—
Chapter 58
—
“Um… Lan? Are you sure this is okay?”
“Come on, why are you worrying? You agreed to this too.”
“Shhh~.”
Black Lotus stretched out its shadowy form and adjusted the shadow-made sunglasses it was wearing.
It felt more like we were on vacation at a resort than participating in a competition.
Of course, I wasn’t any different.
“The air here is great, isn’t it?”
“…It certainly is.”
We lay down on a giant leaf, using it as a makeshift bed in a sunny spot.
The elevated terrain offered a clear view of the sprawling dungeon below with just a slight tilt of the head.
“The air inside dungeons is thick with mana and qi. There’s no better place to absorb quality qi.”
Although I hadn’t trained in mental cultivation techniques, it didn’t really matter.
Just being in a place like this allowed me to accumulate a decent amount of qi through normal breathing.
“Are you really sure it’s fine to be this laid back?”
“I’ve explained this before.”
I repeated myself to Elma, who was anxiously tapping her toes.
“This competition punishes those who move rashly.”
At face value, it might seem like finding the hidden relics first would give you a better chance of winning.
But in reality, it’s the opposite—the ones who find them first are at a disadvantage.
“Relics carry powerful curses.”
The longer you hold onto them, the more drained you become.
Moreover, relics have a tendency to announce their presence to their surroundings.
In simpler terms.
“They attract aggro.”
Besides the dungeon’s monsters, they also become prime targets for other participants.
There’s no point in rushing to snatch relics early on and becoming a walking bullseye.
It’s better to wait and ambush a team that has already collected all four relics.
Teams with relics will naturally draw attention from others, making them easier to locate.
“Think this is cowardly?”
Competitions are meant to be played dirty and unfairly.
There’s even a saying for it:
“No one said you were facing a saint.”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing.”
Anyway, staying here reduces the likelihood of running into other teams.
We can just relax until the later stages of the game.
Crack!
Unless, of course, something like this happens.
“Grrrr!”
A menacing growl accompanied the sound of trees breaking.
When I turned around, I saw a monster with two heads approaching us.
“Grrraaar!”
Two pairs of enormous eyes glared in our direction.
“A Twin-Headed Orc, huh.”
Twin-Headed Orcs.
A mutated species of orcs, just as the name suggests, with two heads.
They’re classified as “third-floor monsters.”
But…
“They’re stronger than normal orcs.”
If I had to compare, I’d say they rank around 3.5 floors—not quite deep-level, but stronger than most third-floor monsters.
The word “mutant” fits them perfectly.
“I’ll handle this quickly.”
Elma was about to draw her sword, but I stopped her with a hand gesture.
“Len…?”
“You should rest. We can’t afford for our team’s key player to waste energy here.”
With that, I signaled to Black Lotus.
“Black Lotus.”
“Shhh!”
Black Lotus coiled around my arm, shifting its form.
Swoosh!
The shadow gathered into the shape of a massive sword.
『Shadow Great Sword』
The blade was nearly as tall as I was.
A massive great sword rested on my shoulder.
The weight in my hands felt foreign yet familiar.
“This is my first time wielding a great sword.”
However.
Using a great sword technique was something I’d done countless times before.
Hum…!
Qi enveloped my body.
Superhuman strength coursed through me.
“Raaaargh!”
The orc let out a roar and leaped toward me with its massive body.
Not one to back down, I launched myself into the air with a push off the ground.
“Hah…!”
Then, I swung the great sword.
「Savage Claw Style: Chain」
Once.
Slash!
Twice.
Crunch!
Three times, four times, five times.
Crash! Slash!
Using the great sword, I unleashed a series of relentless attacks.
Crimson claws tore mercilessly through the enemy.
“Grrraaagh!”
The orc’s right head was severed.
Its body was covered in wounds, and blood spurted everywhere.
“Raaaa…”
“Shut it, will you.”
Finally.
Thud!
I brought the blade down in a powerful finishing blow.
The remaining head was split in two, and the orc collapsed lifelessly.
Thud, thud, thud!
Its insides spilled out like a waterfall.
“…Ha.”
I let out a hollow laugh as I looked at the corpse of the fallen Orc.
‘The power has increased, but the Qi consumption has significantly decreased.’
Until now, I had been using all sword styles with ordinary swords.
Carrying all the swords for each style would have been too burdensome.
‘And.’
This damned game categorizes all melee weapons swung by hand as “swords.”
Axes, chain scythes, and similar weapons are also treated as swords, meaning that to unleash the “original power” of each sword style, one would have to carry all those weapons.
It was one of the reasons I had to limit myself to a single build.
However.
“Black Lotus!”
“Shiiik~!”
Black Lotus eliminates that limitation.
In addition, there’s the skill I possess.
「Sword Mastery」
As long as it’s a “sword,” this skill comprehensively increases proficiency.
The compatibility between the two is absurdly good.
“With this…!”
The paths for growth are countless.
***
“Filthy Creatures.”
Fernia furrowed her brow as she swung the whip in her hand.
Crack!
The whip, imbued with magical energy, tore through the air and mercilessly shattered the monster’s head.
“There are so many things in this world that need to disappear. Dungeons, monsters—leeches clinging to humanity, sucking it dry like parasites.”
Whoosh! Crack!
The whip she wielded was nothing short of mystical.
With just a flick of her wrist, the whip moved with a life of its own, attacking enemies as if possessed.
“What do you think?”
“…About what?”
“About things disappearing that should not exist.”
Fernia, her expression unchanging, swept through the enemies.
It was a noble strength befitting a candidate for the next emperor.
“Well, I don’t have the decisiveness you do, sister.”
Angela remained still.
She didn’t even draw her sword, staying under Fernia’s protection.
The reason was obvious.
Glint!
The green gemstone embedded in the ring on Angela’s finger shimmered faintly.
“I believe nothing truly needs to disappear.”
“Naive. That kind of personality will trip you up someday.”
Fernia’s belief was rooted deep within her mind, like common sense.
Everything had a reason.
Even in absurd moments, choices, and circumstances, if one thought about the “reason” for their occurrence, an answer would always emerge.
But some things defy such reasoning.
Phenomena that make no sense, lifeforms without a clear purpose.
Those are what she considered things that should “disappear.”
From the very beginning, their existence had no reason to be.
“…Hmm.”
Fernia glanced at Angela.
“Now that I hear your perspective, it’s not entirely wrong.”
“…?”
“Things that need to disappear fulfill their purpose when they do.”
Clearing trash cleans the streets, killing monsters brings peace to people.
The disappearance of their existence is their reason for being.
Fernia smiled.
‘This will be interesting.’
Angela’s disappearance.
What kind of value would that hold for her?
“Kwaaaagh!”
Boom!
Fernia burst the body of a monster charging at Angela.
Blood exploded like a burst balloon, splattering everywhere.
“Be careful.”
“…….”
Not yet.
Too many eyes were watching.
At least until those eyes vanished, Angela couldn’t be harmed through her negligence.
“You’ve got blood on you. Use this to wipe it off.”
“…Thank you.”
Angela used the handkerchief Fernia handed her to wipe the blood off her body.
“Once you’re done, let’s move to the next relic….”
Thud-!
A massive vibration shook the ground.
“Is that… a ‘Land Shark’?”
In the distance, the earth and trees were splitting apart.
Here, the only thing capable of such destruction was a Land Shark.
It “swam” through the earth as if it were water.
Its sharp fins and teeth boasted lethality comparable to deep-layer monsters.
“Tch.”
Of all things, they encountered the most troublesome creature.
Fighting that thing would mean getting covered in dirt and dust.
It was a blow to her pride, but—
“We retreat from here.”
Fernia clicked her tongue and turned to leave.
But.
Step.
Angela stepped forward instead.
“…What are you doing?”
“You’re right, sister.”
“What?”
“Things that need to disappear—”
Clatter!
Angela leaped into the air.
She drew her sword from her waist, her eyes gleaming.
Shiiing…
Her eyes shone with a faint silver hue.
She swung her sword.
“When they disappear, they hold value.”
Angela’s blade emitted moonlight.
「Moonlit Style」
Like moonlight descending upon the world,
The light from her sword pierced the ground, striking the enemy within.
Shatter!
The tremors subsided as the Land Shark’s movement ceased.
One strike.
Angela’s single attack ended the Land Shark.
“…You?!”
“Sister.”
Angela removed her ring and tossed it to Fernia.
“The relic is yours to keep, okay?”
Comment