I probably went way too far, since adventurers have stopped coming around! Oopsies!
Yeah, uh... I tried sticking my tongue out all playfully right now, but I don’t think it had the effect I was going for. It sure made an impact, though. Curse my huge mouth and my extra-long tongue.
Okay, I should cut it out—it’s not like I’m cute enough to pull it off.
Oh, right—I found out recently that my tongue was actually quite dextrous. In fact, if I didn’t have any limbs, my tongue would’ve been the only part I could’ve put to any use...at least, in my opinion.
Anyway, it was only natural for adventurers to grow wary and stay away from the dungeon after how many I’d killed.
There was also that one adventurer that managed to escape by teleporting. I’m pretty sure I’ve been found out. Right...
Though not everyone could use it, it seemed that at least seasoned-looking mages could teleport. There were also items that did the same thing.
Makes sense. It’s obvious to prepare an emergency escape option—their lives are on the line here, after all. But since there’re also people who don’t have that item, I think it’s safe to assume that it’s pretty expensive, at least.
I was, as always, hanging out around the entrance of the dungeon. I’d checked the time with Slatarou earlier. We were about to head into the third day, so it was currently nighttime.
So, anyway—since I’d just been sitting here, destroying adventurers left and right, this place was a hellscape of gore and agonized screams! Or...that’s how it should’ve been, in my opinion, but the place was clean.
Every time I killed someone, the cleaning crew—the same three I’d seen on the first day—would come by a little while after.
It’s always the same faces too. I wonder if they’re assigned by floor?
They always dropped by quietly, did their work without any unnecessary complaining or conversation, and then left just as quickly as they came. I could seriously feel their professionalism. But it also seemed that there were some stains that hadn’t been able to be removed, thanks to yours truly taking things too far. At least, that was what it felt like.
Oh, look—there’s a stain on the wall! It kinda looks like a tortured human face if I squint at it... I’m sure it’s just my imagination! Yep!
“Oh, but if an adventurer dies and comes back as a ghost, do they count as monsters?” I wondered out loud to myself.
“Adventurers who die here have everything used up—from their body to their souls—so I don’t think there’s anything left to become ghosts,” a voice replied.
I turned around from the wall stain that had distracted me to see a figure descending the stairs.
Huh? It can understand me? So that means it’s a monster, right?
The mysterious entity turned out to be a naked woman with a familiar face. More importantly, my danger senses were tingling something fierce; I instinctively knew that I was looking at someone I shouldn’t try to oppose.
She was the monster who’d given me that lame excuse for an explanation when I’d first woken up—Marinnie, the arachne and tenth-floor boss.
So she’s in charge? I thought. “Oh, uhh... Good eve—”
“Whoa, what’s this? A mimic? Am I right? But why does it have legs? And why is it here?”
Huh? I thought she was more of a cute, ditzy, and energetic kind of lady, but she seems genuinely surprised. Wow, that’s kind of a shock...
She seemed to regroup quickly, though, since she almost immediately returned to how she was when I first met her.
“Ahh, sorry, sorry. You’re Harumi, right? I’m Marinnie. D’you remember me?”
“Yes. Umm, sorry I’m like this...” I lowered my head. I knew how strange I looked.
“Don’t worry about that. Anyways, could you explain why you’re wandering around outside?”
I told her the truth, divulging everything that happened to me up until now. Ah, she’s clutching her head in her hands.
“Huh? But wouldn’t that mean it’s not our fault? In other words, they have no reason to complain to us!” Marinnie cried. Her expressions cycled like a wheel, jumping from surprise to joy to anger.
Meanwhile, I could almost feel my imaginary heart pounding away inside me. After all, I knew that I’d gone too far. If she were to scold me for ambushing adventurers at the entrance, well, I could only agree with her.
At first, she seemed like the lazy type—like she only does the bare minimum. So doesn’t the fact that she came all the way up here to ask for an explanation show how bad the situation is? Doesn’t this mean I’m super guilty? Will she be mad at me? Am I...gonna be executed?! No, I’ll object if it comes to that. I mean, I was thrown in here with no explanation! How could you possibly have a problem with my actions?
Since the power imbalance between us was so great, I kept my mouth shut. Regardless of how much beefier I’d gotten, this had nothing to do with personal strength.
I mean, just take the fact that I wasn’t able to leave this floor as an example. I wasn’t sure why, but I knew instinctively that it was because of Marinnie.
Marinnie finally seemed to notice how scared I was and smiled.
“Ah, sorry about ignoring you like that! Of course you’d be worried since I suddenly showed up and all. It’s fine, don’t worry. This whole incident isn’t your fault.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah, really! I’m not the type to foist the blame on kids who were just doing their job!”
I couldn’t help but slump to the floor in relief. The exhaustion when tension slips out of you is no joke.
“Anyway, I was just quiet because I was trying to think of what to do. This whole thing is a pretty big incident.”
“Um... If it isn’t too forward of me, could I ask for details?”
“The adventurers complained to us. That’s why I was out meeting them.”
Oh, right—Marinnie did come from the outside. Wait, but doesn’t that mean that she was...outside? I thought monsters couldn’t leave?
“D’you think it’s strange that I was with humans? Normally, they’re the enemy, but it’d also be a problem if they stopped dungeon diving. That’s why we make contact with them to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“I was wondering about that too, yeah, but I heard that monsters couldn’t leave the dungeon?”
“Oh, we can...if we have the permission of the dungeon’s lord, that is. That would be Lord Aldora in this case.”
I see. So that means I’m not just shut inside this place forever. Wait, no... I wonder... I don’t think I’d be able to get permission so easily...
“Anyway, they said that the casualty rates for the first floor were too high, and they wanted me to do something about it.”
“Ahh... Isn’t that all because of me, then?” I’ve killed basically every adventurer I’ve seen, after all.
“Seems so, huh?”
“Umm, am I going to get executed...or something?”
I began to feel worried. Although she said that she wouldn’t blame me, I could see a situation where she followed that up with, “...but you’re a problem, so I’m still gonna get rid of you!” I mean, she was the one who said that almost all of us on the first floor would die. Wouldn’t that mean that I was insignificant in her eyes?
“As if! Your job is to kill adventurers, so it’s all A-okay in my book!” Marinnie exclaimed with a bright smile and a thumbs-up.
Oh, what I was doing was fine! That’s great to hear.
“Then again, it’s true that erasing you would be the fastest and cleanest way to clear things up.”
Huh?! Wait a second, what’s with the change in tone?! It doesn’t match up with what you’re saying!
“But that doesn’t sit right with me... Killing a child who was just giving it their all for the sake of my own convenience, I mean. I hate stuff like that.”
Your eyes are scaring me! You’re freakin’ terrifying when you get serious! Please go back to joking around!
“Ah, ummm... I’ll stop killing adventurers if you tell me to...”
“Seriously? At this point?”
“Yeah... Ah, then how about if I handed you these high heels?”
If it weren’t for these, I would just be a weak monster. Though I’d managed to raise my level a bit, I still wouldn’t stand a chance against a group of adventurers. I’d simply die if I had to fight with my base abilities.
This makes sense as a way to settle things. I’d still prefer to live, though.
“I won’t ask for that. Whatever you get from adventurers is yours!”
Oh, is that how it is? That’s a relief. I’d be in checkmate if I had these taken from me!
“But at the same time, I can’t give you anything, Harumi. That would be a violation of the rules.”
So that implies that the items given to monsters on every floor is determined at the beginning, and that it can’t change once the season starts. However, it’s possible for monsters to take equipment and the like from adventurers and use them.
“I’m also not allowed to come cheer you on, so you’ll just have to do your best on your own, Harumi. But they’re the ones who picked a fight, and women need to respond in kind! Don’t you agree?”
“Uhhh, I’m not sure I’m picking up what you’re putting down.”
Me? Fight?
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? They’ll probably send an extermination force after you, Harumi.”
“What?!”
“They’re pretty mad out there. They even threatened to send in a hero! Well, I’m pretty sure there won’t be one—they’re crazy expensive, after all. But still, something should be coming for you.”
“Ummm... Then, what should I do?”
“Your best!”
Ugh, that was some terrible encouragement.
“No, but, um... Is that all? If a hero actually came, they wouldn’t just stop at defeating me, right? If that’s the case, then killing me now would be...”
I don’t actually want to die, got it? I don’t, seriously! But as a member of this dungeon, I need to give some thought to the needs of the many.
Heroes are insanely scary. My monster instincts knew that. They told me that heroes were a one-man party who could clear entire dungeons by themselves. They were bigger monsters than actual monsters. They would obviously think of going all the way down into the depths of the dungeon after they’d slaughtered me.
“That won’t happen. Even if we’re destroyed for it, we can’t allow those humans to underestimate us.”
Ahh, so this place is more warlike than I expected.