― Fire Dragon King’s Lair, Inferno Flame Mouth
In the midst of claiming the Fire Dragon King’s treasures, they appeared through a Transfer Gate. Monsters with purple skin and grotesque forms. The fact that the Transfer Gate led to the Underworld, I instinctively knew these were inhabitants of hell. Moans that couldn’t be put into words, and hideous faces with unclear thoughts. They were the kind of demons Gerard had once spoken of, and in great numbers.
“Gargy, gargyaga!”
As soon as the demons spotted us, they let out terrible shrieks and charged. Like hungry carnivores before their prey, they cast off the chains of reason and acted on their impulses. We were caught off guard, but we began to fight back. I never expected them to come to us. Let’s gratefully enjoy the welcome from the inhabitants of the dream country!
“― Or so I thought.”
What happened to the expectations at the beginning? I, who had eagerly rushed to the front lines, gradually lost interest as I dispatched demon after demon, until it eventually faded away somewhere far off. Well, because— they were weak.
The allies, who had initially been intercepting them all together, gradually withdrew from the front lines as time passed. It was an obvious over-allocation of force, that was the conclusion we reached. Eventually, the only ones left were Shutra, the youngest and weakest in the party, and Mudo (Blue), who had just evolved into a Dragon King. Shutra was left simply to gain experience, and Mudo was left to warm up a little. Bog, who was currently in the midst of evolution, would have been nice to have participate, but he was still in hibernation.
“Older Brother, Big Sister. Please score us again~”
“You got it~”
Shutra, who had annihilated the group of demons that appeared from the Transfer Gate, called out to us as we sat on the treasure pile. We looked just like parents cheering on their child at a sports festival, but that doesn’t mean we had no work to do. I, possessing Appraisal Eye, examined the enemies’ Status, the sharp-witted Sera, who could see the future, offered intuitive remarks, and Ange, an expert in all forms of perception, made the final judgment. We were checking from every angle to see if there were any demons that piqued our interest. With Shutra on the front lines, it was for her sake. And more importantly, the overprotective Gerard would be bothersome.
“Ah, Older Kel. It seems the next demons have arrived.”
“Really? That’s troublesome. If any stronger ones come out, it’s game over.”
“Haha, can you at least try to sound less monotone?”
My expectations had diminished, so my acting wasn’t enthusiastic, but as a rational person, I never neglected to prepare for foreshadowing. Hmm, but if only weaklings kept coming out, it would be truly sad. Come on, dream country! Is that all you’ve got!?
— While I was wrestling with these thoughts, the next group seemed to have arrived.
“Gugyagyagya!”
“Another group!”
“Master, how is it?”
The demons’ appearances were still uniformly purple. Appraisal Eye, activate.
“…Miss.”
“A miss!”
“Yeah, it’s a miss.”
Yeah, I kind of expected it.
“I see. Mudoph, let’s go!”
“Understood.”
Shutra, who had hopped onto Georgius with a “pof,” deployed threads and Golems. Mudo, making his index fingers look like guns, began to aim at the enemy group.
Shutra, who moved over twenty Golems as if manipulating pieces on a board game, was like a master of solving Shogi problems from the very beginning. The Golems’ actions were not uniform; each moved differently. Some used artillery fire for intimidation, others used shields for defense, and some used spears for rushing. Though their actions differed, each was imbued with a strategy for efficiently annihilating the enemy, a genius who achieved the greatest results with the fewest moves. Without even deploying Georgius, it seemed like this would be over just by observing the board. While I possess Parallel Thought, I doubt I could defeat them so cleanly with the same ability.
As for Mudo, who adopted an unusual stance, I don’t know what influenced him. Perhaps he searched for something within the vast network of subordinates that brought up enormous data, or perhaps he started practicing sniping in this posture at some point. However, the name Light Dragon King was not for naught; water bullets and ice bullets, fired like lasers from his fingertips, shot down and pulverized their targets. Their power easily surpassed that of the Golems’ Gatling Guns, and they could be fired in rapid succession. At this distance, his accuracy was perfect, making it seem as if he were holding a real gun. If Mudo (Red) used it, it would become a flamethrower, or perhaps his specialty attributes would become bullets. It’s a secret that his Dragon Cannon breath from his mouth is still more powerful and accurate.
Well, with those two working together, this level of army was no match, and it didn’t take long to annihilate them. Piles of defeated enemies just get in the way, so after we finished annihilating them, Kuroto would dismantle them for salvage, or absorb them if there was nothing noteworthy. Once the area was clean, we would repeat the cycle, waiting for the next enemy.
“Over here! Go! I’ve got your back!”
“How many have we defeated with this? Just waiting makes me a little hungry.”
“I stopped counting after a hundred. We really have them in terms of numbers, though.”
Even a party composed mainly of B-class monsters now felt underwhelming. Were the lower-ranking demons B-class, if I recall correctly? Perhaps high-ranking demons like Victor are rare even in hell… No, it’s a matter of perspective. These were just weaklings wandering around the entrance of the Underworld, at the very beginning, near the Transfer Gate. They were like mascot monsters appearing around the first town, mere trifles that villagers could defeat if they tried! Yes. Thinking of it that way, this mass appearance made sense.
“As expected, they’re not mascots…”
“I don’t know what delusions you’re having, but here’s some good news for you, dreamer. Kelvin-kun.”
Ange, the examiner, with her black-robed cat ears swaying, offered a smile.
“The next enemies to appear from the Transfer Gate might be a little different from those before.”
“Really!?”
“Yes, really.”
Well done, Ange! You can come and take my head whenever you like tomorrow! And welcome!
“—Is this the surface? It’s a gloomier place than I expected. Kuku, and alas, people of the surface. Lament that you were present here. Well, wherever you are, it’s only a matter of sooner or later.”
“Huh? Our vanguard unit…?”
Oh, a demon has appeared, clearly better equipped than the previous ones, spouting arrogant words. His attendants look dumbfounded, but that’s not the priority now. Appraisal Eye, activate.
“Hmm… passable?”
“A miss!”
“They’re not weak, but they’re hard to comment on.”
Ange, this isn’t what you said. I stare at Ange with such eyes.
“I didn’t lie?”
“N-no, it’s certainly a little different, but…”
Isn’t this a difference on the level of a microscopic organism?
“Kuku, look. They’re frozen with fear! But those fools who went ahead left them alone, seeing no threat? They forgot the grand decree to make them all our slaves, and I’ll have to wring their necks later.”
“I-I see…! So that’s what happened!”
I have a feeling he’s profoundly misunderstanding something. Not that it matters.
“Well, since he can speak, he probably has some local geographical information. Player change, Sera.”
“It’s a miss, but is that okay?”
It’s okay even if it’s a miss.
