episode_0018

—pop!

――Kuwaaak!

A magic that was woven as many as three times.

Only after being hit by that fireball did the big man finally fulfill his duty.

Finally, the monster on the 19th floor was defeated.

Now all that remains is the first floor. It’s only the first floor…

“Ha… .”

The condition wasn’t that good.

My heart is beating so hard that my chest hurts, and sweat pours down my entire body.

I already feel like I’m going crazy because of the dungeon’s climate, but I’m also consuming a lot of magical power, so my stamina is about to hit rock bottom.

It really shouldn’t have gotten to this point.

Two people were trying to conquer a dungeon, but it made no sense for it to be this difficult.

The problem was still that woman.

“… … .”

Claire is still still.

Now, he is just looking at me blankly, as if he had something he wanted to say to me.

Is it even fun to see me suffer?

Yes, I really understand everything, but I really want to take that famous magic… If I had fired just one shot, I wouldn’t have been this angry.

“Phew… .”

Now that things were like this, it seemed difficult to ask for her help, and I had to finish the 20th floor on my own.

I thought we wouldn’t be partners with her and help each other, but I never thought it would be like this.

‘The remaining magic power is roughly 20%… .’

The monster on the 20th floor is Scorptifi, a scorpion-type monster.

Aside from everything else, he was a very solid guy.

Even if you can’t do it, you will have to weave it 5 times to take damage.

Number 5.

At about 20%, number 1 was the maximum.

I had to use the most powerful magic blow, and if I couldn’t handle it, it was dangerous.

If that didn’t work out, I had to use the last resort…

I wanted to save it as much as possible, and the situation to use it never came up.

――Geek!

I caught my breath and headed to the 20th floor.

“… .”

And as soon as I crossed the border, a monster that looked like a huge scorpion appeared before my eyes.

Yes, surprisingly, the boss personally came to meet me.

――Kieek!

“Mr. ”

It tried to stab me with its huge tail.

I narrowly avoided the fierce charge that was about to pierce my chest by lowering my upper body.

“Wow… ”

Am I that happy?

I am truly grateful for the incredibly enthusiastic welcome.

If he moved even a little faster, it would be over. It was over.

The good news is that that’s the only way he attacks.

As long as you avoid that, there is nothing particularly dangerous.

He was also slow enough for me to avoid.

However, if you get stabbed even once, you will retire immediately because of the poison coming out of the tip.

――Wow!

I began to weave magic using both hands.

Goal number 5.

Since both hands were used, the casting speed itself was much faster than with one hand.

However, since I had to focus my attention on the guy, it took a little longer than expected.

――Kieek!

The guy’s tail flew again.

This time, because I had predicted it, I was able to avoid it more easily than before.

But the problem was not me, but someone else.

“… … .”

Tails passed by without losing any momentum.

It turned, and Claire stood at the end.

Originally there shouldn’t have been any problems.

She would have easily avoided it. I really had to…

‘That crazy bitch?’

She stayed still.

There seemed to be no particular intention to avoid it. No, I don’t think I even noticed the attack.

If she was hit by an attack, she would retire, and that meant I would also end up together.

How did we get here, but I couldn’t leave it like that.

――Whisper!

I had no choice but to disarm all the magic that was binding me and shoot magical energy at her.

–pop!

“Ugh… !”

She was hit by my magic bullet and flew slightly to the side, thanks to which the scorpion’s attack was deflected.

It can’t go on like this.

I stayed quiet until now because I didn’t want to get into a conversation, but I couldn’t stand it any longer.

I dared to shout out a word to her.

“Hey, are you crazy? Are you out of your mind?”

**

Claire was confused.

It was really strange.

I definitely felt like if I saw Cain use magic again, I would be able to resolve my doubts…

The more he used magic, the more Claire became confused.

–pop!

He used magic again.

And this time too, the magical power was so clear that it was transparent.

No matter how much I observed, I couldn’t see any cloudy magic in him.

‘Nonsense… .’

Could it be that the information she knows is wrong?

No, that can’t be true.

‘The magic power of those who touch [Taboo] is stained with the magic energy and takes on a cloudy glow.’

Surely the judge in her memory said so at Cain’s trial.

‘Now, everyone, please look at the color of magical power this sinner emits.’

When the Judge held the crystal ball, it began to absorb Cain’s magical power.

A crystal ball that is gradually being filled with his magic power. The light was so black.

The crystal ball was stained blacker than the darkness of the night sky.

And that was evidence of Cain’s corruption and a miserable reality.

“… … .”

The shock at that time was indescribable.

It was so bad that her nightmares always started with that scene.

In any case, his magic power at the time was clearly black.

But why is it that the transparency of the past has now been restored?

To be honest, at first I thought he had touched on a related taboo again.

‘But realistically it’s impossible.’

He was imprisoned for about a month after the trial.

And I heard that after that, he stayed in an old villa on the outskirts.

It was a virtual exile, and there was no way he wouldn’t have been under surveillance.

If he had really touched the taboo again, he wouldn’t be in front of her right now.

There was only one way.

I had to ask him.

Her common sense made it impossible for her to know the truth.

–pop!

“Ugh!”

The moment Claire made up her mind, she was attacked.

It was a magical bullet fired by Cain.

I wondered if he had carried out the surprise attack because he hated himself… Not at all.

A huge object passed before her eyes.

It was a monster’s tail.

He used magic to deflect the attack.

“Hey, are you crazy? Are you out of your mind?”

“… … !”

His urgent voice was heard.

Even though she abandoned him, he was still worried about her.

I didn’t know if that was Cain’s sincerity, but at least Claire felt that way.

There was a monster in front of me.

I need to deal with that guy and ask him for the truth.

That was Claire’s idea.

**

“… … .”

Did my shout reach you?

It seems that her spirit, which had been away, has finally returned home.

――Kieek!

The monster began attacking her again, but—

――Puff!!

There was no need for me to step forward this time.

Claire weaved magic at high speed, and the magic that left her hand met the guy’s tail and exploded.

-Key…

The monster was unable to come to its senses due to an explosion so powerful that it shook the room.

――Puff!!

She fired one more spell without stopping, and the scorpion that hit him squarely fell down.

The 20th floor ended in such a futile manner.

“Huh… … .”

It was a difficult journey in its own way.

Anyway, we successfully achieved our goal.

It really would be like that… I couldn’t feel any sense of accomplishment at all.

I was just devastated.

The way she looked in my memories of the past and the way she looks now was different. She has clearly grown up.

It’s really different from me.

I probably won’t grow any further from here.

I wish my skills were at least as good as my past skills, but… That also seemed like a pipe dream.

iced coffee…

A deep sense of self-destruction began to come over me.

Because it had been a long time since I had felt this feeling, the sense of helplessness I felt was completely different.

If it weren’t for that day, I would have been shining like you.

The world must have been feeling happy. I wouldn’t have been abandoned by everyone.

“Hey Cain, I want to ask you something… ”

The person who rescued me from the cycle of despair was none other than Claire.

“… … .”

It was truly ironic that seeing her brought me back to my senses.

Okay, why did I come back to this hellish place?

Wasn’t it to find the people who made me like this?

No, I couldn’t be satisfied with just that anymore.

I could see and feel everyone who had left me.

I had to stand up proudly.

I had to stand in front of them to show off my innocence.

My desire was to be resolved only when it reached that point.

“I… Cain?”

After I calmed down, my mind became calm. Then, a feeling of satisfaction naturally followed.

No matter what the process was, the intended goal of avoiding failure was achieved.

It was a result that had to be satisfactory.

“Ka… person? I have something to ask… ”

I was in a dream and was planning to leave the tower. There was no need to be in this stuffy place anymore.

But again, a problem arose.

――Wow!

A huge and translucent wall.

It started to surround me.

‘This… .’

I tried to concentrate and escape the tower, but it was impossible.

The wall that completely trapped me was blocking it.

“Cain? This… Barrier?”

Claire’s voice came from outside the wall.

As she said, this was a barrier.

A barrier appeared around me, and only I was trapped within it.

I don’t think this was specifically the content of the test.

If it was to test an unexpected situation, it had to be possible to get out of this tower.

As I was assessing the situation, someone appeared in front of me.

With a laugh so mean that I don’t want to hear it.

“Khehe… 개새끼야. Are you ready to die?”