Chapter 36: Tsubaki Collbrande!
"Cough~ Cough~" Amidst a bout of light coughing, fresh blood stained Ethan's lips.
The impact was not light at all. Feeling the pain in his body, Ethan couldn't help but feel a bit of sorrow and anger.
Given a little more time, he was certain he could have slaughtered all these monsters.
At the same time, at this moment, Ethan's desire for 'power' had climbed to its peak.
'Well, if this isn't karma finally remembering my address.' Ethan murmured self-deprecatingly.
Moreover, he regretted his past 'negligence' and 'laziness'.
Maybe if he had worked a bit harder before, perhaps he wouldn't be in such a dire situation now.
Just like when he received his college entrance exam results in his previous life, which were not ideal, leaving him to attend a slightly lesser reputable university.
He didn't care much at the time, thinking of university as just a mere transition, idling his days away, since he wasn't necessarily going to work in his field of interest after graduation.
However, after graduation, when he started applying for jobs with his lackluster resume, he realized the cost of laziness he indulged in required much more time and effort to compensate for later.
Without any notable achievements, high-value certificates, awards, or anything impressive to offer, better companies wouldn't even give him a second glance, forcing him to try one failed interview after another.
At first, he had requirements and standards for his working place, but later, he was grateful for any interview opportunity.
Now, history repeated itself, and he regretted once again.
Once again, his laziness got the better of him. And, he's reaping the consequences.
As an adventurer, he should've been cautious, making all sorts of necessary preparations before heading into the dungeon.
The dungeon is not a playground, it's a battlefield where a single mistake might cost someone their lives.
"Damn, it really hurts~~"
At this moment, Ethan's left pinky finger had vanished, leaving behind a bleeding stump.
Not just the finger, various parts of his body—arms, legs, chest, back—bore wounds of varying degrees, and his clothes were soaked in blood, even dripping from the hem.
Within Ethan, the black mud continuously repaired his injuries, but the damage was too severe for a quick recovery.
"Roar—"
At that moment, another group of monsters charged at him again, and Ethan, without a second thought, hurled his black sword.
"Broken Phantasm—"
"Boom—" The projected black sword exploded among the monsters, killing all within a five-meter radius.
Although powerful, Ethan's magic reserve was nearly depleted, and he couldn't project a second sword.
"Roar—"
"Thud—" A Needle Rabbit attacked from behind, piercing through Ethan's shoulder with its sharp horn before he could react.
"Damn it~" Ethan retaliated with a sword strike, killing it instantly, but the wound on his shoulder worsened his already grim situation.
The surrounding monsters didn't give Ethan a chance to relax, relentlessly charging at him. They wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.
"What's going on over there?"
At this moment, near the entrance to the seventeenth floor, a figure approached.
Seeing the dense crowd of monsters in front, she was startled, thinking such a gathering of monsters could only be found in the lower or deeper floors.
This was only the seventeenth floor, considered middle floors, where such a scenario was unlikely to occur.
"Is that an adventurer up ahead? Looks like he's in a tough spot!"
Due to the terrain, she spotted Ethan amidst the monster siege and realized his dire situation.
Normally, other adventurers would avoid getting involved, as it's easy to risk one's life in such a situation, especially in the dungeon where lack of strength often leads to death.
However, she was not one of those cowards, she was willing to help if able, driven by a sense of compassion.
"Perfect, I wanted to test this blade anyway. Let's use these monsters for practice!"
She drew a blade from her waist, resembling a samurai sword but with slight differences: broader, sharper, with a serrated edge, and a longer hilt.
With a swift strike, she bisected a Minotaur, a sight so gruesome it could make many vegans vomit.
Even the Minotaur's magic stone was shattered by her overwhelming power.
"Huh? Someone's there?"
Engaged in battle, Ethan noticed the newcomer.
He saw monsters being efficiently killed with each strike, making him wonder if this was a high-level adventurer.
"Bang—"
While distracted, an Orc hit Ethan in the stomach with its weapon, and the severe pain brought him back to his senses.
Then he killed the Orc with his backhand, and then continued to fight other monsters.
"Distracted in battle isn't a good habit. Just hold on a bit longer; I'll deal with these monsters quickly."
Hearing the cheerful voice from afar, Ethan was momentarily surprised. Was this person really here to help?
It wasn't strange for him to be cautious; he'd faced too much malice from other adventurers before, often narrowly escaping death.
In less than ten minutes, the area was cleared of monsters.
Ethan was at a loss for words upon seeing the woman before him.
A dark-skinned woman with a stunning figure, wielding a blade that had quickly eliminated all monsters, was beyond surprise.
"I owe you my life. If there's anything I can do for you, just say the word!"
"Well, which Familia are you from?"
"Freya Familia~"
"Freya Familia?"
She seemed surprised, as Freya Familia members were rarely seen in Orario.
But her own goddess has a good relationship with goddess Freya, leading to frequent interactions between their Familias. So, she often receives tasks from Freya Familia.
"I am Tsubaki Collbrande, from Hephaestus Familia."
"You're Tsubaki-san?"
"You know of me?"
"As the strongest mortal blacksmith in Orario, how could your name be unfamiliar?"
"You flatter me~"
As a blacksmith, she was naturally pleased to receive such praise for her craftsmanship.
Especially since Ethan was quite good looking, Tsubaki had a very good first impression of him, particularly impressed by his perseverance in the recent ordeal.
Such a vicious 'monster party' would likely have overwhelmed even a level 2 adventurer.
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