It was when I finished conquering the second dungeon. At the moment I defeated the boss, I acquired a certain skill. That skill is──
""Meteor Sword"!!"
I illuminate the blade with a sparkling magical energy like the brilliance of the stars and wield the sword. Although I missed hitting the Death Mantis, I succeeded in making its contemptuous expression break into a cold sweat.
The Death Mantis takes a step back from me, observing cautiously. Upon closer inspection, it's bleeding slightly from its chest. I thought my attack had been dodged, but it seems it was grazed.
"Indeed, impressive, the "Starry Sky Martial Arts"."
Throughout history, people have been fascinated by the stars. They've been drawn to the unreachable light, and martial artists are no exception.
In the Nara period, the samurai Shiraho was drawn to the twinkling of the stars since childhood. It was a light more fleeting than the radiant sun, yet more powerful than a candle's flame. He was deeply impressed by the myriad stars filling the night sky.
Eventually, unable to contain his admiration, he abandoned the martial arts he had cultivated until then. Studying the movements of the stars, he created a new martial art, paying homage to their beauty and strength. The techniques of the Starry Sky style were born by mimicking the movements and trajectories of the stars.
"What a beautiful swordsmanship..."
"I, I'm captivated!! It's, it's amazing!!"
The praise from the two of them genuinely delights me.
Ah, it's irresistible. I'm getting excited.
Shall we continue to fight on vigorously?
"Gyaaaaaa!!"
As if throwing a tantrum, the Death Mantis swings its scythe violently. Even though it's been promoted to E rank, touching that scythe would certainly not end well for me.
"Gyaaaaaa!!"
""Heaven's Gateway""
"Gyaaaaaa!!"
""Guardian of the Stellar Sea""
"Gyaaaaaa!!"
""Stardust Waltz""
I hold my sword in front, using defensive techniques to intercept all of the enemy's attacks.
That stance, named "Heaven's Gateway," stands proudly like the gateway to heaven.
A sturdy defensive sword technique that intercepts any attack, named "Guardian of the Stellar Sea" for its resemblance to the vastness of the starry sea.
Elegant steps evade attacks, a dodging technique named "Stardust Waltz" for its resemblance to the shimmering stardust or a dance at a ball.
Utilizing defensive and evasive techniques, I defend against the Death Mantis's slashes. Perhaps because I've been promoted to E rank, its attacks were lighter than expected.
"Incredible... You've completely shut down the Death Mantis's attacks!?"
"That's... impossible for us!?"
I hear the astonished voices of the two.
For me, it's a normal thing, but for two F-rank individuals, it must seem unbelievable. If they were also promoted to E rank, they'd understand that this level isn't such a big deal.
Even so... I see.
Do I have the luxury of being able to hear the voices of the two? Without composure, I wouldn't be able to concentrate on the fight and listen to the voices around me.
"Gyaaaaaa!!"
"Now... let's finish this."
Stepping back from the Death Mantis, I sheathe my sword. And then, like a fleeing rabbit, I charge.
"Gyaaaaa--!?"
"--Too slow."
Slipping into the Death Mantis's guard.
And then--
""Comet Sword"!!"
Drawing my sword.
The Death Mantis's head falls.
"Gyaaaa..."
With a short gasp, it dies.
As usual, it turns into particles of magic.
"No level up..."
After all, it's just an F-rank monster.
It seems the experience points were too minimal to level me up to E rank. Ah, a bit disappointing.
Suppressing the feeling of disappointment, I sheathe my sword firmly. And then, as I turn around--
"You... truly remarkable."
"W-wow, you're even stronger than we thought!?"
The two are dumbfounded.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
"Oh, what's this door?"
While conquering the dungeon, I found a door ahead.
It looks like an ordinary iron door, with nothing notable about it.
"Let's open it."
"Yeah, w-we'll confront whatever comes, bravely!!"
"Y-you're quite courageous. Well then--"
I opened the door.
And then--
"Gobbuuuu!!"
"Kobooo!!"
"Gruguuu!!"
A horde of 5 goblins.
A horde of 3 kobolds.
A pair of wolves.
A total of 10 monsters were packed into a room the size of a gymnasium.
"T-this... c-could it be..."
"I-isn't this... a Monster House...?"
The two are despairing blatantly.
Their reaction is natural because this is indeed a "Monster House."
As the name suggests, a Monster House refers to a room where monsters appear in large numbers. They mainly appear in one room of a dungeon, and 30 to 100 monsters appear at once.
Additionally, once you enter a Monster House, you can't escape from that room until you defeat all the monsters. Even if you try to use the item for mid-return, called a "Return Stone," its effect will be nullified by a strange magic.
Due to the inability to retreat and the sudden appearance of a large number of monsters, the survival rate of those who encounter a Monster House is significantly low. It was mentioned in the explanation column.
"Huh, so this is the rumored Monster House."
"W-why... are you... so composed...?"
"Well, you see... I've experienced it before."
Just the other day, I encountered a Monster House while conquering the dungeon solo. There were not just 10 but a total of 30 monsters.
Compared to that, a group of 10 monsters is nothing to worry about. Therefore, I'm not feeling any fear like the two, and I remain calm.
"D-don't worry. You two stay here."
I stride confidently.
Step by step, I approach the monsters.
And then, at a certain distance, I place my hand on the ground.
""Intermediate Ice Room: Cold House""
In an instant, the area turns into a silver world.
All the monsters freeze, ceasing their movements.
And then, with a clang, the ice shatters.
In a remarkably anticlimactic and instantaneous moment, all the monsters, who were just there, perish.
With just one strike of my magic.
[You leveled up]
"Phew, it's over."
I turn around and smile at the two.
Their mouths gape open in astonishment--
"Huh?"