[Soul Shards +50]
Only after the massive body of the ancient dragon Lansseax turned into black dust and dissipated, leaving behind only the final condensed magic stone and drops as proof of its existence—
This trial into the Mid Floors…
Was finally cleared, after Ron had frequently switched Character Save Slots, used every last trump card at his disposal, and combined it with Mikoto's 'Futsunomitama' magic.
The raid was fully cleared!
As for the price paid, there was no need to say more.
Ron looked at the flames covering his entire body. Through the "Power Within" sorcery of the Ashen One template, he had absorbed all of Lansseax's dragonflame.
His strength and durability had both clearly increased.
But—
'Overly powerful strength will erode one's own life force. Precisely because of this, such power remains hidden.'
There was not the slightest sign of the flames extinguishing.
Perhaps because the power contained within the dragonflame was extremely great, it had not burned away the clothes Ron was wearing—these flames even had no temperature.
Yet the damage to body and soul was beyond imagination.
When the adrenaline completely faded, the pain—like a parasite clinging to bone—made Ron bite through his lip, yet he still could not suppress it effectively.
He did not sit and wait for death.
[Healing Gourd]
But even when the uses were consumed down to (1/3), it had no effect whatsoever on the backlash of the sorcery.
'Damn it.'
'So getting stronger really does come at a cost!'
If he took off his clothes—
Ron didn't even need to guess—he'd basically be cosplaying that club-wielding hero from his previous life in the DanMachi world. Only, compared to that guy, he really did have a burning club!
But he couldn't feel happy at all.
The side effect of the 'Power Within' sorcery was that it continuously consumed his life force, and the most direct manifestation of that was his fingers beginning to carbonize.
Although he could still move—
Ron knew clearly that he didn't have much time left. He felt no fear toward the approaching death—after all, he still had two chances of Revival.
What he wanted to know more was—
After paying such a terrible price, what kind of rewards would he get?
Enduring the pain, even breathing felt like a luxury. But when he saw the gray-brown scales and the ancient dragon's reverse scale dropped after killing Lansseax—
The precious 'Revival' uses had not been wasted.
'Minimum guaranteed return secured…'
"…"
Ron's originally terrible mood finally eased a little. He looked ahead at that pale yellow glow that only he could see.
He bent down with difficulty and reached out a finger to touch it.
[Dragonflame]
[Thunderfire Sword]
[Death Lightning]
[Lansseax's Blade]
'Cool!?
'But this Thunderfire Sword… why does it look kind of weird?'
Combined with the 'Sacred Seal' obtained from upgrading the Tarnished save to Lv3, the drawback of only being able to fight in close quarters at this stage was effectively resolved.
The diversification of combat methods—
Whether in dungeon exploration or adventurer battles—would play a decisive role in determining victory.
The ancient dragon faith incantations and Ashes of War that had dropped completely dispelled the few remaining shadows in Ron's heart. Looking again at his carbonized hands—
He no longer had any regrets.
The speed at which the flames burned away his life force was gradually increasing.
He tried to move his ankle, but even such a simple action was an impossible luxury. It felt like he was about to recreate, in another world, the sensation of his idol being burned to ashes.
"What can I say!"
"Mamba out."
Still—
Ron only hoped that death would come faster, so that at least he wouldn't have to endure this bone-deep agony in both body and mind.
...
In this battle—
Daphne and Cassandra, who had not played a particularly large role, had nothing in their eyes now but shock and disbelief from the bottom of their hearts.
It was over…
Completely over.
Facing the high-intensity assault of the ancient dragon Lansseax, Ron had not only neutralized the Floor Boss's Thunderfire Sword attack in what had been a certain-death situation—
He had even…
Resolved the scorching dragonflame spewed from the dragon's head using special means, erupting with unprecedented power in the face of despair.
The dense sword flashes—
And the Floor Boss whose body could no longer bear the strain, exploding from the inside out…
The sheer volume of information left Daphne's mind blank, yet she clearly realized—
This was Ron's true strength!
"This guy is the real monster…"
Her gaze was vacant as she muttered.
She did not notice that the timid girl standing beside her—Cassandra—was looking at Ron, whose entire body was engulfed in flames, with fear and concern in her eyes.
Without a doubt—
At this moment, the captain overlapped with the adventurer in her dream before the War Game—the one whose entire body had been burning in flames.
What she feared was that after this battle ended, the flames on Ron's body showed no sign of fading. Ignoring her close friend beside her—
The usually soft-natured girl finally made a decision.
"…"
Cassandra gripped her staff with both hands and quickened her steps toward Ron. Although she had only spent a short time with him—
Still…
As someone who believed in her, Ron held a special, almost redemptive place in her heart.
As the distance closed—
When she clearly saw Ron's hands, burned by flames into pitch-black charcoal, Cassandra felt as though her heart had been tightly clenched.
Suffocating…
The intense suffocation made it hard for her to breathe.
Without caring about appearances, she looked at the boy slumped on the ground, quietly waiting for death. Cassandra dropped to her knees behind him.
She knew what she had to do now.
Take on the role of a healer.
At such a critical moment, she had to remain calm—but as she chanted, it wavered just like the flames on Ron's body, sometimes surging, sometimes fading,
her voice unsteady: "Heavenly light, once rejected. Merciful arms that save my shallow self."
"Rescue my miserable companions in place of my words that cannot reach them. Oh sunlight, may you beat back ruin"
A gentle white light appeared in Cassandra's hands. As for that strange flame, she paid no mind to whether it would burn her hands.
However—
The moment her arms made contact, she felt no temperature from the flames at all.
Likewise, the healing magic she possessed—'Soullight'—had no effect whatsoever; it could not stop the burning of the flames.
"This…"
"What exactly is going on?"
Confusion, self-blame… all kinds of complex emotions enveloped Cassandra. She was like a child who had failed to meet expectations, at a complete loss.
Perhaps the output wasn't strong enough?
The girl did not give up. She repeatedly used her healing magic, even though it placed an unprecedented burden on her mind.
"Why…"
Her eyes filled with anxiety. "Why isn't my healing magic working?!"
"Don't waste your magic."
Power Within.
The side effects of the sorcery became even more pronounced when the body was weakened. Sitting slumped on the ground, his body had grown stiff.
Even his hearing had been affected.
Sensing that Cassandra behind him was continuously casting spells—
Ron wanted to turn his neck, but he couldn't. With so much experience exploring Soulslike dungeons, death had long since become routine for him.
After all, he could just win the rematch after revival.
"But if this continues, you'll definitely die…" Hearing Ron's hoarse, torn voice, Cassandra felt no relief.
Even her tone carried a faint sob.
And then—
Daphne arrived at the scene. Seeing such a tragic sight with her own eyes, she opened her mouth but for a long while did not know how to express what she felt.
From their earlier exchange—
She knew Cassandra's magic had no effect.
Then what could they do?
Daphne took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. If healing had no effect, it was likely because Cassandra's magic wasn't strong enough.
A panacea…
Or the 'Saint of the Battlefield' Airmid at the White Sanatorium—she could definitely do it!!
The fastest one present was Lv3 Mikoto. Daphne decisively turned to the black-haired girl from the Far East and was about to speak—
But what she saw was her calm expression.
As if—
Ron's life or death had nothing to do with her?
A helpless fury nearly consumed Daphne. They were companions of the same Familia—how could she watch their captain die with such indifference?
"Yamato."
"You're faster—go to Orario and find Airmid. There might still be time!!"
"…"
From their time recently—
Fighting together in the dungeon, Mikoto understood—
For Ron, death was as ordinary as eating and drinking.
In future explorations—
This secret would naturally become known to the others.
Rather than that, she might as well use this opportunity to dispel their doubts with facts, since Daphne and Cassandra's concern was genuine.
Thinking of this—
The girl shook her head lightly. This ability, no matter how one thought about it, was impossible to understand, and her tone grew complicated: "No need to worry…"
She carefully chose her words. "This is complicated… you probably wouldn't believe it even if I explained it, but… death—"
"For him—"
But before Mikoto could finish—
She noticed footsteps approaching from afar and turned her head. When she saw the Loki Familia—and that single-ponytailed elf rushing over—
Her unfinished words were stuck in her throat.
The Loki Familia—
Why were they here?!
Noticing Ron's miserable state, Lefiya's light-purple pupils suddenly shrank. She scanned the surroundings, sensing the heavy atmosphere—
And the complicated expressions of Daphne and Cassandra.
A chill struck her heart. Looking carefully—
She saw Ron's nearly fully carbonized body, and the words of concern never even left her mouth.
Why had it become like this?
Looking into Ron's eyes, she could see his vitality rapidly fading…
This guy was her friend.
He was someone who had pushed her away without hesitation when monsters attacked her.
Could she really just watch him die?
Absolutely not!
The elf girl felt her arms trembling slightly as she turned toward Riveria.
"Teacher…"
"The panacea—I need the panacea! As for the cost, just deduct it from this expedition. Ron… he can't hold on much longer…"
Ron: ?
Why would he run into Lefiya and the Loki Familia in the Dungeon?!
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