Chapter 14
「Hydra......! W-Why is that monster in the dungeon!? They should have been extinct long ago! ――『Poison decomposition』! Stop breathing so heavily, both of you!」
Lilia, who landed on the lowest floor following Mars, shouted in a hushed voice and immediately covered the three of them with magic that purifies poison.
The monster called Hydra by Lilia walked up to the man in armor by the wall without noticing Mars and the others.
A floor the size of a dome stadium they had once entered.
A door too huge to be seen in the distance caught Mars' eye.
「Zerius......!」
Hazuki, upon seeing the faintly moving figure of Zerius, tries to run up to him, but Mars stops her with one hand.
「Lilia. Tell me what you know about Hydra. While it doesn't notice us yet.」
「B-but, Zerius is...!」
「Hazuki-chan, shut up for now. I need the information to help him. I can't help him if I am one hit out from an unknown attack. ――If I die, run away immediately.」
Mars cannot be mild-mannered either.
Hydra is different from the monsters he has encountered so far. It had the same apex air as the snake monster he encountered in 『Ganymede』
As he glanced around the floor, he saw two dead bodies lying around.
Zerius seemed to be barely alive, but as long as the monster was on his way, death was only a matter of time.
「Hydra is a monster with near-immortal resilience. ......! Beheading is pointless; it should regenerate quickly. Besides, even its exhaled breath is poisonous. ......! My magic is keeping it at bay for now, but it's only a matter of time ――you'll eventually die just by being here!」
「It's all poisonous, this dungeon boss is. ......How can I defeat it?」
The serpent in 『Ganymede』 also used poison.
But the snake monster did not spread its poison around, it only poured it into its prey.
At best, the poison dripping from its fangs dissolved the floor and walls.
In that respect, the hydra was more troublesome this time.
「Defeat it!? No, we should retreat immediately! It may look like a snake, but it's a genuine dragon! It is a monster that should have been exterminated long ago! How did this monster end up here!?」
「You grew up in a greenhouse where the only ones weaker than you were ...... and I've never seen a dragon before, but I guess they exist. ...... So, Lilia, do you know how to beat a dragon? Should I just use a regular sword?」
The only thing Mars feared in this world was a dragon he had yet to see and the wrath of Lilia.
The existence of dragons seemed like a fairy tale at first, but in a world with dungeons and monsters, it seems real.
Suppressing her impatience, Lilia desperately searched her memory. She had read about it once in a book when she was a child.
「How to beat it ...... I don't know. I only read about it in an old book too. ......――W-wait! I think I read that when they have repulsed a long time ago, the wound to the torso was the deciding factor! That there's some kind of nucleus!」
Lilia recalled and exclaimed.
It was thought to be an immortal creature, but it had a nucleus in its torso area.
When Hydra was exterminated long ago, the nucleus was uprooted and destroyed at the juvenile stage.
「The many necks regenerate ...... The only way to do that is to smash the nucleus ...... Lilia, Hazuki-chan. Can you crush all its eyes of all its necks, just for a second? A bow would help if possible. Regeneration won't make the arrows go away.」
――I only need a moment.
Mars is confident that he can manage with just that much time.
「T-then, I'll blind them with fire magic, and while I'm doing that, Lilia can shoot them in the eyes or something. ......?」
「So. Lilia, can you do it?」
「Not whether you can or cannot do it, but please command me to 'do it'. ――I can do seven in a row, twice.」
Lilia says with a determined look on her face. Mars was convinced that she was not trying to be strong.
「As expected from Lilia. Everything about her is perfect. ――Well then, I'll draw that guy to me, so as soon as you shoot the eye of the approaching Hydra, cover your ears and open your mouth. I think it's going to make a hell of a noise. If you have magic that can block the sound, use it.」
Hazuki looks as if she doesn't understand what he means.
Lilia looked as if she had guessed something and nodded quietly.
「I-I can use volume reduction magic, so I use it, right? ――So what about you Mars-sama ......?」
「It's obvious. I'm going to beat that Hydra. Well, watch it. ――I'll show you the 『Reimei』」
Pheew, with a sigh of relief, Mars turns around and shouts out to Hydra, who walks toward Zerius.
Lilia and Hazuki could not believe their eyes when they saw Mars put the sword he had pulled out back on his hip.
In fact, he wrapped the sword around the brim with the string attached to the scabbard so that it would not slip out of its scabbard.
「Over here! Come here, you fool!」
At Mars' all-out shout, two of the seven heads of the Hydra turned and stretched out their tongues.
「Heee~y! It's a new bait! This one is fresher and healthier than that white one over there!」
Waving his hand in the air, Mars makes Hydra aware of his presence.
――Zerius can still be saved. I hate that guy, but I still don't want to ignore him. I'm sure he's feeling a little remorse too.
「M-Mars-san!?」
「Pervert. Get ready. ――That thing is coming this way.」
Lilia takes seven arrows from the quiver, places them on the bow held at her side, and draws them out.
Since she is not sure if normal arrows will be able to break through the membrane of Hydra's eyes, Lilia grants them most of the magical power she can pour into them.
Normally, she just shoots, but when she is serious about fighting, Lilia's style is to use magic as well.
When Hydra's head crossed the majority of the heads, which turned toward Mars and his friends, Hydra's entire body also turned toward Mars and his friends.
Then, with a thud, the Hydra rushed forward at full speed.
The speed was unimaginable from its huge body. Mars felt as if a huge dump truck was approaching with hostile intent at full speed.
「I think I can only stop it for a moment, okay! Don't ever miss, Lilia-san! ――The Red Lotus Formation, 『Ardent Fire Invocation』!」
Pointing his staff at Hydra, Hazuki shouts out the name of the technique with a serious face.
Mars is a little embarrassed because it seems like a game. But in the serious air, he cannot say that.
「Who are you talking to, you pervert woman!? I am an elf, a natural-born master of the bow. And I am the descendant of the one who has the most courage and supremacy among them. ――Granted Archery 『Shooting Star』 Seven Strokes!」
Hazuki's wall of flame covers Hydra's entire body, stopping it in its tracks for just a few moments.
While Hydra is repairing its injured body, seven arrows from Lilia are fired simultaneously, crushing one of the eyes on each of the seven necks.
The arrows flew at an unbelievable speed, emitting white light.
There was only one wind noise when they were fired. This proves that all seven arrows flew at exactly the same time.
――Wow.......! Faster than a gun, perhaps.
「So the name 『Shooting Star』 isn't a joke. ......」
Mars is dazzled by personal technology that surpasses modern science, but he makes sure to observe the impact.
「I'm not done yet! Seven Strokes, number two! Sink into the darkness! ――Mars! I'm counting on you to do the rest!」
Arrows pierce both of Hydra's eyes.
No matter how good its restorative abilities are, it cannot eliminate a foreign object that has been lodged in its body.
Hydra, shaken by the pain and lost vision, screeches to a complete stop in the center of the floor.
Being in the middle of the room increased its presence.
「Roger that! Both of you, cover your ears!」
「Okay! 『Hearing Dulled』!」
After releasing the magic, Hazuki pushed Lilia to the ground and hugged her, blocking her ears with her whole body.
Her body unconsciously moved to protect her, knowing that she has better hearing than herself.
――This pervert woman .......
Lilia mumbled in a small voice, as her ears were hard of hearing and her face was under Hazuki's chest.
These were words she knew she would never say to Hazuki.
「Thank you very much......」
「What did you say!?」
「Nothing!」
Hiding her embarrassed face behind Hazuki's body, Lilia pressed her ears.
「――『Body Strengthening』, 『Body Strengthening』, 『Body Strengthening』, ...... 『Perception Acuteness』, 『Pain Dulling』, ...... I'm pretty sure I'm going to have muscle aches all over tomorrow.」
Mars steps toward Hydra, who has stopped.
With a bang, the floor was filled with a volume of sound that could not have been generated by a human being.
Mars shortens the distance by more than a hundred meters in an instant.
From the outside, it looks as if he is moving in an instant.
Even moving at such super speed, Mars can perceive everything.
Even the slightest movement of Hydra, the appearance of Hazuki and Lilia in the distance, how much strength is being put into his legs, how much his clothes are fluttering, and so on are all perceptible to him.
All the magic that Mars used can be called elementary.
Ordinary people are not aware of the natural act of walking.
In the same way, the inhabitants of this world do not try to master elementary magic. As soon as they learn it, they think they have mastered it completely and stop looking at it.
It is quicker to acquire weapons and armor imbued with magic to strengthen oneself and not consume magic power.
They only pay money, they don't have to make any effort, and they can clearly see how much power they have acquired.
Besides, they can obtain stable power that is not affected by their mental or physical condition.
That's why no one gives it much importance.
Although he uses 『Body Strengthening』 as a matter of course, he is far from having mastered it.
The first thing Mars did when he realized he had been reincarnated was to ponder the parameter of magical power, which he did not have in his previous life, and the benefits it brings.
Only Mars, who has modern values, knows how powerful magic is in 『Body Strengthening』, which is taken for granted.
It was not too much to spare to pour all the magic power and a huge amount of time into it, Mars thought.
If Mars' ability could be summed up in one word, it is a paranormal physical ability.
He can see why they would try to pursue flashy magic. In fact, Mars was not unmoved by it.
But the kind of physical ability that can make a top athlete look like an infant can be applied to just about anything.
Mars spent seventeen years developing magic that many people learn and abandon at the same time.
In the end, he lost the room to use other magic, but he is satisfied with it. He has no inconvenience.
As a result of his seventeen years of pursuing single magic, Mars now has a complete grasp of all the movements of his body and can manipulate every muscle fiber at will.
He can move with a minimum of muscles, making him less fatigued than an ordinary person. Even natural healing can be controlled to some extent.
His acquired kinetic vision is so enhanced that objects appear to stop moving, and his body, in which the lag between thought and the actual action is nonexistent, makes anything happen.
Whether he is caught in a trap and arrows are flying at him, or he falls into a pit, he can avoid it with his physical abilities alone.
「One more extra 『Body Strengthening』! ――I won't let you suffer. It'll only take a second. And we'll share the pain. I'm in pain too.」
Hydra does not notice Mars, who suddenly appears right beside it.
Mars sheathes the sword at his waist and swings it through Hydra's side like an iai.
Cutting was not enough. The only way to destroy the nucleus, the location of which is unknown, is to smash the whole body.
He sheathed the sword intending to use it as a blunt weapon from the start.
With a bang, the sword strikes the Hydra's torso.
As Mars' sword swung, there was a boom sound of air cracking.
The next moment――
Booooom! and an explosion sounded, shaking the entire dungeon.
It sounded as if thunder had been generated inside the dungeon.
The sound echoed outside the dungeon, and the labyrinth city trembled with fine vibrations.
Hydra exploded on impact, scattering and sticking to the walls of the floor in small pieces.
No matter how excellent its regenerative ability is, there is no way it can regenerate once its nucleus is destroyed and its entire body becomes part of the wall.
It is neither gunpowder nor magic, but a burst of sound caused by pure impact.
――That's why he's called 『Thunder』 ...... this sound was heard outside. ......」
Lilia finds out why Mars is called 『Thunder』
「It huurts...... even with 『Pain Dulling』 this is too much of an impact....... But if I go easy on it and I make a mistake, I'll be at my wit's end. ......It's hard to adjust to the simplicity of it, isn't it?」
Mars, holding a sword that had been shattered except for the hilt, threw down the sword, which was no longer useful, and worried about his right arm. Originally, swords were treated like buffers to reduce damage to the body.
The price of great power is a backlash against oneself. It was too much power for a human being.
Since he rarely used it at full throttle, he still could not adjust it properly.
Mars' entire body is enveloped in the foreboding of severe muscle pain.
He feels sluggish and heavy.
His clothes are also in tatters from the impact he has created. If he has any complaints about his strength, it is only in such a folksy way.
Lilia and Hazuki, who had been sent flying a little by the powerful blast created by Mars' blow, got up, their hair shaggy, and looked at Mars in the distance.
There was a shock in both of them that was not only physical.
――It must be too strong.
「M-My ears are ringing! Aahhh!」
Ahh-ahh, said Hazuki, checking her ears.
Having used her hands to cover Lilia, Hazuki had no protection other than magic.
Lilia ran and rushed to Mars.
She was worried that he was not in good shape.
「Master!」
「Lilia, is your ear okay?」
Lilia is relieved to see Mars, who is smiling and nonchalantly worrying about her ears, while he looks at Hazuki, who is ahhh and ahhh loudly behind her.
「Well, I still have some ringing in my ears ......, but the perverted woman has put her body on the line to help me. ......」
「Thank goodness. Did you thank her properly?」
「I-I said it,...... though it was aggravating. ......」
Lilia says, looking down and blushing a little.
Mars smiled at her face and patted Lilia's head with his safe left hand.
「Great. Thank you is important. ――That door is the treasure room of this dungeon. In other words, we've conquered this dungeon.」
「M-More importantly, are you all right!?」
Mars' right arm was swollen and red, although his clothes had been ripped off and little time had passed.
From Lilia's point of view, she was more worried about Mars' body than about the dungeon.
「Ah ...... it hurts. No bones are broken, but the muscles in my arm are fatigued to the limit. It will be fully healed in a couple of days, though. I can't use healing magic. The only thing I'm good at is that 『Body Strengthening』 thing. Full physical specialization.」
「I will heal you! 『Healing』!」
Warm air covers Mars' arms.
Mars thought as Lilia's true personality surfaced.
「Wow ...... the pain is receding.」
「Mmh.....Maybe it's because I don't have much magic left in me. ...... Sorry, I can't get too full recovery. ......!」
「No worries. I'm already prepared. And it's not my first time. I'll be fine now.」
It's enough if he can get it to move.
No matter how skilled Mars was at maneuvering his body, he could hardly move his right arm, which was in a state of the shredded muscle.
Worried about Lilia's body, Mars let the healing process stop midway.
Lilia's physical strength seemed to be nearing its limit after the previous battle.
Mars, despite the damage, still had time to spare. He did not intend to use up all of his strength from the beginning.
「Hazuki-chan, can you use 『Healing』? If you can use it, you should heal that guy. Unlike me, he might be in real trouble.」
「O-oh, that's right! Zerius!」
Hazuki ran toward Zerius, who was nodding off in the distance.
Mars walked slowly with Lilia.
――This isn't my fault, is it?
Mars' guess is that Zerius was rushed by Hydra and slammed into a wall before Mars and his party arrived.
The mold of Zerius, indented in the wall, is still there.
However, Zerius is currently in a place quite far from there, slumped and motionless.
The impact produced by Mars' blow was tremendous, and Zerius, who was in no condition to resist, was easily blown away.
「Is he alive ......? I did something bad ...... This is usually my fault. The last time I used it, I was alone, so it wasn't a problem, but it's a delicate thing to adjust it.......」
「H-he still breathing. But his injuries are too great. ...... I think I can manage his life with 『Healing』. ......」
Zerius's white armor is gaunt and unformed.
It is stained with dirt and covered in blood and mud.
His legs and hands are bent in odd directions, probably due to the metal armor, and it is painful to look at.
No matter how much I dislike him, he looks terrible.
「It can't be helped,......, let's bring him to the 【Treasure House of Dreams】 too. It's kind of stuffy and smelly on this floor.」
The environment was not so good, with poisonous liquid flying in the air because Mars had smashed Hydra into tiny pieces.
He felts like his whole body was covered in the poison.
「Both of you had better hurry and change your clothes.」
Mars told Lilia and Hazuki as they entered the treasure room.
The two bodies were left alone. I will take them out and bury them later.
Zerius' armor was in no condition to be taken off, so Mars tore it off by force and left it outside.
Zerius, without his armor, smelled very bad with sweat and urine, but there was nothing he could do.
First of all, Mars carries him into the bathroom and asks Hazuki to heal him.
Lilia continued to heal Mars. She had no intention of using her remaining magical power on Zerius.
「That's amazing! How can a broken bone heal so easily!?」
After removing his armor, Zerius' condition was still terrible.
Several ribs were broken, and the wounds were so deep that it was obvious from the outside that they had pierced his lungs.
His entire body was swollen, and there were very few places that were not bleeding.
As Hazuki began to heal, the bones moved back into position with strange movements.
「R-right, if only it was connected it, though, you see? I get hurt a lot, so I'm pretty good at healing magic. But first of all, I have to repair the internal organs. The limbs come last. It's a low priority.」
「There was no one in my village who could use the healing magic.........so I was impressed. I've broken bones three times, but it was a much more physical treatment.」
Instead of this world's superior medical technology, Mars used knowledge gained in the modern world to heal it.
Hazuki continues to heal Zerius for a while and his condition stabilizes.
Lilia, whose fatigue had begun to surface, was put to bed first by Mars, and he and Hazuki watched Zerius in the bathroom.
「I-I'm tired,...... and his life doesn't seem to be in danger for now,...... I'm a little short on magic power until the limbs,......」
「Good work. I've finished conquering the dungeon, so let's stay in the treasury for a while. I'm going to cook dinner, what would you like to eat?」
「Meat! I crave meat! Aren't you two hungry after eating all those leaves?」
Hazuki, who calls vegetable leaves, slumped to the bathroom floor, crouched down, and rubbed her tired calves with her big toes.
Hazuki is wearing a pair of cute pants with pink lace.
Although Mars chooses Lilia's underwear with eroticism in mind, there are also several regular ready-to-wear items.
Lilia did not prefer such underwear and preferred to wear the ones chosen by Mars.
――I'm incredibly excited after a battle, ...... my sex drive is so high. Even though I'm exhausted.
Staring at Hazuki's crotch, Mars hardens just one part of his tired body.
Hazuki, noticing his gaze and Mars' erection, flushed without changing her expression, but she did not close her legs.
「I-I'll say goodbye when Zerius wakes up, so w-will you have sex with me ......?」
「I-I'll think about it. ...... I'll wash Zerius, and you and Lilia can rest in bed together. I'll at least feed him when he wakes up.」
――I'm not tempted to do this when it's just the two of us, even though it's not exactly the two of us .......
He's only able to resist because Lilia is more erotic.
「You ...... are such a handsome guy, but you have a serious defect cock. ...... don't mind it!」
Mars peels off the clothes from Zerius, who is still asleep, and takes a shower.
It was then that he came to see that Zerius had a really defective cock.
This would never satisfy Lilia or Hazuki, who at least knew Mars.
――Why am I assisting this guy?
Suddenly angry at the question that arose, Mars finished washing up properly, wiped him properly, dressed properly, and left the blankets wrapped around him in the living space of the treasure room.
He would be cooking there anyway, so he would be able to see if anything unusual happened.
While Lilia and Hazuki continued to rest on the beds in the other room, Mars took out the ingredients and cooked by himself.
Although it is Mars who is the most injured, thanks to the healing process, he feels no physical movement problems. He is also able to control his sense of pain to a certain extent.
Hazuki wanted some meat, so he was going to use the best quality product he have. He will also think of vegetables to go with it. Lilia loves vegetables.
Both of them will be tired, so he wants to celebrate with their favorite food.
「Uugh......――Hazuki」
Mars heard Zelius's strained voice as he rasped.
「You left me behind, didn't you ......? And I beat you every day.」 (?)
――What is this guy talking about?
In general, do you think people like a guy who gets angry and points a knife at you ......?
Maybe if you have a good face, you'll still be popular ......?
「Smells delicious! I knew it when it comes to food, meat it's the best, meat, meat, meat!」
Hazuki wanders in from the bedroom, guided by the smell of roasting meat.
Lilia was so tired that she seemed to have fallen asleep.
「What's he calling you?」
「Huh? Zerius is awake?」
「No, he's asleep. He's calling out to Hazuki-chan in his sleep. Is it that, isn't it? Like, when you moved away from them, you realized you liked them.」
Hazuki grunts and looks worried.
「Even if he likes me more now.......Sure I would have been happy before, but now it's just a little unpleasant. ......How can he say that after beating me up every day? ......I only want to have sex with Mars-sama ......The fight you just had was super cool too.」
――you didn't see it, did you?
Mars thinks she didn't see it directly because she was slumped over Lilia.
「I'm still going to say goodbye properly. What I am most interested in is flirting with you, Mars-sama! I'm trying my best to be a good girl to you, Mars-sama! That's why I want to try that flirting mating! The kind where you suck and kiss each other!」
「Pervert ...... It's stunning sexuality.」
「Not only that, but I like Mars-sama too, you know? The slightly lonely air makes me want to be with you, ...... Maybe it's strange, though, when Lilia is there. Why is that? ――Is it because I feel complete on my own? I can do anything, right?」
Mars did not answer.
Because he couldn't speak, as if his throat was choking.
It was true.
Mars had lived two lives by staying inside alone. That was all he had ever known.
「Besides, how could I not fall in love with Mars-sama? ...... I don't know how many times you saved my life before I came here, and even so, you are always kind to me, and I always feel at ease because you always so generous.」
Although her initial interest was largely sexual, Hazuki's heart genuinely likes Mars now that she knows him as a person. She really wants to be loved by Mars like Lilia.
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