I explored every corner of the Monster House, collecting whatever I could find. Mainly, it was equipment that had belonged to the adventurers who had died here.
I found cooking tools like pots and knives, sleeping bags, spare clothes—basically, anything that might help me survive in this new world. Naturally, I took it all.
But that wasn't the only discovery.
"..."
The cursed sword laughed in disbelief. "Ha! Who would've thought we'd find someone alive in this room!"
The Monster House was littered with the corpses of fallen adventurers. But, somehow, one had managed to survive.
If you could even call it surviving.
The person lay on the ground, barely clinging to life, their body mostly eaten. It was all bone and sinew, almost like a husk of a person.
Limbs had been ripped off, leaving them nothing more than a torso—a completely dismembered state. Frankly, it was a miracle they were even still alive.
"I think it must be their intelligence—their magic status must be incredibly high," the cursed sword said. "A high-level mage will unconsciously create a magic barrier around themselves to mitigate magic recoil. That barrier likely saved them, but... well..."
It didn't need to say more. The person was on death's doorstep, clinging to life by a thread. It was obvious they wouldn't last long without intervention.
"..."
There was a living human in front of me, and I had two choices: let them die or consume them.
Consuming souls allowed me to acquire my victims' abilities. I had gained powers from the monsters I'd eaten so far.
So, if I ate a human, I'd likely gain whatever skills they had too.
And it was obvious that this dying person had been powerful. They'd survived in this hellish place, albeit barely. Even the cursed sword had recognized them as a high-level mage.
If I consumed their soul, I might gain powerful magic—an invaluable weapon.
"..."
Letting them die wasn't an option. Whether I ate them or left them, they were going to die either way. I had to choose what would benefit me the most.
I did have reservations about eating a human, but I wanted to live.
And if I wanted to survive in this hell, I had to do whatever it took. I knelt down, pulling out my gun—Lucky Gun, Trigger Happy.
I pointed the muzzle at the dying person's forehead.
"…a...ri...ga...to..."
"?!"
Still alive? Could they still speak?
Were they going to beg for mercy? Plead for me to spare them?
But instead...
"…Thank... you..."
What?
Why are they thanking me?
The sword laughed. "Maybe they're thanking you for making it quick, for ending their suffering. Well, look at that, Saiga. This one is ready to die. Go ahead and put them out of their misery."
I felt a surge of irritation.
I was about to kill them for my own sake. It was my decision.
And yet, this person had the nerve to accept death as if it was some merciful gesture. As if I was doing them a favor. It annoyed me to no end.
"Don't get me wrong," I growled.
"This isn't for you. It's for me."
I imbued a skill into the gun and glared at them.
"I'm not your savior. I decide my own path."
I pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet hit its mark, but instead of death, something else happened.
The ruined body began to heal, regenerating at an astonishing speed. Flesh grew back where it had been torn away, limbs reformed, and the person's vitality returned.
The cursed sword spoke, amazed. "This is… the Unharmed skill! By imbuing the bullet, you used it to heal instead of harm!"
Normally, Unharmed was a personal skill that prevented wounds on oneself. But by using it in a bullet, I was able to heal someone else's injuries.
The sword chuckled. "I thought you were going to kill them and take their skill. What a gentle soul you are."
"Shut up," I snapped.
I had thought about killing them and taking their skill. But…
"I didn't want them to see me as some hero, that's all."
The sword laughed mockingly. "You're really something, Saiga. Even after being cast into hell, you refuse to lose your humanity. I don't dislike that."
Stupid sword. I ignored it.
The bullet infused with Unharmed worked wonders. Before long, the person's body was fully restored.
"She's a woman," the sword said, almost sounding amused.
Indeed, a naked woman lay before me. Her slender frame, her curves—it was almost like a model's perfect proportions.
And there was one more thing.
"An elf…"
Pointed ears poked out from the sides of her head—an elf, a staple of many fantasy worlds.
"An elf with that level of intelligence makes sense," the sword noted. "So, what now, Saiga? There's a beautiful, naked woman in front of you."
Unharmed could restore the body but not clothing, leaving her completely exposed.
A naked woman… so what?
I stretched out my right hand. From the Black Ooze Coat, I retrieved a cloak that had belonged to another adventurer.
I draped it over her.
"Ha! You really are a kind-hearted man, aren't you?" the sword teased.
"Shut up. If I left her like this and she got attacked by another adventurer, it would be my fault. I don't want that on my conscience."
The sword laughed again. "Yeah, sure, if that's what you want to tell yourself."
"Maybe I should just leave you behind," I muttered.
"No, please don't!" the sword responded dramatically.
At least I had done the bare minimum to help. After that, whatever happened was none of my business. I would put her in the safe zone I had set up and leave her there.
Or at least, that had been the plan.
"Ugh…"
The cursed sword spoke up. "Oh, looks like she's waking up."
Of course, she was waking up now of all times. I quickly tried to leave. I didn't want her to think I had saved her.
"Wait!" she called out.
I kept walking.
"Please, wait! My savior…!"
Suddenly, I felt a firm grip on my arm. I turned around.
The elf, still half-covered by the cloak, was holding onto me.
"Please, let me thank you," she said, her voice trembling.
She had a surprisingly strong grip. Magic, maybe?
I could've used Paralyze to get away, but…
"Please… let me repay you…"
She looked at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She had no fear, no hesitation, like she truly believed I wouldn't hurt her.
The sword chuckled. "Looks like she really thinks of you as her savior. And, well, you kind of are."
Tch.
"Fine. But put some clothes on first," I said.
"Thank you so much! Wait, what? Ahh!"
The cloak I had given her had slipped off, leaving her exposed again.
"I-I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"
Honestly, there was nothing unpleasant about the sight. She was a beauty, after all.
The sword laughed knowingly. "Ah, Saiga, you are indeed a man."