Chapter 19
The next morning.
After breakfast at the Silver Wheat Inn, Felicia and I headed to the Adventurers' Guild.
Yesterday, we confirmed that we could fight on the seventh floor without any problems.
Today, we planned to go to the eighth floor.
As we looked at the D-Rank request board, Felicia pointed to one of the requests.
"This one is for the ninth floor, right?"
I checked.
【Subjugate Two Black Ogres】
【Target: Belgrant Western Dungeon, Ninth Floor】
【Reward: 180,000 Jenny】
"The ninth floor?"
"Shall we go through the eighth floor first, and head there if it seems all right?"
"Let's do that. We can turn back if it looks too difficult."
I took the request form and headed to reception.
Our usual receptionist looked over its details.
She stopped moving.
"...The ninth floor?"
"Yes."
"You went to the seventh floor for the first time yesterday, right?"
"That's right."
"What about the eighth floor?"
"Not yet."
"And you're taking a request for the ninth floor?"
"We'll turn back if the eighth floor seems too difficult."
Felicia nodded, too.
"We don't plan on pushing ourselves."
"In that case, all right, but..."
The receptionist hesitated for a moment, then accepted the request form.
"Please be really careful. The Black Ogres on the ninth floor are quite different from the monsters on the seventh."
"Understood."
◇
We passed through the first seven floors without any major problems.
The floors we'd cautiously made our way through yesterday now took less time to cross.
Then came the eighth floor.
After walking for a while down the stairs, Felicia stopped.
"Did you see something?"
"I'm not sure, but..."
I looked around.
Rock walls.
A dark passage.
Nothing in particular was visible.
It happened the next moment.
"Allen-san!"
A black shadow leaped out from the left.
"Gah!"
Sharp claws rushed toward my face.
I arched my body backward.
The tips of its claws passed right in front of me.
I looked at the monster as it landed.
A large black cat.
Its entire coat was so dark it seemed to blend into the darkness.
"It's a Shadow Panther!"
The Shadow Panther kicked off the ground again.
Fast.
But once I could see it, it was no problem.
I dodged to the side as it leaped at me.
I caught up before it landed.
I drove my sword into its side.
"Gah!"
Before it could turn around, I struck again.
My blade sank into its neck.
The Shadow Panther fell.
【You acquired 600P】
【Total P Acquired: 12,300P】
【Your points: 2,590P】
"Could you see it coming from the start?"
"No. I didn't notice it until it jumped out."
"And you still dodged it..."
"I was a little surprised myself."
We collected its magic stone and pelt.
We continued farther into the eighth floor.
We encountered monsters several times, but none posed a major problem.
After a while, we saw the stairs leading to the ninth floor.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine."
"So am I."
"Then..."
"Let's give it a try."
The two of us descended to the ninth floor.
◇
The passages on the ninth floor were even wider than those on the eighth.
The ceiling was high, too, with plenty of room for large monsters to move around.
"Rooaaar!"
A voice that seemed to shake the ground echoed through the passage.
A huge humanoid monster appeared from the far end.
It was about two and a half meters tall.
Its skin was dark.
It held a thick club in its hand.
"It's a Black Ogre."
"It's huge."
"Be careful."
The Black Ogre looked our way.
"Rooaah!"
It charged.
It raised its club high.
It was fast.
But not as fast as an Armored Ape.
The club came swinging down.
I dodged to the side.
Thud!
The rocky floor shattered.
I slipped past it and struck its leg with my sword.
"Rooah!"
The Black Ogre started to turn around.
Before it could, I moved around to its other side.
Another strike.
Its huge body tilted.
I thrust my sword into its belly.
"Rooaaar!"
It still hadn't fallen.
I pulled out my sword and swung at its neck.
The Black Ogre crumpled to the ground.
【You acquired 800P】
【Total P Acquired: 13,100P】
【Your points: 3,390P】
Felicia looked at the fallen Black Ogre.
"...This is the ninth floor, right?"
"It is."
"No, I just wanted to make sure."
"I was surprised at how easily I could fight it, too."
"Easily, you say..."
We collected the Black Ogre's magic stone and any materials that looked useful.
There was one more target left for the request.
◇
The second one appeared before long.
"Rooaaar!"
This time, it headed straight for Felicia from the start.
"It's coming!"
"Magic Bullet!"
The glowing projectile struck its leg.
The Black Ogre didn't stop.
It raised its club.
Felicia moved to the side.
The club slammed into the ground.
"Magic Bullet!"
The second shot.
The same leg.
Even so, the Black Ogre kept closing in.
I stepped forward, ready to move in at once.
"I'm still all right, Allen-san!"
Felicia put more distance between them.
That didn't mean she could finish it off.
Even so, she had room to watch its attacks and dodge.
"Magic Bullet!"
The third shot.
She focused her shots on its leg.
The Black Ogre's movements slowed a little.
Felicia put a good deal of distance between them.
Then she gathered magic at the tip of her staff.
"Rooah!"
The Black Ogre tried to chase her.
Its wounded leg kept it from moving as fast as before.
"Now...!"
The light at the tip of her staff grew brighter.
"Magic Bullet!"
Thud!
The high-powered projectile struck the Black Ogre's shoulder.
"Rooaaar!"
Its dark skin split open.
It lost its balance badly.
"It's working!"
"Yes!"
Even so, it didn't fall.
The Black Ogre tried to get a better grip on its club.
"I'm going in!"
I rushed forward.
I drove my sword into the wound Felicia had made.
"Rooah!"
One more strike.
The Black Ogre collapsed.
【You acquired 800P】
【Total P Acquired: 13,900P】
【Your points: 4,190P】
Felicia let out a breath.
"It worked even on the ninth floor."
"The high-powered shot?"
"Yes. I couldn't finish it off, though."
"That's more than enough."
"I still couldn't handle it alone, but now I know I can move around on the ninth floor."
"That's a big difference."
"Yes."
We could complete the request.
Even so, we both still had plenty of strength left.
"Shall we head back?"
"I'd like to go a little farther."
"So would I."
We continued farther into the ninth floor.
◇
"Somebody! Help!"
After a while, we heard a voice up ahead.
Felicia and I looked at each other.
"Let's go!"
"Yes!"
We ran toward the voice.
Around the bend in the passage, there were four adventurers.
One of them was sitting on the ground, clutching their leg.
A man carrying a large shield stood in front of them.
Facing them was a large beast-like monster.
It looked like a bull, but a long, sharp horn extended from its forehead.
"It's a Death Horn!"
"Bwooo!"
The Death Horn kicked off the ground.
Its target was the injured adventurer.
"This is bad!"
The shield-bearing man stepped forward.
Before he could, Felicia pointed at it.
"Magic Bullet!"
The glowing projectile struck the Death Horn in the face.
"Bwoah!"
The Death Horn shook its head.
It turned around.
Now it was looking at us.
"It's coming this way!"
Felicia ran to the side.
"Bwooo!"
The Death Horn charged toward Felicia.
Felicia waited until it was close, then dodged to the side.
Its long horn cut through empty air.
"Allen-san!"
"Yes!"
I chased after it.
I drove my sword into the Death Horn's hind leg.
"Bwoah!"
It lost its balance.
I struck its side a second time.
Then I struck its neck.
The Death Horn fell to the ground.
【You acquired 700P】
【Total P Acquired: 14,600P】
【Your points: 4,890P】
The area fell quiet.
The adventurers we'd rescued were looking at us.
"...Did you beat it?"
The man with the shield murmured.
"Are you all right?"
Felicia went over to the injured adventurer.
"P-probably. I think the bone's fine. I just twisted my leg."
"That's good."
The shield-bearing man looked at me.
"You saved us. Thank you."
"I'm glad we got here in time."
"What rank are you two?"
"D-Rank."
"D-Rank?"
The man's eyes widened.
His companions behind him looked at us, too.
"We're D-Rank, too..."
"Really?"
"The three of us couldn't stop a Death Horn."
The man looked at the fallen Death Horn.
His expression was hard to read.
"You really saved us. I'll make sure to repay you—"
"It's all right."
"But..."
"We're fellow adventurers."
Felicia came back.
"They can walk. I think they'll make it back if someone supports them."
"That's good."
We collected the Death Horn's magic stone and horn.
We'd completed our request, too.
We decided to call it a day.
◇
Evening.
We returned to the Adventurers' Guild and headed to reception.
"We're back."
"Welcome back. How was the ninth flo—"
The receptionist's words stopped midway.
She was looking at the materials we'd brought out.
"...Black Ogres?"
"Yes."
We presented proof that we'd defeated two Black Ogres.
"Two?"
"For the request."
"And this is a Shadow Panther... and a Death Horn, right?"
"That's right."
The receptionist looked at us.
"You went to the eighth floor for the first time today, right?"
"Yes."
"And went straight on to the ninth?"
"The eighth floor seemed all right."
"..."
The receptionist fell silent.
The adventurers nearby looked our way.
"The ninth floor?"
"Did they say Black Ogres?"
"They're both D-Rank, right?"
We heard a few hushed voices.
The receptionist checked the records in front of her.
"You went to the seventh floor for the first time yesterday... and today you passed through the eighth and went to the ninth..."
"That's right."
"...It hasn't even been a week since you were promoted to D-Rank, has it?"
"That's right."
"People don't normally advance at that pace."
"They don't?"
"They don't."
The receptionist said it emphatically.
A little while later, she sighed.
"...But you're not injured, right?"
"No."
"I'm fine, too."
"You're truly amazing..."
The request was confirmed.
"I've confirmed the defeat of two Black Ogres. The reward is 180,000 Jenny."
Next, we had our materials appraised.
The Shadow Panther.
Two Black Ogres.
The Death Horn.
The purchase price for all the magic stones, pelts, horns, and other materials came to 580,000 Jenny.
"With the request reward, that's 760,000 Jenny."
Split between us, that was 380,000 Jenny each.
"It's gone up again."
"They're ninth-floor materials, after all."
The receptionist answered.
Just then, a display appeared in my field of vision.
【Request completion confirmed】
【You acquired 100P】
【P Acquired Today: 3,000P】
【Total P Acquired: 14,700P】
【Your points: 4,990P】
Only 10P short of 5,000P.
But I still hadn't even reached halfway to the Imbuement I wanted.
"You're going to rest at the inn for the rest of the day, right?"
The receptionist asked.
"Yes. For today."
"That's good."
The receptionist looked a little relieved.
"Tomorrow, I think we'll try the tenth floor."
"...Huh?"
"The ninth floor seemed all right."
Felicia nodded, too.
"I think I can handle it, too."
The receptionist fell silent for a while.
"Please don't assume the tenth floor will be like the ones you've been to so far."
"Is there something there?"
The receptionist's expression changed.
"There's a floor boss on the tenth floor."
【Total P Acquired: 14,700P】