NOVEL NEXT Chapter 90: Long Live Equality!
The shock about the ras language was brief.
I wondered for a moment how to catch the two Andras. Since they were beings I could communicate with, I thought maybe I could recruit them as subordinates or prisoners even if it was a sub-dungeon.
[Notice: Monsters in sub-dungeons cannot be recruited as subordinates or prisoners!]
"Tsk."
I was genuinely disappointed. I thought I might see wing-flapping twerking instead of birdbrain twerking, but if it was systematically blocked, there was nothing I could do. In the end, I had to choose between killing them or turning back here.
If they were targets I had to kill anyway, I needed to know enemy information. I scanned the enemy information that had been ringing since the moment I entered the boss room.
[Demi-human Andras: (Levi) ★★★ Lv.55]
[Demi-human Andras: (Unz) ★★★ Lv.55]
Both had the same level and species. And just in case, I thought about whether there was a way to coax and persuade them well, but
[Notice: Sub-dungeon BOSSes cannot be recruited as subordinates or captured as prisoners!!]
The system was merciless. It didn't need to emphasize it, but notifying me twice was slightly annoying. The two Andras became targets to kill, and I clenched my fist tight.
"How should I kill you?"
"That's what we should be saying!"
"Honey, after we catch that thing... let's ras!"
Just now, one demi-human Andras planted a death flag hard. And the one executing that death flag was me. The two Andras separated their bodies and sharpened their claws. Unlike the previous Andras, these were claws like aura condensed with mana.
'If I get slashed, it won't end with just pain.'
As expected, I did well coming in first to check. I clenched my hands tight and beckoned the two Andras to come first.
"If I win, you two are going to ras-land."
"That perverted pig bastard!!"
The highest compliment and provocation. I rolled up my robe and brushed off my hands once hard against the two Andras, Levi-Unz, rushing at me.
"The warriors of the orc tribe have rules!"
If a true warrior, regardless of what the opponent is, they give their all in battle.
"I don't go easy just because the appearance is female!"
Whether male or female, human or monster, if the opponent rushes to kill me, it's human nature to fight with full power, staking life and honor.
"Long live equality!"
I equally thrust straight punches into the bellies of the two Andras rushing from both sides.
Thwack—!!
"Keheuk!"
Even before they could scratch with black claws, I who'd been still jumped forward and stabbed both their bellies. The Andras coughed and stopped their actions. Left and right, I briefly wondered which to catch first.
'One pointed out belly fat, one pointed out tattoos.'
Levi? Unz? From today, these bastards are Belly Fat and Tattoo.
Though I didn't want them. I slightly pulled back the fist extended toward the Andras who pointed out tattoos, then thrust it forward again.
Boom—!!
Tattoo coughed and retreated backward. Though it was a short distance, she had no choice but to retreat from the consecutive punches.
"Ggieeeek!!"
The Andras who pointed out belly fat shrieked and tried to scratch with claws. While I attacked Tattoo, Belly Fat endured the pain and tried to stab claws into my arm.
"Where do you think!"
I swept across like crossing fingers at Tattoo. Lightly flicking above the pinky finger, the tattoos all over my body began to glow red.
Berserker.
My vision started turning red, and I succeeded in pulling my arm out just before the claws touched. But Belly Fat was a dungeon boss too, so completely avoiding was too much.
Fwoosh—!!
Three sharp lacerations appeared on the lower part of my arm. Dark drops of blood splattered in the red vision. Belly Fat showed eerie glee and smiled widely at drawing blood on my arm.
"Keuhehe!"
And I smiled widely too. Belly Fat's smile froze briefly. I reached toward Belly Fat's collar with my bleeding arm and grabbed the back of her neck before she could pull her head back.
"Ke, keheuk?!"
Belly Fat grabbed my wrist and started scratching with claws. Though not as deep a laceration as before, the claws still dug in. But it stung rather than hurt.
Let's handle this as quickly as possible. I slammed the hand gripping Belly Fat's collar straight toward the floor. With the sound of the wing on her back cracking, Belly Fat coughed and struggled.
"What use is a level 55 attacking. Pfhuu."
Crack.
I crushed and broke her neck. The Andras that had been Belly Fat stuck out her tongue and dropped her head to the side. One down, sent off very easily.
"Ggieeeeek!!"
Tattoo rushed at me again with a shriek and bloodshot eyes. Feeling confusion and fear at her partner's death, she tried to burst out anger at me filled with revenge. So I stepped one foot forward to shatter the bastard rushing in a straight line arm and all, then swung my other foot in a kick.
Thwack—!
Tattoo's waist bent hard. With the sound of her spine crushing, the Andras rolled her eyes and foamed at the mouth. I retrieved my leg before the claws touched, then grabbed the Andras's neck again and threw her to the floor with a slam.
Thud!
Tattoo fell on top of Belly Fat. Because she happened to fall on the part with claws set up, I heard the sound of black claws stabbing into Tattoo's belly.
Ggieeeeek...
The two demi-human Andras screamed and scattered as mist. Belly Fat and Tattoo who scattered as ash left only two pairs of fairly long black wings and sharp claws before disappearing.
"Ah, ugh."
After combat. When 3 minutes passed, my vision returned to normal and dizziness arose. Perhaps because I fought ignoring the wounds despite being injured, the combat's recoil was no joke.
'This much will recover before long though.'
Still, being an orc, the species' unique recovery helped in many ways. I lowered my robe sleeves again.
'I do need armor though.'
Or a weapon like an iron mace from before. As the pain gradually subsided, I examined the items the demi-human Andras left behind. Black wings and claws. If the slime sub-dungeon had the slime dragon itself as material reward, apparently Andras was a place that dropped wings and claws.
First, the claws. I picked up the three claws the Andras left behind. The black claws curved like hooks were attached to fairly hard-looking soles. I held them and scratched the floor hard.
"Whoa, this is almost plow level?"
If I attached a wooden stick or fitted it in a groove to scrape dirt, it had perfect hardness for pioneering barren land. Of course, it was a proper weapon while being a farming tool. Though the demi-human Andras scratched with full power, that sharpness was enough to lacerate my skin.
"...."
I slightly lifted my robe and scratched my belly with the black claw. I scratched fairly hard as if tilling the ground, but only felt the refreshing sensation of scratching my back with my fingernail.
"Damn it."
As always, my belly was much harder and tougher compared to other places. When facing Eila's expedition, I even used it as a weapon, but it'd be much better if it just disappeared even if it became a weakness.
'What if I'm still like this after becoming 5-star.'
If I go the Grand Warrior tech tree as a fighter, maybe I'll lose weight somehow. I gathered the materials the Andras left—
"Ah. Stack."
I checked my evolution state.
[Evolution: Evolving (Rok Grimfang Shek).]
[Grand Warrior]
1).Max out level. (75/90)
2).Defeat 5 or more enemies with higher level than yourself 1-on-1 (0/5)
3).Defeat 3 or more ★★★★★ enemies. (1/3)
"1 stack, jackpot."
The level was still maintained. Probably because I caught monsters far lower level than me, and I'd given up on leveling until a dungeon or enemy with similar level appeared anyway.
What was important was the third condition. I'd defeated the dungeon boss with lower level but higher rank than me, Andras (★★★★★). While I wasn't paying attention, that stack accumulated by one.
"This..."
A bad thought entered my head.
'I can stack each separately, right?'
I didn't necessarily have to do 2 and 3 together. If there were more low-level, high-rank individuals like Andras, they'd be convenient to catch.
"I hope the gate to other dungeons opens soon."
If only some new dungeon would open near here like the Andras dungeon. I was disappointed but scanned the surroundings to find the dungeon exit. There was definitely a shortcut somewhere.
"...."
About 1 hour.
No matter how much I searched, there wasn't one.
In the end, I had to run back the way I came through the sub-dungeon.
***
There was a bit more time left until the dungeon rank increased.
I wondered how to use this remaining time and decided to run the sub-dungeon twice.
"All our dungeon's main named personnel have gathered."
Lune (Lv.35) who'd fainted but somehow regained consciousness and returned.
Eila (Lv.25) who joined after diligently teaching Arthur and organizing the stockade.
Lime (Lv.35) who'd been digging the dungeon as I instructed.
And finally, Hases (Lv.19).
Beings who could be called 'executive class' had all gathered, and I entered the Andras sub-dungeon with them and explained the dungeon's structure and the enemies that appeared.
And I taught them the pattern I'd discovered to make leveling easy.
"At first, a level 20 male Andras comes out. And next, a level 20 female Andras comes out."
Male and female appearing alternately.
"And once a pair passes, the next Andras's level increases by 2."
A level 20 pair, a level 22 pair, then next a level 24 pair.
"Lune, then what level would the 7th male-female pair of Andras be?"
"Um... starting at 20, so if the 6th is 30, the 7th is 32?"
"Yeah, I thought so too but it was 31?"
I carved letters on the wall with Andras claws.
If we considered a pair of enemies as a wave, waves 1-6 increased by 2 levels from level 20 to 30, but waves 7-10 increased by 1 from level 31 to 34.
How did I check? I confirmed by touching all the female Andras. What I touched is a secret.
"In other words, as the dungeon gets deeper, the opponent's difficulty also rises."
Difficulty wasn't a problem for me at all, but there were many things to consider for the named ones who had to give exp to other subordinates.
"Up to here is exactly 20. And right before the boss room, 5 come out."
"What level are they?"
"...Don't know."
They were all male Andras so I didn't even think of checking. Didn't want to check. But considering they couldn't evolve to demi-human Andras, they were probably all around level 35.
"Couldn't evolve, so probably five level 35s? That's the end. Inside the dungeon, there are 25 total."
"Ggieeeek..."
While talking and walking, one Andras appeared. The sight of sticking out its tongue sideways like a sick chicken and rubbing its back against the dirt wall was truly abnormal.
"Hases, go on."
Keureuek.
Hases immediately walked forward and rushed at the Andras. The Andras blankly stared at Hases, then recognized Hases as clearly an enemy and raised its arms high.
"Ras!!"
"...."
Shouting ras at Hases, it was definitely crazy. Hases and the Andras bickered with arms and scratched each other wildly, and eventually Hases won by first stabbing claws into the Andras's neck.
Keureureu.
"As expected, facing similar levels takes time."
"Then it's my turn."
Eila drew the sword at her waist. It was an iron sword looted from the hunters' village, but Eila handled it skillfully like a beloved sword she'd used since long ago.
The next Andras.
"Kereuek, kereuek, kereuek."
Though a female Andras, she was spread-eagled against the wall rubbing her forehead on it. Dirt dust fell and got on her body, but the Andras didn't care.
"I'll cut her down."
Swoosh. Eila cut down the level 20 Andras too easily in one strike. It was a clean motion without waste, and Eila sheathed the sword with a nonchalant face.
"I cut down something trivial."
"If it's trivial because the level's low, Eila, what are you going to do with Lime and me? Then everything becomes a trivial existence in front of Master anyway."
At Lune's jab, Eila blushed. I suddenly recalled the memory of the day Eila was captured by me.
Eila Aries, she was quite the type to show off her skills more than expected.
"I apologize..."
"No, you don't need to be embarrassed. You can gradually build your skills from now on."
Just kill them one by one matching the level. We matched each person's level and had Hases and Eila face as many Andras as possible.
"Huhu, another trivial thing."
Keureureuek.
"Hases says don't act cocky when you barely won."
"...Is that your thought, Lune, or Hases's sincerity?"
Keureureuek.
Hases banged his head against the wall as if wronged.