Chapter 118: Chapter 118 Dark Cloud (2)

Dark Cloud (2)

Dark Cloud (2)

A level 5 monster, the troll.

He may be the poster child of regeneration, but even this guy dies if his heart or head explodes.

But I invested all of the team's strength into severing the guy's 'arm'.

And finally...

[Graaagh-!!]

...we sealed one of the bastard's arms, rendering him helpless.

In other words, we created an environment where Misha can deal damage without any risk.

Tadat.

Misha, who had been keeping her distance and focusing on dodging the troll's long arms, finally leaped.

And landing on my shoulder—

Thump!

—she plunged both swords into his eyeballs simultaneously.

No matter how high the physical resistance, there are always weak points.

[Graaagh-!!!]

The troll's struggle intensified as the swords, enchanted with acidic blood, pierced its vulnerable eyes.

Damn it, what kind of strength is this…?

"Bjo, Bjorn?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Don't worry about here, just keep stabbing!"

I shouted, squeezing the troll's arm with my thighs with all my might. Misha, knowing that this wasn't the time to relax, focused on stabbing instead of answering.

The first variable occurred here.

Thump, thump, thump-

As Misha repeatedly stabbed the swords into his eye sockets...

Clang! Clack!

...a scraping sound was heard.

Up to this point, it was as expected.

Even humans have bones behind their eyeballs.

However...

"...Bjo, Bjorn? It's too hard, I can't get it in!"

The problem was the strength of the bones.

Even if it were his thick arm bones, I thought she would be able to break them and pierce his brain quickly...

Right, he won't die easily.

"Keep going."

"Got it!"

Misha then gripped 'Viper's Fang' in a reverse grip and continued to strike the eye sockets.

That's when the second variable occurred.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

As time passed, the troll started to rampage.

Having lost his sight, he gave up trying to shake me off and charged towards one spot using his only remaining free limbs, his legs.

The problem was...

"Dwarkey! He's aiming for Dwarkey."

Somehow, the eyeless troll bastard was running precisely towards where Dwarkey was.

[Graaagh!!]

Rotmiller hugged Dwarkey and dodged left and right, but the troll pursued them relentlessly as if he could see.

"Mana! He's definitely sensing mana!"

Even I didn't know about this phenomenon.

Is he really instinctively sensing and following mana, as the dwarf said?

'Damn it.'

Whatever the reason...

Just when we thought it was a done deal, the situation suddenly took a turn for the worse.

Less than 10 seconds after the situation erupted, Dwarkey and Rotmiller were cornered.

It was inevitable.

If Misha were there, it might have been different...

...but Rotmiller's physical stats weren't high enough to carry someone and escape from a 5th-grade monster.

[Graaagh—!!!]

The troll then charged towards them, cornered. The dwarf tried to stop him somehow, but it was useless.

Kwaaang!

The dwarf was sent flying like a soccer ball and crashed into the wall from the troll's kick. It seems like his [Counterweight] was deactivated because his MP ran out...

Damn it, at a time like this.

"Bjo, Bjorn?"

"Ah, got it!"

Still, Rotmiller managed to escape the corner using the momentary gap created by the dwarf.

Of course, it was just buying a little time.

About 3 seconds?

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Rotmiller, who was running towards the opposite side, was caught by the troll and rolled on the ground to avoid his kicks.

I can't see their situation from my position anymore.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The troll stomps down.

"Hi, eek...!"

Although I don't hear the sound of someone getting trampled, since he's rolling around diligently...

If we leave the troll alone for a bit longer, someone will definitely die.

Dwarkey, Rotmiller…

…or maybe even both.

Thud!

It’s a crossroads of choices.

Misha is focused on stabbing with her swords and is completely unaware of the situation below.

All decisions are up to me.

Thud!

If I let go of his arm and go down, I might be able to save Dwarkey or Rotmiller.

But ultimately, that choice will lead to a total party kill.

If I let go, the troll will attack Misha with its free arm…

…and we won’t get another chance.

‘Damn it.’

I close my eyes tightly.

And I can’t help but think…

…that this was bound to happen someday.

Thud!

[Dungeon and Stone] is not a game that pursues adventures filled with dreams and hopes.

As the game progresses, the deaths of companions become inevitable, and the adventure continues as long as the main character survives.

Yes, that’s the kind of game it was.

This goddamn game—

Kwagic!

That’s when I hear a crushing sound from below.

It’s the sound of flesh and bone being mangled, a sound I’ve heard countless times since waking up in this place.

Misha, sensing something strange, stops stabbing.

Of course, it’s only for a brief moment.

“Keep going!!!”

Misha resumes stabbing at my shout.

Clang, clang, clang!

I grit my teeth and put all my strength into restraining the troll’s remaining arm.

That’s when…

Thwack!

…Dwarkey, who was kicked away by the troll, comes into view. His body is bent at an unnatural angle, as if his spine is broken.

With this, I realize one thing.

Although it wasn’t information I wanted to know…

Then the sound I heard earlier must have been Rotmiller’s body.

“……Heup!”

Did Misha see Dwarkey, who had risen to our eye level?

She flinches for a moment and then starts swinging her swords with an expression that seems like she’s about to cry.

“Die! Die! Die! You monster! Die!!!”

Although we had to just watch our companions suffer for the sake of survival, the situation took a turn for the worse.

With Dwarkey down, the curses were lifted.

The arm is rapidly regenerating due to the [Ultra Regeneration] effect.

「Misha Kaltstein has cast [Ice Crush].」

「Misha Kaltstein has cast [Ice Crush].」

「Misha Kaltstein has cast [Ice Crush].」

As if knowing that time is running out, Misha swings her swords down with all her might. And as those seemingly eternal seconds pass…

Clang! Clang, clang… Kwagic!

…a refreshing sound of impact is heard, and the troll’s body that I was holding onto disappears.

「Killed Troll. EXP +5」

The troll’s body, which has reached death, turns into light and disappears, and Misha and I fall to the ground.

Normally, I would have regained my balance in mid-air and landed on my feet, but neither of us have the energy for that.

Thud!

As I lie sprawled on the ground, staring blankly at the ceiling, a fist-sized magic stone falls next to my head.

Thud. Roll-

That’s all the loot there is.

There’s no dramatic essence drop.

I’m reminded once again that this moment is reality.

Right, it’s not a dream.

Neither is the choice I just made.

Nor the sight of Dwarkey flying away in a mangled state due to that choice…

“Rotmiller! Dwarkey!”

I force my body up, pushing aside my desire to rest. Misha is already running to take care of our fallen companions.

“Rotmiller! Come to your senses!!!”

“Do, don’t shake me…”

“So, sorry!”

Surprisingly, Rotmiller is alive.

One of his legs is not just broken, but completely crushed, but it’s not a fatal injury.

The heavens helped, literally.

If his head or upper body had been crushed, that would have been the end.

“Before me… Dw, Dwarkey first…”

“Ah, got it!!”

While Misha rushes towards Dwarkey, I check Rotmiller’s leg injury, which has been left unattended.

“What happened to Dwarkey?”

“Don’t worry, he’s alive thanks to you. So how about you worry about yourself now?”

“That’s… true. Huhuhu.”

“It’s going to be quite painful.”

“I kno… ugh! Keueueuek!!”

Rotmiller groans and faints after being ‘potion-ed’, and that’s the end of the immediate measures we can take.

It seems like it’s the same for Misha.

“Bjorn…”

Misha looks at me with an expression that seems to seek confirmation.

I chuckle and answer,

“Yeah, they’re all alive.”

“That’s… a relief… truly…”

Misha slumps down, her body losing strength.

It seems like she only realizes it now after hearing my answer.

But I still don’t feel it.

‘I can’t believe… no one actually died.’

It’s not that I wished for them to die.

No, I’m more than happy that they all survived.

However, it’s hard to be completely happy because there are too many unsettling aspects.

After all…

…we didn’t overcome this crisis because I did well.

Because I made a good plan beforehand.

Or because I responded well when a variable appeared.

‘We were… lucky.’

We were just lucky.

And as I acknowledge that, I finally realize…

…what it means to live as an explorer in this damn world.

Today, everyone survived like in a movie.

But…

‘It probably… won’t always be like today.’

I know better than anyone…

…that such luck won’t come to someone like me over and over again.

As time passes, they regain consciousness one by one.

The dwarf is the first to wake up.

“…So, everyone is alive.”

The dwarf, who has confirmed that everyone survived, doesn’t laugh heartily like usual.

He just repeats the same words as if praying.

“Thank goodness. Yeah, that’s right… truly a relief…”

Well, if he’s been an explorer for several years, he must have experienced quite a bit. The death of companions is like a fate for explorers.

“To be safe after encountering a troll, I should make a donation to the temple…”

Rotmiller is the next to wake up after the dwarf.

I approach him hesitantly and apologize with a hint of excuse.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect the troll to act like that when it couldn’t even see.”

“…How is that your fault? We should be the ones thanking you. If it weren’t for you, none of us would have survived.”

“But…”

“Your judgment was correct, so don’t blame yourself.”

It seems like Rotmiller already knows that I was willing to sacrifice the two of them.

Well, there’s no way he wouldn’t know.

I was the one who kept shouting at him to do it.

“Keugh, ugh…”

After some time, Dwarkey also groans and opens his eyes.

“Don’t move. Your injuries haven’t fully healed yet.”

“Is everyone… okay…?”

“We’re all fine! So don’t worry!”

“Ah… Mi, Miss Misha… I’m glad you’re safe…”

“Idiot! That’s what you say?”

“Th, that’s…! Cough! Th, that’s true…? Hahaha.”

The heavy atmosphere finally lightens up a bit as Dwarkey, who was in the worst condition, wakes up.

“Haha, to think that the five of us defeated a troll. We can’t even brag about it. No one would believe us!”

The dwarf starts cracking jokes like usual, and Misha does the same.

“Ugh, an essence should have dropped! Somehow, it feels unfair. We went through all that trouble, but we got nothing, right?”

“We saved our lives, didn’t we?”

“Rotmiller, you have too little greed, that’s the problem.”

“Right, you even used a top-grade potion, didn’t you? Ah, of course, don’t worry. We’ll all chip in and pay you back.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Ah, but Bjorn, what are we going to do now? You’re not thinking of going up any further, right?”

“Phew… what do you think of me? Of course, we’re going to rest for a while.”

“Wait, Misha? Why are you asking Bjorn? I’m the leader of the team.”

“Ah… right?”

Anyway, regardless of the dwarf’s question…

…everyone accepts my suggestion of staying on this floor until the labyrinth closes without any objections.

Because we’re not in a state to continue exploring.

We rest in the same place where we had the fierce battle with the troll, soothing our tired bodies and minds.

「The labyrinth is closed.」

「Character is being transported to Lafdonia.」

And so, a week passes, and my sixth expedition comes to an end.