps forward, breathing heavily.
The intense fights had depleted his remaining stamina. As the adrenaline wore off, waves of pain crashed through his body.
"This got out of hand..." He drank a seized bottle of high-grade potion.
An incurable curse suppressed his self-regeneration. Beyond the direct wound to his chest, his other injuries — cuts, burns, and puncture wounds — were healing at a crawl.
"Still... taking down three Level 1s and one Level 2, not bad."
From his knowledge of the Falna, combat experience against other people yielded far greater results than fighting monsters. The Amazonesses were prime examples — their childhood death matches developed combat abilities far superior to most Familia members in the city.
Throughout Orario's history, major Rank Ups came primarily from Evilus kills, with monster-based advancement being the exception.
"Heh, next time the Falna updates, my endurance should skyrocket. Might even be able to aim for something great..." Kael glanced at the pitch-black tunnel behind him and slumped against the wall.
He couldn't move another step — the durability debuff from [Working Like a Dog] had left him vulnerable to high-intensity combat. Two death matches had completely immobilized him.
Shisha Shisha—
Strange arthropod sounds echoed through the tunnel.
Kael remembered that this cave housed not just Evilus members, but countless wandering monsters. Swarms of Killer Ants emerged from the dark depths, while Needle Rabbits burst forth from cracks in the ceiling and walls.
The Dungeon was alive, and it would seize any adventurer's moment of weakness.
"Damn it... Monster Feast!" Kael tried to draw his weapon, but blood loss and exhaustion had robbed him of even the strength to grip it, "Has the skill reached its limit?"
[Working Like a Dog] was hard to kill, but not impossible.
Life and flesh could be replenished through [Goes Where He Pleases], but other subtle elements couldn't be filled.
This feeling... It was like being completely drained — even at his limit, he couldn't move a muscle.
"Useless thing."
Kael dropped his sword and pulled out a seized Magic Sword from his chest, swinging it with force. More than ten ground spikes shot up, eliminating the attacking Needle Rabbits.
He quickly drank another bottle of high-grade potion. His wounds began healing a bit faster and he regained some strength, but it was just a drop in the bucket.
Swinging the Magic Sword once more, the weapon shattered. A fence of earth stakes rose before him, temporarily blocking the monsters' assault.
He steadied himself against the wall and poured his last potion over his head. His injuries gradually healed, reducing some of the stamina needed for movement.
Just as he tried to turn around, monster growls came from the other side. He was surrounded!
The next moment, a brilliant sword light bloomed on the other side of the tunnel. Countless monster wails erupted and fell silent in an instant.
Tap Tap Tap—
The sound of wooden clogs on stone made cold sweat break out on Kael's forehead.
Like a yamato nadeshiko, a Japanese-style girl with flowing black hair walked toward him with a smile. If Bell were here, he'd surely be swooning and shouting "There's nothing wrong with trying to pick up girls in a dungeon!"
If only she wasn't holding a blood-stained katana.
"My~ Thanks for taking care of my little one." Kaguya said with narrowed eyes and a slight smile.
But to Kael, that smile was only slightly gentler than a demon's!
"S-stay back!" He raised the Magic Sword, now reduced to just a hilt — looking rather comical.
Kaguya Gojou was Level 3, and her sword skills were at their peak. In the near future, she would even wound "Silence" Alfia, the Monster of Calamitous Talent, through pure tactics and swordsmanship.
Though Kael had looked down on "Iaijutsu", he had to admit now that she was stronger. Even with all his tricks and teeth, he couldn't hurt someone of her caliber.
The woman didn't surprise him as she sheathed her sword and lowered into an Iaijutsu stance.
"Lord Kael's adventure ends here. The new world has no ship to carry you!" Kael spread his arms and closed his eyes, waiting for death.
Wonder if I can reattach my head with [Working Like a Dog] when it falls off.
Also... I never knew what it felt like to die with money unspent, but now I know...
Damn it... it hurts!
Chaotic thoughts echoed in his mind.
The expected pain didn't come. Sword light exploded around him like wind, and he felt only a chill as his white robe shattered into strips, scattering in the air.
"I don't really like your outfit..." Kaguya sheathed her sword, but couldn't help gasping when she saw the horrific injuries on his upper body.
The sword wound pierced from his left ribs straight to his heart, surrounded by scorched and torn flesh, and his nearly carbonized wrist showed bone.
"Are you... human or ghost?"
Kael looked at his left arm's flesh that was almost completely falling off...
"So that's why... I have no strength. The wounds were this bad..."
"..."
Looking at the silent Kaguya, he said through cracked lips, "You're not going to kill me?"
"...Sorry."
"Then... give me a hand? I think I can still be saved." Hearing her apology, Kael knew things had turned around and decided to push his luck.
I can milk this leverage for a year!
"Refusing to help an injured person and even considering finishing them off — is this the so-called justice of the Astrea Familia?"
"You have a point. To cover up our mistake, perhaps I should silence you here." Kaguya snapped out of it and smirked.
She was glad it wasn't their youngest member — that noble elf would have been completely manipulated by this guy.
Realizing she wasn't like Ryuu and Alise's pure-hearted companions, Kael immediately backed down:
"I'm sorry! I apologize!"