Chapter 48 – Labyrinth of Strength (3)

We’ve encountered some orcs and goblins since then, but we mysteriously didn’t meet any superior types.

I’ve gotten used to hunting both orcs and goblins, but by using paste at the same time, we were able to easily hunt them as if it was work.
At first, Aisha was cautious when fighting them, but now, she efficiently defeated them with considerable calmness.
Name: Aisha Lorelle
ＬＶ：29　(28→29) LevelUp!
Race: Hume
Gender: Female
Age: 26 years
Occupation: Archery Master Change!
Her level increased from 28 to 29.
“We defeated quite a lot including the first floor boss, isn’t this quite the good pace?” I thought.

There wasn’t particularly any monsters who possessed different Skills, I repeated the work of pasting the Skills on pebbles.
About an hour passed since we descended to the basement.

Suddenly, we heard a different cry from an orc.
……That’s an Ogre, no doubt.

Orcs are referred to as demon race which has its origin as “pigs”.
An orc is said to humes, beastmen, elf, dwarf, etc., which mutated by absorbing the so-called 「Evil Air」, evil influence into their body.

Incidentally, miasma contains thick magical power.
Because of that, orc meat has a taste similar to that of high quality pork.
Different from pigs, if an adventurer or knight does not have a certain amount of strength, they can’t defeat it. That’s why not much of it is circulated, and it fetches a high price.

I also profited quite a lot thanks to orc meat.

The ogre we are aiming for is troublingly said to have its origins as a “oni”.
Oni here means something which is originally classified as the oni race, who built a favourable relationship with roughly us humes, elves, beastmen races.

If a part of the oni race absorbs miasma, and their figure changes, they will become monsters called ogres.

One theory states that the demon race secretly manouvered and captured the oni race when the dungeon was made and made them absorb miasma against their will.

An ogre’s traits are that they are extremely strong, quick-witted, agile, and burly, a triple threat.
The Skills they have specialise in attack, and their battle style seems to be triumphing with a one-hit knockout.

Putting it simply, something like an upgraded version of an orc,

……That ogre appeared in front of us while letting out a terrifying roar.
Name: Power・Ogre
ＬＶ：35
Race: Demon race
Gender：♂

【Skill】
Rock・Slash
Strong Arm・Extreme

【Ability】
None
As expected, it’s fairly strong.

……Eh? The ogre swung its right hand greatly, and threw something towards us from that hand!

「Aisha look out!」

I hugged Aisha tightly and flopped to the side, evading the object that came flying.
The object that came flying passed above us at a high speed, and directly hit the rock wall behind us, spreading out a loud destruction noise to the surroundings and smashing it.

……I think the thing that came flying was probably a gigantic boulder

When it appeared, such a gigantic boulder wasn’t in its hand.
It might have appeared when it swung its right hand.

Perhaps, the attack just now was the Rock Smash it had.
Using it before I had examined it…… that was seriously dangerous.

「Aisha, that guy’s mine. I think it’d be disadvantageous fighting from a distance」

Well, since I’ve cut its Skill, there’s no need to becautious about it anymore.
Thinking about its physical strength, it’ll be a wonder if it could throw the boulders which fell around that area.

After I confirmed that Aisha nodded and fell back, I equipped Lightning Edge on my right hand and ran towards the ogre.
It probably recognised me as a target, and started swinging its right hand greatly like before.

「Too bad for you! You can’t use that anymore!」

While casting self-enhancements and running towards the ogre, I announced that, and as I did, the ogre who realised that it can’t use the Skill let out a terrifying roar.

Slipping through the fist unleashed by the ogre with a violent force, I brandished Lightning Edge.
Although the steel dagger also had a tremendous sharpness, I can feel that this Lightning Edge was even sharper than that.

I planned to give it a fairly severe wound, but the ogre is still alive.
It didn’t seem to care about it’s wound, it waved both of its hands around in hopes of catching me.

The attack would probably be a fatal wound for an orc, but this guy has a fearsome vitality.

From the looks of it, I judged that half-hearted attacks won’t stop it, and I executed my next hand.
Yes, it’s 【Martial Art: Shark Glow】!

Evading the swing of its somewhat large arm, I rushed into its bosom, and I struck it with a fatal blow.
A violent explosion sound resounded all around, and the ogre finally fell down on the spot.

「Phew」

「Myne-kun, thank you for your hard work. Are you alright? Any injuries?」

Aisha ran over here worriedly.

「Un, I’m fine」

I replied with a smile, and threw the ogre’s corpse into my storage bag.

「It was quite strong, huh」

As I said that, she smiled wryly and replied “It isn’t ‘quite’, but a really strong monster, though”.
While speaking about our thoughts on the first time fighting an ogre, as we advanced, we discovered the B1’s boss room.

Huh? That’s quite a lot of people in front of the boss room.
Are they going to fight the boss, I wonder?

While we slowly got closer, the people in front of the boss room also seemed to have noticed us.

「You guys, are you perhaps here to fight the boss?」

A man in his prime who was wearing an extravagant armour called out to us.

Aisha who saw his figure raised her voice as she said 「Ara」.

「Hm? ……Sacred Bow, huh. I heard you’ve quit being an adventurer, so what are you doing in such a place?」

It seems that he’s an acquaintance of Aisha.

「There’s an errand……I guess. Since you’re here, that means these people are the “Soaring Sandstorm”, am I right?」

Hm? “Soaring Sandstorm” …… I think I’ve heard it somewhere before.
And it seems quite recent…… what was it again…….

「Yeah, a request came in for the Clan.
We came to get Speed Shoes dropped by the rare monster from this boss room, Cocka・Grice.
At any rate, it is a rare monster…… it’s not coming out at all.
We shouldn’t have accepted such a request, good grief」 (TLN: Seems like a pun on cockatrice)

Aah, I remember.
The Clan a former A-rank adventurer formed.

If I remember correctly, the leader’s someone by the name Cass or something.
I wonder if it’s this guy?
Name: Cass
Race: Hume
ＬＶ：42
Gender: Male
Age: 32 years
Occupation: Commander

【Skill】
One-handed Sword・Saint Lv7
Trap Production Lv5
Direct Penetration LV6
Aah, as I expected, this man is the leader Cass.
At any rate, he’s amazing.

As expected of a former A-rank adventurer.
He even has three strong-looking Skills.

「That aside, Aisha. Are there only the two of you? You coming here means that you’re after the boss, right?
With just two people, rather than harsh, it’ll be impossible, you know」

He seems to be worried about us.
He’s making a stern face, but he’s quite the nice person, huh?

「Well, we’ll somehow manage. By the way, what’s the situation right now?」

As Aisha asked that, Cass-san sighed and explained the situation.
Since a week ago, they’ve fought the boss and it seems that they’re gradually getting tired.

Well, that’s understandable. After all, it’ll be tiring secluding yourself in a dungeon for a week and continuing to hunt the same monster over and over.

That’s why, they’re taking a break right now.

「Well then, it won’t be a problem for us to enter the boss room, right?」

「……Well, I don’t mind, but…… Are you seriously planning on enter with two people? You’ll die」

Cass-san then shrugged his shoulders after understanding that we are serious.

「Okay, I know I know. Well then, let’s go in together. Since if you die it’ll leave a bad aftertaste」

No, that’ll be a problem.
I appreciate his feelings, but I’ll have to firmly reject it.

「……No thank you, it’ll be alright with just the two of us, so……」

I interrupted their conversation here.
Since I suddenly interupted them, he were surprised.

He looked at me with eyes as if saying “What’s with this guy?”.

「Although I don’t know who you are, don’t you look down on the boss.
Aisha here’s my acquaintance from way back.
I can’t just let her go knowing she’ll die, can I?」

Cass-san answered me with a tone as if shocked and a little angry.

「Cass, it’s not that we’re going without any chances of success.
I appreciate your sentiments, but won’t you please pull back?
Since it’ll be a waste of time conversing」

Being told that by Aisha after me, Cass reluctantly withdrew.
Since it seemed like he had something else to say, we immediately entered the boss room.

The “Soaring Sandstorm”‘s members also seemed to look at us with inquisitive eyes.

Well, challenging an enemy which they needed a whole Clan to fight against with just two people is normally insane, after all.
I wonder if I can understand their feelings.

Looking at their inquisitive looks from the corner of my eyes, the both of us stepped into the boss room.

By the way, once a battle starts in a boss room, the door won’t open.
Until the boss or the challenger dies, the door will stay closed.

Now then, what’s the boss?
Name: Cocka・Grice
ＬＶ：42
Race: Bird Family
Gender: –

【Skill】
Rush

【Ability】
Flying Feather
Petrifaction
Ugh, the rare boss Cass-san and the others are after.
It seems to have a dangerous ability named petrifaction…….

Let’s steal them for now.
If not, we’ll be scared and can’t get close to it.

「……Myne-kun, that rare boss…… as expected, isn’t it too strong?」

Aisha asked me worriedly.

「It’ll be alright. It’s a cockatrice-type monster, isn’t it?
If that’s the case, it might have a petrifaction attack, so let’s defeat it by focusing on long range attacks」

As I said that, I activated 【Sorcery Extremity LV2】.

「Well then, I’m going in」

I then fired 【Magic・Fire】 rapidly just like I did when I defeated the Orc・Generals.
I chose Magic・Fire because I somehow have a feeling that bird’s feathers will burn well.

For a short while, a thunderous roar resounded, and after I stopped attacking, what was left was a scorched, staggering Cocka Grice.

I used 【Strong Arm・Extreme LV2】 【Body Enhancement・Large LV2】 【Physical Strength Enhancement・Extreme LV2】 to finish it off, and charged in instantly.

I then aimed at the Cocka Grice’s base of the throat, and brandished Lightning Edge.
That blow strengthened by Skills quickly sent the Cocka Grice’s neck flying.
「……Myne-kun, you overdid it……」

Aisha’s muttering resounded through the boss room.

---

AN:

Thank you for reading as always.
Please take care of me too after this m(_ _)m

So that I can receive pointing out from impressions, I borrowed skill, weapon names, etc. from the netgame FF11 I’ve played before.
I thought what should I do, but decided to change the names and a part of the Skill contents.
There is no effect on the story.
Also, to those who unpleasant thoughts was sent to, I apologise from the bottom of my heart.
I am very sorry.

I also thank those who pointed out from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you very much.

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