Get Stronger quickly in the Underground Dungeon! Step 2

The forest outside of the Dragon Residence– An altar in an underground dungeon is located there.

In the woods.

Hidden by the bushes– there is an entrance to a grotto above the ground.

After descending down a gradual inclined slope, there, it is the first floor.

Continuing forward through a dark rocky tunnel

And you will arrive in front of an iron door.

And when you open the rusty red door, a monster appears.

–Minotaur.

The head of a cow, and the body of a bodybuilder.

Furthermore…… it is holding a ridiculously huge axe.

It is in a four metre cube room.

It’s abnormally narrow. As I stared at the monster and activated my skill, I swallowed my breath.

–Activate Skill: Physical Strengthening.

–Activate Skill: Body Strengthening Technique.

–Activate Skill: Kimonhou.

With this, I have the power equal to a veteran in a guild.

That is just a bit stronger than a 12 year old female Hero, and the power to lightly slaughter hundreds of goblins.

— It is a ridiculously strong level of strength for a 12 year old human. But, among the dragons……. its like a scrap of paper it is too fragile.

Buon (*sfx or this)…… wind rose up in the room.

That is the sound of the minotaur swinging its axe at a speed unable to be seenby the naked eye.

The dungeon I’m trying to capture now is also a labyrinth as a ritual to become a full-fledged dragon.

In actuality, it is said that young dragons die in this labyrinth at a consistent rate.

Foolish young dragons mostly die here because– they are too proud of their dragon scales leading to them ignoring their defense and inadvertently approach the minotaur.

In other words, the first strike of the damascus steel axe of the minotaur splitting the dragon’s armor is the cause of their death.

I reflexively evade the swing of the axe by a hair’s breadth.

–Honestly speaking, I was only able to evade with my intuition. Because, I cannot properly see the slash……

And again, before I’d noticed, the incoming slash created by the axe of the minotaur 1 metre before me was approaching.

Fast!

It’s almost impossible to continuously evading!

First, second, third, fourth, Fifth…… I evaded all the swings.

Sixth, Seventh, Eighth……After a swing downwards, a slash to the top– my speed has reflexively exceeded the limit.

And, I was hit.

—Saku.

A hateful sound came from in between my brows.

The vision of my right eye suddenly turned vermilion.

I was hit…… I went into a state of panic.

However, my body still moves.

Even though one side of my vision is obstructed, it’s only blood flowing into my eye…….

And the minotaur was…… having an relaxed expression as if it had defeated me.

As if saying that it had power to spare, it snorted and slowly raise its axe to swing it.

–Looking down on me…… it totally doesn’t think that I’ll counter attack…… actually, I suppose it looked down on me because I’m a human…… or in actuality, just a kid.

–It thinks that it itself is the absolute powerful…… an usurper?

No, that’s why…… I smiled.

I pulled out a knife from my waist, and aimed for the cow bastard’s nose.

Only in that instant, the minotaur looked away as if saying that it could not believe I’ll counter attack.

「Don’t regret…… afterwards! Don’t look down on humans! 」(TN: equivalent of the idiom don’t cry over spilt milk; author used the word 人間様[ningen-sama], showing that mc thinks that humans on a higher standard)

–And the knife bounced off…… as if it was repelled like rubber — it could not pierce through the nose.

「I see. This is the test to become an adult dragon」

After saying that, I turned 180 degrees.

And I dashed full speed towards the door that I came in with.

「IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSSIBLE!! This is definitely IMPOSSIBLE! 」[Muri muri muri muri!! Zettai muri darou konna no!] (tl: I had to!)

As expected……. a ritual in an underground dungeon to make a young one into a fine dragon.

It seems normal to have a rate of few tens of percentages of deaths by young dragons, so it’ll make at least 500 goblins yelp in fright……. This is not a place for a 12 year old Level 1 villager to visit.

I kicked the iron door open, closed the door behind me and took a deep breath.

The minotaur is like a gatekeeper of this labyrinth, also a sub-boss.

That’s why it will not come out from the boss room.

Therefore, if you went out of the room…… it will be safe.

I took a deep breath to calm my breathing.

While using Elementary Recovery Magic to cure the bruise, I spat out a revengeful「Shit!」.

I mean, for me, I was planning to visit this place only after a few more months.

Only after defeating goblins and orcs, raising my level to a safe margin……. then I planned to challenge this place prepared.

However, I cannot do that when I’m already here.

「…… What will you do? Turn back at this point? Honestly speaking, to challenge this underground labyrinth…… as a Level 1 villager…… is just reckless」

Carrying a rucksack full of water and food supplies– Lilith looked at me with eyes worrying and said.

「It’s not like I can just do that」

「…… The strongest Level 1 villager. Certainly, you are one. It’s also true that you are out of the norm. And I understand that you are trying to help me. I am really happy」

However, Lilith bit her lips.

「There is no need to risk your life. I should be at this rate exiled from the Dragon Residence, and sent back to the human world…… Brought to the master that had owned me and once again become a sex slave. In terms of that kind of situation…… I am already prepared」

Recovery magic had finally started to kick in.

Blood stopped flowing, and Lilith rolled the bandage.

She wiped my bloodied vision with a damp gauze.

「I will save you at the risk of my life. Don’t decide for yourself…… You will fall back into slavery if you go back」

「……That’s why, you don’t have to risk your life. You are just Level 1…… you can visit here again…… after gaining experience from lower level monsters」

「But if I follow that, I wouldn’t have enough time…… to look after you」

「…… That’s why you don’t have to risk your life」

There I gave a small laugh.

「This is just my…… obstinacy」

Lilith tilted her head curiously.

「Obstinacy?」

「Yes. If I throw Lilith aside now…… I don’t think I can make ‘that person’ smile」

「That person is……?」

「…… A childhood friend. This is…… something that I’m doing for self-satisfaction, this is really something that you don’t need to be concerned with」

And I turned my vision towards the iron door leading to the boss room for the minotaur.

「If frontal attack is not suitable/possible. In that case……. Oi, Lilith?」

「……What?」

「I have a request. Can you go back to the forest…… and prepare cut firewood?」

My rucksack is filled with survival equipment.

On the other hand, food and water is in Lilith’s rucksack, and my rucksack has survival items stuff like shovel and fire starter…… Well, things like those.

Then, I took out a small billhook and passed it to Lilith.

「Firewood? What for?」

I took out knife and thrust the blade into the soil wall near the door.

Thereupon, even though little, the wall crumpled and fell to the floor.

After I confirmed the fact, I nodded my head.

It seems that it is possible to dig the soil on the wall.

And, minotaurs are monsters summoned with summoning magic by the dragon tribe.

It should be easily understood to say that they are a type of familiar.

They have various restrictions put upon them, that cow bastard can definitely not escape from that room.

–Then…… if I have firewood, as expected…… it should be possible.

「– What? That is already been decided. To kill…… that cow bastard.」

–10 hours later.

A hole of a few centimetres– were filled with ignited firewood.

「…… Are you sane? How can a minotaur…….」

「Seriously serious, I’m dead serious」

For ten hours straight, the end of this firewood– towards the room, I’ve been constantly igniting the wood with Life Magic.

Therefore, the number of wood I’ve burnt has already reach hundreds, or even more than few thousands of them.

Currently in the room has……a shortage of oxygen.

In addition, it is also filled with dust and soot in there.

To matters worse, I…… used Life Magic even without oxygen…… with inexhaustible mana, forcibly continuing to keep the fire burning.

Bluntly speaking, inside is getting a big worsening.

However, Lilith can still not…… understand the situation inside fully.

「……I cannot fathom the minotaur can be….. exterminated just by doing this. I’m just…… burning firewood」

「Then, just sit back and watch. If it still doesn’t die with this…… I will give up.」

I shrugged my shoulders and opened the door.

At the same time I opened the door, hot air and black smoke came rushing out.

「…… This is?」

Peeking into the room, Lilith became speechless.

Of course that will be the case, the minotaur was struggling for breath, twitching.

I mean, that is still considered as living…… really, not shabby at all, this altar dungeon.

「Oi, Lilith? Don’t you know…… the phrase incomplete combustion(不完全燃焼[fukanzen nensho])?」

「……Fukanzennenshou?」

「I’ll change the way of saying it. Then, do you know what will happen if you keep on burning things in a closed room?」

「…… I don’t know」

「To put it simply…… poison is produced. So, this is what you call this poison that contaminates the body. Carbon monoxide poisoning」

「Issankantanso…… chuudoku?」

Even if I tell Lilith about suicide by inhaling carbon monoxide, it’s not like she understands it.

Anyways.

With a ‘fuck’ sign, I said towards the convulsing minotaur.

「Brains of a cow…… a mere livestock…… don’t look down upon humans who had conquered the Earth」

Name : Lute Macklen

Race :Human

Occupation :Villager

Age :12 years old

Condition :Normal

Level :1 → 12

HP :50 → 650/650

MP :12050 → 13400/13400

Attack Power :35 → 185

Defense Power :35 → 170

Magic :2154 → 2350

Evasion :55 → 225

Strengthening Skill

【Physical Strengthening: Level 10 (ＭＡＸ) 】

【Body Strengthening Technique: Level 10 (ＭＡＸ)】

【Kimonhou: Level 5】

Defensive Skill

【Indestructible Stomach: Level 2】

【Mental Resistance: Level 2】

【Indomitable: Level 10 (ＭＡＸ)】

Daily Skill:

【Crop Cultivation: Level 15 (Limit Break: The Goddess’s Gift)】

【Sword Technique: Level 4】

【Taijutsu: Level 6 → 7】

Magic Skill

【Mana Manipulation: Level 10 (ＭＡＸ)】

【Life Magic: Level 10 (ＭＡＸ)】

【Elementary Attack Magic: Level 7 (Growth Limit)】

【Elementary Recovery Magic: Level 7 (Growth Limit)】

Title

【Strongest Infant on Land: Level 10 (ＭＡＸ)】

【Youngest Sage: Level 10 (ＭＡＸ)】

【Commoner’s Healing Hand: Level 10 (ＭＡＸ)】

【Saint: Level 3 (Growth Limit)】

【Devil Child: Level 10 (ＭＡＸ)】

【Heretic Mage: Level 2 → 3】

【Cow/Bovini(?) Killer: Level 0 → 2】

・When using Body Strengthening Technique

Atk pow・Def pow・Evasion ＋ 150 Correction

・When using Kimonhou

Atk pow・Def pow・Evasion ＋ 250 Correction

・When using Physical Strengthening

Atk pow・Def pow・Evasion × 2 Correction