Chapter 74: Debt 74 - Back in the S-Rank Dungeon

As Ryan headed toward the S-Rank dungeon along with Beatrice.

He began to think that since he arrived in this world, he hadn’t had what he could consider time to relax.

He had been going from one place to another, whether it was on missions.

Or lost on another continent.

Or else... on the run.

But now, on top of that, there were things he had to decide.

’Ruling the elves, huh... and does that include the beastmen? Now that I think about it... even though they were mentioned, I still haven’t seen any of them. What will they look like?’

"Ryan!" Beatrice called out; the dungeon rift was already beginning to come into view.

The wyvern accelerated and entered it.

When it landed, it flapped its wings and crouched down on the ground.

Ryan and Beatrice climbed down from it.

"How gross. The mana in this dungeon is giving me a headache..." Beatrice said with a strange grimace.

"Hmm... could it be because you’ve never been in an S-Rank dungeon before?"

She walked forward a bit, observing the surroundings.

"To tell the truth, I’ve never even been in a dungeon before. The one I was going to enter with Solaris... I didn’t end up going in, so this is the first time I’ve ever entered one."

"I see. Considering that dungeons are supposedly created in some way by those deities, being in an S-Rank dungeon must feel like demon repellent to you."

’Sort of like bug spray?’

"Yeah, you might be right. I feel like I’m being attacked mentally..."

"Maybe the dungeon has an effect on demons similar to the wraiths on the upper floors..."

Ryan raised his hand toward Beatrice.

"If that’s the case... then let’s try something."

"Mental Blow"

A faint, almost instantaneous light surrounded Beatrice’s body.

"What did you do?" she asked.

Her expression now looked calm.

"I see, so it does have that effect. The buff I gave you makes you immune to stuns and curses."

"So, the dungeon curses demons?"

"I don’t think that’s quite it. It’s more like a kind of psychic attack aimed directly at your mind, and that causes the effect—at least, that’s what I think. But my buff worked, so it doesn’t matter for now."

"Yes, thanks, Ryan."

"Don’t worry about it."

Ryan walked to the center of the dungeon.

Beatrice followed him.

"Do you think your friends will really come here?"

"I’m sure they will come, and by then, I must already be an S-Rank."

"I really am sorry for getting you involved in all of this..."

"I thought I told you back then to stop worrying."

She stood firmly in front of him.

"I know, but I want to make up for it and help you somehow."

’If I tell her no, she’ll just keep insisting. Normally I would have refused, but as for my power... things can’t stay the same. This isn’t a game; being S-Rank won’t be enough.’

Ryan looked at Beatrice and kissed her.

Then he pulled away and placed his hand on her cheek.

"I am going to complete this dungeon, and by the end, I will be S-Rank. But... that isn’t enough. Our enemies are as well, not to mention the demons. So... during these two days in the dungeon, I’m going to abuse my power. Using it on you."

Ryan sighed.

"You can hate me if you want, but for now I need your body. I’m going to push my extra skill to its limits to reach a power beyond S-Rank."

And before she could respond, he continued.

"We don’t have time to sleep either. So, if you want to leave, you can do it now."

Beatrice looked at him with a smile.

"That doesn’t matter to me. I decided long ago that I would die fighting for you. If in any way this body... even if it is a demon’s, can be of use to you, I will gladly help. I told you, even if you order me to die, I will do it."

’The confidence with which she says those things seems somewhat irrational to me, but at the same time, it puts me at ease. I know I can trust her.’

Ryan smiled and nodded.

’I’ve managed to find some very competent companions.’

After finishing their talk, both advanced toward where the first pool of monsters would be.

"You said earlier that it was your first time in a dungeon, right?"

Beatrice nodded her head.

Then Ryan looked at her.

"Well, in a way, it’s the first time for me too. I have no memory of how I entered this dungeon the first time; I was already on the 100th floor when I woke up. So, we cleared the dungeon from the top down."

"And in the A-Rank dungeon in Varvylon, something similar happened to us."

"What do you mean you have no memory?"

Ryan laughed.

"That’s not important. The point is... this will be the first time I clear a dungeon properly."

...

In that way, Ryan began to fight through the dungeon.

He used his boomerang, wreathed in fire.

Throughout each floor, he bestowed buffs on Beatrice and gave her simple, easy-to-follow orders, all for the purpose of accumulating debt points.

While they fought each boss, the luck bonus allowed them more drops and items, though it still hadn’t granted anything above the rare level.

As he fought and gained experience, leveling up wasn’t difficult for him.

Most of Ryan’s buffs usually lasted at least 10 or 15 minutes on Beatrice’s body.

Right after that time passed and there was no longer any danger, the debt would trigger and grant the debt points.

They did that as much as possible until they reached the 58th floor.

After defeating the boss of that floor.

A massive chimera with the body of a lion, wings, and a lizard head.

It dropped an epic-grade reward.

The first of that level obtained in the dungeon.

"This is epic," Ryan said after analyzing it.

Beatrice stepped closer.

"Is it a bracelet?"

"Yes, but it says it allows you to have one active skill on permanently."

She looked at it more closely.

"That sounds very useful. Will you use it?"

"Yes, although that skill remains active only as long as my mana lasts, and it also consumes 10% of my mana every 20 minutes."

"For any warrior, having that item would be very useful, but given the mana consumption, it’s practically impossible to use."

’Up until now I’ve fought while consuming a lot of mana, and the recovery I get is fast. Only that one time I fought on the demon continent and they applied Mana Burn to me was I in trouble, but since then I’ve increased my psyche a lot.’

Ryan put on the bracelet.

"Are you really going to use it?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, I don’t think I’ll have any problems. Besides, I know exactly which skill I want to keep active permanently."

Then Ryan smiled.

"Reveal Hidden"