“No more searching for altars! Let’s go deeper! After all, the real thrill of dungeon exploration is facing strong enemies! So, let’s defeat the boss monster!”
Thanks to Retriever’s efforts, Rustiara was fully revived.
However, a revived Rustiara only brings more trouble.
Rustiara, seated on the back of a wolf-transformed Sera, pointed ahead excitedly.
But I had bigger problems.
“Wait, don’t leave me behind!”
Upon descending to the 34th floor, the dungeon’s layout changed drastically.
The crystal corridors reverted to stone, and anything reminiscent of Rowen greatly diminished. The new prominent feature was ‘water.’
The entire corridor was submerged. With water up to our knees, walking was extremely difficult.
Rustiara and Retriever, riding on Sera, seemed to have an easier time, while I, on foot, was rapidly depleting my stamina.
“Sera-san is fast! Please slow down a bit!”
“That’s because Kanami is slow, so slow down a little for him, Sera-chan.”
Sera, hearing her master’s words, finally reduced her speed.
She glanced back at me and snorted as if to say, “What a pathetic sight.”
Unlike beasts that move on four legs with their large bodies, we are bipedal humans. Naturally, there’s a difference in our speed. Yet, Sera continued to charge ahead without regard, increasing my burden.
Besides, Sera’s claim that carrying two people was her limit felt dubious. I suspected she simply preferred not to carry girls on her back. She had that kind of demeanor.
“Sera-san, can you really not carry three people…?”
The wolf immediately shook her head in response to my question.
I could sense an unwavering resolve in her eyes to never carry me. While I suspected some personal feelings were involved, I also didn’t want to push her too hard and hinder our combat capabilities.
Resigned, I had no choice but to brace my legs and push through the shallow water.
“Here, Kanami. I’ve slowed down, so go find the boss.”
“If possible, I’d prefer to proceed more steadily…”
“Hmph… After being upstaged by Dia and Maria-chan, failing to showcase my training, and being tricked by dungeon items… Please, just this once, do it for my sake…”
She ended with a pathetic plea. It seemed she had a lot of pent-up frustration from the events of the past day.
Moreover, if Maria and Dia were to join us in the future, challenging battles against strong enemies might become rare occurrences. She was likely desperate, thinking this was her only chance.
“…Fine. I’ll look for it.”
Weighed down by the pros and cons, I reluctantly nodded.
Admittedly, boss battles are dangerous. However, the potential rewards are also significant.
The primary objective is the magic stone. It’s confirmed that the magic stones dropped by boss monsters are of higher purity than those from normal monsters.
I’ve just acquired the ‘Blacksmithing’ skill and am considering new equipment. If I can obtain a good magic stone, I might be able to craft a weapon like the ‘Crescent Pectoral Azure’s Straight Sword.’
I also wanted to prepare a good weapon for Sera as soon as possible.
Besides, gaining experience in boss battles as a party isn’t bad. Our party composition, excelling in speed and disruption, makes escaping relatively easy.
“Ah! You just said you’d look for it!”
Most importantly, I like Rustiara’s smile. I’d rather not see her dejected expression.
“Yes, I did. I’ll look for the boss, so wait a moment. –‘Dimension – Multiple Expansion’.”
I cast Dimensional Magic, extending my senses to find the nearest boss monster.
However, during the expansion, I noticed a strange anomaly. Magic energy had difficulty penetrating the water accumulated within the dungeon. While ‘Dimension’ penetrated the sea and rivers on the surface without issue, the water in the dungeon seemed somewhat peculiar compared to other places.
Reluctantly, I focused my ‘Dimension’ primarily on the water’s surface to search for the nearest boss monster. I then spotted a roughly three-meter-long, dull gray jellyfish, flailing nearly a hundred tentacles.
–Boss Monster
Galflad Jelly, Rank 35–
Surrounding it, small fish, presumably its kin, swam in the shallow water.
Judging it to be a manageable opponent, I called out to everyone.
“There’s a jellyfish-like thing over there, let’s try fighting it. Of course, if it’s too troublesome, we’ll retreat immediately.”
“Alright, let’s go, right away! I’ll show you my true power this time!”
Leaving the restless Rustiara behind, I exchanged glances with Retriever and Sera.
“Sera-san, if anything happens, grab Rustiara by the scruff of her neck and retreat…”
“I understand. I will prioritize my mistress’s life— no, everyone’s safety. That is the purpose of my ‘Beast Transformation’ ability.”
Having gained some experience in dungeon exploration, Sera had clearly recognized her role as an explorer.
Seeing Sera and Retriever nod resolutely, I decided to fight the boss monster, Galflad Jelly.
“Alright, shall we show them our real power, Rustiara? Since we have the chance, I’ll unleash my new magic on it.”
“Huh? New magic?”
Rustiara, in her excited state, hadn’t realized the opportune moment.
“We’ll take the initiative from a distance with ‘Ice – Guardian Ice.’ This time, let’s combine ‘Dimension Winter – Final Frost’ and ‘Freeze.’ I’ll create magical frameworks where I want it frozen, and Rustiara, you can pack ‘Freeze’ into those spots.”
“I see… Nice! Let’s go with that.”
After confirming her agreement, I immediately explained the plan.
Without Maria and Dia, we couldn’t devise an elaborate strategy. Ultimately, we’d have to cut the enemy down together, but there was still room for ingenuity.
We closed the distance to the Galflad Jelly and moved to the position most suitable for a surprise attack.
Maintaining a distance where my and Rustiara’s magic would reach but not alert the enemy, we began our incantations.
While magic penetration in the dungeon water was poor, it wasn’t completely blocked.
Rolling up our sleeves, Rustiara and I placed our hands on the water on the submerged ground. While resonating our ice-attribute magic, we slowly extended our magic towards the boss.
As soon as we confirmed sufficient magic transmission, we muttered the spells.
“—Magic ‘Dimension Winter – Final Frost’.”
“—Magic ‘Freeze’.”
Rustiara’s magic followed mine.
“Resonance Magic ‘Ice – Guardian Ice’.”
“Resonance Magic ‘Ice – Guardian Ice’.”
‘Dimension Winter – Final Frost,’ which would normally only cause enough freezing to disrupt the enemy’s stance, was elevated to a different spell with Rustiara’s support. The moment the resonance magic was completed, an icy baptism befell the water monsters.
The first targets were the kin fish.
The fish swimming in the shallows stopped moving. However, the entire shallows weren’t frozen. We merely observed the monsters, cross-referenced their forms with our knowledge of the real world, and obstructed the movement of the parts necessary for swimming. They were left to float stiffly in the water.
Seeing the harmlessly incapacitated fish, I confirmed our good fortune. Since they were monsters, they could have moved ignoring fish anatomy, but these kin did not. Perhaps they were monsters specialized in speed, or weak to magic attacks.
Next, we attempted to transmit magic to the Galflad Jelly. This was a long shot. —Naturally, we couldn’t freeze its massive body.
Now, all that remained was to prepare the field.
To create a footing, we began freezing the surface of the shallow water. I wished I could have made it like an ice rink, but the magic didn’t flow that well. We managed to create a few circular ice platforms at best.
Having created an ice path like stepping stones, our preparations were complete.
“—Alright, let’s go!”
“Chargeー!”
“Let’s go, Sera big sis! Woof woof!”
Rustiara and I raced across the ice stepping stones.
Behind us, Retriever followed, carried by Sera. Incidentally, Sera responded to Retriever’s excited shout with a small, dutiful “Woof.” She looked a little embarrassed, which I was sure of. How lenient is this person towards girls?
The party’s charge speed was faster than the fish swam.
We closed the distance in an instant and attacked the Galflad Jelly.
With ‘Ice – Guardian Ice,’ we had the initiative.
The kin were immobilized, and the boss was frozen in confusion.
“—Composite Blood Magic ‘Virtual Rowen Aleis’!”
Rustiara unleashed the magic she had practiced yesterday.
“—Magic ‘Crystal Sword’!”
I also deployed a new magic in practice. Like ‘Ice Blade,’ crystal enveloped the sword. This was practice for freely manipulating the crystal magic ‘Quartz.’
First, Rustiara’s sword slashed into the Galflad Jelly’s body.
It wasn’t a complete severing, but I confirmed it had entered deeply. It should have dealt considerable damage, but the Galflad Jelly counterattacked without hesitation, throwing its life away.
Countless tentacles attacked Rustiara, and I slashed them with my crystal sword. The sheer number of attacks was terrifying, but not beyond our ability to defend.
Furthermore, Retriever, who arrived late, went around to its back and swung her scythe.
The Galflad Jelly attempted to defend by bunching its tentacles together, but the scythe easily cut through the defense.
This monster had almost no defensive power. However, I saw the cross-sections of its severed body and tentacles wriggle and instantly regenerate. The Galflad Jelly possessed a powerful regenerative ability that compensated for its weakness.
“Let’s tear it apart! There might be a core!!”
I had fought a boss with similar abilities in the past.
That experience prompted me to issue swift commands.
Everyone nodded, and we began carving into the Galflad Jelly’s body as if digging.
And while deflecting its tentacles, we thrust our swords into the Galflad Jelly multiple times, discovering a glowing stone within its body.
Thinking it was a rather easy boss, I extended my sword towards the magic stone.
At that moment, the Galflad Jelly’s magic surged. Sensing mortal danger, it turned all its tentacles to defense, beginning to wrap around its core like petals. However, without any counterplay, we could continue attacking indefinitely. If we kept attacking unilaterally, cutting through the core would only be a matter of time.
But utilizing the brief moment created by its focus on defense, the Galflad Jelly counterattacked. It was a method of counterattack I had never experienced before.
The Galflad Jelly’s body trembled, and a sonic blast erupted from its lower mouth.
It was a roar imbued with immense magic power.
On reflex, I covered my ears.
My companions did the same. However, despite this significant opening, the Galflad Jelly did nothing. It remained retracted within its tentacles.
I quickly grasped the purpose of the roar.
A rumbling sound, like an earthquake, echoed from afar.
My ‘Dimension’ recognition abilities sensed a flood occurring in a distant corridor.
The purpose of the roar. The answer was to gather all the surrounding water here.
I understood that the Galflad Jelly’s cry possessed magic that summoned water.
“N-No, this is bad!”
My face turned pale as I checked everyone’s location.
Only Retriever, a fellow dimensional mage, understood the situation.
She shook her head desperately, wearing the same expression as me. Then, she made her scythe disappear and clung to Sera’s neck.
From her reaction, I understood.
—That one-year-old, she probably can’t swim…!
“Rustiara! Sera-san! Retreat!!”
“Eh? But, we can defeat it now—”
As I called out to everyone, the flood reached the battlefield. A wall of water surged from all directions, just on the verge of engulfing everything.
There was no room to escape.
As a result, without any means to resist, all of us—myself, my companions, the Galflad Jelly, and its kin—were swallowed by the water.
The field was forcibly changed to underwater.
The strong current rendered our movements futile. It felt like being thrown into a mixer. I couldn’t tell up from down, left from right.
Amidst this, only ‘Sensation’ and ‘Dimension’ remained, allowing me to grasp the situation.
I could tell that the power of the surging flood was releasing the ice restraints on the kin fish.
The Galflad Jelly, submerged in water, became lively and resumed regenerating its body.
The water reached the ceiling, leaving no space to obtain air. I realized we wouldn’t be able to breathe properly without escaping this boss area.
This was undoubtedly not a field suitable for humans to fight aquatic creatures.
I had said we would retreat if things got troublesome, but this situation was beyond troublesome.
The raging current gradually subsided.
First, I turned my gaze to Retriever. Her cheeks were puffed out, holding her breath, desperately clinging to Sera. It was obvious she couldn’t swim.
Fortunately, Sera, having followed my order, had retreated quite far. With clumsy movements resembling doggy paddling, she managed to swim underwater. She wouldn’t be the first to take enemy attacks before me.
Next, I looked towards my reliable partner. However, her usual confident demeanor was gone. She was there, flailing her limbs with no room to spare.
Sadly, I became certain once more.
—Could it be that this three-year-old also can’t swim…!?
The situation continued to worsen.
I was the only one who could move properly. Yet, mercilessly, the enemy monsters resumed their attacks.
First, the kin fish charged like bullets. Their sharp, pointed heads turned into weapons, like a shotgun blast of throwing knives.
I hurried to Rustiara’s side and readied my sword.
Holding her thrashing form with my left arm, I swept away the kin with my right hand.
The kin could only charge in a straight line. However, their sheer numbers were troublesome. Fish that must have been hiding somewhere kept appearing from all directions.
Furthermore, the Galflad Jelly was approaching from beyond them.
I felt the difficulty of the battle rapidly increasing and a sense of crisis washed over me.
If this continued, there was a possibility of death. It made me feel that way, the situation had deteriorated so much.
And then, the thought of death caused the skill ‘???’ to creep in.
I shook my head, pushing away the ‘???’ skill.
I mentally shouted that I had many other powerful skills without relying on such a skill.
With ‘Parallel Thinking,’ ‘Sensation,’ and ‘Dimensional Magic,’ I grasped all the approaching dangers. My movements were sluggish underwater, but I could still cope. I was confident I could slash through it all.
However, that was only if I had time— Rustiara’s mouth, which I held by my left arm, let out a gurgling sound of air escaping.
A chill ran down my spine. I was about to let out air myself.
Having anticipated the flood with Dimensional Magic, I had taken a large breath just before, so I still had some air.
But Rustiara was different. Caught off guard, she wouldn’t be able to hold her breath much longer.
Knowledge from my previous world conveyed the seriousness of the situation. If Rustiara were left unattended like this, she could suffer permanent brain damage. Even if I annihilated the enemies, it would be meaningless.
—To me, the girl named Rustiara is a necessary presence, always.
In a flash, I could feel ‘Parallel Thinking’ operating at full capacity. And following the conclusion it reached, I had no choice but to act.
There was no time for hesitation or careful consideration.
I pressed my forehead against Rustiara’s.
With a dull thud that reverberated my brain, Rustiara’s eyes widened. We couldn’t exchange words. But with a plea in my gaze, I met Rustiara’s eyes, asking her to trust me.
Rustiara also had no hesitation. Her body went limp. Trusting her companions, she entrusted everything to me.
That trust gnawed at me. However, I couldn’t even afford to hesitate.
Steeling myself, I pressed my lips against Rustiara’s. Then, I transferred all the air I possessed.
This was the answer ‘Parallel Thinking’ provided. It was the most rational best course of action.
I knew my face was flushing with embarrassment. I told myself it was artificial respiration and nothing lewd, but I couldn’t suppress the heat.
Rustiara was the same. Although she understood it was an exchange of oxygen, she couldn’t hide the blush on her face.
Our bright red faces pressed together, and my heart rate quickened.
According to the plan, I was supposed to control my emotions and resume fighting immediately. But that was a far too naive thought. It was an impossible scenario.
Our mutual agitation was far more intense than expected, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze. Brain chemicals overflowed as if a dam had broken.
After exchanging kisses, I finally realized.
—It was only a matter of time before the ‘???’ skill activated.
I had been on the verge for a long time now.
A few days ago, I embraced Rustiara on the ship, adventuring together, training together, playing together— no, this wasn’t about just recent events. It was since I rescued Rustiara at the Grand Cathedral. After that day, we were separated, yet she risked her life to fight for me, we overcame the ‘Dance Battle Tournament’ together, finally became partners as promised, and now we’re exploring the dungeon together again. This is the cumulative result.
It’s only natural. Even though I lost my emotions to the skill ‘???’ the day before that Christmas festival, the reasons for my infatuation with Rustiara haven’t disappeared. Rather, with Rustiara regaining herself, her charm has only increased. It was inevitable and unavoidable that I would be drawn to her.
Therefore, I will fall in love with Rustiara countless times, and lose my feelings for Rustiara countless times.
It was decided from the beginning.
Yes, from the very beginning—
I felt like everything I had desperately tried to hide was leaking from my mouth. A pleasant sensation of everything collapsing, riddled with holes, ruining it all— and into those gaps, the skill ‘???’ wriggled in.
If it were just the threat of death or just love, I might have endured it. But with both overlapping, and now in this special situation of underwater combat.
I had no choice but to succumb, failing to process my thoughts.
My emotions were being devoured by the skill.
—Skill ‘???’ has gone berserk.
It will stabilize your mind in exchange for some emotions.
Gain +1.00 to Confusion.
This is the second time I’ve lost Rustiara’s feelings— For the second time, unlike the first, I could clearly feel the sensation of them being consumed.
As if possessing its own will, the skill ‘???’ stole my emotions—anxiety, fear, irritability, sadness. The skill ‘???’ that activates under the threat of death is like a cold machine, but for some reason, the skill ‘???’ that devours love from afar feels strangely human.
That humanity existed for a fleeting moment like a bubble, then hid and disappeared into the depths of my thoughts.
My mind was thoroughly cleansed, becoming a perfectly pure white.
All the distractions—the anxiety of death, the heat of my love—were lost, and ideas for overcoming this underwater battle flooded in.
A sensation I hadn’t felt in a long time. It felt like floating in the middle of the vast, empty Pacific Ocean.
…
Ah, I’ve done it…
My expressionless face pulled away from Rustiara’s.
However, while my romantic feelings had cooled completely, the heat in my cheeks remained ablaze. It was the same as before. Instead of love, my anger towards the skill ‘???’ that toys with emotions now filled everything. This time, it was compounded by self-anger, making it even worse.
Even within this rage, my thoughts, sharpened by the ‘???’ skill, whispered accurate advice.
—If you construct the best magic with the best magic power, you can break through the situation. Sacrifice your life force now. If you don’t die, the loss of life force is cheap—
It offered such a rational suggestion.
Indeed, by sacrificing my maximum HP and using ‘Dimension Winter – Final Frost,’ I could surely escape alone.
I understood that. That was the correct answer. If I only considered my own life, that would be the safest option.
That’s precisely why I shook my head.
I had decided not to stray from my path again. I wouldn’t let anyone manipulate me. I had sworn that after fighting in the Allied Nations.
I sought my own answer, not the one provided by the ‘???’ skill.
I would not fight alone, nor would I flee alone.
We would fight together, and we would survive together.
I tightly gripped Rustiara’s hand and let a cold air flow across her cheek.
Startled by the cold, Rustiara’s eyes widened.
Next, I cast an ice magic with no internal component, just an empty shell. A magic that was meaningless on its own.
Understanding dawned in Rustiara’s confused eyes. She immediately suppressed her emotions and resonated her ice magic with my empty shell of magic. The life-threatening situation seemed to have quickened her decision.
Although we couldn’t speak the magic name aloud, ‘Ice – Guardian Ice’ was indeed activated.
As the magic construction succeeded, the swarm of kin and the Galflad Jelly’s tentacles attacked.
Rustiara and I didn’t have the ‘Connection’ that she and Retriever shared. However, we understood each other’s desires.
Facing the enemy, Rustiara released all tension from her body and closed her eyes. Trusting me, she focused all her consciousness on the ice magic.
To reciprocate that trust, I swung my sword underwater while holding Rustiara’s body.
While slashing away the approaching kin fish with my sword, I froze the rest with ‘Ice – Guardian Ice.’
However, while that took care of the small fry, it wasn’t enough for the Galflad Jelly.
Its tentacles attacked with undiminished force even underwater.
Even now, the ‘???’ skill urged me to flee, leaving Rustiara behind. But I directly defied that answer.
First, I initiated communication with my allies.
No voice could reach them. So, I poured all my emotions into it and desperately shouted in my mind.
To that voiceless call, Retriever quickly noticed.
While clinging to Sera’s back, she hastily formed a ‘Connection’ with Sera as well. Then, they began sending their combined magic power to me.
Temporarily, my magic power surged.
Unsparingly consuming that power, I enhanced ‘Ice – Guardian Ice.’
I permeated the entire area with magic, causing numerous ice pillars to rise. Furthermore, ice branches extended from the pillars, increasing the footings for free movement underwater. Of course, those ice pillars were easily shattered by the enemy’s tentacles. But that was fine. When shattered, the ice shards dispersed into the water.
It was important that our ice particles infiltrated the water field created by the Galflad Jelly.
Gradually, the underwater became white, like diamond dust in mid-winter.
By this point, it was no longer ‘Ice – Guardian Ice.’ It was a different magic.
It was a great magic, a resonance magic of four, which could be called ‘Dimension Winter – Four-Part Harmony.’
I moved underwater, kicking off the ice pillars. Sometimes I ran along the bottom of the water. Of course, my movements were slower compared to aquatic monsters. However, the Galflad Jelly was also slowed similarly. ‘Dimension Winter – Four-Part Harmony’ obstructed enemy movements, similar to the effect of ‘Midwinter of Overcrowded Dimensions.’
Thanks to ‘Dimension Winter – Four-Part Harmony,’ the field advantage was now equal.
I faced the Galflad Jelly.
I would hold nothing back now. I would fight as if it were a guardian—
—I will give my all.
Under ‘Dimension Winter – Four-Part Harmony,’ the underwater began to solidify like sherbet.
My sword, extended with the skill ‘Magic Condensation,’ pierced through that sherbet. The approaching tentacles were all sliced at once, and their severed ends froze. Due to frostbite, the Galflad Jelly could not regenerate its wounds.
The swordsmanship to sever Rowen’s demonic energy taught me the procedures for efficiently carving away the Galflad Jelly’s massive body. Within a single breath, I swung my sword multiple times, reducing its tentacles and carving into its flesh.
And a few seconds after ‘Dimension Winter – Four-Part Harmony’ was activated, the Galflad Jelly’s three-meter-long body was reduced to less than a tenth of its original size.
Its tentacles and body were slashed to pieces, and everything was eroded by ice magic, leaving the Galflad Jelly with no means to protect its core.
Looking at its pathetic state, I swung my sword emotionlessly.
The blade of ice sliced the defenseless core in half, and
—Title ‘Passing By Water Force’ acquired.
Grants a +0.05 bonus to Speed—
The Galflad Jelly dissolved into light and disappeared.
