CH 63

I was a little embarrassed as the conversation with Ray was cut off in a strange mood. To break the ice, I decided to talk to someone else.

“Seems like some of you got in because of a Dungeon sink. Did you get caught up in the sink like Frese?”

The target I spoke to was another person who was not a member of the subjugation party. He was a boy in his late teens, with gray hair, clad in black leather.

Was his name Ash?

“Ah, well, Ash is….”

The party leader stepped out with a puzzled face. Like I asked something I shouldn’t have asked.

Ash opened his mouth.

“No.”

It was a slow and low voice to match his gloomy atmosphere.

“I was a mercenary belonging to another subjugation party. We were attacked and the party was broken apart.”

“Then the others…?”

“…Wiped out. I barely survived because my brothers told me to hide in a cave.”

(Note: You know that Korean costume of males calling older males they are close as Hyung. Is the same here, they were really not real brothers.)

At this point, I felt awkward and embarrassed, it seems like the subject needs to be changed. I glanced at his waist left side.

“Well, seems like you are using a one-handed sword.”

“Yes, I’m terrible at it.” 

That ended the conversation and I slowed down a bit. My pendant necklace rang as I intently looked at Ash’s back.

<It’s all lies.>

I totally agree with Agnes.

If I had to pick the two strongest people besides me in here, it was the pink-hair allergic Ray and the gray-haired boy named Ash.

He is not at all a person who would hide under anyone’s protection.

Furthermore.

<You can tell by the calluses on his hands and the way he walks. He’s a double dagger assassin. Seeing what he’s hiding this fact, it looks like he has another motive to be here. He’s dangerous, so be careful.>

Agnes, who is the Vatican’s 1st Hell Instructor and also a weapon master that has mastered all weapon techniques had excellent eyesight.

I answered quietly so that only Agnes could hear me. 

“I know.”

Because I’m a transmigrator.

Ash Night. A first-class assassin belonging to the assassination guild ‘The Night Eagle’ and a direct disciple of its Guild master.

In the original work, he was also the villain who was commissioned by the Magic Republic of Ragneif and aimed to end the protagonist’s life, so I can’t help but remember.

‘He might even be responsible for the annihilation of the subjugation party. There is no better reason to keep mouths shut after an assassination than using the excuse of being wiped out in a dungeon.’

Suddenly, Ash looked back at me and I almost flinched.

<What is it? Why is he looking at you?>

R-Right, why is he?

My conscience was poked for no reason because I was throwing a wary gaze on his back for a long time.

“For a healer, the back is dangerous. It is better to walk ahead so as not to fall too far behind the group.”

“Ah yes…”

I stood side by his side because I didn’t want to have an assassin in the back of my head.

“Please speak comfortably. I think you’re older than me.” 

The kindness of a murderer is usually anxiety-inducing. Apart from that, I had no particular reason to refuse, so I accepted.

“Yes. I will, Ash.”

“Thank you, Sister.”

“….”

“Any problem?”

“Hm, no.”

Ash was a sociable assassin.

“I can’t see the gate.”

Seijin, a young wizard walking in front of him, spoke up.

He is a researcher belonging to Ragneif’s Wizard Tower, and it is said that he came to obtain materials for a research thesis. Much like a graduate student preparing a master’s thesis.

Like a scholar, he looked like an existence far from battle, and he was vigilant about his surroundings like an herbivore.

“We should go outside quickly and inform the other subjugation teams that the boss has woken up.”

“Co-Cof.”

Joachim coughed with an uncomfortable look. He seemed to be conscious that he had woken up the boss and made trouble for everyone.

Frese, who came to my side again, opened her eyes and asked me.

“Can’t the people here defeat it?”

“To subdue an S-class dungeon, you have to gather a lot of very strong people.”

“Aha, the people here are weak. Then why are you in such a dangerous place when you are weak?”

There is a cruel side to the innocence of children.

“We’re here to dig up resources.”

Seijin corrected his glasses and explained.

“Usually, resources are mined after subjugating the boss, but this dungeon is a little special.”

“What’s special about it?”

“The main resource here is the glow-in-the-dark slime, and the boss is the one who is cultivating the slime. The desire to eat emitted by the boss has the effect of promoting the production of glow-in-the-dark slimes. So, when the boss dies, the slime farming ends, so we just put the boss to sleep so we can mine resources.”

“Aha.”

As soon as he finished his role as a teacher, Seijin recalled the reality again and trembled in fear.

“The boss who woke up must be walking around the dungeon by now. If we don’t hurry to find the exit….”

He shortened his words as if conscious of Frese. 

The boss here is a ‘Predatory Anglerfish’. It’s been a while since it woke up so the hungry bastard will try to eat us.

The members of the Pure Gold Apple Guild trembled their shoulders as if they were chilling to the bones, and said one word at a time.

“The boss looks…It was really terrible. I don’t want to see it again.”

“Right. I’m afraid it’ll come out of my dream. The others who were caught by him are now…”

“Kyle, Kana. For now, let’s just think about finding an exit.”

“Yes, boss…”

[‘The Troubled Architect of the Tower of Trials’ complains that if they really understood their situation they should walk faster.]

The road that had been going in a straight line for a long time ended. Connected to the end of the cave passage was a huge hall-like cavity.

There were many natural nightlight stones, and there were also many colorful slimes that were produced.

“Wow, how much is this all?”

Almost at the same time, I stepped into the place as if I was possessed by the view.

“It’s dangerous!” 

Five black slimes popped out. As before, a part of their body spread out to form a bundle of tentacles that stretched out to attack.

Shwiiii! Shiwiiiiii!

Ray blocked the surprise attack, giving the others time to line up.

The three members of the Pure Gold Apple, the allergy cadet, and the graduate student took the lead to deal with the slimes.

“Five mutants…!”

“It’s because the boss woke up. These guys aren’t farmable prey, they’re kind of caretakers.” 

It was when Seijin, who had a long strap bag, showed off his knowledge.

“Arghhh! Sa-save me!”

Joachim, wrapped in black tentacles, screamed to the point where the cavity rang. 

Ray cut off the tentacles to save him, but problems arose. The number of mutant slimes had increased.

“Oh My God. I think the screams just now brought in the slimes.”

“Damn it! It’s a bastard who’s worse than an enemy…!”

“I’m regretful as the Captain! I should have abandoned it!”

“Joachim, you bastard! Sit still in the back and do some heals!”

As the number of slimes increased, the situation turned into a crisis. 

“Si-sister…”

“It’s okay, Frese.”

When I was about to heal people’s injuries right away while soothing a frightened child.

Shh!

In the midst of the chaos, a bunch of black tentacles rushed to me.

Swoosh!

The tentacles were cut off in front of me before I could use my hands. Ash, who had been watching from behind, came out. 

“Sister is our top priority for protection.”

“It’s all right.” 

I replied while snatching the tentacles that rushed at Ash with my hand. After tying them in a ribbon shape, I threw the slime away. 

A tint of surprise and interest flashed in Ash’s eyes as he looked at me.

“You seem to have done quite a bit of physical training.”

“Yes. When I was young, I was teased a lot for being weak.”

I can’t forget the nagging of Libra(Scales), the Critic, and the Architect.

[‘The Troubled Architect of the Tower of Trials’ said it out of love.]

‘Yes, yes, of course.’

I did not use aura and moderately countered with self-defense. Of course, I also did heals from time to time. Contrary to his aspiration to do his best by himself, Joachim was virtually useless because he was in a panic.

“Oh, thank you, Miss Islet.”

The Pure Gold Apple trio was good enough so as to not hold others’ ankles back. The number of black slimes steadily decreased thanks to Ray, the second-ranking knight graduate who was strong as a hundred men, and Ash, who was quite powerful also contributed quite a lot to it.

It was a time when there were now ten or so enemies left. Ray, who was stealing sweat from his chin, said in a tone filled with suspicion.

“Those guys…What’s wrong with them all of a sudden?”

The slimes, who had been recklessly rushing until a while ago, whether there was a difference in power, changed their stance.

They quivered and crept back to the corner. As if they were opening the way for someone. 

And that means.

“Get back!”

It was the moment I shouted at everyone. 

Thud thud…tututut…dududududu…!

The walls cracked and fell down making way for a great abyss that appeared in the center of the cavity’s ceiling, from which black and evil things stuck out their heads.

Whoo! Whoo! 

Ten of thousands of ghosts let out terrifying screams. The existence that appeared in the ensemble of Hell’s Funeral Song was…

[<System> Dungeon’s owner, 711th place in the Demon World, ‘Obsculia, the Predatory Anglerfish’, has appeared!]

Oh, the Boss came out.

[‘The Troubled Architect of the Tower of Trials’ is screaming no.]

The ghosts that only had eyes and mouths wriggled like caterpillars. A cluster of ghosts in the form of a giant anglerfish. That was the boss of this place, Obsculia.

<It’s creepy.>

Agreed.

Ghouuuuuuuuu…!

The ghostly anglerfish stretched its neck long and devoured the farmable slimes that were attached to the walls of the cave.

The slimes eaten were stored in Obsculia’s translucent black body.

Like a boa constrictor snake, it ate everything at once to slowly digest it later. When I looked closely, I saw a person inside the Obsculia.

“Lumina! Gentis!”

Seeing Captain Anne shouting, those seemed to be fellow colleagues of the Pure Gold Apples.

<They are still alive, but they won’t last long.>

Obsculia was not satisfied with gobbling up slimes.

<Not enough…>

<I’m hungry…>

<Master…feed…>

<Please…>

Then Obsculia saw us and its countless eyes flashed at once.

<Food…!>

The ghostly anglerfish rushed in like pouring rain.

“Hing!”

The boss used its overwhelming numbers to wrap around and surround us. Everyone was trapped in a black vortex.

“Protect the healers…!”

“Argh!”

“Priest Joachim!”

One of the ghosts that were spinning around us, bit Joachim and swallowed it in one gulp.

I was next. A huge black mouth was rushing towards me.