The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter

For roughly two weeks I continued my lifestyle intent at accumulating LP, eating cookery and frequenting lewd establishments.

Thanks to that I became pretty used to life in the castle town. During that time I kept monitoring S.

His daily life was extremely ordinary.

No hostility towards nobles or royalty, no attempts to dispose of the guards.

He diligently worked at the meat stall and was somewhat getting along with neighbors.

He doesn’t appear like a bad guy at all.

The only time he acts as S is when he finds a person of outstanding ability. Naturally, he uses 【Brainwash】 to turn them into his comrades. However, as I saw it, he is very picky about his targets.

Strength alone isn’t enough. There is something else that he seeks. Maybe a character?

Perhaps the effect of 【Brainwash】 will expire if you won’t meet regularly, but for some reason, he rents a building on weekend and holds assembly there.

That swordsman that got into the fight also went there, so there is no doubt about this.

As one would expect, I was too scared to infiltrate.

「It’s about time to challenge him.」

Looking at the ceiling, I resolve myself.

I already have 11000 LP.

I did my best to accumulate them.

About two or three times a week S visits bars during the nighttime. It seems that he simply wants to drink.

That’s where I’d like to strike. What I should be careful about are his skills. I didn’t approach him close enough to confirm what is 【Freewheeling】. Since I didn’t want him to remember my face.

However, with this much LP, I should be able to deal with him.

「Noir, wake up. Breakfast is ready.」

Naina-san came to wake me up.

「Thanks for always waking me up.」

「Since you are still growing I made your serving extra-large, and we also one day will have to defeat S together!」

She recognized me as a comrade. It seems that people who want to take down S count as such. However, I’m putting some distance between us.

I feel like me and they are a bit different. I want to return home as fast as possible and see Emma and others – that is my motivation.

However, for her and her comrades, it’s all about revenge.

I feel like I might get influenced, so it’s a bit scary. And, S is also acting for revenge.

If my little sister, Alice, was killed by someone, I also wouldn’t be able to forgive that person.

「Did you get any information on him? Do you know his location?」

「I’m investigating that at the moment.」

「I see, let’s do our best. Also, there is a messenger from the castle.」

「Roger.」

Without making eye contact with smiling Naina, I come down to the first floor.

I didn’t reveal S’s whereabouts to them.

It was because I wanted to try to the best of my ability to take him alive, while her comrades wanted him dead. If any of her comrades caught S, they most likely wouldn’t hand him over to the state.

They will end his life themselves. That’s for sure.

That’s why I thought I should act alone.

A few soldiers were sent with the messenger so I came to the inn’s back yard to meet them.

「How is the progress?」

「I think of making attempt today or tomorrow when S will be drinking at a bar.」

「So you are going to aim for a chance when he is drunk. Not bad. Do you need assistance from guards?」

I’m not sure how to answer. I’d like to have some assistance, but chances are, they might get brainwashed and turned into additional enemies.

「At first I will try alone. However, I’d like to have something that I can use to restrain him.」

「Understood, you will have it by noon. Then, about S’s location.」

「Shh!」

I interrupt the soldier.

It was because I felt a human’s presence behind the inn’s back door. When I dashed there and opened it, there was Naina-san with an astonished expression on her face.

Looks like she was eavesdropping. Well, I could understand her desire to learn something about S.

「So-sorry. The food was waiting, I thought it might get cold.」

I wonder how much she heard. The door is pretty thick, so I think it should be fine, but.

Making eye contact with the soldiers I decided to continue my breakfast. Resting until noon, I then receive a rope from soldiers that once again showed up at noon.

Made with special materials, it’s supposedly can hold even those in possession of monstrous strength.

Putting it into subdimension storage I head to confirm S’s situation.

「Welcome. Thank you for your continuous patronage, ojichan.」

As a butcher, he really was a good young man. The customers also liked him. There was nothing strange about his action, so I went back to the inn and took a nap.

In the evening I continued monitoring and tailing him. Closing his stall eight hours past noon, S made his way to the bar.

「Hm, so it’s today, huh. So it’s today after all.」

Today it will be decided.

This thought makes me nervous……

Two hours later, S came outside. He walked as normal. He didn’t drink much? S returned the way he came. Along that route was an alley.

The moment he entered it I resolved myself. There are no people nearby and it actually has plenty of space. It’s a reasonably fitting place for a fight.

Closing the distance I call out to S from behind.

「S, battle me.」

「…How do you know that I’m S?」

S slowly turned around. His expression looked nothing like shopkeepers from the meat stall. Seeing his cold eyes without a single speck of warmth to them my breath grows heavier.

He should have no intimidation-type skills, and yet, this pressure.

「I have Appraisal.」

「Were someone to stare at me from the effective range I would’ve noticed. …… I see, so it was you that time.」

He is talking about the incident when he got rid of the pickpocketing lady.

「You need money for Fangs of Counterattack to operate, right? Even so, killing her just because she failed to steal a wallet is too much.」

「Leaving her would’ve created a lead to me. And above all, with the way she lived, it wasn’t strange for her to get killed any day.」

I asked what might that mean, but S just pulled a knife from his pocket without answering. The length of the blade is about thirty centimeters. Without a moment of delay, I use 【Item Appraisal】 on it.

【Tough Knife Rank A Skill: Strong Edge】

Strong edge is a skill that my double-edged sword had as well. Having or not having it makes a great difference in the durability and sharpness of the blade.

S dashes at me head-on.

I calmly block the strike with my sword.

To me, his prowess with short swords seems to be several levels below that of Emma.

He also didn’t have a skill for it. Just let’s make sure not to get cut by it.

In a bit of exaggerated motion, I swing downwards my for counterattack.

「Nnguh.」

S avoided it with a backstep, but because his clothes were cut, his expression turned grave.

I can actually compete with him in melee! Or rather, I actually have an advantage.

「Your skills are impressive. I’d like you to use them for my sake.」

「Not possible. What you are doing is a crime.」

「Nobles and the king are no different from criminals as well. They are playing with the lives of innocent people for their own amusement. I merely want to save this city from the wrongful ruler. I want you to lend your strength for this as well.」

For a moment my vision gets distorted. Furthermore, my mind goes blank. The calm voice of S resounds in the depths of my brain.

Lend me your strength. Lend me your strength. Lend me your strength. Lend me your strength.

I should help him, I thought, but immediately changed my mind.

That was the effect of 【Brainwash】 !

I could immediately return to senses because of the level difference and mental skills I had.

I’m so glad that I learned them.

「You would’ve been better off with brainwash. Now the only option left for you is to die.」

S’s mood changed, or rather, he was now seething with killing intent. At the same time, a purple puddle appeared under my feet. I immediately move back. This is the skill that killed the pickpocketing lady.

★

S arracks repeatedly.

「Kuh, stone bullet…?」

What makes me question it, are ten stones floating in S’s vicinity. This isn’t 【Stone Bullet】.

One after another stones fly at me.

I dodge or deflect them with the sword, but this is pretty tough. And just when I thought that I blocked them somehow, he closed in on me and cut my arm.

How great it would’ve been if I had enough composure to comment on this outstanding sharpness. Surprisingly enough, S didn’t make a follow-up attack and took distance.

*Clang!*

The next moment water splashed onto me from above, leaving me completely soaked.

「Huh?? What???」

For a moment I thought that it was rain, but there was none today. In the first place, the amount of water wasn’t that of rain. It doesn’t seem like I was hit with any fast-acting poison, so for a moment, I felt relieved.

「Can you dodge it this time?」

S smiled boldly. And once again hurled stones at me. I see, he made my clothes heavier with water in order to slow down my movements.

It’s fine. As long as I don’t lose my cool everything should work out… Eh, my vision? No, my body is swaying?

When I tried to confirm my footing, I saw that the stone pavement was moving. But I had no time to be astonished by this bizarre phenomenon. Stones about the size of an adult person’s first were approaching me.

Direct hits… From three of them. First the biceps of the left arm, then a thigh. Of course, it hurt, but the last hit was the most severe.

「Uugh……」

Being hit in the temple, I sway and crumble to the ground. The floor wasn’t rocking anymore. I don’t think it’s a serious injury, but it drew blood and I can feel a dull pain.

If he tried to attack me with a knife right now I would die. Through the sheer force, I manage to get up. For some reason, S is out of breath.

「Haa, haa.」

Using my 【Edit】 I investigate his other skill.

【Freewheeling】

〈Manifest imagined phenomenon in reality. Phenomena that directly affect living beings are not possible. Moreover, the more abnormal it is, the more concentration and stamina it consumes.〉

Seeing this skill makes me want to scream.

Making imaginative real is extremely brutal. The only saving grace is that he can’t directly poison or paralyze a person. And now I also know why S is out of breath.

He is tired after repeatedly making one thing after another. It can be more or less counted as him showing a weakness. However, I also wasn’t in condition for fast and agile movements. Thus 【Edit】.

Erasing 【Manifest in reality】 is 25000 LP.

That’s a lot… It looks like destroying the skill is impossible and S appears to have recovered.

「You seem to be strong. Then I guess I’ll stop you from moving. 」

Two hands emerged from the buildings nearby, one from each side, and grabbed both of my feet. They seem human, but a lot longer. The grip strength is also considerable. What a great imagination you have there!

Cutting off both of those hands I ran in the opposite direction from S. I’d like to retreat for now and plan countermeasures.

「As if I’d let you escape.」

One after another hands stretch from nearby buildings. While being struck with a sense of dread from that scene, I avoid the hands’ pursuit by sliding and jumping.

After I left the alley several arrows flew at me from the ground. Suddenly, out of thin air. Though I panicked for a bit, I burn them down emitting 【White Flame】 from my hand.

I managed to calmly counteract it.

Way to go, me.

And while glancing behind me I run with all my might. Though S left the alley, he made no attempts to chase me any further.

He likely judged that with his current fatigue he won’t catch up. I’m saved……

For the time being, I didn’t relax and managed to return to the inn. My heart is about to jump out from my chest. Inside the inn was Naina-san, cleaning the interior.

「Noir? Your head is bleeding.」

「I walked through a dark alleyway and bumped into a building. It’s fine, nothing serious. Good night. 」

「Su-sure, good night.」

I can’t tell her that I just fought S. I already decided that I won’t ask her or her comrades for assistance. Returning to my room I apply a healing salve to the wounds.

Having my share of tough fights I became somewhat stronger. Such wounds are nothing. Rather, the mental damage might actually be more severe.

Making your imagination reality…… That is just unfair!

Lying down on the bed I think of countermeasures.

Destroying the skill is impossible, but making it weaker might be feasible.

Using 【Grant】 to hinder him might also be an option. I consider one idea after another. Perhaps due to the fatigue, but I gradually doze off.

While feeling my eyelids grow heavier, I think. In truth, I don’t really want to fight him. Some part of me sympathizes with his situation.

Those noble battles are simply ridiculous. But there is nothing I can do. So even though my level got higher, I’m still powerless after all.

「Just what is the right thing to do.」

Muttering so, I close my eyes.

My consciousness immediately faded and I fell asleep.

Not sure how much time has passed, but some time later I heard a sluggish and low voice.

「Fairytales need a hero.」