Chapter 219 - Hyakka and the New World's Quest II
At the guild, we accepted a collection quest for items dropped by monsters on the forty-ninth floor of the Crystal Palace. We could sell the items without a quest, but the reward was better this way. Sadly, my plea that I needed practice was ignored. If things got dangerous, Hyakka and Chihiro had their special skills. Furthermore, the deeper the floor, the higher the reward for the monsters. And on this floor, we might even be able to meet up with Levante. I was also worried that Fam and the others might be doing something reckless.
"Onee… Hyakka, stay sharp!"
Chihiro's voice rang out. At the same moment, a dull whoosh grazed my ear. A club the size of a tree trunk swung down and slammed into the floor right where I had been standing. A shiver ran down my spine. My hands tightened on the lance. It wasn't like my usual sword. I wasn't used to its length, and gauging the right distance to engage the enemy was difficult. The enemy itself had a body like rock, with its head and chest protected by iron armor. It was a full size larger than even the colossal Moos of the Bovine Race and Korne of the Rhinoceros Race, who served as our front line. And from that body, it swung its club at incredible speed. Every time, I managed to dodge with a step, but each swing was powerful enough to shatter my body. A bead of sweat trickled down my chest every time the enemy let out a war cry and raised its club. However, I was used to fighting enemies that relied on brute force. And Hyakka's body was light and agile. Plus, there was no bouncing chest like Mizuki-chan's to get in the way. Still, my butt and my front hole hurt. My underwear, now crusty and dry, was also disgusting. Gritting my teeth through it, I backstepped to dodge one of the enemy's swings and quickly closed the distance for a thrust. I aimed for its side, but the blow was shallow, merely grazing the enemy's body. Seeing me recklessly charge into its range, the enemy must have been sure of its victory. It raised its club and let out a roar.
"Hyakka!"
A voice I didn't recognize echoed through the chamber. I braced myself to block the monster's descending club with my lance. But that was a mistake. The sharp clang of weapons colliding rang out, and the enemy's powerful blow sent a numbing shock through my arms, almost making me drop my weapon.
"Guh…"
To make matters worse, the enemy raised its club again, preparing to deliver the finishing blow. I tried to dodge, but my body was frozen stiff. I couldn't even raise the arm holding the lance. Just as the monster was about to swing down, Chihiro leaped into its chest and drove his lance through it.
"Guaaaahhh!"
The monster shrieked and vanished. Hyakka-chan's party was surrounded by a horde of trolls.
Moos and Korne, wielding great-hammers, were clashing fiercely with the trolls. I was sure that when I saw them fight in Nielen, Moos had used a battle-axe and Korne had fought with his bare fists. They changed weapons depending on the opponent. Maybe Hyakka-chan should switch to a sword as well. But this body was supposed to be accustomed to fighting with a lance. With that doubt lingering, I gripped the lance tighter. The monsters were using their superior numbers to try and break our formation with brute force. The encirclement was gradually tightening. I had only managed to take down one troll that had slipped past them. The enemy's formation was solid, and behind them, goblin archers were waiting. They were firing at us with more accuracy than Mash-kun. In response, Sierra was using wind magic to disturb the airflow and deflect the arrows. Etowan was also slinging stones, but it was doing little more than harassment. Just as I thought that, a stone he threw hit the eye of a troll facing Moos. Seizing the opportunity, Moos brought his great-hammer down, and the monster collapsed with a shudder before vanishing. Chihiro, having saved Hyakka-chan, returned to support Moos and the others. I followed his back with my eyes. I hadn't realized that the ragged breathing I heard was my own.
"Hey, don't let your guard down!"
Suddenly, a hand squeezed my butt from behind.
"Hyan!"
A cry escaped my lips, and my back went ramrod straight. I turned to see it was Etowan. Hearing my cry, Chihiro rushed back and shoved him in the chest.
"Etowan, don't touch Hyakka!"
"Tch, she was just spacing out, so I gave her a little wake-up call!"
Etowan made excuses, but intimidated by Chihiro's sharp glare, he retreated to the back line. Chihiro's eyes turned to me.
"Hyakka, Etowan will try to touch you whenever he gets the chance, so don't let your guard down."
I nodded at his words. So this guy had a brave and cool side to him, too. After that thought, I realized my heart was pounding and quickly shook my head. In any case, I had thought the priest in Nielen was the only one trying to get his hands on Hyakka. Turns out there was another one right here. Unlike Mizuki, Hyakka did have an aura that suggested it was okay to touch her butt. When we switched back, I'd have to warn her to protect herself. But the most dangerous one was Chihiro. Would Hyakka be able to protect the walls of her heart with the power of her ethics?
"I'm going to support Korne."
"Got it. I… I'll go to Moos's side."
Chihiro nodded.
"When you thrust with the lance, put your whole body into it. If you only use your arms, the weapon will control you. And if you think it's dangerous, don't hesitate to use your special skill."
This time, it was my turn to nod. The numbness in my arm had subsided. Together, we joined the front line.
I gripped the lance with both hands. It was slender at the tip, like a folded umbrella, and the shaft was about as long as the umbrella's canopy. Its total length exceeded my height. I pictured a knight on horseback, wielding it with one hand and holding a shield with the other, but I didn't know if that was the correct way to use it. It might have just been from anime and movies, and it could be different from the lances in my original world. In reality, it was much heavier than a sword. It was impossible for Hyakka's body to handle it with one hand. As Chihiro said, I'd have to put my hips into it and charge with my whole body to even damage a troll. I reassessed the battle. The enemy numbers were large, and Moos and Korne were almost entirely on the defensive, accumulating minor wounds. Chihiro slipped past Moos and thrust his lance at a troll attempting to attack, forcing it back. The goblin archers' arrows were also a nuisance. Sierra's wind magic only deflected their trajectory; the arrows still rained down relentlessly. They didn't seem to fear hitting their allies, firing continuously without regard for targets. A stray arrow flew by, and I hastily dodged. First, we had to thin out the trolls on the front line. And I had to support Moos and Korne so they could launch a counterattack. To land an effective blow on a monster with this body, I needed mana. I searched for the mana within my body. I was surprised at how small it was compared to the mana in Mash-kun's body. But I couldn't be picky now. Maybe I just wasn't used to handling her body. I carefully circulated the mana, making sure not to lose track of it, and built up my power. Just as I finished my preparations, a troll slipped past Moos and was about to circle around behind him. Moos was busy dealing with another troll's attack and couldn't handle it. The monster raised its club, ready to strike him. There was no time to hesitate. I decided, channeled mana into the tip of my lance, and charged at the monster with my entire body.
"Gaaahhh!"
The monster's death cry from the surprise attack echoed as it vanished.
"Hyakka!"
My allies seemed more surprised than the enemy. Before I could even respond to their cries, another troll slipped past Moos. I braced my lance and charged at it in the same manner. The enemy, pierced through the stomach, vanished. Seeing this, the monsters' attacks paused for a moment, as if they were intimidated.
"Hyakka, well done!"
Moos's voice boomed. The great-hammer he swung down smashed a troll's head, helmet and all. Spurred on by this, Korne also went on the offensive. Chihiro followed suit. I tried to join them, but my head spun. A wave of nausea, like motion sickness, washed over me. It was the same feeling as when I summoned Racshell. I had used too much mana. I had thought Hyakka-chan's mana pool was surprisingly small, but then I remembered Marmie saying that Mash-kun's was large. I learned that normally, it's difficult to continuously focus mana into a weapon for attacks. I released the mana I had been channeling into the lance's tip. The number of trolls had already dwindled, and the goblin archers, sensing their disadvantage, were beginning to flee one after another. I didn't need to land a mana-infused blow; as long as I focused on supporting Moos and Korne, we could defeat the enemies.
After all the trolls were defeated and the goblin archers had fled, the battle was over.
"The request was to collect the livers left by goblin archers, wasn't it…"
Moos looked vexed as he stared down the corridor where the monsters had fled.
"They swarm us with this many trolls, and then run away when things get dicey. Isn't this impossible?"
Korne grumbled in agreement with Moos as he collected the items left by the monsters. As I watched them, Etowan approached.
"Not bad."
He said, extending a hand toward my chest. Chihiro noticed and slapped it away. Then he stepped between me and Etowan.
"You seemed dizzy at the end there, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, y'know."
I replied with a forced smile. First, Etowan's touch was unpleasant. My appearance, my body, was Hyakka's, but inside I was an old man. Didn't he find it creepy? Also, Chihiro's overprotective attitude was starting to bother me. Sierra was supposed to be his girlfriend, but he acted this way right in front of her. Didn't she get jealous seeing this? I imagined that if both Hyakka-chan and Sierra were in danger, he would save Hyakka-chan without hesitation. As I looked at her, she moved to hide behind Chihiro. Maybe Hyakka-chan really was disliked. That's what it felt like.
"We won without using our special skills. In other dungeons, you'd need a powerful mage to get this deep, but here we can get by with brute force. It seems the difficulty is lower than elsewhere. We have a quest, so let's explore a bit more. I doubt we'll find that guy Toratsuna, though…"
Moos grimaced at Etowan's words.
"Hey, that last fight was seriously dangerous. Pick a spot with fewer enemies."
"I haven't gotten a feel for this dungeon yet. I need more experience to improve my scouting accuracy."
Etowan's scouting was a thief skill. It was an ability that allowed him to sense the presence of enemies with his keen nose, without actually having to go on reconnaissance. However, its accuracy seemed to depend on experience in that particular dungeon or area. With the battle over, I looked around the now silent dungeon. It was the same as the other floors. A corridor enclosed by thick, transparent walls seemed to stretch on endlessly. The world outside the walls was as dark as a starless universe, with the emerald-glowing corridor floating within it. And it twisted and turned like a maze, continuing as far as the eye could see. I looked for Fam and the other members of Levante, but I couldn't see any monsters or adventurers in the visible corridors. It felt as if only the members of the New World party were walking through this silence, a sense of loneliness creeping in.
"I smell a treasure chest…"
Etowan muttered and started walking. Everyone followed him, and to my surprise, a treasure chest actually appeared.
"Yeah!"
Not just Etowan, but Moos and Korne also let out excited cheers. Chihiro and Sierra were happy too. This was another reaction that was different from Levante. Fam and the others had been more interested in the treasure chest itself than its contents. They didn't have high expectations for what was inside.
"Hold on. I'll open it, you guys watch our backs."
He approached the treasure chest, licking his lips. Our eyes met. He stopped and turned to face me.
"Hyakka, what are you looking so bored for?"
He asked with a stern expression, and I flinched involuntarily.
"No, I'm not bored at all."
"You're looking down on us, aren't you? You've been watching us with those cold eyes the whole time, and it's pissing me off!"
He reached for Hyakka-chan's crotch. A chill ran through my entire body, and I slapped his hand away without thinking.
"What do you think you're doing?! Stop touching Hyakka!"
I raised my voice and snapped at him. This party was Hyakka's party. I had intended to lie low and not make waves while I was in her body, but the repeated, unwelcome contact had pushed me past my limit. The hand that had slapped him hung in the air, trembling. Etowan, who had been slapped away, looked at me with a dumbfounded expression, but then a smile spread across his face. Then my back was slapped. I turned to see Moos and Korne laughing boisterously.
"That's the spirit. That's our party."
The two of them roughly put their arms around my shoulders and messed up my hair. Then Etowan grabbed my dangling hand.
"Welcome to the New World. Well, it'll probably be for a short time, but we welcome you!"
It was a rough welcome. But it wasn't unpleasant.