I Killed All Your Babies

The first hurdle to enter the dungeon interior was the checkpoint managed by people at the dungeon entrance.

Well, the checkpoint was just about verifying if I was a member of the Lunatic Guild.

Of course, I could only pass the checkpoint if those people didn’t notice that I was the same person as that Lua.

Although I had transformed into a form closer to an adult, parts that could identify me as ‘Lua’ – such as cat ears or a snow-white tail – were still scattered here and there.

Until now, I just pulled the brown robe I was wearing over my head, down to just above my eyebrows.

I had brought sunglasses and a mask just in case… but gave up as they might make me look more suspicious.

Instead, though it’s a bit strange to call it a substitute, I compromised with the foul smell of the transformation potion.

They say that after sight, smell is the strongest stimulus.

If they were momentarily distracted by a scent far from fragrant, my appearance wouldn’t attract that much attention.

In fact, it was a method I had used occasionally to hide my identity in the first playthrough.

“Uh, you’re… confirmed. Please wait for a moment.”

Perhaps because the empty potion bottle with the transformation potion’s stench still lingering was hidden in my breast pocket, they didn’t make any special verification beyond the Lunatic Guild exclusive device.

From my side, instead of verbally acknowledging, I just slightly nodded my head.

There was also the fact that my voice was something I needed to hide.

Still, I didn’t need to forcibly act mute as I could communicate via text by projecting a hologram from the device. So not speaking didn’t cause any particular problems.

That way, I cleared the first stage.

However, since the dungeon I was trying to enter now was quite dangerous in nature.

[I, I’m running really late. Could I go in right now?]

“It’s procedure. But it won’t take long, so please wait a bit.”

While they would have let in familiar faces who had been in and out of dungeons countless times without any issues, they wouldn’t let in a new guild member they were seeing for the first time just like that.

Therefore, I needed to show my power, even if just a little.

I needed to make them think I could survive in a dangerous dungeon commonly referred to as an A-grade dungeon.

Not long after that, a massive mana stone arrived in front of me, loaded on a cart.

The guild member’s request that followed was simple.

“You don’t need to force yourself to break it. Just help us ‘assess’ you.”

In other words, use this large mana stone as a punching bag.

As I stretched out my hand toward the mana stone in front of me, various gazes began to focus on the brown robe I was wearing.

Most of the gazes were a half-and-half mix of curiosity and doubt directed at the new face, but among them, there were also gazes that seemed to look down on me, which slightly hurt my pride.

It’s just a mana stone, not even a monster.

I can break this speechless rock without batting an eye, you know?

-Ding.

[Using “The Response Is Worse” (A).]

[Total Damage: 1500]

[Remaining Damage: 141029]

So, crack.

As someone said, a rough crack like it had been struck with a ‘huge axe’ appeared on the mana stone that didn’t need to be broken.

However, since it had already come to this, I wanted to make it more definitive.

Honestly, I had a greater desire to surprise the owner of the gaze looking down on me – whoever it was probably had the appearance of a typical extra – but anyway.

Not even a second later, ding again.

[Using “The Response Is Worse” (A).]

[Total Damage: 2000]

[Remaining Damage: 139029]

And, thud.

Due to another powerful impact on the already cracked mana stone, it finally split into two pieces.

[Should I do more?]

“N-no… That’s sufficient.”

Leaving behind gazes that were half surprise and half shock, I headed to a tent filled with various equipment right next to the dungeon entrance.

However, even if there were amazing equipment, most of them were too heavy to even properly lift.

In the end, all I could take was the lightest wooden shield among various shields.

Even that had quite some weight, so I couldn’t carry it that easily….

But I needed this to avoid being victimized by monsters.

No matter how close to infinite my health might be, even if I had a body that could regenerate any wound quickly… I don’t like pain.

Thanks to [The Lesser of Two Evils], attacks would end with just the first hit, but I didn’t want to be attacked bare-handed if I could help it.

Especially since the monsters I would encounter in a few minutes took the form of scorpions.

Being pinned down by an antlion monster was painful enough, let alone being skewered by a scorpion monster.

Unfortunately, without the common “pain reduction” option, I had to feel that pain exactly as it was.

Therefore, I needed at least one shield to take attacks instead of my body to feel at ease.

As long as I blocked attacks with the shield, they would never penetrate.

Right after that, I took my first step into the A-grade dungeon, [Lychenium].

From the outside, the various buildings in the dungeon, which took the form of an abandoned factory at a port, were full of moss and vines.

Soon after, I encountered a sign with red letters saying “No Entry for Outsiders.”

“Hmm, just like the introduction of a horror movie.”

After wandering around the factory while hiding my presence, I directed my steps toward a place that felt somewhat busy.

And, thus encountered…

“Move faster! Do you want to take responsibility if monsters swarm in?”

Hunters moving trophies or mana stones obtained from inside the dungeon.

In the distance, a battle was taking place between relatively intact monsters and other hunters.

These were just ‘normal’ sights for an A-grade dungeon.

Probably an everyday scene for hunters strong enough to enter an A-grade dungeon.

Nevertheless, the reason I tried to intrude into that ordinary scene of hunters was only one.

Because that ‘ordinary’ was full of all kinds of injuries and blood, not particularly desirable.

In addition, if I remember correctly, there’s about an 80% chance they will be attacked by another wave of monsters.

Of course, they all probably entered the dungeon prepared for this. But not dying and not getting hurt is better than dying or getting hurt, right?

Looking at the amount of trophies they’re moving, they probably won’t need to come back to this dungeon for a while.

Judging from my first playthrough experience, after obtaining that much, there’s no need to re-enter the dungeon.

They will come back in a few months… but for now, I decided to focus only on safely rescuing the hunters in front of me.

Eventually, after getting up from where I had been crouching, I headed to an old warehouse located in the innermost part of the dungeon.

“…It’s teeming.”

The warehouse, which had already fallen to a monster colony, was full of already broken eggs and eggs that had not yet broken.

There were a few monsters guarding the eggs, but after they notice an intruder, probably all the monsters in the dungeon would gather at this warehouse.

I don’t even hope to clear all the gathered monsters.

If I hold out for about 30 minutes and then escape, all the trophies that need to be moved outside the dungeon will already have been moved.

Just in case, I looked around, but I didn’t see anyone who was about to be kidnapped or eaten by monsters.

In other words, there was no longer any need to wait for the right time.

There was no need to hesitate or waver anymore either.

Therefore…

[Using “The Response Is Worse” (A).]

[Total Damage: 11000]

[Remaining Damage: 128029]

-Crack crack crack crack crack!!

Using skills toward the eggs gathered closely together, I turned at least a hundred eggs into broken eggs at once.

At the same time, after taking a deep breath…

“I killed all your babies!!!”

I shouted outright like I was crazy and wanted to die.

So, unsurprisingly.

Monsters with expressions of having received all the heat in the world began to approach me one by one.

I wonder if it’s my imagination that some of them seemed to be sobbing.

Seeing the tremendous vibrations and dust clouds arising from far away, it seems I had drawn all the aggro possible.

-Ding.

[Using “You Are the Shield” (A) on <Lightened Wooden Shield (B)>.]

[Entity Name: Lua’s Health Stat and Regeneration Stat have been applied to <Lightened Wooden Shield (B)>.]

[Skill: If the Response Is Bad (P) has been applied to <Lightened Wooden Shield (B)>.]

I backed against the wall of the warehouse and hid my body behind the shield.

…My heart started to beat a little faster.