Chapter 36

The nerves facing battle buzzed with exhilaration.

Pulsating blood vessels heated the muscles, and sharpened senses honed the blade.

The field of vision cleared up vividly.

Even the tiny droplets of blood left as traces on the rock club aiming for my head were caught.

The flying club was ridiculously slow.

No. Maybe I just got faster?

I lightly bent my upper body to dodge.

A fierce gust of wind brushed past above my head.

With that, I swung my sword and slashed through the now-empty torso.

Blood gushed out with a scream, and the troll clutched its side.

A bit shallow. It didn’t seem to reach the organs.

The enraged troll swung its club wildly.

The club collided with walls, floors, and furniture, scattering brick fragments with a loud crash.

Dirty roars and violent explosions echoed through the room.

The excessively large movements and clearly linear trajectory.

Dodging wasn’t difficult.

Twisting my body, bending my waist, and sometimes kicking off the ground to evade.

Scattered brick fragments clinked against my armor and fell to the floor.

Seizing the opportunity, I swung my sword repeatedly.

Arms, shins, thighs, abdomen, lower back.

The troll’s entire body was sharply split open.

Blood spurting from the wounds touched my body, emitting a lukewarm heat.

“Grooooooar!”

The troll, swung around as if being toyed with, roared in anger.

Opening its mouth, a nauseating stench wafted out.

Disgusting.

The wound on its side had already healed, and the sword wounds scattered across its body were recovering rapidly with faint steam.

Indeed, its regenerative ability is truly impressive. A mere slash wound is nothing to it.

Still, at this level, it’s nothing.

I changed my swinging technique.

From proper swordsmanship that cleanly cuts with the blade, to a rough trajectory that twists and tears, damaging the sword.

Chunks of flesh began to tear off.

The troll, unable to bear the pain, screamed.

This is somewhat enjoyable.

The torn chunks of flesh splattered and stuck to the floor and walls.

Its regeneration was definitely slower than when it was just being slashed.

The room was now completely drenched in red. So was my body.

“Gaaaaah!”

The troll, letting out a roar, gripped its club with both hands and swung it down.

I rolled to the side to dodge.

The floor shattered with a loud explosion, and cracks spread all the way to the wall.

From afar, I sensed new presences approaching.

I need to hurry.

I leaped up, stepping on its arm, and twisted the longsword deep into the troll’s neck.

The troll, with its throat torn open, gagged and flailed its arms wildly.

I jumped and landed on the troll’s head.

Proud of your regenerative ability?

Let’s see if you can regenerate even after your head is torn off.

With one hand gripping the sword hilt and the other grabbing the back of its neck.

I pulled with all my might.

“Huuuaaaaah!”

With the sound of tearing flesh, the troll’s head was ripped off along with its spine.

A fountain of blood gushed out like hot spring water, drenching my face.

The troll, now a fountain of flesh, staggered and then fell to its knees.

So, losing your head means death.

Looking down at the twitching corpse, I roughly wiped the blood off my head.

“Is… is that person really human…?”

“…They’ve trained quite a bit.”

I heard Minea muttering in a dazed voice.

What’s wrong with me? I’m clearly a normal person.

“No time for jokes. More are coming.”

From beyond the hallway, I sensed three trolls running towards us. Nigel must have sensed it too.

Three against one… If each is at this level, it shouldn’t be a problem.

After sending Nigel and Minea into the room, I stood in the middle of the hallway, checking my weapons while waiting for the trolls to arrive.

The knight’s sword, as expected of a quality item, held up well despite the reckless movements without much twisting.

The daggers at my waist. All six are fine.

The bow on my back… Come to think of it, I haven’t had a chance to use the bow.

Hersela carried it around, so that must mean she knows how to shoot a bow, right?

…Should I give it a try?

I put away the sword and took out the bow, lightly pulling the string.

It was a strong bow, as it didn’t bend much even with a light pull.

This could easily pierce thin armor.

If I shoot a troll, it might just pass right through.

I took out a few arrows and smashed the tips against the floor.

This way, it’ll tear through flesh and stick, which should be better against trolls.

From the other end of the hallway, three trolls were stomping towards us.

I nocked the blunted arrow and pulled the string with force.

With a creaking sound, the bow bent significantly.

Focusing my consciousness on my eyes, the trolls’ figures became clear.

Their appearance wasn’t much different from the one I just killed, with only slight differences in the hair on their chins.

Only one of them had thick hair covering its head, making it quite noticeable.

I aimed by feel, pointing the bow at one troll’s head.

As I released the string, the arrow shot out like a bullet, embedding itself in the troll’s head.

Blood and brain matter scattered from the back of its head, and the troll screamed.

While the troll with the arrow in its head staggered, the other two continued charging.

The distance closed quickly.

I could probably get one more shot in.

I immediately shot another arrow, this time aiming for a leg.

One troll lost its balance and fell with a thud.

The remaining one was right in front of me.

Good. Now the trolls are divided.

All that’s left is to deal with the one in front before the others recover.

Now it’s not three against one, but one-on-one three times.

I’ve already practiced how to kill trolls.

I tossed the bow aside and drew my sword, charging at the troll in front of me.

—

“Groooar!”

This troll was holding a split log instead of a rock club.

If it’s wood, the sword won’t break when I slash it, right?

I twisted my body to dodge the log aimed at my head.

Following up, I swung the longsword at the log that had momentarily stopped on the ground.

Like chopping firewood with an axe, the log club split in two.

The troll, now weaponless, kicked out with its massive leg.

I can cut it.

I was sure.

I swung the sword with both hands.

With a slight resistance like cutting through rubber, the troll’s leg was severed.

The troll screamed, blood spurting from the severed limb, and fell forward.

I cut its neck and stomped on it.

The twitching troll went limp.

Meanwhile, the two who had pulled out the arrows charged at me simultaneously.

I rolled on the ground to dodge the swinging clubs.

The sound of the wind whooshing past lifted my spirits.

With attacks coming from both sides, it was tricky to find the right moment to counter.

First, I’ll deal with one definitively.

I kicked off the ground, leaped to the wall, and then kicked off the wall to reach the ceiling.

The trolls’ weapons, following my movement, smashed into the wall, breaking bricks and digging into the dirt, momentarily stopping.

I kicked off the ceiling and drove my sword vertically into one troll’s head, twisting it violently.

It was the one with the thick hair.

The troll, its brain turned to mush, rolled its eyes and drooled, falling to its knees.

Seeing this, the other troll swung its club at me.

Grabbing its hair, I flipped over its body and slashed its neck with the academy’s longsword.

The troll’s head, half-hanging from a severed spine, was smashed by the other troll’s club.

The knight’s sword also shattered. A bit of a shame. It served me well.

As I landed, a massive foot came right at my face.

A kick aimed at the moment of landing.

I didn’t have the time to dodge or counter properly.

So, I decided to trust Nigel’s words.

He said my strength surpasses a troll’s.

I stretched out both arms and blocked the troll’s kick head-on.

A dull impact sound echoed in my ears.

My body was pushed back several meters.

My back hit the dug-out wall.

A strong shock traveled through my arms to my shoulders.

It wasn’t pain, but impact.

…I really blocked it. Even I’m surprised by my own body.

Though, come to think of it, it’s not really my body.

The troll, not expecting a human to block its kick, stared at me with wide eyes.

I threw a dagger into its eye, popping it.

Fun.

I threw another dagger towards its groin.

A high-pitched scream erupted from the troll’s mouth.

I cut the neck of the troll, now weakly crouching and trembling.

I retrieved the two daggers stuck in its eyes, leaving the one in its groin as a gift for its journey to the afterlife.

I didn’t feel like touching the daggers soaked in blood and fluids.

“That’s not human…?”

Minea muttered weakly.

—

After wiping off the blood, we continued on.

There were supposed to be about six trolls, right?

Then there are two left now. And one ogre.

There might be more, though.

We came across another large space, so I took a quick look around.

This was probably where the three trolls lived, as there were scattered corpses of things they had eaten.

There was a smell of excrement in the corner.

Having sharp senses isn’t always… a good thing…

I hurried the two to get out quickly.

The two seemed to have already gone nose-blind, so I felt a bit unfair.

After walking for about thirty more minutes, we took a short break and chewed on the jerky Minea handed out.

Maybe because of the surrounding smell, I didn’t have much appetite and only ate a little.

Nigel and Minea, unfazed, kept chewing on the jerky.

In this filthy place, they sure eat well.

…I did all the hard work. Why are you two eating more?

After the slightly unpleasant snack, we continued exploring.

There was a side path and a room along the way, but no one was inside.

The room was filled with weathered objects of unknown use, which Minea said could be worth quite a bit.

But since everything was already contracted to the baron’s family, it was just a pie in the sky.

I urged Minea, who was looking at the room with a hint of regret, to keep moving.

Not long after, I sensed the presence of living beings again.

At the end of the hallway, two trolls were guarding a large door.

“…That’s probably the last room.”

Minea whispered.

“How do you know?”

“If you look at the path we’ve taken so far, we’ve been drawing a large square from the entrance, gradually moving toward the center.”

Minea traced a swirling square shape in the air with her finger.

“Dungeons with a square spiral structure usually have a core facility right in the center. In this case, that must be it.”

“Oh, really? It’s so convenient to have an expert around. If what you say is true, once we take care of those guys over there, we can get out of here right away.”

It was advice befitting an experienced adventurer.

The question now was how many of them were inside the room…

It was a bit hard to tell from this distance, but it seemed like there was only one. Judging by the presence, which was larger than a troll, it might be an ogre.

“Alright, let’s lure the troll over here first and take it down. Stay back. Turn off the lantern.”

“Got it.”

After sending Nigel and Minea to the back, I deliberately made some noise.

Hearing the sound echoing through the hallway, the trolls glanced at each other, growled, and soon one of them started lumbering toward me.

I hid in the shadows of the hallway, waiting for the troll to get closer.

The troll stopped in its tracks, sniffing the air as if it had caught the scent of a human.

Now’s the time.

I threw the dagger straight at the troll’s weak spot.

The thrown dagger pierced through the troll’s loincloth and lodged itself deep inside.

A pitiful scream echoed once again.

I rushed toward the fallen troll.

The troll lifted its head and glared at me with intense hatred.

I dodged its outstretched arm and slashed it off with my sword.

There was a slight *clink* as the blade twisted a bit. As expected, the academy’s mass-produced swords don’t last long.

I swung the sword at its neck.

The blade dug into the base of its neck.

I reached out, tore off its neck, and slammed its head to the ground.

The troll’s head shattered like a raw egg.

Hearing its companion’s scream, another troll came charging toward me.

Beyond it, I caught a glimpse of a massive stone door slowly opening.

I quickly glanced at my longsword. The edge was already dulling, and cracks were forming.

It looks like this thing’s going to break after I take down that troll.

I threw the remaining daggers, but the troll, having learned from the previous encounter, blocked them with its club, shielding its legs.

The daggers lodged deep into the club.

If they had just bounced off, I could have retrieved them, but like this, it’s impossible.

Guess I’ll just have to beat it down.

I rolled to dodge the club, kicked the back of its knee to make it kneel, and then brought the sword down on the back of its neck.

The sword broke halfway through its neckbone. The troll foamed at the mouth.

“Haaaaah!”

I clasped my hands together, raised them high, and brought them down on its head.

With a sound akin to an explosion, the troll’s neckbone snapped, and its half-crushed head slammed into the ground.

My hand was stinging quite a bit.

I glanced at it and saw shards of bone had pierced through my glove and embedded themselves in my palm.

I pulled out the bone fragments and looked toward the now fully opened door.

A massive monster was stepping out, gripping the doorframe.

A muscular monster with lumpy, reddish skin.

Taller than a troll, but with less fat and more muscle, making it appear slimmer.

Its head, jaw, chest, shoulders, wrists, groin, and ankles were covered in brown fur, and it wielded a massive two-handed axe.

A proper metal axe, clearly designed for a giant humanoid.

Two pairs of horns protruded from its brow, and its mouth, split wide, reached nearly to its ears.

Every time it opened its mouth, a long tongue flicked between its jagged teeth.

…It looked ten times more ferocious than a troll, but I guess there wasn’t much difference.

Its roar shook the ground.

I drew Ai-mel-ra’s sword.

The blade, shimmering with a blue glow, let out a clear ring as if welcoming its master.

The hilt fit perfectly in my grip.

This was clearly a sword of a different caliber. Surely it wouldn’t break.

I let the longsword hang loosely as I charged toward the monster.

—

The axe came down, shattering the ground.

The shattered bricks scattered in all directions, and a quake-like vibration shook the area.

I steadied myself for a moment and then charged forward.

In my mind, I recalled Nigel’s advice about ogres.

– Ogres. Weaker regeneration than trolls, but superior physical abilities. You can win.

Honestly, it was a bit too vague to be called advice. But it was still helpful.

The ogre’s movements were surprisingly quick, as if its muscles weren’t just for show.

The axe blade tore through walls, ceilings, and floors indiscriminately, raging like a storm.

I couldn’t afford to clash with that head-on. Maybe I should wear it down.

I slipped past the axe, sliding toward its legs, and swung the sword in a grazing motion.

Like cutting through water, the blade sank deep into the ogre’s calf without resistance.

Blood sprayed across the floor.

……I guess I didn’t need to worry.

The tension completely vanished.

Ai-mel-ra’s sword, which I had swung for the first time, was an unimaginably magnificent weapon.

Its sharpness, flexibility, and durability.

Compared to this sword, the knight’s sword I had been using earlier was nothing but scrap metal.

The academy’s mass-produced longsword was like a child’s toy.

I really should avoid letting others see this sword.

Even before considering Ai-mel-ra’s identity, the sword’s performance alone would attract all sorts of trouble.

…Good thing I told Minea to turn off the lantern.

With her eyesight, she wouldn’t be able to see clearly in this darkness.

“Grrrr…!”

The ogre let out a groan and swung its fist at me.

I twisted my body to the side, dodging it, and pressed the flat of the blade against its fist.

With a dull sensation, the blade cut through the bone and kept going.

The ogre’s arm was split in half up to the elbow.

The blade, now soaked in marrow and blood, gleamed coldly without a single chip.

The ogre, now with three arms, thrashed around in pain, spraying blood everywhere.

The axe, now wielded with one arm, lacked the power and accuracy it had before.

I slashed its right shoulder.

The half-severed arm spurted blood and fell off completely.

The ogre stopped its attack and howled in agony.

I cut off its left wrist.

The axe fell to the ground with a heavy metallic clang.

It lunged at me with its body, so I rolled to the side to dodge.

The ogre’s body crashed into the wall, embedding itself.

The ceiling collapsed, and bricks rained down.

I approached the ogre, which was groaning as it tried to free itself.

I ducked under its flailing arm and slashed horizontally across its belly.

The skin split open, and blood and torn intestines spilled out.

Half-digested, mushy human fragments soaked the floor.

A horrific, indescribable stench rose from the mixture of filth, digestive fluids, and corpses in its intestines.

I took a step back to avoid the flowing filth.

I twisted my body and threw the dagger with all my might.

Aimed at the forehead of the ogre, which was clutching its belly with its wristless arm.

The dagger, buried up to the hilt, pierced through its skull and stuck out the back of its head.

The ogre let out a single groan and collapsed.

Instant death.

—

After dealing with the ogre, I checked the inner part of the room.

Massive pillars with strange carvings lined the sides of the large space, and at the far end, a rock formation resembling a chair was attached to the wall.

Here and there, stone furniture, enlarged three or four times, lay half-broken and scattered. In one corner, giant-sized weapons and armor were strewn about.

The ogre’s axe must have been taken from here.

It didn’t wear armor, probably because it lacked the intelligence to do so.

All the passages leading elsewhere were collapsed, making it impossible to check.

Since this was the center of the dungeon, there were probably just some side rooms.

After finishing my search, I started retracing my steps.

On the way back, I picked up the shattered knight’s sword and returned it to where the knight’s body had been.

I avenged you, so I hope this is enough.

“Excellent work. The monsters won’t be a problem anymore.”

As I wiped off the blood with the cloth Minea handed me and walked down the hallway, Nigel suddenly spoke.

“Yeah, fighting them wasn’t a big deal. It was fun, though.”

“Yes. Your movements have improved significantly, so if you just work a bit more on your combat skills, you’ll be fine.”

—

After some more conversation, we climbed the rope ladder and returned to the lord’s castle.

Luckily, the rope hadn’t snapped.

If anything, it was lucky for them, not us.

The butler, surprised to hear that we had finished the job in less than a day, guided us to Baron Hebel.

Baron Hebel was a middle-aged man who looked like a plump pig.

The baron kept finding fault, saying he couldn’t believe our report, asking if we had smuggled anything out of the dungeon, and so on.

Even when Minea suggested a reasonable reward, he kept dodging, saying he couldn’t pay until he confirmed it, or that the price was too high.

As I was debating whether to smash his head in, Nigel exploded first.

Thanks to Nigel, who raged about insulting a knight of Randenburg, we managed to get a proper reward and leave the baron’s territory.

An advance of 2 gold, 5 gold per troll, and 10 gold for the ogre.

A total of 42 gold, which was more than enough for two or three months.

After arriving in the capital and paying Minea her fee, I still had 41 gold left.

1 gold might seem stingy, but she was happy, saying it was generous for the little she had done.

—

After six days, the special quarters’ bed welcomed me back.

I decided to worry about tomorrow’s problems tomorrow, washed up with warm water, and threw myself onto the bed.