HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

Gazing at the shimmering portal, Yae Sakura couldn't help but feel intrigued. This wasn't technically a 'Fortress' dungeon, but still, how could she resist such an opportunity? To dismiss the advice of a 'S' class Valkyrie, who was also carrying a little fox named Higokumaru no less, seemed foolhardy.

This Higokumaru might look like an endearing little fox, but... she was a Herrscher, capable of destroying civilizations. Of course, Higokumaru likely didn't possess all her abilities from her peak as the Herrscher of Corruption, but... her power was still formidable.

"Alright, Higokumaru... let's go!" Yae Sakura glanced at the other adventurers, grouped in twos and threes, then paid them no further heed. She grabbed her fox-eared sidekick by the hand and strode towards the glowing portal.

"Yes, Big Sister."

The two Beast Girls, one big and one small, entered the curtain of light just like that.

After stepping into the glowing portal, Yae Sakura felt a shift in the light, then found herself in a dimly lit place.

Looking up, she saw that the sun was no longer there. Instead, a blood-red moon hung in the air, and the sky was so dark it was hard to tell what might be above. There were no other stars to be seen.

In truth, even this blood moon was false. It was merely a projection from the core of the Underground City. However, thanks to it, they at least had a faint amount of illumination.

"So... this is the underworld?" Yae Sakura surveyed her surroundings. Most of the area appeared to be made of stone.

Despite the name "Underground City," it wasn't simply a series of caves but an entire world beneath the earth.

Besides Yae Sakura and Higokumaru, there were also some groups of adventurers in the area, mostly consisting of 5 to 20 people.

There were few pairs like Yae Sakura and Higokumaru; basically none. The adventurers who entered the dungeon were different from when they were outside. They all hurried in the same direction, rushing away.

Those who saw other adventurers all tacitly agreed to not acknowledge each other, ignoring them completely.

"Time is pressing. We can't afford to waste any."

Yae looked at the quest before her. Below it was a timer counting down: (00:00:12)...

"Higokumaru, let's go..."

Yae immediately ran off in the direction she knew well, taking Higokumaru along with her.

Based on the intelligence Yae had gathered, the world of the underground city was a chaotic maze with many passages. However, if one just kept going straight down any passage, they would eventually reach an entrance to the second level.

There were numerous entrances, and most passages led to them.

However, the further they ventured... the more formidable the demonic beasts and magical creatures... and the traps became.

-

"Falling Cherry Blossoms Slash!"

A pink sword slash ompanied by cherry blossoms, flashed forward. The dozen or so three-meter-tall Giant Eaters ahead of them collapsed to the ground, dead on impact.

Without sparing them a glance, Yae Sakura continued running, simultaneously nonchalantly sheathing her spiritual blade.

"Big Sister, you're too slow like this. Let me carry you down!" Higokumaru, trailing behind Yae Sakura, suggested.

Although Yae Sakura's prowess allowed her to navigate the dungeon as if cheat codes were enabled—dispatching any monster with a single slash—she was still too slow to secure the highest rewards.

"Fine..." Yae Sakura halted, checking the time.

Five minutes had already elapsed, yet they hadn't reached the entrance to the second level. At this rate... an hour would undeniably be insufficient.

Initially reluctant to rely on Higokumaru's power, she now realized it was inevitable.

"Get on! Big Sister."

Higokumaru promptly transformed into a three-meter-tall flame fox and crouched down before Yae Sakura.

Yae Sakura wasted no time, lightly leaping onto Higokumaru's back.

"Big Sister, hold on tight!"

Once Yae Sakura was secure, Higokumaru stood up.

Blue fox fire ignited on all four of Higokumaru's paws, while its five tails bore flames of orange and red, illuminating the surrounding passage. The fox's mouth revealed sharp fangs, formidable enough to outclass even a Tyrannosaurus rex's bite strength.

Once Higokumaru rose to her feet, she immediately began to run on all fours. Her speed was astonishing, akin to a racecar's, as the surroundings blurred into a series of flashes too quick to decipher.

Ahead lay numerous demonic beasts and traps, but they posed no threat to Higokumaru, who charged through them with reckless abandon.

In her wake, she left a trail of fox fire, incinerating the demonic beasts in a blaze of glory.

-

In the first underground layer, near the entrance to the second, lived a pack of Jackalmen. As minions of the Demon Lord, their primary task was to wait for adventurers to challenge them.

These Jackalmen resembled hyenas, standing on two legs like humans, with similar body proportions.

Lazy and brutal, they lacked any natural talent. Yet, these treacherous creatures had set numerous deadly traps along the path all adventurers must take, lying in wait for their prey to literally walk into their jaws.

Every moment, these Jackalmen yearned for the arrival of adventurers. In this underground world, apart from those unpalatable mushrooms, there was little of substance to eat.

An adventurer's flesh, however, was a veritable taste of paradise.

As these Jackalmen munched on the bitter mushrooms, daydreaming of adventurers delivering themselves to their doorstep, a commotion stirred in the distance.

In an instant, every Jackalman sprang to its feet. They sensed it... their prey was coming.

All at once, the Jackalmen brandished their crude weapons and hurried to the edge of the trap, waiting eagerly for their victims to arrive.

But...

As the noise grew louder, the Jackalmen realized something was amiss. Judging by the sound... weren't these adventurers moving too quickly?

Before they could finish their thoughts, a giant beast engulfed in flames had already charged towards them. This wasn't the prey they imagined, but a fox bringing death.

Facing the traps and Jackalmen ahead, the flaming fox showed not even a hint of stopping or hesitation, charging directly and recklessly forward.

The traps didn't even have a chance to trigger before they were obliterated by the flames on the fox's body.

The Jackalmen ahead, stunned and unable to flee in time, were crushed to death by the fire fox as it stampeded through. The remaining few... caught aflame by the fox's flames, which wouldn't extinguish, and perished.

Unfazed by the Jackalmen, the charging fox paid them no heed, its speed not faltering in the slightest as it continued towards its goal.