ch81-ch100 · 100-ch100
Chapter 100: Berserker VS Spear King
SIDE: Umemoto Atsushi (the man who became a 【Berserker】)
I robbed a goblin of its knife and sword and somehow made it to the Floor 14 campsite...
I collapse into the shadow of a tent near the 'Gate to Floor 15.'
...Entering the dungeon was a mistake.
The poison is advancing.
My left hand, blackened all the way up to my shoulder, no longer moves.
It hurts.
(What am I even doing...)
I don't know why I pushed deeper.
Or why I ran from the police...
I should have turned myself in from the start.
It hurts. It hurts.
'All you ever do is run away.'
'Can't even beat an orc?'
'Even the other scout-types at least pretend to fight.'
'Yeah, I'm out.'
I'm hearing voices.
Hasegawa's voice.
That's right.
Back when I first made it into the 10s floors, I couldn't beat an orc alone.
I did nothing but run around buying time, and Hasegawa's crew raked me over the coals for it.
It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.
'Die in agony.'
Fair enough.
Once the poison reaches my heart, reaches my head... I might die.
If it means escaping this agony, maybe dying like this would be...
'Running away? Hey, you're drawing the enemies off just fine, aren't you?'
'Right! Last time you pulled three of the big ones off us...'
'You always save us, you know.'
'But you don't have to push yourself to the point of injury, okay? Come on, let me see it.'
Everyone...
Do they know yet that I've killed people?
I must be nothing but a burden to them...
I don't want to die.
'Pull the attendant Forest Ogres? That's reckless.'
'...But if it's Umemoto-san...'
'There's no stopping you, is there?'
'Right. As long as you don't die, I'll patch you up.'
What's going to happen to everyone?
There won't be... any punishment, right?
It was me, alone, who did it.
But everyone knows they were in a party with me...
If they'd just transfer to some regional branch...
I don't want to die. I don't want to die.
'You know you'd be dead without Umemoto-san?'
'Don't worry about us. Go open a clinic on Floor 1 or something.'
'Yeah, and we'll take a Triple promotion request ourselves and get rich.'
'I'll have my answer by our next attempt. So please—once more.'
...Sorry.
I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die.
"He's fine, he's alive."
"If YOU'RE the one calling him alive, there's a real chance he's dead."
"That's going too far, even for you."
"Hey, he's got no armor on. An otherworlder?"
"Now, now. Let's try talking to him first. He might just be dead to the world like that last one."
It hurts. I don't want to die. It hurts. I don't want to die. It hurts. I don't want to die. I have... to...
Run... away...
"Heeeey. You alive in there? Sleeping alone's dangerous, you know—"
"He's up. So he really is ali... LOOK OUT!"
"Senpai!"
"Leader!"
"What are you doing all of a sudden? Th-this one is not normal."
The pain and the suffering are gone.
I ran away again...
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SIDE: Watanabe Kasumi (Haruki's Girlfriend)
"Then, please look after these people."
By the time we found the third party, it was already past five.
The sun is about to set, and this party has no scout-type.
They've never traveled the dungeon at night, either.
Today was to be their first camp at the campsite, with the return trip planned for tomorrow...
So I've asked the SDF members to stay on as their escort.
The SDF's scout-types are extremely skilled—they found all three parties along the way.
Judging by their movements, they're Triple-Rank equivalent.
Being able to take scout-type as a specialty is the SDF's strength, it seems.
There are five Triple-Rank-equivalent SDF members stationed in Chiba.
Three of them came down to Floor 13 with me, but here we part ways.
The other two parties should be at the Floor 14 campsite once the sun sets, so there's no need to search for them.
Besides, those two parties have excellent scouts.
I persuaded the SDF members that their trip back would be no trouble, and left them with the party as escort.
So far, so good.
Just one more floor to go.
Let's hurry.
(【Status】.)
Name: Watanabe Kasumi
Job: 【Spear King】new【Naginata User】【Long Spearman】
Lv: 32
HP: 896→1984
MP: 480→640
Strength: 60→150
Endurance: 73→128
Agility: 60→105
Magic: 48→64
Honestly, my first thought was: it goes up THIS much?
I'd assumed a spear job would mean attack-specialized stats, but these numbers are higher across the board than even 【Sword Master】, said to be the ideal close-combat job.
At this level, I wouldn't be outdone even in a match with Haruki-san.
In my lower-rank days I was no match for him, and I'd been quietly sad thinking we couldn't spar for a while... But I suspect I would win now.
(Fufufu.)
The battle with the Ogre King leveled me up to 32.
I had 2 skill points, but I took 【Weapon Enhancement・Spear・High】, so I have 0 at the moment.
Even 【Spear King】 didn't come with an 'Extreme.'
Apparently, only the highest jobs bearing 'Saint' can learn 'Extreme' skills.
(I can hear voices. Good—they sound unharmed.)
I entered Floor 14, scattering orcs along the way, and made for the 'Gate to Floor 15' by the shortest route.
I'd just come within sight of it when...
"Leader!"
Someone just got blown away...
(It couldn't be?)
Rushing over, I find a man and a woman lying fallen, and three more of their party.
And one man facing them.
And that face.
The face from the wanted poster.
"Umemoto Atsushi, I presume? That's far enough!"
I cut in between them, leveling my spear at Umemoto.
(He looks different from the photo... A tattoo?)
Roughly half his face is covered in a black pattern.
If he has a marking like that, someone should have told me in advance.
Umemoto sways as he picks up his sword.
(Something is wrong with him? Don't tell me...)
Is he running that skill?
If so, this is bad.
"Senpai. Senpai, wake up, please."
"Gh. The leader's in worse shape. Took a kick that caved in his shield..."
"What on earth is the matter with you people?"
Only one party here? In any case, I can't let him get away...
"I am Watanabe, of the Association staff. That man is a dangerous fugitive. You all need to leave this place at on—"
Here it comes.
A downward slash from Umemoto.
But I was on guard, so no problem.
(What a heavy blow!)
A one-handed slash, with unbelievable force behind it.
So this is a 【Berserker】's strike...
I'd been told beforehand that this Umemoto might be a 【Berserker】.
And about that skill, 【Frenzy】, as well...
"Run, now!"
Even as I turn aside Umemoto's attacks, I call out to the party.
"We can't—senpai won't wake up."
"I can't move either, over here."
"Give him first aid!"
Gh.
The other party should be arriving about now.
Then I'll have to pull Umemoto away.
"Umemoto. Your opponent is me. Come."
Trading blows, I draw him away little by little.
As if aware of it, every now and then he seems to glance toward the other party?
Is he not using his skill?
Rational movements...
But his eyes are completely bloodshot—there's no sanity in them.
(His slash work is beautiful, too...)
For a one-handed slash, there's strange power riding in it.
But one-handed, still.
Is his left hand injured?
It dangles limply, as if he can't move it himself.
(In that case...)
I meant to stall for time, but if there's a path to victory, I'll bet on it.
Calmly, I wait for his downward swing.
(...Now. 【Deflection】.)
I use the skill to deflect his sword, brought down from above.
His sword bites into the ground.
My counter goes for the right shoulder.
I don't use 【Counter】.
Because against a human, it's far too powerful.
Even so, my spear drives deep into Umemoto's right shoulder.
(Now both his arms are out of commission. My win—)
Pain in my abdomen...
His left... hand...?
The moment I pulled my spear out, he feigned collapsing to close the distance.
And it seems he stabbed me in the right side with it.
(He chose his attack in THAT situation? No—was he aiming for it from the start?)
I leap back to open the distance.
A knife slides out of my side with a clatter.
A familiar knife... a goblin's.
And that got through my armor?
Impossible... no, I cannot quite say it's impossible.
His weapon appears to be enhanced...
Is he using a skill?
And those attacks that have had my spear screaming—are those 【Slash】 as well?
"So 'Frenzy' on a Berserker is a name and nothing more."
If he'd truly lost his reason, then no matter how boosted his stats, he should be fighting worse.
That's the kind of flawed skill I'd believed it to be—apparently I was wrong.
It seems 【Frenzy】 doesn't strip away your reason so much as switch your mind over to that of a killing machine.
Terrifying. It would be safest to assume it deploys its skills with deadly precision.
(But my victory is not in doubt.)
The depth of our wounds is different.
That right hand of his can't be used anymore.
Mine was blunted by my armor—it's shallow.
(It hurts terribly, but...)
I stand and ready my spear; he picks up his sword with his left hand.
His wounds look like they should make even standing impossible, never mind the right arm—but that sheer refusal to fall, at least, is very 【Berserker】, I suppose...
I take his strike as he steps in.
"Gh!"
A lighter blow than before.
His off hand.
But the pain in my side won't let me brace properly.
A second strike, a third—I'm forced onto the defensive.
I thought I had the advantage, but I feel myself losing ground.
(Watch for an opening, then take his left arm this time...)
And then—a two-handed horizontal swing...
I can't hold my ground, and I'm sent flying.
I roll over sideways once.
(Even if his right arm feels no pain, it shouldn't be in working condition. Tendons and muscle should be shredded...)
Don't tell me it's regenerating?
A recovery-type skill?
A thought flashes through my mind—and in that instant, an opening.
Before me, the killing machine, sword raised in both hands.
"Ah—"
Not even time for regret, or for a life flashing before my eyes...
My vision went black.