Rayish
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Chapter 141
🕑 Added 2025-06-06 08:17:35 +0000 UTCThe Minotaur that had been roaring and rampaging earlier now sat weakly on the stone floor. Its breath was rough and uneven, its massive che
The Minotaur that had been roaring and rampaging earlier now sat weakly on the stone floor. Its breath was rough and uneven, its massive chest rising and falling rapidly. Dark red blood still gushed from the wound Lefiya had stabbed, forming a pool that slowly spread across the damp floor. Its final roar turned into a low groan, like a dying bull that had lost all its strength.
Lefiya remained frozen behind Shirou, her eyes still fixed on the figure who had shielded her from the blood spray earlier. Her face was flushed, her breaths short. But then, Shirou's calm voice snapped her out of her daze.
"Lefiya, grab two leather bottles from my bag. On the left side, right behind the herb pouch."
"Huh? Ah—yes! R-Right away!" Lefiya reacted immediately, her body flustered as she snapped out of her thoughts. She hurriedly bent down to pick up the spear she had unconsciously dropped earlier, but then set it aside and turned to Shirou's supporter bag instead.
The bag's clasp opened with a click, and she began rummaging through its contents. "Right... no. Herbs... eh, this is medicine... oh, here it is!"
Finally, her hands found two medium-sized leather bottles with wide necks, tied with leather straps. She lifted them with both hands.
"They're both intact," she said quickly, handing them to Shirou.
Meanwhile, the severely wounded Minotaur slowly moved its hand, trying to push itself up. But before it could lift its body any further, the sound of light footsteps halted its efforts.
Tap.
Aiz stood on its left side. With an expressionless face and without hesitation, she raised her foot and stepped precisely on the Minotaur's neck. The pressure from her metal boot forced the monster to let out a low growl, rendering it immobile.
"Don't worry. It won't get up," Aiz said softly.
"Thanks," Shirou replied, then crouched beside the trembling Minotaur.
He opened the first bottle, held it beneath the still-bleeding wound, and began collecting the flowing blood. It took some time, and Shirou remained focused, adjusting the bottle's angle to ensure no drops were wasted.
Soon after, the Minotaur's body trembled one last time. A soft crrrk sounded as its body began to disintegrate into particles of light... and turned to ash.
One leather bottle was now full. The other was only half-filled.
Shirou stood and handed the first bottle to Lefiya, then glanced at Aiz. "Hold this one. Be careful—it's still open."
Aiz accepted the bottle without a word, gripping its base firmly with both hands to prevent spills.
Lefiya, still curious, leaned forward slightly. "Huh? What are you planning? That bottle's only half-full, right?"
Shirou merely tilted his head, a faint smirk at the corner of his lips. "Just watch."
He turned and lifted the large cloth he had projected earlier, now soaked in blood and partially dried. Calmly, Shirou rolled the cloth slightly and carefully squeezed it over the bottle Aiz was holding.
Drip... drip... drip...
Drops of blood fell slowly but steadily into the bottle, flowing from the folded edge of the cloth like morning dew from leaves.
Lefiya could only gape. "You even... saved the blood?"
Shirou nodded briefly, still focused. "It'd be a waste to throw it away. The blood of an enraged Minotaur like this is definitely useful."
A few seconds later, the bottle Aiz held was nearly full.
"Done. That's enough," Shirou said, then tightly sealed both leather bottles with their straps.
Two bottles of Minotaur blood were now safely stored—the result of hard work, quick thinking... and a bit of heroics.
With hands still slightly trembling from adrenaline, Lefiya accepted the two leather bottles from Shirou. She checked the lids briefly, ensuring they were secure and leak-proof, then stepped to Shirou's side as he adjusted his supporter bag.
"I'll put them in the bag," she said softly.
Shirou only nodded, bending slightly so Lefiya could open the side pocket. Carefully, she slipped the bottles into the padded inner compartment, ensuring their contents wouldn't shake.
Once done, her gaze shifted to the spear she had dropped earlier. She walked toward it, intending to pick it up again.
But Shirou's voice stopped her.
"Lefiya, that's enough. You've completed your quest," he said gently. "Rest. Let us handle the rest."
He stepped back, untying Forest's Teardrop, which had been neatly secured to the side of his supporter bag. With practiced hands, he returned the magical staff to its owner.
"Take it. It's time for you to return to being the great mage we know."
Lefiya stared at the staff for a moment, then accepted it with both hands. A warm feeling spread through her chest—a mix of pride, gratitude, and something far softer that surfaced whenever Shirou acted this way toward her.
Meanwhile, Shirou turned slightly and opened his right hand. The spear he had projected earlier began to vibrate faintly, then dissolved into blue particles of light. The same happened to the bloodstained cloth—both vanished, returning to prana that dispersed into the air.
Ssshhh... The last drops of blood from the cloth fell to the ground, leaving dark red stains that seeped into the stone cracks.
Not far away, Aiz silently bent down and picked up the purple magic stone left behind by the Minotaur before it turned to ash. She examined it briefly, then walked to Shirou and handed it to him.
Shirou accepted it and stored it in his bag without a word—it was routine by now.
The journey resumed.
But this time, the formation changed.
Shirou and Aiz walked at the front, both wielding their weapons again—Shirou with his katana, and Aiz with Desperate, its blade glinting faintly in the dark corridor's light. They moved in sync, their sharp eyes scanning ahead, ready for the next danger.
Meanwhile, Lefiya walked behind them, her steps slower. She held her staff tightly, and for the first time on this journey, she felt truly protected... and in the quiet, a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Lefiya's steps felt lighter now, though her body still ached from the desperate battle against four Minotaurs earlier. She walked behind Shirou and Aiz as they carved through the darkness of the thirteenth floor, but her gaze lingered more on Shirou's back than the path ahead.
After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke.
"Shirou... thank you. Earlier... you shielded me from the Minotaur's blood spray."
Her voice was soft but sincere, like a drop of water in the cold silence of the stone corridor.
Shirou glanced slightly to the side and replied casually, as usual, "Ah, it was nothing. Don't overthink it."
But Lefiya immediately frowned, unwilling to accept such a dismissive answer. "It was not nothing!" she said louder than usual. "Just imagine, if I went down to the eighteenth floor later... drenched in Minotaur blood, the stench still clinging to me... and people staring! How humiliating would that be!"
Shirou found it amusing. But before he could respond, Aiz, walking beside him, suddenly spoke calmly, "You'd be like Bell."
"Eh?"
Aiz nodded slowly. "A few months ago, I saved him from a Minotaur on the second floor. It's blood—" she pointed to her own chest, "—sprayed all over him. His hair, clothes, even his face."
Lefiya turned with a horrified expression. "Ewwww, don't compare me to that human! Being drenched in Minotaur blood is bad enough, let alone being compared to him!"
Meanwhile, Aiz continued her story silently in her mind.
Back then, he ran away from me immediately up to the city. So many people must have seen him... a little boy covered in blood, running around in a panic...
Shirou, who heard it, smirked faintly, and Aiz glanced briefly at Lefiya. Seeing the elf's disgusted and annoyed expression, neither could hold back their reactions.
A small curve formed on Aiz's usually expressionless face.
Shirou also comforted his friend. "Don't worry, Lefiya. You're still far more elegant than Bell."
Lefiya huffed. "Hmph. Obviously."
But her slowly reddening cheeks betrayed something unspoken. Whether it was embarrassment... or perhaps a warm feeling quietly blooming in her chest.
The atmosphere returned to silence after their brief exchange, accompanied only by the soft echoes of footsteps on the stone floor. But the peace didn't last long.
Suddenly—GGRRRRRAK!!
The dungeon wall to their right cracked and shattered, large boulders crashing to the ground, sending up thick dust and a deafening boom. From the gap, a horde of Minotaurs burst forth, snarling and roaring, their horns sweeping through the air as if searching for prey.
Unfortunately for them, they had chosen the wrong opponents.
In an instant, Aiz and Shirou moved in unison. Aiz shot forward like a silver arrow, Desperate gleaming in her hand. With clean, lethal movements, she slashed one Minotaur's throat, then spun and struck down two more in a single swing.
Shirou, katana drawn, flanked the other side. He leaped forward, delivering a diagonal slash from shoulder to waist, cleaving the Minotaur's body before it could hit the ground.
The monsters briefly showed an expression, not anger, but fear.
Fear.
Their auras were too overwhelming. The difference in level and strength between level two monsters and two fighters at the peak of their class was too stark. Some Minotaurs even tried to retreat before being cut down.
Meanwhile, Lefiya stood a few steps behind, watching the battle end as quickly as it began. She hadn't even had time to raise her staff, let alone chant a spell. She could only crouch and begin collecting the purple magic stones left among the monster ashes.
One by one, she gathered the stones into a small pouch in her hand, and once all the monsters had turned to dust, she walked to Shirou and deposited them into his supporter bag.
Her face looked gloomy, and a soft murmur escaped her lips.
"...I guess... my selfishness earlier just made things harder, huh," she muttered. "Thinking about it, you two could have easily completed the Minotaur blood-collecting quest on your own."
Aiz opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her face looked troubled. She wanted to comfort Lefiya, but the words wouldn't come. Her tongue felt heavy. She could only glance at Shirou, hoping her companion could help.
Shirou looked at Lefiya for a moment, then his expression softened.
"Did you forget?" he said quietly but firmly. "One of the key requirements for that quest was blood from an enraged Minotaur. If Aiz and I had faced them... the Minotaurs would have been terrified, not enraged."
Lefiya's eyes widened slightly at his words. A smile began to form, though she tried to hide it by pretending to be annoyed.
"Oh, is that so?" she said, lightly elbowing Shirou's arm. "So you're saying... because I'm weak, the Minotaurs could get angry at me? Is that it?!"
Shirou chuckled softly. "Physically, you might not be as strong as us yet," he said casually. "But if you started chanting spells—I'm sure those Minotaurs would pale in fear before they could even get angry."
Lefiya lowered her head slightly, her face reddening. But it was clear—her heart was warmed by the praise. She hugged her staff tightly, hiding from direct view.
Aiz, observing from the side, finally let out a relieved sigh. She might not be good with words, but she knew—Lefiya was cheerful again. And that was enough for her.
The journey to the eighteenth floor proceeded as smoothly as they had expected. Thanks to Aiz and Shirou's extraordinary experience and abilities, they navigated the descending tunnels and narrow crevices of the Middle Floor without significant obstacles. The dark, winding stone corridors became a silent hunting ground for the trio.
The monsters they encountered, though dangerous for ordinary adventurers, were little more than minor nuisances to them.
A Minotaur emerged from a narrow passage, roaring and charging straight at Shirou, its horns aimed at his chest. But before the creature could fully lower its head, Shirou leaped forward and swung his katana in a single straight motion. ZRAK!—the monster's body split horizontally, turning to ash before its hind legs touched the ground.
Not long after, a group of Al-Miraj—horned rabbits with incredible speed leaped from the tunnel ceiling, attempting to ambush them from above. But Aiz, who had already sensed their movements, spun and sliced two of them mid-air. One managed to land and tried to attack Lefiya, but Shirou crouched and fired a projected arrow at close range, piercing its head.
They continued descending the narrow spiral path. Ligerfang—large red-eyed cats with long fangs—emerged from the shadows. The creatures growled and quickly surrounded them. But before they could pounce, Shirou stomped the ground and projected a second katana. In an instant, he was amidst the pack, his sword dancing, reflecting dark and silver light. One by one, the large monsters fell, cleanly cut down.
Meanwhile, a rumbling echoed from the end of the corridor. Hellhounds—ferocious dogs with bodies covered in black flame-like fur—charged forward, mouths gaping, ready to unleash fiery breath. Aiz dashed ahead like lightning, dodging the first fire blast and slashing the creature's throat in one swing.
After that, it was Lefiya who stole the spotlight.
When a sizable pack of Ligerfang gathered in a wide crevice in the distance, seemingly unaware of the trio's presence, Lefiya lowered her staff, stood calmly, and began chanting.
"Fusillade Fallarica!"
Her spell echoed powerfully through the tunnel, accompanied by magical light gathering at the tip of her staff. A massive fireball shot forward—WHOOOM!—and exploded amidst the Ligerfang pack. The blast scorched the air and created a dazzling burst of light. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained but scattered ashes and faintly glowing magic stones.
"Not bad," Lefiya murmured, trying to hide her pride.
Finally, their steps brought them to the seventeenth floor—to the place known as the Big Wall of Grief. The space was far wider than the previous floors, with a high ceiling resembling a grand stone hall. A massive wall loomed at the end, towering like a natural fortress carved from black stone. This was where the Monster Rex Goliath usually appeared.
Aiz stepped forward, her eyes carefully examining the stone wall. "It seems he won't appear today," she murmured. "Probably defeated a few days ago."
Shirou, standing beside her, glanced curiously. "How often... does Goliath usually appear?"
Lefiya, who had walked closer while holding her staff to her chest, answered informatively, "Goliath usually respawns two weeks after being defeated. Same as other Monster Rexes. The stronger they are, the longer the respawn time."
Shirou nodded slowly. His gaze remained fixed on the towering wall, but his mind drifted to the past. He still remembered clearly watching Aiz fight the Monster Rex Udaeus alone, to gain the experience needed to level up. He could imagine the solitude and tension of that battle.
