Vol 2 Chapter 10 (1/2)
LEVEL 2: Everything is Precious, Nothing is Replaceable
Chapter 10: Not Supposed to be Cool
Hot… that was the first thing that ca a sink well from the fourth to fifth stratum While the fourth stratum was comfortably cool, the fifth stratuher and the reason was ie and small, lined the tunnel paths
The fifth stratuht to be ses were in use, but the lit ones were occupied by busy-looking kobolds Other worker kobolds lounged around spaces apparently used for breaks Some areas were crammed full of kobolds while others were fairly quiet Once in a while, an elder and its underlings would appear
There were also spots that rounds for reserve force soldiers, one of which Mary guided them to It was a cul-de-sac at one end of the stratue, round-about loop, so it wasn’t actually a dead end
The spot was a good distance froes, but not too far from the worker kobolds’ break areas or the lookout posts where the elders supervised everyone It was an area kobolds ht enter if they went for a walk between shi+fts and once in a while, kobolds could be seen drawing near
This here Haruhiro and the others laid in wait… except no kobolds carowled in exasperation
Yuhed in annoyance “If you can’t be patient, then why not try taking a nap?”
“If I fall asleep,” Ranta countered, “you guys will decide it’s boring here and leave me behind”
“Darnit Foiled again”
“da before you even think it I see right through you!”
“Don’t call Yume that!” Yume said
“I’ll call you whatever I want, stupid! Flat flat flat flat flat flat flat flat flat!”
Yume’s expression turned stormy
“Y-Yu Yume on the back, “I don’t think your boobs are small”
“shi+horu’s got big boobs, so that doesn’t make Yume feel better!”
“Oh… I… sorry… but I’m just fat… I’m sorry…”
“Yuetically “Don’tboobs and it ain’t like Yume made her boobs small on purpose And Yume uses a bo ‘n then ’cause Yu boobs would just get in the way…”
“Ureed hesitantly
“Yume’s prob’ly a natural born Hunter,” Yume said
“What kind of weird reasoning is that?” Ranta challenged
Haruhiro found hi just a tiny bit with Ranta this time, but it was definitely better not to involve hio aining experience with thislet it go skill with the intention of leveling up got hioal
The fifth stratu spot they occupied noas relatively quiet Noise also echoed easily, since it was aMost likely kobolds
Haruhiro lifted his hand and pointed a finger in that direction He then gave a thun for “eneet ready” they had all decided upon after they had starting co to the mines
Yume readied her bow and nocked an arrow, closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths shi+horu and Mary readied their staves Mogzo unsheathed his bastard sword, Ranta did the sager
The kobold came into view An elder Yume opened her eyes; theythat she had activated [SHARP SIGHT], a skill that allowed her to track her amount of precision She shot The elder cried out as her arrow hit it in the face
The elder went dorithing in agony but behind it came another That one was an elder too Two of them, Elder A ounded while the other was unharmed
“Mogzo, to the unwounded one!” Haruhiro ordered and Mogzo ran to obey
“DIEEEEEE!” Ranta was already charging at Elder A
Yume had dropped her bow and unsheathed her kukri shi+horu chanted, “Oom rel eckt vel dash!+” the [SHADOW ECHO] spell The black seaweed-like shadow elemental burst from the tip of her staff
Elder B was fending off Mogzo’s attacks with a broad-bladed sword but in that ht in the stozo pressed Elder B’s sword doith a shout then lifted his own bastard up and brought it down on the elder’s head The elder kobold twisted its body away at the last second, and Mogzo’s sword only grazed the side of its head instead of splitting its skull
In the sword through Elder A’s chest Just as Haruhiro and Yuzo, Elder B made an about-face
“Don’t let it get away!” Mary shouted
Yuht, pulled out a throwing knife and hurled it at the elder Her [STAR PIERCE] skill hit Elder B right below its shoulder but rather than go down, it kept running Mogzo was right behind it, heavy are
“I’ll get him!” Haruhiro quickened his pace, pushed Yuzo Elder B’s back was to hi away, it wasn’t taking any precautions to protect itself It was also wounded and unsteady on its feet At this rate, Haruhiro could catch up
“[WIDOW MAKER]!” Haruhiro jumped onto it back, slit its throat in the saain
The elder staggered for a bit, then crashed to the ground
Haruhiro let out a sigh of relief, “I did it…”
“Got e tone
So it seemed that Kobold A was now dead too
“For some reason…” Haruhiro found himself loose-lipped and couldn’t help it
It wasn’t the cleanest fight ever, but it didn’t go too badly either They didn’t put any unnecessary burden on their Priest, Mary, everyone contributed their combat specialties, and they were able to finish it quickly It was almost like actual teamwork
“For some reason, I think that went really well,” Haruhiro continued “Don’t you guys think so too?”
“A-agreed,” Mogzo said, his barbute hel motion “I think so too”
“Yeah,” Yu as she used her left hand to pat herself on the right shoulder “Yume’s arrow and throwin’ knife were amazin’ Yuood about herself”
shi+horu s Like we naturally kneas going to do what next and that’s exactly hoorked out”
“Yes,” Mary flashed theht smile “I think it ell done”
“AND IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF ME!!!” Ranta proclaimed “ALL BECAUSE OF ME AND ALL IS MINE!”
Haruhiro guessed it was too much to expect Ranta to act any differently Well, all he had to do was let it go… but he couldn’t
“What’s that supposed to ed “Is that supposed to be some sort of cool line?”
“No, wait a sec… I meant THE WORLD! Not all! I meant the world is mine!”
“Oh Good for you then”
“You don’t think it’s good at all! You’re just saying that!” Ranta accused
“Nope I think it’s good,” said Haruhiro “It’s great Congrats”
“Thanks!” Ranta kicked at the ground “And why do I have to thank you of all people anyway?!”
If it was the same pattern as usual, Haruhiro would be pissed off at this point, but he actually found it kind of funny and laughed despite of hiood spirits while they collected the loot Suddenly, Haruhiro felt solanced around
“What’s wro—” Mary started to say, but before she could finish, she saw the sa out froht A kobold It had to be
When the kobold realized that Haruhiro and Mary had noticed it, it ducked back out of view
“Hey… pretty nice,” Ranta said as he relieved Elder A’s corpse of its talisood price…”
“Wait,” Haruhiro said, raising a hand to shut Ranta up “Mary, thoughts?”
“What?” Ranta craned his neck for a look “What’s going on?”
“What’s wrong?” Yume, on one knee by the body of Elder B, asked shi+horu, crouched next to Yu in confusion “Hm? What—”
Mogzo grunted and bent do
Mary placed a finger on her chin, “Thoughts, you say…”
A long, ear piercing howl rese’s split the air But the hoas certainly no dog A kobold A worker or an elder, Haruhiro couldn’t tell, but it had to be that kobold that had spotted them just now
“O-oy…” Ranta gulped hard and put a hand over his ood…”
Mary’s eyes ide, the panic in them obvious “This is bad That’s a…”
Another loud howl, answered in return by several others of the sa had now become one continuous stream That first kobold had started it, then another had answered, then another, and another, and another in succession
“R-run!” Haruhiro’s decision came immediately
Yued her to her feet, “C’et up!”
Run They had to run Run like hell But where to? For a split second, Haruhiro had no idea Calm down! Then he remembered, it didn’t matter This tunnel path at the end of the cul-de-sac was circular It was the same no matter which direction they went But after this then where to next?
The fifth stratuet back to the sink well that led to the fourth stratu lost? He didn’t have a terrible sense of direction, but he wasn’t great with the that they would be okay, but he wasn’t entirely confident It was very much like him to waver back and forth like this
“Followinto a run
Oh Right Mary had been down here once before All they had to do was follow her
“E-everyone, let’s go!” Haruhiro said, even though no one had to be told
He trailed close behind Mary, turning to look back as he ran to make sure everyone was still with hih he was the leader, he had been the first to turn tail In that otten all about his co Yume and shi+horu were completely panicked He had to calm them down
Calm down?! At a time like this? How?!
“It’s fine! So just—” Haruhiro i his words Just how is it fine? the straight man in him wisecracked He was not fine If he wasn’t so preoccupied, he would have laughed at how not fine he was He was going mad, surely
He couldn’t run very ith his head turned backwards, so he shi+fted his gaze forwards again Everything was shaking His field of vision aying Things were shaking and swaying so hard he wanted to ask why in the world everything was shaking this hard His heartbeat drummed loudly in his ear Oh Maybe that hy It felt like his heart was going to jump up and leap out of his mouth
They exited the cul-de-sac and a little further down, ran past a lookout post then a break area Both were empty when they had passed by earlier, but not anymore The break area was full of worker kobolds who immediately rushed towards them
“shi+t! shi+t shi+t shi+t!” The expletives unwittingly rolled off his tongue shi+t! and What do we do?! alternately rah his mind
Mary’s pace slowed so Haruhiro followed suit Oh So that’s why A pack of kobolds were directly in their path; they would run straight into the But it was a dead end if they turned back The only option was to force their way through Not with Mary in front though
“M-Mogzo!” Haruhiro turned and yelled “F-front! Get up here! Use [WAR CRY]!”
“R-right!” Mogzo replied, a hint of desperation in his tone, as his armored form clattered its way past Mary and Haruhiro to the front
Fourteen kobolds,hizo suddenly halted as he was pelted with a nu, Mogzo planted both feet firmly down and roared into the air; a Warrior’s [WAR CRY] skill
Through a special way of pitching his voice, the deafening [WAR CRY] shout inti unprepared for [WAR CRY] would stop hu in its tracks It made some of the kobolds in front of theht Some even backed away, head in their hands
“NOW!” Mogzo yelled, tone gruff and masculine
Haruhiro ran as if his life depended on it, shouting, “Everyone at once!”
Ranta shouted as he charged Mary was right beside Haruhiro What about Yulanced behind him Both were present
“R-run! Go! Go go go!” He cried
Was that the only thing he could think to say? Pathetic Haruhiro and Mary quickly caught up with Mogzo Mogzo wasn’t a fast runner by nature and his ar of his plate h the tunnel Should I pass hiood idea More kobolds had appeared in their path Lots more How many? He had no idea
“I can’t use it again! Not so soon!” Mogzo said raggedly, running for all he orth
So [WAR CRY] wasn’t a skill that could be used in succession What were they going to do?
“W-we’ll have to charge through them!” Haruhiro said
A se? bum rush? Really? But there wasn’t a better option, was there? What he really wanted was to take all the frustration at the indecisiveness he was feeling now out on someone, but this wasn’t the time or place
“ARGH!” Mogzo cried out
Kobolds were ra their own battle cries Three of the the over repeatedly, but the ht hizo too, looked bewildered as if he had no idea what just happened
“Keep going, Mogzo!” Haruhiro yelled
Mogzo recovered i with a series of shouts Haruhiro had no idea what he was shouting, but whatever