Prologue

Several days had passed since the fierce battle against the lord and his subordinates inside the dungeon. Afterward, Milène had taken us under her protection, and we’d spent a few days receiving treatment at the lord’s mansion. It had felt like ages since we’d slept on proper bedding. We’d even gotten some basic lessons on the dungeon, magical beasts, and magic itself.

But soon enough, we’d left the mansion and stepped back into the dungeon.

Honestly, I want more time to rest, but we don’t have that luxury. We’ve gotta conquer the dungeon before the curse gets us.

“Oh, I found a plant we can eat!” said Shiro.

“There’s some over here toooo.”

Shiro and Kuro were happily gathering plants. They’re certainly peppy, considering they nearly died. Maybe their hearts have grown stronger through our experiences in the dungeon.

“Gathering stuff’s fine, but don’t slack off on keeping watch,” I said.

“We know!”

“We got thiiis.”

We were deep enough in the dungeon that any sort of dangerous enemy could pop up out of nowhere. If a magical beast with stealth abilities showed up, we might not even notice it. Then again, the whole idea of trying to conquer this dungeon with just the three of us seemed incredibly reckless in the first place.

Milène had even tried to come with us until the very end. Geos, meanwhile, had been bedridden from the aftereffects of drawing out his magic sword’s power, the surviving subordinates of the lord couldn’t be trusted, and the civil officers were up to their necks in corruption.

Milène was the only one who was still healthy and could intervene with political matters. If she entered the dungeon, the town would plunge into chaos. At the very least, the knights and soldiers would resume their tyrannical behavior. Some might even start illegally hoarding wealth even more than before so they could skip town.

Well, we’d come this far as a trio, and there were secrets we had to keep, so it was easier being on our own.

“Is this where the needle was pointing?” I said.

“There’s something on the grooound.”

“I sense mana!” said Shiro.

“Oh? This is a teleportation circle for escape!”

Following the magical compass through the forest, we’d discovered a circular platform about five meters wide embedded in the ground. It was carved from pale stone and had a magic circle painted in green. It matched the description of the teleportation circle that Milène had told us about. Apparently, using it would let us escape the dungeon. It randomly appeared in a different location every day, which made it a hassle to find, but it was valuable insurance for us.

“Let’s try it once,” I said.

“O-Okay!”

“Is it saaafe?”

Shiro and Kuro looked uneasy, but when I stepped onto the circle, they joined me without hesitation. We were sticking together, no matter what happened. That was a given for them—and for me too.

I might have been their guardian, but I relied on them a lot as well, and they’d protect me just as much as I protected them.

Our surroundings shifted in an instant. It was a place I recognized.

“Isn’t this the sewer?”

“We’re at the entrance!” said Shiro.

“Whoa, teleportation is cooool.”

We had arrived at the sewer entrance we’d been using to access the dungeon. Just stepping onto the circle had taken us out and back to the exact spot we’d entered from.

It wasn’t the main entrance where soldiers checked everyone coming and going, which was a huge relief. Sure, Milène could probably get us in through the front now, but we’d risk being seen by soldiers and mercenaries. Since that would only draw unnecessary attention, it was better to stick with the sewer route like before.

I guess the only downside’s that it’s one-way? To return to the deep layer, we had to start from here again.

After a short break, we plunged back into the dungeon. I’d say it only took about half the time to reach the area with the teleportation circle again? We’d already gathered materials during our first exploration, so we just had to keep on trucking.

Still, after that, our pace slowed to a crawl.

“There’s some strong magical beasts roaming around,” I said.

“We don’t need ’em if we can’t eat ’em.”

“No golems, pleeease.”

“Well, it’s not like we can stop them from coming to us.”

“Too bad,” said Kuro.

“What a shame,” followed Shiro.

Just as Ares had warned, high-tier magical beasts kept appearing in the forest that was most likely the dungeon’s deep layer. We’d encountered three of them in just two hours—sadly, his warning had been spot-on.

We managed to defeat them without much trouble—the killer treants we knew how to handle, and the golems moved slow enough. But they’re not edible, so all we did was burn through our mana. Sure, defeating them lets us absorb some mana and grow stronger, but a tiny increase in our internal mana reserves isn’t enough to feel any real growth. It’s hard to stay motivated without a visible reward like food.

And then came our fourth encounter with a magical beast—a golem this time. It seemed like a hassle, so I’d wanted to just avoid it, but apparently it was a type that had high detection capabilities. It charged straight toward the thicket we were hiding in.

Its speed was impressive, so running away probably wasn’t an option. It might’ve been the same type as the metallic golem we’d fought before.

“I guess we’ve got no choice. Let’s do this.”

“Arf.”

“Myah!”

We used our magic to launch a preemptive strike. Blades of water, wind, and darkness flew toward the golem, striking it, but didn’t leave so much as a scratch. Rather than the golem just being tough, it looked like some strange force had deflected the attacks off its surface. It seemed to have high resistance to magic.

“Let’s hit it with something stronger!” I said.

“Understood!”

“Let’s do it.”

We each fired off intermediate spells. If this doesn’t work, we’ll be in serious trouble. Thankfully, the golem’s resistance wasn’t strong enough to block intermediate magic. Our spells landed hard, cracking the golem’s body. Its arm was torn off, one of its legs snapped, and its head exploded. The golem collapsed on the spot, completely motionless.

“Whew, we got it.” I was able to put the golem into storage; it had fully shut down.

“Myah!”

“Wuffu.”

Shiro and Kuro threw their arms up in celebration. I felt relieved too.

But the very next moment, I jumped in surprise.

“Huh?” a voice said. “There’s some kids here. Where’s the magical beast?”

“K-Kids? How?” replied another voice.

Two figures with black hair and dark eyes suddenly appeared. We’d been so focused on the golem battle that we hadn’t noticed them approaching. The same thing’s happened before, but I guess it’s just impossible to keep track of our surroundings during a battle with a strong enemy.

Besides, they seemed to have decent stealth skills. If they were right in front of me, I’d notice for sure, but if they were hiding a hundred meters away, no way I’d pick up on that.

They could probably mask their scent and sound too, but it didn’t seem like they’d been hiding their presence with ill intentions. Most likely, they’d been doing it to explore the dungeon safely. They looked just as surprised to see us as we were to see them.

Apparently, they’d heard the sounds of battle and come to check things out. Now they were tilting their heads, confused by the sight of three kids standing in a place marked by combat.

I kept up my act as an innocent child as I looked them over. It was a man and a woman, both with black hair and dark eyes, and facial features that seemed almost Japanese.

The young man was a delinquent, with a rooster-like pompadour; glaring sanpaku eyes, showing more of the whites than normal; and a half-open mouth that looked ready to spit out an intimidating “Huh?” His shoulders were puffed up with pointless aggression, and for no reason, he had his head tilted. There was no other way to describe him—he was a stereotypical Japanese delinquent.

If he’d been wearing a long coat embroidered with Chinese characters, he’d be the complete package, but his outfit was just standard light warrior gear. Still, his leather armor and stab-proof clothing were spotless, making him look like an amateur. They were clearly high-quality pieces, probably meant for professionals.

Maybe he’s some rich kid who started out with nice gear? He doesn’t look like a rich kid though... There was something about him that felt mismatched.

The same went for the girl standing listlessly behind him. She gave off a plain impression and had bangs that covered her eyes. Her slight hunch and the way she kept glancing at the delinquent’s face spoke of how timid she was.

She wore what looked like a witch’s hat and a black robe. They also looked like beginner equipment, but her mana was strong. Her gear was clearly of a higher rank than it appeared.

From where they stood about thirty meters away, the mismatched pair of black-haired, dark-eyed strangers watched us closely. They didn’t seem hostile, but they weren’t friendly either.

Well, seeing a group of kids in a place like this, the natural assumption would be that we were magical beasts in disguise.

Honestly, I don’t want to get involved with other mercs, so we better leave now while we still can.

They were just as wary of us, so our retreat went smoothly. The mismatched pair didn’t follow us, and we managed to get away clean.

“That guy had nasty eyes,” I said.

“He kept looking at us weird!”

“Creeeepy.”

“Yeah! Creepy!”

It was natural for them to stare at us—we were kids in the dungeon, after all. Sizing us up was to be expected. But the delinquent’s gaze seemed to carry something more: desire. Money, lust, violence—I didn’t know what he was thinking about, but it was definitely something beyond simple caution.

Shiro and Kuro must’ve sensed that emotion too. They frowned and started tearing into the delinquent.

“That hairstyle was weeeird.”

“Rooster-head!”

It’s called a pompadour. I didn’t think that hairstyle existed in this world. That black hair really made him look like a Japanese delinquent. Black hair and dark eyes are rare enough, but two people like that? They’re not reincarnators,are they?Well, as rare as they are, I guess it’s not impossible that two people with features like that paired up—it’s gotta be a coincidence. Apparently, several past heroes had had black hair and dark eyes, and their descendants sometimes inherited those traits, as well as their skin color.

Those heroes had to be reincarnators. I mean, the reason I ended up being reincarnated into this world in the first place was because I’d saved a kid who was destined to become a hero here. Maybe that hairstyle was a tradition passed down from past heroes? Either way, that flashy delinquent guy really stood out.

The girl, on the other hand, left almost no impression. Even overshadowed by that intense delinquent, her presence had been way too faint. She didn’t seem like she was following him, though...

An attention-grabbing delinquent warrior and a plain, forgettable magic girl. It wasn’t just their looks; their dynamic felt mismatched too.

“For now,” I said, “we should keep an eye on that delinquent.”

“Delinquent?” said Shiro.

“Dee-lin-quin?”

Oops, I guess they wouldn’t get that.

“How should I put it? Someone who rebels against their parents or teachers, or goes against authority...”

“A bad guy?” asked Shiro.

“Delinquents evil. Got it.”

“No, not exactly evil. More like, trying to act tough?”

They seemed perplexed.

Whoa! Total blank stares! But it’s not like I can give a good explanation. They’re not quite villains or criminals. Well, considering I was usually the victim of getting bullied by delinquents for money, I can’t really defend them. It’s too much of a hassle to explain, so for now, I’ll just label him a bad guy so they’ll keep their guard up.

“Y-Yeah. Delinquents are evil.”

“Roger that!”

“Okieee.”

To all the delinquent manga fans out there, I apologize. In our family, delinquents are now officially bad guys!

“If they attack, Kuro’ll beat them,” she declared.

“Not fair! Shiro will beat them!”

Kuro and Shiro didn’t seem scared of the pair at all, probably because they didn’t give off any sense of strength. They were unpleasant, sure, but not frightening.

“They did look weak, but you never know what they might have hidden up their sleeves. The girl was clearly a sorcerer. Best to avoid fighting them altogether.”

“Oh! You’re right!” said Shiro. “Then next time, we’ll spot them before they get close and run away!”

“Yeah. Kuro will find them.”

“No, Shiro will!”

Chapter 1: Enter Cheaters

Side Story: Ares

The town had gotten somewhat noisy. Right after the announcement of the lord’s death and the appointment of an acting lord, the number of knights and soldiers had dropped sharply. Even if the knights were corrupt and hated by the townsfolk, their presence had still acted as a deterrent, keeping angry citizens in check, cracking down on thug-like mercenaries, and holding back the underground organizations nesting in the slums and alleyways.

I hadn’t thought about any of that until Gailland pointed it out, but I suppose some of the unrest and crime had been held back by the mere presence of those knights. And once that deterrent was gone? Crime surged, and the town became pretty dangerous. It was already bad thanks to the heaven dragon incident, and this was just another nail in the coffin.

Even on the main streets, shady-looking people had started loitering around, people like drug dealers and vendors pushing illegal goods—the grunts of underground organizations.

“Ares,” said Gailland, “don’t stare at them too much. You don’t want to draw attention to yourself.”

“Oh, sorry, Gailland.”

Apparently, I’d been staring at some thugs. I could probably take a few of them in a fight, but if their entire organization came after me, I’d be done for. Poison slipped into my food, assassins striking me in my sleep—there was no way I could block it all.

“I wonder what happened to the knights.”

I’d heard that a bunch of knights and soldiers had been rushed to the healing clinic, and that a priest had been summoned to the lord’s mansion. There were so many casualties that the knight order had been all but wiped out.

“Beats me,” said Gailland. “Rumor is they went into the dungeon in droves... Beyond that, I don’t know. They banned mercs from entering while that was going on.”

“Maybe they tried to conquer the dungeon and failed?”

“That’d be my guess.”

Even as he said that, Gailland didn’t look convinced.

“Something bothering you?” I asked.

He paused for a moment before answering. “The name of the acting lord...”

“Geos, wasn’t it? He fought with us against the dragon. I don’t understand how a guy so strong can be so unmotivated.”

“Geos Swordias. The name’s famous with guys like me—he was the Sword Saint.”

“Sword Saint? Wait, that guy?”

“He was strong, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah. I couldn’t have taken down the dragon without him.”

Even in front of one of the highest-ranked creatures in this world, the knight clad in light armor had seemed uninterested as he quietly swung his sword. He’d looked so apathetic, he’d reminded me of a high schooler forced into an extra class before summer vacation.

And yet, his attacks were so sharp they sent chills down my spine. Even though I’d been turned into a sword master, I wouldn’t stand a chance against Geos in pure swordsmanship. That’s how refined and overwhelming his technique was.

He had to be a Sword Saint. No one could fight like that without being one. When I’d heard he was a former Sword Saint, I’d actually felt relieved. Even in a world of swords and magic, he was a special case. Knowing that monsters like him were few and far between made me feel a little better.

“Is he a problematic sort of individual?”

If he was a former Sword Saint, that meant he’d given up the title. Maybe he’d failed in battle, but I couldn’t imagine Geos being defeated. It made more sense that he’d been forced out due to some kind of scandal.

“I don’t know the details,” said Gailland, lowering his voice and cutting right to the chase. “Apparently, he was framed and exiled.”

It definitely wasn’t the kind of story you could talk about openly.

Geos had earned fame as a knight, but jealous nobles had set him up and pinned the blame for a lost battle on him. The kingdom had announced that his blunder had cost them the war, though mercenaries and honorable knights didn’t believe it at all.

“It’s clearly the kingdom that messed up. Think about it. How could Geos make a mistake in a battle he wasn’t even in?” said Gailland, practically spitting out the words in disgust. “Apparently, that whole ordeal left him bitter. For a while, people called him the ‘fallen Sword Saint,’ and rumors—true or not—spread like wildfire. I heard he lost all his drive and quit being a knight... Seems like he still hasn’t recovered.”

Gailland’s profile looked somber as he muttered that. Maybe he was a fan of Geos. When you’ve got a hero of that caliber in your generation—one you wouldn’t even dream of being compared to—admiration tends to outweigh rivalry. It’s like how kids on Earth looked up to athletes or martial artists. I had people I admired too.

So if someone like that had ended up broken and listless, playing the role of a rebel knight, of course it was disappointing.

“But if he accepted the role of acting lord,” I said, “maybe he’s starting to get his motivation back?”

“You think so?”

“After the battle with the dragon, I ran into Geos again. From how he acted, he didn’t seem like someone who’d take on a role like acting lord.”

That lazy laugh of his had made him seem like nothing more than a slacker knight. But maybe something had happened after that. Maybe he’d changed a little. Maybe the lord’s death had something to do with it.

That being said, with our status, we couldn’t meet the acting lord in person to see things for ourselves, or even call out to him on the street. If we happened to spot him somewhere, we might have a chance at talking with him, but someone like that probably didn’t just wander around town.

“Hmm, if only there was a way—”

“Hey! You there!” a voice called out.

Just as I was trying to think of a way to meet Geos, someone shouted from behind. I turned around and saw a man and woman staring straight at me. Apparently, I was the one being yelled at.

“They have dark hair and eyes,” said Gailland.

“Yes, they do.”

Just like Gailland said, both of them had black hair and dark eyes. He had probably pointed that out because that was rare in this world, and they might’ve been an acquaintance or family of mine. Aside from that boy I’d met in the dungeon, I hadn’t seen anyone else with those features.

But I didn’t know them. Then again, my reincarnation was more like a spontaneous mutation, since my parents didn’t have black hair or dark eyes.

“Do you need something?” I asked.

“Why else would I talk to you?” the delinquent said, arrogant.

That’s right, the guy in front of me was a full-on delinquent, with what they called a “pompadour.” His aggressive glare looked like he’d walked straight out of a manga. I was so thrown off I didn’t even get angry at his attitude. Honestly, mercenaries with this kind of attitude were everywhere, so I’d gotten used to it.

“You’re a cheater, aren’t you?” said the delinquent.

“Huh? What?”

“I said, you’re a cheater too, aren’t you?!”

What is he even talking about? Cheater?

I knew the word, at least when it came to players in games who use illegal tools or mess with data to gain an edge. But that would be the last thing I’d expect to hear in this world.

“Cheater? What do you mean?”

“Huh? You messin’ with me?”

It seemed my confusion ticked him off. He raised his voice like he was trying to intimidate me, but it was such a stereotypical delinquent move that I almost laughed.

“Um... Why do you think I’m a ‘cheater’?”

“Black hair, dark eyes, and that skin tone! You gotta be a cheater who used to be Japanese!”

“Used to be Japanese”! The moment I heard those words, I had to use every fiber of my being to keep a straight face.

These two must be reincarnators. If so, I think I get what they mean by “cheater.” He’s probably talking about something like those protagonists in web novels who get incredible abilities when they get reincarnated. He said that I was a cheater “too.” So are they also cheaters? But why use that word? Are they using it as a code to avoid saying “reincarnator”? Are they even reincarnators at all? I have a million questions, but asking too much might make them suspicious. Should I ask them something or play dumb and pretend I don’t know the word?

While I was debating my options, the black-haired girl finally spoke. She had a classic sorcerer look with her pointed witch’s hat.

“U-Um, is it okay to stand around talking like this?”

“Crap!” the man said. “You’re right! Let’s go!”

“Y-Yeah!”

It seemed like someone was after them. The delinquent bolted off, despite being the one who called out to me. No apology, no explanation. The girl bowed her head repeatedly as she apologized, her hat wobbling comically each time.

That took the edge off. If she’d done that on purpose, she was quite the strategist, but most likely, she was just a klutz.

Once the black-haired duo had disappeared, a group of men came from the opposite direction. They were thugs, the kind that were all too common in Erunst nowadays.

“Don’t let ’em get away!”

“Y-Yessir!”

“Find ’em!”

The guy who looked like the leader of the group was furious. They were probably chasing those two. I quickly pulled up my hood to hide my face. If they saw my black hair and dark eyes, they’d definitely have something to say to me.

“I’ll make those damn brats pay!”

How do you even make somebody that mad?

***

I’d taken the day off from dungeon exploration and headed into town for supplies. Milène had handed me some cash and even told me which stores I could shop at safely—no more sneaking around and getting chased down after being mistaken for a thief.

With Carolina stuck in bed thanks to the lord, someone had to handle the shopping or we’d run out of everything. Milène had been such a huge help.

Oh, it wasn’t like I was getting the money for free, though. I had her buy a bunch of magical beast materials I’d been stashing—of course, I’m sure she gave me a generous deal.

Shiro and Kuro were back at our hideout, training. That’s right, we were still living in the sewers. Milène had offered to let us stay at the lord’s old mansion, but Shiro and Kuro had refused. Apparently, the smells and sounds made it clear to them that it was the same place they’d been held captive in the past.

They also didn’t like having unfamiliar adults nearby. They were fine with Milène and Geos, but the mansion had too many strangers. That’s why living in town wasn’t really an option either.

Honestly, the sewer isn’t bad. It’s right next to the secret entrance to the dungeon, so for adventurers like us, it’s basically like living in a house that’s next door to the workplace. Still, I wish I could give Shiro and Kuro a better life.

“Let’s see, the shop Milène mentioned should be around here somewhere.”

Word was, crime was getting bad in town after the lord’s rampage had killed off a bunch of knights and soldiers. The atmosphere felt more tense than usual, but I barely knew what the town was like before, and to me, it’s always been a dump full of kidnappers and corrupt soldiers.

“Hey! Quit screwin’ around, you bastard!”

Whoa. Was I thinking too hard about the town’s safety? Because right on cue, something’s going down.

It sounded like a commotion just around the corner. A moment later, the crowd began to stir.

What to do? Charging headfirst into trouble is a pretty stupid move, but...

“Well, I can at least see what’s going on.”

I pushed against the flow of fleeing townsfolk and headed toward the noise. There, a full-blown fight was underway between some rough-looking men in ragged clothes.

Some sort of scuffle between thugs?

No, that wasn’t it. Looking past the nearby adults, I saw a man and woman being attacked by a group of men. It was two against ten, but five of the attackers had already been taken down, with only half of them remaining.

“Ah, crap, it’s those two.”

I recognized the man and woman: the duo with the black hair and dark eyes I’d run into in the dungeon.

The delinquent was punching out thugs left and right, knocking them out cold. It probably didn’t even take thirty seconds to drop the remaining five. This world was like something out of a fantasy story, but what the guy was doing was straight out of a delinquent manga.

“Take that, you weaklings!” he shouted, kicking the fallen men. “Ha! I’m a cheater! Chosen by a god! I’m on a whole different level from the people of this world!”

Huh? Cheater? That’s a weirdly Earth-sounding word. And he was talking about a god and “this world,” and he has black hair and dark eyes, which you rarely see around here. Is that delinquent a reincarnator? It wouldn’t be too surprising, considering Ares’s existence, but if he is, he’s the most stereotypical-looking reincarnator. It’s like a web novel cliché: the cocky character who causes a scene before meeting a horrible demise, all just to show how strong the protagonist is.

You’d think, with how many people read reincarnation stories back on Earth, they’d know that a reincarnator acting like a jerk is basically a death jinx. I mean, I’m not saying he’s definitely gonna die, but...

“Next time you show your face around me, that’ll be the end of you!”

Yikes, the fight’s over, and now the black-haired duo’s scanning the area. Probably checking for any other thugs. I’ll get spotted if I stick around. I’d rather not get dragged into whatever mess they’re stirring up. Luckily, I was able to slip away before they noticed me.

“Cheater, huh... What’s their deal?”

Their words left a weird feeling in my gut, but I went back to shopping. I can’t exactly go home just because I ran into a couple of weirdos.

I grabbed some stuff like salt, powdered herbs, and flour, and started heading back, only to be blocked by some guys in my path.

Kidnappers? It’s been a while. I guess I let my guard down. With the town’s security in the gutter, it’s no surprise there’s more creeps around.

They were definitely thugs, but they didn’t look like they were trying to snatch me.

“There he is!” said one of the men. “It’s gotta be him!”

“Huh?” said another. “Isn’t he a little too young?”

“You don’t find black hair and dark eyes just anywhere! He’s gotta be connected!”

“Quit yappin’! Just grab him and we can use him as a hostage!”

So they’d been looking for me—or rather, for someone with black hair and dark eyes. I thought back to that delinquent’s rampage earlier. The guys he was fighting were probably low-level grunts from some organization, just like the ones in front of me now.

“Kid, just come with—”

Fat chance! But I couldn’t go full magic mode in the middle of the street. I cast a light body enhancement spell—just enough to not draw any attention—and bolted. I wasn’t going to go down any alleyways, since they were sure to know the terrain better than I did. It was definitely better to use the crowd as obstacles and weave my way through.

“Get back here!”

“Dammit! Hold it, you little shit!”

Thankfully, this world was full of races where even kids have high physical abilities, so me sprinting at a speed that’d normally be impossible for a five-year-old didn’t raise any eyebrows. Although, if they thought I was some rare species, that could cause problems too.

I kept running. My destination was just ahead: the noble district. There wasn’t a proper entrance with a gate or anything, but the place was lined with the homes of low-class nobles, along with the lord’s mansion and other mansions that belonged to knights.

Even in a backwater town like Erunst, nobles are still doing their thing. Geos and Milène’s subordinates—baronets, knights, etc.—are technically nobles too. With the recent chaos, more soldiers have been posted at the noble district’s edge. Protecting nobles is more of a priority than protecting commoners—a classic feudal society. Even Geos and Milène, who seem like decent people, made that call, so that must be how things work here. Well, if something happened to the nobles, they might stop cooperating with Geos, so I suppose it makes sense.

I dashed past the soldiers and into the noble district. The thugs tried to follow, but the soldiers stopped them. They were there to maintain order; there was no way they were letting a bunch of angry lowlifes storm through.

It seemed even the thugs couldn’t act tough against soldiers. They pointed at me and shouted, but the guards didn’t budge.

Besides, Milène had given us official passes to enter the former lord’s mansion, which were effectively passes into the noble district too. There was no other way to reach the mansion anyway.

The guards already knew my face. Milène had introduced me personally, and a kid like me certainly left an impression. At this point, I could just breeze right through—well, I’ve only actually been here three times, though.

“Whew. That was close.”

Seriously though, what did those self-proclaimed cheaters do? A street fight wouldn’t trigger this kind of manhunt.

“Maybe I should avoid town for a while.”

Well, I’ve finished my supply run, and I was planning to hole up in the dungeon for a while anyway. Not a problem.

“I just hope that black-haired duo doesn’t drag me into anything else...”

***

A jinx? No idea what you’re talking about.I mean, sure, I did say I didn’t want to get involved with the black-haired duo. And yeah, I kinda thought, “Huh, that felt a bit like a jinx.”

But isn’t it triggering way too fast?

“It’s the black-haired duo,” said Shiro.

“It’s them agaaain.”

Yep. The day after I’d gotten chased by those thugs, we’d headed down into the dungeon, and there they were again: the black-haired duo. We should’ve just ignored them, but...

“Huh?” said the delinquent in an intimidating tone. “What are you lookin’ at, you little shits?”

Shiro and Kuro had been giving the delinquent a not-so-friendly stare. I’d told them while we were eating about how he was the reason I got attacked. I didn’t think they’d still remember the next day.

The delinquent glared back, and suddenly, we were hit by a wave of pressure. He hadn’t looked that strong before, but now, he felt like a real threat. Is this some kind of magic?

Shiro and Kuro flinched a little, but they must’ve psyched themselves up, thinking they couldn’t run away.

“Mya-myah!”

“Wuffu!”

“We’re not gonna lose to you, you villain!”

“Kuro’s not gonna lose to eeevil.”

They fired back with spirit. They were ready to fight because, in their minds, delinquents were villains. I’d told them that we’d run if we ever saw the black-haired duo again, but that advice clearly hadn’t stuck.

The delinquent tried to intimidate them some more, but Shiro and Kuro weren’t backing down.

“Huh? How the hell am I a villain?!”

“Everything about you!” said Shiro.

“Especially your head.”

“I guess you kiddos can’t see how sick my hair is!”

“Your hair got sick?”

“Sick as in cool! And what the hell makes you think I’m a villain?!”

Uh, everything? Not that I’m gonna say it out loud.

But what now? We totally missed our chance to just apologize and leave.

“Listen up!” he said. “I’m the protagonist! This world exists for me!”

Shiro and Kuro tilted their heads, perplexed.

I was probably cringing. I hadn’t expected to hear such a textbook gonna-die-soon reincarnator line—the kind someone who thinks the world they reincarnated into is a game, acts all arrogant thinking they’re the main character, and ends up meeting a horrible but well-deserved demise would say.

Naturally, Shiro and Kuro didn’t get what he’d meant, and they fired back again.

“It’s your fault Thor got attacked!” said Shiro.

“Apologiiize.”

“Attacked? Is that little twerp Thor?”

“That’s right!” said Shiro. “He was attacked all because he has black hair! You two must’ve done something!”

“Yeah, that’s riiight.”

I’d thought the guy would yell back, but instead, he crossed his arms and started thinking.

“The guys that attacked you, what were they like?”

“Thugs!” said Shiro.

“Hoodluuums.”

“Tch. So they’ll go after anyone who’s got black hair? They really are trash. I beat up a few of those idiots who were mugging people on the main street. They kept yapping about having some organization behind them—annoying bastards.”

He says it like it’s nothing, but did he really get into a fight with thugs in broad daylight? And they might’ve been part of some underground group?

“How could those morons think they even have a chance at beating me?! A bunch of ’em came chasin’ after me later. Those bugs don’t even have the guts to fight unless there’s enough of ’em to make a swarm! I didn’t feel like dealing with ’em all, though, so I bailed.”

He was bragging like it was some heroic tale—not one hint of regret or of mourning a failure.

I’m the one who got attacked because of that. Seriously, give me a break.

I could feel Shiro’s and Kuro’s anger rising. Right now, it probably just looked like a childish tantrum, but if they said anything more, they might actually provoke him.

I guess I should step in here.

“I understand you didn’t mean any harm,” I said. “Sorry these two came at you.”

The delinquent scoffed. “As long as you get it!”

“I wouldn’t want to trouble you any further, so we’ll be going.” I turned to the girls. “Come on, you two.”

“Myah.”

“Arf.”

At my words, Shiro and Kuro backed down. They’d finally seemed to remember our policy of not getting involved with this duo.

But the delinquent didn’t let us go that easily. Just as we turned to leave, he called out to us.

“Hey, hold up.”

“Can I help you?” I could hear the tension in my own voice as I answered.

“You’re not just a kid, are you?”

Well, I guess I gave myself away with that response. I’ll try to pass myself off as being from a race that matures slowly and has a high life expectancy, but...is he gonna get mad that I was pretending to be a kid?

But instead of getting angry, the delinquent smirked, stepping closer.

“So you’re one of us, huh?”

“One of us?”

“Don’t play dumb. You’re a cheater too, aren’t you?”

It looks like he suspects I’m on his side—or at least that we’re the same. He must’ve sensed that my mental age doesn’t match my appearance and decided I was reincarnated.

Now what?

I don’t want him thinking we’re on the same team, and I have no intention of admitting anything. But I don’t know what he means by “cheater.” Is he just talking about reincarnators or people who’ve been transported here? Or was he granted some kind of cheat-like superpower? If it’s a combat-focused ability, I definitely don’t want to make him an enemy. I’m guessing it’s best to keep things vague and try to gather information?

He doesn’t seem trustworthy at all, so telling him anything about ourselves is out of the question. Staying neutral and keeping things superficially friendly is probably the safest route.

At least, that was my plan...but his next words made me abandon any intention of being friendly with them.

“So, where’d you buy those slaves?”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Those slaves. They seem pretty obedient—they’re slaves, right? A slave harem in an isekai—I like your style.”

After seeing them calm down at my words, he’d assumed Shiro and Kuro were submissive toward me. Then he’d jumped to the conclusion that they were slaves.

He looked at us with a sleazy grin—one so repulsive it made me want to punch him.

“I’ve been looking for a slave merchant ever since I got here, but I haven’t found one. Come on, tell me where you got ’em.”

The delinquent didn’t stop there.

“If you’re not gonna tell me, then gimme one. I’ll take one off your hands.”

What? Give him Shiro or Kuro? What the hell is this bastard saying? Should I just kill him?

“Why you lookin’ at me like that?” he said.

Wow, I really wanna kill this scumbag right now, but I don’t know how strong he is. Better to play it cool—I so wanna kill him, though! But I can’t take on two unknowns at once!

I glanced at Shiro and Kuro, who were wearing the same grim expressions. That was enough for them to get the message. They quickly wiped the anger from their faces and fell silent.

“Uh, slave trading is illegal,” I said. “It’s a crime. And these two aren’t slaves.”

“Huh? Then why the hell are they listening to a twerp like you? Don’t lie to me. You’re one of us, aren’t you? Just tell me. Or does your cheat have something to do with it? Some kind of charm ability?”

Cheat... Cheat, huh?

That’s definitely been bugging me. Is it like my case, where knowledge and skills are input into your brain? Or is it something more, like being granted actual super powers? Depending on what it is, I absolutely can’t afford to make this guy an enemy. No matter how humiliating his words get, it’s still better than dying. That’s something I’ve learned in this world.

“What’s a ‘cheater’?” I asked.

“Don’t play dumb.”

“No, I seriously don’t know.”

“Liar. What kind of cheat did you get? A charm-type? Spill it.”

“I’m not lying. What does ‘cheat’ even mean? I really don’t know.”

It was getting harder to hide the irritation in my tone. The delinquent visibly flinched. It looked like his confidence was starting to crack.

“O-Only cheaters have black hair and dark eyes!”

Huh? He thought I was a reincarnator just because of that? Sure, it’s rare, but it’s not unheard of. I mean, I’ve only met Ares so far, but still.

I can’t just say “Yeah, you’re right,” though.

“I think there’s plenty of people with black hair and dark eyes,” I said.

“What? I’ve never seen one!”

“There’s a story that a hero had black hair and dark eyes. If that hero had descendants, they might’ve inherited those traits.”

“H-Hero?”

“Yes.”

Upon hearing that, the delinquent started muttering to himself.

“Hero? That’s gotta be a cheater. So there was someone in the past who pulled a hero move? And had descendants? Heroes get lots of chicks for sure, so it wouldn’t be weird for one to have a bunch of kids.”

He’s ignoring the fact that he was trying to buy slaves and accusing the hero of being a ladies’ man.

“Um, like I asked you before, what is this ‘cheater’ thing? I’ve been lost this whole time.”

“Tch! A cheater’s a special human, reincarnated from another world, who was specially granted powers by a god!”

“Granted powers? Like using magic?”

“Not something stupid like that! I’m talkin’ about special skills of the gods!”

He explained it pretty easily. Well, he does seem desperate for validation. But that look on his face when he keeps saying “special” makes me wanna punch him! Whatever. I guess I’ll flatter him and squeeze out as much info as I can.

“Special skills, you say?”

“We cheaters are given three cheat skills! If you only get one, it’s super strong. If you get three, they’re decent but balanced.”

“So do you mean like, being good with a sword, knowing lots of magic, or having sharp eyesight?”

In my case, I had knowledge and skills that already existed in this world directly implanted into my brain. It’s a cheat, sure, but it’s more abstract than something like “skills” in a game. So it’s different?

“Fine! I’ll tell you my cheat skill!”

He’s a jerk, but it’s almost a blessing how easy it is to manipulate him. He just keeps answering my questions.

The girl who was with him looked like she wanted to stop him but didn’t have the courage to speak up. She just kept glancing at me nervously.

“A cheat is something unfair! Like so strong it’s unfair! And special!”

“O-Oh, is it?”

“Hey, you think I’m cool, right? You do, don’t you?”

Where’d that come from? I definitely don’t think you’re cool, but I’ll play along.

“Y-Yeah. Especially your hair. It suits you.”

It looks like a rooster and suits your dumb face!

“Right?! Yeah, you got good taste!”

He’s way too easy! Wait, does he actually believe me? Hasn’t he ever heard of doubting someone?

The girl’s looking at me like, “Is this guy serious?” She seems to think I’m genuinely complimenting him too.

“You’re not lying, right?” said the delinquent.

“N-No, I’m not lying.”

“So, are you a cheater?”

“I’m not.”

The delinquent fell silent for a moment. “Damn.”

His eyes widened in shock. The girl followed a beat later and put on a surprised expression herself.

It’s weird how they keep taking me at my word. I thought he was just easy to manipulate, but maybe there’s more to it? It’s honestly too strange. For some reason, he seems to have complete faith that what I’m saying is the truth. Does he have some sort of lie-detection ability? But if that’s the case, it makes no sense that it’s not working on me. Could it be that, deep down, I actually think he’s cool?

Absolutely not. Ever since he demanded I hand over Shiro and Kuro, I’ve felt nothing but disgust toward him—there’s just no way I could think he’s cool.

“S-So you understand now that I’m not one of those cheaters?” I said.

“Yeah!”

“But why the sudden change? Does it have something to do with your cheat?”

“Exactly! My cheat’s called ‘Constant Vigilance’! If someone weaker than me has hostile intent or lies to me, I can tell!”

I see. That explains why his cheat doesn’t work on me. He must assume I’m weaker than him—but he’s wrong. Since we’re both reincarnators, I figured he’d at least treat me as an equal, even if not as someone stronger. If that’s the case, his cheat skill shouldn’t activate. But thanks to my childlike appearance, he’s already lowered his guard and hasn’t realized his cheat isn’t working.

Considering all that, this Constant Vigilance ability’s kind of flawed. It’s definitely a cheat if you’re doing business or gambling with some commoner below you, but...if you’re up against someone like me—who looks weak but isn’t—it could lead to fatal misjudgments. Honestly, the name fits a little too well. It’s ironic; he’s the one who needs to have “constant vigilance.”

Well, I don’t even know if his explanation is legit, but judging by how flustered the girl looks, it probably is. She probably never imagined he’d be dumb enough to just spill everything.

“So, earlier you said you got special powers from a god,” I said, “but you haven’t conquered a dungeon, have you?”

“Nope! We used to live in a different world.”

So he was a reincarnator.

“And we died in accidents and stuff and were brought to this world by the god.”

“Did you meet the god in person to receive their blessing?”

“That’s right!”

He said it proudly. Apparently, the god that reincarnated him wasn’t the Indeed-Missy I’d met but some old sage-looking grandpa god. In return, the delinquent had been given cheat powers and told to conquer dungeons.

Unlike me, he actually had a mission.

Cheat skills, a mission... He’s way more of a protagonist-type reincarnator than I am.

“You’re like heroes...”

“Now you’re talkin’! That’s right! We’re heroes!”

“R-Right...”

He’s not just easy to flatter—he believes everything I say because he’s convinced I’m not lying.

By the way, the delinquent’s name was Black Dragon Godlord, and the girl was Machina; they’d picked the names themselves.

The guy’s name, though... It’s so him. Once he gets older in this world, he’s gonna be mortified. But hey, he seems proud of it, so whatever.

They said they were sent here about a month ago. Since they just appeared out of nowhere, I thought maybe it was teleportation, but if they died and got new bodies, then I guess you’d call it reincarnation?

“Black hair’s lame,” said Black Dragon Godlord, “but there’s no way to dye it here.”

“Dye it?”

I acted like I didn’t know what that meant, trying to sound like a local. He looked at me with even more condescension than I’d expected.

“Ha! So this backwater culture doesn’t even have hair dye? Lame! Real men go red! Back in my world, I dyed my hair blazing red!”

A red pompadour? Are you trying to become a rooster?

“Are there other cheaters besides you two?” I asked.

“You bet! According to the god, dozens of us have been sent here already.”

Seriously?! There’s dozens of people with weird cheat powers like these two? Considering this dirtbag got reincarnated, personality clearly isn’t part of the selection criteria. There could be even worse scumbags out there with terrifying abilities—like that charm power he mentioned. If I see someone with black hair and dark eyes, I better be careful. The minute we see one, we’re booking it.

“H-Hey, let’s go already,” the girl whispered, tugging on the delinquent’s sleeve. She must’ve thought it’d be a liability to give away more intel.

“Huh? Oh, right.” He turned to me. “You said you got attacked because of me, right? My bad.”

“What? Uh, sure...” An apology was the last thing I was expecting!

So he’s a jerk, but not some evil crook? Maybe just a bit unhinged and full of himself? That alone’s a good enough reason to not get involved with him, but as long as we stay polite, he probably won’t try to kill us out of nowhere. I’m just glad we were able to avoid any further conflict here.

We gave a quick bow and left the area. They didn’t follow us, and we managed to get away clean. Or so I’d thought—

“Myah...”

“Arf...”

“Hmm...”

As we walked in the deep layer, I glanced back. No one was there, but I could definitely feel someone’s presence. Well, not just someone—the black-haired duo.

No matter how fast or slow we walked, whether we zigzagged or stopped for a fake break, they kept tailing us at a fixed distance. I didn’t sense any hostility or malice, but they were definitely stalking us. What are they after? Whenever we entered combat, their presence would waver slightly. Were they trying to steal our kills?

They kept inching toward us, and after about thirty minutes, I couldn’t take it anymore. They were only ten meters behind us now, and I could clearly see them.

“Excuse me! Do you need something?”

“H-Huh?” said the delinquent. “What are you talkin’ about?”

“You’ve been following us this whole time, right? Doesn’t that mean you need something?”

“N-No! I don’t need anything! We’re just heading the same way, that’s all!”

Oh come on, does he really think that excuse’s gonna fly? Now he’s whistling and looking off in a random direction. What is this, a retro sitcom?!

“Well then, we’re gonna take a little break here,” I said. “Feel free to go on ahead.”

“C-Cool.” He then turned to his partner. “Hey, let’s go.”

“Okay.”

The black-haired duo strutted past us. The delinquent puffed out his chest like he was some kind of big shot, while the girl kept bowing.

We waited a bit, long enough that I couldn’t sense them anymore.

But Shiro and Kuro weren’t fooled.

“They’re watching us.”

“They’re still not giving uuup.”

“Figures.”

They’d stopped about a hundred meters ahead, clearly trying to spy on us from the shadows.

I thought for a brief moment. “Let’s head back the way we came.”

“A-okay.”

“Got it.”

We turned around and started walking back. And as if on cue, they turned around too.

They’re totally stalking us!

“What do we do?” said Shiro.

“Run for it?” suggested Kuro.

“Yeah,” I said. “Let’s run and lose them!”

We kicked on our body enhancements and bolted. But the self-proclaimed cheaters weren’t just talk—they kept up without breaking a sweat.

I still didn’t know how strong they were, but one thing was clear: They weren’t pushovers.

“So much for outrunning— Huh?”

Just then, I sensed a magical beast up ahead—one with strong mana too.

“We screwed up!” I said.

In all the chaos of trying to shake those two, we’d let our presence leak. The beast had definitely noticed us. Its presence was closing in fast.

Fight or flee? As I weighed our options, a terrible idea popped into my head.

What if we lure the beast toward the black-haired duo and let it go after them? No, aggro dumping on someone like that is not cool. And with a beast this strong, it’d basically be attempted murder. Yeah, I don’t like them, but that’s going too far...

“They’re moving too!” said Shiro.

“They’re coming heeere.”

“What?”

Sure enough, the black-haired duo had started running toward us, just like the beast.

Are they trying to pull a pincer maneuver on us?

“This way!” I said. “We can’t let them sandwich us in!”

With the beast charging from the north and the duo from the south, we veered west. Both parties adjusted their course to follow.

Now it’s less of a pincer attack and more of a three-way battle. We can’t keep running like this because we might drag other mercs or monsters into this mess.

We slowed down and started prepping for a fight. Luckily, we’d found a good spot—a dense patch where the trees and underbrush were thick, even for the forest. The beast would have to slow down here.

If things went as expected, the beast would reach us first, with the black-haired duo following behind. In a way, we’d be sandwiching the beast between us and them.

“Let’s see how the black-haired duo plays this,” I said.

While prepping our defensive spells, we kept an eye on their movements. We’d already located an escape teleportation circle nearby, so if things got bad, we could blast our way through with magic and make a run for it.

Once we reach the circle, we’ll be home free.

“M-Myah!”

“Wuffu.”

Shiro and Kuro were fired up, flaring their mana.

And then, after just ten seconds or so, the magical beast appeared.

It was a massive, six-legged creature. Its body looked like an anteater’s, but its head was like a furry mantis’s. It stared us down with four compound eyes, red and bulging like an insect’s.

It was called a bloodsucker tongue. Its tongue was long, like a frog’s, and strong enough to whip around like a weapon; it used the spear-like tip to stab prey and drain their blood.

While a bloodsucker tongue looked like a mammal, it was actually an undead-type—a corpse of a magical beast that had gained a new life through a curse. It was the kind of thing you’d never find in the wild, but rather in a special place like a dungeon. And because it fed on blood, its body was full of viruses. Naturally, it wasn’t edible—even if you purified it, the meat would still be rotten.

The only reason I knew all this was because the bloodsucker tongue’s mana stone had decay-type mana, which could be used in magic for aging meat. That’s why the knowledge had been put in my brain.

Killing it’s not gonna get us food, so I feel like we should just run.

But just as the beast showed up, the black-haired duo appeared behind it.

“Hold it!” the delinquent said, hurling something at the beast.

It must have been a big rock. It hit with a loud thud, making the bloodsucker tongue stagger. The delinquent must’ve had high physical enhancement abilities.

But why attack now? If he wanted to swoop in and steal the kill, it’d make more sense to wait until we were already fighting.

While I was still trying to figure out what the delinquent was going for with that attack, the bloodsucker tongue shifted its gaze back toward the duo.

It had decided to take them out first.

At the same time, the delinquent turned to look at us. Is he signaling for us to attack from behind? No. That wasn’t it.

“We got this!” he said. “You go on ahead!”

“Huh?”

“Go! Don’t worry about us!” he shouted, grinning fearlessly.

He’s trying to act all heroic, but yeah, I’m not feeling it. They must’ve been tailing us all this time for this exact moment. His smug expression’s perfect for the wannabe protagonist. I bet he doesn’t have the slightest clue that we’re standing here thinking how cringeworthy it is. Maybe this is his way of apologizing for the whole thug attack thing?

I glanced at the girl beside him. Her shoulders were slumped, and she looked unsure of how to handle the situation. She was definitely getting dragged along for the ride.

“Let’s go,” I said.

“Okaaay.”

“Off we go.”

Kuro and Shiro have the same blank expression as me—totally unmoved. I can’t blame them though. Honestly, they look bummed that their prey was stolen.

“Machina!” said the delinquent. “Use poison!”

“O-On it!”

Wait, she’s a poison user? Yeah, now I really don’t wanna make enemies of those two. A delinquent with high physical stats and a girl in the rear guard using poison—maybe they’re actually a well-balanced team.

“Let’s just head back for today.”

“Huuuh?”

“Head back?” said Shiro.

“It’ll be a pain if we run into them again. Let’s switch to gathering stuff in the middle layer.”

“Got it,” said Shiro.

“Boo.”

I’m just as disappointed as you are, but from now on, we should keep an eye out for those two and avoid them as much as possible. They’re not evil, sure, but they’re nothing but trouble.

Chapter 2: The Black Magical Beast, Once Again

Side Story: Ares

I ran into those kids again—the party of the small boy and two girls. Wait, can I even call them a party? It’s not like they’re mercenaries.

I’m curious about them. Actually, I can’t get them out of my head.

At first, I thought I was just worried about them, which I am, of course. Kids that young fighting in the deep layer is just too reckless. But they seem stronger than I gave them credit for. I can tell by the way they move. Sounds like something a master would say, right? Well, I kind of am one now. Not through training—it’s just what the god did for me. The swordsmanship theory the god installed in my brain when I was reincarnated automatically made me a master. Apparently, being a master means you have a keen eye too. I can judge one’s level of swordsmanship just by their posture or subtle movement; I don’t even need to see them swing a sword.

I used to know nothing about swords, but now I catch myself sizing up mercs and thinking, “That one’s good.” It’s almost funny.

From what I can see, those kids are amateurs. They’ve trained a bit, sure, but they’re barely above rookie merc level. Still, they’ve got some strong mana hidden inside them. They can use magic, that’s for sure—there’s no way they could’ve made it this far otherwise. Their martial arts skills are basic, but their mana surpasses that of most sorcerers. Plus, the girls are both rare races of beastfolk. I doubt they’re bait slaves like some scummy mercs use... I can’t figure out their background at all.

I just couldn’t stop thinking about what they were.

But I think it’s more than curiosity. I don’t even understand it myself, but I just can’t get them out of my head.

Especially the black-haired boy. It’s not just because we have the same hair color. Whenever I see him, I can’t look away. Something stirs inside me—a strange, hazy feeling.

I couldn’t even tell if this feeling was goodwill or malice.

It’s just an endless curiosity I have for him. But why?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer. So I decided to observe them. But that turned out to be harder than I’d expected.

They were sharper than I’d thought. Even from a distance, they sensed me. Beastfolk must have incredible hearing and smell. I got spotted and ditched more than once. Eventually, I figured out I could tail them if I was far enough that I couldn’t hear them...but then I couldn’t really tell what they were doing. I did confirm they used magic—I’d expected that they’d all be sorcerers.

Is there even any meaning to what I’m doing?

As I pondered the reason behind my own actions, one day, I ran into the children in the most unexpected place. I was genuinely shocked—I hadn’t thought they’d venture that deep.

It was an area in the deep layer filled with extremely strong magical beasts. I’d never seen another mercenary there, and even the ones from Erunst didn’t seem to know about it, but not because it was hidden. My guess was that anyone who’d made it that far got killed. That’s how suddenly the levels of the beasts spiked.

But that probably meant there was a good chance it was the correct path forward.

Seeing those kids step into such a deadly zone... Even though mercenaries act at their own risk, I felt like I should stop them. But after all, I was just a stranger. I had no right. In the end, all I could do was watch from the shadows.

I told myself I’d step in if things got too—

Then it happened. That must have been what true shock feels like.

The kids took down a vicious hard shell bug like it was nothing, like they knew exactly how to kill it.

But that wasn’t the most surprising part.

It was the boy’s mana.

“That mana...”

It seemed to contain dragon power—very similar to the heaven dragon, as a matter of fact.

Was it just my imagination? But that was...

Still confused, I kept tailing them.

They were alarmingly strong. They wiped out a killer treant in an instant, then did the same to a swarm of paralyze eyes, all without so much as a scratch. It was hard to believe how strong they were, but it made sense. I could feel dragon mana from them, and it was definitely the same kind as the heaven dragon.

Especially from the black-haired boy. When he breathed fire like a dragon, all my suspicions were confirmed. That mana that had swelled inside him and erupted from his throat was just like the heaven dragon’s breath.

But why those kids?

I kept watching, slowly growing more and more frustrated with them. They defeated ferocious monsters and laughed together. They would high-five each other in celebration.

They were reveling in the happiness we’d lost.

“Can I really let this go?”

Of course not. My teammates lost their lives bringing down the heaven dragon... They’ll never smile at me again.

You guys stole the heaven dragon’s power from us—no, did those kids really take the heaven dragon’s core? But there’s no doubt they’ve gained its power. I can clearly feel the core’s power too.

“There’s no other explanation. They must’ve stolen it.”

Yeah... They stole it! The reward we risked our lives for!

But can you really obtain the heaven dragon’s power just because you have the core? Or is there some special method? No... There’s no way those kids could—

“But who else could it be?”

No, that can’t...be true.

“No, it can be true.”

Can it? But...

Ugh, my thoughts are a mess. It’s like a black shadow is swallowing my whole body.

“Uh...”

“It makes me livid! Seeing those kids all happy!”

That’s...

“I wanna destroy their happiness! They have something I don’t! I wanna rip it into shreds!”

Yeah... I’ve worked so hard. No way those damn thieves should be happier than me!

Don’t laugh like that! Stop looking all happy!

You’re supposed to be beneath me! If not, then everything’s wrong!

No, this is bad. I can’t take it anymore. Even my heart is being swallowed by this ugly, black shadow.

“Aaaagggghhhh!”

What are you thieves laughing about?!

Why are you smiling so happily?!

You twerps...don’t deserve...to be happy!

“Gggaaahhhh!”

***

It had been a few days since our run-in with the black-haired duo in the dungeon. Now, we were facing a powerful magical beast in the deep layer. It had strong mana and was clearly on a higher tier than anything we’d fought before.

“What the hell is this thing?!” I said.

“It’s huge!”

“It shtinks.”

The massive four-legged creature before us howled.

At first, the clearing we were in had looked empty except for a large tree... But then the ground at the tree’s roots split open, and out from underneath it crawled a gigantic monster that resembled a tortoise, except its skin and shell looked like they were made of wood.

No—its shell really was timber, something like oak with branches jutting out here and there, leaves sprouting thickly. Its limbs looked like whole trees grafted onto its body. A tortoise whose shell sprouted a giant sawtooth oak, its entire body woven together from wood—that was the monster that had appeared before us.

At the same time, it released such a stench that Kuro had pinched her nose shut, her eyes watering. It was a sickly sweet fragrance, like the smell of fruit just before it rots. One could say it was a pleasant smell, but at this intensity, it was nauseating—especially for Kuro’s sharp nose.

“That’s a tortoise treant!” I said. “It’s an even higher-tier monster than a killer treant!”

Older tortoise treants bore fruit at the tips of their branches. Those fruits were rare ingredients used in sacred potions, and they were supposedly so delicious that a single bite could leave you addicted.

This one’s still young, so no fruit yet. Maybe that’s for the best—something so dangerously tasty’s better left out of reach. Otherwise, I’d be tempted to try it.

A tortoise treant lured prey with its sweet scent, then ensnared them with vines hidden inside its shell and devoured them. Because of that, its main body moved slowly, and it rarely attacked on its own.

Despite clearly being aware of us, the tortoise treant before us made no move to approach.

“Shiro,” I said, “don’t get too close!”

“Myah!”

“Kuro, use your fire!”

“Okieee.”

Its weakness was fire, though it burned less easily than ordinary treants and didn’t thrash about. Another weak point was the root tuber hidden inside its shell. With normal treants, their weakness was exposed behind the face on their trunk, but this kind kept it well protected.

The monster, towering over five meters tall, let out a rumbling growl that seemed to shake the earth itself.

Being a treant, its eye sockets were empty—nothing but deep cavities. Yet they weren’t lifeless voids. From within the tortoise treant radiated an overwhelming presence. It reminded me of the time we’d faced the hell chimera. Its power level was probably about the same.

It wasn’t edible, and we could try to avoid it. But there was a problem: This tortoise treant wasn’t just any monster. From what I could see, embedded at the base of the sawtooth oak growing from its shell was a treasure chest.

That’s clearly a special treasure chest. It’s gotta be a key to conquering the dungeon. Ignoring it’s not an option.

“Shiro, Kuro, that thing regenerates fast. If we just chip away at it, it’ll heal right back up. So we go in aiming to finish it from the start. You can use dragon power too.”

“Got it!” said Shiro.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’ll give you all the snacks you want. Use about half your mana if you need to.”

“Okay,” said Kuro.

If it’s not gonna move, then we’ll hit it with everything we’ve got. Using dragon power will leave us drained and hungry, and it’ll slow us down too, but we can’t beat that thing without taking risks.

It was dangerous to burn ourselves out completely here, but the best outcome would be to kill it before suffering a counterattack.

“Haaaah!”

“M-Myah!”

“Wuffu.”

We concentrated our mana, chanted, and prepared the strongest spells we could muster. Then, once we reached a position where its flank was exposed, we struck all at once.

“Wind!” said Shiro. “Spear of wind that pierces all! Roar and gouge the enemy! Wind Spear!”

“Burn and destroy!” said Kuro. “Flame Shock!”

Shiro’s Wind Spear struck the tortoise treant first, hitting it square in its side—Kuro cast her spell at the same time, but wind spells are the fastest. The spear spun like a drill, exploding into a blast of wind with a thunderous crack. Even though it was packed with mana and pierced and exploded, the attack had been far from fatal. The wooden shell was gouged open, leaving behind a crater, but that was all. The spear hadn’t reached inside.

Then, just a moment later, Kuro’s Flame Shock slammed in. Her spell focused on impact rather than penetration. The result: A mass of fire was driven into the hole Shiro had carved, then exploded.

The booming blast rattled our stomachs. Flames burst outward, the tortoise treant screaming alongside the dull explosion.

Their combined attack had shattered the treant’s shell, opening a hole large enough for a person to pass through.

“Pierce and freeze!” I chanted. “Ice Spear!”

Before the beast could even think about fleeing, the third strike flew in: an Ice Spear. Even I had to admit that the timing was perfect.

Normally, water and ice attacks don’t work well against treant-type monsters, but the tortoise treant was different. The plants that made up its body must have been weak to cold; ice-type magic was a secondary weakness right after fire.

The Ice Spear, packed with dragon power, had struck true. From within the hole, shards of ice scattered outward. The wound froze over, halting its regeneration, and the gap showed no sign of closing.

The beast let out a guttural roar.

“Fall back!” I said.

“Myah!”

“Arf.”

As the tortoise treant let out its death cry, countless vines burst from its shell, thrashing wildly. Is this its final struggle? Well then, let me finish you off!

“Gaaahhhhhh!”

The flame I spit out flew into the hole in its shell. Red light leaked from the gaps between the plants making up its body as it was roasted alive from the inside, black smoke billowing upward.

The monster’s roar began to die down, and after about ten seconds or so, it eventually stopped moving. What remained was a strange sight, like a giant, deformed tree that resembled a tortoise.

At the same time, its shell shattered, and the treasure chest embedded within fell free. With no chance for us to catch it, the chest hit the ground, the impact forcing it open.

I jerked, the nightmare of white mist flashing through my mind. But this chest seemed to hold no trap—nothing happened.

“Let’s check inside. Be careful.”

“A-okay.”

“Okie.”

The three of us approached cautiously to find a green crystal had rolled out. It resembled the red crystal we had taken from the named skeleton, the one we had used to obtain the compass.

I’d figured it wasn’t just an ordinary chest. I picked up the crystal, examining its shape.

“Could this be a new key item?”

“Thor, we did it!” said Shiro.

“We can move forward again?”

“Yeah, I’m su—”

“Uuuooooohhh!”

Huh? What was that? A magical beast?

What’s this black shado—?

“Ooooohhh!”

What stood before us was an eerie humanoid magical beast, its entire body shrouded in darkness. It wasn’t a perfect human shape—there was a tail, and something like horns. No—ears, maybe? Is it imitating a beastfolk?

The hostility it radiated stirred within me memories of a past foe, and it seemed the same went for Shiro and Kuro.

“Myah! I remember...!”

“Arf. The black one...!”

Shiro pressed lightly against the leather eye patch covering her left eye, while Kuro gripped her bandaged right arm. I found myself unconsciously rubbing my throat.

Beyond that, none of us could move. The fear from that time had taken over, but even knowing that, we stayed frozen in place. A painful memory welled up from within us: the black nemesis that had taken our bodies and carved its curse upon us—dungeon malice.

The monster before us looked almost identical. The darkness cloaking it, the repulsiveness, the crushing pressure—it was all the same.

There were differences, though. The dungeon malice that had nearly killed us had a female form. Of course, I couldn’t really say whether such a being truly had gender. This one, however, appeared male. And its behavior was different too.

“Oooohhh... Oooohhh!”

For some reason, it was clutching its head in both hands, unmoving, like it was in pain.

Its mana also felt different. Dungeon malice had radiated a dark, dreadful power that instilled despair at a glance. It was so full of malice there couldn’t have been another name for it besides dungeon malice.

But this monster radiated a stronger emotion. It was clearly angry—deeply enraged—but it didn’t instill the same despair. Instead, it was the fear and intimidation of being struck by raw fury.

“Oooohhhh! Give it back!”

Give it back? Does it want something? What could it want?

But with that, I was certain. This was not dungeon malice. Similar, yes, but not the same foe. And once I realized that, my body began to move again, and I managed to dodge its first strike.

“Oooohhhh!”

“Gah!” No, I couldn’t dodge it completely!

The long-range attack it had hurled resembled Darkness Blade and had been far faster than I could have imagined. I did manage to avoid a direct hit, though. It got my left shoulder pretty good, but that’s it!

I healed the wound with magic while preparing to strike back. Even if this were a different individual, it seemed to be of the same kind as dungeon malice. Victory against it at full strength would have been uncertain, and now, I was already worn down from the previous fight.

Then I’ll draw its attention to myself and give Kuro and Shiro a chance to get away. I’ll find a way to escape after that! That was the only way I could see us surviving.

“Here’s a little something for ya!”

I unleashed black flames—making sure to infuse it with the dragon power I didn’t have back then.

“Oooohhh.”

It doesn’t have time to react. This will hit!

I was certain, but my bullet of black flame was blown away the instant it touched the darkness surrounding the beast, bursting apart into nothing. So it wasn’t that it couldn’t react—it didn’t need to! At the same moment, I was struck by its counterattack.

I shrieked in pain. My Wind Barrier had been useless. The spear of darkness had torn through my defenses and pierced my torso.

My stomach’s burning...! I pressed my hand against the hole in my abdomen, but of course, that did nothing. An excruciating pain bit into me from inside. I’m actually pretty calm. Is it because I’ve grown used to injuries like this? Or is it the adrenaline?

“Myaaaaahhh! Thor, I’ll save you!”

“Awooo! Diiiiie!”

Shiro and Kuro, faced with the pitch-black monster that had triggered their trauma, had lost themselves completely and fired off their magic in a fit of rage.

Stop! Just run! I wanted to shout, but no voice came out. I’d been using holy magic, but I was far from fully recovered.

“Oooooohhh!”

Shiro’s and Kuro’s attacks were blocked by the darkness cloaking the beast and dealt no damage. But the girls showed no signs of intending to retreat!

“Myaaa!”

“Grrrr!”

They both looked at me, their eyes burning with their resolve to never abandon me.

Damn it...! Please, run!

They’re gonna... And it’s all my fault!

“Myaaaaaahhh!”

“Awooooooooo!”

Right before my eyes, the two of them hurled themselves forward with reckless abandon. Kuro charged head-on, her dragon arm wrapped in a black shimmer that resembled the same kind of darkness cloaking the monster itself. It was burning darkness, glowing and flickering red at the tip.

This darkness which she had never been able to reproduce was now flowing from her unconsciously. Rage must have driven Kuro past her limits. The second time she’d managed to wield it had been under the same surge of emotion.

“Mya-mya-myaaaahhh!”

The instant Kuro slammed her darkness-clad arm into the beast, a flash of white light burst behind it. Shiro had already slipped around unnoticed, thrusting forward her short sword wrapped in a brilliant light. She, too, had crossed her limits.

The brilliance wasn’t just the blade—it was shining wind. As a matter of fact, it didn’t cover just the sword—Shiro’s entire body was glowing. Her incredible speed was clearly born of that power.

She wasn’t merely re-creating the strange force; to a certain extent, she was controlling it. Wow, I’m genuinely impressed... But I saw that the monster had reacted slightly. It might dodge the attack...

There’s no way I’m gonna let their all-out attacks go to waste! The least I can do is bind its legs...!

My earth magic surged, and the ground coiled tightly around the monster’s feet. You’re stayin’ right where you are!

“Grrrrr!”

“Myaaaahhh!”

“Ooooohhh!”

Kuro’s dragon arm, wrapped in burning darkness, and Shiro’s strike, cloaked in shining wind, crashed in from front and back, trapping the monster between them. It had no way to flee and took the full force of their assault. Darkness and light clashed, repelling each other, rising into a pillar that tore upward. Mana and shock waves raged so violently that my body, sprawled on the ground, nearly lifted into the air. I couldn’t even open my eyes.

What happened...?

When the storm of light and darkness had finally subsided, a staggering sight unfolded before me.

“Oooohhh...”

“Is that...a person...?”

The darkness cloaking the beast had been peeled away, revealing what lay beneath. It was unmistakably a human body. Just as Shiro had wrapped herself in shining wind, this being must have covered its flesh with materialized mana. Its body was riddled with deep wounds, with red blood streaming down.

Its face was still hidden, but it was clearly male. Or is it some humanoid magical beast, like a zombie? The black shadow looked kind of like a beastfolk too...and its wounds are healing incredibly fast. Does it have some kind of recovery ability?

That thing can still move! But I couldn’t even shout to warn them.

“Oooooooohhh!”

“Myaaggh!”

“Arf!”

Shiro! Kuro!

Having spent all they had with that single attack, the girls were blown away by the beast’s claws. Look at all that blood! So much blood...!

I need to help—

“Ooohhh...”

“Ugh...”

Its gaze locked onto me. It knew I could still fight. I realized that its eyes, hidden deep within the darkness, had pierced me, laden with grim emotion. A crawling sensation spread across my body, like insects skittering under my skin, followed by a crushing weight that froze me in place.

Is this its ability? Ugh, I can’t move at all...!

“Myah...”

“Arf...”

Shiro and Kuro groaned, bleeding heavily.

No... Is it happening again? This is just like when dungeon malice nearly killed us...!

We gained dragon power! We gained more mana! And this is the result...?!

“You’re just gonna die at this rate.”

Shut the hell up!

Shiro and Kuro are just trying to live! Why do they have to...?!

“It’s over.”

“Shut the hell up...!”

I was consumed with rage so intense it felt like every vein in my head had burst—a fury so overwhelming it turned my vision crimson.

“Shut the hell uuuuuuup!”

My throat hurts. No, it’s hot. A scorching heat’s taking over my body. There’s power rising inside me!

“You really wanna die right here?”

Like hell I do!

I screamed. Dungeon malice, or whatever the hell you are, get the hell outta my way!

“Aaaaaaahhhhhh!”

“Eliminate the enemy!”

That’s right! Eliminate the enemy! Destroy them, crush them! Beat ’em to a pulp!

Driven by a surging impulse, I leaped forward. A roar spilled from my mouth, and my mana swelled in response.

Red mana erupted violently from my body, lifting me as though wings had sprouted from my back. In addition to the floating sensation, my body was pushed forward.

The black beast was suddenly right in front of me. It was shockingly close, but all that mattered now was bringing it down.

I swung my arm with all the momentum that had pushed me forward. Once again cloaked in darkness, the magical beast— Or is it a human? Whatever, “magical beast” is fine for this bastard! My fist slammed into its gut, sending the beast flying and knocking down giant trees before it fell.

I let out a battle cry and chased it down, punching it again, and again, over and over and over!

“Oooooohhh!”

My red fists tore away its armor of darkness. But even as it was clearly taking damage, the beast struck back.

In an instant, it was on its feet, hammering its fist against me. We traded blows, fist against fist.

Strike, strike, strike, strike, strike—

The impact resounded endlessly, black and red mana clashing in a storm.

“Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!”

“Ooooooooohhhhhh!”

No, this is bad. I can tell. I can tell that this thing can still fight, but I’m about to reach my limit. I can see it clearly now. My stamina and mana are almost spent.

“Oooooohhh!”

I gagged. No! My red aura weakened for a split second, and it’s already grabbed my right shoulder!

Let gooo!

“Gaaaahhh!”

No, I can’t shake free!

Its grip tightened like a vise, cracking the bones in my shoulder. I swung my left arm to push it away, but it caught that too, crushing it just the same.

Strangely, there was no pain, only the sensation of strength draining from my body. I had gone past my limit.

Now both my arms are busted. Is this the end—?

“It’s over. What a pathetic way to die.”

No friggin’ way...

“No...friggin’ way!”

I can’t end here...!

I could see Shiro and Kuro collapsed in a pool of blood. They’re gonna...

Like hell they are! It’s not just the monster—I can’t forgive myself either! I called myself their guardian when I’m just a pathetic, cowardly fool? What a joke!

I’ll save them no matter what! If staking my life isn’t enough, then I’ll stake everything I got! My body, my heart, my soul! I’ll use it all to kill this thing!

“Gaaaaaaaahhh!”

“That’s right! Get angrier!”

Red fury surged up inside me, boiling over.

“I didn’t get reincarnated just to die here! And Shiro and Kuro aren’t dying either!”

And then I felt it. Did its power falter for a second? Is it reaching its limit too?Whatever that was, this is my chance!

I twisted free from its grip and leaped.

“Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!”

I’ll turn every ounce of strength I’ve got into red heat! Hot enough to burn that bastard to a crisp!

Flames erupted from my body. It wasn’t red mana but true fire, crimson and blazing hot.

“Graaaahhhhhh!”

The beast seemed shocked.

I can’t use my hands? So what! You don’t need hands to fight! You can just bite the enemy’s throat! Like this!

“Ooooohhh!”

“Grrrr!”

I bit down with enough force to shatter my teeth but couldn’t tear its throat. Still, my jaws sank into its neck a bit, spraying blood.

The beast tried to rip me away—but I’m not letting goooo!

Its blood squirted into my eyes, and I couldn’t keep them open anymore. But I kept pouring every ounce of my strength into my bite.

“Oohhoooohhh!”

“Gaaaahhh!”

It finally ripped me off, breaking several of my teeth. But I couldn’t stop now. I gathered the last of my strength and spat out my mana.

“Oooooohhh?”

The beast hurled me away, trying to brush aside the flames that I’d spat at point-blank range. I glared at it as I flew through the air.

I put everything I got into that flame! It’ll keep burning even if you kill—

“Aaaggghhh!” Damn it, how’d it blow away my flame so easily? It must have forced them out of existence by expelling mana from every inch of his body.

The shadow covering its face peeled away, revealing its eyes—crazed and bloodshot, clouded with bloodlust and violence. I glared back, refusing to flinch.

You think you can scare me?!

I felt no fear. Only a simple question filled my mind.

Why? Why’s he...?

The darkness peeled away, revealing the face of a young man with black hair and dark eyes.

To my surprise, the magical beast’s true identity was Ares.

Now’s not the time for questions! This thing is my enemy! And enemies must be killed! I will not let Shiro and Kuro die! I’m gonna kill you, and we’re gonna survive!

“Aaaaggghhhhhh!”

Flames burst from my mouth—a small fireball, packed with my bloodlust and mana.

Die!

“Gaaaagghhh!”

I wanted to burn off his face, but I missed... Still, the fireball struck Ares’s left shoulder, blasting a gaping hole into it.

Blood sprayed out as its arm was torn away.

Let me hit him aga—

I tried to use my mana, but nothing answered. My legs faltered... My mana, my life force, it was all but spent.

Darkness crept into my mind, my vision narrowing.

No...! I have to kill Ares here...!

But my body wouldn’t move. Just one more blow... That’s all I need to finish him off!

“Ugh...”

Huh? Ares...vanished? Did he teleport?

Damn it... He...escaped...

Side Story: *** of Pride

“Ahh...”

How glorious.

From deep within...

From the bottomless pit of darkness inside me...

Black emotions are welling up, spilling forth one after another.

I told myself this isn’t who I am and tried to resist, but it was useless.

Will I be erased? Will I cease to be myself?

No. I can’t lie. These desires are undeniably mine, lying dormant within me. This, too, is me. This is who I truly am!

“Hee hee...”

Just remembering it makes me chuckle. The sensation of soft flesh and fragile bone beneath my fist as I punched that boy...

How...

How intoxicating...

To trample and hurt something absolutely weaker than myself!

What ecstasy!

Oh, how magnificent it is to surrender to the black emotions smothering my heart!

I want to destroy more.

I want to trample on children and destroy them!

I want to hit and slash and beat and bite them...!

No. I can’t stop anymore.

Now that I’ve tasted this, there’s no holding back!

Where’s my next prey?

Who is...going to be...destroyed next?

***

Suddenly, I snapped awake. It was dark all around. I couldn’t see anything.

Where am I?

“Ugh!”

I’m aching all over. What happened—

I heard soft snores coming from beside me.

“Shiro, Kuro...”

The girls were sleeping on either side of me. I could tell from their breathing and warmth, even without seeing them. Relief washed over me, and I let out a faint trickle of mana, casting a soft glow. The dim light revealed them resting peacefully on bedding spread across the ground.

Where are we...?

The ceiling and walls are made of earth. This isn’t our hideout...is it?

“I remember... That black beast jumped us...!”

I flashed back to the battle. Not everything was clear—it was more hazy than not—but fragments remained. Shiro and Kuro had damaged the beast. I’d also unleashed the power surging inside me and spat my flame at it. Still, we couldn’t finish it off, and in the end, it had teleported away...

“So, we lost, after all...”

The realization brought a flood of emotions. My feelings were a mess. I hugged my knees, burying my face. My throat burned—my dragon power must have been reacting to my fury.

“Dammit!”

I did it again! I failed to protect Shiro and Kuro!

Nothing’s changed from when dungeon malice nearly killed us! I’ve grown? I’ve gotten stronger with dragon power? Like hell I have! I’ve been weak all along! I swore to protect them, but I nearly let them die again! I’m a worthless fool, nothing but talk!

The image of Shiro and Kuro lying weakly in a pool of blood replayed vividly in my mind—it was the worst sight imaginable.

“How are their injuries...?!”

I immediately checked on them. Their wounds had mostly healed; only faint scars remained. Did I heal them myself?

“Umm... I bit the beast, I breathed fire...” It looked like it was doing damage...

Oh, right! The darkness peeled away, and I saw its face! The black magical beast was that black-haired guy, Ares! I’m positive!

I had attacked to finish him, but it hadn’t been enough. I’d thought I had inflicted serious damage, but Ares suddenly vanished. He must have used a spell or item for teleportation.

After that, I’d healed myself and the girls with everything I had, then hid us with earth magic. I sank us beneath the ground and sealed the ceiling above. That must have been the underground chamber we were in now.

I was glad I’d practiced making underground shelters. Even half conscious, I’d managed to create a proper refuge.

Finally, I had thrown bedding onto the ground, laid Shiro and Kuro down, and then lost consciousness myself. We’d bled plenty, but somehow, no beasts or mercenaries had spotted us.

I let out a deep sigh.

Ares didn’t seem like someone who’d turn on us so suddenly... It looked like he’d gone mad and lost his reason, but what was his deal? Maybe there’s some sort of berserk ability.

Did he approach us with the intent to capture us in the first place? It felt like he was dead set on killing us, but maybe that was a berserk skill. So did he use that skill somewhere, lose control, and attack us because we happened to be nearby? No, that doesn’t add up. With mana that vicious, I would’ve noticed him fighting even from far away, no matter what sort of situation I was in. Which means he crept up on us while we were fighting the tortoise treant, then unleashed his power right there and attacked us. That shows that his attack on us was fully intentional. He clearly meant to hurt us.

I hate how clueless I am when it comes to people. How could I have thought that he seemed like a good guy even for a second?! He damn near killed us! And if Ares is an enemy, then what about Gailland? He was nice to us the few times we met, so I trusted him that easily. I guess I walked right into his trap.

I should’ve never trusted mercs in the first place. Maybe they let us wander so they could snatch clues for conquering the dungeon. Or wait... Maybe they’d planned to hand us over to the lord. He’s dead now, but Ares probably doesn’t know that Shiro and Kuro no longer have a bounty on their heads.

It doesn’t make sense why Gailland and Ares didn’t try to catch us when they were together, but maybe they were just making sure. They watched us, and once they confirmed that we were the wanted ones, they attacked. That seems most likely.

“They must have seen our bodies too...”

The dragon’s throat, arm, eye... None of them are normal. We might be valuable as slaves. Even without the bounty, we could still be worth something. At least, that’s how someone greedy would think. Maybe letting Ares escape is a bigger deal than I thought.

I don’t know how long we’ve been asleep for, but we need to move before Ares or Gailland return. We’ll head for the escape circle I found before Ares attacked.

“Shiro, Kuro, wake up.”

“Myaaah...”

“Wuffuuu...”

Dammit, they won’t wake up!

“Fine...”

My mana’s recovered enough, I’m sure I can carry them with magic.

“Here we go...!”

My body still aches, but I’ve got no major wounds. Was it the healing spell I used before I passed out? Or maybe the dragon’s power boosted my regeneration? I’m not healed a hundred percent, so I want to use holy magic, but I need to save mana for the journey. I guess I’ll deal with it for now.

“We’re gonna...make it home.”

Shiro and Kuro are not gonna die.

They murmured softly in their sleep as I watched over them silently.

“Gosh...” Look at them sleeping with their innocent faces.

Side Story: The Demon of the Dungeon

“Heh heh...a sacrifice. A sacrifice has come...”

“A sacrifice for us...”

The pitch—black darkness stirred. The shapeless darkness shuddered, overcome with joy.

“A sacrifice is a sacrifice, is it not?”

“It’s possible.”

“It still lacks depth, though...”

“But not bad.”

“What color will this sacrifice be...?”

“It is not yet decided.”

“Grow... Gain color and grow...”

“It’d be best if it grew fully without dying.”

The words carried a sense of guardianship. Indeed, there was a tone of affection. Yet at the same time, malice, hunger, contempt—various negative emotions were mixed in. Compassion and scorn, affection and malice—contradictory feelings coexisted without clashing.

“There is the color of wrath...”

“I see the color of pride.”

“The color of gluttony as well...”

“Which sacrifice will settle into which color?”

“The last sacrifice was a dragon—wrath incarnate...”

The darkness trembled again.

“Next will be my turn.”

“No... Mine.”

They imagined the coming future.

“The problem is that singular being...”

“The new reincarnator. That one is not within our domain.”

Unlike before, the darkness spoke in hushed tones, as if in fear that some dreadful presence might discover them. The darkness was a monster itself, yet it feared another monster.

“The ones who pretend to be goddesses?”

“Indeed.”

“Cursed administrators... They absorbed original sin and gained the power to interfere with us...”

“Goddesses who became great demons.”

The darkness shifted uneasily.

“Can the singular being be used as a sacrifice?”

“If we can deceive the eyes of the goddesses...”

“It should be possible. If we can touch its spirit directly at the deepest part of the dungeon.”

“But the goddess’s gaze lies there.”

The darkness twisted in unease. They felt strong fear and resentment toward the goddesses. Yet, to satisfy their own desire, they schemed.

“Once incarnated, all will be possible.”

“If only escape is needed, perhaps it can be done.”

“Indeed. Wrath became a dragon and fled the dungeon...”

“Then, at the bottom of the dungeon...”

“Yes. If we use those humans as sacrifices and incarnate...”

“What color will the sacrifices be when the time comes?”

“Sloth or gluttony...”

“Envy or pride.”

“How delightful...”

“Delightful indeed.”

***

“We made it...back...” I muttered.

I’d seriously panicked when we ran into a swarm of paralyze eyes, but I squeezed out the last of my mana, and we broke through their encirclement. The survivors had chased us, but we’d managed to dive into the escape circle for a narrow getaway. I was truly grateful the magic circle had remained intact.

“Shiro, Kuro, you both okay?”

I laid the two girls, still fast asleep, onto the bed and checked their conditions. After seeing that there were no signs that their wounds had reopened or they were suffering at all, I was finally able to breathe easy.

“Now, what’s our next move...?”

It’s highly likely the mercenary guild has learned of our existence. We can’t afford to take it easy anymore. Even if the bounty placed on the girls by the lord has been lifted, we might still be hunted as valuable merchandise. Honestly, I bet that’s exactly what Ares and Gailland are after.

Now that I think about it, Milène’s probably already informed the mercenaries of the bounty being lifted. She really cares about us, so I can’t imagine her taking it lightly. She must’ve made sure that word spread about it. So maybe they didn’t attack to get the bounty. Maybe their aim is to sell us into slavery, or maybe there’s some other reason. The obvious choice for us would be to leave this town. That would be the quickest solution for escaping Ares. But our bodies bear the marks—dungeon malice’s damn curse will claim our lives within a year.

To break the curse, we had no choice but to conquer the dungeon.

“We’ll have to go in a little over our heads and clear the dungeon.”

The whole way back, I was thinking about how we’ll have to keep dungeon diving until we reach the bottom layer and break the curse. Camping out inside the dungeon’s pretty risky, but if we press deeper, we should be able to shake off the mercs’ pursuit. Of course, we’ll need a lot of luck, but with the compass, it should be possible.

We have to conquer the dungeon soon, break the curse, and leave town. Easier said than done, but I can’t think of any other way for us to survive. Well, there’s also the option of waiting until things cool down. Maybe after a month, people won’t even gossip about us, and maybe Ares and Gailland will give up and move to another town.

But that was just wishful thinking. After all, Viscount Holm had pursued Shiro and Kuro relentlessly for a whole year without giving up. I couldn’t afford to believe in the fantasy that time alone would solve everything. If both paths were a gamble, I’d rather choose immediate action.

Well, after Shiro and Kuro wake up, anyway. For now, I should eat something to restore my strength.

Ever since we had returned, I’d been overwhelmed by a ravenous hunger—probably because I’d used the dragon’s power to its fullest. If I hadn’t already experienced starvation from the hell chimera battle, I might not have been able to endure the journey back without food. Well, I was secretly nibbling on a bit of hell chimera jerky...but the hunger didn’t subside at all. I probably need a bigger, more proper meal.

To stave off hunger, I munched on some skewered poison rat while preparing more food. I wanted to have plenty ready for when Shiro and Kuro woke up.

“We’ve still got snake meat left. I’ll stew it together with some herbs.”

We still had a bit of the illusion python that Kuro had taken down. It’s nourishing meat with stamina recovery effects, so I’ll use it to make a soup that’s easy to eat. It’s fairly fatty too, so the calorie count is nice and high.

I chopped the meat into small pieces, tossed it into a pot along with some root vegetables, plants, soy sauce, and seasonings, then started heating the water from cold. Once the water temperature began to rise, it was time for wind magic. By manipulating air pressure, I could re-create the effects of a pressure cooker. It was intermediate magic, so controlling it was tricky, but thanks to my growth in the deeper layers of the dungeon, I could maintain it for a long time.

“All right, it’s turning out nicely.”

After about twenty minutes of pressure cooking, the meat in the pot had become so tender it fell apart with just a touch from my chopsticks. Even the small bones had softened.

“Excellent. Another job well done.”

As I gave it a quick taste, I sensed movement behind me.

Slurp.

“Smells gooood.”

“You’re both awake!” I said.

They really were all about food. They’d slept soundly even while being shaken around during our escape from the dungeon, but the moment they caught a whiff of something tasty, they woke right up.

“Does anything hurt?” I asked.

“I’m hungry.”

“Hungryyy.”

Unbelievable. “All right, all right.”

Both of them were so overcome by hunger that food was all they could think about. I was sure they still had lingering damage, but instead of clutching at painful spots, they were holding their stomachs and staring at the pot. You’re drooling! On both my shoulders!

“J-Just wait over there. I’ll bring it over right away.”

“Okay.”

“Grrr.”

I poured generous servings of the freshly made snake soup into bowls and handed them over.

“Illusionary serpent soup, isekai style.” Magical effects: medium life recovery, medium stamina recovery, small mana recovery, slight life boost, slight stamina boost.

The soup definitely had some strong recovery effects. It’s not just nourishing; it’ll get rid of any wounds and fatigue too!

“Let’s eat!” the three of us said together.

The two girls sat cross-legged on the bed and began devouring the soup.

“So tasty!”

“Deeelish.”

“Nice and juicy—this is insanely good.”

Before it was cooked, the meat had been a bit tough, like boiled chicken breast, but now it was moist and juicy—almost like tender chicken ham. For the two beastfolk girls, it might not have had a lot of bite.

By the time we’d made our way through ten kilos of tasty, nutrient-packed snake meat, our stamina was fully recovered. My whole body was warm, and my throat even seemed a little hot.

“I’m so full,” said Shiro.

“So, so full,” said Kuro. “Belly’s all round and poofy.”

The two were sprawled out with bulging stomachs, looking completely content. But I still had something heavy to tell them. We no longer had to worry about being hunted by the lord, but there were still mercenaries after us. How am I gonna explain that to them...?

“What’s...going on...?” I said.

“I’m sleepy,” said Shiro.

“Nighty-night,” followed Kuro.

I’d been hit by a wave of unbearable drowsiness. My body swayed, and my eyelids felt heavy. Shiro and Kuro seemed to feel the same, diving straight into bed. Are our bodies demanding sleep? The overpowering drowsiness made it impossible to keep my eyes open. Strength drained from my knees, and I couldn’t even get up from the bed.

I can’t...take it anymore.

“Ugh...”

I eventually followed Shiro and Kuro’s lead and surrendered myself to the bedding. I flopped down, falling right asleep, like I’d plummeted from a great height into darkness. My whole body was wrapped in a pleasant heaviness as I lost consciousness.

And when I woke—

“What the heck...?”

I was shockingly refreshed. The drowsiness and fatigue were completely gone, replaced by a clarity I’d never felt before.

“My whole body feels light.”

There wasn’t a single ache anywhere, and even the remaining scars were completely gone. Incredibly, my broken teeth had grown back—proper baby teeth, at that.

It was as if every kind of damage I’d taken had been reset. It wasn’t just my body either; my mana was fully recharged. In fact, it felt like I had more than before.

I can’t believe sleep alone can restore you so much... It’s gotta be the regenerative power of my dragon body at work. That’s the only explanation I can think of...

I wasn’t out for days, was I? Honestly, in this place, I have no sense of time.

“Well, for now, I’ll wake up Shiro and Kuro, and we’ll eat something.”

The snake meat we had devoured right before bed must have been completely digested, because my stomach was already crying out in hunger.

Bummer. Looks like I’ve joined the bad-fuel-efficiency club too. We’re gonna need another massive meal. I should get cooking so Shiro and Kuro can eat the moment they wake up.

Never mind. The second I started cooking, the two of them popped awake anyway!

This time, I had focused on taste and quantity over magical effects. We have plenty of salt stored up, so it’s awesome I don’t have to be stingy with it! There was a mountain of stewed poison rat meat, but it vanished in minutes. Even the pot full of soup was gone in one gulping frenzy. Well, if they can eat like that, it means they’re healthy, so I guess it’s all good!

And after the meal...

“Listen, you two...”

I told them everything I remembered about what had happened in the dungeon. That the black shadow that had attacked us was Ares. That it was highly likely Ares and his friend Gailland had discovered our dragon bodies. That while we had dealt Ares serious damage, in a world with potions, he might still be alive. And that, because of the curse, we couldn’t run away. Even while we were being pursued by mercenaries, we had to keep pushing to conquer the dungeon. I told them that the exploration would be harsher and more reckless than ever before.

“We’ll conquer it!” said Shiro.

“I’m not scared of merrrcs.”

The two nodded without hesitation. Even though I’d explained it would be a forced march, they weren’t afraid at all.

Well, they’re only five years old inside. Beastfolk seem to grow quickly both physically and mentally, but that doesn’t change the fact that five years old is still young. Complicated things must not sink in for them.

Besides, since they saw me as their guardian, the idea of rejecting my proposal didn’t seem to even cross their minds. Maybe it was part of beastfolk instinct since they moved in packs. I remembered Carolina once saying beastfolk have a tendency to obey those above them.

They didn’t seem at all afraid of the dungeon either. They’d nearly died again since our battles against dungeon malice and the lord, but they weren’t showing even the slightest hint of terror. As for Ares, they were angry, but not afraid. In fact, they were fired up, brimming with animosity.

“How dare he bully Thor! He really was a bad guy! Next time we meet, I’ll beat him to a pulp!”

“I’ll turn him into rust on Kuro’s swooord.”

“Uh, no,” I said. “We’re absolutely not fighting him again. If we can ambush him, maybe, but if we cross paths with him, we run. That’s the only option.”

Shiro gave a dissatisfied groan. “Fine.”

“Too bad. Shame.”

Shiro said he bullied me... Well, I guess you could say that. But Shiro and Kuro had been wary of Ares from the start. Maybe they’d seen his true nature. From now on, I shouldn’t dismiss what they say as just childish talk. I need to take their reactions seriously.

“The compass is safe in storage,” I said, “but we left all our weapons in the dungeon, so pick out something new for the time being.”

“Got it.”

“Okieee.”

The stray loot and spoils taken from mercenaries were piled in the back of our hideout, among them plenty of weapons and armor worth using.

I gotta get changed too. The gear I’d been wearing had been reduced to rags now, so I slipped into a fresh set of black clothes. They were almost identical in appearance to my old clothes, but reinforced with more iron plates hidden beneath, which would hopefully provide a little extra defense. It probably won’t mean much against Ares, though.

“Whoa, Thor, you look so cool!” said Shiro.

“Yeah. Black looks good on you.”

“Oh, come on, it’s the same as it was. Anyway, you guys should be able to handle weapons you couldn’t before.”

After I chose my own equipment, it was time for Shiro and Kuro to do the same. Their armor would repair itself with mana, so there was no need to replace it. The real question was their weapons. With the dragon’s power stronger than ever, they could wield even heavier arms.

“Shiro wants this!”

“Kuro wants thiiis.”

Shiro gripped two short swords, one curved like a wakizashi blade. It was heavy, but she should be able to manage now. It had been taken from a mercenary’s remains but was fine work. I was sure it could withstand her mana.

Kuro hefted a massive iron hammer. She’d abandoned it once, since she couldn’t wield it, but she must’ve judged it to be usable now. She swung it experimentally, testing its weight.

We had spare eye patches and bandages too, so we were set on that front. I’d made sure to be prepared, since there was no telling what would happen in the dungeon.

“All right, let’s not waste any time heading back in. I don’t even know how long we were asleep for.”

“Myah!”

“Arf.”

Even as I tried to keep a serious face, Shiro and Kuro struck poses with their new weapons, sneaking glances at me. I guess they want compliments.

“L-Lookin’ cool.”

Shiro huffed with delight. “Thor complimented me!”

“Yaaay.”

Now I look like an idiot trying to be all serious. Well, rushing things isn’t gonna help. Maybe I have to try and have some fun.

I felt the tension ease, and with it, my resolve hardened.

We will conquer the dungeon...and survive.

***

Once more, we’d descended into the dungeon, and our advance had been smooth—perhaps a little too smooth.

Ever since waking up, I’d felt unusually good, and more than just refreshed. My body’s condition seemed to be affecting my abilities and mana as well. It was clear to us that our movements were sharper than before. Shiro and Kuro were in good spirits too. Our physical abilities had improved, our senses were sharper, and we could control mana with ease—this was most evident in spellcasting.

I could now cast intermediate spells almost without chanting, and handling multiple spells at once was easier than ever. I could even simultaneously cast ten beginner spells without much effort. With my mana control up, my mana consumption went down. Honestly, it felt like I’d leveled up as a sorcerer—can I really write this off as just “feeling good”?

Shiro and Kuro had also gained more spells and improved at casting without an incantation. Their dragon bodies were showing big changes as well.

Shiro’s dragon eye had become more precise, able to sense spell activation and perceive fast attacks. As she put it: “If I focus my eyes, everything looks slower!” So basically, she could amp up her dynamic visual acuity for a short time. Her reflexes might have improved in response to that too. She’d also become even better at spotting traps, which made exploring easier.

Kuro’s dragon arm had simply gotten stronger, both in raw power and mana output. Whether she was bashing the enemy or casting magic, it was clear her attack power had gone up. Her whole body was stronger now, so she didn’t lose her balance from the weight of heavy weapons. She was now easily swinging around the big hammer she’d just picked out—she’s pulverizing weak grunts into dust, though!

As for me, it felt like my intuition had gotten sharper. It was hard to explain, but somehow I could guess which path to take at forks or where traps were. You could say that it was like someone whispering “This way” in my head. I could only call it instinct, but it was strangely accurate. Maybe it was a kind of sixth sense—this was a world of magic, after all—or maybe my ability to feel mana had grown and I was picking up on tiny differences and abnormalities in the form of “instinct.”

Whatever it is, we’re all in tip-top shape. But I seriously can’t think of a reason except that we got some good sleep... Maybe our dragon bodies were strengthened from making it back from the brink of death?

We suddenly stopped in our tracks, sensing the alarming presence of a magical beast. It was Shiro who’d noticed first.

“Up ahead, it’s like a mana boom!”

“Mana boom?” I said.

“Yeah!”

She gestured, insistent that something with huge mana was up ahead. The next area was the large room where we’d fought the hell chimera...

Kuro started sniffing. “Smells like hell chimerrra.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Arf.”

If Kuro’s nose had picked up on it too, then it was certain. As we got closer, even I could feel it clearly; this was the aura of our archnemesis.

I hadn’t been able to sense it before, but now I could feel the hell chimera’s mana even from a distance. My senses had sharpened that much.

We’d already beaten the thing once, but it felt stronger now, probably because my sharpened senses let me grasp its true power. I can’t believe we took that thing on with some half-baked plan...

“So it’s revived,” I said.

“Mya-myah! Shiro’s gonna beat it this time!”

“No, Kuuuro.”

In the face of this beast, my fear had returned, but Shiro and Kuro were full of motivation. The hell chimera’s overwhelming aura didn’t faze them at all.

The immense mana leaking from the room felt like it was stabbing at my skin. Even compared to the strong enemies we’d fought in the deep layer, this one was still above them. I’d thought the tortoise treant was on par, but I was wrong; this one was, without a doubt, stronger.

But as strong as we are now, we can beat this thing for sure.

We’d grown far stronger, and being in peak condition, we wouldn’t struggle like last time. Shiro and Kuro must have understood that too. Seeing their confidence, I felt my own tension ease.

We can beat this thing. No need to freak out.

“Last time, we barely got any meat. This time, we’ll finish it before it uses the poisonous smoke!”

“Yes, meat!”

“Meat.”

“We want meat.”

“Meeeat.”

Shiro and Kuro nodded with serious expressions—then immediately, their expressions melted away into grins. They must have imagined getting a heap of the hell chimera meat they loved.

Maybe it has nothing to do with fear; maybe they’re just that crazy about food. Well, they’re giving me some peace of mind, so I’m keeping my mouth shut.

“I hate to burst your bubble, but I’m gonna finish it off again.”

“What?”

“No faaair.”

I paused for a second. “We’ll get more meat that way. Do you still wanna finish it off?”

“Meat!”

“Meat.”

“That’s not an answer.” And quit drooling! It’s one thing to not be scared of the enemy, but not being cautious at all isn’t great either!

After waiting for a response, I said, “So you’re both okay with me beating it?”

“It’s all you!” said Shiro.

“Thor, you can do it.”

The plan’s simple: Rush into the room, chant a spell, and blast it at its weak point. This time, I’m gonna use advanced magic. With as good as I’m feeling right now, I think I can manage it.

The high-tier water magic Blade of the Sea King was an advanced version of Water Blade used for cutting down massive beasts. Naturally, it was far stronger than ordinary Water Blade.

“Shiro, you go in first and draw its attention. Kuro, you cover me.”

“I’ll be the decoy!”

“Kuro will protect yooou, Thor.”

“Great, let’s do it!”

Just as planned, Shiro leaped into the room first. The fact that she didn’t come running back meant there was definitely a hell chimera inside. The few seconds waiting for her signal felt unbearably long.

“Mya-mya-myaaahh!”

“Shiro’s signal,” said Kuro.

“Let’s move!”

Kuro and I burst into the room. Shiro was already provoking the hell chimera with light spells. Its two heads and serpent tail were focused entirely on her.

I seized the opening, gathering my mana and beginning the chant. Really, the safest way would have been to finish all preparations outside the room and unleash the spell the moment we entered. That way, I wouldn’t be putting Shiro and Kuro in danger too. But the advanced magic I was about to use didn’t allow for me to move during the chant, or even for the slightest lapse in concentration. That’s how difficult it was to control. If I failed, the mana might have just dispersed harmlessly, but worse than that, the spell could have misfired and dragged everyone into it. Up until now, I’ve barely been able to even activate it...

“Oh, great ocean—” Yes. It’s working. It’s working!

The chant flowed naturally, mana shaping itself into the spell.

“Source of the mighty current, gentle cradle, bearer of both death and destruction...”

A blue magic circle flared in response to my words. Mana drained from my entire body.

“Ye who rule the waters, reveal the might of one who is king and cut all with water! Blade of the Sea King!”

Water burst from my outstretched right arm, wild, swirling, the very image of water itself—and a deep blue, the kind anyone would imagine.

“Ugh! This is...bad!”

My mana’s going crazy! It’s going wild inside my body, and I’m aching all over! This is too hard to control! But I had no problem activating it!

The massive blade of water, over ten meters long, began to lose its shape, bending unnaturally. The spell’s gonna go out of control! It might even hit Shiro and Kuro!

I roared, pouring everything I had into stabilizing it. My throat burned as more mana surged into the spell. The collapsing water regained its form—

A whooshing sound tore through the air and a sharp crack rang out, like steel clashing against steel. The hell chimera and I both let out a dumb noise. The dungeon wall, tough as it was, now bore a deep gash.

Did my Blade of the Sea King do that?

It had been too fast even for my eyes to follow. The blade had shot forward at dizzying speed, slicing the wall behind the hell chimera.

But the beast was still standing.

Did I miss?

The vast body of water rebounded from the wall, waves surging back toward us—it’s not quite a tsunami, but it’s high enough. The hell chimera, standing motionless, was swallowed by the wave. Its massive body shifted, blood spraying out of it, until it collapsed with a heavy thud.

“Huh...?”

I let out a strange noise—the sight was so surreal. Blade of the Sea King had sliced the hell chimera clean in two. It had been so fast, so sharp, that despite being the one who cast it, I hadn’t even realized it had struck. It was a terrifying spell. Just the thought of an enemy using it against us gave me chills. Are all advanced spells this insanely powerful?

“That was amazing!” Shiro said, coming to her senses. “Thor, you’re awesome!”

“Thor, suuuper aaawesome.”

“Actually, I’m as shocked as you are.”

High-tier magic clearly needed to be used at the right place and time, or it could easily drag allies into it. Its power and difficulty were on a whole different level from mid-tier spells. Next time, I’d need a wider space.

“Anyway... I’m starving.”

Right before us lay the two halves of the massive beast’s corpse. The smell of blood and guts began to waft through the air. It shouldn’t have been a pleasant smell, but somehow it made me hungry. At this point, all I could see was a pile of meat.

“What do you say? How about we eat before we use the teleportation circle to head to the deep layer?!”

“Agreeeed.”

“Agreed!”

This was a boss room. It seemed like small fry didn’t spawn in here, and few monsters wandered close. I’d heard that mercenaries sometimes rested in boss rooms after a fight. That must’ve meant it was safer than a corridor.

“Meal time it is, then! Let’s grill some hell chimera meat!”

“Wuffu!”

“Myah!”

We took down the hell chimera in perfect condition, so there’s plenty of meat! I stored away the beast, split clean in half from neck to tail, and used the storage’s butchering function. Despite the hell chimera’s massive size and mixed anatomy, it broke down instantly. This storage really is a cheat.

From the broken down parts, I pulled out the ribs, which had just the right balance of fat and lean meat. When I pressed my finger to it, I found the meat had spring and moisture. Refined and meaty, it was gonna make one heck of a yakiniku.

I stripped the meat from the bones and sliced it thin. The aroma was strong. I could already tell this was going to be amazing. I put the slices into a bowl and worked them with yakiniku sauce.

This sauce is my pride and joy. I’ve been improving it ever since I got my hands on soy sauce. I marinated herbs and dried mushrooms in the soy sauce and added grated garlic look-alike and fruits. I gotta say, it’s as good as anything sold back on Earth. The flavor and aroma are on the heavy side, and when it hits the pan and begins to char, the smell’s just irresistible.

As Shiro and Kuro looked on, their stomachs broke out into a duet of rumbles—actually, make that a trio.

“Hurry! Hurry!”

“I’m staaarving.”

“All right, all right. I’m almost done!”

I grilled a mountain of meat, piled it onto plates, and set it down on the stone table I’d made with earth magic and stashed in storage.

“Death pit hybrid beast yakiniku, isekai style.” Magical effects: small life recovery, medium stamina recovery, great mana recovery, medium life boost, medium stamina boost, medium mana boost, complete.

Because I’d used soy sauce, the name got tagged “isekai style.” Apparently, when something didn’t exist in this world, that was how it got labeled.

“All right then, let’s eat.”

“Let’s eat!” said Shiro and Kuro in unison.

Their chopsticks were already reaching for the meat as they spoke. I can’t blame them, though! The irresistible aroma of the hell chimera yakiniku was almost criminal.

“This is awesome! I can’t even believe it!”

“So good!”

“Deeelicious.”

The three of us were completely absorbed in our meat-only lunch, which was so good I almost forgot we were in the middle of dungeon diving. It was a nonstop barrage of fat and flavor. It was just meat, but it didn’t feel lacking, and we never got tired of it. We just kept raving about how incredible it was until the meat was gone in no time flat.

They say what you eat becomes your flesh and blood, and I can really feel that happening. Shiro and Kuro look satisfied too.

But wait, there’s more!

“Next up, we have this.”

“What’s thaaat?”

“It’s creepy! But it smells good!”

I’d pulled out a slimy, reddish-black piece of meat. It was the acid sac from the hard shell bug we’d defeated before. I’d already washed, detoxed, and dismantled it. All that was left was to grill it. It looked like innards, and some people might’ve found it gross, but Shiro and Kuro looked eager to try it. To me, it’s just like the offal I used to eat, and the girls will eat anything anyway.

They crowded around the acid sac roasting over the flames, sniffing constantly.

“Acid sac yakiniku of hard, steel-shelled bug, isekai style.” Magical effects: small life recovery, small stamina recovery, medium mana recovery, slight life boost, slight stamina boost, medium mana boost, complete.

The acid sac looked like grilled liver and was incredibly appetizing. Even though we’d stuffed ourselves with hell chimera ribs, we still had plenty of room.

“Crunchy and tasty!” said Shiro.

“Addictive.”

“Ahh, this is really good.”

It had the kind of taste and texture that had me craving a beer!

Just as my knowledge says, this is exactly like sea squirt—definitely a delicacy. Shiro and Kuro seem to love the crunchy bite too.

And the mana recovery’s impressive. Strange, considering it came from a monster built for brute force. You can never tell with magical beasts. Well, it’s a blessing since I burned through so much mana.

That advanced magic sure was dangerous, though. First of all, it drains way too much mana, like half of what I had just for casting and controlling it. I had to use dragon power too, so it made me famished. And it’s way too powerful. It was total overkill even against the hell chimera. Forget about its weak point, I split it in two and insta-killed it. Honestly, pouring extra mana into a mid-tier spell would’ve been more efficient.

And then there’s the risk of misfire. That’s actually the scariest part. If that spell had gone out of control, none of us would’ve gotten out unscathed. I’ve gotta be extremely careful the next time I use it.

“Well, now that we’re full, shall we get going?”

“Myah!”

“Arf.”

We had some mellum juice for dessert, and we were completely replenished.

Then, once again, we stepped into the deep layer. From here on, we couldn’t let our guards down. More than the magical beasts, we had to avoid being spotted by mercenaries. I didn’t know how far Ares had spread word about us, but it was possible that every mercenary out there was on our tail.

Even so, our progress through the deep layer was smoother than expected. Thanks to Shiro’s eyes and Kuro’s nose, we hadn’t encountered a single mercenary in three days. We were finding materials and food and targeting only edible monsters. Shiro and Kuro had grown more than I’d imagined. Their sharp senses kept finding enemies and ingredients.

But our fuel efficiency’s gotten way worse! The three of us were constantly getting hungry. At this point, we were eating so much for a snack that it was like eating four meals a day. Each meal was twice the usual size too.

This level of hunger was abnormal considering we were at the same level of activity and mana use as before. I figured our dragon bodies were in some kind of heightened state. Whether it would settle down or stay like this, I didn’t know.

If it were permanent, then sure, the power boost would be great, but we’d need to stockpile way more food. Luckily, we’d taken down the hell chimera on the first day, so we had plenty of meat for the time being. In fact, eating meals with strong magical effects every day was steadily increasing the mana inside our bodies.

For now, I’m thinking we should just keep eating and grow stronger.

Chapter 3: The Black-Haired Duo and Conquering the Dungeon

An hour had passed since we’d charged, full of spirit, into the forest area of the deep layer. Our exploration had been going smoothly with no major problems. Just like in the ruins area, Shiro and Kuro were shining. In fact, this place might have suited them even better.

Shiro’s sharpened ears and eyes and Kuro’s nose and sixth sense would pick out small magical beasts hiding in the brush, insects lurking in the treetops, and even tubers underground and tiny berries on trees. They were beastfolk, after all, so rich natural environments were their specialty.

With their boosted abilities, they were practically rangers or hunters now. We even had the leisure to chat quietly as we walked.

“Hmm.”

“What is it, Shiro?”

Shiro suddenly stopped, having sensed something. We immediately tensed up, scanning the surroundings.

Shiro thought for a moment. “Over there!”

Following her gaze, I saw it: a massive rhinoceros. The magical beast must’ve been ten meters long. Even from this distance, its presence was overwhelming.

“That’s...a deadly horn!”

It was a high-tier monster with skin as thick and hard as steel and a horn laced with deadly poison. One-on-one, it was on par with a hell chimera. That huge body had stamina enough to run long distances, and in open grasslands, it was feared as a grim reaper. It could spot prey from afar and chase it endlessly. There were frequent incidents of mercenary bands or large caravans being wiped out by one of them. One town had even been destroyed when fleeing victims had led the beast straight to it.

I couldn’t believe that such a terrifying monster would just be roaming so casually. The deep layer of the dungeon really was no place to let your guard down.

“It spotted uuus.”

“It’s looking this way!” said Shiro.

I clicked my tongue, irritated. So much for slipping by quietly. If we could see it, then it could see us. The deadly horn had clearly marked us as its next meal.

Its massive body swayed as it began to move. From here I could just make out its small eyes fixed on us. Its unpleasant mana licked at our skin, most likely probing how tasty we might be.

Bathed in the mana infused with the hunger of a brutal monster, my body shivered. As living creatures about to be preyed upon by something clearly on a higher level, fear was unavoidable. Before, we might have frozen like frogs before a snake, but now we glared back at the deadly horn, immediately shifting into battle mode. Through countless dire confrontations, we had gained hearts that did not falter. Even if our bodies reacted to the enemy’s strength, our minds did not yield. We could stay calm, even discuss strategy.

“Its weaknesses are the lightning and fire elements,” I said, “but if I use advanced fire magic here, I’ll turn the place into a sea of flames. So lightning it is.”

“Liiightning element?”

“Yeah, lightning.”

“Like that rumbling sound?” asked Shiro.

Oh, they don’t really understand lightning. But I guess even on Earth, not a lot of children truly know what it is. Shiro and Kuro probably just see it as the loud flashes on stormy days. Or maybe something awesome that strong anime and manga characters use?

I thought for a moment. “What’s a lightning element attack that might work...?”

The magic I knew was mostly for cooking, so lightning spells were in short supply. Most of the ones I did know were for protecting yourself when butchering electric eel-type magical beasts, heating things with electricity, or killing tiny entities like mushroom spores—hardly useful for combat.

Only three seemed viable: Small Lightning Needle, used to paralyze small animals; Electrocution, used to kill insects lurking inside food; and Blade of the Lightning King, used to dismantle special magical beasts that can only be damaged by lightning.

Blade of the Lightning King was on par with Blade of the Sea King, the spell I’d used against the hell chimera. Naturally, it was advanced magic with more than enough power.

And what kind of monster needed such a terrifying spell just to be dismantled? The answer: the kraken lord, a highest-tier beast that grew hundreds of meters long, and even advanced magic might not be enough against it.

Of the spells I had, only Blade of the Lightning King seemed likely to work against the deadly horn.

I’m gonna have to wing it again, but I’ve got no choice.

“It thinks we’re weak,” I said. “I’ll get my magic ready, so you two keep it distracted, just like when we took down the hell chimera.”

“Understood.”

“Gooot it.”

“When I give the signal, run away from it as fast as you can. Okay?”

“Myah!”

“Arf.”

I watched Shiro and Kuro dash off, then forced myself to focus. The deadly horn had high resistance to magic, so half-baked spells might not be enough to finish one off. I need to activate it right.

“This way! Come get me!” said Shiro.

“Over heeere.”

The beast roared in response.

“Myah! It’s so fast!”

“Shiro! You okaaay?”

“I’m fine!”

Is she really okay? Didn’t the tip of that horn just graze her? I did tell them to draw its attention, but they didn’t have to get that close!

Wait, my mind’s wandering. I gotta focus. I have to trust them and cast the spell.

I let out a breath.

Huh? This is...?

The magic circle took shape, the spell forming smoother than I’d imagined. It was on a whole other level from when I unleashed Blade of the Sea King. Using advanced magic once must’ve made my body more accustomed to casting it.

Because I’d gotten better at control, there was no wasted mana. Of course, if I lost focus, the spell would go out of control in an instant. I couldn’t move while I was preparing the spell either, but being able to cast even a little faster and more precisely meant Shiro and Kuro wouldn’t have to bear as much as decoys. That was huge.

“Get back!” I yelled, getting the girls’ attention—I could even shout with ease.

As Shiro and Kuro sprang backward together, I called out the name of the spell.

“Blade of the Lightning King!”

A deafening roar shook the air, followed by the deadly horn’s scream echoing just as loud. Like with Blade of the Sea King, the strike was so fast I couldn’t even see it properly, everything happening in an instant.

At the same moment that I thought I saw a burst of pale light, a massive hole had been gouged into the base of the deadly horn’s right foreleg. It looked less like it had been pierced by a blade as by a gigantic spear.

The stench of scorched air spread around us, and a wave of heat rushed in. Moments later, the deadly horn collapsed with a heavy thud, smoke pouring from its body.

It wasn’t dead yet, but it was paralyzed. Maybe it was because it had such a tough hide, but it was quite vulnerable underneath.

“Let’s finish it off!”

“Myah!”

“Arf!”

Even a high-tier magical beast couldn’t do anything in that state. In the end, Shiro’s and Kuro’s magic, unleashed point-blank, sliced through its neck for the finishing blow.

I couldn’t stop panting. “That used...a lot of mana...”

I hadn’t expected to use two advanced spells in a single day. Honestly, a third time would’ve been impossible.

“I’ll store the meat for now...”

We’d gained another massive hunk of meat, right after the hell chimera, and that wasn’t all.

“What the heck is this?”

Inside storage, along with the deadly horn’s materials, was something strange: a treasure chest and a yellow crystal. It seemed the chest and its contents had been inside the deadly horn’s body and got stored along with it. I pulled out the crystal, which indeed had a yellow hue, just as the name suggested.

“Myah! Look!”

“A crystaaal.”

It was definitely one of the colored crystals—key items for conquering the dungeon. We had already found three types before. Milène had discovered the black crystal, but she’d given it to us, believing it necessary for our exploration. That one had been hidden underground, and the others were only obtainable by defeating powerful magical beasts like the deadly horn, tortoise treant, and metal golem.

Your average mercenary would’ve run, and few could have beaten those beasts. We would’ve been toast too, if it weren’t for our magic. No wonder it’s taken this long for someone to start finding crystals.

My sharp intuition told me this crystal was special. Let me line them all up.

“This makes four, but— Huh?”

“Myah!”

“Arf!”

I hadn’t given it much thought when I pulled out our green, blue, and black crystals, but the crystals in my hand began to shine intensely. The lights blended together, enveloping our surroundings. I hurriedly put the black crystal back into storage, but the glowing didn’t stop.

“Shiro! Kuro! Gimme your hands!”

“Thor!”

“Haaand.”

I immediately grabbed Shiro’s and Kuro’s hands. A blinding light flashed, forcing my eyes shut—

“Where are we...?” I muttered.

We’d been deep in the forest, but now, we were standing inside a room built from stone.

“What is this place?” said Shiro.

“We got teleporrrted.”

It was like Kuro said: It seemed we’d been forcibly teleported. We were in what looked like a transfer room, only bigger. And there was no magic circle underfoot, meaning we couldn’t go back from this point.

“A one-way trip?! It’s just one thing after another...”

Apparently, anyone who gathered the crystals got teleported here automatically. As I looked around, the room itself seemed empty, with just a single corridor leading out.

“Looks like there’s no going back, so we’ll have to move forward... I don’t sense any strong mana. How about you guys?”

“I don’t think there’s anything here.”

“Dittooo.”

So we advanced cautiously, keeping an eye out for traps. At the end of the dark, narrow passage, there was bright light spilling in. What we saw beyond it made my jaw drop.

“A g-garden...?”

“Wheeew.”

“Meooow.”

We froze. It was full of greenery, just like the forest, but this area had clearly been maintained—brick flower beds, clean water flowing through channels, and all sorts of trees planted evenly apart. Next to the flower beds bursting with blossoms sat a fancy wooden bench.

“What is this place?”

“There’s fruit growing!” said Shiro.

“And water toooo.”

The trees were heavy with ripe produce. As if that weren’t surprising enough, in the center of the area was a fountain bubbling with clear water. The sight of the strangely well-kept garden triggered something in my memory.

“Is this a safe zone...? Oh yeah, that’s right...!”

I remembered the info Milène had told me and scanned the garden. Near the entrance we’d come through, I spotted it: a strange, half-transparent hourglass. Its presence confirmed this garden was indeed a safe zone where no magical beasts appeared.

The hourglass showed different sand levels depending on who looked at it, calculating time individually. When the sand ran out, you’d be forcibly teleported out, making the hourglass the timer for how long you could stay. Since we’d all entered together, we were probably seeing nearly identical amounts of sand.

Safe zones didn’t exist in every dungeon. Some appeared right before the bottom area, others midway. I hadn’t expected one in Erunst’s dungeon at all. In fact, there was no information about such a place—maybe we were the first to reach it.

In any case, all safe zones allowed a maximum of twenty-four hours of use, and lots of mercenaries used them as a rest stop. Although, there were stories of mercenary bands monopolizing them and beginners getting attacked, so it wasn’t one hundred percent safe. At least there were no traps or monsters to worry about.

And with just us here, it was definitely safe.

“I think this is a safe place.”

“Then let’s eat!”

“Eaaat.”

“All right, all right.”

Thrown suddenly from battlefield to sanctuary, Shiro and Kuro relaxed at once, tension melting away into smiles as they pleaded for a meal. We’d had snacks along the way, so I was pretty sure they weren’t starving. It had probably become a habit for them to eat since I’d kept saying that, in the dungeon, you had to eat whenever you had the chance. Of course, they’d burned through a lot of mana finishing off the deadly horn, so they weren’t exactly full either.

“All right, I guess we can eat.”

“Myah!”

“Wuffu.”

Since we’re in a safe zone, I don’t want to dip into our meal reserve. I’d rather cook here and add to the stockpile.

“I’m gonna try using the deadly horn meat,” I said. “I wonder what rhino meat tastes like.”

“Ohh, we’re eating that huge beast?”

“Can’t waaait.”

“Go pick some fruit while I cook. There’s lots of different kinds here.”

“Got it!”

“Okaaay.”

With that kind of enthusiasm, they’d bring back plenty. I turned my attention toward cooking.

“Let’s explore!” said Shiro.

“Treasure huuunt.”

“Just don’t let your guards down.”

“Myah!”

“Arf.”

I wonder if it’s true that no monsters or traps appear here. The air does feel clean... Either way, we’re heading into unknown territory after this. Best to recover while we can—mana back to full if possible.

While I thought about what might be ahead, I kept my hands busy, and before long the first dish was ready.

“Yeah. Looks pretty good.”

“Large-horned deadly venom rhinoceros steak, isekai style.” Magical effects: medium life recovery, medium stamina recovery, small mana recovery, small life boost, small stamina boost, slight mana boost.

An appetizing steam rose from the thick slab of golden-brown steak topped with garlic look-alike slices. The aroma of meat, oil, and garlic was irresistible, and the magical effects weren’t bad either. Shiro and Kuro would be thrilled.

“There’s red fruit over there!” said Shiro.

“Over there toooo.”

Their cheerful voices rang out while I cooked. Thirty minutes passed without a single attack or trap. Instead, the comfortably temperate, pure atmosphere had us more relaxed than we’d ever been since entering the dungeon.

“We found lots of fruit!”

“This one looks taaasty.”

“Oh yeah?” I said. “You’re right, you really did get a lot.”

The apple-like mellum and mulberry-like nanal, I’d already seen in the dungeon, but they also had eglo, which resembled a mandarin orange; olem, which resembled an oriental melon but tasted like a pear; and igai, which looked like a cherry tomato but tasted like a persimmon.

According to my knowledge, each of these has a different place of origin and production area, so for them to be growing together in the same garden is impossible... Even the harvest seasons and climate are being ignored. That’s the dungeon for you.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed the fruits had faint traces of mana. It seemed safe-zone fruit carried slight purification and detox effects. You wouldn’t notice it unless you could tell just by looking at it like I could, but with the right prep, the effects should be enhanced.

“There were fish too!” said Shiro.

“Biiig fish. Kuro caught one!”

“Myah, I lost this time!”

There were freshwater fish swimming in the fountain. Kuro had one clutched in her grasp, proudly holding it overhead as it tried to wriggle free.

I get that you’re happy, but it’s splashing water everywhere! And your hands are gonna smell fishy—I can smell it already!

I took the fish and cast a purification spell on her hands.

“Dungeon fish, huh?”

As the name suggested, they were found in dungeon waters and safe zones. They looked like bright blue carp with whiskers as long as their bodies. Normally, you’d have to make them spit out any mud before cooking them, but the water here was clean enough that they should’ve been ready to eat.

I quickly processed the harvest.

“I’ll cook the fish, so you two cut the fruit.”

“Peeling it!”

“Peel, peeeel.”

I’ll fillet the fish and sauté it—that’s the easiest way. I saw a bunch of herbs in the garden, so I can use those. I’ll cook some of the leafy vegetables here and serve them too.

“Dungeon fish sauté with dungeon vegetables, dungeon style.” Magical effects: slight life recovery, slight stamina recovery, slight mana recovery, slight stamina boost.

The magical effects were weak, but the smell was good. Since I hadn’t used soy sauce and almost everything was dungeon-grown—except the salt—the dish ended up being “dungeon style.” Way too many “dungeons” in that name, though.

In the center of the safe zone was a circular plaza. We spread out a cloth there to have ourselves a fancy little picnic. Steak and sautéed fish aren’t exactly picnic food, but whatever.

“All right, let’s eat.”

“Let’s eat,” the girls chimed in.

First up was the deadly horn steak. I bit into it, and my mouth was flooded with juices. It’s like incredibly tasty chicken breast! Except it’s pretty tough.

I may have only been four years old, but my physical capabilities had been somewhat boosted with dragon power. Even so, the meat was hard to chew, so it probably would’ve been impossible to eat for a normal child.

Shiro and Kuro, however, were ecstatic.

“So, so, so good!”

“Sooo goood.”

For carnivorous beastfolk like them, the toughness seemed to be just right—they’re wolf and tiger beastfolk, after all. They tore into the meat with gusto.

The fish is also excellent. This would work deep-fried, grilled, or stewed too. I’ll stock up later and try different preps. They should be easy to catch with magic.

The biggest surprise, though, was the fruit. It was shockingly sweet, like the selectively bred ones on Earth. Even the mellum tasted completely different. The ones I’d eaten before had tasted a bit like bananas, but these were like concentrated banana juice. No wonder there’s a time limit here. Without it, people would probably settle down in this place forever. That’s how good it was.

“That was amazing,” said Shiro.

“Soooo full.”

Shiro and Kuro flopped onto the ground, patting their bellies. And then, just like that, they fell asleep.

The sound of their soft, adorable breathing filled the air.

A little while ago I was panicking about being thrown here with just the three of us, but seeing Shiro and Kuro so relaxed, I don’t care about any of that anymore. At this point, whatever happens happens. And I’m just as full and sleepy as they are.

“Guess I’ll take a nap too.”

I used earth magic to raise walls around us, just in case someone wandered in. It would suck to get attacked in our sleep.

Then I set an alarm with time-space magic. Normally, it’s used for accurately measuring boiling times, but it works just fine as an alarm clock.

After about three hours of good rest, we woke up from our nap. I would’ve loved to stay longer, but if we lazed around here, time would keep melting away. Since safe zones had a fixed usage time per expedition, I didn’t want to waste it.

“Let’s get moving, shall we?”

“Let’s go!”

“Into the unknooown!”

“Myah-myah!”

“Arf!”

Shiro and Kuro were more motivated than ever. Kuro was wagging her tail furiously, and Shiro was fidgeting, barely able to contain herself. That rest must’ve had them overflowing with energy.

“W-Well you two sure are full of spirit.”

“We got farther in the dungeon!”

“Let’s keep going.”

They were delighted to see visible progress. After all, we’d discovered a safe zone that we barely had any info on. It must’ve felt like we were steadily advancing toward the deepest area.

I should learn from their positive attitudes.

“There’s definitely a big room over there,” I said.

There was only one exit from the safe zone. About ten meters down the corridor, a large chamber opened up. From here, I couldn’t see any monsters, nor could I sense any presence or even a smell, but I could tell it wasn’t just an ordinary room.

“Shiro, Kuro, what do you think?”

“I don’t sense any mana at all.”

“And no weird smeeells.”

“I see...”

I tried sensing mana but felt nothing. Maybe some force was blocking us from detecting what lay ahead.

“Well, how about we—”

“How about we?” asked Shiro.

“How about we eat a bit?” I said.

“Good ideeea.”

I wasn’t starving, but my body’s a lot less fuel efficient now. Better to fill up a little here.

“How does fruit sound?”

“I’ll cut it!”

“I’ll peeeel.”

Shiro and Kuro had gotten good at peeling fruit. I quickly seared the fruit in a pan, adding citrus juice and brown sugar for flavor. It was tasty plain, but I’d learned that using my cooking ability boosted its purification and detox powers.

“Dungeon-grown fruit sauté, dungeon style.” Magical effects: slight life recovery, slight stamina recovery, slight mana recovery, slight detox, small poison resistance, slight purification.

It even had poison resistance—incredibly useful for conquering the poison dungeon. We ate the caramelized fruit while brewing fresh tea from the garden’s herbs. Taking the beastfolks’ sharp noses into account, I kept the flavor subtle.

“Tasty!”

“Nicely dooone.”

The girls sipped their tea, looking content.

But the peaceful mood ended there.

“What the—!” a voice shouted. “This place is huge!”

“I-It’s beautiful,” replied another.

Just as I thought I’d sensed a presence near the entrance, I heard two voices ring out—voices I really didn’t want to hear.

“It’s them,” said Shiro.

“Delinqueeents.”

That’s right, it was the black-haired duo. It looked like they’d broken through the dungeon and made it into the safe zone. Naturally, they could see us plain as day.

“If it isn’t the twerps again.”

“I-I’m impressed that you kids were able to make it this far on your own...”

They strolled closer, a spring in their steps and no sense of caution at all. I didn’t want to get involved, but running now might have raised some suspicion. I might as well have just told them, “We’re wary of you,” right to their faces. In town, maybe we could’ve escaped, but there was no chance of that here. The garden was small, and who knew what lay ahead.

“Yo! You guys made it all the way here!”

“Yes, somehow.”

“Not bad! Not as good as me, but you’ve done all right!”

The delinquent talked to us like we were buddies. There was no malice, but he was condescending as usual. My impression of him’s already at rock bottom, so even the little things piss me off.

Shiro’s and Kuro’s faces went blank, silent.

Machina seemed to pick up on our reluctance to chat, but she didn’t have the guts to stop him. She just kept her head down, looking troubled. It was like she was saying, “I don’t know what to do either, so don’t blame me,” which made her just as irritating as the delinquent himself. That “It’s not my fault” vibe rubbed me the wrong way.

Her bangs hid her eyes, but from where we sat, we could see her face. More than whether she was pretty or ugly, all I could think was, “Yeah, she’s Japanese.”

“Huh? That stuff looks good!” said the delinquent, reaching for our fruit.

Shiro and Kuro snapped back, trying to intimidate him.

“Fmyaah!”

“Wuffu!”

“Huh? Come on, don’t be such tightwads!”

“Easy, you two,” I said. “It’s not that big a deal.”

I understood their feelings, but fighting the duo here wasn’t a smart idea. I forced a smile and offered them the plate of fruit. The magical effects weren’t immediate, so it should’ve been fine. Besides, avoiding a fight with the delinquent was more important than worrying about him finding out about my abilities.

“Have some,” I said. “They’re good.”

“Shoulda just let us have some in the first place!”

“Th-Thank you,” said Machina.

“Ow, it’s hot!” he said. “What is this stuff?! It’s awesome! I never knew fruit tastes good hot!”

The delinquent started downing the fruit without so much as a thank you. Machina did thank us, but then dug in without holding back.

“Other adventurers wouldn’t give us any of their food! Why do they have to be so stingy?! I was gonna kick their asses, but Machina stopped me.”

“W-Well, yeah, we don’t want to start a fight in the labyrinth.”

“Beating them up’ll shut their mouths! Adventurers are no different from the punks in town!”

As I listened to them, I started to think that maybe they weren’t mercenaries. For mercenaries tackling dungeons, food was crucial, and not everyone could identify edible monsters and butcher them like I could. Since you couldn’t count on finding food inside, you calculated how much food to bring, so asking others to share even a little was unheard of. It was only natural that they were refused, and not even an amateur would complain about it. Them complaining about it showed they were worse than amateurs.

And “adventurer” and “labyrinth”... In this world, adventurer wasn’t an actual profession, and labyrinths were only called dungeons.

“What’s an adventurer?”

“You don’t know? Well, I guess the boonies don’t exactly have an adventurer guild. Adventurers take requests, hunt monsters, dive into labyrinths, stuff like that.”

That was exactly what mercenaries did, but the delinquent seemed convinced adventurers existed. This conversation confirmed something. I’d suspected they were reincarnators, but still had a sliver of doubt. Now I was sure.

“When we came to this town, nobody even knew where the adventurer guild was. I mean, come on.”

“I-Is that so?”

“When I tried talking to someone who looked like an adventurer, he decided to pick a fight with me, so I knocked him out.”

A shady rooster-head asking about nonexistent adventurer guilds, with a terrible attitude to top it off. Of course nobody told him anything. If he’d been polite, maybe someone would have explained about mercenaries. Apparently, the two had been here about a week and still didn’t know about them.

That’s right. In just one week, they’ve made it this far into the labyrinth. Clearing a high-difficulty dungeon in an unfamiliar world all the way to the deep layer in a week? What kind of joke is this?

Even with the cheat-like abilities I’d received from the god, I couldn’t imagine it. Their speed was abnormal.

So is it cheat skills? Supposedly you can get up to three. Maybe I should probe a little.

“It’s incredible that you made it this far in a week. That’s normally impossible.”

“Right? We cheaters kinda know how to clear labyrinths!”

“Huh? Isn’t that a cheat ability?”

“It’s not a cheat! I can just kinda tell!”

He can “kinda tell”... Do they have any idea how much effort we’ve put into exploring this place?!

When I pressed them, it turned out they didn’t just know the route. Somehow, they could sense trap locations, magical beasts’ strengths and weaknesses, and even the spots where crystals were hidden.

That got me thinking. Is that sort of like my intuition? In my case, I thought it was just being in peak condition after a good night’s sleep, and my intuition just became sharp as a result... Is it a coincidence that their intuition’s similar? I mean, I don’t know what else to call it. Is it some sort of reincarnator perk? But then it doesn’t make sense that I wasn’t able to use it before. So is it just a coincidence after all?

“So, you guys gonna keep moving ahead?” asked the delinquent.

“Uh, yes. We’ll be going. You two can take your time here.”

I explained the safe zone to them. They might have gotten here easily, but they had to be tired. Surely they’d rest up. That would give us a chance to get away from them. I didn’t want them tailing us again. It would put Shiro and Kuro in a bad mood, and I’d have to limit my magic use. There was no way I was showing advanced spells to these two.

But, of course, things never go how you want them to.

“No! I know what we’re gonna do! We’re comin’ with you!”

“Huh? What?”

“You fed us! And how could I not help kids in distress?!”

We’re not in distress! And the fruits are growing all around you! Why’s a scumbag like you suddenly trying to act decent?! You tagging along would be the ultimate distress!

“B-But...I think you should rest here. We have to leave since we’re running out of time, so unfortunately, we won’t be able to have you help us.”

“No need for a kid like you to worry about us! I’m not even tired, so it’s all good!”

“B-But...”

“Huh? What the hell, you got a problem or something?! I’m offering to help. You’re not saying no, are ya?”

For a second, I didn’t know how to respond. “N-No, of course not. Ha ha...”

Tell him no! I wanna say no...but I can’t. I have to accept.

I didn’t want to start a fight to the death here. Their movements and aura weren’t those of formidable opponents, so I felt like I could win. But setting aside their cheat-level intuition, they did reach this point unscathed. Their god-given cheat abilities had to be extraordinary.

If I fought them without knowing what they had up their sleeves, I could have been killed easily. Something inside me was screaming, “Don’t fight them.” I couldn’t shake the feeling that if I fought them, I’d die.

I glanced at Machina, hoping she’d stop him. No luck. She just froze, eyes wide. Though she seemed to be caught off guard by what the delinquent said, she showed no signs of doing anything about it.

I looked at Shiro and Kuro. Reluctantly, they nodded.

After a pause, I gave in. “Well then, shall we head out?”

I really don’t want to, but we have no other choice.

“Yeah! You kids just follow us!”

“S-Sorry,” said Machina. “I’ll do my best too.”

“S-Sure,” I said.

Machina’s words weren’t reassuring at all. Well, I’ll just think of them as frontliners.

And so began our five-person dungeon expedition. Beyond the safe zone exit, the dungeon changed from stone corridors into something completely different.

“Ugh. It’s damp in here!” said the delinquent.

“B-But it’s beautiful,” replied Machina.

“What are you talking about? It’s just a stupid cave!”

“I-It’s a limestone cave.”

Machina was right. The safe zone led into a massive limestone cave. It must have been twenty meters wide and just as tall. Huge stalactites hung from the ceiling, and despite being a dungeon, the sight was breathtaking. The dungeon was lit by a strange bluish glow, making the stalactites look like they were lit up by spotlights. It wasn’t just me—Shiro and Kuro were captivated too. The only one unmoved was the delinquent.

“What’s a limestone cave?” said the delinquent. “It’s just a cave. Forget it. Let’s move on.”

He jerked his chin in that lazy, wannabe-tough way, showing not a shred of awe.

“It’s really rare though...” said Machina.

“It’s just something the labyrinth master made, right? That means it’s fake.”

“Huh? But...”

Machina looked down, shaken. Still, he wasn’t entirely wrong. For once, I found myself genuinely impressed by him. Whether or not labyrinth masters or dungeon lords existed, someone clearly created these places with intent, but whether they were truly divine trials like people said or something else, there was no way to be sure.

So yeah, it was beautiful but also fake, just made to look like the real thing. No way it had the value of a natural object formed over thousands of years. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s pretty, and there’s definitely something wrong with this delinquent for not feeling a thing!

“Damn,” he said. “Can’t really see ahead.”

“I-I feel a little mana...”

“Is that how they’re messing with guys trying to scout enemies?”

The ceiling wasn’t the only problem. The ground was crowded with stalagmites blocking the way. Huge stone pillars taller than us sprouted up, cutting off our view.

At first glance, the cave looks wide open, but maybe the formations turned it into a maze? Then climbing up might make things easier— No, that won’t work. I have a bad feeling. It’s like my intuition’s telling me no.

The black-haired duo seemed to feel the same.

“Goin’ up looks sketchy.”

“Y-Yeah. We might...die.”

They’re certain from just a glance. Is their intuition sharper than mine?

“There,” said the delinquent, hurling a stone up high.

Immediately, swishing sounds rang out as something sliced into the rock. Nearly ten blades of wind had attacked it. If we’d taken that hit directly, we would’ve been in a world of pain. And it seemed they triggered automatically, so it probably wasn’t going to stop after just one attack. A barrier could most likely block a few strikes, but repeated assaults would shatter it in no time. Good thing we hadn’t tried going up.

“Not good...!” said the delinquent.

“Y-Yeah.”

Even the confident—more like overconfident—delinquent looks shaken. I never expected to see him make that face.

They seemed to once again recognize the dungeon’s danger but didn’t stop walking. For better or for worse, they were optimistic, or simply confident in their abilities. Their pace was astonishingly fast and steady.

For one thing, they could instantly find and disable traps that were in our path. Sometimes, they’d trigger them deliberately, and other times, they’d destroy underground traps with magic. They were like veteran scouts.

They were quick to spot beasts too and even ambushed them at times. On top of that, they’d usually take them out in one hit. Most enemies were beaten to death by the delinquent’s fists. The tougher ones Machina finished off with her poison magic. For people who’d only been reincarnated a week ago, they were unbelievably efficient.

Their intuition lets them do all this...? I’d guessed it was like my intuition, but theirs is way sharper. Is it really intuition? It’s like they’re following a strategy guide. I actually think it’s more impressive than any cheat ability.

Just now, the delinquent had turned right without hesitation. Apparently, he knew it was the correct path. Seeing how fast they could explore, it was no wonder they’d reached this area in just a week. I’d thought they were just trouble, but maybe they were useful after all.

Actually, it was me—the kid unused to walking on uneven ground—who was slowing things down.

“Hang in there,” said Machina. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

She’d checked on me from time to time, but I was just slow, not tired. I was using body enhancement magic, but if I’d admitted that I wasn’t tired at all, they might’ve realized what I was doing. So I had to fake being tired, which was more trouble than it was worth.

Their smooth advance continued, with us really doing nothing but following behind. Watching them, I’d realized Machina was the more dangerous one. The delinquent was strong as a vanguard and had decent attack power. He could kill medium-sized beasts in one blow. But when it came to large, tough beasts, he had no means to finish them off. That was where Machina’s poison came in...and killed everything without fail. Enemies that inhaled her powdery poison froze, convulsed, and died. It didn’t just drain life—it likely caused paralysis and blindness too.

Even a giant beast the size of a deadly horn died in ten seconds or so. If we’d inhaled that supertoxin, we might’ve died instantly, without time for purification or detox. I should secretly set up a Detox Barrier. That should block the poison completely.

“Oh, looks like an exit!” said the delinquent.

“Y-Yeah. It’s bright.”

Peering past the duo, I saw strong light streaming in from the end of the limestone cave. It looked like the goal. The cave was shorter than I’d expected. Thanks to their intuition, it had felt like a simple hike. We’d cleared it in under an hour. If it had been just the three of us, we might not have finished in a day.

“No traps in this passage. Let’s go,” he said.

“Y-Yeah,” replied Machina. “You ready?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Myah.”

“Arf.”

We followed after the black-haired duo, who didn’t seem to have a care in the world.

Just being able to tell whether there’s a trap is seriously a cheat. And maybe I owe it to traveling with these two, but I feel like my own instincts have gotten sharper too. It’s like those vague hunches I used to get are turning into something more concrete.

“This way is dangerous.”

“I don’t like how this corridor feels.”

“This direction feels right.”

Those kinds of thoughts would cross my mind, but I never knew if I was actually right. Thanks to the black-haired duo’s intuition now backing up my fuzzy hunches, I finally felt confident that what I’d been sensing wasn’t wrong. Realizing I could trust my instincts was huge. Even after I parted ways with the duo, I’d be able to rely on my own judgment.

“Whoa, that’s nuts!” shouted the delinquent, who’d been walking in front of us, as he broke into a sprint. Whatever was up ahead, it seemed like it had genuinely blown him away.

He didn’t care at all about the limestone cave, so what could he have seen that made him react like that? We ran after him and, frustratingly enough, ended up reacting the exact same way.

“Whoa! What is this?!” I said.

“Mya ha ha! This is amazing!”

“Wuffu. Gorgeous.”

A world of green unfolded before us. The first thing I saw was the green surface of the water, like a layer of green sand and moss stretching out with a thin layer of water over it. I guess the best way to describe it is like a green version of the Salar de Uyuni? The vast green surface of the water stretching as far as the eye could see had an unreal, dreamlike beauty completely different from the cave.

On top of it lay ruins made of white stone—or maybe it’s more of a cloister. The ceiling and walls had completely crumbled away, leaving behind only pillars and a long passage which, if we followed it, would probably allow us to keep moving forward. What remained of the cloister, sitting a few centimeters above the water, was heavily weathered, barely holding its original shape, and the thick moss clinging to it made it easy to imagine just how long this place had been left untouched.

How many centuries has it been sleeping here...?

Well, okay, I’m getting all sentimental, but I know this isn’t a real ruin. It’s a dungeon, so it’s just built to look like this. It’s a ruin-themed area.

“It’s pretty,” said Shiro.

“Yeah,” replied Kuro.

“For sure. Didn’t think you guys could appreciate something like this.”

“Back at yooou.”

“Guess I kinda misjudged you,” said Shiro.

“Heh. Listen to you two.”

Uh, so my girls and the delinquent are acknowledging each other? He looks pretty pleased with himself, rubbing his nose like some manga protagonist. Well, he’s always like that, so it doesn’t bother me anymore. If I just think of him as a cosplayer, it makes him easier to deal with.

“What’re your names?” he said.

“I’m Shiro.”

“Kuro.”

“I see! Nice names.”

Kuro chuckled proudly.

“You got that right!” followed Shiro.

The way they grinned at each other made them look just like a group of friends. I guess sharing that moment of awe over the ruins sparked some kind of connection between them.

Sure, our first impression of him had been the worst, but today he’d been more or less protecting us. He was pushy, but maybe Shiro and Kuro were starting to think he wasn’t actually a bad guy. And for him, traveling together must’ve made him see us as part of his group. Setting myself aside, Shiro and Kuro are five at heart, so they’re straightforward. It’s hard to dislike them unless you’re really twisted.

Still, he’s awfully calm today. Hard to believe he’s the same idiot who called them slaves and demanded I hand one over. Maybe this is the real him, and he was just in a bad mood that day. People have different sides, after all. This is probably one of his.

“Wh-What’s your name?” Machina asked me.

“Thor.”

Machina had probably spoken to me so I wouldn’t be left out. From the delinquent’s perspective, I was so quiet he must not have even thought twice about me. That was fine by me since I was trying to stay under the radar, but to Machina, it must have looked like I was intimidated by him. I couldn’t just brush off her concern, so I answered properly. She’d been looking out for me this whole time too.

“All right, let’s go,” said the delinquent.

“Myah.”

“Arf.”

Shiro and Kuro nodded in agreement. Maybe now I don’t have to worry about accidentally provoking him anymore?

The green area, despite its beautiful appearance, turned out to be the most difficult area we’d faced so far.

First, there were the magical beasts. The huge ones had stopped showing up completely, but in their place, a ton of small stealth-type beasts started appearing: green venom slimes, deadly worms that hid under the sand, and even ultra-small sniper-type golems that fired poison like bullets.

Every one of these vicious beasts hid in the green sand and attacked with lethal toxins that could’ve killed you if they touched you. To make things worse, the sand here carried a faint trace of mana, which dampened the presence of any enemies hiding inside it. Thanks to the black-haired duo’s intuition, we usually found them before they attacked, but the golems that shot long-range poison often got the first move, so we couldn’t rest easy. There were a lot of magical beasts too; sometimes several monsters popped up within less than fifty meters of progress.

That alone was bad enough, but the traps were even scarier. Up until now, traps activated when you stepped on a switch or passed in front of them. They were deadly, sure, but not hard to avoid or disable. In this area, however, the trigger conditions had gotten way nastier.

First, there were the sensor-type traps, like infrared beams. Even Shiro couldn’t always spot them, and if it had been just the three of us, we would’ve been triggering them nonstop.

And then there was another terrifying way they activated: monsters setting them off by accident. If a monster tripped a sensor, it would unintentionally activate the trap, so no matter how carefully we moved, the wandering monsters had so many traps going off in the distance that they made it nearly impossible to deal with. More than once, we got caught in traps that scattered poison over a wide area or rained arrows down around us, and we had to rely on magic to heal.

Oh, Machina can use healing magic, so I didn’t have to do anything. I did secretly use purification and detox on the three fighting in front, though.

That part was pretty tough. I had to stretch my magic thin and activate it inside Shiro and the others for just an instant so Machina wouldn’t notice. I also did my best to suppress the glow that usually came with casting magic so she wouldn’t catch on.

Shiro and Kuro were having a great time fighting alongside the delinquent. Ever since they’d acknowledged each other at the entrance to the green area, they’d gotten close fast. He might’ve been stupid, short-tempered, and kind of a jerk, but his vibe was basically that of a kid. Maybe their mental ages matched? And that typical delinquent trait—being soft on anyone once they considered that person part of their group—was definitely helping.

Now the atmosphere among us is downright friendly. But they’ve gotten so friendly that the girls accidentally blurted out that I was good at cooking. I didn’t want to give out too much intel, but I can’t exactly tell them, “Don’t talk about me.” If the delinquent hears that, he might get mad again, and that’ll ruin the relationship we’ve built.

Oh, and there’s one more annoying thing.

This place was huge. It was just endless ruins and the green surface of the water stretching on and on. The water wasn’t too much of a problem, but we barely got any food.

The green venom slime’s core needed to be detoxed before it could be eaten, and since the beast was so small, its core was about the size of a gummy snack. As for the deadly worm, its intestines were edible, but they needed to be specially cooked with magic. Naturally, the golems were completely inedible.

The moss growing in the area could be eaten if cooked, but it tasted muddy and unpleasant. When Machina figured out it was edible, I’d thought maybe she had a cooking-related cheat, but it seemed she could only tell whether something was poisonous. Sure, I could’ve made the moss or deadly worm intestines passable, but I wasn’t about to use cooking magic in front of the duo. Shiro and Kuro knew that, so despite looking awkward about it, they ate the roasted moss.

Right now, we were resting in a circular plaza, sitting together in a ring. We washed the poison stains off of our clothes and filled up on moss.

“So, you met a god?” asked Shiro.

“Woooow.”

“Heh! At first, I didn’t realize that old man was a god,” said the delinquent. “When he started talking all high and mighty, it made me wanna punch him.”

The delinquent, pleased by Shiro’s and Kuro’s amazement, bragged about what had happened before he was reincarnated. To be honest, I’m reacting a lot too. It’s pretty interesting hearing about people’s reincarnations.

Both he and Machina had been high schoolers, but it wasn’t the kind of thing where their whole class had been reincarnated together. Their circumstances had been quite different: the schools they’d attended, the grades they were in, and even where they’d died.

“I was stabbed in an alley by the station,” said the delinquent. “I wonder if that kid made it out okay...”

He’d seen a thug threatening a child with a knife, tried to intervene, and got stabbed. More than his own death, he was worried about the kid. This guy likes kids, doesn’t he?

“Well, I did manage to land a few hits on the bastard!”

Even after being stabbed, his consciousness fading away, he’d kept pummeling the assailant. I wouldn’t be surprised if that thug died—serious injuries at the least.

“I bet I got that old hag pretty good.”

Surprisingly, the assailant had been a small woman wearing a hood.

“She was an old lady?” asked Shiro.

“Around forty, maybe.”

“That’s not oooold.”

“Ha! It’s about the same age as my mom. She’s an old hag for sure!”

Godlord, every woman on the planet’s gonna hate you, so don’t say that anywhere else. See? Machina’s glaring at you. She was still a high schooler but was clearly offended.

Still, he died trying to save a child before he was reincarnated? Sounds like my story.

Machina said she’d died in a traffic accident. The bus she’d taken home from school had crashed and fallen off a cliff.

“A bus?” asked Kuro.

“Um... How should I explain?” said Machina.

“It’s like a big carriage,” said Godlord. “No horses, but it carries tons of people fast.”

“Oooh...”

“So were lots of other people reincarnated too?” asked Shiro.

If the bus was full, I bet there’s at least ten people who were reincarnated. But it turned out that the bus had been mostly empty.

It seemed Godlord and Machina had been reincarnated together since they’d died in the same town around the same time. The assailant might have been reincarnated if Godlord had killed her, and maybe the bus driver too. The bus driver wouldn’t be a problem, but it’d really suck if that woman was reincarnated.

“Anyway!” the delinquent burst out. “Dying right when the god was choosing reincarnators—I must’ve been destined for this! The god even said something like that. Didn’t he?”

“Uh, y-yeah... I don’t really know about my case, but you were probably destined for this.”

He laughed proudly. “Right?!”

Machina’s obvious flattery made him even happier. I can’t say it looks like she meant it...

“You kids don’t have any moss left. Want some more? That couldn’t have been enough.”

Shiro paused for a moment. “We’re full.”

“Kuro too.”

“Stop lyin’! You’re still hungry. Don’t be shy!”

The delinquent put some of his moss onto Shiro’s and Kuro’s plates. Is he really doing that because he’s worried about them, or is he just pushing the nasty moss onto them?

Either way, his ability to see through lies seemed real; he knew they weren’t full yet. So does that mean he’s in such a good mood because Machina was telling the truth? Wait, he can only detect lies from those weaker than him. Shiro and Kuro are still kids, so it’s no wonder he thinks they’re weaker.

There was a good chance he and Machina were equals. It made sense, since they were both cheaters, and around the same age.

But the delinquent hadn’t realized that. He clearly looked down on Machina, treating her like a henchman—or should I say henchwoman? In reality, though, I’d guessed he was wrong, the same as when he’d assumed I was weaker because I looked like a child. The fact that Machina hadn’t told him this suggested she wasn’t just blindly obedient. Maybe she’s tougher than she seems?

“By the way,” the delinquent went on, “what’s with your injuries? You’re all bandaged up. Want Machina to heal you?”

Oh, you’re asking about that now? You didn’t seem to care all this time. I guess we’ve gotten close enough now that it’s starting to bother him. Well, it is kinda hard to miss.

“It’s not something magic can heal,” I said.

“Huh? Never heard of an injury like that.”

“It’s kind of like a curse.”

“So you’re diving into the dungeon to get rid of that curse?”

“Something like that.”

“Gotcha.”

Godlord nodded, looking rather grim. It seemed he was satisfied with the reason we kids were in the dungeon.

“What about you two?” I asked. “Do you want to go back to your old world?”

“Huh? Well, when I was reincarnated, the god told me to dive into the labyrinth. I guess I can have any wish granted, so no reason not to.”

“So the god gave you a mission?”

“Yeah! His advice was to clear the labyrinth first.”

Could it be that these cheaters were brought here by the god to destroy the dungeon? That really does sound like hero stuff...

“Dive into the dungeon and get even crazier cheats. I’m already the strongest, but that’ll make me even stronger, you know what I mean?”

Cheats... He told us about Constant Vigilance, but I’m curious about his other cheats. Although, would asking too many questions make them suspicious? You generally hide your abilities anyway.

“So, what cheats do you have?” asked Shiro.

“You told us about being able to see through liiies.”

They just asked so casually!

“Listen up! I got three cheats: Constant Vigilance, First Punch, and Bare Knuckles!”

He’s answering like it’s nothing! And here I am worrying like an idiot!

“Constant Vigilance is the one that lets you know when someone’s lying!” said Shiro.

“First Punch and Bare Knuckles. What’s thaaat?”

“First Punch makes my first attack super strong! We’re talking insanely strong. And Bare Knuckles makes me deadly in fistfights! With those two, I’m invincible!”

I bet his cheats reflect his previous life. First Punch and Bare Knuckles because he was a delinquent, and Constant Vigilance because letting down his guard against a small assailant is what led to his death. Maybe his cheats are designed so he’ll be able to avoid dying the same way?

“What about Machina’s cheeeats?”

“I wanna know!”

“Machina’s are Poison Sorcery, Healing Sorcery, and Water Sorcery!”

“Uh...”

And now he’s spilling his partner’s cheats! Machina looks like she doesn’t know what to do! It doesn’t seem like she has the guts to stop him, though.

Wasn’t it that cheaters could get up to three abilities, but if they get all three, each individual cheat is weaker? That would make her Poison Sorcery a lower-tier cheat. It can kill beasts instantly, and it’s considered “weak”? Cheaters might be way stronger than I’d imagined.

At the very least, Machina’s poison seemed deadlier than intermediate magic. The delinquent’s cheats might’ve been dangerous if we’d underestimated them.

After divulging plenty of precious intel, the delinquent, apparently satisfied, suddenly got up.

“All right, let’s move.”

“Myah!”

“Arf.”

Machina might’ve gotten angry if he’d talked anymore, so that was probably for the best.

Past the plaza, more magical beasts began to appear, and the three of us started joining in battle more. Shiro and Kuro seemed to be enjoying it, but I felt frustrated. I couldn’t use my magic to the fullest, and besides that, I had to stay wary of the duo.

Shiro and Kuro had opened up to them quite a bit and weren’t holding back much with their magic. They were even using intermediate magic and chaining their spells. They must’ve been letting their guards down and feeling a sense of camaraderie with the duo. At least they weren’t using the spells I’d told them to keep secret. Honestly, I wasn’t as cautious as before either. Still, the memory of our first meeting kept me from trusting the two fully.

I dunno if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, though... I can’t really get mad at Shiro and Kuro if this is how I am. I’m so soft. Or is this a case of that trope where a delinquent saves an abandoned dog on a rainy day? Since I had the worst first impression of him, seeing that he’s actually a caring guy is making me think he’s a better person than he is. Still, I gotta draw the line somewhere. Once we clear this area, we should part ways. If we end up in a boss fight together, I can’t afford to hide my powers.

“Watch out!” the delinquent yelled.

“Myah!”

“Bastaaard.”

My thoughts were interrupted by the delinquent’s and the girls’ cries. He’d thrown himself in front of Shiro, blocking a super long-range attack targeted at her. Blood spewed from his shoulder—not good.

The attacker had already been slain by Kuro’s counterattack. Judging by what she’d used, the attacker had been a golem.

“Are you all right?” Shiro asked.

“It looks baaad.”

“This is nothing! Machina, patch me up!”

“H-Hold still...”

It was just like how a villain in a movie suddenly looks like a good guy when they do something decent. The delinquent grinned, and I thought he even looked kind of cool.

Machina worked her detox and healing, and the wound closed quickly. But now we had to be more careful than ever. The duo’s intuition hadn’t caught that attack, and it could’ve been an insta-kill if it had hit one of us in the head.

“Should we just buckle up and run through?”

“Th-That’s too dangerous.”

“Um...” I interrupted. “Can you use something like barrier magic?”

“Is that a thing?”

“I-I’ve never heard of something like that either...”

It turned out Godlord and Machina couldn’t use barrier magic. Well, I guess I have no choice. I still have my doubts about them, but it’s not like I want them to die.

“I can use barrier magic, so let’s defend with that.”

“The hell?! You’re only tellin’ us now?!”

“Sorry. It’s kind of draining.”

“Whatever. If we use it, we can make a run for it, right? Leave the traps to me.”

And so, we decided to run. Shiro and Kuro were fast, obviously, but Godlord and Machina were pretty fast too. I’m using body enhancement, and I’m probably the slowest. Well, I have shorter strides, so no surprise there, but I didn’t thinkMachina could run this fast.

“Eye patch girl! Trap ahead! Detour!”

“All right!”

“Bandage girl, that beast’s yours!”

“Arf.”

Godlord, Shiro, and Kuro showed perfect teamwork, clearing traps and beasts one after another. They were getting along way too well.

Two hours later...

“Fi...nally...” I gasped, struggling to catch my breath.

“You’re pretty tough, kiddo! You kept up without a break!”

I chuckled wearily. “Somehow...”

We’d arrived—with me being the only one who was exhausted—at a stage marked with a massive magic circle that seemed like it was for teleportation. It didn’t have a number, so it was probably only connected to one place.

“Thor, are you all right?” said Shiro.

“Here, waaater.”

“Th-Thanks...” I might puke up everything in my stomach.

About halfway, Godlord had even offered to carry me, but I’d refused. It wasn’t out of pride; if his movement had slowed down, our combat power would’ve dropped too.

I drank the water, trying to steady my breathing—but the dungeon wasn’t so easy that it was going to let me rest any longer.

“Something’s coming!” said Godlord.

“A golem?” said Shiro.

“A greeeen golem.”

As if to guard the teleportation circle, a green golem about three meters tall crawled out from beneath the sand. Its body looked like tightly packed green sand, but it didn’t seem fragile—actually, it looked pretty hard. It wasn’t a grunt but wasn’t strong enough to be a boss either. It must’ve been the guardian of the teleportation circle.

“Get a load of my cheat!” screamed Godlord.

The golem rumbled as Godlord attacked, his fist wrapped in an orange aura. The golem swung its massive arm to block, but Godlord dodged it by a hair, slipping right under the golem’s arm, which was the size of a utility pole. His movements looked practiced. They didn’t resemble any martial arts, but he must’ve had plenty of experience street fighting.

He closed in, slamming his fist into the golem’s stomach. A dull crack echoed, fissures spreading across its body. But with a booming roar, the golem kept moving.

“Ugh! Damn bastard! Take this!”

Godlord barely dodged the golem’s chopping right hand, then threw another heavy punch. This time, it was clear that it dealt no damage. The golem roared, and Godlord yelped as a kick sent him flying and tumbling across the ground. It hadn’t caused a huge amount of damage, but his frustration showed on his face. His second blow had done almost nothing. Now that First Punch’s effects were gone, his attacks weren’t doing anything. Bare fists against a golem definitely isn’t a good matchup.

Machina attacked with Water Sorcery, but that didn’t do much either. She must’ve been better at poison. Or maybe there was some kind of proficiency system at play.

“Leave it to Shiro!”

“And Kurooo.”

Shiro and Kuro stepped up, eager to prove themselves in front of the duo. They focused their mana and unleashed intermediate spells at the golem’s legs. Wind Spear and Dark Spear destroyed both the golem’s legs.

Godlord’s eyes widened in shock. It was understandable, since the girls hadn’t unleashed such power before. Their strength must’ve been beyond what he’d expected. But he quickly started moving again, hammering the fallen golem. He struck its head over and over until it finally shattered.

Well, a toppled, immobile golem is basically just a target.

“Hell yeah! Victory’s mine!”

No, it’s ours! I attacked its hands with water magic to keep it from getting back up too!

“Eye patch girl! Bandage girl! Not too shabby!”

“Mya ha ha! Shiro’s amazing!”

“Wuffu. Kuro did iiit.”

“All right! Before we teleport, let’s check the area! Kiddo, you must be tired, so you sit tight.”

As selfish as he was, he’d been pretty considerate ever since we’d entered this area. I should thank him for that. I’m not tired, though, so I’m gonna explore with everyone.

We spent about ten minutes checking around the teleportation circle but didn’t find anything worth noting.

“No traps or beasts,” said Godlord. “No hidden stairs either. Looks like this big teleportation circle’s the right way.”

“I think so too,” said Machina.

“So go here?” asked Shiro.

“Is there gonna be a boss theeere?”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll protect you, so you got nothing to worry about!”

Before I realized it, we were naturally moving forward with the black-haired duo toward the teleportation circle. I’d been hoping to come across a transportation circle for returning and use that as an excuse to leave, but we’d reached the end of the area.

If there really were a boss fight ahead, I’d have to fight too, even if it meant exposing my power. Honestly, I don’t think of Godlord as an enemy anymore. He’s rowdy, foolish, and boastful, but he’s not a bad guy. Same with Machina. She’s just getting dragged along for the ride. She doesn’t seem malicious.

“Kiddo, you all right now?”

“Yes.”

Godlord grinned wide. I could tell he saw me as a comrade. I hadn’t completely opened my heart up to him yet, but maybe I could show a little more of my strength.

“Then let’s go!”

At the very least, I don’t want to see these two die.

Chapter 4: Wrath and Pride

The place we’d arrived at after teleporting from the green area looked like more ruins. They were made of the same material as where we first started: the building area that the sewers led to. We’re not backtracking here, are we?

A corridor stretched out from the teleportation circle room.

“Another cramped space,” I said.

“Yes.”

“Arf.”

Apprehensive, I walked through the corridor with everyone, and a large room opened up. It was bigger than the hell chimera’s chamber and the ceiling was higher, but there were no magical beasts. At the front, on a raised platform, stood a statue of a woman looking down over the room from what looked like an altar near the ceiling.

“Huh? Could that be...?”

“It’s the goddess statue!” said Shiro.

“Whoooah.”

The goddess statue of the dungeon, said to grant blessings to those who reached the deepest part. Is that really it? Wait, so is this the deepest part? I mean, the deep layer was a huge pain, but this seems too eas—

“Let’s have it break the curse!” said Shiro.

“Wuffu.”

“No! Wait!”

I’d told them over and over to be careful in the dungeon, but they were too overjoyed. They’d acted fearless all this time, but of course, the curse had them scared. Shiro and Kuro dashed toward the statue.

That must’ve been the trigger.

The room changed. A huge glowing magic circle appeared in the center, and before our eyes manifested something enormous.

“Ooooohh!”

Of course the deepest part’s got some trap! For a moment, I thought about retreating to the previous area, but that was impossible; the corridor behind us had vanished.

We were trapped. This was a dungeon that had consumed countless lives. It was stupid of us to let our guards down.

“Grrrrr...”

A massive yellow lizard had appeared. It was anything but ordinary, with thick scales covering its body, and large horns jutting back from its head. It was like a dragon without wings—no, it was a dragon.

It was called a desert dragon, an earth-type dragon with no wings. While desert dragons couldn’t fly, they could swim through sand and had great stealth thanks to the color of their scales. They were one of the desert’s most feared magical beasts.

As the desert dragon glared at us with its golden eyes, a menacing howl shook the chamber, one that was infused with mana and could paralyze its prey with fear.

The black-haired duo froze. All this time, they’d relied on intuition and cheats, but maybe they hadn’t experienced a battle to the death. They’d only been reincarnated a week ago, after all.

The howl, however, didn’t affect the three of us. Our dragonized bodies must’ve given us slight resistance. The mana the enemy had hurled at us was weakened. But that wasn’t the only reason we could still move.

Yes, dragons were terrifying. Fear was inevitable in the face of such a gargantuan monster. But still, for us, this dragon didn’t spell despair.

“W-We’re not scared of you!” said Shiro.

“Geos was scaaarier.”

“That’s right!” followed Shiro.

Having fought so many enemies and seen such strong foes, we’d gotten used to things like the desert dragon’s intimidation. Well, that would’ve been an overstatement, but we’d faced worse.

The dragon seemed to recognize our fighting spirit, and its expression turned hateful.

“Let’s do this!” I said. “No holding back!”

We can’t afford to go easy on a dragon!

“Shiro will defeat it!”

“Kuro’s a dragon killerrr.”

“Don’t get overconfident!” I said.

Its body was slender for a dragon, and it was often mistaken for a giant lizard, but its combat power was most likely worthy of the dragon name. It was, without a doubt, one of the strongest high-tier magical beasts we’d ever faced.

“Light and darkness work best!” I said. “Shiro, Kuro, go for it! You remember what I taught you about a dragon’s weak points, right?”

“M-Myah!”

“Arf!”

Dragons had a lot of mana and resistance to most attributes. While water was effective against them too, it wasn’t as effective as light and darkness.

Dragons also had an obvious weak point: the “reverse scale” on their necks. Beneath this single scale, which grew upside-down, lay an important organ for controlling mana, and that was the dragon’s weakness.

I’ll draw its attention so Shiro and Kuro can attack it!

I attacked, letting out a battle cry, and the dragon roared in response.

“Nice! It hates that!”

I’d fired a barrage of Water Needles at its eyes. I couldn’t pierce through its tough eyelids, but the dragon was clearly irritated. Even if the attack hadn’t dealt any damage, on an instinctual level, no creature likes its eyes being targeted.

Now all its hate was focused on me.

“Come on! Bring it!”

I floated water in front of me to provoke the desert dragon, and it growled in response. Its intelligence was high enough that it understood it was being mocked.

I deliberately held back, feinting attacks to taunt it further.

“Grrrr...”

Strong mana surged inside the desert dragon, rising toward its throat.

“Crap! Wall!”

I hastily cast Earth Wall, but it was instantly pulverized, dirt and stone exploding every which way. It had taken a direct hit of dragon breath.

It didn’t feel like fire—what was that?

I had a bad feeling, so I cast Earth Wall and another spell right after: a special Iron Wall reinforced with extra mana. I was confident that it was strong enough to withstand even the hell chimera’s charge.

But the dragon’s breath was far beyond my imagination. A harsh metallic screech rang out as the Iron Wall shrank before my eyes—its surface was getting scraped away by the second.

“Ugh...”

That’s not good enough?! Realizing that I was in grave danger, I leaped sideways.

The dragon breath obliterated the spot where I had just been. Even Iron Wall didn’t stand a chance... It probably couldn’t have blocked that attack even if I’d put more mana into it.

The attack seemed to be a torrent of sand and mana blasted at extreme speed—sand breath, I guess? There was no sand around, so the dragon must have conjured it.

The dragon growled.

Again?!

I felt strong mana from inside the desert dragon once more. To my surprise, it could use that as a rapid-fire attack. I probably could’ve dodged it if I’d conjured another Iron Wall, but I’d be out of mana in no time if I kept that up.

The dragon, however, didn’t unleash its breath a second time.

“Myahhh! White Flash Blade!”

Shiro had attacked at the perfect time, with a spell I’d never seen before. Apparently, she had just learned it from fighting in the dungeon. But using it in battle without even testing it out is a crazy gamble!

As I looked on, Shiro charged the desert dragon. She closed in from the side of its head, thrusting her dagger upward.

Wait, is it not magic? Upon closer inspection, I saw that Shiro’s dagger was enveloped in white light. It must’ve been the kind of magic you cloak your weapon with.

“Myahhhhh!”

Her dagger flashed brilliantly and slammed into the dragon’s jaw, knocking it upward; it wasn’t Shiro’s raw strength, but the magic’s power that did it. The dragon’s jaw lifted like it had been struck by a massive uppercut, leaving its throat wide open. Blood sprayed from the cut at the tip of its jaw—it seemed pretty deep too. With enough mana, you could hurt a dragon.

“Arf! Dark Heaven Spear!”

Immediately after, a black spear erupted from the ground and struck: Kuro’s new magic. It seemed to be a spell that impaled the enemy with a spear of darkness conjured from the enemy’s own shadow. The shadow spear hit the single reverse scale on the dragon’s throat.

I get it now! Shiro exposed the weak point, and Kuro performed a precision strike! Perfect teamwork taking into consideration the location of the weak point! I know we’re in the middle of battle, but boy am I happy to see how they’ve grown!

Kuro’s attack had hit the reverse scale dead-on—so does this mean—

The dragon let out an agonizing scream.

“Dammit!”

That scale was indeed its weak point, but it was far tougher than its other scales. It had endured even a direct hit from a mid-tier spell without a scratch. But the surrounding scales cracked and there’s blood spewing everywhere...

The desert dragon was clearly enraged, its eyes wide and horns glowing red. Legend had it that touching the reverse scale would throw a dragon into a fit of rage.

Red mana shimmered like a heat haze. The scales covering the dragon’s body bristled like a pine cone opening up.

“Shiro! Get back!”

The dragon roared.

“Myah!”

All the desert dragon did was give its neck a violent shake, and Shiro went flying! Or did she jump back on her own?

I could see blood on her skin, but it didn’t look serious.

The desert dragon’s attack didn’t end there. Ignoring the flying Shiro, it opened its mouth wide toward Kuro.

A breath attack. The amount of mana rising into its throat was far greater than what it had used against me.

Crap!

“Aaahhh! Look at me, you big lizard!”

I used water magic for a rapid-fire attack, but the desert dragon completely ignored me, not so much as batting an eye. Its anger was directed at the one who had struck its reverse scale. I’d thought an attack like conjuring a spear from a shadow would make it hard to tell who the caster was, but the dragon had clearly figured it out. It must have been skilled at sensing the flow of mana.

With a thunderous growl, the dragon unleashed its desert breath, engulfing Kuro and her surroundings. She didn’t even try to escape. Did she use up too much mana?

I managed to conjure Earth Wall, but it was instantly destroyed by the breath. The torrent of sand swallowed Kuro whole.

“Kuroooo!” I screamed.

“You called?”

“Huh?”

Huh? What the? She’s behind me!

“I used Shadow Teleportaaation.”

“I-I see.”

Judging from the name, it must’ve been a spell that let her teleport from shadow to shadow. That’s how she’d escaped in an instant.

“Kuro, you okay?” asked Shiro.

“Okaaay.”

“Oh, good!” said Shiro, relief clear on her face as she ran over.

“The reverse scale is suuuper hard.”

Kuro’s tail drooped limply. She seemed discouraged that her attack hadn’t worked at all.

“Hmm, it should be the dragon’s weak point...” I said. “We’ll just have to try another way!”

“Understood!”

“Gooot it.”

The room was in terrible shape. The desert breath had gouged out wide sections of the floor and walls. The sand blasted by the breath must’ve scraped them away. A human who took an attack like that might’ve vanished without even leaving behind a single bone.

With red mana rising from the dragon in its outraged state, its attack power seemed to have increased.

How’s the duo? I looked over to see that miraculously, the destruction hadn’t reached them. But that might not have held true next time. I had to make sure the attacks didn’t fly their way.

The dragon, having shown off its tremendous destructive power, looked around. It finally realized its breath hadn’t gotten Kuro.

In that moment, Shiro and Kuro moved.

“Mya-myah!”

Shiro’s magic struck first with a brilliant flash of white. It was flash magic, which had no attack power—just a ball of light shining intensely. A normal opponent would’ve been blinded for a while if they’d looked at it directly, but the dragon had strong eyes too. Not only were its eyelids tough, it could stare into the light without flinching. Still, it clearly didn’t have time to close its eyes and should’ve gotten a look at the light.

“Then this,” said Kuro.

Kuro cast Shadow Bind, a spell where tentacles born from shadows wrapped around the enemy, binding it. Several black tendrils coiled around the dragon’s limbs.

“Grrrrrr!”

“Didn’t wooork.”

Kuro had poured in plenty of mana, but the dragon shook off the tentacles instantly. Its physical power was immense.

“Then how’s this?!”

I used a combination of water spells. The base was Water Sphere, but the water itself was conjured with another spell: a spell called Water Barrier, which reflects mana and prevents inner and outer mana from mixing. Without it, certain materials would let mana leak out.

By combining the two spells, I’d created a Water Sphere with reflective properties. Instead of throwing it, I conjured it in an unusual spot: right around the desert dragon’s head.

The dragon started bubbling underwater. Even a dragon needs to breathe, and since the barrier reflected mana, a bit of the dragon’s mana didn’t blow it away. Hopefully, this’ll make it panic—

Slurrrrp.

Gulp.

It swallowed all that water! Y-Yeah, I guess a dragon could easily drink that much water.

I tried to use the water the desert dragon had swallowed to attack it from the inside, but it was no use. Its mana was too strong, repelling mine completely so that I couldn’t reach the water inside its body.

The dragon let out a brief roar.

It even looks kind of satisfied! Did the water taste good? But I feel like the dragon’s red mana weakened a bit. Maybe drinking some good water calmed it down?

I have a guess about that mana—well, just that it’s the same red mana I used when I fought Ares and stuff. Or at least, it’s probably something similar?

Dragons released that mana when their reverse scale was provoked, and the first time that mana awakened within me was when I’d grown furious while fighting Ares. Even in the battle with Geos, anger had seemed to trigger it naturally.

Instinctively, I touched my own neck. Even through the bandages, I could feel that smooth, strange object. Maybe dragons have the same thing beneath their reverse scale, possibly an organ for controlling mana. Does that mean calming a dragon’s anger would calm its mana too?

The dragon howled.

“Myah!”

“Shiro!”

Shiro had circled behind it to attack, but the dragon noticed. Its long tail whipped toward her. She leaped away, but it was too fast to dodge.

It’s gonna hit her!

But the next moment, Shiro flew backward unnaturally, as if punched by an invisible fist, narrowly avoiding the desert dragon’s tail.

I’d seen her practice that kind of move before, where she used wind magic to hit herself and forcibly accelerate. I thought she used it for attack speed or direction changes—I didn’t know she could use it for emergency escapes too!

I saw her slam into the wall behind her, but that was probably better than taking the dragon tail head-on. She winced, but she was already moving again.

“Shiro, are you all right?”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore!”

Her abnormal healing ability made the wound on her cheek recover instantly.

“Huh?” Wasn’t that too fast?

“Good condition” wasn’t a good enough explanation. It was probably another effect of her dragon body. It was even influencing the parts of her that didn’t look transformed.

“Check this out!” I said.

If you liked the water, then how’s this?

Determined to try everything, I made my next move.

“Here!”

I pulled some meat from my storage and tossed it right in front of the desert dragon: a slab of magical beast ribs, which I’d planned to turn into spare ribs later.

You liked the water, didn’t you? Then how about some hell chimera meat? It has your name written all over it!

“Grrr?”

The dragon sniffed the meat, its forked tongue flicking out for a taste. After apparently confirming the ribs weren’t poisonous, it snapped them up, crunching loudly.

The dragon seemed to really follow its appetite. The red mana around it visibly thinned.

So eating something tasty really did soothe its anger. Then how’s this? I threw over a piece of deadly horn thigh. That’s a prime cut that even we haven’t tried yet.

“Gaaah!”

Nice, it took the bait! That should buy us some time!

Still, what a waste of good meat!

“Arf...”

“Myah...”

Don’t look so heartbroken! It’s way more important that we win! I get how you feel, but deal with it!

I shook off my own sympathy for them and threw more meat at the dragon. Higher-tier monsters prefer food rich in mana, so I prioritized hell chimera and deadly horn meat. It was a huge, huge waste, but we had to buy time.

Meanwhile, working as quietly as possible so the dragon wouldn’t notice, we gathered our mana.

As for me, I couldn’t quite get to high-tier magic. I kept losing my focus, probably from using my storage too much.

Shiro and Kuro are chanting too, but who knows how far mid-tier magic will go...?

“Gaaah!”

He sure is enjoying his meal, though.

The dragon’s chewing was strangely loud. It even narrowed its eyes, almost like it was savoring it.

I’d used so much mana in so short a time that I was getting hungry too. That meat was starting to look real good.

“Graaar!”

The hell chimera’s small intestine would be amazing grilled with yakiniku sauce! If only this world had beer, I could drink buckets of it with that stuff! Gosh, and I was thinking of deep-frying the deadly horn thigh later too! That juicy meat would be so good fried!

“Gah!”

And hell chimera heart would be amazing grilled on skewers! But look at you, just chowing down on all our meat! You know how many large gold coins that stuff would be worth?!

“Myah...”

“Arf...”

Shiro and Kuro were on the verge of tears. Watching the amazing meat get devoured right in front of them must have torn them up inside.

I totally feel you guys!

“Shiro, Kuro, don’t cry.”

“But...”

“Meeeat...”

“Listen. If we beat that thing, we’ll get more tasty dragon meat, so we can fill ourselves up with that.”

Their eyes flew wide open in surprise, and they immediately turned to stare at the dragon with burning intensity. They must’ve remembered how good heaven dragon meat tasted. This one was way below the heaven dragon, but a dragon’s a dragon. Its meat had to be delicious.

“I see,” said Shiro.

“Dragon meat,” followed Kuro.

Slurp.

Sluuurp.

“Grrr?”

Gosh, now I’m starving too.

Shiro and Kuro held their stomachs and stared at the dragon’s belly and legs. They were definitely imagining how its meat would taste.

Maybe that was why their mana suddenly surged. They hadn’t been able to concentrate because of hunger, but they snapped to attention.

“G-Grrr...”

Huh? The desert dragon’s looking restless all of a sudden.

It stared at us with a strangely troubled expression, still munching away. Looking at the dragon, all I can see is a big hunk of mea—

“Ga...”

The desert dragon began backing away. It looks kinda scared—what’s going on?

It kept retreating until its tail bumped against the wall, but even then, it didn’t stop. Pressing its body against the wall, it tried to put even a little more distance between us.

Fine by me.

If it wasn’t attacking, I could chant properly. Keeping my glare fixed on the desert dragon, I slowly gathered mana.

“Become our nourishment.”

“Grr...”

The advanced spell said to burn even dragon scales—Shadowflame Annihilation Circle—was a high-firepower spell strong enough to cook dragon meat.

Cringey name or no, I’ll use this spell to burn your neck, reverse scale and all!

Among the advanced spells, this was one of the easier ones. As strong as I was now, I could definitely activate it with the time I had.

“Reduce all to ashes, shadowflames of hell!”

The dragon let out a panicked roar.

But just before I finished chanting, something happened to the desert dragon. Black mana spilled out from its body, its brown scales turning black in an instant as its entire body was engulfed in darkness.

Maybe I should have waited to see what was going on, but I couldn’t stop now. I unleashed the spell.

“Shadowflame Annihilation Circle!”

A complex magic circle formed beneath the dragon’s head, black flames roaring upward. At first glance, it resembled Shadowflame Formation, but its power and heat were on a completely different level—I’d even narrowed the range to increase its firepower.

It hit the dragon square in the head. Even the reverse scale should have—

“It’s...not dead?”

Even after the black flames had died out, there still stood a jet-black dragon. The black mana covering its body must’ve blocked my spell. Its face was badly burned, but that was all—and the burns were already healing.

“Grrrrrr!”

It glared at me, eyes crimson, showing not a hint of restraint, or of sanity.

Black mana... I’d encountered it enough times to know how dangerous it was. I didn’t know what it was, but those who awakened to this mana were granted tremendous power.

The black dragon started roaring uncontrollably, opening its mouth wide.

The desert breath!

“Crap!”

I dodged it by a hair, but was that faster than before? If I let my guard down, I’m toast!

“Shiro, Kuro, watch how its mana moves!”

“Myah!”

“Okieee.”

Another sweeping tail strike came toward us, but we dodged that too. The beast was clearly stronger, but its flow of mana was much more obvious. I guess it’s easier to dodge now? Actually, no, the increased speed cancels that out.

But the real problem wasn’t its attack power; it was its defense. Our spells weren’t doing anything. Before, it would at least flinch, but now the black mana had essentially become an impenetrable barrier. Magic that couldn’t even catch its attention was just a waste of mana.

So we had no choice but to force out even stronger advanced magic. I’d used Shadowflame Annihilation Circle because it seemed easiest to control, but the desert dragon had high fire resistance. If I wanted a sure kill, I should’ve used an attribute it was weak against, even if it was more difficult.

For example, Blade of the Sea King would’ve—

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud scream.

“Gaaaa?!”

What was that? That red flash...

A red light had shot in from somewhere and struck the desert dragon’s right foreleg, piercing the black mana and cracking its scales—a terrifyingly strong attack.

“Sorry I’m late!”

It was Godlord, finally on the move again. Miraculously, it seemed the dragon’s attacks had missed him—it was almost annoying to see him so perky.

He donned quite the smug look. Was he waiting for a dramatic moment to jump in? I know he helped us, but I’m kinda pissed.

“So you can finally move again,” I said.

I couldn’t help the tinge of spite in my voice.

The delinquent scratched his head apologetically.

“My bad.”

W-Wow, since when did you get so tame? What happened to the cocky delinquent I know? Did you have some rotten food or something?

But he did give an excuse.

“It’s not like I was wussin’ out, all right? I mean it! I just couldn’t move all of a sudden!”

That’s called wussing out!

Still, the excuse was so typical of him that it felt reassuring.

“Damn dragon must’ve pulled a dirty move! I finally started moving again when it turned black!”

“Oh, that might be true.”

“I’m sure of it! Probably some paralysis attack that only works on cheaters!”

Well, he doesn’t seem scared anymore, so I’ll just settle with that excuse.

Machina could move again too, and she was healing Shiro and Kuro.

“Now it’s my turn!” said Godlord before letting out a heroic shout.

What the—? There’s some kind of black mist rising from his body. He’s wrapped in red mana, but it’s like there’s a bit of black mixed in. It’s similar to the black mana the desert dragon and Ares used...but it’s not the same. Is it because there’s red mixed in? It’s not like he’s lost his mind and started going berserk, though.

“Take this!”

“Gaaah!”

Godlord charged in and punched the dragon in the face, sending its massive body flying sideways. It was an impressive display of brute force, lifting the dragon’s huge body like that. The scales on its snout shattered and caved in. What’s more, his attack had pierced the dragon’s black mana again. His mana must’ve been able to cancel out and nullify the dragon’s.

Godlord laughed triumphantly. “You big ol’ lizard! Now it’s my turn!”

He stepped in farther.

He moved so fast he almost vanished, then launched a huge uppercut, striking the dragon’s jaw with a thunderous boom. This time, the dragon flew straight up. The effect of his First Punch should’ve worn off, but the power didn’t seem reduced at all. He must not have been fighting all out during our journey.

I can’t believe he was hiding such insane attack power! It’s way stronger than the First Punch he showed off in the golem fight!

Godlord continued his relentless assault, punctuating each strike with a yell. He darted left and right at blinding speed while throwing punches. It wasn’t elegant enough to call footwork, but it had the raw force of street fighting.

He could even fire red mana with his punches: a red flash that pierced the desert dragon’s scales. That must have been the attack that had struck the dragon’s foreleg earlier. Attacks bathed in red rained down all over the desert dragon’s massive body.

H-He was this strong...?

Each hit probably had the power of an intermediate spell. It wasn’t enough to kill in one blow, but with that many strikes, the total damage would have been enormous. At this rate, he might’ve defeated the dragon before I even needed to use an advanced spell.

But isn’t Godlord’s black mana getting thicker?

At first, it was just a little black mixed into the red, but now it looked more marbled, the mana emitting an ominous aura as it wavered around him.

“Bwa ha ha! I’ve got this power surging inside me! I don’t even know what’s going on!”

He seemed confused by his own power. At first, he tilted his head, suspicious, but he accepted his newfound power almost immediately. With a vicious expression, he unleashed even more brutal attacks, yelling and screaming.

Each time Godlord punched the desert dragon, the black portion of his mana increased. And the more the blackness grew, the more ferocious he became.

Is this...okay? It totally looks like he’s about to be swallowed by the black mana...

“Weak! Pathetically weak!” he said, cackling with glee.

Godlord’s mana was no longer half red and half black—it was almost entirely black, with only faint red lines running through it.

What’s gonna happen if it turns completely black? He’s not gonna come after—

“Shut up! What the hell are you saying?!”

Huh? What was that?

“Like hell I’m doing that!”

Is he arguing with someone?

“You’re supposed to protect kids! Get lost, asshole!”

As he yelled, even louder than before, his mana changed drastically. The black color suddenly diminished, and the red returned.

“Heh. You see that?”

The sinister expression vanished—not really. He always looked like that. But the sense of evil around him had definitely faded. That black mana really was something you didn’t want to get involved in.

“Time to finish this!” Godlord screamed, going in for an attack.

“Gaaaaggghhh!”

His fist, wrapped in red mana stronger than ever before, smashed the desert dragon’s torso. With a death cry that sounded almost human, the beast violently convulsed. Its torso tore like paper, organs bursting out and blood staining the floor crimson.

And a few seconds later, the massive desert dragon became nothing more than a lifeless corpse.

“Hell yeah! Victory’s mine!”

“Myah!”

“Wuffu!”

Shiro’s and Kuro’s triumphant cries echoed through the room, following Godlord’s shout.

Did we...really win? Then our curse should—

“All those unexpected twists had me pretty worried, but it all worked out in the end, so no harm done.”

“Huh—?”

A...woman’s voice?

“Still, I don’t need you anymore. Get outta my sight, you damn delinquent.”

Side Story: Talk Show

“I am currently at the scene where the bodies of a man and a woman were discovered.”

A daytime talk show was covering a certain incident in its news segment. A female reporter stood at the entrance of a dimly lit alley, where other members of the press could also be seen.

Near a station in a rural area of the Kanto region, the bodies of a man and a woman had been found.

“A young boy, found unconscious at the scene, was taken into protective custody—”

A severely injured elementary-schooler had been found collapsed nearby, and the case had been investigated both as a criminal incident and as a possible accident. The identities of the deceased were determined to be a male high school student and an unemployed woman, and it was also confirmed that neither one of them was related to the boy.

At first, suspicion fell on the male high school student, who had been a known delinquent in the area, but he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Footage from nearby security cameras and witness interviews brought to light the possibility that it had been the woman who’d first led the boy into the alley.

“Various speculations circulated, but thanks to testimony from the boy after he regained consciousness, the full picture of the incident has come into view.”

As expected, it was the woman who had injured the boy. She’d used her cunning to talk him into going to the back alley, where she’d subjected him to a violent assault, striking and kicking him repeatedly. The boy had even suffered a broken neck, and the fact that his life was saved was nothing short of a miracle.

A young man who’d happened to be nearby had tried to help the boy, only to be stabbed by the woman instead.

But why did the woman die as well? By that point, the boy had already lost consciousness and didn’t know what had happened next.

The police investigation revealed that the young man had fought back, even while suffering a stab wound to the abdomen, resulting in excessive self-defense. His fist showed damage consistent with having struck a hard object, and the shape of the injury had matched a depressed fracture found on the woman’s skull.

“A recent search of the woman’s home has yielded a large amount of evidence. The findings were shockingly disturbing—”

Some of the findings included books about torture and poison, an enormous number of photographs believed to have been secretly taken of local elementary schoolers, a map of the town with markings for choosing a crime scene, an eerie basement where various poisonous mushrooms were being cultivated...

And a diary in which she had written down her darkest, most unsettling urges.

The contents of that diary sent shock waves through society. Page after page was filled with the deep darkness the woman had carried within her, laying bare her desire to abuse children—a destructive impulse directed at the young. The endless grotesque fantasies were too horrific to even speak of.

What further astonished the public was that this woman had volunteered at day care centers and other such places.

Thus, the delinquent boy with the red pompadour became the town’s hero, while the woman came to be known as a devil.

“In this location, hidden from view by surrounding buildings, three individuals were—”

Side Story: Milène

“So, tell me. You people are looking for a duo with black hair, correct?”

“Huh? Yeah, that’s righ— Yes, ma’am.”

In the residential district of Erunst, in an abandoned house near the slums, Milène, the acting knight commander and magic knight, was interrogating several men.

She had come, personally, to capture the slum dwellers who’d been causing trouble in town—though this was partly because there were so few knights she could trust.

When she’d actually caught the men, they were indeed from the slums, but that wasn’t all. Every one of them gave off an aura that clearly wasn’t from ordinary citizens. They weren’t just poor folk—they were underworld types.

Several of them had real combat ability. Milène, on the other hand, was alone, but still in control of the situation. For someone who could defeat a high-tier magical beast solo, a few albeit capable thugs were nothing. All the men had already been knocked down by her magic and lost the will to resist. Despite her appearance as a harmless, bespectacled beauty, every single one of them was terrified of her.

“Black hair, you say...”

When she heard “black hair and dark eyes,” the first faces that came to mind were the black-haired boy who’d helped her superior regain his motivation and the beastfolk girls accompanying him. But these men were after two people with black hair, both of them older than the boy, so he and the two girls couldn’t have been the ones they were after.

“It’s a guy with hair like a rooster and a plain female sorcerer,” said one of the men.

“And why are you chasing these black-haired people?” asked Milène. “What reason do you have?”

“A kid got killed in the slums.”

“And you seek revenge?”

“Yeah...ma’am. That woman’s killed a few slum kids. And there’s no mistaking she’s tortured them! This ain’t just about pride. You can’t let someone like that roam free.”

The string of brutal crimes had been committed quietly in a corner of the slums, but there had been witnesses every time: runaways, drug dealers, poor folk with nowhere to go, and so on. The black-haired woman must have thought no one had seen her, but those hiding in abandoned houses had witnessed the atrocities.

“I see...” said Milène. “A black-haired duo. Yes, I recall hearing about something like that.”

Milène remembered a report she’d received the other day about a pair of mercenaries who’d forced their way into the dungeon. With all the recent chaos, plenty of mercenaries were acting reckless like that, but... She’d remembered that specific report since people with black hair were rare. At first, she’d thought it might be Ares, whom she’d met before, but apparently not.

“I wonder if those children are all right.”

The faces of the boy and girls who had entered the dungeon to dispel their curse crossed Milène’s mind—she owed a lot to them.

“I really hope nothing happens...”

***

“All those unexpected twists had me pretty worried, but it all worked out in the end, so no harm done.”

“Huh—?”

“Still, I don’t need you anymore. Get outta my sight, you damn delinquent.”

“Ugh...? M-Machina...?”

What we saw next shook us to our cores.

We’d barely relaxed after defeating the desert dragon when Machina suddenly attacked Godlord, slipping behind him without a sound and spear handing him in the stomach. I never imagined a sorcerer could do something like that...

The shock was so great that my mind went strangely calm. It didn’t feel real—even more so because I’d felt a sense of camaraderie with Godlord and Machina.

“I-I...can’t...move...”

“Stay that way.”

Machina kicked Godlord over and over as he lay, motionless, on the ground.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you. You’ll come in handy later!” she cackled.

Her face twisted into a wicked expression, one so different from before that I doubted she was even the same person. There wasn’t a trace of the shy, quiet girl left. A hysterical laugh escaped her warped mouth, her bloodshot eyes staring straight at us.

I recognized those eyes. They were the same as the lord’s eyes when he’d looked at Shiro and Kuro—eyes clouded with desire.

“Aha ha ha! You’re so cute...”

An evil smirk crept across Machina’s face as she licked her lips.

The moment I saw that, goose bumps shot up across my skin.

“Oh? Are you scared? You’re grimacing, you know?”

Yes, I’m afraid.

She wasn’t nearly as intimidating as dragons or Ares. Without cheats, she didn’t even look strong.

She was, however, terrifying. A shiver ran through my body. It wasn’t the fear of a powerful enemy. It was the kind of revulsion you feel toward a cockroach or a grotesque image—a horror born from sheer disgust.

I didn’t know what was happening, but one thing was certain: Machina had become our enemy.

The devastation hit hard because I’d started to let my guard down around her, but it wasn’t enough to freeze me. It was probably because I still had a sliver of caution left, thanks to Ares and Gailland deceiving me.

Everyone I meet in this dungeon’s got a hidden side to them! I’m gonna end up with serious trust issues!

Are Shiro and Kuro okay?

I checked and saw that they were collapsed just like Godlord, unable to move.

I remembered how Machina had approached them saying she’d heal them. She must have paralyzed them instead. I hope it’s just paralysis...

I wanted to get close and cast detox and purification, and help Godlord too, but with Machina standing there, even moving was difficult.

I just stood there in silence.

“You’ve been scared of me this whole time, haven’t you?” said Machina, pride smeared across her face. “You’d flinch any time I talked to you.”

I wasn’t scared; I was being cautious... That looked like fear to you?

She chuckled. “Come on, you already know, don’t you? That I’m the one who killed you?”

“Huh?”

She killed me? What is she talking about? Doesn’t she mean she’s going to kill me?

“You’re the boy I killed that day, aren’t you? You’ve gotten so much smaller... I’ve gotten younger than I was on Earth too, so I can tell! You were reincarnated into a younger body like me, right?”

Uhh, so this woman killed someone, and she thinks I’m the reincarnation of the victim? She’s clearly got it wrong. I mean, the guy that killed me was a man. Unless she went through a transsexual reincarnation.

“So you were a middle-aged woman before you were reincarnated?”

“I wasn’t middle-aged!”

Oops, I guess that’s a sore subject.

Her expression changed so fast it was like her face was made of slime. One moment she was smirking, and the next, the corner of her eyes shot upward like a furious demon mask.

“God dammit! Late forties isn’t middle-aged!”

“Ugh...!”

Machina took out her anger on Godlord and kept kicking him. I-I’m sorry, Godlord!

“Why did you think I was that child?” I asked.

She cackled and said, “Because both the damn delinquent and I died and got reincarnated together! Of course that kid would’ve been reincarnated too! And then you showed up! Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

I thought for a moment. “Godlord died with you?”

“Oh? You didn’t know? Well, of course not, I’d already killed you, hadn’t I? The feeling of your neck snapping under my fingers... Oh, what a delight.”

Machina spoke with a look of pure bliss.

“I just love tormenting children.”

What an absolute scumbag! But that was just the beginning.

“Smack them, pinch them, punch them, kick them, stab them, bite them...! I love watching their faces twist in fear! Just seeing their adorable little faces brings me so much joy!”

She’s not a scumbag; she’s a full-blown psychopath.

“So I was having a ball that day torturing you! But then this damn delinquent got in my way! He ruined my moment of bliss and started beating me! Isn’t that awful? Even after I stabbed him, he just kept going—what is he, a zombie?!”

It seemed Godlord, in his previous life, had tried to save a child from Machina, and they’d ended up killing each other. And now she believed I was that child reincarnated.

“You hit children, but you don’t like being the one getting hit?”

“Of course not.”

She was completely serious. The realization sent a chill down my spine.

Machina cared only about herself—her pleasure, her pain, her desires. It wasn’t that she couldn’t understand others; she simply had no intention of trying. Talking to her felt like speaking to a monster wearing human skin, and I felt goose bumps rising again.

“And even after I was reincarnated, I ended up with this bastard! Well, that geezer calling himself a god made me young, so at least the idiot didn’t recognize me! How stupid can he be?! What a moron!”

Just like how I’d become a child, Machina had also become young, so Godlord hadn’t realized who she was.

“He’s so dumb that he spills everything about his abilities! All I did was amplify his desires a little! I didn’t think he’d start calling himself the chosen one! And somehow he broke free of my control! I still don’t know how!”

Control? She didn’t have any cheats like th— Actually, there’s no way she’d just give out the details of her abilities. Well, it seems like Godlord really did, though.

She definitely used poison in battle, so that part was real. That meant her other cheats were probably lies.

What’s worse, it seemed to be some sort of manipulation type, although most likely not full control over one’s actions. She said she’d amplified his desires, so maybe she could influence one’s thoughts.

Godlord’s strange behavior earlier was likely because of Machina. When he somehow broke free of her control, his original personality—someone who actually cared about kids—came back. But even after breaking free, he’d still thought Machina was an ally, so her ability must have been the type that left the victim unaware they’d been manipulated.

“I’ll control him again—and I’ll be real thorough this time. His personality, everything about him will be gone! But before that—”

Machina spitefully drove her foot into Godlord, then turned her gaze toward me.

“I’m going to enjoy you to the very end!”

She raised her hand, and a cloud of white powder burst out.

“Purification! Detox!”

My magic erased the powder. So it was poison.

“Hmm. So you can use holy magic? You must’ve been secretly using it on the stupid delinquent earlier. Now I know why I suddenly lost control of him. But is that all? I didn’t do much to the beastfolks, but I strengthened my control over this idiot every day. Or is your holy magic that strong?”

It seemed that powder was the source of her control—some kind of drug-like poison, not magical mind control. It’d be hard for me alone to instantly cure someone who’s been dosed daily with a strong poison. But what if there was something more? Like food with purification and detox properties.

The fruit sauté that Godlord ate in the safe zone should’ve had those kinds of effects. That must have weakened her control during our journey, and my magic had finished the job.

“You don’t come by holy magic users too often, so it might be nice to control you and keep you by my side! After all, if you can heal yourself as long as you’re alive, that means I can torment you as much as I want!”

“Purification! Deto— Huh?”

“Aha ha ha! Idiot! That one isn’t poison!”

I tried to use magic to block the white powder she’d cast again, but it didn’t work this time, and it got all over my body.

“Dammit! Purification! How about water?!”

Purification didn’t work, so I tried washing the stuff off with water magic—that turned out to be a big mistake. Right after, something began swelling all over my body. Through my clothes and on my skin, round, fist-sized lumps began forming everywhere.

“What the—? Are these m-mushrooms?”

The stuff wasn’t really swelling—it was growing. Covering my entire body were countless mushrooms. I knew exactly what they were: an edible kind called mana mushrooms.

True to their name, mana mushrooms grew by absorbing mana and were considered a luxury material for food and medicine. They were rare and hard to find, and withered within days of being harvested, so they almost never appeared on the market.

So how are they all over my body right now?!

No, this wasn’t the time to be impressed. If these mushrooms grew by absorbing mana, that meant they’d drawn mana from somewhere. They probably sucked some up from the water I’d conjured with magic, but there was a far richer mana source nearby: my body. They’d drained a massive amount of mana from me and grown fat off it.

I had to hand it to her; it was a good attack. Since it wasn’t poison or anything dangerous, purification and detox couldn’t block it, but it could drain an opponent’s mana drastically.

This did, however, raise a question.

Where did the spores come from? Did she pull them out of some storage-type cheat? It looked like she’d just used the same Poison Sorcery she’d used during our journey here...

“Tee hee. My cheat isn’t Poison or Healing Sorcery! It’s Mushroom Force! It’s a wonderful cheat that lets me control, create, and grow any kind of mushroom! Poison, healing—mushrooms can do anything!”

She must’ve read my puzzled expression.

Machina grinned smugly, spilling everything. She was probably feeling bold now that she was convinced she’d won. She’d called Godlord an idiot, but she was no different.

Still, I could see why she felt triumphant. Ridiculous name aside, her cheat was far more dangerous than I’d expected. This world was full of magical mushrooms that produced all kinds of effects when infused with mana.

Some were used to make medicine, while others had powerful healing properties on their own. Some were so poisonous even dragons avoided them, and some had such insane reproductive power they could wipe out entire nations. If she had all these mushrooms at her fingertips, she was a grave threat.

I also understood how she’d controlled Godlord. She must’ve fed him a parasitic mushroom that could manipulate its host’s behavior. If she could control the mushroom, she could probably control the host too. And if she combined that with mushrooms that affected the brain and mind like narcotics, the effect would be even stronger.

“With all those big mana mushrooms growing on you, your mana must be completely drained. They also hinder the movement of the host, so you’re probably paralyzed by now,” said Machina, laughing gleefully. “Now, how about we have a little fun before I make you mine? I hope you’ll make the most adorable expressions and let me hear the most angelic cries.”

Mana mushrooms slowed their host’s movements so they would be eaten by other creatures, letting the spores stick to the predator and be carried far away. That was what Machina must’ve been talking about. This wasn’t paralysis caused by poison—this was mycelium interfering with nerve transmission, so detox wouldn’t work. Purification might work, but it’s not like the mushrooms are evil, so who knows?

Machina approached me carelessly, the look of pleasure on her face so grotesque it made me sick. Her fantasies must’ve been running wild with all the different ways she was going to torment me.

“How should we play?” she said, chuckling quietly. “Maybe I’ll start by peeling off your nails?”

I couldn’t respond.

“Oh! That’s so cute how you’re keeping your head down! But I don’t need to see your face to know that you’re in despair!”

She started cackling loudly, but the next moment, she went flying.

“Ugh...?!”

My wind magic had exploded against her face, stomach, arms, and legs. She slammed into the wall with the force of being hit by a truck and collapsed.

When I stood up, the mana mushrooms covering my body crumbled to the floor. If you looked closely, you could see they’d shrunk a little.

Without saying a word, I unleashed magic at Machina with everything I had. I wasn’t gonna go easy. I fired low-tier water, wind, and lightning spells one after another, with no thought as to whether she’d live or die. My specialty, needles made of magic, shot at her like bullets.

“How...do you still...have mana...?!”

I’d thought the wind magic had dealt heavy damage, but she hadn’t lost consciousness—she’d even managed to put up a mana barrier to block my spells. That seemed to be all she could do, however; she couldn’t move.

She was shocked that I still had mana, but I hadn’t done anything special. I’d simply cooked the mana mushrooms growing on my body, extracted their essence, and drunk it.

Thanks to my high mana reserve, I hadn’t hit zero after being drained. I’d used my remaining mana to cast a spell for compression and expression inside the mushrooms, extracted their essence, and used telekinesis to bring it to my mouth. It helped that since I’d been lying face down, I could hide my face from Machina just by tilting my head down a little.

The effects of the concentrated mana-recovery potion had been boosted because it had been considered a cooked dish. It was quite potent and almost fully restored my mana.

Machina grunted as she tried to block my spells with a wall of mana, but after taking a dozen hits, she couldn’t maintain it anymore, and the wall shattered.

After that, she was nothing but a sandbag. Magic struck her all over, pinning her to the wall and punching countless holes through her. At some point, she stopped regenerating, and her hole-riddled body collapsed. The sounds she made grew weaker and weaker.

And yet, she was still alive, as stubborn as a cockroach. It was probably the effect of some mushroom.

Fine then, I’ll finish her with a big spell—one that’ll send her body into oblivion with a single blow.

I gathered my mana and looked down at Machina.

“So you said you could tell I was in despair? Like hell I was! Maybe your eyes and brain are fried from all your fantasies.”

Honestly, I’ve been fighting the urge to laugh at how stupid you are, walking right up to me without a care in the world. Sure, maybe biting my lip made it look like despair.

“Forgive...m—”

“Not a chance.”

Even if she had some tragic backstory, there was no universe where I’d forgive this woman. Actually, “forgive” wasn’t even the right word, since it wasn’t like I personally hated her. All I felt was disgust, and the idea of letting her roam free horrified me. If she escaped, she’d absolutely come back for revenge.

So in order for me—for us—to live happily in peace, you need to die right here.

“Shadowflame Annihilation Circle.”

“AAAHHHAAAAHHHAAAHHH!”

A pillar of black fire swallowed Machina whole, her screams ripping through the room. I was surprised she still had enough strength left to scream like that. But after a few seconds, the voice stopped, and when the flames vanished, only a pile of blackened ash remained.

It looked like an easy win, but it was actually a close call. If she’d used her cheat with the intent to kill me from the start, I might’ve been doomed. There’s gotta be thousands of dangerous mushrooms I’ve never even heard of.

“Godlord, are you okay?”

“Y... Yeah.”

After using detox, purification, and healing on Shiro and Kuro, I started treating Godlord.

First, I had to deal with the wound in his stomach. It seemed Machina hadn’t planned to kill him and had intended to put him under her control again. His wound had already started to close. Even so, I used several spells for emergency treatment. Detox, purification, sterilization with electricity—everything needed to deal with the spores. It hurt like hell, judging by the screams, but it was better than having mushrooms sprout from his body later.

“You saved me...” said Godlord. “I can’t believe Machina was that psycho woman...”

Seeing someone he’d trusted turn into a monster must’ve been a shock. His physical wounds would heal quickly, but his emotional scars might take some time.

“Shiro, Kuro, you two okay?”

“Myah...”

“Arf...”

They seemed fine too. I treated them again for spores and poison, then reapplied healing. They should’ve been all right now.

The immediate threat was gone, but the fight with Machina had been a complete anomaly. If anything, the real boss should’ve been the dragon we’d fought before her.

“The dragon was probably the boss, right? So that would mean—”

“Pathetic... What a disgrace.”

“To think you couldn’t even corner another reincarnator. Weak.”

A raspy old man’s voice suddenly echoed around us. I couldn’t tell where it had come from. It felt like it was coming from the entire room at once—loud, yet somehow not grating. It sounded like multiple people, yet also like a single being speaking.

“That voice...” muttered Godlord.

“You know it?” I asked.

“It sounds just like that weird voice I heard when I was fighting that big lizard. Kept yelling at me to get angrier, and to destroy you guys. It was annoying as hell. Disappeared when I told him off, though! But I swear I’ve heard it somewh—”

While Godlord was cocking his head trying to remember, the old men’s voices continued.

“We bestowed upon you part of our power—your cheats—yet you lost so easily...”

“The cheat has yet to settle within you. Still, that vile nature of yours... Not bad.”

I recognized that spine-chilling voice; it was the same as dungeon malice.

The sound itself was different—dungeon malice had a woman’s voice, while this was an old man’s. But the sinister, repulsive aura was identical.

Godlord seemed to remember something too.

“That’s it! The god I met when I was reincarnated! It sounds just like that old man!”

“That creepy voice?”

“Yeah, for sure.”

How could you think this is the voice of a god? I would for sure think it’s some evil deity or demon. Actually, I guess whether you think someone’s a god just depends on what they tell you, so maybe he really was fooled.

So Godlord heard a mysterious voice when his black mana swelled. It can’t be a coincidence that it sounds just like the god who’d reincarnated him. And the voice even encouraged him to destroy us?

“Even at death’s door, your desire does not fade... Splendid.”

“The color is pride. It is not me.”

“Indeed. This is my color. One who believes it natural to torment others, who delights in trampling them... One so full of pride they believe their own perception is absolute... How worthy to be my sacrifice. Now...offer me your flesh!”

The moment the voice cried out in joy, a tremendous surge of mana erupted from the corner of the room with a roar.

The source of the overflowing jet-black mana was what had once been Machina. She should have been reduced to ash, yet mana was rising from her remains—actually, her remains couldn’t even be seen anymore, swallowed by the dense black mana.

Something was writhing within that darkness. It wasn’t just the flickering of mana, but rather, something truly horrifying.

A sinister laugh echoed through the room. “I, Machina of Pride, have taken flesh...!”

The mana split apart, and something black emerged—a giant mushroom. The squat, round-bodied fungus had stubby arms and legs, like a mascot plush toy, and her entire body was pitch-black.

She looked almost funny, cute even. But I couldn’t laugh.

My survival instincts started going berserk, like they were screaming in my ear: You can’t stay here! Run! Now!

The desert dragon was nothing compared to this. The same nausea-inducing disgust and terror I’d felt when I first faced dungeon malice washed over us again.

“Ugh... Gah...”

“Myah...”

“Arf...”

Our bodies froze, seized by a terror that locked every muscle.

“D-Damn...”

“I shall devour you all...and make you my flesh.”

The black mushroom—Machina of Pride—extended her short arm toward us. A mass of black mana shot out, attacking Godlord like a lightning-fast cannonball.

Unable to move, Godlord took the hit directly, letting out a pained grunt and slamming into the wall with brutal force. His arms and legs bent the wrong way, and he collapsed on the ground, twitching.

I needed to help him, but I had no such luxury.

“You look delicious as well... Let despair consume your soul even further.”

Machina of Pride fired at me next.

I screamed. The fear of death rushing toward me must have overridden the paralysis. Just before the attack hit, I managed to move, leaping aside and creating a mana-reinforced wall.

But even the Iron Wall I’d strengthened to the limit wasn’t enough. The mana cannonball didn’t slow for even a moment, shattering the wall and slamming into me.

I’d activated a Water Barrier at the same time, so I wasn’t pulverized like the wall, but I was still launched like a pinball. The impact was like being caught in an explosion, and I almost lost consciousness.

“Gah...!”

I was blown away over ten meters and slammed into the wall back-first, a crushing shock hitting my back just as pain exploded across my front. There was no up or down; there was just pain running through every inch of my body. It honestly felt like all my bones had shattered. I dropped to the floor with a wet thud, barely able to move.

Godlord was lying beside me. The pain, blood loss, and suffocating tightness in my chest made my whole body feel unbearably heavy.

“Thor!” said Shiro.

“We’re coming!” followed Kuro.

The girls saw the state I was in and panicked. I wanted to yell at them not to come, but I couldn’t muster a sound. They rushed over and tried to lift me.

But Machina of Pride was not someone you could afford to look away from—not even for a heartbeat.

“Oh...”

The holy magic I somehow managed to activate dulled the pain just a little, but I couldn’t even squeeze out a single warning sound.

And then—

“Turning your back on me... How insolent.”

“Myagh!”

“Yip!”

Machina of Pride’s arm stretched out like a whip, sending the girls sideways with a sharp crack. They stayed conscious only because they’d instinctively jumped back at the last second to soften the blow.

They got up immediately, both wincing in pain.

“Weak. So weak,” she muttered. “If you won’t resist, I’ll just devour you now...”

Even though her voice was low and mumbling, pride oozed from every word. The mushroom didn’t have a face, but I could tell she was gloating.

Dammit... We finally made it to the goddess statue... I’m not giving up. I’ll fight to my last breath!

“Oh? You still have some fight in you...? Then how about this? Mushroom Empire.”

A massive wave of spores burst out from her body. The multicolored cloud must have been a mix of countless mushroom spores. I countered with purification, detox, and fire and lightning magic, but the amount didn’t decrease at all. The sheer volume of spores completely overwhelmed my attacks.

Within moments, they filled the entire room. I threw up a Wind Barrier around myself and Godlord. Shiro could use the same magic, so she and Kuro were managing too. But the spores hung in the air like a thick fog, and visibility dropped to zero almost instantly.

I braced myself, worried that Machina of Pride would use this chance to attack—but the attack never came. Instead, the spore fog slowly began to clear.

But this did not spell relief for us, because in just that short time, the entire room had transformed.

“Let the world of mushrooms swallow you.”

The room had been infested with mushrooms—from tiny ones the size of a fingertip to massive ones larger than a person, covering the walls, the floor, and the ceiling in all colors of fungi, many of which I didn’t even recognize.

“Get ready to taste despair...”

Then, I noticed something. “These are...”

These weren’t just ordinary mushrooms. Just like Machina of Pride, they sprouted limbs, waddling comically.

But this was no laughing matter. These were magical beasts called rampage mushrooms, and dozens of them were writhing before my eyes.

“Fire Needle!”

Some of the mushrooms were edible, so I knew their weak points: They were vulnerable against fire, and their cores were in the center of their caps. I blasted fire magic right at that spot, and a rampage mushroom collapsed in a single hit.

Just as I’d thought, they weren’t much of a threat individually. Shiro and Kuro fired magic from within their barriers too, keeping the mushrooms from getting close. We kept casting spell after spell, but—

“Dammit, they just keep coming...”

Their numbers didn’t drop at all. The mushrooms covering the room kept growing, coming to life one after another. Is every single mushroom in here a rampage mushroom?

Worse than that, Machina of Pride wasn’t done. She released more spores.

There weren’t as many as before, but we couldn’t afford to let any of them touch us. In addition to poisonous mushrooms, there were mushrooms that caused curses or corrosion, and there was also a chance that she had cast mana mushrooms again.

I had to boost my spell output even more, burning off the spores with fire magic while fighting off the rampage mushrooms.

“How long will your mana last, I wonder...?”

Just as she said, my mana was dropping fast. At this rate, I’d run out soon.

“Shadowflame Formation!”

“Useless... This level of magic isn’t even worth blocking...”

My attack, aimed directly at her, did nothing. Despite being struck by the black flames, she didn’t have so much as a scratch. And it wasn’t like the desert dragon, which had blocked the attack with black mana. It seemed that she simply had absurdly high magic resistance. Even advanced magic probably wouldn’t have done much.

“You seem to still have room to think... Then let’s add more...”

Machina of Pride lightly moved her hands, and the small mushrooms around her swelled and began to move. Nearly fifty new rampage mushrooms were added to the mix.

“Now, try to defend yourself... Run wild. Wreak havoc. Show me your power...and you shall become a worthy sacrifice.”

Sacrifice my ass! Screw that! I’m not giving up!

I steeled myself, but deep inside, a faint sense of fear peeked through.

Can we really win...against a monster like that?

There was no question that this thing wasn’t just some magical beast. It was a monstrosity, a creature beyond reason that had hijacked Machina’s body.

Against an opponent like that—

“How about this...?”

“Gah! This...is...!”

Countless mana bullets rained down on our barriers. My barrier shattered instantly, the storm of bullets slamming into me. As I was blown away, I saw Shiro and Kuro get launched as well, thrown across the floor. They seemed to have been knocked out, and the spores slowly started swallowing them.

I managed to activate holy magic, but I could barely move.

“You will die. All of you.”

No way in hell...!

“But that is the reality of the situation.”

I don’t believe that for a second!

“Then what will you do?”

Fight! Till my last dying breath!

“Impossible. You, Shiro, Kuro, Godlord—you will all die here.”

I won’t let them die! That’s right, I don’t even care about myself! But Shiro and Kuro are not gonna die! Not as long as I’m breathing! Why did I almost give up? I might die? I’m not dead yet!

“Yes. Get angrier! Then I shall grant you power!”

Power? If only—

The moment I steeled myself, a fierce roar shook the room.

But it wasn’t mine; the voice belonged to a new figure who had entered the room.

The hall’s door, sealed shut ever since the desert dragon had appeared, was still closed. Yet, undeniably, there was a man.

“Holy Light Wave!”

He fired a blinding light that filled the room, blowing away the rampage mushrooms without harming us. To us, it was bright, but nothing more.

Wait, did my mana recover a bit? My injuries are healing too. The pain’s gone, and my wounds have closed somewhat. Have I been saved?

For now, yeah.

But the one who’d saved me was also the last person I wanted to see.

As I cast healing magic on Godlord, who was lying beside me, I stared at the black-haired, dark-eyed young man cutting down the remaining rampage mushrooms. He sliced one in half with a single blow and wiped out dozens of them with magic at impressive speed.

He was strong, but not a welcome savior. Because the one who’d appeared was the mercenary Ares—the man who’d nearly killed us.

Did he chase us all the way here? Or did he just happen to reach this place while clearing the dungeon?

As I struggled to decide what to do, Ares finished off the last of the rampage mushrooms and stepped toward me.

Machina of Pride seemed wary of this sudden newcomer, watching him closely.

Ares stopped a few meters away, silently scowling down at me. He didn’t radiate the crushing bloodlust he had last time, but he clearly didn’t feel anything positive toward us either.

And then, he spoke.

“Are you a reincarnator?”

“Huh?”

Side Story: Ares’s One-Armed Retreat

“No...friggin’ way! I didn’t get reincarnated just to die here! And Shiro and Kuro aren’t dying either!”

Those words jolted me. The moment they hit my ears, my boiling rage suddenly went cold.

Reincarnated...? This boy... Is he a reincarnator too?

Wait, why am I grabbing his arm and shoulder? He’s covered in wounds. Of course he is—I did that.

Huh? I did this? What for?

Because I hated him. Because he and his group stole the dragon core from us.

But even so, this is— Wait, huh? What’s this...black stuff covering my body?

A repulsive mana, so vile it made me sick just looking at it, had taken on a physical, black form and was wrapped around me.

What...happened to me? I’m practically a monst—

The moment I froze, the boy slipped free of my grasp.

But he didn’t run. Rather, he charged straight at me.

He screamed, glaring at me with eyes full of rage and hatred. His throat and chest glowed red, and a red aura erupted around his entire body. The aura was both ominous and ferocious, as if his anger had taken shape.

The red flames writhing around him resembled horns and wings, like a red demon—a demon of wrath that had possessed him. It seemed like maybe he couldn’t control the power, because the clothes on his upper body were starting to burn away.

And then I saw his chest.

What’s that black mark? It’s like a bat—

“Graaaaggghhh!”

I stood there, dumbfounded. The boy lunged at me like a feral beast, and I felt his teeth tear through the skin on my neck and dig into my flesh. Blood spewed out from the wound, and the sheer ferocity and obsession behind his attack sent a chill racing down my spine. I tried to pry him off, but he only growled with murderous intent and kept biting. I couldn’t afford to go easy on him anymore.

I screamed, and the boy growled in response. Through brute strength, I forced him off.

But the boy didn’t stop. Mana surged inside him, and the next instant, a blast of bright red flames erupted from his mouth.

So is it really the heaven dragon’s core powering him? But how...? Is this his reincarnator cheat?

Agh, I’m burning! It’s so hot! My whole body’s burning!

I grunted, confused. Even when I tried to blow the flames away with mana, the red fire that wrapped around me didn’t weaken at all. Thanks to my super-regeneration and holy magic, I was still standing, but without them, I would’ve already fallen.

The god had given me a cheat called Demon King Slayer. If I defeated a Demon King and absorbed its mana stone and core, I gained part of its mana and abilities. That cheat had given me super-regeneration and body enhancement from the Werewolf Demon King. And the heaven dragon was also a Demon King.

If I’d absorbed its core, would I have gained the ability to breathe fire like this boy? No, this isn’t the time to be lost in thought. Focus!

I screamed as I released all my mana at once, blasting the flames away. The darkness covering my face peeled off, and the fire blocking my vision vanished.

The boy glared up at me from where he’d fallen, and our eyes met. In that instant, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu—no, of nostalgia. I’d felt this way before when I saw him...

Is it because I realized he’s a reincarnator like me? The feeling of nostalgia had only grown stronger now. Wait, is it really just because we’re from the same world? His face... I’ve seen it somewh—

The moment I tried to remember, a shock like lightning tore through my mind.

And then I remembered. I remembered that day...and the face of the person who’d died saving me.

It’s the man who saved me, smiling even while he was drenched in blood! There’s no mistake! This...is him! I ended up dying when I was twenty...but I lived wanting to be like him. Even after I was reincarnated...

“Why didn’t the god...say anything...?”

My bloodlust dulled—no, it vanished completely. Maybe because of—or thanks to—that, the black shadow wrapped around my body had disappeared without me noticing.

What was that thing? It felt like the moment that overwhelming power surged up, my hatred and bloodlust became uncontrollable. Or did I become like that because I’d harbored such a strong wish to kill? Either way, I have to stop fighting and save the boy and the girls. The girls are still alive. There’s still hope—

“Aaaaahhhhh!”

He can still move?!

A fireball erupted from his mouth again. It was sinister, as if it carried his desire to kill. I could feel his hatred, his wish to kill me.

“Gaaaaggghhh!”

I avoided a direct hit to the face, but my left shoulder was blown off, reducing my arm to ash.

This is bad.

Blood spurted from the charred stump like a fountain. That blast had gouged dangerously close to my heart. I tried to heal myself with mana, but the wound wouldn’t heal at all, maybe because the flames had carried the heaven dragon’s power. I’ve lost so much blood I’m starting to—

“Ugh...”

On the brink of unconsciousness, I activated teleportation magic—my trump card. It consumed a huge amount of mana and was too rare to let others know I could use it, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

My vision shifted to the room I had rented from the adventurer guild. It seemed I had teleported to the marker correctly. I’m so low...on mana...I can’t mov—

“Hey! Ares! You all right?!”

Ah... Gailland...

His room was next door, so he must have sensed something was wrong and rushed over.

“Yeah...”

“Stop! Don’t try to talk! I’ll get you a potion! Don’t you dare die on me!”

Are the kids...safe? Is that boy really...him?

“Ares! Stay with me!”

“Ugh...”

Gailland’s voice is drifting away. No, I think my hearing is fading? A potion... I think I had one in storage... I’ve got it out...but I...don’t have the strength to...

I didn’t know how much time had passed after that. When I came to, I was lying on the floor, and Gailland was leaning over me, pressing a small vial to my lips.

“C’mon, Ares! Just a bit more! Hang in there!”

“Gghh... Oww...”

The potion brought me to my senses. And with that clarity came the pain. Honestly, the fact that I hadn’t felt anything before was probably the real sign of danger.

“Can you use magic?”

“Yeah... Heal...”

I cast holy magic again and again while Gailland helped me drink more potion. It was a high-tier potion—expensive enough to buy a large house. But life was worth more.

“I’m...okay now,” I said, gasping.

“Damn. I can’t believe you had a potion that can regrow an arm.”

Gailland stared in awe as my arm, torn off at the shoulder by the boy’s flames, slowly started growing back. Even in a world with magic, this wasn’t something you saw often.

I chuckled weakly. “It was made...by the dungeon...”

“Makes sense.”

That’s a lie. Well, it was a high-grade dungeon-made potion, but it shouldn’t have been potent enough to regrow a limb. It did take some time, sure, but how could my arm grow back at all? I know I combined the potion with holy magic, but the effect is way too strong. Was it because of the regeneration ability I gained from the Werewolf Demon King? Either way, getting my arm back is huge—but I still need blood.

“Ugh...”

“Take it easy. You should sleep a bit. I’ll keep watch.”

“O-Okay...”

I wanted to return to the dungeon immediately, but going now would only get me killed.

Besides, I don’t even know how I’m going to face those kids... I should sleep for now. Maybe my head will clear up and I’ll think of something.

And so, as if slipping into unconsciousness, I fell asleep—for four whole days. I owed Gailland more than I could ever repay for taking care of me for that long.

Now that the heaviness was gone from my mind, I let out a sigh and began to think—about the kids.

Is he really who I think he is? Why did I feel the dragon core’s power? Did they really steal it? If so, why? And what’s the relationship between the boy and the girls?

I truly regretted letting my impulses take over, and attacking them.

What was that black mana that swallowed me?

“The Demon King’s...mana?”

Thinking back, I realized it resembled the Werewolf Demon King’s mana.

My cheat, Demon King Slayer, lets me gain power from a Demon King’s core and mana stone... The power I gained may be far greater than I’d thought. It is Demon King power, after all. Its danger probably exceeds anything I can imagine too—so much so that one wrong move and my mind could be swallowed whole.

Come to think of it, the mana covering the boy felt similar to mine—no, almost identical. For some reason, the children had absorbed the heaven dragon’s power. And the heaven dragon is a Demon King. Could they be influenced by Demon King mana just like me...?

I thought back to that uncontrollable urge for destruction that had drowned out my mind. My heart had been painted black, and I didn’t question the impulse to attack the enemy in front of me. I’d seen the kids as enemies and believed killing them was natural.

Realizing how abnormal my mind had become terrified me. It was like I hadn’t been myself. Not recognizing the abnormality was the scariest part.

A chill ran down my spine, and my body trembled.

Actually, that abnormal regeneration—enough to regrow an arm—also started after that rampage. Did it have some sort of effect on my body too? Am I really okay now? Is my perception warped like when I was swallowed by Demon King power?

As my fear for myself grew, so did my worry for the kids.

The boy was clearly going berserk because of the mana. Is he okay?

Wait! I remember! Their biggest threat isn’t Demon King mana!

“That mark...”

The ominous black pattern carved into their bodies! That has to be the curse of dungeon malice I’ve heard about!

Dungeon malice was said to appear without warning and give dungeon divers the worst curse. It was the first thing Gailland had warned me about, saying it was the most dangerous part of the dungeon. The black marks on the kids’ chests looked exactly like the curse sigils he’d described.

I finally understood why a group of children had been taking on the dungeon. I also realized that I’d interfered with their desperate struggle.

I clenched my fist at the realization.

What was I doing?

My bloodlust was gone now, but I still had unresolved emotions. Their dragon bodies were clearly from the heaven dragon. It was still very likely they were the ones who had stolen the core’s power. I couldn’t say I’d forgiven them, but the guilt weighing on me was far stronger.

That boy was definitely a reincarnator. He’d said so himself.

And his face... He looked just like the man who’d saved me when I was a child. The man who’d given his life to protect me.

Could he really be that man reincarnated? What kind of life has he lived? He was branded with a curse, he took in illegal beastfolk slaves, he even nearly died... It can’t have been too long since he was reincarnated, and he’s already lived a life so full of chaos? What is he planning to do from here?

And what should I do?

Help them clear the dungeon? After I nearly killed them? Wait, are they even alive? I dealt them serious damage—

Then it hit me.

That’s right! I can’t just sit around! I have to check if they’re safe!

“I have to go...!”

I have to make sure!

Chapter 5: The Power of Gluttony

“Are you a reincarnator?” Ares asked, looking down at me.

“Huh?”

What? That came out of the blue. And is this...holy magic?

The pain that had been coursing through my body was fading. While I was still trying to make sense of what was happening, Ares pressed on.

“Do you know anything about something called the heaven dragon’s core?”

My heart jumped at those words. Did he find out about the heaven dragon’s core?

“Me and my party members defeated that heaven dragon at the cost of their lives.”

I couldn’t believe it. “Well...”

So it was Ares and his group that defeated the heaven dragon! And he lost his party members in that fight? Then taking the materials without permission makes me nothing but a cowardly thief in his eyes. Is that why he attacked me?

Ares’s face showed no anger or contempt. So much so that it felt like his bloodlust and hatred from before were all something I’d simply imagined. But his expression was complicated, so it wasn’t like he had any fondness for us either.

I couldn’t answer his question. Whatever he thought of my silence, Ares looked away.

“Are you quite finished?”

“First, I’ll deal with that thing,” said Ares. “We’ll talk after. Give this to the girls. It has purification effects.”

Ares sprinkled potions—taken out from who knows where—over me and Godlord, then placed two more in front of me.

Then he walked toward Machina of Pride.

“A Demon King, huh.”

“Oh...? You can tell?”

“Yeah. I never thought I’d run into two of them in a single dungeon.”

“You... Are you the hero who slew Bellwood of Wrath?!”

“That dragon? Yeah, we defeated it.”

“Running into a hero right after making flesh... What terrible timing...”

Demon King? Hero? Those are things out of fairy tales... What? These two are a Demon King and a hero? And it seems the heaven dragon was a Demon King too. I’ve heard that the dungeon is a trial from the goddess, but does it also create Demon Kings?

While I was struggling with that thought, Ares and Machina of Pride began to fight. Ares darted around at a speed I could barely follow, and she countered with quickness that seemed impossible for someone of such a short, stubby stature. Ares swung his sword in an elegant dance, while the Demon King swatted at him like she was flicking away a fly.

Both of them were monsters.

Ares didn’t have the vicious aura he’d had when he attacked us before, but he still looked immensely strong. Actually, he almost seems stronger now that he’s calm. Watching him dodge every attack by a hair’s breadth sent a shiver through me.

Trying not to get caught in the battle, I crawled across the floor with one eye on them. I have to save Shiro and Kuro.

Meanwhile, Ares and Machina of Pride continued their duel, both firing off immense mana.

I should probably be rooting for Ares, right?

Honestly, I still couldn’t fully trust him. While I did feel guilty, I also couldn’t forget that he’d nearly killed us.

With those tangled feelings still in my chest, I somehow reached Shiro and Kuro. Countless mushrooms had rooted themselves into their bodies. Their skin was dry and cracked, probably from having their nutrients drained. But their chests rose and fell, and I could hear their heartbeats.

“They’re...breathing.”

They’re alive!

I threw myself over them and poured Ares’s potion into their mouths. Thanks to my knowledge of ingredients, I knew it was real—an expensive, high-tier potion. At the same time, I activated holy magic, but their wounds healed slowly, and half the mushrooms remained. The mushrooms were draining their life force, and I guessed that many of them couldn’t be killed off with purification. I could get rid of the ones I had knowledge about, but many were completely unfamiliar. Using detox and lightning magic, I managed to eliminate half of what remained, but several still clung on stubbornly.

One kind—pitch-black mushrooms the size of a fist—seemed especially dangerous. Every time I used holy magic on Shiro and Kuro, they grew larger. The mushrooms were absorbing something beyond life force.

Should I risk pulling them out? But some mushrooms leave dangerous mycelium behind. I have no idea what might happen.

“Shiro, Kuro...”

Their complexions worsened, their bodies growing colder and colder. It was just like that time with Carolina. I was trying to hold on to their lives, but they kept slipping through my fingers. No matter how hard I tried, I was certain I wouldn’t be able to save them.

My own helplessness made my vision burn red with frustration.

“Why...?!”

Is this...where it ends? Not a chance...in hell!

We’re gonna live! We’re gonna live together, eat together, laugh together...!

Shiro and Kuro are not dying! These two deserve to be happy!

“Agh...?”

My throat...is hot! It’s burning! It’s the red mana! My anger’s making it surge! If I use this power...!

No, it’s still not enough. I need more. I need stronger, deeper, denser mana to save Shiro and Kuro! Come on, you useless idiot! Get angrier! Squeeze out every ounce of power you got!

Mana flared up inside me. Then my stomach growled.

Even at a time like this, my hunger was crying out.

Or is it because it’s at a time like this? My instincts were telling me to eat if I wanted power. With every passing second, the hunger grew, and I could feel my own life force being converted into mana.

But I’m fine with that. Hell, devour my life some more!

I pulled out the meat I had in storage and bit into it on the spot. I tore it up, chewed, and swallowed it, over and over again.

The moment the meat hit my stomach, it turned into mana. So much mana welled up that it felt like my body might burst from the inside.

It’s a dangerous power, but now I’ll be able to—

“Shiro, Kuro, I’m gonna heal you!”

Using the red mana boiling through my body, I cast holy magic. It was the same spell as always, but the effect was clearly different.

The spell kept sucking up my mana. The consumption was brutal, worse than advanced magic, but the effect was extraordinary. Shiro’s and Kuro’s wounds closed up, their bodies healing by the second. Their heartbeats grew stronger, and their skin regained color and firmness. Their wounds healed completely, and every mushroom withered away.

Judging from how swollen they got, maybe they had too much life force?

“Myaffu?”

“Wuffu...”

The pain vanished from their faces, and they began snoring peacefully. They probably weren’t fully recovered yet, but without the mushrooms, their life force wouldn’t be drained anymore.

Look at you two sleeping with such innocent faces. Do you know how worried—

Boom!

The noise knocked me to my senses. I’d been so focused that I’d completely forgotten about the battle that was raging on, mana clashing and sending shock waves through the air.

They had both probably forgotten I even existed. That’s how evenly matched the fight was. At a glance, Ares seemed to be winning, dodging every attack from Machina of Pride. But when it came to stamina and life force, the Demon King had the advantage. Even one hit on Ares would’ve turned the tide instantly.

What should I do? What do I even want to happen?

For Ares to win? For them to take each other out? Is Ares even an ally?

He’d helped me earlier, but I still hadn’t forgotten he’d nearly killed me.

I was the one who stole the heaven dragon materials. I knew I was in the wrong, but I couldn’t suddenly decide, “He was an ally all along! I have to help him!”

I thought so hard my head started to hurt, but I decided to negotiate with Ares. If Machina of Pride won and wasn’t weakened enough for us to finish her off, we’d be done for. So talking to Ares was the best option since he seemed to be the one I could reason with. But I couldn’t just start talking to him in the middle of battle, so I gathered mana and watched.

The hall, filled with their overwhelming mana and fighting spirit, drained my mind just by being in it. At any moment, one of those attacks could come our way.

Shiro, Kuro, and Godlord were still unconscious. If I’d put some hell chimera jerky under their noses, they probably would’ve woken up instantly, but doing that in the middle of a battle was impossible.

As I waited nervously for an opening, the chance finally came.

“Aaaggghhh! Holy Light Binding Blade!”

“Hm...? Such a powerful spell...!”

Ares swung his sword down as he yelled out the grandiose name, and Machina of Pride became trapped inside a glowing dome—a spell that bound the opponent’s movement, it seemed. Machina of Pride shook her massive black body, trying to break free, but couldn’t move from that spot.

It looked like the perfect chance to attack, but Ares didn’t move—he couldn’t move. He was down on one knee, breathing hard. He must have used a huge amount of mana to restrain the enemy.

I approached Ares and cast holy magic on him.

“I’ll support you.”

“I appreciate it.”

Yes! I don’t know what he’s thinking, but my plan to earn some goodwill worked! And he doesn’t seem to have any animosity toward me either!

Ares stood and raised his sword again, the steel blade wrapped in mana.

If he was charging up a finishing move, it would be devastating. The end was close. This was the moment. I had to get him to give me his word.

“It’s all my fault.”

Ares looked perplexed.

“I was the one who stole the dragon materials,” I said. “Shiro and Kuro had nothing to do with it. When we receive the dungeon’s blessing, we’ll ask for your friends to be revived, so please, would you spare Shiro and Kuro?”

“You’re...” Ares trailed off, his face tightening.

Is he angry? Maybe it’s not possible to negotiate with this guy.

His expression looked angry but also pained—a complicated mix of emotions.

“Um—”

Just as I tried to speak again, Machina of Pride’s voice echoed through the hall.

“Show me the strength of your hearts.”

Even while bound, Machina had done something, probably trying to disrupt us.

“Thor, come here,” a voice said.

“Yes, Thor...” said another.

“Huh?”

Two figures suddenly appeared before me, calling my name. They were my parents from my current life, smiling at me with gentle, almost transparent expressions.

“We’re sorry for what we put you through...”

“Please forgive us...”

Both of them radiated such exaggerated humility it was unsettling. A normal child might’ve lost their will to fight, or frozen up, or started crying. That was how gentle and peaceful the illusionary parents looked. If I’d been born to parents like them, I probably would’ve lived a life without any hardships.

“Thor,” they said together, opening their arms as if inviting me to run into them.

Their affection felt so real it was hard to believe they were illusions. But it didn’t work on me. Sure, it surprised me for a second, but that was it. Partly because I was an adult on the inside, and partly because I had zero affection for those two. If anything, I despised them. Even if they’d appeared now as ideal parents, the only thing I would’ve done was spat in their faces.

“Listen to us,” said my father.

“Then we’ll spare your lives.”

“Attack that young man.”

“Come now, do as we say.”

So it’s an illusion meant to make us turn on each other—like that’s gonna work on me now. Wait, then maybe they really are my parents’ spirits? Not like that’s gonna make me think twice about attacking, though.

I blasted my illusionary parents with magic. A fireball exploded, and they vanished—it seemed all too easy.

Looking around, I saw unfamiliar adults standing in front of Shiro and Kuro. Are they their parents? The illusions calling out to them seemed to have woken them up, but the girls wore blank, confused expressions. They must have not had any memories of their parents. They simply tilted their heads, not recognizing the people in front of them. Just like with me, it seemed they were being told to attack Ares, but—

“We won’t do something so cheap!” said Shiro.

“Kuro would never do something so dirrrty.”

They shot back immediately, both of them looking visibly disgusted. They clearly felt strong distrust and rejection toward the illusions of the strangers.

“Listen to us, we’re your family.”

“That’s right, my sweet child.”

“Shiro’s family is Thor and Kuro only!”

“Yeah, that’s right. Shiro and Thor are the only family Kuro needs too.”

With that, the two of them attacked the supposed parents with their bare hands, going straight for the illusions’ faces without a shred of hesitation. The illusions shattered instantly and disappeared.

“Victory!”

“Victoryyy.”

Shiro and Kuro looked very pleased with themselves.

Meanwhile, it wasn’t Ares’s parents who’d appeared before him, but two young women, both beautiful girls around his age. The moment he saw them, he froze.

“Marika... Ximena...” he muttered.

“Why didn’t you protect us?”

“Why are you the only one who survived?”

“I’m sorry...” said Ares.

“I don’t forgive you.”

“You were angry at those kids, but you’re the one who’s most at fault, no?”

They’re really laying into him. One was a demure girl with pale indigo hair, and the other, a lively-looking girl with cherry-blossom-pink pigtails. They must’ve been the party members that Ares had lost in the heaven dragon battle. Marika and Ximena both had names that sounded like they could’ve been Japanese, but their appearances were completely otherworldly.

The real problem, though, was that Ares had completely fallen for the illusion. The spell must’ve dug deeper the bigger the shock was, and it seemed Ares still hadn’t come to terms with the girls’ deaths. Ares stared blankly, his eyes unfocused.

“Ares, you want to bring us back, don’t you? Then kill those children.”

“That’s right. Our lives or theirs. Choose.”

“Choose...one...?”

Wait, this could be bad. If Ares decides to attack us...

“Choose...?”

Ares slowly turned toward us. His eyes were unfocused, yet something frighteningly powerful flickered behind them.

“Go on, Ares. Kill those children.”

“And bring us back.”

Ares paused for a moment. “Yeah...”

Crap! I rushed to Shiro and Kuro, pulling them close as I watched Ares’s every move. The girls sensed the strange aura around him and held their breath, frozen in place. Worst case, we’d have to fight both Ares and Machina. That would be—

“I have to kill those kids...to bring you two back?” Ares muttered, still not moving. “Why?”

“Because that is the law of the dungeon.”

“You can only choose one.”

“Again, why?”

Ares stared at us, but didn’t take a single step.

“You two mean the world to me.”

“Then—”

“But no! I can’t kill those kids! I can’t...have him die again because of me.”

“You care for them more than you care for us?”

“That’s not it.”

At some point, the light had returned to Ares’s eyes; he had clearly regained his sanity.

“I remembered. The vow I made to live like him. Plus, I’m a hero. Would a hero choose one or the other in a moment like this? That’s not how it works.”

Who’s “him”? Someone he looks up to?

“Choose one? No, I choose both! I’m not gonna kill them, and I’ll still bring you two back!”

Choosing both instead of one—arrogant in a way, but exactly the kind of choice a storybook hero would make. The moment Ares made his declaration, purple light erupted from his entire body. It wasn’t a pure, clean color like you’d expect from a hero, but rather a purple-black magical light that harbored malevolence. It was, nonetheless, undeniably powerful.

“I am Ares the hero! I’ll save everyone I can!”

The black-haired young man who had always seemed timid suddenly looked impossibly large from behind. As soon as he made his proclamation, the two girls vanished. Ares had overcome the illusion.

“So it didn’t work on you. But such fine pride. If I absorb you...my pride will grow even stronger!”

He must have taken too long. The holy magic binding Machina of Pride shattered, and she broke free.

But Ares didn’t panic. Purple mana rose around him as he readied his sword with a stern, gallant expression.

“How dare you trample over what I hold dear...” said Ares, anger leaking from every inch of him. “You’re gonna pay for this!”

His aura sharpened, fierce and wild. He wasn’t raging blindly, but the figure he cut was unmistakably that of a warrior.

“Give me your pride...!”

Ares and Machina of Pride clashed again, trading full-power blows and carving away at each other.

“Shiro, Kuro, can you put up barriers?”

“Yes!”

“Yeees.”

We shielded Godlord behind us and raised a triple barrier to intercept the shock waves. Meanwhile, the battle only grew more violent, the two adversaries screaming in rage.

Ares’s speed rose even further; he was darting around Machina of Pride with afterimage-level velocity as he swung his sword. Purple-mana-infused slashes tore away at her black mana.

He also dodged Machina’s powerful mana blasts by the narrowest margins—he was clearly reading them. What surprised me the most was that I could follow Ares’s movements. I hadn’t been able to see Geos’s or the lord’s movements in battle, but now I could see clearly. It wasn’t that he was slower than them. I could feel that my regeneration, my dynamic visual acuity, and all of my other abilities had skyrocketed.

Still, I wasn’t confident enough to join the fight. My physical abilities had probably risen as well, but I was still in a four-year-old’s body. All we could do was watch from inside the barrier as the two titans fought.

Gradually, Ares began to gain the upper hand. He dodged everything, while Machina of Pride slowly but surely racked up damage.

“You worthless human!”

Machina of Pride screeched as Ares’s sword carved deep into her mushroom cap. Her regeneration was painfully slow. It seemed she had burned through too much mana and was now unable to keep up. She was cornered, but she wasn’t going down so easily.

“Don’t get cocky...! You should all just let us devour you!”

Her aura shifted—she must’ve been unleashing her true powers now.

“You’re all dead!”

Machina of Pride’s right arm swelled to several times its size, and she slammed it down toward Ares. He dodged, but the wind pressure alone blew him away. The impact shook the room, blasting us with dust and shock waves.

Both fighters howled, and Machina of Pride raised her arm again, gathering even stronger mana into her fist. It was clearly a pre-attack motion for something far more deadly.

For Ares’s part, he didn’t run. He raised his sword high, pouring purple mana into it. Just the mana rising from the two of them almost made my body tremble.

This is bad! Instinctively, we infused the barriers with more mana. And then—

BOOM!

A massive blast of wind and force slammed into us. Purple and black mana mixed violently, scraping at our barriers.

Machina of Pride’s fist and Ares’s mana had collided head-on in a colossal explosion. We braced ourselves, maintaining the barrier for a few seconds, which seemed like an eternity. If we’d relaxed even a little, the barriers would have shattered.

After we’d mustered enough mana to withstand the blast, we saw that the room had completely changed. The floor had been gouged out, leaving a gigantic crater.

Is Ares okay? Wincing from the heat, I scanned the room.

“Ugh...”

He was alive, but his right arm and part of his face were burned. He hadn’t been able to completely block the attack.

Machina of Pride had taken serious damage too. Her black mana was torn away in places, and the right arm that had clashed with Ares’s sword had vanished from the shoulder down.

But if both sides took similar damage, the one with superior regeneration and life force had the advantage.

“Not bad...but with those wounds, surely you can’t fight anymore? You were already in over your head before you even got here...!”

“Not yet...! I’m still...!”

“Ah, that regeneration... I can feel the power of my kin. So you’ve already taken in the power of pride... Then I’ll devour you—power and all!”

“Ggaaaah!”

Machina of Pride’s entire body convulsed uncontrollably. Purple mana leaked out of Ares and got sucked straight into Machina, her black flesh writhing and bubbling while swelling grotesquely. With dull cracking sounds, her form began to twist and change, and she let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

In just a few seconds, Machina of Pride had transformed completely. She no longer resembled the mascot-like mushroom from before. She was thin now, like a long-limbed artist’s mannequin with a mushroom cap stuck on the head. From her charcoal-black skin, clusters of black mushrooms of all sizes sprouted at random. She was so tall her head nearly scraped the ceiling, and she was utterly monstrous.

There isn’t a trace of the old Machina left... Could Godlord end up like that too? Just looking at the demon’s new form sent a storm of fear and unease through my chest.

“I’ll smash you into pieces!”

“Not yet... Not yet!”

Ares had definitely had a lot of mana sucked out of him, but his spirit hadn’t dimmed at all. The two glared at each other, their eyes shining with bloodlust. In their world, only the other existed now. It was obvious they no longer saw us at all. Left behind on the battlefield, I felt the frustration that had been smoldering inside me suddenly ignite.

“Frustrated, aren’t you?”

Yeah. I’m frustrated.Frustrated at how useless I am right now.

“Of course you are. Are you sure you just want to sit there and watch?”

No. We finally reached the bottom layer, and all I can do is watch two monsters fight...

Machina of Pride nearly killed Shiro and Kuro, and now she doesn’t even care about us. All she wants is to kill Ares and absorb him. She just sees Shiro, Kuro, and me as insignificant weaklings!

“That’s right. You’re weak. You can’t protect anything the way you are.”

Damn it...! I wanna get back at Machina of Pride!

“Is that enough? Just get back at her? Will that really satisfy your anger?”

You’re right...! Get back at her? No!

I’ll beat her—no, kill her!

“That’s right! And to do that, you need more power! More! More! Let your inner strength burn!”

Power...!

Heat—a fierce heat rose in my throat.

Just like when I healed Shiro and Kuro—no, I need more mana than that to beat Machina of Pride! It needs to be hotter! Way hotter! I don’t care if my body catches fire!

Get angry! The angrier I get, the greater this power becomes! I understand it now! This is the mana of wrath! I need to turn my frustration, my hatred, my bloodlust into power!

The heat within me started going berserk. A lethal power was trying to swallow me whole, as if my brain was being scorched, my blood was boiling, and my skin was getting fried.

But this is the power I need! I’ll pour it all into magic and smash it into her!

A terrifying sense of omnipotence was taking over me. Pleasure raced across my body, and I craved even more power.

More... I need more power!

“Then get angrier! Give in to the impulse and bring destruction!”

Give in...to the impulse...!

Ah, this is...incredible...!

Red mana surged up, as if burning my brain to ash, and a ravenous urge to destroy everything tried to consume me.

“That’s it! Good! Give in to it! Destroy everyone in this room—slaughter them all!”

Destroy...everyone...?

“That’s right! Kill! And seize it—the power of wrath!”

Huh?

“The wannabe hero, the demon, the brats who can only cling to you, kill them all!”

What? “Brats” as in Shiro and Kuro? Why would I kill them?

“Huh...?”

Shiro and Kuro are family. They mean more to me than my own life. And you want me to kill them...?

“Why are you so calm?! Give in to your anger!”

“Thor?” said Shiro. “You okay? You’re leaking some red stuff!”

“You okaaay?”

“They’re annoying, aren’t they? Always needing your protection. Don’t you think so?!”

I don’t.

“You’re starting to want to kill these brats, aren’t you?!”

Shut up.

“Get angrier! Come on! You want power, don’t you?!”

Shut up already.

“I don’t believe this.”

I’d known something was off for a while. I didn’t know how many times I’d used this overwhelming power that surged with my anger. Even I was getting tired of this same pattern. If it were just an increase in power, I wouldn’t have questioned it so much. The problem was that the stronger the power grew with my anger, the more short-tempered I seemed to get. This hadn’t been happening in everyday life, but in battle, I’d clearly been getting hotheaded far more easily.

Have I always been the type to be consumed by anger like this? I’d never lost myself enough to go berserk, but whenever I got angry, I became noticeably more aggressive. I’d suspected that it had something to do with my throat—the reverse scale, which enrages a dragon when it’s touched. Maybe gaining the scale made me more irritable? I’d tried to tell myself that, but something still felt wrong.

And while fighting in the dungeon, I finally realized what the discomfort was: There was something inside me—something that stoked my anger and pushed me toward violence. It was hiding within my mana, but I could faintly sense mana that wasn’t mine. Once I’d noticed it, I could feel its presence clearly—sort of like tuning into the right channel? Its voice, its mana, and its presence were so strong I wondered how I hadn’t noticed it sooner.

At this point, even I understood: This thing was a demon of wrath. Is it trying to turn me into “Thor of Wrath” like how Machina turned into Machina of Pride?

Honestly, I didn’t mind as long as it lent me power. That red mana definitely came from its interference. To survive this place, I was willing to use even something creepy like this.

But...

You tried to make me feel anger toward Shiro and Kuro, didn’t you? You should’ve just settled with lending me your power.

“You dare speak to me like that?! Who do you think you are?!”

What? You’re angry? You’re just a friggin’ parasite living inside me!

“Fool! Give in to your rage!”

Oh, my anger just spiked again. That was you, wasn’t it? Huh? Now you’re trying to make me irritated at Shiro and Kuro? Wow, I can even feel a desire to kill them.

It could use more than words to provoke me—of course, it was a demon of wrath. It could even interfere with my emotions, especially anger.

But now that I know, it’s not gonna work anymore.

“Get angry! Get angry! Get angryyy!”

Deep in my brain, I felt a strange, shapeless anger rising. If I’d surrendered to it, it probably would’ve felt amazing. A twisted urge to destroy Shiro and Kuro took root within me. If I’d let myself go nuts and unleashed this destructive impulse, I probably would have felt like I was on top of the world.

But it’s not gonna work.

The demon of wrath stayed silent, but I could feel it react to my words.

There’s no way I’d ever feel anger like that toward Shiro and Kuro. This is a fake emotion you forced on me. You live inside me, and you still don’t get it? To me, Shiro and Kuro are everything. I can live only because they’re here. It’s not just me protecting them... They protect me too, in more ways than one.

Are you really a demon? Whatever. I don’t care about you anymore.

There it was again: that slight shift in its presence, like it was tensing up. Strangely, I couldn’t hear its voice anymore. Is it because I have no intention of borrowing its power now? Still—

You seem delicious.

It flinched.

I gotta be honest, I’ve been thinking that the whole time. I can’t help but wonder what a big mass of mana like you would taste like.

At this point, I could feel the demon recoiling.

What’s wrong? You scared now? It’s too late to apologize.

Let me eat you.

The moment I thought that, my mana writhed and wriggled and bit into the mysterious mana. I tore it apart, chewed, and absorbed part of it.

Ah, it’s so good.

But why? It’s not like I ate it with my mouth, so I shouldn’t be able to taste anything. But it’s so satisfying. My appetite, my instincts...feel so satiated.

I’ll devour you whole.

I can’t hear your voice anymore, but I can tell you’re begging for your life. But it’s too late. You reached into a place you should never have touched. Can you feel it? My anger?

The demon of wrath roared and wept—pathetic.

But I didn’t show mercy. I kept chewing, crushing, swallowing, turning it into nourishment.

I’ll devour every last bit of you!

“Let’s eat.”

“Thor?” said Shiro. “Are you dreaming about eating?”

“So greeeedy... Thor is such a greedy eater.”

Oops. Looks like I said that out loud. Just wait a sec, Shiro and Kuro. Let me eat this bastard and—

“No! No! No! No! I am wrath, how could this happen...?! The color of gluttony... Does this mean you’re not just a normal reincarnator...?!”

That’s enough out of you. Get lost.

“AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH—”

This is incredible. After devouring that mysterious being, power welled inside me, mana overflowing from every inch of my body. It wasn’t the red mana from before; it was blue.

“Thor, what is that?” asked Shiro.

“Thor, that’s craaazy.”

Shiro and Kuro stared, wide-eyed.

Honestly, this mana was on a completely different level from when I was converting anger into power. I could control it too. When I thought about keeping the overflowing mana inside my body, it immediately obeyed. Unlike the red mana, this felt like an extension of my own limbs. It felt so natural I wondered if this was my true mana.

At the same time, my stomach growled like a giant beast. Shiro and Kuro clutched their own stomachs too.

“I’m hungry...”

“Hungryyy.”

My stomach’s grumbling must’ve reminded them that they were hungry too.

“Looks taaasty.”

“It looks great...”

“Huh?”

As they watched Ares fight, Shiro and Kuro suddenly said something strange.

Looks tasty...? Wait...are they talking about Machina of Pride? Sure, she has a mushroom cap on her head, but still!

“That’s not— Huh?”

Wait, that is edible. This isn’t a guess—I’m absolutely sure of it, because my knowledge deems Machina of Pride as an ingredient. She’s a magical beast known as a celestial demon mushroom, and the head’s supposed to be an extremely rare ingredient.

Yeah, but isn’t that a Demon King? She’s edible...?

Machina of Pride cackled gleefully. “Die!”

“You’re not gonna kill me!” Ares spat back.

“Uhh...” No matter how many times I looked, Machina of Pride still registered as food. I could clearly see her weakness and how to defeat her. Even though she had a name and was classified as a singular being, the method to kill her was most likely the same as any other celestial demon mushroom.

Now she’s really starting to look like nothing but an ingredient. And—

“I bet she tastes really good...”

“Yeah!”

“Arf!”

Our stomachs growled in unison. The glutton bugs inside us howled loudly, demanding the tasty-looking mushroom. Just looking at Machina of Pride made me hungrier, more than when I’d healed everyone.

The rational part of me said that there was no way you could eat a mushroom growing on the head of a fearsome Demon King, while my instincts screamed with unbearable hunger. I didn’t feel even a trace of fear anymore. The only thought that came to mind when I looked at Machina of Pride was whether to eat the grotesque ingredient. That was it.

It wasn’t a matter of winning or losing; it’s only natural that you hunt ingredients and break them down.

“Shiro, Kuro, let’s do this.”

“Let’s defeat it and feast on mushrooms!”

“Mushroom partyyy.”

“Shiro, first you—”

“Myah—”

“Arf—”

Just as we finished our quick strategy meeting, Ares was blown away by Machina of Pride’s attack. He’d failed to dodge her arm and rolled right to our feet.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“What’s...that mana...?”

“Leave the rest to us.”

“Huh...?”

Ares seemed to finally notice my change, staring blankly at the blue mana rising from my body. At the same time, he must’ve realized my words weren’t bravado. He chuckled nervously.

“I always screw up in the end...”

As Ares muttered to himself, we moved forward.

“Shiro, you got this!”

“No worries!”

Shiro, our very own fearless shock trooper, shot forward in a single bound. Her job wasn’t just to attack.

“Myaaaaah!”

She tore off the black eye patch covering her left eye, glaring with both eyes straight at Machina of Pride. Her left eye, now that it had been freed, was gathering more mana than ever. Blue mana rose from her dragon eye as she scanned the enemy from head to toe.

Then, she grinned.

“Found it!”

“You were half dead, and now you dare defy me...?! But I will not fall to the likes of you...!”

“Never know till you try!”

“Shut up and become my nourishment...!”

Machina of Pride unleashed a storm of mana bullets. Each one was small, but with hundreds forming a wall of fire, dodging was impossible. The only option would’ve been to block them with a wall or barrier. At least, it would’ve been for me or Kuro.

But not for Shiro.

“Mya-mya-mya-mya-myaaaah!”

“What...?!”

“Mya ha ha! I can see them all!”

Using her dragon eye, Shiro read every trajectory, weaving through the barrage with wind magic. She’d twisted her body and slipped through impossibly narrow gaps, not taking a single hit—a cat, through and through.

“Myaggggh...”

Shiro pressed her dragon eye and grimaced. Her eye was bloodshot, blood trickling from the corner. She was pushing herself too hard.

I wanted to shout at her to stop, but Shiro didn’t lose her fearless smirk.

“This is nothing! Mya-mya-myaaaah!”

She dashed forward again, red tears streaming from her eye.

“Now it’s Shiro’s turn! Holy Light Blade!”

A shining blade formed in her hand, as if she had compressed light. Even as it glowed, I could tell that wind was swirling around it. It was Shiro’s trump card: shining wind, a fusion of both attributes. Before, it had only appeared by chance when she’d been cornered, but now she was clearly using it of her own will.

And this time, something was decisively different. The divine swirl of green and white mana around her now had blue streaks running through it. The shining wind had fused with blue mana.

“I see it! Right there!”

Shiro hurled the mana blade with all her strength.

“Wh-Whaaat...!”

The blade had pierced straight through Machina of Pride’s barrier and stabbed her left chest. With a great unleashing of mana, a massive explosion blew apart the Demon King’s chest, the force knocking her onto her back. She let out a surprised groan, but it wasn’t just from the damage.

“Mya ha ha! Found your weak point!”

“It wasn’t a fluke...?!”

Shiro had struck Machina of Pride square in her weak point. Celestial demon mushrooms had something called a mana core inside their bodies. Striking it was a sure win, but the problem was that its location varied from individual to individual. Even I couldn’t pinpoint it immediately.

But Shiro’s eye was special. Since she could accurately read the flow of mana, I was sure that she could find Machina’s weak point too...and she did. Just like a human, the Demon King’s mana core was located where the heart would be.

“Shiro, that was amazing. Kuro’s gonna show what I can do toooo.”

Kuro’s voice sounded relaxed as always, but we could all feel the fierce resolve swirling inside her.

“Mmmmmm! Awoooo!”

Black mana covered Kuro’s body, but it wasn’t sinister. It was black mana with red, flame-like tips. Kuro’s own trump card: burning darkness. And now she could manifest it of her own will. Just like Shiro’s shining wind, blue mana ran through it like the veins of a leaf. The fusion of burning darkness and blue mana had strengthened it and made it easier to control.

“Here comes Kurooo,” she said, leaping high in the air.

Below her, Machina of Pride was trying to lift herself up. Then, as mana exploded behind Kuro, she suddenly dropped at a speed rivaling Shiro’s; she had detonated the burning darkness to accelerate.

“Don’t get in my way...!”

Machina of Pride swung her arm to swat Kuro down, but—

“Too slowww.”

“Dammit...!”

Kuro twisted in an impossible trajectory, dodging the arm. An explosion had gone off beside her, sliding her body sharply to the side.

“Awoooooo! Hellfire Armament!”

In response to her shout, all the mana in her body surged into her right arm. Her already huge dragon arm swelled even further as burning darkness wrapped around it, turning it into something like a giant’s limb—a mighty dragon arm, blazing ever so gallantly.

Kuro raised that arm high and brought it down with everything she had, aiming straight for Machina of Pride’s destroyed chest.

“Awwwooooo!”

“Gggaaaggghhh!”

A deep, earthshaking boom rang out as the Demon King’s scream tore through the room. The dragon arm was already terrifying on its own, but with magic amplifying its power, the blow was monstrous. If that had hit a human, they probably would’ve been blasted into smithereens. The impact was so tremendous that Kuro’s own dragon arm had split open from the inside, blood spraying out.

Machina of Pride’s giant body bounced violently, cracks spiderwebbing across the floor. The shock wave alone was enough to show how devastating the strike had been. And the burning darkness that had erupted engulfed Machina’s entire body.

“You despicable braaaaats...!”

Her scream held more panic than anger. She wasn’t defeated yet, but she was clearly hurt. As for her chest, the flesh was completely torn and tattered, exposing the mana core inside.

“Way to go, you two!”

“Myah!”

“Wuffu.”

I’ll take it from here!

“Aaaggghh!” I’ll blast her with everything I’ve got!

“That blue mana... Why...?! Had you not become a servant of wrath...?!”

“Dude’s already in my stomach!”

“Wha...?”

The thing inside me had been wrath, and she was Machina of Pride. Both were part of the Seven Deadly Sins: wrath, pride, lust, sloth, envy, greed, and gluttony. I had a hunch that they were demons of the Seven Sins. And I’m guessing people who inherit the demons’ powers gain corresponding colors? Wrath is red. Machina of Pride is purple. So what about the blue mana?

“You bastard, you serve gluttony...!”

Gluttony. That must’ve been the source of the blue mana. The constant hunger, the way eating made me stronger, it was all gluttony’s mana influence. My stomach growled loudly at the perfect moment, as if gluttony itself were chiming in, and I couldn’t help but laugh. I guess this power’s perfect for gluttons like us. Whatever the case, this is sure to suit us better than the red mana of wrath.

“I’m gonna eat you— Actually, I dunno... But I am gonna cook you. I hear frozen mushrooms make great broth!”

Using the mana that moved like my own limbs, I completed a spell.

“Seize even the soul and freeze everything solid. Chains of the Frozen Prison!”

Just as the chant promises, it’s an advanced ice spell capable of freezing even one’s soul. Magical chefs use it to preserve the freshness of their prey.

“Aaaaagggghhhh!”

From the magic circle that had formed before me, countless chains burst forth and shot toward Machina of Pride. She tried to defend herself with a mana barrier, but these were no ordinary chains. Forged from advanced-magic ice, they pierced straight through her barrier with brutal force, wrapping around her exposed mana core. Shackled by layer upon layer of chains, it was quietly consumed by white ice.

“I-I was defeated...by such...lowly beings...”

“Pretty bold words for a cooking ingredient.”

“What...are you...? A hero...? No, a sage...?”

“Just a cook with a little dungeon malice curse, that’s all.”

“A...cook...? I-Impossible...”

Those quiet words of disbelief were Machina of Pride’s last. Her mana core was completely overtaken by the ice and frozen solid. Now, she no longer looked like prey to me—she was nothing but an ingredient.

I let out a big sigh of relief. “We won.”

“Myaffu! We won!”

“Victoryyy.”

“That’s right! We won!” I said, high-fiving the girls as they ran over to me. “Are your injuries okay?”

“We’re already healed!”

“Aaall good.”

Shiro’s dragon eye and Kuro’s dragon arm still had traces of blood, but the wounds were closed—the dragon’s regeneration really was something else.

Grumble.

“I’m hungry,” said Shiro.

Slurp.

Their mana and stamina must’ve hit their limit with their final attacks. Holding their stomachs, they stared longingly at the frozen Machina of Pride.

“No, we’re not eating that,” I said.

“Whaaat?”

“Why not?!”

“There’s no way we’re gonna eat a former-human-turned-Demon-King!”

Even the heaven dragon— No, thinking about that is bad for my sanity. Forget it.

For now, I tucked away Machina of Pride in storage.

Silence fell over the room as Shiro, Kuro, Ares, Godlord, and I looked at one another.

Is it finally over? A mix of caution and relief washed over me.

But then, a new figure appeared.

“Children, you have done well.”

The being right before us looked just like Ares had when he had attacked us: a grotesque being enveloped in black mana. It was dungeon malice, but this time, the aura it gave off was even more violent, even more oppressive. The moment it appeared in the center of the room, it felt like the force of gravity had been supercharged. A vicious mana cloaked my entire body, and a freezing chill crawled through me, raising goose bumps along my skin. Its presence was so overwhelming that none of us could move. If it had attacked now, we would’ve died without being able to resist.

Even in that hopeless moment, something was bothering me: The voice of dungeon malice sounded different from before. It was soft, almost lisping, like a little girl—

“Children, it is indeed a great feat that you have survived. Outstanding work. Continue to overcome your trials and grow. Indeed, grow further, and become even finer sacrifices! Our sacrifices! And if, in the end, you’ve overcome our trials, I shall become your nourishment in return!”

Hearing that voice triggered a flood of memories—brief but intense—from the time between my death and reincarnation. And then I realized that the voice and the way it spoke were identical to a certain being.

“Are you...the god who reincarnated me...?”

It sounded exactly like Indeed-Missy, the god who had granted me my powers when I was being reincarnated. I just blurted that out, but is that even possible?

“Ahh, you’ve noticed? I am, indeed!”

I didn’t expect her to admit it. If anything, I hoped she wouldn’t. Because if she’s Indeed-Missy, then—

“So you were...an enemy? Actually, does this mean you’re a demon?”

It’s not exactly uncommon to hear stories where the god you first meet turns out to be the final boss, but I’d never imagined it would happen to me.

However, Indeed-Missy denied it.

“Such a thing is hard to say. If you ask whether I am your enemy, the answer is no, nor am I a demon.”

“Then what are you?”

“A god, indeed. I told you so, did I not?”

“And why would a god carve a curse into us?!”

“You performed far better than I expected. Very well! I shall explain!”

Indeed-Missy, wearing the form of dungeon malice, puffed out her chest proudly. I was starting to get used to it, although she still looked terrifying.

“We are indeed gods! And as you have likely realized, it was not the gods who brought the cheaters into this world, but demons. They were originally beings from beyond this world, but they took an interest in the system for training heroes.”

According to Indeed-Missy, gods cannot interfere with the world freely. If gods tampered with the world however they pleased, it would eventually collapse. To prevent themselves from doing so, they created laws that even gods must obey. And to handle any crises that could threaten the world, the gods created heroes, summoning suitable individuals from other worlds, using dungeons as trials, and training them.

But demons invading from another realm decided to twist the hero system for their own purposes. They summoned humans from the other worlds who had fragile souls, granted them demonic power to corrupt them, trained them in the dungeon, and then possessed their bodies to descend upon this world.

“The ones called cheaters are indeed mere sacrifices for demons to incarnate into.”

“You’re kidding me...” said Godlord, stunned.

It was understandable. Not only did he find out he wasn’t a chosen one, he was just told that he’d simply been fooled by demons.

“The hero system meant to counter threats was twisted into a tool used to create them. We gods felt the danger as well, but of course, we didn’t simply sit by and watch. Indeed, that is where Ares the hero and you, Thor the reincarnator, come in.”

She pointed sharply at Ares and me, but it wasn’t either of us who responded.

“Huh? So you really are a reincarnator!” said Godlord, staring at me with a mix of shock and dawning realization. Apparently, he’d started to question whether I was truly a reincarnator after breaking free from Machina’s control.

“I’m sorry. I thought it was better not to reveal that unless I had to...”

“Well, I’m not mad... I’m just surprised you were on the same level as me or even higher. I mean, it makes sense if you’re a reincarnator.” Godlord then turned to Indeed-Missy. “So my Constant Vigilance... That was given to me by a demon, right? Should I stop using it?”

“Indeed. The more you use it, the more your soul will be corrupted by the demon.”

“You’re kidding...! Now I’m all freaked out!”

Godlord started trembling. Even the fearless delinquent was scared of demonic powers consuming his soul.

“But you have not yet been fully corrupted. If from now on you refrain from using that power, you should be fine. Indeed, I was impressed how you resisted the demon’s whispers.”

“The demon’s whisper...? Oh, that thing I heard when I was fighting the dragon? Kept telling me to kill the kids and stuff.”

“Indeed. When one is intoxicated by the power of wrath, the whisper is not an easy thing to resist.”

“Hmph. You’re supposed to protect kids, aren’t ya?”

Indeed-Missy cackled. “I see, I see! It’s amusing how we sometimes see cheaters like you!”

“Um...” said Ares, worry clouding his expression. “Is it safe for me to keep using my power?”

So does Ares have a cheat ability too? But I thought Indeed-Missy said he wasn’t a cheater...

“Well, I shall explain that to you. With the hero system as it was, oftentimes we gods could not fully counter the demons. So this time, we decided to grant the hero a special power as an exception.”

“And that’s...Demon King Slayer...?”

“Indeed! We gods decided to imitate the demons and make use of the enemy’s power. Thus was born Demon King Slayer, an ability which allows you to absorb a Demon King’s power!”

“Um, but I clearly went berserk. That was probably because of the Werewolf Demon King I defeated, right?” Ares then looked over at us. “I...almost killed them...”

So he really had been out of control.

“My apologies for that. Ares, Thor, forgive us. It was completely a matter of insufficient adjustment, indeed. To fully manifest the Demon King’s power, we had made it so their soul would be absorbed into Ares...but it seems the stimulus was too strong. We have since limited the output of Demon King Slayer so the mental corruption will not occur. It will not happen again.”

“Really?”

“Indeed. This isn’t the best way to put it, but you and Thor are valuable pieces for us. Even the other gods prioritized adjusting your power, Ares.”

So Ares had been granted a cheat called Demon King Slayer—the ability to absorb mana stones and cores and convert them into his own strength. Now that just screams hero!

It seemed the plan of the gods had been to use dungeons and Demon King Slayer to raise the strongest hero in history.

“And now, about you, Thor... You are an irregularity, indeed. You were not a hero to begin with.”

“Right, I learned that when I was reincarnated.”

My reincarnation was supposed to be a reward for helping someone destined to become a hero.

“Indeed. The one you saved that day was a human fated to reincarnate into our world and become a hero. But does it not strike you as strange? Even if he would become a hero someday, at that moment, he was just an ordinary human. Indeed, saving him should not have caused isekai powers to become tangled up in your soul.”

“Huh? But you said something about me getting isekai powers because I saved a hero...”

“To be precise, what mixed into you was the demonic power that had been sent to Earth to corrupt the hero’s soul. Indeed, it was meant to alter the hero’s soul, but it instead flowed into you.”

Apparently, the culprit who’d attacked the boy back then was a human possessed by a demon, and the knife that I got stabbed with had been imbued with demonic power. It getting used on me was a mistake.

“When I found you, your soul was unstable due to the demonic power, so I reshaped you into a form suitable for our world. Had I not, your soul would have indeed collapsed and vanished without entering any cycle of reincarnation. Be grateful.”

“Well... Thank you.”

It was kind of annoying how she made it sound like I owed her, but she was right; it was still better than dying.

“There was no time to explain during your reincarnation. And if I had told you that your soul was being imbued with a demonic power, you would have found it suspicious, would you not?”

Well, she has a point. If she’d mentioned demons back then, I might’ve refused reincarnation entirely.

“Because of that, you awakened to the mana of gluttony of your own accord. You have affinity with demonic power. That said, your innate qualities also play a part.”

“I understand my situation now. But what about Shiro and Kuro? They were also using the blue mana of gluttony.”

“In their case, it is due to their bloodline. Indeed, long ago, one of their ancestors strengthened their own blood and soul through the dungeon’s blessing and wished for their kin’s prosperity. That trait was passed down for generations, making Shiro’s and Kuro’s souls more prone to transformation. Absorbing the heaven dragon’s power raised their affinity for demonic power, allowing them to manifest gluttony’s power on their own. They were gluttons to begin with, after all.”

I knew Shiro and Kuro were rare species of beastfolk, but it seemed they also had ties to a dungeon. That was probably why the lord had targeted them.

The god’s explanation cleared up a lot of things, but one question still remained. Actually, it was the one thing I absolutely couldn’t understand.

“Why did you curse us as dungeon malice?”

That was the big question. I’d been dungeon diving, meaning I’d been acting in line with the gods’ wishes, albeit coincidentally. The reason they had never directly ordered me to conquer a dungeon was probably due to the divine laws saying gods cannot intervene directly. It seemed Ares hadn’t been told anything about dungeons either.

“First, the being that humans call dungeon malice has existed since ancient times. Dungeons are trials meant to raise human strength and elevate them to greater heights. To ensure that promising individuals reach the bottom layer, it carves into them a curse.”

Apparently, the purpose of dungeons wasn’t just to train heroes; it was a trial system meant to create strong ordinary people as well. By defeating magical beasts and absorbing mana, one could grow stronger, and at the bottom layer, gain even greater power.

According to Indeed-Missy, if the souls that continued the cycle of reincarnation in this world grew stronger, the world itself could rise to a higher state. It was hard for humans to understand, but to the gods, that was apparently the ultimate goal. However, not every promising human kept diving into the dungeon. That was when dungeon malice appeared. It cast a curse that could only be lifted at the bottom layer, forcing the person to continue exploring the dungeon.

“A special reincarnator whose soul I personally altered and two rare-species children... It was probably only a matter of time until dungeon malice took interest in you. I swear to you, our will did not influence that part. But what came after is different, indeed. We used dungeon malice’s judgment as an opportunity to intervene in your trial.”

“Intervene how?”

“At the time, Thor, you had obtained the core that belonged to wrath—the heaven dragon—and were thinking of absorbing it. But the chances of success were indeed nearly zero. You knew that, did you not?”

She must have been talking about the heaven dragon core soup. Just as she said, the knowledge I was given told me that the core’s power could run wild and kill me.

“Left as it was, we could not be sure you would actually attempt to absorb the heaven dragon core, and even if you did, your chances of survival were almost nonexistent. Therefore, we indeed arranged the circumstances to make it easier for you to absorb the core. Thor, your throat and organs, Shiro’s left eye, and Kuro’s right arm... Those were the places most compatible with taking in the heaven dragon core’s power. Put in other words—”

“Shiro lost her eye, and Kuro lost her arm, because of you guys?”

“Precisely, indeed. That is correct. It is easier if the parts are missing beforehand, as it prevents rejection.”

Indeed-Missy said this without a shred of guilt or remorse. They must’ve done it simply because it was necessary for their goals and nothing more.

But the image of Shiro and Kuro at that moment was burned into my mind.

“We could’ve died from those injuries! If even one tiny thing had gone wrong, Shiro and Kuro would be dead!”

“But indeed you would have likely died anyway had you drunk the heaven dragon core soup. In that case, even if there were danger, it was better to bet on the option with even a slightly higher chance of survival, was it not? Humans do say, ‘All’s well that ends well,’ do they not? You survived and gained dragon power. What is there to be angry about?”

How could she say that so casually?! Does she have any idea how much pain Shiro and Kuro went through? Sure, things turned out okay in the end, but that’s not the point!

Before I had the chance to give her a piece of my mind, Ares raised his voice first.

“That’s... That’s horrible! They’re still children! From what I heard, they suffered terrible injuries just to gain these dragon-like bodies, didn’t they? I can’t even imagine how much pain they must’ve gone through! Even if things do end well, you have to draw the line somewhere! What do you think humans are?!”

“It is regrettable,” replied Indeed-Missy, calmly. “But I cannot place that above the growth of the world. You ask what we think humans are? To us gods, humans are simply one component of the world. We did not create them as special beings. Let me see... You eat meat, do you not? You probably feel pity for livestock that get slaughtered, but you also accept it as necessary. Indeed, it is similar to that.”

“Wha—!”

Ares was speechless. He must’ve been shocked that the gods thought of humans and livestock as the same. But thanks to Ares’s anger, I found myself oddly calm. And honestly, I understood. I’d thought this so-called god felt strangely human—almost too human—but seeing this godlike side of her actually made me feel a bit relieved. Of course, that doesn’t mean I forgive her for hurting Shiro and Kuro!

“Tell me,” I said. “What would you have done if Ares and I had died early on?”

We were supposed to be their countermeasure against the demons, but their approach seemed incredibly sloppy. Both Ares and I could easily have died shortly after arriving in this world.

“In that case, we would have retrieved your souls and used them as our power. Then we would have indeed created new heroes. Of course, it is preferable that both you and Ares remain alive. You two are special, after all.”

So basically, we’re like cows that got upgraded to pets because we had a heart-shaped pattern on us or something? Still livestock, but a slightly—

“You have quite the sharp tongue.”

Ah, right. Indeed-Missy can read minds. Well, whatever.

“If we clear the dungeon and break the curse, then never enter the dungeon again, what would you say to that?”

She chuckled mischievously. “I would not mind. However—”

Dungeon malice didn’t have a face, but it somehow seemed to smile. It wasn’t a malicious or hostile smile but one of pure amusement.

“Would you truly be satisfied with that?”

I couldn’t answer.

“Your silence means you already know the answer, does it not?”

“Tch. No point trying to bluff someone who can read minds, I guess.”

“One does not need to read your mind to see it,” she said, cackling. “After hearing my explanation, you realized that staying as you are now would be dangerous, did you not?”

She was right. Shiro and Kuro were rare species; they would surely be targeted by demons again. And if demons were summoning cheaters, then more Demon Kings would appear in the future. It wasn’t as simple as just “Break the curse and live peacefully afterward.” For us three kids to live on our own, we would have to grow stronger, and the most logical way to do that was to dive into the dungeon—defeat magical beasts, eat food I cooked, and receive blessings at the bottom layer. Repeating that cycle was the fastest path to power.

“Rest easy. Dungeon malice will never appear before you again. You have my word.”

“Seriously?”

“A god does not lie. Though we may at times refrain from telling the whole truth.”

“So dungeon malice won’t appear...but something similar might show up instead?”

“No, no. I promise we will not take such extreme measures. Besides, you have not realized it yet, but you are receiving considerable preferential treatment regarding blessings. Compared to ordinary people, the blessings you can receive are set to be one tier higher.”

“The blessings are stronger?”

“What a great look on your face, indeed!” she cackled. “I am fond of those who are honest about their desires. Simply think of it as receiving higher-quality blessings than normal humans. After all, if you hunt enough demons, it is possible even to steal the power of us gods.”

“Huh? What do you mean? If we defeat demons, we can even kill gods?”

“Not quite. You two were granted the abilities Demon King Slayer and magical cooking, allowing you to absorb demonic power. And we gods, having absorbed the power of demons, have become half demon ourselves. In other words, depending on the circumstances, it is possible for you to devour us. Though you would need achievements on the level of hunting countless level-ten Demon Kings!”

Indeed-Missy spoke with an oddly delighted tone.

“Why tell us something like that? If you didn’t say anything, we wouldn’t even think of trying it. Or do you have some way of knowing that we won’t?”

“I have no such assurance, indeed. I simply thought you had the right to know. And besides, is it not more interesting this way?” She laughed. “Knowing that you might one day reach even godhood—does that not motivate you?”

“Can’t say,” I said. “I got no interest in becoming a god.”

“Ha ha ha! You understand well! It is no great thing to be a god! Well, no matter. You will indeed continue diving into the dungeon. In that case, our paths shall cross again. Now then, until next time, in the depths of the dungeon.”

Immediately after, dungeon malice vanished instantly without a trace.

“Can we...really trust gods...?” said Ares, dazed.

The god he’d just met was so different from his personal image of gods that he seemed completely lost. His identity as a hero might’ve been starting to crumble.

Shiro and Kuro glared angrily at the empty space where dungeon malice had disappeared.

“I don’t really get it, but next time we meet, Shiro’s gonna beat her up! So Thor, don’t you worry!”

“Kuro will punish anyone who makes Thor angryyy.”

“You guys...”

I can’t believe you can say that about someone who nearly killed you! And she’s a god on the inside too! Well, they probably didn’t understand most of my conversation with Indeed-Missy. I don’t even think they realize she’s a god.

Then Kuro suddenly made a gloomy face.

“Arf...”

Is she hurt? Come to think of it, we just had a brutal battle. She might’ve been pushing herself because she was worried about me.

“Kuro, are you—”

“Dragon meat...”

Kuro’s gaze was fixed on the lower half of the desert dragon lying on the ground. It had been caught in the fight between Ares and Machina of Pride, and more than half its body had been destroyed. You’re just sad the meat got ruined?!

“Oh! So much meat’s gone!” said Shiro, looking just as shocked.

“Awoo...”

“Myah...”

Dammit! Stop cryin’! You should be celebrating that we all survived! And why aren’t you happy that I survived? Besides, that’s still a huge hunk of meat! There’s still dozens of kilos still intact! Watching Shiro and Kuro, my tension faded, and my fear and anger melted away. And this meat isn’t ours alone, you know?

Godlord had delivered the finishing blow, and the trouble with Ares had all started because I’d stolen the heaven dragon materials. I couldn’t repeat the same mistake.

I glanced at Godlord to see that he was smiling more brightly than I’d ever seen him.

“Ha ha ha... You guys are something else. You want that big lizard’s meat? Take it all, if you can carry it.”

“Really?” said Shiro.

“Yeah. I don’t have a way to cook it anymore...”

“Yay! This person was a good person!”

“Storrrage. Storrrage.”

Pushed by the two excited girls, I started storing the desert dragon’s lower half, when suddenly, the goddess statue positioned above us began to shine.

“The goddess statue...!”

A soft white light poured down, and the pain and exhaustion in my body faded away.

“Whoa...”

It was just a gray stone statue glowing, yet I found myself deeply moved. So this is what “divinity” feels like.

The suffocating tension from moments earlier had vanished in an instant. The goddess statue shone with a soft white radiance, and I found myself genuinely moved by its beauty. Even the negative emotions I’d felt speaking with Indeed-Missy weren’t able to diminish how divine this sight was—that was that, and this was this. Sure, it had a bit of a stage-prop vibe, but it was probably meant to make the god seem more holy.

“It’s so beautiful...” said Ares.

“Whoa...” followed Godlord.

They stood frozen, barely able to breathe. It seemed they, too, had decided to forget about Indeed-Missy for now.

The statue’s light grew stronger, and rainbow hues blended together, illuminating the entire room.

“I commend you for overcoming the trial. I shall grant you blessings.”

“Blessings...”

“Speak your wish,” the woman’s voice echoed.

Even though this was the moment we’d been waiting for, it didn’t feel real. Probably because it was all so sudden. I felt like I was floating, like I was dreaming.

“Your wish.”

Oh, right... My wish. Drawn by the voice, I opened my mouth. I promised Ares. That I’d wish for his friends to be revived...

“I wish for Ares’s party members—”

“Wait!” interrupted Ares, grabbing my shoulder firmly. “Hold on. You don’t need to think about my party members.”

I turned to see the young man donning a completely exhausted expression. His face looked deeply sorrowful, and in the eyes looking down at me, I felt both kindness and grief.

“You’re always thinking of others, aren’t you?”

I didn’t get it. What’s that supposed to mean?

“Sorry. Forget it. You came here to get rid of your curse, didn’t you? You should do that first.”

“Huh? Um...?”

As I hesitated, Shiro and Kuro approached, both looking warily at Ares. He had helped us midway, but they hadn’t forgotten that he’d attacked us. Perhaps understanding that, Ares slumped his shoulders and shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter anymore who stole the heaven dragon core. I’m not thinking of doing anything to you. Actually, I want to apologize. So please, grant your own wish.”

From the look in his eyes, it didn’t seem like he was lying. He had come to help us, after all. It really seemed he had forgiven us.

“Are you...sure?”

“Of course. Reviving my party members is something I should wish for. I’ll accomplish it without relying on you guys, so take care of yourselves first.”

“Understood...”

Swallowing my distrust of the dungeon, I looked up at the goddess statue. First, we had to accomplish our main goal.

“Um! Can you break the curse placed on us?”

“Please break the curse!”

“Break the cuuurse.”

“Verifying achievements.”

My body began to glow faintly.

“Reincarnator’s soul—special invitee. Level-three dungeon trial, level-three Demon King subjugation, confirmed.”

The tone suddenly became stiff and mechanical, like an automated announcement.

Next, Shiro and Kuro began to glow.

“Verifying achievements. Level-three dungeon trial, level-three Demon King subjugation, confirmed.”

So does “achievements” mean the trials we’ve overcome since we entered the dungeon? The goddess statue called me a “reincarnator’s soul.” So are reincarnators really treated differently?And Indeed-Missy talked about hunting a bunch of level-ten Demon Kings but...that’s gotta be impossible. Well, maybe if we clear a ton of dungeons and become insanely strong.

“The boy may be fully released from his curse. However, for the beastfolk girls, full release remains impossible.”

“What? Only me...?”

“Myah?”

“Arf?”

“Two types of curses detected on the girls. Which curse shall be prioritized for removal?”

“Two types? So Shiro and Kuro have two curses on them?”

“One: trial curse identical to the boy’s. Two: sacrificial curse. Current achievements insufficient for full removal of both.”

The trial curse’s gotta be the mark that dungeon malice gave us. But another curse on top of that? It must’ve been the lord...

“What kind of curse is this sacrificial one?”

“Sacrificial curse designed to activate in response to a predetermined trigger spell and force the soul to be offered to the designated target.”

“And what’s the trigger spell?”

“Too many possibilities to determine. Depends on caster’s settings.”

So the activation conditions differ depending on who cast it. “Sacrificial curse” sounds scary as hell...

“But the lord’s the one who cast it, and he’s dead. Is the curse still in effect?”

“Depends on caster’s settings.”

Yeah, I get it, already!

But what am I supposed to do? If the curse activates, will it kill them? Is it okay to leave something like that as is? We don’t even know the activation conditions... I guess the fact that the lord tried to capture Shiro and Kuro probably means it can’t be triggered remotely? Still, it’s scary that we don’t know for sure if they’re safe.

The trial curse that would definitely activate in a few months, or the sacrificial curse that seemed unlikely to activate but could kill them instantly... We had to leave one of them. As I agonized over the choice suddenly forced upon me, Ares spoke up.

“Um, what would happen if I were to wish for their curse to be lifted? Maybe prioritize lifting the stronger curse?”

“Reincarnator’s soul—hero. Level-three dungeon trial, level-three Demon King subjugation, level-six Demon King subjugation, level-three Demon King subjugation, achievements confirmed.”

Is he trying to help us? I know we got past our problems, but why would he go this far? Reviving his friends is way more important!

“The trial curse on the two girls can be removed.”

“Wai—”

“Then please do that.”

I didn’t even have time to stop him. I’d never imagined he would so casually wish for our curse to be lifted.

“Granting blessings.”

Instinctively, I shouted at Ares, who began to radiate the same intense light as the goddess statue.

“Why?!”

“I’m just repaying you guys. I owe you for almost killing you. And I owe you for saving my life back in our old world. If now’s not the time to do it, then when?”

“Wha—”

Saving his life? Does he mean—

But I couldn’t talk to him after that. Just as the light around Ares faded, he vanished. Apparently, once you receive the blessing, the dungeon automatically lets you escape.

Now that’s some awesome aftercare! We don’t have to worry about how to get home! I’ll have to ask Ares what he meant after we leave the dungeon. For now, we need to focus on ourselves.

But first, it’s time to say goodbye. “Godlord. Thank you for everything.”

“Thank you so much!” said Shiro.

“Huuuge help.”

“Don’t mention it. If it weren’t for you guys, Machina would’ve killed me.”

Godlord shrugged, forcing a smile. He was probably frustrated he hadn’t seen through Machina’s true nature.

“When we get back to the surface, let me thank you properly.”

“Well, I dunno about that. I’m probably gonna skip town once I get outta here.”

“You are?”

“Yeah. I only came into the dungeon ’cause some weirdos were chasing me outside. I didn’t realize it at the time, but now I know they were from one of the sketchy slum organizations. Machina was probably pulling strings behind the scenes. Well, I was being controlled by her too...”

Considering Machina’s true nature, it wouldn’t be surprising if she’d killed kids in this world too. And Godlord had apparently gotten into huge fights with thugs on the surface—no wonder he was being hunted.

“Well, if we meet again, cook something for me. For now, go break your curse.”

“Got it.” I turned to the girls. “Shiro, Kuro.”

“Myah.”

“Wuffu.”

I guided the two girls to stand before the goddess statue, then said our wish.

“Please remove the remaining curses on us.”

“Please remove the curses!”

“Please.”

The three of us bowed together as we wished.

“Granting blessings.”

“Whoa!”

“Myah!”

“Arf.”

With that same mechanical voice echoing in our ears, our bodies began to shine brightly in rainbow colors until the light eventually swallowed us whole. A floating sensation washed over me, and my senses felt like they were being scrambled.

The only thing I could clearly feel were Shiro’s and Kuro’s hands in mine. Without that, I probably would’ve panicked. Their fear was evident by how tightly they squeezed my hands. When I squeezed back, I could tell they felt reassured.

When the light had finally faded, we were standing somewhere completely different. It was somewhat—actually, extremely—familiar.

“The dungeon entrance?”

“We’re back!”

“Teleport’s amaaazing.”

It was the entrance to the dungeon we’d always used. If we moved the wall behind us with magic, the usual sewer would be there. We’d been returned since we received our blessings. Ares wasn’t here; he was probably sent to the official entrance near the mercenary guild. I’d never imagined he’d wish for our curse to be lifted instead of reviving his party members.

“Oh, the curse... It’s gone!”

“The black stuff’s gone!”

“Curse gone?”

The black marks branded into our chests had vanished completely. There was no doubt that our curses had been lifted.

“Myah...”

“Arf...”

“Whoa—”

Shiro and Kuro suddenly threw themselves at me. I couldn’t move, being hugged tightly by the two bigger girls. But I didn’t say anything. I just waited quietly for them to settle down.

“Mya...”

“Awoo...”

Warm tears dripped from their eyes and fell onto my head. Ever since they’d desperately rushed forward in that final room, I’d known. Even if they’d tried to act strong, deep down, they were terrified of the curse that promised death.

Sniffle!

Snrrrk.

Hey! You’re dripping snot on me! Wait, did you just wipe it on my hair?

Ten minutes later, Shiro and Kuro finally calmed down, swaying where they stood.

They were completely losing to exhaustion. After everything that had happened today, it must have hit them at once now that they felt safe.

“Come on, let’s head home. Can you walk?”

“Myah...”

“Awoo...”

I took their hands and led them homeward. I couldn’t believe how relieved I felt just stepping into the dusty, cramped underground room for the first time in so long. I guess, without realizing it, I’d come to think of this place as safe.

“Come on, lie down.”

“Myah... I’m hungry...”

“Hungryyy.”

“All right, all right. Here’s some jerky to chew on.”

“It’s good.”

“Yummyyy.”

I held the jerky up to their noses as they collapsed onto the bedding. They only moved their heads and bit into it. They chewed for a bit, and before I knew it, they were asleep.

You got jerky sticking out of your mouths. Sweet dreams.

Zzz.

Seeing Shiro and Kuro sleeping peacefully and quietly snoring for the first time in a long while made everything finally sink in.

“We survived. We really made it.”

We’d nearly died countless times in the dungeon. There were moments when my heart almost broke. But we pushed through, earned our blessings, and somehow stayed alive. We no longer had to live in fear of a curse.

Sniffle.

Whoa, I’m the guardian here. I can’t be crying!

“Oh yeah. I wonder if Ares and Godlord are okay.”

I wanna go check on them, but I’m pretty beat myself. Walking around town half asleep would be too dangerous. Actually, I can barely move anymore. It’s just like right after Ares almost killed me. Maybe this always happens after pushing my dragon body too far.

“Ahh...I...can’t...”

I collapsed onto the bedding, unable to fight the exhaustion any longer. Listening to Shiro’s and Kuro’s gentle breathing, I felt my consciousness drift into sleep right alongside them.

Epilogue

“Shiro, Kuro, you two really look like proper mercenaries now.”

“Myah! You look cool too, Thor!”

“Mercenaaary geeear.”

Shiro and Kuro spun around proudly, showing off their gear. Thinking back to the rags they’d worn when we first met, seeing them dressed like this hit me right in the chest. They still wore their old servant and maid outfits underneath, but over them, they now wore hooded cloaks made from spider-type magical beast silk, pure white and durable. And thanks to the magic circle embroidered into the lining, they even had purification effects—they would’ve surely cost a hefty price on the market.

They also carried bags stuffed with tools, and wore their weapons in clearly visible spots—a way to show off your combat skills and to lower your chances of being attacked. Beastfolk kids could be strong even at a young age, so even just having good equipment acted as a deterrent.

As for me, I wore light leather clothing and a cloak to match theirs. Unlike the days when I had to wear my father’s old clothes, these actually fit my body, and the cloak also had the same purification magic circle embroidered on it.

My weapon was a fairly large staff. I’d thought a magic-wielding child would be a prime target for crooks, but apparently, looking weak was even worse. Besides, it helped me pass as someone of a slow-growing, long-lived race, which often had appearances that didn’t match their combat ability, so it reduced the risk of being attacked.

“Be careful out there.”

“You’ve done more than enough just preparing all this for us,” I said. “Really.”

“Myah! Thank you!”

“Thank youuu.”

The person watching us with worried eyes was none other than Milène, who’d taken care of us more than anyone over the past year. And we knew she was an incredibly good person. If we’d asked her to come with us, she might’ve actually abandoned all her work.

“I’ve taught you everything I can in a year,” she said. “But the world is full of danger. Don’t let your guard down.”

“Got it! Thank you for everything.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Thank youuu.”

It had been a full year since we’d begun studying magic under Milène, which also meant it had been a year since we’d conquered this town’s dungeon.

Well, none of us have grown at all appearance-wise. Sure, Shiro and Kuro have grown rapidly thanks to dragon power, but me? I’m a kid that should be in the middle of a growth spurt, but I haven’t budged an inch.

Still, everything besides our appearances had changed drastically since that day.

First, our home. We’d left our familiar sewer hideout and now lived in a house Milène had prepared for us. It was a humble, desolate home near the slums, but it was still far better than where we’d lived before. While living there, we’d continued dungeon diving to sharpen our mana, and Milène had taught us magic and swordsmanship.

Currently, the town had no lord, so Geos was acting as temporary ruler. Among the former subordinates of Viscount Holm, he had the highest rank and position, and the other nobles were either trash or incompetent, so Geos and Milène had taken action and temporarily seized control of the town—by “taken action,” it seemed they’d simply used force.

I’d wondered if someone like Geos, who was hated by the king, was allowed to act as lord, but apparently the king didn’t bother remembering the names of lords in small frontier towns, so it was fine. An official lord would eventually be dispatched, but that would take some time, partly because Geos and Milène had delayed their report, but also because few people wanted to be the lord of a remote town, as it came with no perks. Milène had said that as long as the acting lord was doing the job properly, it’d take a while for the replacement to be decided.

And because Milène couldn’t bring herself to leave us alone, she helped us with all sorts of things, allowing us to spend the past year peacefully while training. Now I could use advanced magic without losing control, and Shiro and Kuro had learned several powerful spells as well.

As for swordsmanship... Well, we’re “okay,” I guess. Geos was the intuitive type and absolutely terrible at teaching. Still, Milène had taught us the basics, so at least we knew how to handle a weapon.

“Don’t take out too much money in front of people, okay?”

“Yes.”

Not only had she prepared our equipment, she had entrusted us with a considerable amount of money—as legitimate payment, mind you. We had lent Milène and the others the dungeon compass we’d obtained. Apparently, following the compass made it much easier to locate crystals and escape circles. We no longer needed it since we’d already cleared the dungeon, but for mercenaries who hadn’t, it was a highly coveted item. The rental fee was extremely high, and Milène and Geos also benefited by gaining favors from mercenaries, so they’d paid us handsomely.

Between the equipment and the money, we’d been paid enough to live comfortably for several years as long as we didn’t splurge. Well, in our case, food expenses were insane, so it would probably have run out in about a year if we did nothing.

“If you see Ares, please give him my regards.”

“I will.”

Ares had left town before us. Actually, he’d rested for just a few days and immediately set out on his journey.

After we’d conquered the dungeon and broken the curse, five whole days had passed before we finally woke up. At first, we’d had no idea how long we’d been asleep. It wasn’t until we’d stepped outside, wandered into town, and run into Milène that we’d realized. No wonder Shiro and Kuro had been crying and shaking me awake from hunger. They’d been bawling so hard and begging for food, I’d nearly panicked. Well, I’d realized pretty quickly that I was starving too.

Milène had been searching for us, and she filled us in on everything. That’s how we learned why Ares had left town so suddenly. Neither we nor Ares had known this, but resurrecting someone had a strict time limit: If more than three years pass after death, resurrection becomes impossible.

Geos was the source of that information. After his daughter died, he had naturally attempted to clear a dungeon to wish for her resurrection. It was a level-four dungeon with a known strategy, but he lacked the necessary achievements, so his wish was denied. Instead, he received information about resurrection. To bring someone back, you need to clear a level-ten dungeon, defeat a level-ten Demon King, or accumulate achievements equivalent to that. And all of that has to be done within three years, before the soul returns to the cycle of reincarnation.

A level-ten dungeon was practically a myth; there wasn’t even a record of one existing. Geos had once ventured into a level-nine dungeon, but his mentor and the mercenaries with him were all killed by what was believed to be a mid-boss, and Geos only narrowly escaped. Even now, he said he still hadn’t reached his mentor’s level, so it was utterly unrealistic for him to challenge a level-ten dungeon. That despair was apparently what had broken him the most. Once Ares learned this from Geos, he panicked and immediately left town.

There was so much I wanted to ask him... When we’d parted, he’d said that I had saved his life in our old world, but I’d only saved someone once: the boy who was supposed to become a hero in his next life. I wanted to know if that was really him. Finding out wouldn’t have changed anything, but the curiosity ate away at me.

“Devil—I mean, Thor, thank you so much.”

“Carolina, you can walk now?”

“I can!”

Carolina had survived, with no visible changes. Indeed-Missy had said that there was a good chance that humans who drank the heaven dragon core soup would die from their mana going berserk, but not Carolina. Apparently, because the lord had drained her, the dragon power’s effects had weakened, leaving only the healing properties. Thanks to that, there were barely any side effects too. I’d hate to say it was thanks to the lord, but his actions did end up saving her.

She hadn’t woken up for a while, and she’d spent about six months in a wheelchair. Even so, she’d worked hard on rehabilitation, and she’d recovered enough to walk with help. Soon, she should have been able to return to normal life.

She calls me “Devil” for some reason, though. Apparently, when I saved her, the red mana around me made me look like a demon... Perhaps she was able to see through people’s true nature.

“Take care,” said Milène.

“Please be safe!” said Carolina.

Shiro and Kuro smiled brightly at the two women they’d grown so attached to over the past year.

“Myah! We’ll come back!”

“We’ll come back once our bodies are norrrmal.”

“Please use Sir Geos’s letter of introduction.”

“We’ll pray that your curse is lifted!” said Carolina.

“Thank you. We’re off!”

Our destination was a small dungeon in a northern town—a level-one dungeon with an established strategy. We had four goals for this journey.

First, to help resurrect Ares’s friends. We had to pay him back for breaking our curse, and to do that, we had to catch up to him.

Second, to gather information about demons and cheaters. We’d managed to win this time, but who knew what would happen next? Since we’d decided to keep diving into dungeons, we needed intel. I also wanted to see Godlord again and thank him properly. According to soldier reports, he’d escaped the dungeon and left town. If he were still alive, we’d meet again someday.

Third, to learn more about Shiro’s and Kuro’s races. They were apparently rare species: silver tiger and hell wolf. They didn’t seem bothered, but if they had relatives, I wanted to find them. It was possible someone out there was searching for them.

Fourth, to return to a fully human body. The dragon body was strong, but I didn’t want to stay like this forever. Shiro and Kuro were girls, and the fierce eye and arm were less than ideal. We’d hoped to have a dungeon restore our bodies.

A journey with just three children wouldn’t be easy, but I believed we could overcome any hardship and achieve our goals, just like how we’d cleared the dungeon and broken the curse.

“Shiro, Kuro, off we go on our adventure!”

“A-okay!”

“Arf!”

When I was born, I’d resented the god a little, and I still hadn’t completely forgiven her for what had happened in the dungeon. But I was grateful too. If I’d been born in a different town or to a different family, I probably never would have met Shiro or Kuro. And when I looked at their smiling faces, that alone felt like enough.

There would be hardships ahead, harsh realities waiting for us. But as long as those two were with me, we could overcome anything. That’s truly how I felt.

“Shiro, Kuro, let’s give it all we got.”

I was already imagining the journey ahead, but the two of them weren’t listening to me at all. They were drooling, completely lost in their own fantasies.

“There must be sooo many delicious foods out there!”

“Piiig ooout.”

“Can’t wait!”

Slurp!

Their goal had turned into a full-on food pilgrimage. I’d explained all sorts of things to them, but...the only part they seemed to remember was that other places might have food they’d never seen before.

Well, honestly, a relaxed, easygoing mood suited us better than a gloomy one. I nudged the two of them forward and started walking. With the knowledge and power the gods had given me, I could keep these two smiling from here on out.

“So... What should we have for lunch?”

“Meat!”

“Meeeat.”

“Yeah, yeah. Then how about we grill a huge chunk of meat to celebrate our departure?”

“Woo-hoooo.”

“Chunk of meat!”

One thing was certain: This was gonna be one rowdy journey.