Kays Translations

Chapter 23: The Fifth Floor

"Yes!"

"Fireball!"

My Poison Sword beheaded a goblin, and Celia's Fireball incinerated a slime.

In the fifth level of the dungeon, we were making good progress.

"Good job, Celia."

"Thank you, Leon-sama. You too."

"How's your magic power?"

"I'm fine. I still have plenty left."

It seems the MP boost equipment is doing its job well, as Celia still has plenty of MP. Increasing the maximum MP also boosts the amount of MP that regenerates over time. It's working out nicely.

The strength of the monsters wasn't posing a threat to us. We should be able to delve deeper into the dungeon.

As we go deeper into the dungeon, the enemies become stronger, but the rewards are greater. The quality of the drop items and the treasures found in chests improves.

Adventurers often strive to delve deeper into dungeons to bring back better items.

Some adventurers are said to live even more comfortably than local nobles.

Even though my allowance has been significantly reduced, I still receive it. However, since I've been cast aside by my family, it's uncertain how long that will continue. It's better to become financially independent.

With that in mind, I aim to strengthen both myself and Celia while earning money by delving deeper into the dungeon. But we face a trial we must overcome.

That is the boss room found every five levels.

"So, this is the room with the boss, huh?"

The large double doors before us made Celia’s voice tremble with unease. Her whole body was shaking slightly, and her face was a picture of seriousness. It seemed she was quite nervous about this.

Well, it’s understandable—this is Celia's first boss fight.

I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and I could feel her flinch slightly from the contact.

“Celia, don’t worry so much. It’s just three Hobgoblins. They might look a bit different from regular Goblins, but it’s only three of them. You don’t need to worry. I’m here with you.”

“Leon-sama… Yes!”

I could see the tension in Celia’s body easing a bit. It seemed my words had reassured her somewhat.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Yes…!”

I threw open the boss room doors with a decisive push.

The enemies were three Hobgoblins. I drew my swords from my hips and charged forward.

“Celia! Follow the plan!”

“Yes! Fire Lance!”

As I sprinted towards the Hobgoblins, Celia’s Fire Lance shot past me and pierced the belly of the Hobgoblin on the far right.

Boom!

In an instant, the Fire Lance exploded, obliterating the Hobgoblin into pieces. That was one down.

The remaining two Hobgoblins, ignoring the fate of their ally, charged towards Celia.

And standing in their way was me.

With a fierce resolve, I readied my stance, preparing to engage the incoming foes.

"Burn!"

As if responding to my murmur, the left Hobgoblin is engulfed in flames and crumbles away. Now, the remaining Hobgoblin is the one in the center with a club.

I'll defeat this one with sword techniques.

The Hobgoblin shows no signs of agitation despite its companion suddenly bursting into flames.

What are dungeon monsters, anyway?

When defeated, they disappear as smoke, so they’re probably not purely biological.

And I can’t read their emotions either.

Normally, wouldn’t you be disturbed if your companion suddenly burst into flames?

Their behavior is like that of a robot programmed to act in a certain way.

Well, I defeat monsters no matter what they are.

Thinking that, I sidestep left to avoid the Hobgoblin’s downward swing of the club.

"Dual Claws, Dual Fangs!"

Then, I slash the Hobgoblin with my twin swords and stab it with both blades.

It’s a combo of the dual-wielding skills ‘Dual Claws’ and ‘Dual Fangs.’

By twisting the swords I’ve driven into the Hobgoblin, I increase the damage, causing the Hobgoblin to shudder and vanish into white smoke. That makes three defeated. The battle is over.

"Haah..."

"Leon-sama! Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I’m fine."

"That’s a relief... I thought it was over when the Hobgoblin’s club came down..."

Celia let out a relieved sigh.

I thought I had avoided the attack with enough ease, but it seemed it looked dangerous to Celia.

Indeed, there are situations where the rear guard can only watch the front-line combat. For those watching, scenes where attacks that could cause serious injury are avoided can be quite nerve-wracking.

"I'm fine, Celia. Even if I got hit, I have potions, so it’s okay."

"That may be true, but... I still worry."

"Sorry about that. There’s no way around getting used to it. Anyway, look, a treasure chest! Let’s open it."

Celia and I stand in front of a large treasure chest.

"Celia, go ahead and open it."

"Yes...!"

When Celia opened the large treasure chest, inside was a magnificent spear adorned with luxurious decorations.

"Gungnir, huh..."

Not very strong. It’s a fake of the Holy Lance Gungnir. Since it’s a spear, we’ll sell it.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter