kscans

Chapter 180 - A Former Foe

After changing in the Dungeon Store's locker room and making a quick trip to the restroom, the three of us headed to the gate room.

I was used to assembling Byakuren by now, and I got it activated quickly.

I deployed my Arcane Gear, gave everything a final check, and touched my earring.

"Aira-san. We're ready."

"'Good. The other two are ready as well?'"

"Yup!"

"Yes, Nee-san."

"'Excellent. A C-Rank dungeon may no longer be a threat to you all, but I want you to be careful nonetheless.'"

"Understood."

Confirming that Erina-san and the others had placed their hands on my shoulder, I stepped through the white door.

It was the same as always, yet a feeling I'd never get used to. The ground suddenly vanished beneath my feet, but there was no sense of falling. The sensation was unsettling.

But a moment later, the feeling of hard-packed earth reached me through my boots. Planting my feet firmly on the ground, I gave our surroundings a quick scan.

We were in a forest. Thick, tall trees grew from the light-brown earth. Branches extended from about seven meters up, sprouting vibrant, deep-green leaves.

The trees were spaced far apart, wide enough for two or three cars to drive through side-by-side. Only a few sparse weeds grew on the ground, leaving no place to take cover.

I drew the one-and-a-half-handed sword from my hip and touched my earring with my left hand.

"We've entered the dungeon. Commencing exploration."

I glanced back at Erina-san and Mia-san, and we exchanged nods. Byakuren, Ukon, and Sakon all seemed fine as well.

"'Understood. In that case, let me know when you find the SDF's paint markings.'"

"Will do."

Thanks to the false sunlight filtering through the gaps in the trees, visibility wasn't an issue. We proceeded with caution.

We might be over-leveled for this rank, but we couldn't let our guard down. After all, we were experts at punching above our weight class.

About thirty seconds after entering the dungeon, I spotted a white cloth wrapped around a thick tree trunk, with yellow letters and numbers painted on it.

"Aira-san. We've found an SDF marker. Current position is E-5. The artificial sun is in the seven o'clock direction from our position."

"'Hmm. Give me a moment... okay, I've got it. Proceed diagonally forward to Ukon-kun's right. If you continue for a while, you should find another marker.'"

"Understood. Resuming exploration."

I nodded in response to her telepathic message and started walking again.

Then, about three minutes after we entered the dungeon, Erina-san finally issued a warning.

"Wait. I hear footsteps approaching from the two o'clock direction. There are probably five of them. Judging by the sound, they're not human."

"Got it. Byakuren, forward."

"Ukon, Sakon. Shields up, advance a few paces."

I raised my sword at Erina-san's words and sent the golems forward.

Immediately after, we could all hear the footsteps.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

The powerful sound of feet stomping the ground. A faint vibration traveled up from our own feet.

Before long, the figures of the monsters approaching us through the trees came into view.

"'Vooh! Vooh!'"

"'Fwoooooooh!'"

The lower body of a horse, the upper body of a man. But their faces were neither human nor beast, but a mixture of the two.

Centaurs. It had been several months since we last fought them, but it didn't feel that long. The monsters made no effort to hide their hostility, drawing back the weapons they held.

They unleashed shortbows and javelins. Propelled by the acceleration of a horse and the strength of a superhuman, their projectiles had enough power to easily pierce steel armor.

But at this point, that was nothing to us.

I wreathed my sword in wind and swung. In a single flash, I swept aside and shattered every approaching arrow and javelin.

Next, Mia-san lightly tapped the ground with the butt of her staff. In that instant, a mass of stone spikes erupted from the ground directly in front of the charging Centaurs.

"'Bwrah!?'"

"'Hee-hee-heeinnn!'"

With horse-like cries, the Centaurs slammed on the brakes.

Those that couldn't stop in time were skewered on the spikes, while the others either reared up or drove their spears into the ground to halt their momentum.

Either way, the monsters had exposed a fatal opening.

"Hya!"

Into that opening flew Erina-san's throwing stars. Byakuren's iron ball. Mia-san's ice lances.

The Centaurs were reduced to silent chunks of meat in an instant, their red blood and flesh all transforming into white salt.

While remaining wary of our surroundings, I glanced at the piles of salt to make sure there were no survivors.

"I don't hear any other enemies. All clear!"

"Phew..."

I let out a small breath at Erina-san's words and relaxed my shoulders.

"Ukon. Collect the drop items."

At Mia-san's command, the golem trudged toward the piles of salt. The stone spikes retracted back into the ground.

"'Good work, everyone. It's been a while since you fought them, but it seems you had no problems.'"

"Yes, we're fine."

"No problemo!"

"I'm fine as well. ...Though it does bring back memories of that battle, which is a little complicated."

Mia-san said with a wry smile, but her eyes held a hint of darkness.

Part of it was self-deprecation for her recklessness back then, but more than that, she was likely remembering the tragedy she witnessed that day. All memories of the stampede were drenched in blood.

I, too, remembered the bodies of the victims scattered on the roadside, and felt a wave of nausea.

No good. I gave my head a small shake, pushing the memory to the back of my mind. This wasn't something to dwell on during an exploration.

While I was lost in thought, Ukon seemed to have collected the drop items. Erina-san took them and stored them in her Item Box.

"I wonder if this coin was used in Atlantis, too."

Erina-san held a single coin up to the sky, letting the false sun shine on it.

The gleaming gold coin was engraved with some kind of unfamiliar pattern.

"'Most likely. The process of creating a monster requires a core. Perhaps there's something like a mint in the dungeon's underground mechanism that creates these cores before mixing them with salt... Or maybe placing gold inside a monster causes it to transform into this shape. We don't know for sure yet.'"

"I see. If we ever manage to get to the other world beyond the dungeon, maybe we could use this money."

I gave a small nod at Erina-san's words, keeping an eye on our surroundings.

"True. If we connect to the other world the professor mentioned, it could be used for trade. Even if it's from a fallen nation, it's more likely to be recognized as currency than gold coins from our world."

"'That may be so, but depending on the situation, you could be treated as remnants of Atlantis. Well, we'll have to leave that to the diplomats.'"

"Good point."

I pulled my focus back to the dungeon and we resumed our exploration.

From there, we fought and annihilated several more small groups of Centaurs. We finished placing a marker near the exit and spent the rest of the time simply wandering through the labyrinth.

About an hour and forty minutes had passed since we started. Just as the thought of returning was starting to cross my mind, the moment we had been waiting for finally arrived.

"Hm, four Centaurs approaching from the one o'clock direction."

"Understood."

I readied my weapon at Erina-san's word. A few seconds later, I could hear the Centaurs' hoofbeats myself.

The monsters skillfully ran in formation through the gaps between the trees. They raised the bows in their hands and loosed a volley of arrows at us.

A powerful bowshot, strong enough to overturn a car. The moment after I swept the arrows aside with wind, Mia-san made stone spikes erupt in the Centaurs' path.

Against any other group, that would have stopped them in their tracks. But this group, while letting out cries of surprise, turned as if they had planned to do so from the start.

They turned their backs to us and fled.

—But, they twisted their bodies to fire arrows back at us, staying just far enough away that we wouldn't lose sight of them.

"A trap, I see."

"As obvious as they come."

A grin naturally formed on my lips.

Centaurs are relatively intelligent monsters, but not enough to employ tactics like this.

That means there's a commander. Even as I told myself not to be careless, I couldn't suppress a smile at the presence I had been waiting for.

I thought it would take days to find it, but what a stroke of luck. We were fortunate.

"You two, you're making the same face Nee-san does when she's playing a fighting game."

"'Mia?'"

"Ah, really?! ...My apologies, I'll be more careful."

"'Hey, Kyo-chan-kun. What's with that shocked tone? You should be happy! You managed to make a face similar to mine, the super cool beauty, Aira-chan!'"

"When you're prepared to abandon all dignity, I guess!"

"'I'm the one who's shocked now! In what way have I abandoned my dignity! I am a perfect lady 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!'"

"Let's chase them before they get suspicious."

"Right."

"Sorry, Senpai! Talk to you later!"

"'How dare you, peasants! Don't think you can beat me in a war of words! Look forward to round two. Just be sure not to resort to a real fight. Yes, we are human! We can talk this out!'"

"Could you please be quiet for a moment?"

"'Yes.'"

We chased after the Centaurs, who continued to fire arrows as they fled, for about thirty seconds.

Making sure not to catch up to them, we soon saw an open space beyond the trees.

"'Be careful. I think there's a clearing ahead, but there's a small hill there.'"

"Got it."

I nodded at Aira-san's warning and tightened my grip on the hilt of my sword.

Immediately after, we emerged into a clearing that felt unnaturally open for a forest. To our right was a hill that looked like a pile of rocks, covered in moss and weeds.

And at its summit, a brilliance that rivaled the false sunlight held its ground.

"'Brrrrrrruuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!'"

White fur covered its entire body. A head that was a mix of horse and man, with eyes that burned with the light of intelligence.

Its frame was the same as the other Centaurs, but it was at least twice as large. A mane that looked like it was made of flames, and a spear with a golden tip.

"Lefkos!"

The enemy group that had been fleeing turned around to face us.

At the same time, Lefkos and the five Centaurs it led charged down the hill, closing the distance in an instant.

But that was expected.

"Earth!"

Mia-san created a giant hole at the base of the hill. The five Centaurs were unable to stop in time and fell into the sudden pitfall.

But Lefkos leaped gracefully. It jumped so high it seemed to fly, and aimed its spear at us from above.

In response, I also leaped into the air. I could leave the enemies on the ground to my companions.

My Flügel is currently under repair, but I can fly this far on my own. Using a burst of wind and the strength of my legs, I soared into the air and slashed at Lefkos.

"'Voooooh!'"

"Hraah!"

Our paths crossed in an instant. I sliced off the golden spearhead hurtling toward my face and got above the white monster.

This was a formidable enemy that I was once overwhelmed by alone. Looking down on it, I drew back my left iron fist.

"Hmph!"

Squelch. At almost the same time I felt a disgusting sound and sensation through my gauntlet, the massive white body slammed into the ground, spreading a red that was not flame.

By the time I landed, the other Centaurs had already been dealt with. Those that fell into the hole were pierced by ice lances, and the group that had turned to attack us was repelled by an iron ball and throwing stars.

But it wasn't over yet.

"'Grrr...!"

It had lost half of its head and both legs on its left side. Its bones and internal organs were surely crushed as well, yet Lefkos stood up.

It gripped its spear in a reverse hold with its right hand and condensed all the flame it could muster.

"'Buaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!'"

"Yeah."

Faced with a final throw that would scorch the earth, I swung my sword.

"I knew it."

I knew you were that kind of guy.

[Concept Interference].

[Mana Conversion: Wind].

The blade, swung like a bat, collided with the golden spearhead, deflecting the spreading flames upward. The stalemate lasted for a second. The one-and-a-half-handed sword shattered the spear, and the wooden fragments burned to ash before they hit the ground.

Beyond the flames that momentarily flared up, Lefkos stood with its arm having completed the throw.

With no strength left to even raise its arm, it glared at me with its remaining eye.

If looks could kill, this thing would have killed dozens.

But I met its gaze head-on. I closed the distance in a single step and, as I ran past, I sliced its torso in two.

Slowly, the sundered white giant collapsed to the ground. Confirming that it had turned to salt, I let out a small breath.

The air was still hot. As always, it packed some serious firepower.

"No sign of any other enemies. Battle over!"

"Understood. Is everyone uninjured?"

"I'm fine."

"Me too!"

"Good."

Just as I gave a small nod, a voice came from my earring.

"'Well, I knew you wouldn't be a match for it considering your ranks, but it was so intense that even watching through the mirror on Ukon-kun gave me a bit of a fright.'"

"It's Lefkos, after all. That's to be expected."

I picked up the ring and scattered the salt with a gust of wind.

A simple design: a golden ring with a red gemstone. Its brilliance even sparked a sense of nostalgia.

I felt a strong sense of relief at having my equipment, lost in the Tokyo Incident, returned to me.

"Sensing the presence of a boss monster and then engaging it for the drop item... We could get our adventurer licenses revoked for this."

"Ah, well..."

I gave a vague smile at Mia-san's words.

She's right, and I wouldn't normally do this. But without this, I'd be anxious if another stampede were to happen.

It's a piece of equipment that performed far beyond its rank, so I really wanted to secure it.

"Man! I was so surprised that Lefkos was waiting for us!"

"'Curses! Even with my eyes, which have been compared to the sea itself, I couldn't see through its plan...! What a strategist you are, Lefkos!'"

"You don't need to act right now. You two are terrible actors."

"That's mean, Kyo-chan!"

"'That's right! I demand an apology! Take it off!'"

"Quiet, you."

"T-Take it off!"

"Mia-san, you don't have to play along with the joke."

Mia-san's cheeks were red, perhaps embarrassed by doing something she wasn't used to. Her gaze was also somewhat shifty.

She doesn't have to go that far to be the comic relief. We already have two of them, and the straight man can't keep up.

"For now, let's head back for today."

"Sounds good!"

"'When they ask you about the drop items, hold up your B-Rank Candidate documents like an inrō. Your promotion is already decided. A little mischief will surely be overlooked.'"

"Yes, my lord!"

"Don't say 'Bow before me' now. You're the one who's supposed to be brandishing the documents."

I averted my gaze slightly from Erina-san, who was performing a perfect dogeza.

Since her rear was facing me, I could see her butt under her short kimono.

She says she doesn't mind since it's an inner layer, but the tight black fabric was alluring. A firm, yet slightly large behind. I almost gulped at its beautiful curve and her white skin.

I'm a certified breast man, but I like butts too. In fact, I like the female form in general.

It can't be helped...! I'm a guy...!

My gaze was also drawn to her breasts, which were pressed against her own knees and spreading sideways. What is this creature, a theme park of lewdness? This must be the pervert clan...!

Remembering my fight with Lefkos to banish my worldly desires, we teleported near the exit with Erina-san's magic. We returned and completed the necessary procedures.

They obviously weren't pleased that we fought a boss monster, but it seems they let it slide, saying it was 'an accidental encounter that was difficult to avoid.' Thank goodness.

Thanks to that, the drop item wasn't confiscated and came into my possession. I'm definitely doing something wrong, so I do feel guilty.

However...

"I wonder how many times we can get away with this."

"'Twice... no, three times should be the absolute limit! Even the SDF and police would find thinning out this dungeon to be a pain!'"

I'd like to have a spare if possible, so I plan to do it again.

Mia-san was making a very sour face. It wasn't just a thin line; her mouth was shaped like Mount Fuji.

The store for this dungeon was just built a short while ago. This was once a town burned down in a stampede, and the area around the gate was hastily developed.

So, today was our first time coming to this dungeon. Until now, if I wanted to get a spare 'Ring of the Flame Horse,' I would have had to travel to another prefecture.

That was obviously difficult, but from now on, I can use this place as a supply point. If I can get a few extras, I'll have enough to send one to Ooyama-san's place for 'experimentation.'

I'm sorry, everyone at the Dungeon Agency. This is a pretty gray area, but I'll be coming back...! I'll do my best to thin out the monsters too, so please forgive me...!

By the way, I feel no guilt towards Lefkos. Monsters are the ultimate pests, so search and destroy is the basic principle. There is no mercy.

I'm gonna keep killing you, so keep that ring polished and wait for me, Lefkos!!