Episode 39.1

The following day.

Lecan got up late and got lost in thought in haze.

After seeing Lecan's state, Arios went out somewhere.

Lecan tried asking around the workshop area if they could repair the split <Shield of Wolkan>, but they told him that even though putting the cut shield back together is possible, the Grace won't come back.

Lecan was assaulted by an odd sense of languor.

His previous zeal in trying to explore the dungeon is no more, he doesn't feel like it now.

(It's cause I've obtained the <Comet Cutter>.)

(It could be said that I've accomplished my goal.)

His main objective for coming to this dungeon was acquiring a good sword. A great sword unobtainable anywhere else.

Furthermore, it's hard to imagine a better sword than <Comet Cutter>. You could say that his expectations have been exceeded even.

Yet he's loath to cut the expedition short here.

He was at a loss of what to do because of those conflicting thoughts.

He couldn't get his mind sorted out this day.

Knight Baiad came to visit Arios in the evening.

He handed over a letter from the town lord addressed to Arios's father. Arios didn't tell Lecan what it was about nor Lecan pried.

The following morning, he was feeling great.

He's calmed down too now.

Then during breakfast, he suddenly got fired up.

(Come to think of it.)

(Wonder how far Zoltan dived.)

(Since this dungeon gets to be called the <Sleepless Dungeon>.)

(He never got to defeat the dungeon boss.)

The answer to question of whether Zoltan wanted to conquer this dungeon would likely be yes. He was surely eager to fight the dungeon boss.

(All right.)

(I'll offer this one to Zoltan.)

(I'm gonna go see Dungeon Tsubolt boss's mug.)

(Then head back to Vouka.)

"Arios."

"Yes."

"We're diving in starting today."

"Yes."

The two were headed for the dungeon.

As they lined up in the queue at the entrance, other adventurers called out to Lecan when they saw him.

"Oh, if it ain't Bat Demon."

"Hey, Bat Demon!"

During the feast at the food court five days ago, Bruska went and asked Lecan if the Bat Demon is Lecan in reality. Lecan who wasn't thinking right due to fatigue and drink replied 'yea'. Thus that nickname spread to all the adventurers present there in no time.

"Go on ahead, Bat Demon."

"Oy! Bat Demon's passing through! Open up a path."

"We're letting a guy who came later go first?"

"The heck yer' saying. Bat Demon's our new hero who's reached floor 121."

"W-what?"

"Heard he defeated that <Skeleton Ogre Zoltan> and inherited his legacy."

"Huh? But I heard he's Zoltan's pupil."

"Some said he's his son."

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"I see. So that's the truth."

"No wait, guy must be his grandson."

"No, he's apparently neither Zoltan's son nor grandson, but they were pretty close."

Rumors are irresponsible but they sometimes can have truths mixed in them oddly enough.

Even the sentries guarding the entrance gave Lecan a special treatment.

"Adventurer Lecan. You don't need to show your permit. Enter."

Thus Lecan and Arios went in the dungeon while receiving a thankful but needless treatment.

The two went to floor 121.

None of Zoltan's remains and equipment was left by now.

Among four rooms besides the stairway room, the front right room was the room they went in and defeated the magic beast inside last time they were here, and now there is nothing inside. While the other three rooms had a magic beast in each one.

Lecan tried going in the inner passage of the furthest back room.

However, no magic beasts would spawn even after he waited for a while. He can't get in the room either.

"Figured that's how it works."

"What do you mean?"

"The <Guardian> likely won't show up until we beat all other magic beasts in all four rooms. We can't even enter its room."

"Is that so?"

Dungeons that won't allow you to proceed until you satisfy certain conditions existed in his old world too. Thus Lecan realized it right away.

"We're going back."

"Yes."

The two went in the front left room.

Lecan gripped <Wand of Harvost> in his left hand and kneaded mana. Then he rushed inside.

An <Armored> holding a greatsword is standing in the center.

"<Barrier>!"

Lecan put up an anti-physical barrier. He walked ten steps forward. Arios entered the room afterward.

"<Flame Spear>!"

He shot out an extra large <Flame Spear> from his right hand. Previously, he could not shoot magic while maintaining <Barrier> up. But he had a feeling that he could do it now by relying on <Wand of Harvost> like such.

The magic beast attempted to dodge the <Flame Spear> but it failed and the magic landed on its right shoulder, knocking it off its feet.

"<Flame Spear>! <Flame Spear>! <Flame Spear>! <Flame Spear>!"

A barrage of <Flame Spear> all landed on their target, and the magic beast died on the fourth spear. However, its body won't disappear.

"Hm? Where's the sword? The treasure chest?"

The body persisted even after they waited around for a while. The sword the magic beast had has disappeared.

Having no other choice, Lecan fetched its magic stone, but this is not a bad thing in itself. Since magic stones from magic beasts around these parts are of the same size and mana as Dungeon Ninae's Queen Spider.

Lecan found out lately that recharging an emptied mana stone with mana works great the first two-three times, but the more it's done the less that magic stone accepts mana. By the sixth recharge, it can only accept about half of its capacity. One magic stone can only be recharged to full capacity three times at most if he's right.

Thus, the smart thing to do here would be selling off a magic stone once it's been absorbed once. However Lecan is not in financial distress. Hence he's just going to throw these magic stones away once they no longer hold mana well.

(But still.)

(That wasn't scary at all.)