The Unwanted Undead Adventurer: Volume 4 Page 3

  I supposed our arrangement today was unlucky as I had arranged to return at night, which would be when the sun rose on this floor. But on the other hand, I was lucky enough to be here at this point in time. It was now evening, and I still had ample light for vision and combat. Though, even if the sun should set, my eyes were of a special make. I found I could still see well enough at night; I could see much further than a regular human. If anything, the vision of an Orc was closer to that of a human. As such, this situation was to my advantage since it was easier to fight an Orc in the dark.

  Now how would Edel fare? Since he was my familiar, his vision at night should be improved.

  “Orc... Orc... Orc. Where would one be?” I hummed, as if singing some sort of strange incantation while I plodded along on the second floor of the New Moon.

  Around me were forests and plains under a natural-looking sky. It looked so wide that it was impossible to tell where this sky ended. I’d heard adventurers could occasionally discover a place on the floor where the sky ended, but also of instances where they could never seem to find it, no matter how hard they tried. All this was supposedly normal.

  While Orcs were quite different when compared with your average human, normal Orcs tended to roam in groups, or at least exhibited enough intelligence to flock in small numbers. As such, locating one Orc would quickly lead to the rest. Conversely, if an adventurer were to be discovered by an Orc, they would most likely have to contend with a few others at the same time. As such, adventurers usually progressed cautiously in these parts.

  I, on the other hand, was currently seeking such a situation. Of course, if a stronger type of Orc appeared in vast numbers, it could very well spell trouble, but this was merely the second floor. Such monsters had no reason to be appearing in these parts. But...it was still possible for a single, special monster of some sort to appear on the second floor. Should such a thing ever happen, all I had to do was run.

  Perhaps it was due to everything going so well recently that I’d almost forgotten, but the reason I was how I was currently was all due to an unfortunate encounter with the pinnacle of all monsters: a legendary Dragon. Such special monsters could very well exist, since I’d run into one before.

  Again, I reminded myself to be careful. If I was ever forced into a situation where I had to draw my sword, I could calculate my chances of victory in that moment. If it was impossible for me to win, all I had to do was run, and that would be a victory in and of itself.

  “Orc... Orc... Hmm? Huh?”

  I turned my head abruptly. I was suddenly assaulted by a strange feeling.

  Something was...off.

  What is it, exactly, I wondered, only to realize that my head felt unnaturally light.

  Raising a hand up to my head, I finally realized what was missing. That which had been there before was no longer present...

  Edel was gone.

  Where’s he gone off to...?

  I sharpened my senses, conducting a search of the area. Due to the connection we shared, some degree of focus was all I needed to pinpoint his location. Upon doing so, I sensed a presence near the entrance of the forest. Exasperated, I approached the destination.

  “Edel... I told you you shouldn’t...”

  I stopped short as I parted the undergrowth.

  “...Braaaagh!!!”

  “Gububu! Buruuuu!!!”

  “Gigibu! Buuuruuuu!”

  Nonsensical sounds greeted me. Surrounding Edel were three Orcs, seemingly preoccupied with their conversation. Their weapons were drawn.

  You’re in quite the tough spot there, huh, Edel...?

  Thinking so, I decided to act like any master would. I was about to intervene when I stopped dead in my tracks. My eyes hovered to the Orcs’ weapons and armor, which were made of a metallic material.

  This was worse than I’d thought. These were no Normal Orcs...

  They were Orc Soldiers.

  ◆◇◆◇◆

  Orc Soldiers were a type of powerful Orc, a step above the normal Orcs one might commonly find in the labyrinth. They were twice as big as normal Orcs, and had equipment forged from metal. Those were their primary defining traits. There were also the Orc King and Orc Generals, monsters that were much stronger than the typical metal-armed Orc Soldier. However, those monsters hardly appeared on shallower floors, and wielded visibly different weapons.

  While the Orcs surrounding Edel were armed with metallic weapons, their equipment was mostly made of bronze, or metals tainted with various impurities. In addition, their equipment didn’t look particularly sophisticated. Compared to those creatures, an Orc General could very possibly wield a mithril weapon—a truly fearsome thought.

  An Orc General also possessed a fair amount of skill on top of its unique weapon. Common wisdom on the matter stated that only a Platinum-class adventurer would be able to take it on. It was quite monstrous. To make things worse, Orcs of a higher caliber often dominated and ruled over those weaker than themselves. Depending on just how strong the Orc in question was, one could expect the Orcs under its command would be stronger, and more numerous. In the case of an Orc King, it could very well control every single Orc in its territory, and I could hardly think of anything more fearsome than that.

  Of course, even an Orc Soldier had some degree of dominative leadership; a little, but some nonetheless. They, however, would only be able to lead Normal Orcs, and only one or a few of them at that.

  Finally, their cries were also capable of summoning more of their kind, the sound echoing far across the stratum. Taking too long to defeat them could be potentially fatal. If one were pursued by a large group of Orcs, escape would be extremely difficult.

  “...Edel!”

  This was why I drew my sword, running toward the Orc Soldiers that had surrounded Edel after a short series of thoughts. The message in my actions was simple: we had to defeat these enemies as quickly as we could. Edel agreed mentally, squeaking as he did so.

  “Chu! Chu!”

  With a series of squeaks, Edel started drawing upon my reserves of power, with me loosening my grip on just how much he could take. If I had been too careless, Edel could very well absorb everything from me. While I’d thought to be a little more stingy over it, now wasn’t the time for such concerns. Perhaps it was because they detected the change in our presences, but the Orc Soldiers no longer saw Edel as prey. They, too, readied themselves for combat, assuming battle stances.

  But the Orcs were far too slow. Already up close and personal with the monsters, I picked out the most arrogant Orc Soldier among them—the leader perhaps—and quickly thrust my blade at the nape of its neck. I’d thought it was a solid ambush, but even so, the Orc Soldier I was targeting reacted, raising its sword and deflecting my blow.

  You’re pretty good...

  Ending it all with a single quick attack was too much to ask for. However, this would only be the case had I been fighting alone.

  While the Orc Soldier had turned toward me and deflected my strike mere moments ago, its expression was now one of marked confusion. But of course it would feel that way. It had been looking in my direction before, but it was now looking straight up at the sky, as if it had been somehow launched through the air.

  The reason for the Orc Soldier’s sudden change in perspective was because Edel had slammed into one of its legs with his signature body slam, tripping the Orc and causing it to fall backward. Although it had a giant body far greater than that of any man, it paid an equally heavy price for its metallic equipment. Its body, weighted down by these implements, toppled over almost hilariously upon losing its balance. Down it went, with its head hitting the ground. The Orc Soldier, as if understanding that it was now at a disadvantage, attempted to get back up...but it was too late. My sword was once again at its neck, ready to strike.

  Now prone and in a clumsy position, the Orc Soldier wasn’t able to draw its own weapon in time. With a single, smooth motion, I beheaded the monster, cleanly separating its head from its
body. With its head now gone, a fountain of blood dramatically spurted forth from its neck. I couldn’t help thinking that it was such a waste. Quite the delicious meal, I would think, but the battlefield was hardly a place where one could idly sit and sip on a fresh fountain of blood.

  All this had transpired in but a few seconds. The two remaining Orc Soldiers, however, quickly understood what had happened, and moved to attack us. Unfortunately, the Orc that Edel and I had just slain was most likely the leader of this motley crew of Orcs, just as I’d predicted.

  For a moment, it seemed like the Orcs were wondering which one of us to take on, Edel or myself. Almost immediately, however, they split up, one coming after each of us.

  Edel and I could not have asked for a better outcome. After all, I valued speed and technique more than strength, and Edel was of a smaller physique. The last thing we wanted to go against was an enemy with a numbers advantage. If only one Orc came at each of us, fighting them would be very much doable. In fact, it was even possible for us to defeat them alone.

  An Orc Soldier rushed at me with its sword raised, as if to strike. I made a quick step toward its center, landing a hit on its hand. Protected by a metallic glove, my blow failed to cut the Orc’s hand off outright. I did, however, succeed in disarming it, the impact of my strike causing the Orc Soldier to drop the sword it had been holding. Panicking, the Orc Soldier attempted to pick up its sword, but I had no intentions of letting it do so. I struck out at the Orc again with a quick thrust, not allowing it to retrieve its weapon. The Orc Soldier seemed to have anticipated this, as it bent its body downward, almost ducking as it narrowly avoided my blade. It then proceeded to laugh and snort, as if to mock me. Not the best course of action for this particular Orc, I thought.

  As the Orc Soldier attempted to stand, I gave the sword it had attempted to pick up a solid kick, sending it flying through the air. The sword, sailing in a straight line, soon embedded itself in the back of the other Orc Soldier who was currently locked in combat with Edel. Not a deep wound, of course, but even so...

  “Bugii!”

  Quite the cry of pain, I’d say—and yet another mental affirmation from Edel. “Doin’ good,” he said.

  What are you now, mouse? My superior?

  No matter. Though it was now completely disarmed, the Orc Soldier seemed intent on fighting to the death. It raised its fists, adopting a fighting stance. The monster was nothing more than a pig on two legs, yet it seemed to have the fighting spirit of a true warrior. It was something I could appreciate.

  Even so...it was precisely because of this that I couldn’t go easy on my opponent. Without any hesitation, I rushed the Orc Soldier, unleashing another thrust of my sword. The Orc, now no longer having any means of defense, attempted to block the blow with its gloves. It was a desperate attempt, but alas, the monster didn’t have quite enough reach. With a sickening crack, my blade made contact with its head, fracturing the Orc Soldier’s skull.

  Some people would probably say the brain matter of an Orc would be delicious...but having to take that into consideration while fighting would be difficult. If I’d put more power into that blow, I could have finished it then and there, but the search I was on today was far from over. At the very least, I’d leave the head and brain of one Orc intact... That would just have to do.

  Regardless, monsters were tough creatures. The Orc Soldier was still moving, despite its now-fractured head and exposed brain. Being partially lobotomized, the Orc no longer had the mental capability left to coordinate an attack. Instead, it was flailing around in place, its movements messy and careless.

  I should finish it, I thought, raising my sword for one more strike.

  As expected, beheading a monster was the quickest way of neutralizing it completely, so I did just so.

  It was finally over.

  This was still all quite different from slaying a normal Orc, though even I couldn’t deny the growth I’d exhibited. To think a day would come where I’d be able to slay Orc Soldiers with ease... I’d have never believed it, even if I’d been told as such in life.

  Suddenly...

  Thud!

  I turned in the direction of the loud sound. Edel had just finished his fight with the other Orc a short distance away, the sound emitted being the finishing blow. As if heeding my previous wish, Edel had slain the Orc not with a spinning body tackle, but with magic, cleanly severing its head from its throat. I stared as its head went rolling, coming to a stop as its large body collapsed onto the ground. The Orc Soldier was now very much dead.

  A Puchi Suri slaying an Orc Soldier with its own power... No matter how I phrase it, no one will believe such a tale...

  Such thoughts flickered across my mind as I stood, surveying the carnage before us.

  ◆◇◆◇◆

  And now it was time for dissection; the Orc Soldiers had to be adequately taken apart. Given that these Orcs were a cut above their normal Orc brethren, the taste of their flesh was almost guaranteed to be just as high-quality.

  One would usually only encounter Orc Soldiers upon the tail end of the second floor, or on the third floor of this labyrinth. So why would three of these monsters appear here of all places, then...? All things considered, I suppose it wasn’t an impossible occurrence. Perhaps they’d evolved much like I had, with time and experience. That was the logical assumption at least.

  The same could be said for their equipment and weapons. Salvaged from fallen adventurers, perhaps. Orcs did have some degree of intelligence after all, so they’d be capable of that at the very least.

  As I removed the pieces of metallic equipment from the Orc carcasses, I quickly became aware of the numerous amounts of stitches on the bodies. In addition, some holes appeared to have been punched through parts of the carcasses. If the Orcs hadn’t evolved, then there was the possibility they could have traveled up from a deeper floor. But the likelihood of that was somewhat small. Labyrinth monsters weren’t known to stray from the floors they belonged to, let alone move freely to other floors.

  The concept of what a floor was, however, was a mostly human definition. As such, the separation between one floor and another could sometimes be vague. One also had to take into account the actions of the monsters in question. Maybe it was out of territorial concerns or some other inexplicable reason, but most labyrinth monsters were limited to a certain range of movement—what people define as “floors.” There were no known cases of a monster wandering outside of this seemingly predetermined range. In fact, there were cases where the division between floors was visible to the naked eye. Monsters behaved like as if they couldn’t see such a division at all, and acted in a similar fashion.

  Orc Soldiers in the Labyrinth of the New Moon, in turn, mainly lived on the fourth and fifth floors, and they weren’t known to leave these areas. There were exceptions, of course, where in rare cases, a monster could move past this boundary, or somehow cross between floors, eventually ending up on a floor markedly different than its normal habitat. The Orcs that we’d just encountered may have very well done something similar. Though that was neither here nor there, really...

  In some cases, a phenomenon known as a “flood” or “surging wave” could happen, causing monsters from within a labyrinth to spill outside its confines. Unless something like that happened, however, monsters leaving their floors was highly abnormal. Sightings of monsters from lower floors like this were often thought of as premonitions, indicators of an upcoming flood or surge. I suppose there was some truth in that, so I made a mental note to inform the guild of what I’d seen upon my return. Not a compulsory thing to do, of course, but I should at least have a word with Sheila.

  At the very least, this was by no means a dire situation. If a flood was indeed upon us, the signs would be much more visible. Floods were said to occur once every decade or two, and the last time one had happened, even I was made to participate in the defense of Maalt. I didn’t really know much else, given that I wasn’t near the outskirts of any l
abyrinths at the time.

  However, from the rumors I’d heard, monsters from relatively deep floors were found roaming on the first floor. The actual flood happened about two days after that sighting. As such, even if what I’d just witnessed was a sign of a coming flood, said event wouldn’t happen for at least a week, if not even a month. Time was a luxury we had. If such an event would come to pass once more, all I had to do was join in with the rest for the defense of Maalt, which should be sufficient in preventing the town from suffering huge losses. That was how Maalt had survived all the past occurrences.

  Either way, there was something else I should be doing now—namely, the gathering of materials.

  Weapons and equipment for Alize...

  I recalled Lorraine’s list. The materials she’d asked for were magic crystals from monsters inhabiting the third, or deeper, floors, and wooden materials from a Jyulapus Ent. While there were many types of magical foci, the most famous among them was undoubtedly the wand. It was also faster to craft, which was more than enough for beginners at the art.

  Eventually, Alize may need worn foci, such as a ring or a bracelet, but crafting such items would require a generous amount of coin. Due to the intricate nature of crafting worn foci, Lorraine settled with the wand, which was enough for our purposes now, or so I was told.

  Although we’d taken Alize as our disciple, there was no guarantee she was going to become an adventurer. As such, it’d be best not to burden her with unnecessary debt. So long as I fetched some third-floor or deeper magic crystals and materials from a Jyulapus Ent, Alize might very well be able to craft the required foci herself.

  The main consideration in this entire matter was if I could even take down a Jyulapus Ent... I’d never actually taken on this monster alone. I’d done the adequate reading at Lorraine’s, in addition to having her answer any questions about the monster’s capabilities, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that it was by no means an easy opponent. While dealing with strong but simple monsters like Orcs was somewhat straightforward, Jyulapus Ents were a wood elemental of sorts, so it wasn’t easy coming up with a strategy to deal with them. I was equipped with an Undead body and physique, and shouldn’t suffer too many ill effects; even so, I couldn’t quite gauge the difficulty of the encounter until I’d actually fought it myself.