Somehow, I made it in time.
This time, thanks to the oversight on the Danpon side, I received a detailed map of the third floor of the Stone Stage Dungeon and information about where Milk was hiding. And since I was inside the PD while he was telling me all of this, we lost very little time.
But are these guys really Bite Wolves?
I caught them off guard with a blow from my sword (though I didn’t cut them—this blade is far too dull), but I doubt it will happen again the second time.
However, I can’t use Hellfire here.
The Bite Wolves are too close to us.
I recall the charred lizardman who died without direct exposure to flames.
If I were to use that magic now, we’d be caught in the crossfire.
That’s the greatest weakness of the magic that I once thought unbeatable—the moment it becomes a close-quarters fight, it can no longer be used.
「Milk, are you okay?」
I asked while pointing my sword at the Bite Wolves.
Wait, something’s wrong.
Milk isn’t reacting.
Earlier, I glimpsed a slight flush on her face, but she didn’t appear injured.
Could it be that she’s been poisoned by a monster?
I’ve heard Acid Slime’s acid has toxic properties.
「Milk, if you’re okay, answer me!」
「Are you really Taira? The real Taira?」
「I am.」
「Then run! Bite Wolves are equivalent to level 30 monsters—」
「That’s assuming a safety margin! In a fair fight, we could take them even at level 20.」
「Exactly! We are single digit leve—」
Before Milk could finish her sentence, two of the Bite Wolves lunged at us.
Basic Swordsmanship, first move.
「Sure Hit Slash!」
I unleashed the sword skill in front immediately.
A low-powered strike, but it never misses.
And seamlessly, my sword technique transitions to the next stage.
Basic Swordsmanship, second move.
「Swallow Reversal!」
I adjusted the angle of my lowered sword and sent another Bite Wolf soaring into the air.
This blade is double-edged (or perhaps it lacks edges altogether), so technically, I don’t need to alter the tip’s direction. But when using the skill, this motion seems unavoidable.
The remaining Bite Wolves pressed their attack.
I’ll transition to Basic Swordsmanship, third move.
「Cleave!」
Turning my sword sideways, I swept away the Bite Wolves that lunged at me simultaneously.
And now, Basic Swordsmanship, fourth move.
「Thrust!」
Finally, I swung my sword down upon the Bite Wolf with an eye wound at the rear of the pack.
Most of them were dealt with, but the one I’d blown away with the Sure Hit Slash was still standing.
Perhaps my initial strike lacked depth.
But Sure Hit Slash managed to weaken it.
Just then, the surviving Bite Wolf bared its sharp fangs and lunged at me.
I thrust my arm forward.
The Bite Wolf sank its teeth into my forearm.
「Taira!」
「I’m fine!」
The pain was intense, but it paled in comparison to the time an Evil Ogre hurled a rabbit’s horn at me.
I dropped my sword and slammed my fist into the Bite Wolf’s side—the one that had bitten me. It collided with the wall and met its end.
Oddly enough, the pain in my arm intensified when I punched the Bite Wolf that bit me.
Blood flowed freely.
Hope I won’t get rabies or something.
I retrieved a healing potion and downed it.
Despite the final misstep, it is still effective.
The Basic Swordsmanship, I mean.
From the first move to the fourth move.
Each technique is serviceable on its own, but when executed in a seamless sequence, it becomes a combo.
The hit rate gradually declines, and missing even once disrupts the flow of consecutive strikes. But that hit rate depends on the enemy’s agility, our own dexterity, agility, and luck.
With my ridiculously high luck, my hit rate surpasses others’.
Against Lizardmen, I’d mow down entire groups with up to Cleave. But managing a Thrust this time—well, that’s an impressive combat experience.
「Milk, it’s alright now. I got them all.」
As I assured Milk, her usual expression gradually returned.
She’d been a bit dazed and frantic just moments ago.
But now, in her newfound calmness, she fired off questions:
「What do you mean? You defeated them, but isn’t your level still around 1 or 2?」
「My level is 27. Even at my current state, I can handle injuries like this against Bite Wolves with a safety margin level of 30.」
「Didn’t you enter the dungeon just two weeks ago? Were you awakened?」
「Explaining it fully would take a while, but it was luck. That’s all.」
「It’s so short that it doesn’t explain anything. How can you get to such a high level just by luck! And how did you get in here? The entrance is full of acid slimes, isn’t it? There’s no way you could have passed through that.」
「I didn’t go through the first floor. I came directly to the 3rd floor.」
Milk’s head is full of question marks.
I shrug it off by saying I’ll explain more about it next time.
Meanwhile, I collected the fallen Bite Wolf fur, teeth, and some D-coins.
「Thank goodness you’re okay, Milk.」
「Thank you. Seriously, if you hadn’t been here, I would definitely have died.」
「Next time, if you treat me to some delicious yakiniku, we’ll call it even.」
「Deal.」
「And throw in some sakura yuke, too.」
「Sure. Maybe even ice cream for dessert.」
Ice cream after yakiniku, huh?
At all-you-can-eat yakiniku places, they usually offer complimentary soft ice cream, but knowing the kind of restaurant she frequents, they’d probably serve Hä〇gen-Dazs-level ice cream with seasonal fruit garnishes.
For now, I sat next to Milk and pulled a can of candies from my bag.
「Want a candy?」
「Are these dungeon drops? They seem expensive.」
「No idea. The can’s full. Oh, this one—I thought it was pineapple, but it’s actually mint. Still tasty.」
「I’ll have one then…. Ah, delicious. It’s strawberry-flavored.」
As we rolled the candies in our mouths, we waited patiently for rescue.
The third floor should have contained monsters other than Bite Wolves, but none seemed to be approaching. It reminded me of the situation with the Evil Ogre—the appearance of a powerful monster drove the regular inhabitants of the floor into hiding.
「By the way, this is your birthday present. I think I won’t have a chance to give it to you once we’re out of the dungeon with all the explanations and stuff, so I’ll give it to you now. Plus, the sooner you’ll get it, the better.」
I took out a box containing the growth ring from my backpack.
「You know, you could’ve given it to me next time. But I’m genuinely happy. Can I open it?」
「Go ahead. It’s quite something, so handle it carefully.」
「Normally, people would say, ‘It’s not that big a deal’. But it’s very ‘you’, Taira.」
With a smile, Milk opened the box—and froze.
「Taira… Is this—」
「What do you think?」
「Well… Does it mean….. the sooner I get it, the better…..are you really…..」
「That’s exactly what I mean. Look at this. It’s the certificate of that magic item.」
I gestured for her to read the appraisal scroll tucked inside the box.
Nervously, she read it…and instead of joy, her expression turned blatantly disappointed.
Eh?
「Isn’t it amazing? That’s 20% bonus experience! I thought it’d be better to give it to you sooner for easier leveling. Originally, I considered giving it to you before we set off, but then I thought, ‘Maybe it’s weird to give a birthday present before the actual birthday.’」
「Riigghhhhtttt.」
「Wow, Milk, you still seem disappointed. Could it be you already had one? Is this secretly a famous magic item traded among the wealthy, even though it’s not on any information sites?」
「No, no, not like that. It’s just… incredibly rare. But are you sure it’s okay? Wouldn’t you benefit more from using it?」
「I’m using one too, you know? Look, on my pinky.」
「Oh, you’re right… We match.」
「Just bear with it.」
「Sure, I’ll bear with it.」
Milk said that with a smile.
And the ring—
「Put it on.」
She hands it to me saying that.
「Can’t you do it yourself?」
「When a man gives a ring to a woman, he should put it on for her.」
「That’s usually for engagement rings or something… Well, whatever. Is the pinky okay?」
「Yes. That’s fine for now.」
「Alright. You handle any fine adjustments. I’ve thought about various places to wear it, and this position feels right.」
I slid the ring onto Milk’s left pinky.
As a magic item, it automatically adjusted to fit her finger precisely.
She gazed at the ring with delight.
I’d worried I’d chosen the wrong gift, but seeing her happy made it worthwhile.
And then, as we chatted about whether to have another candy, I sensed something approaching.
「Milk—be alert. Something’s coming.」
「Something? A monster?」
「No—」
It wasn’t a monster.
But was this really a human?
The presence approaching us felt even more formidable than the Evil Ogre.
There was an unmistakable intensity to it—a sense that if this person attacked, we’d be in mortal danger.
The source of that presence seemed to notice us and rushed toward our location. Emerging from the corridor was a macho, blond-haired man.
His eyes were bloodshot.
His breaths came in ragged bursts.
What’s with this guy? He’s terrifying!
The blond-haired man ran toward us, tears streaming down his face.
Wait a minute? That face—
「Milk! Thank goodness you’re safe! My Sweet Angelllllllllllllllll!」
「Papa! You came!」
Yep, it was definitely Milk’s father!
I’d seen him on TV a few times.
But wait, wasn’t Milk’s father currently at Mount Fuji?
Leave a Reply