kscans

Chapter 152 - The Curse

'Keeee—!!'

With a shrill cry, an Utuq dove. I caught the one-handed sword it swung down with all its momentum on my own bastard sword.

The clash of blades produced a roar that sounded less like swords and more like two giant iron masses colliding. The creak of the stone floor beneath my feet was completely drowned out. Sparks flew as our blades scraped against each other.

"Ooooh!"

It was strong, but still within a range I could parry head-on.

As it lost its balance in mid-air, I struck back with my blade, cleaving its torso in two. Beside me, an iron ball turned a spear-wielding Utuq into a bag of blood and sent it flying into the darkness.

Only one remained. Unlike the others, this one didn't charge forward, but instead gathered mana at a distance, beyond the reach of our lights.

'■■, ■■■■...!'

A discomforting sensation, like an insect crawling inside my ear. A pale blue light ignited in its palm, revealing its form.

Its eagle face was unreadable, its yellow eyes glowing eerily.

In the monster's palm rested a heart of pale blue light. The beat it produced, strangely, seemed to match the rhythm of my own.

`Cursed Poison Magic`—'Death's Guidance.'

A mass of mana, modeled after my own heart. The monster's palm began to close, as if to crush it—

'Pip.'

The Utuq died.

With a short, dying cry, the monster fell to the floor with a thud. I ignored it, turning my attention instead to the one I had just cut down and the one sent flying by the iron ball.

Both were nothing but remnants of mana. I glanced at Erina-san, and she gave a nod.

"No more enemies around. Doesn't seem like any are hiding either!"

"Phew..."

I let out a sigh of relief at her words and relaxed my stance. As `Ukon` passed by to collect the dropped items, I patted my chest through my armor.

"Even knowing it's fine, this is still bad for the heart."

I turned to see Mia-san smiling wryly. I nodded, likely with a similar expression on my face.

The Utuq had self-destructed. It had tried to curse us, but the curse was resisted, and the 'curse reflection' resulted in it crushing its own heart.

This was the reason this dungeon was a good match for us.

Thanks to my Sage's Nucleus, I'm immune to curses. The golems, like `Byakuren`, don't have hearts in the first place. The `Cursed Poison Magic` used by the Utuq is designed for humans, so it was less effective against the 'imperfect homunculus.' If it had been a proper homunculus, things might have been different.

And for Erina-san and the others, who could only pray to successfully resist the mana if the curse activated...

"We have the charms Ā-chan gave us! No need to worry!"

Erina-san said, pulling a charm out from her collar.

It was a palm-sized purple pouch. Inside was a piece of `Treant` wood carved into a human shape, with a single one of Busujima-san's hairs wrapped around it.

Apparently, users of `Cursed Poison Magic` also possess counter-spells for curses and poisons.

So, we commissioned her to create these curse-reflecting charms. They're single-use, but we've brought several, so we're safe.

They're quite effective, but also a bit pricey, I hear.

"Still, I'm surprised Busujima-san was able to make so many charms in such a short time."

"Nah, Ā-chan already makes and sells stuff like this."

"Oh, really?"

"Yep. She said it's more profitable than going into dungeons. She uses the money to get better equipment and level up."

"Ah..."

Busujima-san's `Arcane Gear` is, well... rather revealing.

Since she can't use her `Arcane Gear`—the best possible equipment for an Awakened Person—for everyday use, she needs to collect equipment made by artisans like Ooyama-san.

It makes sense that she'd have a lot of expenses. And without a high level, she'd probably feel insecure about self-defense.

"But isn't there a risk of being cursed or targeted by magic if her hair is in it?"

There are spells that use blood or flesh to track a person's location. A beautiful high school girl with black hair seems like a prime target for weirdos.

Well, I doubt she's selling the charms with her photo attached, but in this day and age, you never know where information might leak from.

Even if she's selling them online, the site could get hacked and personal information could be stolen... that kind of thing is possible.

"It's fine! The first thing in the instruction manual says, 'If this charm is used for any purpose other than its intended use, misfortune may befall you'!"

"Does it also say in parentheses, 'And I'll be the one to make you miserable'?"

"Writing that much would be legally risky, so..."

Erina-san averted her gaze. You're the one who came up with that line, aren't you?

For a while after the 'Day of Awakening,' chain mail made a brief comeback. In this new era where magic is real, even things like 'Forward this email to 10 friends within a week...' were no longer considered a joke. In reality, you can't curse someone that way, though.

...The fact that it casually says '10 friends' is a one-hit kill spell for people like me and Aira-san.

I was getting negative in the middle of a dungeon. I shook my head. Friendship is about quality, not quantity...! There's no need to cry into my pillow over a prank email...!

I'll never forgive the person who sent me that email. As I reformed my knife, I furrowed my brow deeply under my helmet.

'It's good not to be too tense, but don't let your guard down too much. Kyou-chan, you'll be fine, but Erina and Mia, you need to constantly check that your charms aren't broken as you proceed.'

"Roger!"

"Of course, Sis."

"Got it."

With the drop items collected, we resumed our exploration.

By the way, the Utuq drop 'clay.' Of course, it's not just any clay.

I'm not an expert, but I've heard that if you use it in a furnace, you can make iron that's easy to imbue with mana, and if you use it as a building material, it can prevent ghost-type monsters from passing through walls.

I've also heard it can be used as a countermeasure against things like teleportation. In this era filled with Awakened and monsters, it's a drop item that's in extremely high demand.

As I was thinking about this, we came to a staircase.

"Aira-san, there's a staircase."

'I see. Well then, after you go up it, the path should split into three. Go straight, and at the second crossroad, turn right. If you turn at the first one, you'll end up back where you started, so be careful.'

"Roger."

'All the stairs here are unusually long. It seems they're built to bypass certain floors. The structure suggests it's some kind of temple, designed to isolate a special room... Don't go tumbling down, will you?'

"Of course not. But..."

I took a flashlight from the metal pack on Byakuren's back, leaned forward, and shone it up the stairs.

They were incredibly steep, and there were so many steps it was pointless to count them. I had looked at the map beforehand, but this dungeon... or rather, this building, was very strange.

There were almost no stairs that went directly to the floor above. To get to the floor that should be directly above our current one, we would have to go up and down several huge staircases. Honestly, it was such a complex structure that I would have gotten lost without Aira-san's navigation.

Still, with the physical capabilities of an Awakened who can fight at this rank, stamina wasn't much of an issue. However...

"Long staircases in a dungeon... they just give me a bad feeling."

'I know, right? The Self-Defense Force's records include an incident where a squad was attacked on the stairs and a member was injured. The Utuq are sensitive to disturbances in the dungeon. If a battle drags on, they'll gather in large numbers just from that.'

"Understood."

Nodding at her words through the earring, I shouldered my sword.

After exchanging glances with my companions, who had likely heard the telepathic conversation as well, I began to ascend the stairs cautiously.

Fortunately, there were no traps in this dungeon. But for those without wings, a staircase is a difficult terrain to fight on. Among us, I was the only one who could fight in the air, and I wasn't particularly good at it.

That's why I really didn't want to encounter any enemies while we were climbing.

"Four approaching from the floor above. They might have noticed us."

"Got it...!"

It's at times like these that monsters always show up.

Resigned, I pushed off with all my might. I shattered the stone steps and sprinted up at full speed.

Fragments of the floor flew like buckshot, and a roar echoed through the hall. But I couldn't worry about that. The golems would protect my companions from the debris, and any enemies drawn by the noise would be crushed along with everything else. If we got bogged down fighting on the stairs, we'd be surrounded with no way to advance or retreat.

I bounded up in three steps and launched myself onto the upper floor with the momentum. As if they had been waiting, spears were thrown at me while I was still in the air.

Two of them. Foreseeing their trajectories aimed at my head and stomach, I did a barrel roll to evade them. Immediately after, two Utuq with swords slashed at me.

A pincer attack from the left and right in arcing trajectories. Using `Concept Interference` to kick off the air, I blocked the two blades with my sword and gauntlet.

I was being pushed back, but I managed to hold on. A moment later, a spear of ice flew from behind and pierced the one on my right.

As it faltered with a short cry, I pushed it away with my sword and immediately thrust my blade into the other one, gouging its throat.

Even as fresh blood spurted from its neck, the Utuq grabbed my blade with both hands. My movement was halted for an instant, and a curse was directed at me.

However, the two that tried to kill me with a curse self-destructed. I forcefully swung my sword sideways and turned my gaze to the one that had been pierced by the ice spear.

As it knelt on the floor, trying to use its sword as a cane to stand, an iron ball flew in and mercilessly crushed its skull.

With the sound of my companions rushing up behind me, I landed on the stone floor.

As I held my sword at the ready, ever vigilant, Erina-san's voice came through my earring.

'Kyou-chan! A huge number of them are flying this way!'

"Sorry. That's probably my fault."

'No problem at all!'

'It's far better than fighting on the stairs!'

"Thanks."

Just as I gave my short reply, the presence of two people and three golems was behind me.

And, reaching my ears, the sound of a great many things cutting through the wind.

I doubt it was every enemy in the dungeon converging on us, but it was possible that all the Utuq on this floor had been drawn to us. A swarm was approaching from three directions: left, right, and front.

But we had planned for this kind of situation. Mostly Erina-san, that is.

"As planned."

"Alright!"

Erina-san stepped forward, leaning back as she pointed her long, supple left leg straight up. Despite being on one foot, she was surprisingly steady.

The giant shuriken in her right hand, the `Daisharinmaru`, hummed as it was imbued with mana.

"Ultimate move! Invisible Ninjas, Attaaaack!"

"So lame."

Ignoring my involuntary blurt, she let it fly. The four-bladed shuriken spun at high speed and assaulted the group of enemies approaching from the front.

Just before it hit the Utuq, mana overflowing from the dungeon's walls and ceiling formed a barrier.

But the blade entangled that mana and accelerated further. The wind sheathing the shuriken became a storm, tearing the monsters' bodies to shreds. The stone walls and floor cracked, and the swirling dust cloud was mixed with red.

There was no time to retrieve the thrown Daisharinmaru, so Erina-san fell back. As I stepped forward to take her place, she immediately took out numerous plastic containers from her Item Box and placed them haphazardly on the floor.

"Senpai!"

"Right!"

The moment Mia-san struck the floor with her staff, the rubber caps on the containers were blasted off from the inside.

The water that gushed out flew through the air as if it were swimming fish, heading for the left and right corridors. Then, as it rained down on the stone floor, it formed walls of ice.

Next, she spun her staff once, and the air began to freeze, using the walls as a base. In the blink of an eye, the corridors were sealed with ice.

"I've blocked the paths to the left and right! But they might be able to break through by force!"

'No, before that, the three paths merge nearby. They might try to circle around to the front.'

"It would be better if they came from one direction...!'

I replied, charging toward the enemy group. The shuriken had thinned their numbers, but there were still over twenty of them.

As I ran with my sword at the ready, dozens of arms were pointed at me. And then, pseudo-hearts were created in their palms.

Immediately after, the Utuq all self-destructed in unison, leaving only five. I swept aside those approaching with swords and spears with a single blow of my wind-and-flame-wreathed blade.

That wasn't enough to kill them, but it blunted their momentum. An iron ball swung in a horizontal arc and pulverized three of them at a relatively high altitude, while I leaped up and cut down one that had lost altitude.

I beheaded it, kicked the remaining torso, and closed in on the last one. I dodged its spear thrust with a horizontal spin and slashed its torso in a reverse diagonal cut.

'Congratulations. You've leveled up, Kyou-chan.'

"Thanks for that!"

Apparently, you get experience points even from curse reflection. I replied as I landed, but it seemed I didn't have time to worry about levels right now.

Just as Aira-san had predicted, they had chosen to go around rather than break through the ice walls. I readied my sword against the massive number of mana signatures surging from the darkness ahead.

The Utuq are strong. But we are stronger than we were when we fought the Cuelebre. Even if they come in a horde, there is no reason we should lose.

Bring it on. I'll take you all down at once...!

"Ngh!?"

A disgusting sensation, as if countless hands had caressed my body. A shiver, like insects crawling inside my ears. Just as my eyes widened at these sensations,

—THUD-THUD-THUD-SPLAT!'

The sound of flesh hitting something hard echoed from the darkness ahead multiple times.

An Utuq, likely the one at the front of the swarm, slid close to us, scraping against the floor. Then, it turned to salt and crumbled into a pile.

"........."

"Kyou-chan! I heard a strange sound! What happened!?"

"They just... died..."

"Just!?"

Well, 'just' is the only way to describe it...

Byakuren came to my side with a clatter and readied its weapon, but after looking around, it lowered its iron ball.

For now, I took out a knife, sheathed it in flame, and threw it.

The corridor was illuminated as it flew. There, the floor was covered in a layer of salt. It seems they had intended to finish us off with a simultaneous barrage of curses.

...The Utuq met a death straight out of a comedy routine, but their actions sent a cold sweat down my back.

Dozens of spells unleashed at once. Would that have counted as the 'one time' that Busujima-san's charm could absorb? In the first place, could it have withstood a density of curses that could be called a flood of mana?

What if it couldn't have...?

'Uh... well, congratulations for now, Kyou-chan. You've leveled up again.'

"Thanks..."

I replied to Aira-san's words, my voice sounding absent even to myself.

A 'B-Rank Dungeon'.

It was, after all, not a place where one could afford to let their guard down.

When using items like Busujima-san's charms or the egg-shaped barriers I create, you can't carry other magical items whose effects would overlap at the same time.

If you want to carry several while having only one active, you need to put them in an Item Box or a special container. Therefore, switching them out instantly is difficult.

For the next hour of exploration, my nerves were never at ease.

It was a day that made me keenly aware of what 'B-Rank' truly meant.