I Reincarnated as a Hero

Chapter 10 – Growth of Heroes (2)

Maetel was the one who finished off the Skeleton Warrior, but in reality, Artpe had basically killed him himself. Of course, the act of running from the 6th floor to the 1st floor was taken into account in the Battle Contribution, but there was no doubt that Artpe would gain a higher portion of EXP.

Artpe level up 6 thanks to EXP. He went up to level 30. Maetel's level rose by 3, so she was now level 32. The large level gap between them had been somewhat closed

“How are you, Maetel?”

“My injuries got better after I leveled up. If we don't engage in a fierce battle, I'm sure it won't burden Me. ”

“How about the grass you used before?”

“I still have.”

Artpe creates emergency medicine with the help of Maetel. After taking off his armor, he treated the remaining wounds. When Maetel exposed her t3l4nj4ng skin, her cheeks flushed red. However, Artpe did not say anything as his eyes had a serious glow.

“Good. Let's put on some bandages then you can put your clothes back on. ”

“The bandage has long been left inside the wooden crate, so why is it new?”

“This is just the path of the universe. Just accept. ”

“Iya nih!”

First aid is performed, and the only thing left is the most enjoyable part of the battle. It was time for him to check the loot. Artpe carefully reached out to the red bone gloves. He read it with the ability of Read All Creation, and words began to take shape.

(Crimson Rage Bone Sheath)

(The Undead have been around for many years, and a large amount of magical energy has been refined into the bones of the Undead. The intense anger felt just before his death was formed distinguished the artifacts. The item was extremely difficult, and when the wearer could control one's emotions, one's strength would be boosted by 20%. As a price, a fixed portion of one's magical energy would be consumed.)

“Mmm.”

“What's up, Artpe?”

This drop item pretty much held the essence of a Skeleton Warrior. Artpe let out a sigh of regret as he looked at it. It has the basic requirements of defensive gear. It had sheer solidity, and while it did consume magical energy, it could increase one's strength by 20%. It was difficult to obtain an artifact of this quality when one considered their level.

Yet….

‘I hope an artifact that will help me will appear. However, this was an Elite warrior type, so it was unable to help. ‘

Maetel had already obtained the bastard sword used by the Skeleton Warrior. He examined it with the Read All ability, but the bastard's sword did not have any special options. Still, it was able to absorb magical energy quite well. Strength, endurance, and energy were unique artifacts. At the very least, one did not need to change this equipment to level 100.

In this context, the challenge will now belong to Maetel. It was difficult to do such a simple comparison, but it was not an exaggeration to say that he would become twice as powerful with this equipped item.

It was good news for him that he was going to get stronger. On the other hand, he couldn't help, but feel like trash. The curse he had in his previous profession as one of the Four Heavenly Kings had followed him here! Hard-headed sticking to him!

“Tsk. That can't help. You should wear this, Maetel. ”

“How about Artpe ....?”

“If something I need shows up, it doesn't matter if you beg or cry. I'll ruthlessly push you away to keep that stuff. So don't worry about taking this item. ”

“Iya nih!”

Maetel completes her bone gloves. It was made of bones, but it was an artifact filled with magical energy of strength. The size is smaller to fit his limbs. It was wrapped tightly around his wrist and fingers.

Of course, if Maetel was unable to handle Mana, he would not be able to equip this artifact. However, he was a character, who could fire out from a wood branch at level 1. Concerns about such a requirement could be eliminated.

“Wow. It feels so sturdy! I can feel it protecting me! ”

“Actually, those bones are full of hatred. However, if you feel the sentiments that come from it, who should I say otherwise? ”

It looked a bit scary, but it was something suitable for a fighter. Artpe grinned as he looked at the animation of Maetel, who was excited to have new equipment. Then he collected another piece of red bone. There was a lot of magic energy stored within the bone fragments, so he might be able to make something with it.

“Next is ... Ah. It was a shield. ”

When the Skeleton Warrior held it in its hands, it looked like a one-handed scoundrel sword. However, when 12-year-old Maetel lifted it, it looked like clay. The sword looked extremely large in his hand. Naturally, he could not hold a shield beside the sword.

“I don't want a shield!”

“It's also an artifact. If you attack an enemy with the corner end of the shield, it inflicts a weakened curse …. ”

The Skeleton Warrior had no chance to use its shield, but this artifact was much better than a bastard sword! The Skeleton Warrior might blow the fuse when it could not use the shield. In addition, gaps even formed on the shield. Of course, it wasn't Artpe's problem.

Since he could not carry it with his hands, he proposed the idea where he would tie the shield to his back. However, Maetel hated the idea. It would slow him down if a heavy shield was strapped to his back. It would be better for him to maintain his speed, so that he could dodge the enemy's attacks. Still, wasting the shield was futile….

“Tsk. That can't help. It would be a worse option than you using it, but. ”

In the end, Artpe equipped the shield on his back. He had collected pieces of leather while passing through the Dungeon, and he had planted Mana to strengthen them. He created holes on each side of the shield, and he inserted pieces of leather through the hole. One end of the rope is tied to his left shoulder and the other end is carried under his right armpit. He tied. Artpe looked like a turtle.

Maetel gently messed with her eyes when she saw Artpe move.

“You're usually slow, but now you're much slower.”

“There's a reason why I brought it like this. I'll move slowly, but at the most important moment, I'll untangle the straps. The explosion! Heavy shields will make a loud noise when they fall to the floor. It will surprise our opponents. ”

“Aht! That's just amazing! It's gonna look really cool! ”

“If I drop it on a surface that breaks into shards like marble slabs, the visual effect will be twice as effective. You have to remember this. ”

“Iya nih!”

He has gathered everything that needs to be collected. They had to once again travel from the 1st floor to the 6th floor. On the way down, they had to defeat the losers, who gave up chasing after them. This was the Skeleton, which separated itself from the Skeleton Warrior. It would be easy to destroy them, and they both tried to do just that.

They tried.

“Hah.”

“Something has changed, Artpe.”

“You're right. Something has clearly changed. ”

Everything is the same until the 5th floor. It was the Dungeon they remembered. The stairs were still broken, and the Skulls were piled up in piles like trash to bridge the floor. The poor skeleton was barely alive.

As an act of mercy and a way to level up the party, they killed all the Skulls in the pile as they descended to each floor. However, as they stood in front of the stairs leading to the 6th floor, the two heroes finally realized something was wrong.

“It…. It's made of marble. ”

Artpe muttered restlessly. Artpe saw a long and wide staircase. He was sure he had smashed this ladder before when he went up to the 5th floor. Moreover, that ladder has already evolved !? It is now made of marble. Then there was a huge passageway that was not in his memory!

“Marble? So Artpe is going to drop your shield here? ”

“I only brought this for one hour.”

The Skeleton Warrior, who was basically the ruler of the 6th floor, had been killed. It seemed like the Dungeon had undergone a fundamental change. He regretted the fact that he could not use his Read All Creation ability on the Skeleton Warrior before dying.

“I saw it with the ability Read All Creation, but …. That's what's expected. ”

His Read All Creation ability was able to reveal all the secrets, but he only observed the marbles that formed the Dungeon. He could not obtain all the information about the Dungeon through this method. It was possible if he went to the deepest part of the Dungeon to observe the Core Dungeon. Maetel carefully asked a question as she looked at Artpe's disappointed expression.

“What will we do, Artpe?”

“We have decided what we will do. We're moving forward. ”

“.....yes!”

“However, you should not be too relaxed. The trap is gone, but it may really mean something …. ”

He was now afraid of the monsters that would appear within the Dungeon from now on. The trap was not used to reduce adventurers anymore. That meant there would be plenty of monsters strong enough to take down adventurers without the help of traps.

“I don't care what comes out. I will definitely protect Artpe. ”

“You do not need to put on such a gloomy expression .. Whatever.”

They hardened their resolve as they descended the marble staircase. They entered a very different 6th floor, and there were no monsters in front. It's the same in the middle. They kept checking their surroundings as they nervously went into the hallway. After an unspecified time, they had reached the location where they had met the Elite Skeleton Warrior.

As of now, the marble floor had nothing. However, four white skull skeletons emerged from the floor. The color is the same as marble floor.

(Do you want to move forward?)

(Do you want to back off?)

(Do you want to protect?)

(Do you want to cut?)

“I've done that, so you don't have to say it!”

They were just Skulls, yet they wore pretty good leather armor. They also carried long, shiny swords. They moved as if they had coordinated the plan beforehand. They approached Maetel from both sides. Artpe used his Read All Creation ability, and he groaned when he realized that those monsters were close to reaching level 50.

“Dungeon Difficulty sharply increased ..!”

“Nothing ... I can do this now!”

Maetel used her extremely fast reflexes and her good eyesight. He did so by a very thin margin, but he fended off all four longswords in quick succession. Then he retreated slightly, and he hardened his expression.

“Hmmph!”

In the next moment, the Bone Gauntlet let out a dim red light, and it added strength to Maetel's slender arm. Artpe explains to him that his emotional drive can bring out the artifact's abilities. However, he never expected him to be able to control his emotions so freely!

He was well aware of his talent, yet even he was overwhelmed by this sight.

“You...”.

“I'm leaving!”

(You're moving forward.)

(You're trying to protect someone.)

(Your mental vision is still narrow.)

(You have enough courage to admit.)

“Shuuuuuuut upppppppppp!”

Maetel bravely swung her bastard sword, and it impacted on her nearby Skeleton longsword. The bastard's sword easily broke the long sword in two.

He used his momentum to implant his right foot into the ground as he spun. He hit the Skeleton's body with his arm. When the Skeleton felt the weight of its long sword disappear, it lost its balance. The attack sent the Skeleton towards its comrades, who were also swinging their long swords. Longswords impacted the body of the first Skeleton.

However, unlike the Elite Skeleton Warrior from before, this Skull gave praise even when they suffered under its attack.

(You have the wisdom to use the power of the enemy against them.)

(Your ability to make quick judgments is admirable.)

“Eh-eet.”

Artpe won't just be on standby when the bastards give their monologues! When the Skulls blocked each other, Artpe did not miss the opportunity. He attacked them.

He was filled with weapons that he could throw! He had used up all the Mana he had gained when he reached level 30. He had strengthened his daggers and bone fragments. He threw them towards the Skeleton, which attacked Maetel. He stopped them.

(Kooh-ahk!?)

(However, you're not playing fair. You hide safely when you stick out your tongue!)

“The four of you attacked him, and yet you speak of justice? Are you trying to test the hero or are you trying to find the Demon King's army? Huh?”

In his previous life, he was very skilled. After entering this Dungeon, he had only done one thing. His ability to throw items was on a completely different level now.

His thrown weapons were all embedded in their weakness. The time is so beautiful. He was able to stop the movements of his enemies. In terms of throwing skills, he is so skilled that thieves may not be necessary for this party.

His main job should be a magician!

‘When I become a hero, it seems like I don't need to take the skills of other disciplines …. ‘

That's a good thing, so why is he sighing?

He was certain of this, but if he checked his Read All Creation ability, his throwing skill might exceed level 8. It was something extremely extraordinary, as the Maetel Swordsmanship skill remained at level 6!

(I accept My loss, but before You defeat the others …. Mook)

“One fell!”

While Artpe became confused about his own identity, Maetel eventually took down the Skeleton. One was defeated, yet the EXP of the two heroes did not rise.

“Good. Let's finish the rest .. ”

(Your troubles will begin now.)

“They talk nonsense, Maetel ... Hah?”

At that time, the ability to Read All Artpe Creations was activated.

It was as if the fallen Skeleton was not there in the first place. The fallen skeleton melted into the void, and the energy from it split three. It flowed into the three remaining Skeletons. When this happened, Artpe saw a live update on what was happening.

(Record Experience of Mana Transfer Strength)

(Evolution Test Task Status)

At first glance, those words seemed to have nothing to do with each other. It seems to be a list of words. However, that was enough of a clue for Artpe to realize what was going on!

“Dirt….! Move aside for a moment, Maetel! Stone and nature begin to return to stone and nature! It would be beyond someone's reach! ”

He desperately chanted his magic spell. The Three Skulls attacked a little faster than before as the marble floor turned slippery. They fell to the floor. Artpe didn't stop there. He began to open the leather strap that tied the shield to his back.

“Artpe !?”

“Don't I already tell you how I'm going to use this before, Maetel?”

“Iya nih.”

“I lied!”

Artpe grabbed the end of the rope and he swung it. A high quality mana was expelled from his heart, and flowed through the rope. Where flows into the shield. This task was difficult for him even if he used both hands. In an instant, he sent the shield flying forward.

The shield flew in a very beautiful trajectory. The Mana Artpe inside the shield gave off an ominous light. The skull woke up when the shield hit them.

(Koo-ahhhhhh!)

(You're cheap! You coward!)

“I'm cheaper than you, you son of a bitch!”

Artpe had strengthened that shield with his magical energy, and it had brilliantly caused a curse against the Skeleton. It was a simple curse that slowed down the movement of the enemy, but it was like a blessing that allowed them to turn the battle table! This is especially true when one considers Maetel's rapid movements.

Maetel's eyes shone as she tried to finish them off. Artpe became scared when he stopped him.

“Don't kill them!”

“Why?”

“If we kill them, other monsters will become strong. Record Link was placed on all the monsters within this Dungeon! ”

“Hah......?”

Maetel did not understand Artpe's words. He did not understand how serious this situation was. ‘Note Link’ is a sophisticated trap that will be opened from now on. The thought made him grit his teeth!

“By the way, the curse is strengthened, and I can lay it on top of them. You have to go in and beat them within an inch of their lives! ”

“Alright!”

(Kook, coward. You must try this trial fairly and fairly ..).

“Shut!”

While Maetel beat them to death, Artpe turned to look into the hallway. A steel door appeared behind them, and the passageway behind them was hidden. When he confirmed the existence of this huge door, he gritted his teeth.

As he expected. It was impossible to retreat now that they started this.

“I did decide to destroy and steal whatever is in front of us ..”

Artpe looked forward, and he saw five new Skulls appearing in the hallway. They were all almost level 50.

“Basic bastards! At the very least, give us EXP! ”

The heroes have fallen to a court that is like a swamp. They won't be able to solve this easily.