Chapter 14: The Price of a Finishing Move
Weāre currently on the 29th floor of the Underground Belfry Dungeon.
With the addition of Yuria (a heavy warrior) to the party, our front line is now a bit overloaded.
Right now, weāre focusing on dungeon crawling while also earning some money on the side. Still, I was honestly surprised to learn that, despite her gentle appearance, sheās a power fighter who swings a massive battle axe. Sheās really living up to her image as a cow, huh.
āIt went that way!ā
āAlrighty~!ā
A translucent jellyfish-like monster, a Jelly Wraith, comes floating down from above. While Yuria, who still isnāt strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with Master and Lulu in the front, guards me, I line up my fingers to aim and begin casting a spell.
āO noble light, heed the prayer that pierces confusionārelease your radiant beam from my fingertips!ā
Itās a basic light-element spell called Flash Ray. A glowing bolt of light shoots out from my fingertip, softly flying forward and colliding with the jellyfish. With a dazzling burst of light, it vanishes completely.
Not a trace left behind. That was a breeze.
Even a monster from the 30th floor is nothing to meāme, of all people! Hmph!
Meanwhile, Master and Lulu are battling a knight-like monster clad in black armor with horns all over. Theyāre taking out the Jelly Wraiths appearing alongside it with nothing more than the shockwaves of their attacks.
Watching their heroic forms, I puff out my chest in pride.
Master may be the embodiment of words like āpervert,ā āsadist,ā and ālewd,ā walking around in the prime of his youth with libido gushing out like a broken faucetābut heās definitely strong enough to deserve the title of a cheat.
āI feel like Iām being seriously insulted right now⦠is it just my imagination?ā
āItās just your imagination.ā
According to Yuria, who used to be an adventurer, Masterās strength ranks at the upper tier of advanced, possibly even the very top. As for Lulu, sheās probably mid-tier intermediate. For reference, if I were alone, even a goblināwhich is practically the mascot of weak monstersāwould be too dangerous for me to handle. I can go on a rampage if Iām far enough away⦠but only then.
āThis party is seriously absurdā¦ā
While sipping tea during our break next to the staircase leading to the 30th floor, Yuria lets out a grumble. Apparently, our way of life is unthinkable for a typical adventurer.
She explained that over half of adventurers are basically jobless people who couldnāt get stable work, living hand-to-mouth while desperately trying to make ends meet. Only once you hit the intermediate ranks can you manage a lifestyle comparable to that of an average citizen. Most people hit a wall, give up, and end up turning to crime.
Back when she used to work in a pair, her childhood friend would spend all their money on weapons, and theyād have to split a single loaf of bread on an empty stomach just to survive. Thatās seriously tragicā¦
āFufufu. Being with Master really makes me realize just how utterly useless that guy was.ā
That ominous smile must be a sign sheās finally moved on. And honestly, sheās not wrong, so I wonāt deny it. When you see him again, feel free to slap him across the face and chew him out.
If anything goes wrong, Master will protect us. Iām basically a hugging elfānot a body pillow but close enoughāso Iām combat-useless. Itād be like expecting a famous cartoon mascot cat with a helmet and sword to win battles. Totally misguided. Not that it makes me sad or anythingā¦
āBreakās over. Letās go beat the boss and get out of here.ā
āGot it~!ā
At Masterās call, we quickly pack up the resting spot and head down the stairs.
The boss room is, as always, a large chamber. In the center, having apparently noticed us, a skeleton stands poised for battle, six arms each wielding a weapon. Just looking at it gives off a strong enemy vibe. And itās gold-colored, despite being bones.
āIāll go up front. Lulu, hit from the sides. Yuria, guard Sora. Sora, stay in the corner and behave.ā
āUnderstood.ā
āGot it.ā
āRoger! ā¦Wait, no! Why am I the only one getting that kind of order!?ā
I object! Iāve learned some basic light magic and Iām getting used to fighting. Iām not just dead weight anymore. I wonāt stand for being underestimatedāIām fighting this with resolve!
āIf you donāt behave, itās the basement when we get backā¦ā
āIāll behave!ā
I shuffle to a spot in the corner where I wonāt get in anyoneās way. As I hide behind Yuria, who gives a wry smile, and glare at Master, the battle begins. Master takes the skeleton head-on with his sword, while Lulu darts in from the sides or behind to slash at it with her longsword.
But this skeletonās no slouch either. It uses four of its arms to defend against Masterās strikes, while the other two keep Lulu at bay. Still, thereās an obvious gap in raw power. Once Master starts mixing in ice magic, the tide turns in our favor.
The three right arms swing down simultaneouslyāholding an axe, a sword, and a mace. Master dodges the axe, blocks the sword, and jumps back before the mace can land. As he retreats, he scatters ice magic at the skeletonās feet. The golden skeleton slips on the sudden frostāright into Luluās thrust.
Her sword shatters two of its left arms trying to guard. The broken bones clatter to the floor, along with a short spear and dagger. Even as it falls, the skeleton tries to retaliate against Luluābut Master, having crept close, slams a kick into its exposed ribcage.
He mustāve used body reinforcement magic. Several ribs break as the skeleton goes flying into the wall. Lulu moves to finish it off, but the last remaining left arm stabs at her with a rapier, halting her advance. Then the sword in one of the right hands swings downābut Master grabs Lulu by the collar and yanks her away just in time. Even watching from the sidelines, that was pretty tense.
āTh-thank you, Shuya-samaā¦ā
āDonāt force the follow-ups. Be cautious.ā
As the skeleton tries to move again, Master hurls a spear of flame at it while shielding Lulu with his back and creating distance. That casual act of protecting a girlāitās annoyingly charming, right? Like, it makes you want to punch him even more than usual, just because heās already handsome.
āWell, since weāre here⦠may as well give this a try.ā
Master mutters, then reverses his grip on his sword with his right hand and lowers his hips into a deep stance, twisting his arm behind his back as he prepares.
ā¦Wait a second. Are you really a high schooler, Master? You didnāt actually get isekaiād here in your thirties and de-aged or something, right?
Well, I may not be one to talk. In my case, a friend from the manga club once loaned me the entire series, saying, āItās old, but itās a masterpiece.ā So thatās how I know about it. Even if some older folks hate it like poison, I say manga is an essential part of modern Japanese culture.
āMaster⦠no way, youāre going to use that move!?ā
For now, I decide to play along. Once I see Levatein begin to glow red-hot, I raise my voice so that Lulu and Yuriaāboth wide-eyed in shockācan hear me clearly.
Because, well, this sort of thing is just fun, isnāt it? If youāre a guy, you get it. And Iām not imagining itāMaster actually cracks a small grin at my perfectly timed comment. I did good work today.
āWait, Senpai, you know what that is!?ā
āW-what even is that? Iām sensing some kind of insane magic power from it!ā
Both of them are reacting beautifully. Weāre really starting to sync up as a team. Itās wonderful.
āItās a legendary finishing move said to have been created by a hero of old. They say it could even tear the heavens and earth asunder.ā
Iām not lying, you know. After hearing my explanation, the two of them glance at Master with looks of awe.
āHaaaaaaaah!!ā
In that instant, Masterās sword swung down with incredible force at the charging skeleton. A radiant flash of light swallowed everything in white. And when it faded, all that remained was Master, frozen mid-swing, and the skeletonācleanly bisected and vanishing into particles.
So he didnāt call out the name of the technique after all. I guess even he found that too embarrassing. But you know, now that itās over and heās had a moment to cool down, I can see just a hint of bashfulness in his expression. Honestly, if heād just followed through and struck a pose, it wouldnāt have been so awkward.
This cannot go unteased. He always bullies me, so this is karmaāmy chance to get back at him.
āA-amazing, Shuya-sama!ā
āR-really incredibleā¦ā
ā¦By the way, is it okay that thereās now a giant slash mark running straight through the dungeon wall? Is that just going to fix itself or something? Well, I suppose no oneās really managing this place, so letās just not worry about it.
āNice work, Master. Wanna try fusing flame magic with ice magic next?ā
āā¦Letās not. I canāt even begin to imagine what kind of power that would unleash.ā
True. If it did work, itād probably be insane. Though personally, Iād love to see him go all-out and create a legendary embarrassment. Iād tease him for the rest of time. Beybeh beybeh beybeh~.
āWeāve got the medal, so I guess itās time to head homeā¦ā
Still looking just a little embarrassed, Master activates the direct-return portal located at the checkpoint. Iām in a commanding position here. This is my moment. Victory is mine. And I must sayāit feels delightfully refreshing.
āWhat are you going to do once we get back? Practice a cooler pose and a dramatic catchphrase? Maybe go with, āOops, Iāve cut yet another worthless thingā? Cāmon, cāmon!ā
āLetās just get out of hereā¦ā
So tell me, how does it feel? Getting a cheat ability in another world, letting it go to your head, and busting out a finishing move in front of a bunch of girlsāhow does that feel? And then having a fellow Japanese person witness the whole thingāwhatās that like? I really want to know. Please tell me~
āOh my, whatās wrong, Master? Did trying to look cool only halfway through just make it even more embarrassing? Your face is bright red, you know~?ā
Masterās got some unexpectedly cute sides, doesnāt he? Heās always spouting cringey lines like āItās only borrowed powerā in full-blown chuunibyou mode, but then he pulls something half-baked like that. Thatās what happens! Today, Iām going to pugyaa him into oblivion!
āSenpai, youāre totally riding this high, huh.ā
āIs it really okay to be talking to Master like thatā¦?ā
āTell me how it feeeels, tell me how it feeeels~?ā
āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
Fufufu. With this, I wonāt be running out of teasing material for a long time.
āāADVENTURE RESULTāā
ćEXPć
MAX Combo 30 <<New Record!!
BATTLE TOTAL 30 <<New Record!!
āćSora Lv.15ć+30
āćLulu Lv.6ć
āćYuria Lv.0ć
āā
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Sora Lv.15 [156] ā Lv.18 [186] <<Level Up!!
Lulu Lv.6 [62] ā [63]
Yuria Lv.0 [0]
ćRECORDć
[MAX COMBO] >> 30
[MAX HIT] >> 30
ćPARTYć
[Shuya] Lv.38 HP 542/542 MP 830/830 [Enraged]
[Sora] Lv.8 HP -60/32 MP 0/140 [KO'd]
[Lulu] Lv.6 HP 422/422 MP 28/28 [Stable]
[Yuria] Lv.0 HP 440/440 MP 32/32 [Stable]
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ćCommentć
āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
āSo this is what they callĀ āstupidly adorableā. Impressive as always, Senpai.ā
ā(Yikesā¦)ā
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