I’ve been serializing this monthly, but I thought the update timing might be unclear for both myself and the readers, so starting this time, I’d like to make the “first Sunday” of the month the update day.
This time, there’s a lot of explanation.
Upon entering the lower levels of the dungeon, the number of battles against monsters that didn’t fear us increased.
There were beast-type demi-human monsters like Ogres, but just as Aria’s hypothesis suggested, the proportion of beast-types has been increasing the deeper we go.
While killing such monsters, I quietly continued my analysis atop Kitty-chan.
—Battle—
“She’s saying, ‘Work harder.'”
“Yes, yes.”
I continued my analysis while fending off monsters from a distance.
In place of the fire attribute I lost, I decided to fight using “lightning” and “ice” magic.
Lightning magic is a composite magic of water and wind… but what about ice magic…?
Aria’s “Illusion Magic” is also a composite magic of light and darkness. However, even though I can use light and darkness at a high level, I can’t use Illusion Magic.
Illusion Magic involves cloaking oneself in the magic itself. It’s not just cloaking the surface like with the earth magic [Rock Skin]; it’s more like harboring the magic itself within one’s body.
I surmise that I can’t use it because my Mana Control skill is insufficient. Perhaps level 6… no, a Mana Control skill of at least level 7 would likely be necessary.
Aria made it possible by using it in conjunction with a Battle Art, a type of magic that uses the body, called Iron Rose.
Serejyura’s technique, which formed the basis for that, probably managed to keep the Mana Control within level 5 by imbuing it onto a weapon, and only for an instant, I suppose.
I can’t use Physical Enhancement Battle Arts like Aria. I don’t even have skills for melee weapons. As a lady, I’ve never carried anything heavier than a severed head.
Even when I was four, it was a struggle to carry my older brother’s charred remains…
Well, that doesn’t matter, but in short, it means I can’t imitate Aria or Serejyura.
Lightning magic is relatively stable, but I feel like its power has slightly decreased. It’s a subtle difference that only I can perceive, though.
Compared to that, with ice magic, I clearly feel that something is lacking.
From here on is my own analysis, but I believe magic involves various attributes intricately intertwined. For example, with “Storm” type magic, whether fire or ice, the magic of Magicians who didn’t possess the wind attribute was clearly slower than mine.
Perhaps, if they didn’t even have the Utility Magic [Wind], it wouldn’t even activate, I wonder?
That’s why it might be essential for Magicians to learn all Utility Magic.
Therefore, Magicians with many attributes are simply strong.
That’s why my lightning magic, having lost the fire attribute, feels a little weaker. Still, perhaps fire isn’t that deeply involved in lightning, as it’s only a slight decrease.
But ice magic is different. Generally, ice magic is said to be not a composite magic, but an advanced magic of water.
Even so, if my analysis is correct, could it be that ice magic has more other attributes deeply involved in it than other attribute magics?
The wind attribute gives speed to ice magic.
The earth attribute gives hardness to ice magic.
Fire magic… probably, it should be related to “temperature.”
That’s why it doesn’t freeze instantly. Because it doesn’t freeze down to the internal organs in an instant, there’s a possibility of receiving a counterattack when encountering an Aria-level enemy.
If that’s the case… I have no choice but to use ice magic while being conscious of the remaining two attributes.
Something like this, perhaps…?
“—[Ice Whip]—”
My unleashed Ice Whip, conscious of the earth attribute, didn’t just strike down the three one-horned wolves, but pierced all three simultaneously and froze them from the inside.
“It’s surprisingly useful, isn’t it?”
“Graar…”
“She’s saying, ‘Do more.'”
“……”
Why can Aria understand Kitty-chan’s words, I wonder?
After that, our clearing speed also increased, and we reached the 80th floor.
But…
“Are the monsters decreasing?”
“Yeah.”
It’s not just that I started using new tactics, nor is it just that Aria and Kitty-chan got used to the new dungeon monsters; the reason our clearing speed is increasing is that the monsters, which had been starting to increase, are decreasing each time we descend.
“Graar…”
Kitty-chan looks ahead… towards the underground, as if concerned about something.
I feel like not just the dungeon’s ecosystem, but “something” is becoming strange.
＊＊＊
The dungeon was about to change.
A dungeon is what results when an ancient hermit crab, parasitizing a cave or structure as its “shell,” becomes a monster. Having aged, it is already an existence incapable of movement, a “core,” but it absorbs the residual thoughts of creatures that died within the dungeon, and its intellect has reached the realm of a spirit.
Separate from that, a dungeon spirit that has absorbed the thoughts within the dungeon also exists.
The dungeon’s will is to survive. To absorb the life force of creatures and the magical power of the earth, and to grow infinitely.
The dungeon spirit’s will is to return the dungeon’s power to the world. The spirit, having absorbed the wills of many heroes, was to pass that power to new heroes and guide the world towards good.
The dungeon was conquered several years ago.
In the past, it has been conquered every few decades to few centuries, but the conquerors from several years ago were neither saints nor kings who guide people, but a brute-force push by weak individuals trapped by desire, staking countless lives.
The dungeon thinks in order to “survive.”
Even weak creatures, if numerous enough, can conquer the dungeon. For now, they are satisfied with just the rewards given by the “spirit,” but foolish ones might become trapped by further greed and threaten even the dungeon’s survival.
The dungeon spirit thinks for the sake of the “world.”
It believed that even weak individuals, if given a Gift (Divine Protection), would become “heroes” and work for the world. However, all those to whom the spirit granted boons used them for their own desires, killing many of their own kind.
The dungeon thinks. Perhaps this dungeon was too weak.
For survival, to obtain the magical power and life force of deceased creatures, it was necessary to have outside creatures enter, and it had adjusted to create a suitable environment, but it considers it not good for weak individuals to easily defeat the monster of the Innermost Sanctum.
The dungeon spirit thinks. Perhaps it expected too much from humans.
The “hero” that the spirit seeks must possess not only strength of heart but also the actual ability of a hero. At the very least, a monster that weak individuals can defeat in a group is considered insufficient in power.
The dungeon decides.
The dungeon spirit decides.
A strong monster, suitable for the dungeon’s Innermost Sanctum, is necessary… so they decide.
There is no communication between the dungeon and the dungeon spirit. Even though they are aware of each other’s existence, there was no significance in communicating due to the difference in their thought patterns.
Two different wills made the same decision, and due to these two wills, the strong monsters within the dungeon began to fight, devour each other, and aim for the Innermost Sanctum while repeatedly evolving.
A strong monster needs advanced intellect, like a “human,” to see through enemy tactics and fight.
A strong monster needs wild strength, like a “beast,” possessing claws and fangs to fight.
Monsters will devour each other, and the area around the lowest levels will likely be sparsely populated for a while. However, the two wills consider this a necessary process.
Dozens of strong monsters, gathered towards the Innermost Sanctum by the dungeon’s will.
The dungeon spirit, by its will, grants “boons” to the strong monsters, evolving them into a single monster.
Two thoughts that became one…
However, neither possesses a “human” heart.
The dungeon is only interested in its own survival, and the dungeon spirit, even if it loved humans, could not understand human lives.
“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”
In the Innermost Sanctum of the dungeon, a giant Shadow roars.
In a human country… within a dungeon in the Kingdom of Claydale, the worst monster, a calamity for the people, has now been born.
The being born in the Innermost Sanctum of the dungeon is…
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Otome Game Heroine’s Strongest Survival, Volume 5, releases on December 20th!
Demon Princess Comic Adaptation, Volume 1, releases on January 6th!
I think we’ll be able to announce the release date for Demon Princess Volume 2 soon as well!
Also, “Otome Game Heroine’s Strongest Survival” has been nominated for this year’s “Next Light Novel Award” again. Each person can vote for up to three works, so please consider voting for it along with your favorite works.