The fiftieth floor of the Nether Class Dungeon had a high ceiling, but its depth was surprisingly shallow. About twenty meters ahead stood the imposing throne of the Nether Dragon King.
Above the wall behind it, a massive image appeared: an elderly man with flowing white hair and beard, his deeply chiseled, sharp features radiating authority.
“N-Nether King!”
Ades’s body, which had been dissipating into mist, returned to its original form before my eyes.
The Nether Dragon King, who was the first to notice the image of the Nether King, quickly descended to the ground and prostrated himself before the image on the wall.
I didn’t know how it had happened, but it seemed this “Nether King” had used some inhuman technique to restore Ades’s body. Though clearly only a projection, my skill combo had been rendered useless.
“So… you’ve been thoroughly beaten, haven’t you, Ades?”
“There is no excuse. I am ready to accept whatever punishment you see fit.”
“No, no. Your feat in repelling those SS-class experts with the strength to clear the Nether Domain was impressive. They were a group of explorers on par with the hero party that recently conquered the Divine Realm. Well done.”
“T-thank you for your generous words!”
The Nether Dragon King remained prostrated, bowing deeply.
Yeah… this old man is definitely Ades’s superior.
He even actually acknowledged his subordinate’s achievements—maybe he wasn’t such a bad boss after all.
“So… it was this one who ate my liver.”
“Yes. That shameless old man over there.”
Wait—how does this guy already know that?
Had Ades been filing daily reports or something?
No, hold on—hey, old man!
Don’t go treating me like I’m an old man too!
Do you want me to get flattened next, too?!
“Boy… what is your name?”
“Huh? If you want my name, you should introduce yourself first, old man.”
This guy was probably overwhelmingly stronger than me. My instincts screamed danger from deep within my body.
Yet… I didn’t feel particularly afraid. Not that I had an iron will, but bowing here wouldn’t necessarily earn me any special favor either. Might as well just stand my ground and speak boldly—what could go wrong there, right?
“Hahaha! You do not flinch in my presence! What an interesting young man!”
“Just introduce yourself already, old man.”
“I am the Nether King.”
“Huh? That’s your name?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been called the Nether King ever since I was born.”
I didn’t detect any hint of lying in his voice.
…Guess that’s just how things are in dungeons.
“I’m Daishi. Daishi Ajiri.”
“I see… an unfamiliar name, but a fine one.”
“So? What now? Do I have to fight you, old man?”
Honestly… I didn’t want to fight.
The outcome was as obvious as day. There is no way I could win. But what would happen next depended entirely on how this old man chose to proceed. At the moment, I lack the power to take control of the situation.
“No, no. That would be breaking the rules. If you wish to fight me, you must enter properly from the dungeon entrance and make your way down to the hundredth floor. Only then will I consider entertaining you, boy.”
The old man, the Nether King, grinned slyly as if to provoke me.
…No thanks.
Comments flooded in:
> Did he just say he is the Nether King?
> First time we’re hearing that.
> So the boss of the hundredth floor is the Nether King?
> He looks so weak.
> Unbelievable!
> He just instantly healed the dying Nether Dragon King, though.
> The hero party already dropped out at the seventy-eighth floor, so you can guess the rest.
> How did the hero party even get past Ades?
> Wait, they actually cleared the Divine Realm?
> That info hasn’t been officially released yet.
> Tomorrow’s newspaper is going to be packed with new info!
> This is going to be trending worldwide online.
By now, the viewer count had finally surpassed 100,000. Occasionally, comments in foreign languages appeared, leaving her slightly bewildered.
Could it be… this was becoming a worldwide sensation?!
“Don’t get cocky, Daishi. Defeating a hollowed-out Nether Dragon King is nothing. Right now, he hasn’t even reached a tenth of his true power.”
I see.
So he had already used almost all of his strength before facing me. There must have been a fierce battle in the Nether Domain.
Ades’s little rebellion? That was mostly their doing, too.
No wonder SS-class people were so impressive.
“Then…”
“You’re nothing more than a pitiful adventurer who happened to wander here on a whim, like some temporal rabbit. Return to your original dungeon when the time comes, and all will be well.”
“You’re not mad that I ate your liver?”
“Hahaha! Normally, anyone who eats my liver wouldn’t survive. They’d instantly explode into dust.”
“Wait… really?”
“Indeed. You appear to be a rather extraordinary adventurer. Perhaps one day you may surpass even the heroes themselves. Until that time, I suppose my liver shall remain in your care.”
Uh…This sounded like it was going to be troublesome.
I could just return it now…
…No, wait. If returning it means I’d be eaten in the process, then forget it.
I wasn’t aiming to become a famous adventurer anyway.
When I was first transported here, sure, I was a little excited. But honestly… I don’t have any real desire to conquer the Nether-Class Dungeon. I’m perfectly content just grabbing treasure from easy dungeons and selling it to make a living. That’s enough for me.
Ah, and of course… I’m counting on some streaming revenue too!
“Farewell, little monk. I look forward to the day you reach the hundredth floor of my Nether Dungeon before the hero party does.”
The image on the wall vanished, and both the Nether King and the Nether Dragon King departed from the scene.
Too bad… I’m not going to live up to the old man’s expectations. Once I clear that beginner dungeon, I just want to explore dungeons at my own pace and take it easy.
Still… since stat-raising is fun, I’ll gratefully hold onto the liver for now!
“Daishiii—saaan!!”
I turned around and heard Satsuki-chan’s voice coming from the opposite side of where the Nether King had disappeared.
I could see her running toward me, and it finally felt like this brutal mission was over.
I took a deep, satisfying breath and let my true feelings slip out.
“Ahhh!! I am so exhausted!!”
And, as usual, the familiar notification appeared before my eyes.
| 《 Daishi has leveled up. 》 |
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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