The next morning, when all members were awake they ate a small meal and resumed their exploration of the dungeon . As they knew the route to take already, they quickly arrived at the point they had stopped at the previous day .

Maybe because they had slain all monsters they had encountered the day before, they did not find many this time .

Good, were going to finish this today .

Everyone nodded in agreement to Shins words .

Shins Magic Sonar, the same skill he had used during the exploration of the Summit Factions base, gradually filled the unexplored spots of the map . The skills range was reduced because of the miasmas effects, but its waves of magical power did their job effectively .

The group proceeded while making sure that the map was being updated . Naturally, the Invader-type monsters roaming the dungeon would sometimes attack .

They were, however, struck down by Shin, Schnee, and Tieras magic and finished by Filma, Shibaid, and Munechikas attacks: before this simple but overwhelming power, they were all crushed with barely any chance to resist .

As their opponents were often close to level 600, Tieras level increased in an interesting way today too .

To think that Id reach level 200Im starting to feel sorry towards the people that level up seriously

Really? Yes, this looks a bit like power leveling, but youre not leeching off us by any means, so I dont think you should worry about it . Youre damaging the Chimeras without a doubt too, I mean you even felled one in one blow just now . This might sound weird, but this is a good hunting area for you, Tiera .

As Shin said, Tieras arrows were extremely effective against miasma-tainted monsters . The damage was considerable too, but also the fact that Invader-type monsters were paralyzed after Tieras arrows struck them, making their movements duller .

Against Chimeras and their unpredictable movements, Tieras arrows were incredibly useful .

Even Shibaid, who had not talked much since they entered dungeon, mentioned how she was a true asset to their fighting capabilities .

As Shin said, we are having an easier time thanks to lady Tiera . There is nothing you need to be concerned about .

Er, thank you, very much .

As they descended further through the dungeons lower area, the space became gradually narrower .

Looks like Yasutsuna will be in the lower areas boss room, right?

Indeed . As we said before leaving, we also think that the possibility of Yasutsuna being in the deepest part of the dungeon is high . Even now that we are in the lower area, I feel its presence coming from below . I do think that prediction is correct .

Munechika agreed with Shins thoughts as they walked on through a corridor .

The Depths of Hellfire were structured like a reverse pyramid: the lowest floor consisted of just the boss chamber .

Yasutsuna was far stronger than the dungeons boss, so it would not be strange for it to be in place of the boss .

Doesnt it feel like the miasma is growing thicker? Im starting to feel kind of sick .

On their way down, only Tiera seemed to perceive a change in the miasma in the atmosphere .

I cant feel any particular difference . But Tiera is sensitive to miasma, better use some countermeasure . Materialize this card from the ones I gave you .

During their exploration of the Summit Faction base too, Tiera had shown to be sensitive to things difficult to determine and identify, such as miasma and the voices of the dead .

Considering this, Shin pulled out a card from the item box and showed it to Tiera .

Schnee and everyone else as well, please materialize one of these and swallow it . I dont know if it will affect you Munechika, but try just in case . This allows you to act even within thick miasma for one hour . We dont know what awaits us down here, so lets take it regularly .

What was materialized was a round white pill less than 1 cemel in size .

Named Miracle Drug of Holy Skies, it was an essential item when exploring areas infected with miasma for an extended time .

Swallowing the pill prevents miasma-caused status ailments for 1 hour . Depending on its usage, it could also serve as a means of attack .

Shin had prepared it for added safety when he heard that the miasma was powerful enough to swallow even an Ancient-grade weapon .

Its incredible, I feel better already . Is this what you were throwing at the Chimeras?

Yeah . In case of emergency, just throw one of these at the enemy . If its an Invader-type, this pill alone can cause serious damage .

Shin had prioritized making a large quantity of them, so he did not have time to test their effectiveness before: thats why he tested them directly on Invader-type monsters .

Shin had a natural high resistance to miasma, so swallowing the Miracle Drug of Holy Skies wouldnt change his condition much . But he confirmed with Schnee that the pill was effective, so he told Tiera to swallow it right away .

This too is effective even on me . As lady Tiera said, incredible indeed .

Munechika was even more surprised than Tiera . Her true form was a weapon, but she was subjected to the effects of miasma like any other person .

Swallowing the pill, however, allowed her to suppress such symptoms, just like the other members of the group .

It is truly helpful to be able to fight without worrying about miasma after all .

Munechika thought that depending on the situation she might not have been able to assist them in fighting, so she was relieved .

I didnt expect for it to affect you too, Munechika . Oh, looks like we reached our destination .

Normally, Shins group would find stairs leading to the lower floor at this point .

The corridor they were following though, led to a giant door decorated with a painting of a large bird-type monster, probably Kagutsuchi .

Two candle stands were erected at the sides of the door: they had surely been burning for a long time, but black flames still danced on them .

Large gates were always found before boss chambers, like a sort of landmark . In game terms, it was a way to show that a powerful enemy awaited .

In the current real world though, it intimidated and pressured any visitors . It silently warned them that they needed to be prepared to die if they wanted to go past it .

OK, Im opening it .

After making sure that everyone else nodded in response, Shin pushed the doors .

The thick door had some resistance at first, but after moving it a little it naturally opened completely . The scenery inside, accompanied by the doors metallic creaking sounds, slowly showed itself to the eyes of Shin and his group .

What an impressive welcome .

Before he activated Analyze, Shin noticed several shadows .

A pack of Ogres, all with bodies mostly painted black . Their appearances showed that they were not regular Ogres, but a mix of different species, such as High Ogres and Warrior Ogres .

Behind all the Ogres stood a unit completely different from the rest .

The first thing that came to Shins mind after seeing it was Black Oni .

It was twice the size of the other Ogres . Its torso was naked and adorned with powerful muscles which were like an armor protecting the monster .

Its body was fully tainted black with miasma: only its eyes shone bright red .

From the forehead of a face which could be described with the word Oni, the demon of Japanese folklore fame, sprouted a pair of horns .

The lower half of its body was covered by a yellow and black striped cloth .

The beasts single piece of clothing, reaching until its ankles, was ragged and ripped, maybe because of the miasma .

. Shin, its holding Yasutsuna in its right hand .

Munechika spoke while keeping her feelings suppressed, looking at the katana the monster was wielding in its right hand, swirling with a black aura .

!?!

Shins eyes opened wide one instant, then his look became even sharper .

The katanas blade was severely damaged, even cracked in parts . Rust could be seen in the joint between the blade and the hilt, its decorations-which surely were a work of art-discolored and indistinguishable anymore .

Its state was so horrible that one wouldnt even wonder if it still cuts or not . Could it even be called a weapon now?

It was as good as dead as a katana . Its Ancient grade was the only thing that kept it from breaking completely .

What is that . !? What the hell is that!?

Deep, menacing words, very different from the usual, came out of Shins mouth . He felt clearly what Munechika was feeling, as one of the Supreme Blades herself .

The hand holding Munechikas sword was slightly trembling .

Seeing her companion being treated that way would undoubtedly rouse her anger .

Ogre Invader Level 723

Analyze displayed the Invader word . Shin wasnt really concerned with it until now, but this time it really grated his nerves .

Maybe it was because Shin knew that the katana had a consciousness, or maybe because of his contact with Munechika and the others . Shin himself was surprised at how much the sight of the ravaged Dojigiri Yasutsuna made him furious .

In the current world, It was the first time for Shin to see a weapon corrupted by miasma at this point .

He couldnt explain why, however, the scenery before his eyes disgusted him so much .

As Shins party entered the room, the doors behind them closed . But neither Shin nor Munechika, nor anyone else, cared about something like that .

I will kill the Ogre without breaking Yasutsuna . Ive been in the rear guard until now, but Im going forward this time .

Understood . I find that repugnant as well .

Definitely, its just disgusting .

Shibaid and Filma replied to Shins announcement, spoken in an unusual tone of voice because of his anger .

Munechika, Tiera, and Schnee did not speak, but all shared the same sentiment .

. I am thankful .

Dont mention it . As a blacksmith, I cannot allow something like that . I dont think Ive ever felt so disgusted .

As if corresponding to Shins thoughts, the blade of the katana he was wielding, Moonless, emitted a dull glow .

Were going to take care of the other Ogres . Shin, lady Munechika, the boss is yours .

Schnee told Shin and Munechika to go forward .

If it was just about defeating the boss, Schnee, Shibaid, Filma, anyone of them would have sufficed . Tiera too, with Kagerous support, would have been able to damage it .

But that was not the most important part .

Defeating it was just a prerequisite . More importantly, facing that boss here and now was something Shin and Munechika had to do, as a blacksmith and as a sword, or so judged Schnee .

Help it as soon as you can .

Leave it to me!! Lets go, Munechika!

Yes! You shall taste the blade of Mikazuki Munechika!

Shin and Munechika kicked the ground to jump high in the air towards the boss, which was standing idly behind the monsters group .

They ignored the pack of Ogres in the middle of the room and attacked the boss right away .

I dont know the state the weapon is in . Even if the boss attacks with it, dont clash with it too hard!

Understood!

The very moment they landed, Shin attacked the monsters upper body, Munechika the lower body .

A simultaneous strike coming from both right and left .

An average Ogre would have been sliced in three without even being able to react, but this Ogre was the secret dungeons boss .

The boss naturally reacted, parried Shins Moonlesswith Yasutsuna while retreating, then dodged Munechikas Mikazuki Munechika Shinuchi by raising its legs in the air .

Parrying Shins blow in that state, however, was not a good idea .

Yasutsuna was pushed back, knocking the monster off balance, easy prey for Mikazuki Munechika Shinuchis following attack .

!!

The blade, aimed at the monsters legs, changed direction in a sharp angle and cut through the Ogres left arm .

The boss left hand had been cut off, forcing it to retreat further while screaming in pain . Its right hand, though, still gripped Yasutsuna firmly .

Even if it was an Ancient-grade weapon, Shin didnt know how much durability remained in it . Because of this, when the boss took a stance to parry with Yasutsuna Shin held back on his attack .

He had not inflicted great damage, but instead noticed something .

This responseit still has some durability left .

Maybe because of his blacksmith skills, Shin understood indirectly that Yasutsuna retained more durability than what its appearance suggested .

While its appearance made it seem like less than 10% remained, actually the katana still retained at least 30% of its durability .

You can tell?

Yes, its still at around 30% . At the very least, it wont break after just parrying an attack . If its necessary, we can cross swords with it without worrying .

It is a relief to hear that . But attacks from an enemy of this level will not hit, and I have no intention of spending time on fighting it .

After understanding that Yasutsunas durability, their greatest concern, was not at risk, Shin and Munechikas movements improved .

Even if they defeated the boss, but Yasutsuna broke, they didnt know if they could fix it . They could not be cautious enough .

But things were different if the katanas durability was not in danger .

The Ogre Invader became much more vigilant towards the two as it distanced itself from them . Was it because it felt that Shin and Munechikas hesitation had disappeared?

Too slow!

Shin and Munechika spoke at the same time .

Thanks to the Movement-type Martial skill Ground Shrink, the two warriors stepped right next to the boss in a flash .

Even if powered up by miasma, for Shin and Munechika, the Ogre Invader was a clearly inferior opponent . Without any reason to hesitate to attack, they would never struggle against it .

Shah!

Shins blade struck the monsters left arm and leg

Fuuh!!

Munechikas slash cut through the monsters right arm; all its limbs were thus cut off and blown away .

Yasutsuna, finally freed, was still in midair when Munechika safely caught it .

We have no use for you anymore . Die already!

Its left leg cut off, the monster collapsed on the ground, but Shins blade struck relentlessly .

A white visual effect signaled the activation of a skill: three blade streaks were drawn in midair .

Katana-type Martial skill Continuous Flower Wheel .

An upward slash, a downward slash, another upward slash . The first slash originally served to knock the opponents weapon upwards, while the other two would strike directly . The boss was already off balance even before receiving the first blow, so it had no way of dodging any of Shins blows .

Shins slashes cut the monsters head and torso in two .

No matter how much its Invader transformation progressed, being cut into so many pieces prevented it from recovering or resurrecting . As its HP reached 0, the monsters body crumbled away in dust .

The others are already finished I suppose?

Even if they were fighting the boss, Shin and Munechika were not attacked by its Ogre minions . The reason was that Schnee and the others had already done away with all of them .

The floor of the boss chamber was littered with the rods and great swords previously held by the Ogre monsters .

I see you have finished too . How is Yasutsunas condition?

Its durability is alright at least . But its corrupted by miasma, so I have to take a closer look before I can say if its safe or not .

Shin answered Schnee and looked at Yasutsunain Munechikas arms . It happened the next instant .

Khlooks like it was too early to relax

!? Hey, whats going on!?

Yasutsuna, now held by Munechika, emitted a turbid aura . The tainted substance wrapped around Munechikas arm, as if it possessed a will of its own .

Munechika grimaced, as if she had received damage, and Yasutsuna fell from her hands .

Gghthe source of the miasma that corrupted the cave was Yasutsuna itself it seems .

After these words, Munechika fell to her knees . Even if Yasutsuna was no longer in her hands, the miasma did not leave her arm .

Wait just a second . Ill dispel it right away .

Shin took Munechikas hand and activated the skill Dispel Omen . It was a skill to purify miasma, necessary when facing Demons or visiting locations affected by miasma .

The transparent light that appeared at the same time of the skills activation caused the miasma enveloping Munechikas arm to vanish . Even so, Munechikas complexion was as sickly as before .

How do you feel?

I apologize . I did not think that Yasutsuna had been so

Munechika was looking at Yasutsuna, stabbing the ground before her . Its appearance was nothing but a katana on the verge of breaking .

As Shin touched Yasutsunas hilt, the turbid aura that attacked Munechika appeared again . Yet as it touched upon the gauntlets equipped by Shin, it disappeared as if blown away .

It was a secondary effect of the Hades Gauntlets Shin had equipped .

Powerful Ancient-grade equipment would not be tainted easily, even if it came into contact with miasma .

Ancient-grade gear, especially if crafted by a high-level blacksmith like Shin, could dispel miasma via simple contact if it was in perfect condition .

That is the reason why Shin could hold Yasutsuna without being affected in any way .

As I expected, this equipment prevents it from affecting me . Then, how about this?

Shin activated Dispel Omen on the Yasutsuna he was now holding . Doing so dispelled the miasma lingering in the katanas blade .

Yet as Shin deactivated the skill, miasma started creeping out of the blade again .

The only part of the katana that did not leak miasma was where Shin was holding it, as it was under the effect of Shins Hades Gauntlets .

If Shin released Yasutsuna, the hilt would also probably start leaking miasma .

It wont work even if you keep casting skills? Is destroying it the only way out?

I dont know . Either I keep casting Dispel Omen and the miasma disappears or we have to destroy Yasutsuna itself . Honestly speaking, I cannot decide .

Even under Munechikas imploring gaze, Shin did not answer with hopeful predictions or change the subject .

Different from blade and weapon analysis, miasma was a field he knew very little about . Shin had no idea about what move he could make .

Schnee was the same: the only way she could think of was purifying the miasma .

In the case that miasma kept appearing even if Dispel Omen was cast, they always stopped it by destroying the source of the miasma .

Ehm, could I?

Tiera?

Among the silence the group had fallen into, Tiera timidly raised her hand and spoke .

Well, first I would like to confirm something with lady Munechikathis room is directly above a Ley line, correct?

Hmm? Why do youno, let us set that aside . Yes, we are above a Ley line, no mistake about it .

Then it might be possible . I cannot say for sure though .

Tiera?

Tiera, after receiving Munechikas confirmation, moved closer to Shin and put her hand over his and Yasutsuna .

In my village, there is a method of purifying miasma handed down through the generations . Shin, please keep casting the skill, Ill try doing most of the work .

Will you be okay?

Leave it to me . dont worry, this isnt my first time .

With a calm expression, Tiera nodded, a tinge of sadness in her eyes .

Her eyes looked straight at Shin .

. . got it . I believe in you . Munechika, what do you say?

She is trying to save one of my companions . There is no other way .

Then its decided . Schnee, everyone, please stay alert of the surroundings just in case .

Understood .

Schnee and the other members readied their weapons and focused on the surroundings . Miasma could sometimes give birth to demons, so they could not afford to lower their guard .

Ill start now .

Tiera whispered softly .

Yasutsunas purification thus began .

. .

What Shin heard was a clear and serene melody, a chant not spelt with words, rising from Tieras lips .

Its echo had a mysterious charm to it, enough to make Shin almost forget that they were in the depths of a dungeon .

!!

As the melody started, Tieras body started glowing . Her black hair flowed as if blown by a breeze, brimming in a transparent light .

The light emanating from Tieras body affected Shin too, as she had put her hands over his . The transparent light started enveloping Shins body as well .

Whats this?

Shin let out a small exclamation . Something warm and cold at the same time, an indescribable sensation, permeated him .

There was no change to his status, and excluding that curious sensation, nothing was happening to him .

This is

What changed was Yasutsuna . The miasma leaking from the blade started squirming and writhing .

It really looked as if it was suffering, so Shin became more alert .

Coursing through Tiera and Shins hands, the light came into contact with the miasma .

It was rejected once, as if their contact caused a violent reaction, but the second time it overcame the miasma and enveloped the whole blade .

n . .

As the light and the miasma clashed, the rhythm of the melody sang by Tiera was disturbed . Large sweatdrops formed on her forehead and her expression was twisted in pain .

But even so, Tiera continued to sing the melody .

Hm . ?

Shin was thinking of a way he could help Tiera .

Then suddenly, his eyesight shook violently .

A forest .

A human-like silhouette, collapsed on the ground .

Someone kneeling down next to it .

Plese . . ! An!!!se!! Im . don . . ave . me . . one!!

Broken images appeared before Shins eyes, a voice of someone not present reached his ears .

The visions that appeared before his eyes were out of focus, the silhouettes that appeared in them dark and blurry .

The voice was disturbed by noises, all he could make out were broken pieces of words .

Shin was still confused by what was happening when, as abruptly as they began, the visions and sounds ended .

Ugh .

Hey!

Before he realized, the light had disappeared and Tiera collapsed .

Shin held her body from falling, instinctively .

Tiera, breathing heavily, slowly stood back up, supported by Shins arms .

Now it, should be alright, I think .

. so it looks like .

The purification seemed to have been successful: even if Shin released Yasutsuna, its blade did not exude miasma anymore .

Shin looked at Schnee and the others, wondering if they had experienced the same thing he did, but their expressions did not show any confusion . Did only he and Tiera see those visions?

First of all, lets grab Yasutsuna and exit the dungeon . We cant talk at leisure here .

Ah, yes, no objections here . Will Yasutsuna be alright?

I cannot say anything before I take a closer look . Its not broken and it doesnt look like its durability decreased, so I want to say that its OK, butI cant yet .

Munechika looked at Yasutsunawith concern .

Their objective was nonetheless achieved, so after making sure that there were no other sources of miasma in the boss chambers, Shins group exited the Depths of Hellfire .