part1 · 075-ep75
Episode 75: The Path of Ten Years 5
Past floor 89, Ren descended the stairs leading further down.
And—
Floor 90.
The moment he set foot inside, Ren stopped.
"..."
Silence. Unlike every floor before it, not even a monster's presence could be felt.
But—
from deep within, a staggering wave of magic was pressing toward him.
"...Something's here."
Ren rested his hand on his sword's grip and advanced slowly — until he emerged into an enormous chamber.
At its center stood a single monster.
Four thick legs. An enormous body, covered in black scales from end to end. Sharp protrusions lined its back, and two giant horns rose from its head.
Over ten meters long. Less a giant beast than the earth itself given legs and set in motion.
Red eyes locked onto Ren.
Ren used 《Appraisal》.
《Name: Earth Behemoth》
《Type: Monster》
《Status: Good》
《Weakness: None》
"...No weakness, huh."
The Earth Behemoth growled low.
The next instant—
the giant mass was moving, charging Ren at ferocious speed.
Ren caught the movement with 《Presence Detection》 and, body strengthening surging, leapt sideways. Giant claws gouged the earth.
But—
Ren was already circling in at the monster's flank.
"Too slow."
He swung his magic sword. Black scales split wide.
The Earth Behemoth whipped its body. Ren hopped lightly back — a giant tail sliced through empty air.
He'd read that movement too.
The monster charged again. Ren read its magic with 《Magic Perception》, picked out the arc of the attack, and evaded with the barest movement.
And—
he wreathed his magic sword in lightning.
Ren took a single step — and in the next moment, he was inside the monster's guard.
The lightning-wreathed sword flashed. It split the black scales and drove deep into the body.
The Earth Behemoth rocked hard. Still, it did not fall.
But Ren didn't panic.
"...This ends it."
He concentrated magic into the sword — wreathing it in flame this time — and drove the blade into the monster's wound.
Flame spread from the wound inward. The Earth Behemoth's body shuddered violently.
And—
the giant frame came crashing down.
"...It's over."
Ren lowered his sword. His breathing was barely disturbed.
A powerful enemy with no weakness. Even so, for the Ren of now, it was no struggle at all.
◇
At the back of the boss room sat a treasure chest.
Ren approached slowly and opened the lid. Inside lay a single ring.
"...A ring?"
He picked it up and used 《Appraisal》.
《Name: Ring of Substitution》
《Type: Magic tool》
《Effect: Takes a single fatal wound in the wearer's place》
"..."
One time, it would save him from a fatal blow. Ren regarded the ring for a while.
"...With this, I can breathe a little easier."
Ren put on the ring and set off for deeper floors.
◇
Floor 91.
At the bottom of the stairs, a monster appeared before Ren.
He used 《Appraisal》. Confirmed its weakness. Then readied his sword.
The monster lunged. Ren dodged with body strengthening and swung in the same motion.
One blow.
The monster fell.
"..."
Ren stared down at it.
"At this rate, none of this counts as training."
He'd felt it beating the floor-90 boss, too. His strength now towered over the monsters that had made it this deep.
Fighting at full power, he'd cut them down without effort.
Ren dropped his gaze to his left hand — to the 《Magic-Sealing Gloves》.
"...Let's drop it a little."
He flowed magic in. Strength drained from his body.
His strength. His physical abilities. His magic.
Each one weakened, little by little.
"About this much."
Ren readied his sword again.
◇
Floor 92. Floor 93.
With every fight, Ren tuned his strength. Too much room to spare, and he strengthened the weakening. Sense danger, and he eased it back a touch.
That was how he brought himself down to a level where wins didn't come easy.
And he fought in that state.
Reading the monsters' movements. Evading attacks. Swinging his sword. Casting spells. Wreathing his magic sword with elemental magic when needed.
Weakened or not, the fundamentals of his fighting didn't change. But every single movement now demanded more thought than ever before.
Even so, as the fights piled up, room to spare crept back in.
"...Stronger again, huh."
Ren flowed magic into the 《Magic-Sealing Gloves》 and strengthened the weakening further.
◇
Floor 94. Floor 95. Floor 96. Floor 97. Floor 98.
Ren repeated the same process.
Drop his strength. Fight in that state. Grow used to it, and drop it further. Once he could win anyway, strengthen the weakening again.
Nothing but that cycle.
Opponents who once would have given him real trouble, he could now fight while weakened. And even in that state, with every battle, Ren grew.
◇
Floor 99.
Ren cut down the final monster. One last blow, and he slowly lowered his sword.
"...Floor 99."
He'd made it this far.
Ren used 《Magic Perception》, spreading his magic through the space around him.
Walls. Passages. The space beyond them.
Little by little, the layout took shape.
And—
"...There."
He caught the stairs leading down.
But something was reaching him from beyond them.
Immense magic. Unlike any monster he had ever felt.
Ren stopped before the stairs.
"...Down there, huh."
Ren gripped his sword's hilt.
And—
slowly, he began descending the stairs.
To floor 100.