Chapter 110 – 16th Floor. Can’t Resist a Premium Mink Blanket

Height that exceeded mine by a head, which could by no means be called small.

Eerily glowing flame-like eyes that seemed devoid of emotion.

Fierce and savage-looking armor made of black metal covering the entire body.

A massive spear held in hand—crude in form yet seemingly crafted with care—horn-like rock protrusions that couldn’t be hidden by the helmet, and a plump tail extending down from the spine.

Blue Tongue, who had become closer to human in appearance, had abandoned her shameless nude wandering and transformed into something resembling a human tank.

“Oh… I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“Is that so? Those dwarves made such a fuss about taking it that I reluctantly wore it, but does it suit me, human?”

“It’s fucking awesome.”

I was confident that if Blue Tongue, clad in that heavy armor, just charged recklessly, I’d be flattened like I’d been hit by a truck.

Moreover, despite becoming closer to human form, Blue Tongue’s body structure was inevitably somewhat different, and the armor showed distinctions from ordinary plate armor as if custom-made for her. The smoothness of the joints revealed the armorsmith’s skill was by no means low—even I, who was nearly blind to such things, could tell.

‘I should have stayed with the dwarves too!’

Losing an equipment farming opportunity just to get home a bit faster!

There’s never been a time when I hated the heavens more.

“I’d like to spend some quality time, but before that… hmmmph—”

Blue Tongue looked past my shoulder, took a deep breath, then pulled back her spear and assumed a javelin-throwing stance.

Creeak-

As Blue Tongue’s joints flexed smoothly, her armor, unable to quite keep up, made an unpleasant metallic screeching sound like a chalkboard being scratched, with sparks flying from around her shoulders as it reached the limit of its range of motion.

But that was enough to fulfill the power needed for the throw.

Whoosh-

The initial sound of cutting through the air wasn’t very loud.

Like the sound of paper flying in a slightly cool breeze.

KWAANG—!!

But I covered my ears at the violent explosive sound that followed as it tore through the air.

The aftermath of overwhelming brute force.

I couldn’t help but stick out my tongue in admiration, even as I felt tinnitus from the sonic boom created by pure physical strength.

Kwagagagagak——

Even for Severa, it was nearly impossible to erase dozens of enemies at once with her flame beam.

The corpses that had somehow survived that hot flame and were pursuing Notorious were pulverized in one strike by the shock wave of the thrown spear.

Body parts that had been charred black flew through the air, leaving marks like graphite before disappearing into the distance.

“It’s best to clear away the nuisances.”

“…Haven’t you gotten too strong just from eating an elemental heart?”

“An elemental heart isn’t something that can be described as ‘just.’”

Clank- Clank-

Walking toward me with the sound of plate armor colliding, a familiar face.

The old knight Albert was panting heavily, sweating profusely as he carried a large backpack and another backpack much larger than his body.

“Old man. You look like you’re struggling.”

“Haah… that damned lizard monster threw away a backpack as big as my body and ran off—how could I not be struggling? That lizard doesn’t understand that carrying heavy things at this age is bad for the joints.”

“I find nothing wrong with it. It’s all because that old human is weak.”

Blue Tongue, as if making an excuse, snatched the enormous backpack Albert was carrying and pretended not to notice.

She nearly died once and now has the nerve.

By the way, though not at the level of Blue Tongue who had become a tank herself, Albert was also wearing quite high-quality armor, as if he too had received some scraps from the Dwarf Kingdom.

Indeed, clothes make the man—while until now he had looked like a thief knight that occasionally appeared in random encounters along the way, now with his gleaming silver armor, he looked like a commander leading a knight order.

Which was actually accurate, considering his past.

“Your armor looks nice.”

“Hmm, the dwarves’ craftsmanship has always been renowned. It might even be better than what I wore in my Royal Guard days.”

“What about mine?”

“Hm? Ah, there isn’t any.”

Albert, only now realizing that my gaze was directed at the armor, admitted freely that those dwarf shorties hadn’t made armor for me, the true savior!

To go through all that trouble and not even be allowed a single bite of such sweet fruit!

These fucking bastards!

Red blood boiling in my heart, sickle and hammer.

“I hereby advocate for the complete rationing of this party’s resources!”

The ultimate communism is… becoming… a red myself.

“You want armor, human? If you need it, wear this. I still find it more uncomfortable to wear such things.”

“No, that’s fine. It wouldn’t fit me anyway.”

I hurriedly stopped Blue Tongue, who was readily trying to take off her armor, much to my surprise.

Blue Tongue then gave up with a somewhat regretful look. Her undressing speed was so fast that her upper armor was already half-removed, revealing the inside.

It seems that she lived naked for so long that wearing armor still feels cumbersome.

“Aah… the great repository of knowledge is burning…”

Regardless, Severa muttered as if despairing over destroying the library with her own hands, but since it wasn’t particularly important to us, we decided to ignore her.

She’ll get over it later.

Though I personally think it might be better to just incinerate a place where such zombie apocalypse-like abominations roam.

“Is that emergency rations in your hand, human?”

Squeak?!

Blue Tongue flicked her tongue while looking at Notorious 39th, who was still in my hand and increasing the number of holes in my thumb.

Well, she was originally a lizard, so this rat probably looks like a nutritious snack to her.

“Something like that.”

Squeeeeak-!!

If you bite again, I’ll roast you. For real.

Squeak- Squeak-squeak! Squeak-squeak-squeak!

“Hmm. I see.”

Notorious 39th, standing on two feet on my palm as if it were a stage, squeaking away.

He was even putting his paw on his chest and making a fist, performing expressions like he was a great actor despite being a rat.

So what? You’re just a rat, right?

Blue Tongue, watching Notorious 39th’s pitiful and tragic show with quite some interest, seemed to understand the squeaking, occasionally nodding or giving small responses.

Perhaps because she was originally an animal-type being, or maybe due to gaining elemental power, she appeared to understand Notorious without the Animal Conversation effect.

‘Is this the difference in talent..?’

Super strong, super tough, and can even talk to animals?

Blue Tongue could make a name for herself as an animal trainer if she went to the modern world.

What could I, who’ve been eating away at life for over 20 years in that modern society, possibly do? Boil ramen with the exact right amount of water? Seduce professors by finding errors during lectures? Or seduce dormitory managers with my carpentry hobby and experience from secret construction jobs during high school to buy a computer?

This was a situation that gave me much to think about.

“The Corridor of Infinite Knowledge… a place that only appeared in legends I’ve heard really exists.”

“What? Weren’t you some high-ranking knight?”

I thought he would have come here a few times on expeditions, but apparently not.

“This is a place that even those high-and-mighty renowned mages strive to find. They’d probably offer a fortune if you told them its location.”

“Is it that significant…”

“And you’ve completely trashed such a place.”

Albert looked around with a thoroughly disgruntled expression.

Where his gaze fell, there were mountain-like piles of ashes, dominoes of shattered bookshelves spilling books and scraps of paper everywhere, and display cases that had housed things like Notorious were all completely destroyed within an area roughly the size of a school playground.

“Hmm… it’s not my fault. Wouldn’t it be the director’s fault for not properly managing this place? Look, the books are permeated with rot, making them hard to read.”

BOOOOM—!!

As if wanting to rebut my words, the corridor shook violently, but I didn’t particularly care.

What can you do besides drop a few books?

“Besides, for someone who coveted the dwarves’ armor, you seem to have gained quite a lot here too.”

“Hmm…”

Poseidon’s Returning Spear, the ultimate weapon of the infinite throwing build, a smooth spear with countless glowing unknown characters engraved on the shaft.

The Shadow Mink Cloak, a core artifact for the ambush attack build, with attractive soft fur that grants invisibility when you kill something.

The Ever-changing Staff, which allows you to use all spells available to magic staves with a single staff when combined with five magic stones obtained by disassembling magic staves.

In addition, thanks to Notorious 39th’s amazing detection ability, we were able to find minor artifacts like an infinitely refilling water bottle that had been hidden.

This was the only area where I could acknowledge this rat’s remarkable contribution.

“You’re lucky.”

“Hardly.”

I don’t intend to use all these artifacts myself. I can’t either.

Though each is a powerful item, just because an item has good performance on its own doesn’t mean it will help navigate what’s ahead.

In this dungeon, a tier 2 artifact that fits your build is a better weapon than a tier 1 artifact that has nothing to do with your current build.

“I’m giving this spear to Blue Tongue.”

Poseidon’s Returning Spear.

This spear, with its automatic retrieval function that returns to the hand when thrown, is a perfect match for Blue Tongue, who specializes in spear techniques and frequently uses throwing spears.

“And I’ll give this staff to Severa.”

The Ever-changing Staff.

As one of Asribe’s equipment set along with the dress and dunce cap Severa wears, it can increase the probability and quantity of minor spells that additionally activate, insanely boosting firepower.

“Oh. Then do you have something for me as well?”

“No.”

“That’s harsh…”

The mink cloak needs to be used as a blanket.

It’s cold in here.