Hazure Skill ‘Mapping’ wo Te ni Shita Ore wa, Saikyou Party to Tomo ni Dungeon ni Idomu - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Live Continues on the 20th Floor

 

Translator: Masakibluei

Ten days may have passed since I swore to bring Erin back home . Actually, I don’t know how much time has exactly passed because we are currently in the dungeon . Perhaps, we have been stuck here in the 20th level floor for about a month .   Even if we are in such a desolate situation right now, we are still lucky to be alive . Without any serious injuries, we are stumbling to find a way to escape from this level on our feet .

I hold tight my hands a couple of times .

It’s going to be fine . I still have some energy . I can still do it .

I send a hand signal to Erin who can be seen at the front right before the 3 intersections . A monster is walking from the other road and coming to this way . The moment it walks into the trap which we had set up beforehand, I give her the signal . The girl who is standing on a dark road seems to notice my signal . Despite the low visibility, she quickly replies with a big nod .  

PACK . Large cutting sounds which are ten times louder than the sound of tree branch breaking can be heard . Apparently, the monster falls into the trap .

“------------sh”

I step out to maintain the space . I dash to the street corner and turn around immediately . It’s the Frog Beast . His feet are trapped inside the ice and he is struggling to break out .

------<<Shrinking Space>>

I shorten my distance with the Frog Beast . This is an art which Jin usually uses . The instant it sees me drawing closer, the Frog Beast jumps slightly and its body starts to tremble . This is a basic technique for the moment when you encounter a monster . The object that the monster sees for the first time will naturally be its target . By using this technique, it is determined that the monster will completely focus its attention on me .

A light pink arrow is released at a high speed .

---------<<Evasion Streamline>>

Next, I activate the evasion art which I have seen a couple of times before being thrown into this 20th floor . I use this art to avoid being pierced by the Frog Beast’s sharp tongue . As I avoid the tongue on the brink of time, saliva is dropping from the mouth . I move my body as I float and pass through the Frog Beast’s right side . When I passed through it, my sight was in line with its yellow eyes . Soon after, a ball of light is lighting the front profile of the Frog Beast in the trajectory where I was moving along before .

That is Erin’s spell, <<Light Blade>> . Anyone who is soaked by the light, will be pierced numerous times by light blades from the inside of its body . In the blink of eyes, the amphibian’s body is pierced by multiple light blades . However, the Frog Beast is still standing from the attack .

From the previous experience, I have learned that this degree of injuries won’t kill it yet . This 20th-floor monster is truly appropriate to live in an environment where humankind are unable to reach . The monster’s stamina is particularly high . It is quite difficult for Erin to put a good amount of magical power into one single attack to subdue the monster while considering the surrounding area and maintaining the far distance from the monster .

This is the turning point .

---------Absolutely . Kill it .

I pull out all of my bloodlust and charge toward the Frog Beast .

<<Bloodlust>> . This is one of the main arts of an assassin . I haven’t seen Jin using this art that much . Maybe only once or twice . I rely only on my own intuition to do this art, but I still have some confidence that I will succeed . Other than learning art by mimicking others on how to do it, art can also be learned naturally as you apply it with your whole body . In addition, with my frequent <<Stealth>> art training, I’m also quite confident in manipulating my own presence . <<Bloodlust>> is the opposite of <<Stealth>> which is also easier to learn .  

The Frog Beast’s attention which has changed to Erin who is at its front, turns back towards me because of my <<Bloodlust>> .

Yosh . It works out . I succeed in changing its target . While holding my fist inside, the Frog Beast’s launches the tongue attack .

I don’t feel any concern about it . At the moment, the Frog Beast’s movement is restricted by the trap . Henceforth, it is unable to turn its body properly .   Consequently, the tongue goes behind me and misses the target . This kind of assault can be avoided easily with <<Avoidance Streamline>> art . I evade the tongue attack one after another . I avoid all the attacks carefully and handle the whole situation in a calm manner . As I dodge the next assault, I raise my right hand to signal Erin . Soon after that, Erin discharges the second spell to finish the Frog Beast for good . The ice spear which comes from the spell goes through the Frog Beast’s head and kills it .

Note: “Yosh . Well done . Thanks . ”

I give Erin who has done well some words of appreciation .

“You welcome,” Erin replies with a small voice .

First, once the monster is caught on the trap, Erin will cast one spell to give it some injuries . Next, I will use some arts to draw its attention from Erin . Then Erin will cast the second spell as the finishing blow . It was exactly as our plan . I move my shoulder to express my satisfaction of the result .

I become used to fight with the Frog Beast .   My art skills also have improved from each fight and now I can use it easily in the same way as I move my own body .

I hand over a knife to Erin so she can cut the Frog Beast’s meat . Her stripping meat technique has also improved considerably . This is probably proof that she has got accustomed to the life on the 20th floor .

I talk to Erin who is still working with a sense of security for our present situation .

Note: “Then, let’s take a break after this?”

Erin: “Ok . If that is the case, I have to finish it quickly . “

Although her condition is not the same as before we landed on this 20th floor, Erin replied with a slight energetic tone . Comparatively, her mental condition may have been stabilized a lot .

There is a big difference from our first fight with the Frog Beast . It feels like the heavy mood had disappeared between us . The change brings up a sense of security and confidence .  After Erin finishes tidying up, we move around to find a place to rest . Since the monsters are unlikely to approach this place, we might be able to get some sleep here . I lay my tired body down, and Erin also does the same thing .

Note: “Are you okay, Erin?”

I ask her while observing her facial expression . She responds to my question as she stretches out her hands in front of her chest .

Erin: “What do you mean by ‘Are you okay’?”

Note: “That’s……well about everything . ”

Erin: “Aa……well… I can’t say that I have completely recovered…But I feel a little bit relax . It thanks to you, Note . ”

Erin turns with a wry smile . She looks a little bit shy . She seems to start to remember her emotional outbreak from that time and becomes a little bit uncomfortable . Thus, she continues to speak in a rush .

Erin: “Aa…But my feet start to hurt . Because of walking all the time . “

She laments as she takes off her shoes . The shoes which are laying on the ground are considerably ragged due to the scratches from walking every single day .

Note: “The shoes are already at the limit, huh . ”

Erin: “Yeah . It’s such a pain that there is no spare . ”

Inside of my item bag, there are only some spare items for me, Rosalia and Jin . Erin’s spare items are inside Neme’s item bag . Therefore, there is no replacement for Erin’s shoes . In regards to shoes, size really matters a lot compared to other clothing items . Thus Erin can probably use Rosalia's spare clothing in my bag . However, Rosalia’s outerwear and even stockings too are really not a good fit for Erin . Erin continues to lament as she takes off the thin and dirty socks from her feet .

Erin: “Uwaaa . It’s really getting worse . ”

Erin’s barefoot has turned red and worn out in some places . It’s because she has been using the ragged shoes .

Note: “For the time being, should I help you to clean it first? If we leave it as it is, the germs will come into the wounds . ”

Erin: “Yeah . Please . ”

With that being said, Erin lays her feet on top of my knee .