Lizard's Tail
After parting ways with the trio idiots, we smoothly advanced through floor 6, 7 and 8.
Yet since I'm mapping up the floors as we go, it's taken us quite a long time. It's also draining our stamina heavily.
But it's much less mentally draining compared to when we were with those trio.
"Kajikawa-san, let's just head straight for the next floor when we find the right path this time..."
"Hikaru, you're too obsessed with mapping."
"...I have no excuse."
I mean you know, don't you feel murky when you keep going without checking out all available areas in roguelike or dungeon RPGs?
You might even miss out on chests, items, sub events, you'd feel bad about it so I just couldn't help myself I'm sorry, forgive me, don't leave me here, seriously sorry.
Reina frowned as she looked at a pocket watch the director apparently gave her. Please don't make that face.
"It's six in the evening now cause we kept going all over the place. We gotta get back."
"It's already so late huh... I wanted to reach floor 10 by today but I guess we should head back when we find an Escape Portal."
"Un. All the detours took a lot of time but we also obtained plenty of items thanks to that. It's not a bad result for our first day."
"...Sorry, really. Next time, I'll prioritize going forward. Now then, what do you like for today's dinner?"
"I'm fine with anything as long as it's Hikaru's cooking."
I'm happy to hear that but that's the toughest possible reply to that question.
Throw me a request or two once in a while will you?
"Oh me, I want meat dishes!"
Um yeah, we usually never not have meat, so that doesn't really help.
Seemingly thanks to being far away from port towns, there's not a lot of seafood here, it's mainly meat instead. Just gotta hope it digests nicely in the stomach.
We used the Escape Portal and left the dungeon.
Then we dropped by the dungeon entrance's receptionist before going back.
"Thank you for your hard work. Your safe return fills me with joy."
"Thank you. Each floor was bigger than we originally thought, it took quite some time to clear."
"Ahaha, that's a natural reaction of this dungeon's first timers. I will update your ranking, excuse me as I check how far you have gone to... Oooh!?? Your party has reached floor 8 on your first campaign!"
Did she use an Appraisal Skill to check on that stuff or something.
What's even the Ranking for? This feels more and more like a roguelike.
"It took you around 9 hours 20 minutes to reach floor 8. That's an average speed of around one hour for each floor, that's really fast! Your current ranking is 24. Please do your best on your next campaign."
"Thank you again. We'll take our leave now."
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
We walked off, and then just as we reached the midway point between the dungeon and the industrial town, Menu displayed a screen out of nowhere.
Hm? Menu-san, what's up?
<<Emergency Recommending immediate traversal to industrial town, Julian's Workshop.>>
Emergency? ...Did Julian blow something up again or something?
<<Julian has been attacked by outsiders, his life is in mortal danger. He has an extremely high chance of dying without an immediate urgent care.>>
My head went blank as a chill ran down my spine, by the time I noticed I had already flying at full speed toward Julian's Workshop with Mana Flight.
"Hikaru!?"
"W-what's the matter!?"
Alma and Reina shouted something right as I flew but I didn't have time to answer them. Sorry.
Quick, quickly! To Julian's workshop!
Blast it, I'm flying at my highest speed yet it feels so slow.
Faster, I gotta go faster! Explosively raising Mana Flight speed using energy reinforcement--
ZUBYUN! The scenery blended in as that unfamiliar sound reached my ears.
The instant trees and buildings came into my view, they moved far behind me. No wait, it's me who's moving.
Ah, wait, powered up too much! It's too fast I can't tell which direction I'm flying.
Menu-san, am I going in the right direction!? Is this right!?
<<This trajectory is correctly in Julian's Workshop direction. Estimated time of arrival, one second.>>
One second uh
"Guaa!?"
"Gafuaa!!?"
Impacts on my left shoulder and right hand. Alongside two yelps.
Looks like I bumped into some people.
Aaaah! I went and did it!
Who did I crash into!? Are they Combat job or Production job, they might have a chance if they were Combatants, but production Job people with their Status may not...
<<There is no issue. Confirming them as Julian's Workshop's assailants. They are relatively high leveled Combatants, as such the crash only resulted in their fainting.>>
Ah, that's good then.
...I'll tie these two up, have a 'talk' about this whole situation and tow them over to the guards later.
I went in the workshop and couldn't find Julian.
Is he further inside? I turned my sight at a door to the back room and saw dark red liquid seeping out below it on the floor--
I kicked the door open and went in to find Julian with bent legs and missing arms.
Roasted remains of charred arms could be found next to him. Did they slice his arms and burn them down with magic.
The stumps where they're cut are still bleeding even now. He's gonna die of blood loss at this rate.
"Julian!!"
I reflexively shouted at this disastrous scene but there was no reply. He must have fainted from the bleeding.
For now I should treat him with Life force Control and stop the bleeding... Damn, these arms must be cut with a blade of some sort. How could anyone be so cruel.
"Dammit, it won't stop, why won't the blood stop!"
I focused my life force to heal Julian's arms, but the flesh and bones would only keep swelling up while the blood wouldn't stop.
I imaged wrapping the stumps with skin but it just wouldn't work. If only the cut arms were still intact, I could have them reattached!
Thinking back, I've never attempted to heal a wound this grievous before. Maybe Lifeforce Control isn't enough for something this serious?
Can't Julian be saved anymore...?
"Aaaaaaah!! Get healed! Get healed! Get healed dangit!"
I brushed aside the worst case scenario in my mind and poured in all the life force I had into Julian.
I no longer cared how and in what way should the wound be healed, I just put in every life force I had while using Julian's gene as a blueprint!
As my HP almost reached rock bottom, I timidly looked at Julian.
His arms have been regenerated like they were always there, his broken legs are no longer bent unnaturally as well.
Checking his Status, the only abnormality is his State: Anemia with everything else looking normal.
Looks like his life is no longer in danger.
...O, oh. This is kinda unexpected.
I had never tested the limit of healing by Lifeforce Control but who could've imagined it can even restore limb loss. What is this, lizard's tail?
...Don't tell me, it can actually heal any wound as long as the target is still alive.
<<Regenerating loss limbs is possible by way of superlative healing potions, elixirs, or high level healing magic. Treatment by way of Kajikawa Hikaru's Lifeforce Control references 'unscathed healthy body gene' as a blueprint which likely affords similar results.>>
I don't really understand that explanation though! So like, in short, any wound can be healed as long I've got HP left huh.
At any rate, I'm just glad Julian got out with his life and arms... Really, I'm so glad.
"Mu, mwu... Fuaa... Fuu... Oho, my customer? Good morning. Why are you here?"
Julian woke up with a yawn and greeted me nonchalantly like usual.
He's looking blankly at me like he was never at the death's door just earlier.
"Morning. You almost lost your life, how are you feeling now?"
"Umumu? Well, aside from a slight dizziness, I don't feel bad... Wait, arms! My arms! ...Huh? They're here? ...Ah, apologies. I must have overslept and had a nightmare."
Julian moved his arms around to check their state.
That's no nightmare, it's reality. I mean, those cinders over there are your arms.
Now then, thankfully we pulled through this emergency.
Next up, I'll go and untie the assailants outside and ask what circumstance led to this.
...Depending on their answers, they might regret ever being born dangit.
"Umu, it appears I am feeling anemic. Perhaps I should get something energizing to feast on... Oho, there is this savory aroma of roast meat I have been smelling, have you perhaps brought me food?"
That's the smell of your roasted arms!
You'll make me lose appetite for meat for dinner today, quit it!
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