Chapter 38.1 Don't Work With Adventurers, Please. (7)
T/L: Lore_Temple (foxaholic)
As I waited for my colleagues' orgy to end, I recalled what had happened yesterday and today.
Engaging in a fight against the wolf boss while faithfully playing one's respective role.
Sharing the loot with a smile after killing the boss through collective effort.
Being chased by a group of kobolds while screaming and laughing.
The more I thought about it, the more I felt a smile creeping upon my lips.
‘It would have been better if at the end we had done the King Kobold raid together.’
It's unavoidable, but unfortunately, it can't be helped. To be honest, the wolf boss raid wasn't easy for them either.
Not to say about a much harder King Kobold raid.
Maybe, everyone would have faced a more tense situation? Perhaps then, these guys wouldn't have had the energy left for other miscellaneous things.
Ah… the more I think about it, the sadder I get.
‘It's okay. It's not like all the bosses have been finished.'
There are still bosses on the 20th, 25th, and 30th floors.
From now on, I just need to lower the speed so that the party members can maintain their best condition right before entering the boss room.
That way, we will be able to raid properly.
What's going to happen to this party after getting out of here?
The end? Last meeting?
Honestly, that's a bit disappointing.
‘Maybe I will make a proper party invitation or something like that?’
If I reveal that I'm a Hero and promise wealth and glory after slaying the Demon King, won't they accept it then?
I think it'll be a pretty good ending.
They're normal NPCs, so even if their growth potential is low, it's good enough to use good items or inner cores of beasts to fill in the gaps.
‘But how much longer are these cubs going to have sex?'
I think it's been quite a while since I came out.
There is a degree to which it is done.
‘Did they fall asleep while doing it?’
There's a possibility. After being chased by kobolds for a few hours, they must have been quite tired.
Hah, then I've been waiting outside for so long for nothing.
I groaned inwardly and opened the door.
Something sharp came aiming for my face.
Bollocks!
Startled, I grabbed it.
* * *
‘Did he catch it?!’
She kicked him out with low-key words to reduce vigilance.
He opened the stone door and was stabbed by her spear from the blind spot, there was no way he would have known…
Cloud grabbed the spear as if it was natural.
‘What the hell are those monster-like reflexes..?!’
Graveliya swung the dagger towards his right hand, which was holding the spear blade, without leaving him a second to recover. Cloud released his hold on the spear and dodged her dagger, and at the same time, she leapt wide behind, widening the distance.
“…!”
She sent a look to Kyle indicating him to get ready.
“Don't worry about me, I’m fine. Our opponent is a strong one. Get ready, it will be a tough one.”
Kyle nodded his head and held out the large shield forward. Graveliya hid behind him, ready to jab her spear through the openings at any time.
The two were ready to fight at any moment.
But the opponent didn't act according to their thinking.
He just blankly stared at his palm.
‘…Is he poisoned already?'
To which, Graveliya and Kyle thought of the same thing.
“What..are you doing?”
A chilling sensation ran through their spines. Cloud's gaze, peering at them, it was filled with indifference. It was a short time for which they had been together, but that was a gaze they had never seen before.
They didn't feel it that way, even when he beat the three of them right after entering the dungeon.
‘Is he that angry?’
In fact, it's rather good.
Because humans consumed by anger are not in the right mind. The situation for the opposition gets better, instead.
‘We just have to hold on until the poison shows its miracle.’
The poison she laced on her spear was none other than that of a Cockatrice.
It is a poison that can even kill powerful knights.
It isn't instrumental in inflicting deep wounds, but it is enough to weaken the body's ability.
Maybe he will just die from poisoning.
Graveliya forcefully twisted her hardened lips.
“Can’t you see it? It's betrayal.”
"Betrayal?"
“Isn’t that a familiar word to you? Hero, Cloud?”
“…”
“There is no way an A-class adventurer can kill that huge-ass kobold alone. If you wanted to hide, you should have been a little more professional, Hero-kun. After all, if can't even do simple things like that, won't your companions leave you? Just like before?”
Having said that, Graveliya looked into Cloud's eyes. At her provocation, she hoped him to become even more furious, she hoped that he would even lose his mind altogether.
However, Cloud was the same as when he first looked at the two of them.
"Betrayal… Betrayal… Betrayal~"
Cloud, who was muttering alone, smiled.
“I have really become rather inattentive.”
Although he laughed, the heavy atmosphere did not change.
“Garuda. How's that guy?"
"Well..? Haven't you figured it out already?"
“I somewhat did.”
Tub. Tub.
Cloud's footsteps echoed throughout the corridor. There was no sense of urgency in his steps. As ‘relaxed' was the atmosphere, just as relaxed were his footsteps.
Graveliya was not attracted to the atmosphere.
The moment he entered the spear's range, she flared the spear without hesitation.
‘Caught him…'
—her spear couldn't catch up to his figure.
Cloud miraculously avoided the spear with just a single step. The moment her attack failed, his sword moved.
A silver sword aimed at her neck.
A thorn-studded great shield blocked it.
Kang!
“..!!!”
Kyle frowned.
Apparently, he blocked the sword, but it was heavy, as if he had blocked some blunt weapon.
[Smash Strike]-!
It is a skill that deals double damage of attack power.
Cloud did not stop the sword.
[Smash Strike]-!
[Smash Strike]-!
[Smash Strike]-!
[Smash Strike]-!
[Smash Strike]-!
Kyle clenched his teeth together and endured the continuous blows. However, his body couldn't help it, regardless of his will.
He began to be pushed back little by little.
“This monster bastard!”
Graveliya stabbed forward with her spear to give Kyle a chance to catch his breath.
[Piercing Stab]-!
[Consecutive Stabs x3]-!
[Consecutive Stabs x6]-!
[Consecutive Stabs x9]-!
[Consecutive Stabs x12]-!
She even tried to shake off Cloud by using linked attack skills.
But they didn't bring any help to Kyle.
Cloud's sword didn't stop even as he evaded her spear.
“Oh my gosh! No matter how monstrous you are, isn't it too much to jump around like this, and that after being poisoned by a Cockatrice's poison?!"
She couldn't stand her temper and hollered.
Then, surprisingly, his attacks, which did not stop even to her linked skills, stopped.
“Oh, so it was Cockatrice's poison?”
Cloud slit his palm that held her spear blade with the sword.
Slurp-!
Black blood, not bright red, dripped down from his palm. As the dripping black blood fell to the floor, bubbles rose with a squeaking noise.
“Ha… what crazy sh!t is this…”
“…!”
Graveliya and Kyle were at a loss for words at the sight that was too unusual for a human.
Seeing the black blood turning to bright red, Cloud raised his sword again, a indifferent smile entrenched on his face.
* * *
