On the 12th Floor, Isao, Daphne, and Cassandra were on the rampage. The three of them killed all the monsters within their sight.
Still, while Isao killed many of the monsters during their expedition, his focus had always been on Daphne and Cassandra, who had just gotten their new weapons, watching them and also teaching them.
Frankly, compared to Cassandra, his focus was on Daphne, as her weapon was a rapier, and she suited well to learn "Insect Breathing," which was one of his favorite breathing techniques.
Daphe also learned well under him, learning Isao's techniques with full dedication and focus. Isao might be strict, but frankly, she didn't mind being taught strictly by him. Or rather, she wanted him to be harder on her~!
Meanwhile, Isao wasn't sure how to teach Cassandra, especially when her weapon was a bow. He hardly used a long-range weapon, and his skill at arrow and bow was so-so, if he had to say. If there was something fortunate, he replicated Riveria's DNA, which was that of the high elf.
Besides being known as the strongest magician in Orario, Riveria's skill at long-range weapons was also top-notch, so Isao could teach Cassandra.
Still, besides being an archer, Cassandra was also a healer, which made her role highly versatile.
Frankly, with the three of them, they could conquer the dungeon.
As for the supporter who would pick up their drop items after they killed monsters, there was no need for such a thing as Isao could control a monster, which could be used to pick up all the items for them.
Watching a kobold controlled by Isao, who could pick up many of those items silently, without being asked to pay, and even obedient without being afraid of betrayal, Daphne and Cassandra were happy, especially when their Familia needed a lot of money to invest in their business.
But then again, watching Isao, who was on their side, they wondered whether there was something that he could do.
"Watch where you are! Don't lose your focus!"
"Ye-Yes!"
Shaking his head, Isao glanced at Daphne, then focused on Cassandra. Unlike Daphne, this gloomy woman needed his extra attention. Her choice of weapon was also troublesome as it needed ammunition. Fortunately, he created a magic bow, which made her able to conjure an arrow of light whenever she pulled the string.
How was he able to create it?
Well, if he had to say, it was all thanks to the DNA of the heroes from the world of "Tondemo Skill," who gave him a holy affinity. Along with the DNA of Welf and Hephaestus, creating such a magic weapon was nothing for him.
Naturally, Daphne's rapier also had a special ability, but let's talk about that later.
"Now that you mention it, what is our aim for this expedition?"
As Daphne killed a Needle Rabbit, she couldn't help but ask this question.
"Let's go as far as we can."
Frankly, Isao could level up to a Level 3, especially after he had a War Game with the Apollo Familia, gone to the world of "Mahouka," fought against an army, and had a duel with Aiz. Or rather, as he often had a spar with Aiz in his home, it would be impossible for him not to level up.
For one to level up, it wasn't necessary for one to go to a dungeon since as long as they fought someone, they should be able to level up.
Still, he thought of becoming a Level 3 together with Daphne and Cassandra as they were almost to become a Level 3, too. At the same time, even if he didn't level up, all the points on his status would continue to increase instead of stuck up, so it didn't really matter whether he leveled up or not.
After all, unlike most of the living beings, whose status was only limited to S-Rank, he could increase his status to an SSS-rank!
'Thanks, Bell!'
Isao thought inwardly, and at the same time, he wondered where Bell was as he had hardly heard about this guy's news after Bell entered the Freya Familia. He still hoped for Bell to pay his debt, so if possible, he didn't want Bell to die.
"If possible, I want to fight the Amphisbaena."
"Oh." 2x
Daphne and Cassandra nodded, but then they fell into silence.
"Um..." Cassandra looked at Isao timidly and asked unsurely, "Isao-kun, the Amphibaene, you mean is the Monster Rex on the 27th Floor?"
"That one."
"....." 2x
"It's fine." Isao also understood why they hesitated. "If we are in danger, we will run away. You might not know if I want to run away; even deities can stop me."
"..." 2x
Hearing this brag of his, while they were speechless as Isao proudly told them that he was good at running away, they had to say it was reassuring, but then, when they thought the two skills, which he mentioned to them before they entered the dungeon, they also had a confidence that they could run away if the situation really called for it.
Still, as they heard their target, somehow, the enemies before them appeared weak, and they also used this chance to hone their skills.
Only when the situation was so peaceful did a group of six suddenly run in their direction.
Isao also noticed them, and they appeared to be familiar for some reason. At the same time, he had to say they practically exuded the aura of poverty, which made him shake his head inwardly. Among those groups, three were female, and three were male, with one of them being injured and carried by a man who appeared to be the leader of this group.
"...what's wrong with them?" Daphne looked at the group of six in the distance with a doubt.
"Wait..." Cassandra suddenly noticed something, especially when her eyes became as sharp as an eagle after Isao bestowed her the DNA of an eagle. With her eyes, she could see those groups of people appearing as if they had made a painful decision before they ran in their direction. Moreover, she could also see many shadows that appeared inside the cave from where those groups came from.
"Don't tell me, are they going to make us take the aggro of the monsters behind?!"
Whether it was Cassandra or Daphne, their expressions were ugly. Still, unlike those people who panicked, they had Isao, and even if there were many monsters, it was nothing, especially when Isao had defeated hundreds of the Apollo Familia alone.
As expected—
"We're going there, Mikoto!"
"Eh? What do you mean, Ouka?!"
"I care more about the lives of you than the lives of the people that I have never seen before!"
After saying those words, the man ran directly toward Isao's group, along with the group, who couldn't say anything.
The young woman named Mikoto appeared to be struggling before, in the end, she followed them.
Naturally, Isao saw and heard their plan.
Or rather, he heard their conversation clearly. Frankly, even though they came from the Far East, he wondered why they were so cruel toward him.
"What should we do, Isao-kun?" Daphne asked worriedly.
"They want to sacrifice our lives. Why should we be kind to them?" Isao shook his head and said, "Let's go."
He wasn't like Bell Cranel, who accepted the status quo and could only forgive those groups of people who tried to use them as a meat shield to stay alive.
Yes, he was a good guy, but when people tried to harm him, did they expect him to return their act with goodness?
"Ok." 2x
The three took out paper talismans and put them on their foreheads. Suddenly, their figures vanished, and they also quickly ran away from their location.
However, those people who wanted to use Isao, Daphne, and Cassandra as a meat shield were in despair as they didn't expect the three of them to suddenly run away and vanish. At the same time, the surrounding monsters also chased after them, and they were in a dire situation where they would die!
"T-They disappear!"
"Th-They know about our plan!"
"Wh-What should we do?!"
Facing all of those monsters that surrounded them, they could do nothing except wail in despair. They were all just mere Level 2 adventurers, after all, and faced dozens of monsters that surrounded them; they were about to finish!
As those people were in despair, there was no trace of pity on Cassandra or Daphne. It was a dungeon, a place where everyone could gain glory and death. This was a normal situation.
At the same time, this was the end of the lives of the bad people.
If they asked for their help, begging, then whether Cassandra or Daphne knew that Isao would help them, but as they wanted them to become their sacrifice, a meatshield, so they could run away, then don't expect them to help them.
As they hid, becoming invisible with Isao's ability, they watched the entire scene in silence, and frankly, they marveled at this ability of his!
Thinking about his goal on this expedition, somehow, they had confidence that they could do it!
"Should we go, Isao-kun?" Daphne asked softly, thinking that they shouldn't waste their time and might as well dig deeper into the dungeon and aim for the Monster Rex!
"Hmm..." Isao looked at those people and felt that they were familiar, so—
'Let's get their DNA first.'
As he detached one of his fingers and transformed it into a fly, he made it land on all of those people, letting him replicate their DNAs.
[You have acquired Kashima Ouka's DNA.]
[Do you want to absorb it?]
[You have acquired Yamato Mikoto's DNA.]
[Do you want to absorb it?]
'Oh!'
Isao remembered who they were, but as their role was minimal, he didn't really bother to remember them, and frankly, their potential was just so-so. If someone gave him a surprise, it would be Mikoto, who had the magic to manipulate gravity.
"Let's go."
Isao had gotten their DNA, and he thought about leaving, letting them die under the rampaging monsters.
Only—
"HELP!"
The young woman, whose face was hidden under her hair and being carried by the man who appeared to be the leader, shouted. "I AM SORRY FOR OUKA AND EVERYONE! I KNOW THAT HE HAD DECIDED TO MAKE A CRUEL DECISION, AND EVERYONE ACCEPTED IT, BUT I HOPE THAT YOU FORGIVE US AND SAVE US! I KNOW THAT THIS IS A SELFISH WISH OF MINE! PLEASE, I BEG YOU! I WILL DO ANYTHING! PLEASE! PLEASE!"
The young woman, who was hurt and being carried by the young man, begged with tears as she could see that all of her friends were about to die. She knew that she didn't have the right to make this request, especially when all of them were going to use Isao, Daphne, and Cassandra as a sacrifice.
Yet, even so, she didn't want to die, and she didn't want the others to die, so even if it was ugly, disgusting, and many others, she kept begging. Even if her wounds worsened as she used all of her might to beg, she kept begging.
As for her friends, they were already in despair, especially when some of them had serious injuries.
Only—
All of the monsters who surrounded them were suddenly killed and slaughtered without any mercy.
While many of her friends passed out, she remained conscious and watched the familiar figure, whose red spider lily and centipede tattoo glow ominously yet seductively.
"You owe me."
His voice was like a devil's whisper.
"Y-Yes!" Her heart was beating fast from both fear and also strange feelings, realizing what kind of person they had almost made enemies. "Th-Thank you very much!"
"I can heal them too, but what can you pay?"
"My everything."
Those words came naturally.
"...."
Isao was speechless, but watching her thin yet lascivious lips that she used to beg gave a strange shiver in his body.
'No! I can't! I'm a good person!'
With how raw this world was, Isao almost forgot that he tried to become a good person, and this definitely wasn't good as he couldn't sink himself into the old way, the bad way. Taking a deep breath and calming himself, he said, "You should go out and rest after they come out from the dungeon."
Saying those words, he used the healing magic he gained after replicating Airmid's DNA.
'Dia Fratel.'
At that moment, within a radius of five meters, all of those who were injured were healed, and those who were hurt quickly recovered.
Then, when everything was finished, Isao left directly and didn't bother to see their reactions since their value in his mind had been as good as gone. "Let's go, Daphne, Cassandra."
However, in terms of beauty, Daphne and Cassandra were far better.
"Yes!" 2x
When Isao left, she bowed her head even though she couldn't see him anymore.
Nevertheless, Isao's decision to help those people surprised Daphne and Cassandra.
"What's with that face? It's disgusting."
Still, being mocked as disgusting by him instead of angry, their expressions flushed red strangely.
Isao sighed inwardly as they watched their reaction, thinking that being a good person was hard.
Nevertheless, their expedition was quite smooth, and they could easily reach the 17th Floor of the dungeon without much trouble. Moreover, as their luck was good, they also got many rare drop items, which could be fetched for a good amount of money. They thought that this might be the result of being a good person, and fate gave them a good reward.
However, as they walked deeper into the dungeon, reaching Level 18th, they realized that the trouble they encountered was far more troublesome.
"RUUNNN!!!"
"NO, DON'T KILL ME! DON'T PUSH ME!"
"PLEASE HELP! ANYONE!"
Watching the chaos and destruction on the 18th Floor, Cassandra gulped and asked timidly, "Um, Isao-kun, can we run away now?"
---
By the way, if I make a romance novel as usual, do you want me to make a high school character or a working adult?