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Dungeon Site and the Final Clue – Part 02

“Lord Silver Face, are you all right?” Paula asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve fought in environments like this before.”

“Don’t go too far. Make sure I can still heal her.”

Wait, she’s concerned about her, not me?

“All right.”

Hikaru wondered what she truly thought of him. Jillarte was undoubtedly formidable, but he kept these thoughts to himself as he faced her.

She had already drawn her longsword, keeping a calm and steady stance.

She’s really put in the effort.

It hadn’t been long since he’d last seen her fight, yet her growth was evident. How much effort had she invested?

“Silver Face, ready your weapon.”

Hikaru’s only weapon currently was his ultra-sharp knife. He had spare ones, but none were easily accessible. This knife, able to could cut through anything, might even cut Jillarte’s longsword, so he refrained from drawing it.

“I’m fine like this,” Hikaru said.

There was a moment of silence, followed by loud boos from the Beastmen.

“Don’t you underestimate her!”

“Is that human really planning to fight bare-handed?”

“Enough!” Gerhardt roared, silencing the Beastmen.

Jillarte herself remained composed, showing no signs of agitation.

“All right, let’s begin,” Gerhardt continued, counting down. “3, 2, 1… Fight!”

Jillarte charged straight ahead. There was no hesitation in the way she moved. Despite knowing Hikaru was unarmed, she launched a serious attack. She believed she had to, if she wanted to win.

She’s aware of my proficiency in Stealth. She may not understand how it works, but she knows I can vanish. That’s why she’s going on the aggressive. She wants to defeat me while I’m still visible.

She was making the right move. Yet he also found her approach too predictable.

I’ll do this, then.

He kicked dirt at Jillarte’s face.

“What?!”

But she pressed forward, swinging her sword horizontally. Hikaru easily evaded the fierce attack by jumping back. Stepping forward, Jillarte swung her sword two, three more times, but Hikaru kept jumping backwards. Then, he kicked more dirt into her face. The moment sand entered her eyes and momentarily clouded her vision, he darted to the side.

“I got you!”

Anticipating Hikaru’s use of Stealth, Jillarte swung her sword where she expected him to appear, but Hikaru wasn’t there.

“Nice try, but I’m behind you.”

Hikaru’s hand gripped Jillarte’s neck.

“Huh?!”

Hikaru had sidestepped, then in a flash, he appeared behind Jillarte. She couldn’t tell what happened. But the Beastmen had witnessed it all: after moving to the side, Hikaru leaped high into the air, soaring above Jillarte’s head. Twisting in mid-air, he landed silently and seized Jillarte by the neck.

“That’s enough,” Gerhardt declared.

“Whoa, that was incredible! What was that?!”

“Is he faster than Beastmen?!”

“I thought he was just a dirty piece of shit for throwing all that dirt, but he’s pretty good.”

The dirty piece of shit part was uncalled for, but Hikaru acknowledged that his fighting style could be seen as dirty. This was how adventurers fought.

“Why would you fight like that?” Jillarte asked, wiping her face with a towel. She seemed to suggest this wasn’t the Silver Face she knew.

Hikaru felt guilty for getting dirt on her otherwise pretty face.

“Yeah, what the hell was that cheap shit?” Even Gerhardt shot him a sharp glare. “Using such methods won’t sit well with many.”

Several Beastmen nodded in agreement.

I see, Hikaru mused. Jillarte’s straightforward approach likely stemmed from Gerhardt’s influence.

“A win’s a win. I didn’t do it to impress anyone.”

“What?!”

“What do you think, Jillarte? Did I fight dirty? If you have a problem with it, then don’t come with me.”

“I-I want to. I wanna go with you. But I don’t think that fight showed you how I’ve gotten stronger.”

“No,” Hikaru shook his head. “I can see you’ve gotten stronger. You must’ve put in a lot of work.”

Jillarte’s face instantly lit up. “You could tell?!”

“Your swordplay is more fluid now, and you’re ready to draw your shortsword if needed. You’ve really progressed from your original style.”

“I’m so glad to hear that from you.”

Hikaru’s assessment came from reviewing her Soul Board, but Jillarte was pleased nonetheless. Gerhardt watched her with a frown.

“All right, then. Let’s get moving.”

Disregarding the stubborn Beastman king, Hikaru swiftly wrapped things up.

---

The Simian Beastman who had found the shrine swung nimbly from branch to branch, propelling himself forward like on a swing.

While this didn’t seem particularly fast, he moved much quicker than Hikaru’s group, who were trudging through the rough forest floor. There were no obstacles above to slow them down.

Hikaru had been keeping in shape, so he wasn’t out of breath, but Paula seemed to be struggling. Nevertheless, she managed to keep up.

“Silver Face,” Jillarte, concerned about Paula trailing behind, called as they advanced. “About that spar earlier…”

Despite Hikaru recognizing her skill and effort, Jillarte seemed conflicted about the unusual way he fought.

“What are your thoughts about it?” Hikaru asked.

“What?”

“My approach wasn’t typical of me, was it? What did you think?”

“Well… I thought maybe you were testing me.”

“That’s right. You said you wanted to come with me, so I wanted to see if you had the capability.”

“But I was completely outmatched.”

“Well, you did swing your sword.”

“I missed, though.”

“If it had connected, my head and body would have parted ways.”

“You surpassed my expectations. I realized you’re much stronger than I envisioned.”

“…”

Only because he had the Soul Board, he thought. Still, it was part of his arsenal. Entering the Great Labyrinth had increased his Soul Rank, allowing him to fight beyond human limits. Though he could perform superhuman feats, like effortlessly jumping over Jillarte, it put a tremendous strain on his body. He had secretly asked Paula for healing afterward.

“Your swordsmanship is too straightforward,” Hikaru said. “On a battlefield, dirty tricks or not, the one who survives wins.”

“I understand that, but I didn’t expect to hear those words from you.”

“I always think about how to survive.”

“What?”

“Surprised? Disappointed? That’s how I really feel.”

In this world, Hikaru had learned many times that no amount of planning was ever enough. His Stealth skill had always been his saving grace. He believed that choosing it first was his greatest success.

“That’s true,” Jillarte said, pursing her lips.

He knew how hard she had worked. The significant growth on her Soul Board during this short amount of time indicated a grueling training, all the while balancing her duties as deputy leader.

For this very reason, he didn’t want her to die, not even for protecting Silver Face or something.

I have confidence that I can survive somehow.

“Silver Face!” a voice called from above. “The shrine’s up ahead!”

There was a clearing that resembled an abandoned parking lot. No weeds grew, and the soft soil was marked with several footprints likely left by the Beastman soldiers who had stumbled upon this place. The refreshing scent drifting within the forest had vanished, replaced abruptly by an earthy smell.

Hikaru stopped, and Jillarte fell in beside him. Paula also caught up, breathing heavily.

“Is that it?”

In the center of the clearing stood a stone structure resembling a mausoleum rather than a shrine, just the right size to hold a single coffin. It was about three meters tall, with double doors in a dull gold hue, emitting a blue light, clearly infused with mana.

As they approached, they found that they couldn’t get closer than four meters. An invisible wall was blocking the way. Their feet bumped into it, and when they reached out, their hands pressed against its surface.

“Silver Face, step aside. Hyah!”

Jillarte delivered a side kick, but it landed with a thud, like kicking a massive rock.

“That’s not gonna work Jillarte,” said the Beastman. “I tried to strike it with my sword last time, but the tip broke. This thing won’t budge.”

“Hmm.”

“Plus, there’s an invisible wall forming a dome above. Even stones won’t pass through.”

The Beastman threw a stone, and it clunked against the air about four meters above the mausoleum, then rolled down to Hikaru’s feet.

“We circled around, but there’s no way in.”

“I see.”

The footprints traced a circular path, confirming what he just said.

Without needing to check, Hikaru already knew there was a spherical magical barrier surrounding it. He could clearly see it with his Mana Detection.

The mana used for this barrier was different from what had disrupted the spell for crossing worlds. It wasn’t neatly aligned. It was thick and dense, spread around like a dragnet. It seemed almost forcibly constructed.