I publish a new chapter once a month, but I thought it might be hard for both me and the readers to know when it’s updated, so from now on, I’ll update on the first Sunday of each month.
This time, there’s a lot of explanation.
As we descended into the lower levels of the dungeon, we encountered more monsters that weren’t afraid of us.
There are also Beastkin-type monsters like Ogres, but as Aria hypothesized, the deeper we go, the higher the proportion of Beastkin seems to be.
While killing these monsters, I quietly continued my contemplation on Kitty’s back.
–Battle–
“He says work harder.”
“Yes, yes.”
I continued my contemplation while keeping the monsters at bay from a distance.
I decided to fight with “Lightning” and “Ice” magic instead of the Fire attribute I lost.
Lightning magic is a combination of Water and Wind magic… but what about Ice magic…?
Aria’s “Illusion Magic” is also a combination of Light and Darkness magic. But even though I can use Light and Darkness at a high level, I can’t use Illusion Magic.
Illusion Magic involves wrapping the magic itself around the body. It’s not just wrapping it on the surface like the Earth magic [Rock Skin], but rather harboring the magic itself within the body.
I speculate that the reason I can’t use it is because I lack the Mana Control skill. Probably level 6… no, at least level 7 Mana Control skill would be required.
Aria made it possible by using [Iron Rose], a Combat Art that uses the body as magic.
Serejula’s technique, which was the basis for that, probably kept the Mana Control within level 5 by only wrapping it around the weapon for a moment.
I can’t use Body Enhancement Combat Arts like Aria. I don’t even have a skill for close-range weapons. As a lady, I’ve never held anything heavier than a severed head.
Even when I was four, it was hard to carry my brother’s burnt remains…
Well, that doesn’t matter, but in short, I can’t imitate Aria or Serejula.
Lightning magic is relatively stable, but I feel like its power has decreased slightly. It’s a slight difference that only I can feel.
In comparison, I feel like something is clearly missing from Ice magic.
From here on, it’s my own contemplation, but I believe that magic is a complex combination of various attributes. For example, with “Storm” magic, the magic of magicians who don’t have the Wind attribute, whether it’s Fire or Ice, is clearly slower than mine.
I guess if I didn’t even have the Utility Magic [Wind], it wouldn’t have activated?
That’s probably why it’s essential for magicians to learn all Utility Magic.
Therefore, magicians with many attributes are simply strong.
Therefore, my Lightning magic, which lost the Fire attribute, feels a little weaker. Still, Fire isn’t that involved in Lightning, so it’s a slight decrease.
But Ice magic is different. Generally, Ice magic is said to be an advanced form of Water magic, not a composite magic.
Still, if my contemplation is correct, Ice magic involves more other attributes more deeply than other attribute magic?
The Wind attribute gives Ice magic speed.
The Earth attribute gives Ice magic hardness.
The Fire magic… probably relates to “temperature.”
Therefore, it doesn’t freeze instantly. It doesn’t freeze the internal organs instantly, so there’s a possibility of receiving a counterattack when encountering an enemy like Aria.
If that’s the case… I have no choice but to use Ice magic while being aware of the remaining two attributes.
Something like this…?
“–[Ice Whip]–“
My Ice Whip, which was conscious of the Earth attribute, didn’t just knock down three Dire Wolves, but pierced through all three at the same time and froze them from the inside.
“It’s surprisingly useful.”
“Gaa…”
“He says do more.”
“…………”
How does Aria understand Kitty’s words?
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, or that Aria and Kitty got used to the new dungeon monsters, but the reason why the clearing speed is increasing is that the monsters that were increasing are decreasing each time we go down.
“Gaa…”
Kitty looks ahead… towards the underground, as if concerned about something.
I feel like something is wrong with not only the dungeon’s ecosystem but also “something” else.
The dungeon was about to change.
A dungeon is an ancient hermit crab that has turned into a monster by parasitizing a cave or structure as its “shell.” Over the years, it has become an existence that cannot move as a “core,” but it absorbs the lingering thoughts of creatures that have died within the dungeon, and its intelligence has reached the realm of Spirits.
Apart from that, there is also a dungeon Spirit that has absorbed the thoughts within the dungeon.
The dungeon’s will is to survive. To absorb the life force of living things and the Mana of the earth, and to grow infinitely.
The dungeon Spirit’s will is to return the dungeon’s power to the world. The Spirit, which has absorbed the wills of countless heroes, passes that power on to new heroes and guides the world to good.
The dungeon was cleared a few years ago.
In the past, it has been cleared every few decades to a few centuries, but the one who cleared it a few years ago was neither a saint nor a king who guides people, but a reckless push by weak people who were captured by desire and risked countless lives.
The dungeon thinks in order to “survive.”
Even weak creatures can clear the dungeon if there are enough of them. Right now, it is satisfied with just the rewards given by the “Spirit,” but foolish people may be captured by even more desires and threaten the dungeon’s survival.
The dungeon Spirit thinks for the sake of the “world.”
It thought that even weak people could become “heroes” if given a [Gift], and work for the world. However, those who were given blessings by the Spirit all used the blessings for their own desires and killed countless members of their own race.
The dungeon thinks. Perhaps this dungeon was too weak.
In order to obtain the Mana and life force of dead creatures for survival, it was necessary to have outside creatures enter and adjust the environment to be suitable, but it is not good for weak people to easily defeat the monsters in the deepest part.
The dungeon Spirit thinks. Perhaps it expected too much from people.
The “hero” that the Spirit seeks must have not only the strength of heart but also the ability to be a hero. At the very least, it believes that monsters that weak people can defeat in groups are not strong enough.
The dungeon decides.
The dungeon Spirit decides.
A strong monster suitable for the deepest part of the dungeon is needed…
There is no communication between the dungeon and the dungeon Spirit. Even if they know of each other’s existence, there was no point in communicating due to the difference in their thought patterns.
Two different wills made the same decision, and by those two wills, the strong monsters in the dungeon began to fight, eat each other, and aim for the deepest part while repeating evolution.
Strong monsters need a high level of intelligence to see through the enemy’s tactics and fight like “people.”
Strong monsters need claws and fangs, and the wild strength to fight like “beasts.”
Monsters will eat each other, and for a while, the area around the lowest level will be sparsely populated. But the two wills believe that this is also a necessary process.
Dozens of strong monsters were gathered to the deepest part by the dungeon’s will.
The dungeon Spirit gives “blessings” to the strong monsters by that will and evolves them into one monster.
Two thoughts became one…
But neither has a “human” heart.
The dungeon is only interested in its own survival, and even though the dungeon Spirit loves humans, it could not understand human life.
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
A huge Shadow roars in the deepest part of the dungeon.
In the dungeon within the human country… the Kingdom of Claydale, the worst monster that will become a disaster for the people is now born.
What is the existence born in the deepest part of the dungeon…?
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The 5th volume of Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyou Survival will be released on December 20th!
The 1st volume of Akuma Koujo (Demon Princess) Comic will be released on January 6th!
I think I can announce the release date of the 2nd volume of Akuma Koujo soon!
Also, “Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyou Survival” has been nominated for the “Next Coming Light Novel Award” again this year. You can vote for up to three works per person, so please vote for my work along with your favorite works.