Chương 113: Pass Parade

Inside the dense forest, a tall, muscular man carried an injured girl on his back while struggling to dodge Lizardmen. With only one free hand, he used his sword to block the stone blades swinging toward him. A slender girl dressed like an eastern swordswoman flashed behind one Lizardman and cut into its neck. The monster turned to ash, leaving behind a purple magic stone.

"Mikoto, do not worry about me!" the tall man shouted.

"Run toward that side. There may be another adventurer party camped there. If we reach them, we might survive."

"But leading monsters to another party's camp..." Yamato Mikoto froze.

"If we do that, then..."

"Yes, we may offend them. It may even become a deadly grudge. But it is the only option we have. We can think about what comes after once we are alive." Ouka Kashima gritted his teeth.

"Surviving comes first. Everything else comes later."

"U-understood..." Passing danger to another party went against Mikoto's heart, but their situation left no room for hesitation. The hissing of Lizardmen and the buzzing of insects rose behind them again. It felt as if they had run into a monster encirclement.

"Damn it! They caught up again." Ouka clenched his jaw so hard his gums nearly bled.

"This is my fault. If I had not accepted that commission on my own, we would not have risked the Nineteenth Floor. If that so-called safe point has no party camping there, then this time..." His breath was ragged, and his muscles were nearly exhausted. This was the most dangerous moment. One mistake could wipe them out.

"Lord Ouka, this is not the time to blame yourself. My request is part of the reason we ended up like this." Mikoto stopped and turned around, breathing hard. Her sword trembled in her hand, proving how exhausted she already was.

"Take Chigusa and run. I will stay behind." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"What nonsense are you saying?"

"Mikoto!"

"If no one stays behind, none of us will escape." The others looked past her and froze. Shadows moved between the trees. Red eyes opened in the darkness, and red figures leaped out in quick succession, landing heavily on the moss-covered ground. One. Two. Ten. Eighteen Lizardmen holding stone weapons appeared ahead. From the flanks, more than thirty Blade Wing Bugs emerged, their curled abdomens ready to fire green poisonous needles.

"You have to be kidding..." Even Ouka, the calmest among them, felt despair.

"This many at once? We cannot escape." The Lizardmen roared and charged like red cannonballs.

"Everyone, run!" Mikoto screamed and rushed forward, trying to buy time with her own life.

"Mikoto!" At the most critical moment, sharp whistling sounds cut through the air. Before anyone could react, the Lizardmen about to reach them were thrown backward and nailed to tree trunks. Another whistle. Then another. Lizardmen were struck mid-charge and sent crashing into trees. The pinned monsters roared wildly, but a moment later, bright fire swallowed them. Explosions shook the forest. Only then did Ouka's group understand what had happened. The monsters were being destroyed by ranged attacks.

"We are saved..." Ouka's legs lost strength, and he dropped to one knee. Mikoto quickly retreated and looked around, searching for the party that had saved them. In most cases, adventurers did not help strangers in the Dungeon unless they had overwhelming confidence. Helping carried risk. Especially after a Pass Parade.

"Looks like I arrived in time." A light voice came from above. The danger had vanished, but Ouka's group grew even more tense. In the Dungeon, adventurers could be more dangerous than monsters. Their actions had already created a grudge. They looked toward the voice. A boy in light armor jumped down from a tall branch, a bow in one hand and a sword in the other. Behind him appeared three adventurers in eastern haori and a man dressed like a flashy ninja. A Prum Supporter with a backpack arrived a few steps later.

"You..." Ouka stared at the boy in shock. A bow? Had he killed all those Lizardmen from a distance? Ouka remembered him. The first time was around ten days earlier, in Daedalus Plaza. Takemikazuchi Familia had gone to help at Hestia's request, but by the time they arrived, the situation had already left a deep impression on them. The second time was on the Middle Floors, when they had glimpsed him at a branching path. He had been a Lv. 1 adventurer, yet he had dared enter the Middle Floors.

Afterward, all of Orario began talking about a group of Lv. 1 lower-class adventurers defeating the Monster Rex. Many adventurers had claimed to have witnessed it. Ouka had not known whether to believe the rumor. Now he did.