The Great Demon

Temple.

Prayer.

[Medusa].

Tower of Trials.

Her mind raced, trying to find the connection.

Before she could find an answer, [Medusa] announced it.

“[You dare to come this far.]”

[Medusa].

Spoke human language.

A man’s voice.

Possessed by something.

An aura of dignified masculinity.

A voice filled with authority flowed from [Medusa]’s mouth, turning her around.

Americano closed her eyes.

As she prepared herself.

───.

A sense of oppression.

Her body felt heavy, crushed.

The air was heavy.

Her body was heavy.

Magical Power was heavy.

“….”

It was all an illusion.

But an undeniable illusion.

Something she couldn’t shake off pierced through Americano’s body, pressing down on her.

The tip of the sword in her hand grew heavier, sinking into the swamp.

Americano was bewildered, unsure of what was happening.

[Medusa]? spoke.

“[Open your eyes.]”

Who would open them?

Her eyes opened.

…What?!?!!

Americano tried to force her eyes shut, but Magical Power wouldn’t obey her.

Realizing that the sensation crushing her body was Magical Power, she unleashed it strongly.

Who would open them?

“[You resist.]”

[Medusa] chuckled.

“[At least you have the minimum qualifications.]”

“…?”

She began to suspect.

[Medusa]’s tone was strange.

Trying to imply something.

Qualifications?

Countless possibilities flashed through her mind.

Temple.

[Medusa].

Possession.

Like a shaman possessed by a god.

“[So, it wasn’t a coincidence that this child summoned me. Could there have ever been a more pleasant descent?]”

Suddenly, she began to speak to herself.

Repeatedly expressing admiration as if she had sensed something.

So-and-so was like this back then.

So-and-so was like that back then.

So-and-so was like this back then.

She mentioned past cases, naming someone, but Americano didn’t recognize them.

She was calling them Hero, but judging by the name format, it was likely a Native Hero.

Considering the nuance, the past cases weren’t from just a year or two ago.

“[Hero, it was you.]”

“….”

After hearing this much, she knew even if she didn’t want to.

“[Strangely enough, I knew about the appearance of a Hero overflowing with causality, but to meet you in a place like this. Isn’t this also fate? Haha.]”

Great Devil.

One of the Great Devils from the main Quest given by the nun had possessed [Medusa], revealing its consciousness.

Americano drew even more power.

She cast as many Boosts as she could on her body.

[Boost]

Her body was filled with a large amount of Magical Power…

“[Stop.]”

Thud.

Her body flinched.

From just a single word.

All the knots of Magical Power cast on her body unraveled and fell away.

“…Damn it.”

Her Boosts were undone with just a word?

They said it had the power to destroy the world, and she thought it might really be true.

Even though the power wouldn’t be complete through [Medusa], it could do this with just a word.

“[I have no intention of fighting you. How could I possibly harm a Hero as amusing as you so soon? Only the 31st floor. A Hero who can summon me to this cramped place. Rather, I want to make you mine and nurture you.]”

“….”

“[What do you say? If you swear to become mine, I will gift you immense power. I will give you more than whatever you have been given.]”

[Medusa]’s slender, large hand reached out.

“Become mine.”

“….”

Americano raised her sword.

She didn’t have any strength in her body, but she still raised it using Magical Power or whatever.

“[You resist my words in my own domain? Haha. Amusing. Amusing. But.]”

[Medusa] extended her hand to the side.

The trident that had been stuck in the swamp appeared in her hand.

When she struck the ground with the shaft of the trident,

Americano dropped her sword with a thud.

A fang of water deflected Americano’s sword and returned to the water.

“[I do not allow resistance.]”

“….”

Completely trapped.

[Medusa].

[Medusa], possessed by the Great Devil, slowly approached.

“[Don’t be resentful. This is purely because your level is insufficient.]”

Level?

“[Those who don’t even reach level 40 are unconditionally forced to obey my words. That is the law of nature and the difference between gods and humans.]”

Level 40.

“[That’s why it’s amusing. How did you obtain the causality to summon me to this place on the 31st floor?]”

Causality.

Challenger?

Americano quickly realized.

‘Ha…’

Unbelievable.

[Medusa] pulled Americano’s face closer and met her eyes.

“[Looking at you up close, you have beauty that rivals the goddess of beauty.]”

[Medusa]’s large hand was big.

She played with Americano’s small face as if caressing a small pet.

“[I like you more and more. Not only have you proven the power to summon Medusa to the 31st floor, but you even have the causality to bring me down. And your face is perfect. You are truly a coveted talent. I will allow you to become my wife.]”

“….”

Who is allowing whom?

It was so absurd.

Who would become your wife?

‘More importantly, I’m a man!’

What to do?

She couldn’t move a single finger.

Even Magical Power wouldn’t listen.

She felt as if a high-pressure force was crushing her body, making it impossible to move.

Was this how an ant felt when it was crushed under a human finger?

‘…So what?’

Whether she was an ant or whatever.

Was she just going to stand by and watch her safety be played with in someone else’s hands?

No way!

Try harder!!

Was she going to entrust her future to that bastard?! Huh?!!

Was she really going to entrust it!!!!!!!

Goosebumps ran all over her body.

Stab.

She had to stab.

She would definitely stab.

As if [Heavenly Slaughter Star] was responding to her will, Magical Power moved little by little.

But she didn’t have a sword.

She did.

She had one.

[Thrust]

“[How impudent.]”

The sword was embedded in [Medusa]’s solar plexus.

An ice sword.

Surrounded by Sword Aura, it pierced through [Medusa]’s skin and reached her heart, piercing through it.

Yet, [Medusa] continued to speak in a calm tone without any pain.

“[Well, taming resistance is also a kind of fun.]”

“…Bullshit.”

Die.

She twisted the ice sword embedded in her heart.

Blood flowed from [Medusa]’s mouth.

“[Let’s stop here for today. Thanks to you, my relationship with this child has become even stronger, which is a very happy thing for me. I look forward to the day we meet outside next time.]”

The pale [Medusa] collapsed her upper body into the swamp and sank into the water.

She disappeared.

…She was gone.

“Puhah..!!”

The pressure disappeared.

At the same time, she reflexively inhaled.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t been breathing.

Since the Great Devil had appeared.

She was breathless.

“Hah..!”

What had she even done?

Why was she sweating?

She breathed roughly and clutched her chest.

Her heart was also racing wildly.

She walked out.

She grabbed a statue.

She supported herself.

She felt like she was going to collapse.

She calmly caught her breath and calmed her chest.

It was a bit out of place to say this in this atmosphere, but,

“Is this similar to when I meet the guild master?”

It was very similar to the feeling she had back then, when she was nervous meeting someone she admired and respected, and her mood was swayed by every word they said.

‘Me respecting? Admiring? A Great Devil? No way.’

The feeling was similar, but definitely not the same.

Still, it was a headache.

Was this what a Great Devil was like?

She understood why everyone had given up.

‘I don’t have any intention of giving up, though.’

Her breathing calmed down, and she lifted her upper body.

As she stretched and loosened her body,

She noticed the statue in the temple that she had been supporting herself on.

A man sitting on a throne holding a trident.

Could that be the Great Devil from just now?

She took out the Black Sword from her Inventory.

She destroyed the statue.

She used a new Skill.

[Ice Crystal]

A Skill obtained through Nine Yin Constitution.

When used normally, a small, adorable snowflake formed at the tip of her finger.

When she put [Ice Crystal] into the water and took it out, she held an ice awl as big as her arm in her hand.

“Hmm…”

‘Good?’

While Cappuccino was impressed, Americano struck the base of the statue with the ice awl.

It shattered with a crack.

It was weak.

It broke easily.

She needed Yin Energy stats to increase its strength.

“….”

Of course, she could cover the strength by surrounding it with Magical Power instead of Yin Energy stats.

But from what she had seen using [Ice Crystal] in that way, it was inefficient.

To produce the same power as when she pierced [Medusa]’s vitals, she had to dedicate all of her Magical Power and Mana to [Ice Crystal].

Then she wouldn’t be able to use other Skills.

She had pierced [Medusa]’s skin thanks to pouring all means to increase the strength and power of [Ice Crystal], but it was unsuitable for combat.

To put it in perspective, it was slightly harder than when she created only one Phantom Sword.

She didn’t know how it would change if she invested in Yin Energy stats, but at least it wasn’t usable as a weapon right now.

Even the fact that it had worked on [Medusa] was largely due to the Sword Aura and Sword Aura that High Knight Evga had shown her.

If she hadn’t seen it, it wouldn’t have been powerful enough.

Increase [Ice Crystal] with Magical Power.

Increase Sword Aura with Mana.

Sword Aura could exert power through Mana.

It was common sense that Sword Aura was an extension of the Mana Cultivation Method in the first place.

Cappuccino asked.

‘But what are you going to do now?’

“I have to reach level 40 no matter what.”

If she challenged it below level 40, she would be killed without even being able to resist.

“But the Quest acceptance level is 30.”

‘It’ll be 30 at first.’

Then they’ll gradually raise the level and fight the Great Devil.

That was probably the synopsis.

She sat on the base of the statue and rested her chin on her hand.

[31st Floor Medusa] [Clear]

[Rank] [SSS]

[First Clear Reward] [Demon King Stone×31]

[Solo Reward] [Wish Stone×31]

[Reward] [15,500 Gold]

Shouldn’t they give more?

“Even the Great Devil intervened.”

‘They’re stingy.’

Well, the system was like that, so there was nothing she could do about it, so she passed.

Before climbing to the next floor, she chose the stats to invest in from the stat window.

<Stats>

[Level] [32]

[Strength] [40] [Health] [100]

[Sense] [60] [Spirit] [80]

[Magical Power] [30] [Mana] [20]

[Luck] [20] [Concentration] [0]

[Murderous Intent] [0] [Yin Energy] [0]

[Insight] [0] [Focus] [0]

[Unallocated Points] [113]

What should she invest in?

First of all, she had to reach 20 points.

This was essential.

<Stats>

[Level] [32]

[Strength] [40] [Health] [100]

[Sense] [60] [Spirit] [80]

[Magical Power] [30] [Mana] [20]

[Luck] [20] [Concentration] [20]

[Murderous Intent] [20] [Yin Energy] [20]

[Insight] [20] [Focus] [20]

[Unallocated Points] [13]

[Confirm Allocation?]

“….”

100 points were gone.

She raised all five of the stats she had obtained this time from 0 points to 20 points.

It was good that she had raised them, but she didn’t know if she would be able to meet the 3rd Transcendence conditions with five stats added. She could level up 68 more times, so she could get 204 more points.

‘Can I make it?’

It seemed difficult.

‘I’ll just make a Wish and remove a Geass then.’

If she thought about it, she could come up with a way.

It would have been better if it was more intuitive.

More than that,

“Head.”

She touched her temple.

She closed the stat window.

She returned Cappuccino to the Pet House and put her in her Inventory.

She shook herself off and stood up.

She dipped her body in the swamp.

She returned to the stairs.

[32nd Floor]

Americano was wary of the 32nd floor.

So she wouldn’t be ambushed like with [Medusa].

She climbed up, wary of the 32nd floor boss.

Someone was standing there.

Another humanoid.

A giant body.

A very large giant.

When Americano climbed up to the 32nd floor, information appeared above the boss monster’s head.

[Chief Ogre]

Black letters.

Chief.

When Americano climbed up, [Chief Ogre] raised his huge body.

He was holding a log in his hand, but it looked a lot like a magic staff.