While dispatching medium-sized monsters that were closing in on me.
I searched for a way to descend to the lower layer, aiming for the treasure vault.
The room I had opened was a large chamber.
Moving clockwise along the wall…
A passage, not a hole I had made, but a labyrinthine passage. Crystals embedded irregularly in the wall faintly glowed.
It was pitch black beyond. Was the distance that far?
Or perhaps it was a corner.
As I proceeded, mindful that the floor was paved and easy to walk on.
I heard the clack of a predictable trap underfoot.
Zzshhhuunn! A spearhead, stained brown, attacked from the wall behind me.
A normal person would have died instantly.
I bent my spine unnaturally backward, dodging the instant-death trap.
“Good thing it wasn’t poisoned.”
It had grazed me slightly.
This body is important.
I can’t afford to have it broken yet.
While spares are, in a way, in my wives’ wombs.
If possible, I’d rather they not be used and instead assist me and my dream’s members.
I continued, wary of the footing and walls, assuming the passage had other traps.
It took quite a lot of time. Really, it did.
“Should I just go back for now~?”
The passage was about 200 meters long.
At the exit, was that a medium-sized monster?
It didn’t enter the passage. It seemed to be waiting for me, the intruder, to emerge from it.
Even illuminated by the faintly glowing crystals, there had to be more than three or four of them.
About face. Advance.
“Well, I’ll be!”
When I returned, treading as much as possible on the spots I had already stepped on.
More monsters than I had killed were waiting for me.
And among them, or rather, in front of me.
A monster clearly different from the surrounding ones stood with two pairs of its many arms clasped together.
Was this the master of this floor, the boss?
“Intruder who knows nothing of labyrinth conquest. Consider it an honor. I am…”
Ugh. It started talking.
Is this some kind of convention, where I have to let it finish speaking?
Or, since I’m the villain.
Should I forcibly end its impromptu monologue and ask something like, “Whose pawn were you?”
“And, yes, I am here to take your head, intruder.”
While I was agonizing.
It had already finished its speech.
“So, I’m going to pass through, okay?”
“Why are you asking in a question? Well, asking someone who is about to die is… *mutter mutter* (in a low voice).”
It muttered something in a low voice.
It turned out to be one-on-one combat.
The surrounding monsters were the audience.
A one-sided duel in an unfavorable environment.
You could even call it a duel. There were no women.
Even if I won, the only gain would be my escape from here.
I wasn’t exactly motivated…
“Here I come. Taste the counterpart to the Fantasia One-Sword Style, the Six Roots of Origin Style!”
Whoa, whoa. Isn’t that supposed to be the counterpart to the One-Sword Style?
Gakin! Szpan!
Gigi’gi.
Small daggers held in its six arms.
Was that a secret weapon? Was the style a fake?
“Ow, that hurt, you know?!”
“Hmm. You’re surprisingly tenacious. Then I’ll just whittle you down.”
I used a makeshift sword made with Earth Magic.
A sword created solely for its sturdiness,
I blocked two of its daggers.
The remaining four daggers lightly cut my abdomen and thighs.
Furthermore, four blades danced, and as declared, they shaved and carved at my arms and thighs.
Cheers of “Uoh,” and “Wagoh” rose from the audience.
“Back away, you lumpy monster!”
“I am not a lumpy monster, but…”
“I don’t bother remembering guys’ names!”
“Nnn. How barbaric. The Third Cut of the Six Roots of Origin Style.”
“Hm? Hah!?”
“Great Sea.”
As I quickly moved to crush its head with brute force, my upward sword strike.
Though it was only lightly grazed by the six daggers, with an immense shock, I was forced to raise both arms.
And into my unguarded torso.
The six daggers pierced me.
Then, with the blades deeply embedded in my flesh, it twisted the daggers! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!
“First Cut, Sun. Fourth Cut, Mountain.”
Zzshunn zzshunn!
Dos dos dos!
It carved, stabbed, and beheaded my body as it pleased.
“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! ♪♪”
Joy erupted from the audience’s gallery.
They struck their weapons against each other.
They offered thunderous applause.
I, as an Astral Body, waited for the lumpy monster and the other monsters to leave.
Possession.
Since I had no head, I manipulated the cells of my remaining body to create a bald version of my original head.
“Hyaehhh. Uhyahfah!”
My vocal organs were still not quite right.
They should recover by the time I returned to the Underground Kingdom.
“Ooh? Go-bashaaaa.”
Into the tunnel I had opened.
I entered with my shoes on, disposed of them, absorbed their bodies, and refined their skulls.
“Ahhh, ii, uu.”
Yep, back to normal.
My hair even grew back!
Still, if things stay like this, they’ll just come again.
I’ll collapse the tunnel I made. That should bring some peace of mind.
Bringing meals to my wives and sons.
Maybe I’ll come again. I haven’t taken the treasures from the treasure vault yet.
I’ll have to pay a visit to the labyrinth master too!
Meanwhile.
As for the subordinate who brilliantly brought back the intruder’s head.
They became the stars of the party venue, and after reporting to their master, the Demon King, about how they defeated the intruder, and whether the intruder used any unknown techniques, skills, abilities, magic tools, or sorcery items, they were bombarded with questions.
“Keee—! I wish I had gone, then this blessing would have been mine! Boo—”
“Don’t be so sulky. He was originally supposed to become the guardian of the 6th floor.”
“Now that his turn is over, are you going to step up next?”
“Yes, it’s my turn ♪”
“Kii—! All of you are so annoying—!”
Wahaha ♪
At the cat-person’s attitude.
Laughter burst forth from the vassals and subordinates.
