Chapter 9
「Are we really inside the tree?」
The moment Mars entered the World Tree Dungeon, he was amazed.
The walls and floor were made of rock.
Moss-covered rocks were greener than any other color.
Glowing mushrooms sprouted in various places, creating a cave enveloped in green light.
「I've heard that this floor was created by the ancient elves. They used it for special ceremonies. It's not dangerous.」
「So beautiful-nyaa! Nemu has to draw it later-nyaa!」
「I'll make sure to remember it properly! I'm planning to write a book about our adventure.」
The faint green light occasionally flickered, creating a feeling as if watching a swarm of fireflies.
「The World Tree is structurally designed to ascend upwards. There are stairs leading further into this floor. However, neither I nor anyone else has ever gone up, so my knowledge ends here.」
No more information can be expected from Lilia.
Mars wasn't disappointed since he had already asked her in advance.
「Sion-san, are your legs okay?」
「Yes. As long as I walk or lightly run, it shouldn't be a problem.」
Using the magic of Hazuki's mana amplification, Sion forcefully increased her mana and managed to use magic to grow her legs.
In terms of combat, it would be difficult for her to excel, but she could observe.
「Junior, follow Nemu-nyaa. Don't go ahead-nyaa. And be careful around Hazuki-nyan because there might be traps-nyaa.」
「I-It should be fine, I think! Didn't 'Jet-Black-san' say there are no traps here!?」
「Nemu doesn't think you should trust him-nya? That guy has a bad personality, so there are definitely a few traps left-nyaa.」
Though they might be noticed by monsters, Hazuki and Nemu continued their usual banters.
Sion watched them and suppressed her laughter.
「That man would be satisfied as long as the master comes. In other words, he won't hesitate to eliminate us. Or he might actively come to kill us to ignite revenge.」
「I see, there's also that possibility...」
Mars realized that he had trusted 'Jet-Black' somewhere in his heart.
He had believed that he would come to confront him directly.
「I agree with Lilia-sama's opinion as well. That man seemed to be enjoying something.」
「To kill us for the sake of entertainment...!? Th-That's scary!」
「...When you say it, it doesn't really create a sense of tension, Hazuki.」
Jet-Black may appear suddenly through teleportation, so no place in this dungeon is safe.
Their tension is always at its maximum.
There are no traps, but 'Jet-Black''s presence is like a trap itself. Moreover, it can't be detected.
「The basic plan remains the same. I and Nemu-chan will lead the way.」
Despite his concerns, the tasks at hand don't change much.
Proceed with caution. That's all.
「Yo, I've been waiting.」
When they reached the second floor, they entered a large floor.
The floor had been roughly cleared, but tree roots were still visible.
In the center of such a place, 'Jet-Black' was sitting on one knee.
「So, you're coming at me all of a sudden?」
Mars drew his sword and pointed it at 'Jet-Black'.
But 'Jet-Black' didn't give off any hostile vibes.
「No, no. I can't warm up properly if you come at me right away.」
'Jet-Black' stood up, lazily cracked his neck, and laughed.
His energy was like meeting a friend he had arranged to meet.
「【Monster Creation】—This magic creates monsters that I have killed. Well, it's a cheat. I had it from the beginning.」
'Jet-Black' stretched both arms to the side, and his shadow extended, transforming into a sinister figure different from its original form.
「This is the boss that was in the ruins of the Kroto Great Temple. The most familiar name for me and you would be... Angel.」
What appeared was a female-shaped monster with four wings.
It was about twice the size of a human, with its eyes hidden behind a veil-like covering, making them unseen.
It had a slender body and clasped its hands in front of its chest as if in prayer, giving off no violent aura.
From the loose attire to the entire body being white, its giant wings resembled those of a swan.
As it casually moved its wings, feathers scattered around.
At first glance, it looked more like an otherworldly priest than a monster.
As 'Jet-Black' said, "Angel" was the most fitting metaphor.
「Is this supposed to be the warm-up...!? The silence is strangely terrifying!」
「Yeah, but this one isn't that strong. Well then, I'll be waiting on the next floor.」
Without a sound, 'Jet-Black' teleported and disappeared.
「Prepare for battle!」
Mars shouted.
Everyone immediately assumed a combat stance.
「Mars! That is clearly a magical being!」
「I know! It seems weak in close combat! I'll take the lead! The rest of you, watch and wait!」
Without wasting time, Mars started running.
No matter what kind of attack the opponent launched, Mars had a secret weapon.
In terms of offense, he had the magic of duplication, and for defense, he had obtained magic from a new [Forbidden Magic Book].
—No reaction?
Even when Mars poised his sword, the angel didn't react. It seemed it had no intention to counterattack.
「Mars! Absolutely do not make eye contact with that monster! I have an idea about its true identity!」
「What!?」
Lilia shouted and motioned for their comrades to step back.
「That is a monster known as the harbinger of the gods! Its role is to prepare the stage for the coming gods! To ensure there is no disrespect toward the gods! Its name is Medusa!」
「Ensure...!?」
「It's a Petrifying Magic Eye!」
The Magic Eye is a rare magic with absolutely no motion.
It is completely inherent in one's constitution, meaning it is based on talent, and those who possess it are extremely limited.
In terms of definition, the visualization of magical power possessed by Hazuki and Sion is also classified as a Magic Eye.
And among the Magic Eyes, those that contain 【Forbidden Magic Book】-class magic like the Petrifying Magic Eye occupy the pinnacle.
A magic that causes instant death just by making eye contact.
If there is only one weakness, it is that the target must be looked in the eye.
In short, it is almost equivalent to having no weaknesses.
To escape from the situation, it is necessary to kill before making eye contact.
「Everyone, flee to the treasury! Absolutely, do not look this way!」
Mars turned around and shouted.
He watched as everyone entered the black mist and felt slightly relieved.
「!」
In an instant, something white crossed the edge of Mars's field of vision.
In this space, the only thing that could match it was...
Mars immediately closed his eyes and swung his sword horizontally.
There was no resistance.
「Damn it, is it that fast with that appearance!?」
Thinking about it, it was obvious.
Since making eye contact is the winning move, it would naturally come to show itself.
If there is a winning move, it is normal to rely on it.
Mars, whose one sense, and especially his most relied-upon sense of sight, was taken away, sharpened his sense of touch.
『Body Strengthening』 is not only about increasing muscle strength; it also enhances the entire body's nerves.
That's why the body moves simultaneously with the brain's thoughts. There is no lag.
――It's flying. It's swirling around me.
Mars can discern its movements through the flow of wind. Its speed is likely over 300 kilometers per hour.
The width of its rotation gradually narrows, and Mars is in the center of the whirlpool.
――The reason it doesn't attack directly is probably because it feels threatened by my attack power.
In other words, besides its Magic Eye, its other attacks are weaker than his, and furthermore, it believes it will die if it is hit by his attacks.
So it's taking precautionary measures.
Actions born from the enemy's judgment can sometimes be more reliable than anything else.
――If I can land a hit, I should be able to win.
But... if I can't land any strong attacks, it's the same as doing nothing.
I need to somehow know the opponent's exact position.
Even if I judge based on the wind, its location changes immediately. Since there is already a distance, even the source of the wind is uncertain.
「I have no choice but to see it at least once...!」
With a speed surpassing that of the enemy, he visually tracks it.
And he strikes the finishing blow before his line of sight is shifted.
――Well, I do have a plan. But can it stand up against a Magic Eye?
I obtained magic that can be used only once through a 【Forbidden Magic Book】.
The problem lies in whether it will work or not.
But if I hesitate, I will gradually be killed.
Even if the attack power is low, my opponent is a monster. It is certainly much stronger than a human.
Now is the chance, as the opponent relies on the winning move.
If the opponent starts using other variations, it will become difficult for me alone.
If I can't handle it alone, I will bear the risk of losing my comrades.
Making up his mind, Mars opened his eyes.
Suddenly, his field of vision was filled with the eyes of the angel without a veil.
There was a single gigantic eyeball right there.
The area around the eye was covered in an appalling number of blood vessels, and the eyeball itself was pure white with no iris.
While the rest of the face below the eyes appeared normal, the eye area was horrifying.
「Damn it! The rest is up to luck!」
Mars exclaimed, his body freezing in shock.
However, it wasn't due to the petrifying magic eye's influence.
It was the activation of the auto magic, "Magic Nullification," which could only be used once.
As the name suggests, it could negate any magic just once.
「I won't take such a nerve-wracking gamble again!」
Mars said, feeling truly relieved, a smile forming on his face amid the battle.
His concern was whether "Magic Nullification" would be effective against the special Magic Eye.
Whether it was magic or some kind of technology, he couldn't judge without experiencing it firsthand.
Choosing between two options, one of which meant certain death, was one of the riskiest choices he had ever made.
The Magic Eye was simply magic that was automatically activated by "seeing."
As it was such magic, it inevitably activated.
Being nullified, the angel was momentarily thrown off, freezing in surprise.
Mars didn't miss that opening, and he mercilessly struck the angel's head with all his might.
Flash after flash, dozens of strikes in an instant.
「I'm glad I decided to use the 'Forbidden Magic Book'... Instant death is just cheating」
He remarked, exhaling deeply and stepping back to observe the motionless angel.
Mars maintained his distance because there was still a possibility that it wasn't over yet.
The previous bosses didn't end so easily either.
Medusa might have a second form as well.
After considering all possibilities, he checked his own injuries and condition.
This time, there were no physical injuries.
Even if there were more to come, he didn't feel any problem with moving.
「It won't move anymore, right...?」
As "Jet Black" said, it wasn't very strong.
However, in terms of danger alone, it was higher than any enemy he had faced before.
He hadn't encountered an enemy that used instant death magic until now.
The victory was only obtained because he happened to possess the 'Forbidden Magic Book' and used it, but if that angel had been the boss of the Seven Great Dungeons that he first challenged, he would have been defeated right there.
The conclusion was that he was clearly lucky.
The angel melted away, turning completely black.
He intuitively felt that it had returned to the shadow of "Jet Black."
Mars was relieved to know that there was no second form, and he sat down, sighing softly.
「I can't use 'Magic Nullification' anymore... If it keeps going like this, I'll eventually be done for.」
It was easy, but the fear of death lingered.
The thought that he could have turned into a statue if luck hadn't been on his side fills him with fear even now.
「Master!」
「Oh, Lilia. I managed to defeat it somehow. If I didn't have 'Magic Nullification,' I would have become a statue by now.」
Seeing Lilia running towards him, the tension dissipates, and laughter naturally escapes him.
When she hugs him, he feels his strength leaving him.
「Mars-nyan became a stone statue-nyaa.....Nemu doesn't want that happen-nyaa.」
Nemu lightly taps Mars' back several times, checking to see if he has been petrified.
「L-Let's take a break for now! I think you're okay, but let's do some healing too!」
「N-No need to panic. I'm fine, no injuries.」
Hazuki, who has developed a habit of thinking about healing after battles, is always in a fluster.
「Oh, you already defeated it? Not bad」
Clapping randomly, "Jet Black" comes over.
Mars no longer feels surprised.
「Hey, cut it out with the instant death.」
「Nah, you'll see it in the next one. At first, this level of the angel was just right.」
You don't get it! "Jet Black" bursts into laughter.
Mars wants any information about the next one, even just a little.
He clearly expresses that intention to "Jet Black."
「So, what's next?」
「I'm not telling. Well, look forward to it. Here's a hint: it's the boss of the Regalia Great Volcano.」
「A hint? Is that it?」
「Just knowing it's a fire boss should be enough, right?」
"Jet Black" seems to have noticed Mars' intention and remains silent.
Mars realizes that pushing further would be futile.
"Jet Black" seems to feel the same way and disappears again through teleportation.
「He's even more unpredictable than the waves...」
Sion mutters softly.
Everyone nods in agreement, completely agreeing with that statement.
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