Kazike turned to me with a grave expression, his brow furrowed with concern. "Kazu, before we head to the next floor, you need to know there's a powerful monster waiting for us. It's guarding the magic teleportation circle, so I can't guarantee we'll make it down easily."
I nodded, trying to hide my apprehension. "Okay, Kazike… But what is it?"
His face grew somber. "From what the Guild intel says, it's a vampire. Given the depth, we might be facing a High Vampire. They're incredibly fast."
My eyes widened. "Is that so? But Kazike, do you think you can defeat it?"
Kazike put on a brave face, though uncertainty flickered in his eyes. "Of course I can! Well... maybe. I'm not entirely sure. But it's definitely powerful. We just need to be prepared."
I suddenly remembered a lesson. "Kazike, Rosalia once told me that every creature has a weakness! If we struggle against this High Vampire, we just need to exploit its weakness."
Kazike considered this. "True… I think vampires are weak to holy magic, but neither of us has any. You only have Fire magic, right?"
"Y-yes…" I hesitated, the hairs on the back of my neck suddenly standing up. My Murderous Intent Detection skill flared violently. "Kazike... I sense a lot of murderous intent nearby. They're close… Kazike, there are many of them…"
Kazike's eyes narrowed, his hand dropping to the hilt of his greatsword. "A horde of vampires? This is bad… Get ready, Kazu!"
"Okay, Kazike…" I replied, my heart racing.
Suddenly, Kazike shouted, "Now!" and dashed forward into the cavern. "BLADE STRIKE! BLADE FRENZY!" His heavy sword swept through the dark air, attacking the oncoming swarm of vampires with a fierce and precise assault.
The vampires hissed, lunging at Kazike from the shadows. Their razor-sharp claws and fangs glinted in the dim light of the dungeon crystals. Kazike's movements were a blur as he deflected their attacks, his blade cutting through their ranks with deadly accuracy.
"Kazu, watch out! There's one behind you!" Kazike warned. He saw a vampire dropping from the ceiling, closing in on my neck. Kazike threw his secondary shortsword with perfect aim, impaling the vampire's shoulder and buying me a second to move.
I spun around in a panic, my Fire magic flaring to life in my palms. "K—Kazike! BEHIND YOU! FIRE PIERCE!" A searing lance of concentrated flame shot from my hand, completely incinerating a vampire that was sneaking up on Kazike's blind spot.
Kazike appreciated the help, a brief, strained smile crossing his face. "Thanks, Kazu! Keep an eye on my back; I'll handle the front!"
"Got it, Kazike!"
Kazike's fists and blade moved in tandem. He punched a vampire in the face, sending it crashing into a stone wall, and then spun around to unleash another Blade Frenzy. His sword whirled, creating a deadly dance of steel that sliced through the horde.
He's incredible… I marveled, watching him fight.
But my awe was cut dangerously short. A blur of unnatural speed bypassed Kazike entirely. Before I could blink, a High Vampire appeared directly behind me, sinking its elongated fangs deep into my neck.
Searing, freezing pain surged through my veins as the vampire's paralyzing venom began to spread.
"KAZU! DON'T MOVE!" Kazike roared in absolute fury. He unleashed a Slashing Strike, his heavy blade cleaving straight through the High Vampire's torso, freeing me from its deadly grip.
Weakened by the venom, my legs gave out. My vision blurred and darkened rapidly. "K—Kazike… everything's going dark…"
Kazike dropped to his knees, panic rising in his voice as he urgently pulled a glowing vial from his pouch. "Drink this, Kazu… Fight the poison! I'll carry you to the safe zone! We need to keep moving!"
I took the potion with trembling hands, but before the magical liquid could take hold, I lost consciousness, collapsing into Kazike's arms.
I awoke with a sharp gasp, surrounded by the comforting, warm light of a dungeon Magic Barrier.
I blinked groggily, sitting up on a bed of soft moss. My neck throbbed, but the venom was gone. "Kazike?" I called out.
The safe zone was completely empty. Next to me was a small pile of food, a few healing potions, and a hastily scribbled note on a piece of parchment:
Kazu, I'm sorry I let you get hurt. You rest here in the safe zone. The scroll you need is on Floor 35. This is my fault, so I need to finish this quest for you. I'll be back soon.
My heart raced as fragments of the vampire fight flashed through my mind. "No... Kazike could be in terrible danger alone! I need to help him!"
I grabbed the potions, ignoring the lingering ache in my muscles, and sprinted out of the safe zone, diving deeper into the dark labyrinth.
Dungeon Floor 25
Kazike fought with relentless fury, his armor dented and covered in blood. This is my fault, he thought, his chest heaving. I let the kid get bit. I have to finish this quest for him to make it right.
His rage fueled his every move as he slaughtered his way through a massive horde of ogres on Floor 25. Each monster fell before him with a roar of defiance. "YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO KAZU!"
After an hour of grueling combat, Kazike finally faced the High Ogre, the floor's massive boss. The creature roared in challenge, its eyes glowing with malevolence as it hefted a club the size of a tree trunk.
Kazike clenched his teeth and charged. "You're the boss of this floor, aren't you?! I'LL KILL YOU!"
The battle was brutal. Kazike dodged the High Ogre's earth-shattering blows and countered with swift, precise strikes. But he was exhausted. The High Ogre's massive fist clipped Kazike's side, sending him crashing violently against the cavern wall. Blood sprayed across the stone, but Kazike's determination never wavered. He pushed himself up, continuing his desperate assault.
Floor 23
I surveyed the cavern, relieved to find no living enemies, only piles of ash and monster corpses. It seems like all the enemies have been cleared… Kazike must have already dealt with them. I need to catch up.
Using my Explosive Blink, I rapidly bypassed the winding tunnels, teleporting straight down the cavern drops. My journey through the lower floors was marked by brief, intense skirmishes with stray monsters, but I didn't stop to harvest them. I just kept pushing downward.
Floor 25
My heart completely sank when I reached the boss room.
Kazike was lying unconscious in a massive pool of his own blood. His sword was shattered. His right arm and left leg had been horribly crushed and severed by the High Ogre's club.
"KAZIKE!" I screamed.
I rushed to his side, my hands trembling violently as I checked for signs of life. "Kazike, wake up! Please!"
Kazike stirred weakly, his bloodshot eyes fluttering open. "Kazu… you're alive… Don't worry about me… Just run… Finish what we started…"
Tears streamed down my face. I placed my hands over his shattered, bleeding limbs, invoking the spell Rosalia had taught me. "I am the mighty God... bless this individual to survive! HEALING!"
A blinding, divine light poured from my hands. As Kazike's severed limbs miraculously began to mend and reattach themselves, he watched in absolute awe. "Kazu… You're incredible..."
I stood up, turning to face the High Ogre that was slowly lumbering toward us. My blood boiled. The dark, familiar urge clawed at the edges of my mind.
I need to make sure Kazike is safe from this... I raised my hand, aiming at the cavern ceiling just above the entrance to the boss room. "FIRE PIERCE!" A blast of flame shattered the rock supports, causing a massive cave-in that completely blocked the tunnel. Kazike was safely sealed behind the rubble.
This should do it, I thought. I turned my glowing, furious eyes back to the High Ogre. "BLOODLUST!!!"
The overwhelming, violent aura exploded from my body. My vision instantly washed out into a terrifying crimson. "RAAAH! I'M TOO POWERFUL TO CONTROL!" I roared, the monstrous sound echoing through the cavern.
From behind the rubble, Kazike peered through a small crack, watching in absolute horror as my form seemed to warp with dark energy. My rage became a monstrous, physical force, my movements wild and completely unpredictable.
Is that... is that really Kazu? Kazike thought, shivering in terror.
I tore through the cavern, moving faster than sound. I bypassed the High Ogre's swinging club entirely. With savage, sickening brutality, I drove my bare hand straight through the monster's thick chest cavity. I grabbed its massive, beating heart and crushed it into pulp.
"SUCH WEAK OPPONENTS! WAHAHAHA!" I screamed, bathed in the monster's blood.
Kazike, seeing the absolute destruction, felt a terrifying mix of awe and sheer panic. He tried to slowly back away from the crack in the rubble. I need to get out of here... he's lost his mind...
A loose stone shifted near Kazike's foot, making a soft scraping sound.
My crimson eyes snapped toward the rubble. "WHAT'S THAT?!"
Blink.
I teleported straight through the rocks, appearing instantly in front of Kazike. I grabbed him by his armored throat, lifting him off the ground with one hand. "GOT YOU!"
"K-Kazu!" Kazike choked out, struggling against my iron grip. "Return to yourself! HAAAA!!"
My mind was gone. "I'M GOING TO EAT YOU NOW! SMASH YOU TO THE GROUND!"
Kazike gasped for breath, his eyes filling with tears as he looked at my monstrous face. "Do it... Do it... I would rather die at your hands than at the mercy of the monsters..."
Hearing his desperate, resigning voice pierced through the crimson haze.
[BLOODLUST EFFECT WEARING OFF]
My grip suddenly weakened. The red faded from my eyes, and I collapsed onto the cold stone floor, panting heavily as my normal consciousness rushed back in. "Ku—Kazike…"
Kazike fell to his knees, rubbing his bruised throat. He pulled me into a tight, desperate hug, struggling to hold back his own tears. "Kazu… Is that really you? It's okay, kid. It's okay. You're safe. Sleep now… We'll finish the quest later…"
Two Hours Later
I stirred, my senses slowly returning as the agonizing magical exhaustion faded. "Kazike… What happened?"
Kazike's face softened with profound relief. "You're awake, Kazu… How do you feel?"
I sat up quickly, glancing at his limbs. "Are you okay? How are your arms and legs?"
He smiled, though his face was drawn and pale from exhaustion. "Thanks to you, they're perfectly fine now. I saw you fighting the High Ogre while my limbs healed. Thank you, Kazu. You saved my life again."
I nodded slowly, looking down at my shaking hands. "I lost consciousness after... Bloodlust. I must have lost complete control."
[Notification: Assassin skill reached Level 82. Do you want to enhance now? Yes/No] Yes... [Skill Upgraded: Bloodlust has evolved into RAGE] [Warning: RAGE skill requires Level 70 Strength to control. Currently Locked.]
Rage? Control...?
Kazike noticed my dazed expression. "Kazu, are you okay?"
I shook myself from the system trance. "Y-yes, Kuya Kazike! I'm fine."
(A Strength stat? How can I obtain that? Maybe I should start doing push-ups and lifting heavy weights. Perhaps taking manual labor construction quests in the city would help...)
Kazike yawned, stretching his healed arms. "Kazu, do you actually know what happened while you were fighting the High Ogre?"
I looked down, feeling deeply ashamed. "Honestly, no. I just suddenly lost my mind."
Kazike nodded slowly, his eyes dark with an unspoken fear he was trying to hide. "I see… Well, I need to rest a bit more. Can you keep watch?"
"Yes, Kuya Kazike. Rest now. I'll stay alert."
While he slept, I mentally reviewed my new status screen.
Rage skill… Increases magic power and creates an aura that terrifies opponents… allows movement at the speed of light for 2 minutes… Speed of light?! How fast is that? But I need Level 70 Strength just to unlock and control it safely. I need to physically strengthen my body.
I glanced at the dark tunnel leading further down into the dungeon. We're only on Floor 25. I wonder what terrifying challenges await us on the way to Floor 35. The journey is going to be so long…
As I paced the perimeter of our makeshift camp, I noticed a strange, sparkling stone half-buried in the rubble. "Huh? What's this…?"
I picked up the smooth stone, examining the glowing rune carved into it. "A rune stone with the letter [C]…?"
[Notification: New Unique Skill Acquired: Mining] [Notification: New Unique Skill Acquired: Smithing]
I stared at the blue screens floating in the dark cavern. "Skills? Just for picking up a strange stone? What does this mean…?"
[STATUS] Level: 68 Name: Kazu Gonomiya Age: 12 Job Class: God
Passive Skills:
Divine Knowledge
Infinite Mana
Maximized Self-Healing
Active Skills:
Blink
Explosive Blink
Bloodlust (Upgraded to RAGE: Locked)
Magic Spells:
Fire Pierce
Fire Spirit Flare
Unique Skills:
Exploration (Level 80)
Assassin (Level 82)
Cooking (Level 8)
Mining (Level 1)
Smithing (Level 1)
I observed my status, wondering just how many secrets this dungeon was hiding.