Chapter 24 – Floor 4. Dance with the Wanderer

Clang—

Swords cross, their crossguards entangling to halt each other’s path.

A momentary deadlock.

Reading the flow of power from the contacting blades, I twist my sword upward, blocking the incoming blade while simultaneously cutting.

A perfect unity of defense and attack—blocking the enemy’s strike while landing my own.

Not flashy, but efficient and safe technique.

But the opponent utilizes my trajectory, flowing in like water, pushing the blade forward. I step back and press the sword down to the ground.

Our swords restrain each other, unable to move.

What follows is a fierce hand-to-hand struggle to gain the upper hand.

“That’s enough for now.”

At Albert’s words, I stepped back and wiped my sweat, breathing heavily.

“Impressive for a beginner. Since you’ve just started wielding a sword, your proficiency is unavoidably low, but your basic athletic ability and sense are exceptional. If you had taken up the sword earlier, you might have become a renowned knight.”

“I’m pretty awesome.”

“Not enough to be arrogant, though. Novice knights who talk like you never lived long.”

I was just stating a fact, but I irritably kicked Albert’s shin for cursing me, then gulped down the clean water I’d brought from the altar area.

This was already the third day of learning swordsmanship from Albert.

Though not enough time to learn deep, refined techniques, I could at least grasp the basics and theory.

Albert taught not just how to use a sword, but methods for using all types of weapons and physical training regimens.

The volume was overwhelming, but the basic framework was all about one-handed or two-handed sword techniques with slight variations depending on the weapon, so I could forcibly keep up.

“By the way, is there a particular reason you’re learning swordplay from me? A knight’s sword is meant to face humans, so for monsters, such swordsmanship is neither necessary nor applicable.”

“I know. But I’ll need it going forward.”

I gave a simple answer to Albert, whose face showed he couldn’t understand why I was learning a sword meant for killing people.

“…Is this about the portal said to be at the end of these sewers?”

“Yeah.”

I had shared with Albert and his criminal group that beyond the Wanderer was the King of the Sewers, and that the exit didn’t lead to the vicinity of White Chamber but to a portal.

It was a way of telling them that backstabbing me or fleeing when I faced the boss would be meaningless and lead to their deaths. They seemed to understand, becoming quite gloomy but also more cooperative with me.

“Besides, I should know how to use it properly. Swinging it randomly however I grab it doesn’t look cool.”

That was the extent of my reason for learning weapon skills from Albert.

I needed it to face humanoid enemies in the area after the underground sewers, but if anyone had seen me swinging a sword before, it probably looked like I was doing some kind of spasm dance.

“Are you some neighborhood kid?”

“Shut up.”

I’ll break his skull.

Our food supplies were running low.

With about ten humans staying and foraging for food, it was natural that Floor 4’s ecosystem was being devastated.

We had already identified all the traps, and the enemies were depleted, so Floor 4 was essentially a safe zone now.

‘Of course, due to the magic of the Asymmetric Polyhedron, enemies would swarm again if we waited.’

After spending nearly a week learning swordsmanship, I could wield a sword with some competence, if not perfectly—enough to forcibly use it.

This must be what basic sword skills are like.

To my eyes, I could use a sword rather stylishly, but to the eyes of a real knight like Albert, there was still plenty to critique—my posture was unstable, I wasn’t putting enough power into my strikes, my sword wavered.

“Anyway, today’s the day.”

“It’s been a long time…”

“And tomorrow we leave the underground sewers.”

“That’s a long time…”

I sincerely hope the time spent learning wasn’t wasted.

***

RUSSSHHH—

The final corridor where water flowing down to Floor 4 rushes powerfully.

Standing in the middle, blocking the way, was a woman.

And facing her, strong men with weapons, looking menacingly at the shabby-looking woman.

An atmosphere like a bomb about to explode at the slightest movement engulfed the corridor, where only the sound of water could be heard.

Gulp—

With that small sound of swallowing, the first to move was the woman standing in a strange posture.

Wielding a massive greatsword—where such power came from in that emaciated body was a mystery—she clashed with the group of men at a speed that appeared like a flash of light.

And a man’s body being vertically split—

CLANG!

That should have happened… but a black axe blocked the greatsword that was about to perform the deed.

My arms trembled at their limit, indicating that I was barely managing to block the attack, but the fact remained that the powerful strike had been stopped.

“Eek, eek!”

“My, aren’t you impatient!”

WHACK!

The woman flew backward from the impact of a kick to her abdomen and rolled on the ground.

It was a weighty blow but not a massive attack, and above all, pain could not stop the woman.

The fallen woman, without even supporting her body with her arms, simply kept her legs on the ground and twisted her body, rising again in a grotesque manner to look at the man who had blocked her attack.

A distinctly cleaner appearance compared to the other men. Completely black hair, rare as ebony. Black eyes like raven feathers, seemingly matching his hair. A long scar across his cheek. A confident expression.

The woman judged this man to be the leader of the group.

“Uh… uh… aah…”

Additionally, she sensed it.

That familiar and intimate magic from the man’s body.

She had to have it. The source.

The woman reached out toward the man. However, as if to say that wouldn’t be allowed, a giant armored in plate, like a tank, intervened.

She grabbed the sword thrusting toward her.

“Hmm..!”

Her skin was cut and bled, but such trivial pain could accomplish nothing.

Her greatsword swung in a semicircle through the air, aiming to separate the plated giant into upper and lower halves.

CLANG!!!

A silver blade and a black axe blade crossed like scissors, intercepting the greatsword’s trajectory and sending sparks flying.

It was that man.

“D-die!”

WHACK!

A heavy impact to the back of her head. For an instant, her brain shook, her sense of balance malfunctioned, and she collapsed.

The limit of a living being.

Then came one-sided beating. The woman curled up under the violence of the men, whose blows were mixed with fear and disgust, and mechanically followed the commands input into her.

“Hahaha! Wh-what! She was nothing after all!”

“You fucking bitch! Do you know how many people died because of you!”

Venting.

The criminals, who had extracted their buried sadism under extreme stress, felt their lower bodies growing heavy with the sense of superiority of looking down at a woman who had curled up, succumbing to violence.

The thought of fighting to survive was already gone. Now it was just violation. No different from a game for pleasure.

But then—

At that moment, the men beating the woman stopped moving, somehow feeling an emptiness.

Their hands, feet, arms, legs.

It was because those parts they were using to beat the woman had separated from their bodies and were flying through the air.

AAAAAAARGH!!!

Terrible screams rang out.

***

CLANG..!

The silver longsword I was using was quite large, capable of being wielded with two hands, but it was clearly overwhelmed by the Wanderer’s greatsword. Using the center of gravity, I was barely managing to hold on.

Still, feeling my arms gradually sinking, I could tell the Strength stat was on a different level.

BANG!

“Ugh…”

Unable to withstand the powerful force, I was sent flying.

CRASH.

Rolling spectacularly on the floor, I must have bitten the inside of my mouth, as I tasted strong blood.

“Phew… She’s a monster. Aren’t you going to use that summon?”

“Not yet. We need to kill her at least once.”

As I got up and took my stance again, Albert was catching his breath beside me, pointing his sword at the Wanderer to keep her at bay.

The Wanderer seemed unable to approach easily due to Albert’s checks.

Looking around during this gap, it was truly a horrific scene.

Four criminals who had attacked the momentarily fallen Wanderer were sprawled on the floor, each missing one or two limbs, letting out pitiful cries.

The freshly severed limbs made me feel sick.

The Wanderer’s『Crescent Slash』

A pattern that damages all targets within attack range and has a certain probability of landing a gore hit, making her difficult for close-range characters to face.

There’s a delay turn, so you can defend at the right timing or escape the range, but it was apparently too much for the ordinary criminals.

The other criminals seemed to have lost morale after seeing this and were hesitating.

‘Not good.’

Albert seemed to share this thought, his expression grim, but he immediately rushed forward and swung his sword.

Still, we had significantly reduced her health.

If we continue to carefully chip away, we should be able to stably overcome Phase 1.

The Wanderer mechanically swung her greatsword upward against the approaching Albert. In response, Albert countered with a downward slash, which he could put the most power into, neutralizing each other’s attacks with an intense metallic sound.

I used that opening to drive in and bring down my axe.

SQUISH— With the sensation of blood splashing and muscle being crushed, my axe embedded itself in the Wanderer’s shoulder. As the force behind the greatsword weakened, Albert won the power struggle.

The Wanderer toppled.

But the Wanderer’s muscles and joints didn’t stop even at that moment.

SWOOSH!!!

The axe I reflexively raised felt an impact like it might break, and my body flew.

BOOM!

A searing impact on my back. My body was thrown by the Wanderer’s attack and crashed into the sewer wall.

“Cough!”

The air escaping from my lungs was painfully expelled, as if tearing my vocal cords. But I had no time to savor such pain.

Albert, his arm suddenly grabbed by the Wanderer, was being swung like a shot put and flying toward me.

I quickly lowered my posture and rushed forward.

Behind me, I heard Albert hitting the wall with a loud crash and groaning in pain, but right now, worrying about others wasn’t the priority.

‘She’s really fucking strong.’

The swordsmanship I learned from Albert was now meaningless.

From the start, against an opponent where you fly if hit, fly if blocked, and severed parts fly if cut—what good is swordsmanship?

I could understand why Albert said a knight’s swordsmanship was meant for facing humans.

So I twisted my body as I always did.

Avoiding incoming attacks with violent twists of waist and joints that felt like they might dislocate, I punched when I could punch, struck when I could strike, cut when I could cut, and stabbed when I could stab.

A combat like a puzzle.

Sharp metallic sounds continued like a chaotic ensemble from an elementary school music room.

Occasionally, one or two would join this ensemble.

“Cough..!”

“That was dangerous!”

The exchange didn’t last long. My leather armor was torn by the Wanderer’s sword strike, and I was deeply cut.

“Slime!”

WHOOSH!!

SPLASH!!!

But there’s always a way to survive. I summoned the slime into the path of the greatsword being swung diagonally to completely split my upper body.

Its sticky body adhered to the greatsword, noticeably slowing it down.

I tackled the Wanderer with my shoulder, knocking her down, and brought my axe down toward her chest.

SQUISH—

“Ah, ahh…”

Ribs and flesh were crushed.

Any hesitation about attacking a human-shaped enemy had long been suppressed by the adrenaline raging in my brain.

I was just desperate.

SQUISH— SQUISH! SQUISH!!

“Ugh, aagh… agh…”

I struck down, and down, and down.

Until the log appeared.

[You have defeated the Wanderer.]

“Huff… huff… fuck… I’m dying…”

“Are you all right?”

Albert offered his hand to me as I was looking down at the Wanderer whose chest I had butchered.

I didn’t refuse his kindness.

“I’m fine… except for the big sword wound. But it’s not over yet.”

“Ugh…”

CRACK—

With that sound, I took out the Radiant Asymmetric Polyhedron from my pocket.

The black jewel, which hadn’t emitted light except for its red lines, was now cracked and emitting an unholy light.

That unholy light was directed toward the Wanderer, who lay motionless on the floor.

CRASH-!

With a sound like breaking glass, the Asymmetric Polyhedron shattered and disappeared without a trace. But the unholy light remained.

The Wanderer’s chest, receiving the unholy light, heaved greatly.

THUMP THUMP— With each vibration that felt like a heartbeat, the Wanderer’s wounds gradually healed, and she jerked violently like someone receiving defibrillation.

SCREEEEEECH!!!

After several convulsions, tentacle-like flesh erupted from the Wanderer’s mouth.

All those with strength left were struck with amazement at the sight.

“Well, Phase 2 begins.”

[You have learned about the Bell of Doom.]