Chương 23: Meeting Liliruca

Liliruca Arde ran as hard as her short legs could carry her. The terrible presence behind her radiated malice. If it caught up, she would be torn apart. Her hands trembled uncontrollably around the straps of the backpack on her shoulders. She understood adventurers far too well. When it mattered, they would sacrifice anyone without hesitation. They would exploit people weaker than themselves and wring them dry without a second thought, even if those people were supposed to be comrades.

That was why Lili always kept something hidden whenever she worked as a supporter for an adventurer party. Even if she was bullied and cheated, she would still find a way to profit. But that only worked under ordinary circumstances. In a situation where even adventurers might die, her little tricks had no use at all. Even the magic sword she had bought at great personal cost could not create a chance of survival here. Begging would not earn mercy. If anything, they would kick her viciously into the monster swarm.

If the monsters caught up, she would be thrown out as bait. Was Lili going to die this time? Lili only wanted to survive. Why, gods?

"Wait. Did any of you notice?" one adventurer shouted.

"There are no monsters in the direction we're running!"

"You're right. There are Magic Stones on the ground too. Magic Stones the Dungeon hasn't absorbed yet. Someone cleared this path. Thank the gods. Hurry up and run through it."

"We'll dump the things behind us on whoever is ahead."

"An upper-class adventurer won't care about loose Magic Stones. Once this is over, we can pick them up. Heh." They had not even escaped danger yet, but the bearded adventurer's eyes were already gleaming with greed at the sight of all those Magic Stones scattered across the ground. Lili relaxed a little when she heard him. She spared enough attention to glance at the stones underfoot. So many Magic Stones. How many monsters had died here? For the moment, at least, she probably would not be kicked out as bait.

"I hear fighting up ahead. We'll be safe as long as we reach the upper-class adventurer." A larger cavern opened in front of them, connected to several branching passages. The instant they stepped inside, every one of them froze at the scene before them. Sticky blood and green insect ichor covered the walls, floor, and passages. Half-disintegrated limbs still lay on the ground, and a War Shadow with its limbs severed struggled weakly where it had fallen.

At the center of the cavern, a single figure held the intersection by himself. He kept swinging his sword at the monsters pouring in from the branching passages, and pale sword flashes appeared one after another. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He looked only seventeen or eighteen, a few years younger than Duke, the youngest member of their party. Red and green monster fluid covered him from head to toe.

There was no refined technique in his sword swings. He was not even aiming carefully for weak points. He simply cut with brute force. The monsters swarming toward him lost their heads, were split from crown to crotch, cut in half at the waist, or pierced straight through. Limbs flew in every direction. Every monster died in a single strike. But what stunned them was not only the hellish sight of torn bodies. It was not only his ferocious strength.

It was the wild grin on his face as he slaughtered monsters while shouting lines that sounded strangely heroic. Madness burned in his eyes, and a bloodthirsty glint seemed to flicker there.

"My heart and actions are utterly unclouded. Everything I do is justice."

"There is only one reason you are dying. You made an enemy of me. Hahaha!"

"Arrogance requires backing, and I have plenty." Holding the intersection like this was perfect. Any monster that came out died. Any group that came out died. He did not even need to run around. More importantly, he could clearly feel his strength increasing little by little. That feeling of growing stronger was addictive.

"Is he insane? Or did he lose himself in the slaughter?" The adventurers shuddered as they watched him cut down monster after monster while shouting strange lines, his expression and eyes so disturbingly intense. Paired with the blood-soaked cavern, the whole scene felt like something out of a nightmare.

"Hm?" Cael noticed people had arrived, and his expression stiffened. Wait. Had someone heard all that embarrassing nonsense he just said? Had they seen the face he had been making on purpose too? Ah. Ahhh. How humiliating. After cutting down the last few Killer Ants, he licked his dry, cracked lips and slowly turned toward the newcomers.

In their eyes, the blood-drenched madman who had lost himself in killing now turned toward them with blood on his face, bloodlust in his eyes, and his tongue wetting his lips, as if he were about to cut them down along with the monsters.

"Uh..." Every adventurer took a step back, fear spreading across their faces.

"Leader..."

"D-don't panic. I'll say something." Cael's expression twitched. Did he really look that frightening right now? No. They had probably just seen him cutting monsters down and decided he was strong. That was why they were afraid. As if. They were afraid because he looked like an absolute lunatic. Then Cael noticed the small figure among the adventurers. He froze for an instant, understood what he was seeing, and slowly grinned.

Before the bearded adventurer could step forward and speak, Cael raised his sword, lowered his eyelids, and said coldly,"The supporter stays. The rest of you leave." Liliruca Arde. He had not expected to meet her here. His luck was surprisingly good. He had wanted a supporter anyway. Perfect timing.

"Eh?" Lili froze for a moment and instinctively stepped back in fear, but before she could say anything, the bearded adventurer grabbed her by the hair and kicked her forward.

"Aah!" Lili fell hard to the ground.

"Heh. Since you need a supporter, sir, she's all yours. We won't trouble you any longer." The bearded man laughed awkwardly and ran toward the passage where there were no monsters. The others glanced at the supporter lying on the ground, silently pretended not to see her, and followed him. In the Dungeon, no one would know if they were killed. They had no desire to be cut down by another adventurer for no reason.

"Tch." Seeing someone he had been hoping to meet treated so roughly stirred a flicker of anger in Cael, but he did not chase after them. That passage only happened to be free of monsters for the moment. Whether they could make it out today was another matter. Lili pushed herself up from the ground and bit her lip. Her trembling hands tugged at her hood. Had he gone mad from killing monsters? Did he want to try cutting people next? She assumed the worst of adventurers because experience had taught her to.

She had been exploited and wrung dry by them since childhood. Anyone who forced her to stay behind could not possibly have good intentions. Even so, for the sake of her own safety, and to make him lower his guard, she lifted her head and showed him an innocent, adorable smile.

"Mister Adventurer, what does Lili need to stay here for?" Her tone turned nervous and frightened as she continued.

"Lili is only an ordinary supporter. Lili cannot help you very much." The words Cael had been about to say got stuck in his throat. Looking at Lili's innocent smile, a slight curve of amusement touched his lips. So she was already acting. And she had used transformation Magic to disguise herself as a Chienthrope. Interesting.

"Your name is Lili, right? I'm Cael. You can call me Mister Cael." Cael pointed at the Magic Stones scattered across the ground.

"You're a supporter, aren't you? I killed all these monsters, but I can't carry the stones out on my own. Work as my supporter. We split the earnings sixty-forty. How does that sound?"