What lay beyond the gate was completely different than the cave we were in up until now. When we entered, we were surrounded by walls made of stone bricks; it was what would be called ‘an unnatural room’.
「Yo, yo! Our first guest! Welcome!」
Uun, a character fitting the title of an evil older brother floats in the air. His skin is black like tar, two bat-like wings sprout from his back, and horns sit atop its head. Truly, it was an appearance filled with the air of intimidation. It’s just… His delinquent-like behaviour spoils it all. Its scariness is cut by half…
Well, let’s use Appraisal.
Race: Demon : Fiend : Demonic Beast Lv.30
HP: 1900 MP: 2409 STR: 720 END: 798 AGI: 775 DEX: 658 INT: 882 MGC: 1108
Skills:
Digging Lv.3, Darkness Magic Lv.4, Coercion Lv.4, Transportation Lv.2, Panic Lv.4, Sword Techniques Lv.5, Sword Arts Lv.5, Abnormal Status Resistance Lv.7, Soil Magic Lv.7, Climbing Lv.1, Poison Magic Lv.7, Magic Barrier Lv.6, Dark Magic Lv.Max, Cooking Lv.1, Darkness Reinforcement, Darkness Immunity, Night Vision, Automatic MP Recovery, Control Immunity[E1], Skin hardening, MGC ↑ Low, Strength ↑ Low
Extra Skills:
Skill Taker Lv.6
Titles:
Demon Count[M1]
Equipment:
Demonic Shadow-Steel Longsword
Explanation: Only summoned by Dungeon Masters, this being is native to Dungeons. Followers of the God of Chaos, their combat prowess is exceedingly high, with their lowest Threat Level at C. The existence of individuals reaching level S has been confirmed. During the summons, for the sake of increasing the abilities of the dungeon master, it's abilities are extremely varied.
Magic Stone Location: Heart
『A Demon, huh…』
It’s too strong. Its Status exceeds 1000. It’s the first time I’ve seen something like this.
Darkness Magic:
The superior version of Dark Magic. It rules over darkness, shadow, poison and death.
Panic:
Causes the abnormal mental state to those who are subject to its user’s sight.
Magic Barrier: By consuming magical power, a barrier resistant to both physical and magical attacks can be created.
Skill Taker:
After meeting certain conditions, this skill allows the user to steal skills from the target.
Uwa, his skills are also full of troublesome ones.
『Fran, it’s a terrible opponent. If you lose focus it’ll be an instant death!』
「Nn!」
Having absorbed magical power from the goblins and army beetles, my MP is almost full. My skills and spells can be used as much as desired, and yet… Our victory is far from assured against the opponent in front of us. It’s overwhelming to that extent. As to be usable at any moment, I have the Feather of Return prepared at all times.
「Hah! Quite determined, aint’cha? Good! Even if I’m fightin’ a brat I won’t show mercy, got it?! You came here to clear the dungeon, after all!」
「Hey, Demon! What the hell are you doing?! Quickly, dispose of that… That thing!」
Hm? Looking closer, on the other side of the room is a Goblin. Only… It’s different from normal goblins. It’s speaking words fluently, too.
Race: Rare Goblin : Evil Beast : Demonic Beast : Dungeon Master Lv.11
HP: 25 MP: 131 STR: 12 END: 12 AGI: 13 DEX: 7 INT: 44 MGC: 13
Skills:
Digging Lv.2, Summon Kin Lv.5, Club Arts Lv.2, Talk from the Heart[E2] Lv.2, Taming Lv.2, Ambition Lv.1
Equipment:
Evergreen Oak Club, Leather robe, Substitute Bracelet
It’s small fry-ish, but it certainly seems to be the dungeon master. Then, that thing shining in the cavity of the wall is the dungeon core? Which makes this the deepest part of the dungeon?
Well, in the end it’s just a small fry. Did this fellow really enslave a demon?
Goblins and Beetles I can understand. They’re adequate subordinates for such a weakling… But isn’t this demon far too big a jump? Maybe it’s because of a special ability given to dungeon masters? If it had a specific ability to enslave demons, that would be interesting. Still, I’m not able to identify a skill which is capable of that.
Another regrettable thing, it doesn’t seem to have any skills to manipulate the dungeon. Most likely, the dungeon is changed through the dungeon core. That’d have to be it, given that there aren’t any related skills belonging to the so-called dungeon master.
「Shut it! I’ll properly get rid a’ the intruders so just simmer down!」
「Damn it…! I invested all the GP I had into the Monster Lottery, drawing an extremely rare, supremely ranked Demon and yet…! Why won’t it listen to my orders?! Rrrgh… and even in spite of being a skill-user type, its eager to fight head-on!」
Wah, that’s one unbelievable exposition-speech… But thanks to it, all has become clear. As for the Goblin’s question, the demon has the Control Immunity skill, and so it doesn’t seem to accept the dungeon master’s control.
「How could someone have reached all the way here…! What about my handpicked elites?!」
「Weren’t they done in? They were only goblins, after all.」
「By such inferior creatures as humans, there is no way that my army corps of goblins, the supreme creatures, could be defeated!」
「Yes, yes. You’re right~」
「Regardless, I order you to crush that guy!」
「I’d do that even without your order, y’know? They seem t’ be pretty tough.」
Saying so, the demon unsheathed his sword.
「Since this guy’s bein’ noisy… Let’s go?」
Like that, the demon closed in with a thrust. In spite of his magic skills being higher, he himself came in for close-quarter combat. What an ultra-belligerent guy! Looks like he would get along well with Fran.
「Oraa!」
「Haa!」
*Giiin! Gakii!*
「Haha! You’ve got a good sword t’ be able to exchange blows with this one!」
Name ： Demonic Shadow-Steel Longsword
ATK: 561 + 450 MP: 56 Durability: 1000
Magical Power Conductivity・C+[M2]
Skills:
Return to the Shadows
The magical power conductivity is high. It seems like it’s already clad in magical power, and its ATK surpasses 1,000. Furthermore, due to the skill Return to the Shadows, even if it’s thrown it’ll return to the demon’s hand.
On this side, we expended about 500 MP to raise my ATK[M3]. Like that, we could exchange blows but…
「Tsk, so your sword’s superior, huh? Then, how ‘bout this?!」
「? — Ku…!」
Just when he disappeared from sight, the bastard suddenly appeared from behind.
Not good! Fran’s left arm was completely severed. Large quantities of blood have started gushing out, and her the HP just keeps decreasing.
『What happened…?!』
With Telekinesis, I recovered Frans left arm and pressed the two cross-sections together. Then, in a hurry, I chanted Greater・Heal. With that, the small amount of flesh lost regrows — it’s Lv.1 Healing Magic after all. Something like rejoining a lost limb is easy.[M4]
「Oh? So you even have the Telekinesis skill? And usin’ that level of Recovery Magic, too! Are you perhaps a Magic Swordsman?」
The demon was laughing, but on this side it was no laughing matter.
『That move just now… What was that?』
Once again, the demon’s figure suddenly vanishes. Then, not a moment later, it attacks from the rear.
『Fran! Are you alright?!』
「Al…right.」
「Oraora!」
「Nn!」
「So, you can already receive it! You’ve got some good reflexes!」
No matter how you look at it, he seems to simply vanish. Teleportation? But he shouldn’t have a skill capable of such a thing. Then, perhaps magic? Dark Magic, or maybe Darkness Magic…?
「Ora!」
「Ha!」
As expected, that’s it. Just now, when the demon transferred, magical power leaked out of his shadow. Then, he reappeared from Fran’s shadow. It’s a transfer magic that utilizes shadows.
If the trick is known, then dealing with it is possible. We’re able to properly grasp the moment before he reappears now as proof.
「Hyahaa– Ga-!」
「Too cocky!」
「Kahaha, that’s the way to go! You’ve already figured out the trick, huh?」
Tsk. To think he had this much lee-way. That strike that cut open his flank had Vibration Fang and Demonic Poison Fang added, but even with those…
「Ah? Poison? To poison me with something surpassing my Abnormal Status Resistance… Yeah, that’s the way!」
Yes, yes. Freaking battle junkie!
Demonic Poison. It falls short of the effects of Sovereign Poison and Deadly Poison, but it should still do more than an ordinary poison. And yet, because of this guy’s Automatic Recovery skill[E3], its effects are essentially nonexistent.
『Fran, let’s aim for his vitals with a direct attack.』
「Nn.」
Our advantages in this fight are that the enemy is still taking us lightly, and that my existence has still gone unnoticed.
I haven’t been attacking openly, after all. Secretly, I’ve kept on assisting while keeping the Feather of Return ready for us to escape at all times.
「Haaaaa!」
「Hyahaha!」
Once again the furious sword fight continues.
*pka―!*
Then, during the fight, something glittered around the two. Immediately following, from inside of the light, Hobgoblins emerged. How many? 4.
「GO, servants of mine! Kill the intruder!」
It was the dungeon masters doing. Summoning Hobgoblins here is… More than out of place, I can only say it’s astounding.
As should be expected, Fran and the Demon’s fight is immensely dangerous, and incredibly fast-paced. The Hobgoblins could only stand there, completely unable to interfere.
「What are you doing, quickly, get in there!」
On the dungeon master’s command, a Hobgoblin resolved itself and approached the circle of combat…
「Get lost!」
And was immediately bisected by the demon’s sword. At the same time, one more was slain by Fran.
「W-What are you doing?! They’re allies!」
「Such shitty small fry’d do nothin’ but get in the way! Just when it got good, too– vanish!」
Throwing a black ball of light, the demon blew away the remaining, pitiful Hobgoblins and sent them to heaven.
Angry and humiliated, the dungeon master quietly trembled where he stood. Looking at him, one could even pity him a little. Unrelated to such a miserable dungeon master, Fran’s battle was getting more furious by the second.
Inside of the stone hall, only the sound of swords clashing could be heard.
「Hah, this is fun! Oi! Still, goin’ like this it’s clear — yeah, crystal clear!」
Shouting so, the demon repelled me greatly before taking a small distance away from Fran.
Just what is he planning?
「Now, it’s time to settle this! First, I’ll be taking your combat power!」
「?」
『Crap, it’s his Extra Skill!』
「Hyahahaha! Eat this! Skill Taker!」
[E1] It’s ‘Immunity to being ruled over’, not ‘control what I’m immune to’. (支配無効)
[M1] It’s ‘悪魔伯爵’ (Demon Count/Earl), but my understanding of the hierarchy is King→Duke→Earl→Count→Baron→Knight, so I’m going with Count (seeing as the demon doesn’t have the behavior fitting for a high-noble type demon)
[E2] It’s 心話 here, which is literally ‘Heart Talk’. Searching it up, I found that it’s something akin to a heart-to-heart… I think. If anyone has a better suggestion, feel free.
[M2] E was 5%, C- was 70%, A was 200%, so a C+ should be around 100%. The demon put in 450 MP or 15-20% of his total MP, in other words.
[M3] He should be around 1400 ATK.
[M4] Healing M. Lv.1 derives from Recovery M. Lv10, so its the superior version. For all those like me having a hard time remembering it.
[E3] The Demon doesn’t have any sort of HP recovery Skill, but this is what Shisho says, so… *shrug* (奴の持つ自動回復スキルのせいで)