NOVEL WEB Chapter 46
Before facing the impending danger, the first thing to check was the existing defenses.
To be precise, it was about boosting morale by monitoring the growth of the management staff.
As for Balutak, just throwing some prey his way and letting him rack up experience would level him up on his own.
Charlotte and Estizel, with the Necronomicon at their disposal, would manage their magic training just fine.
‘…I have nothing to do, huh?’
Behold, the screen boss has arrived.
Knock, knock.
There wasn’t much help I could offer, but I decided to check in on the lieutenant’s room.
They couldn’t be slacking off together, so I popped in to monitor their growth.
Peeking through the open door, I spotted Estizel poking her head out.
Our eyes met, her wide, innocent gaze locking onto mine.
“Whoa! Boss, you’ve arrived!”
Bam, crash, bang.
There was a commotion coming from beyond the door.
When it finally settled, Charlotte rushed over, bending at the waist. Agh, pressing down on Estizel’s head with one hand.
“It is an honor to meet you, my lord.”
“I’ve come to see the accomplishments.”
“Is there any question about that? Please, come in comfortably.”
Charlotte hastily gestured me inside with customary politeness.
As for accomplishments, all I intended to check was their levels.
Well, since I had nothing better to do, I stepped into the lieutenant’s room.
[Lv. 47]
The Estizel I’d seen at the meeting was level 44.
It hadn’t been long, and she had leveled up by three already.
Sure, Charlotte’s teachings were a factor, but it was also obvious, given Estizel’s natural potential as a boss.
“You’ve grown.”
“…Wow, you recognize me?”
Estizel gasped, her lips parting in surprise.
“Oh, right! I’m now ranked 70!”
She said this and proudly patted her chest.
Her behavior reminded me of little Isabella.
“Congratulations.”
“Um, ahem!”
Estizel even strutted her steps with military pride.
As I walked along, I noticed a Necromicon and a dead mouse on the table.
Looks like she was learning necromancy.
“Look over here!”
Estizel stretched her hand toward the mouse.
Her slightly pursed lips and wide-open eyes gave a hilariously intense vibe. She looked like a kid, making it all seem adorably awkward.
From the tips of Estizel’s fingers, a sinister energy flickered out.
As it hit the mouse, its flesh started to rot away, revealing the bones.
The now undead mouse suddenly sprang to life.
-Snap!
“Tada!”
Estizel pointed at the mouse with both hands like she was showcasing a magic trick.
It felt like I was watching my niece’s little performance.
Instead of proud, I found it cute.
“Well done.”
“Hehe! I can do this too!”
Whoosh—
The mouse floated into the air.
Sure, it was telekinesis, but since the target was a mouse, there wasn’t much to be surprised about.
Was she placing significance on her success?
“This is also something you taught me, lieutenant. It’s called telekinesis, right? Anyway, that!”
“Is it called telekinesis? Anyway, that!”
“Um.”
“I’m still lacking, but I’ll become more useful over time. Eventually, I’ll fit in with the Seven Lairs!”
Behind Éstizel’s smile, there was an unmistakable worry and anxiety.
Showing magic twice in a row… I wondered if she was worried about being discarded.
If I didn’t react, I might inadvertently increase her anxiety.
“You’re growing fast. I didn’t expect this much.”
“Hehe….”
Éstizel smiled innocently.
Am I really going to discard you just because you’re useless? Once I get attached, I stick around to the end.
“Boss.”
Charlotte, who had been quietly watching, finally spoke up.
My gaze shifted from her face to the number floating above her head.
[Lv. 82]
It must have just been at 81 not long ago, and now it’s already gone up again!
As expected of the Abyss 10’s watchman, a newbie-crusher.
As her boss, I felt a profound sense of emotion.
‘At this rate, I might break through 90 soon!’
It’ll take some time to grow to 90, and with the existing Necronomicon, Charlotte is now a major player.
Given her growth rate, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she could become a future boss of the Seven Lairs.
‘…But why did she call me?’
For some reason, even though we were making eye contact, she just stood there silently.
At that moment, the ground trembled, and undead creatures burst forth from the earth.
It looked like around twenty of them… Did she call me just to show me this?
“….”
“….”
Staring at each other in silence, I could sense something in her eyes.
But if she doesn’t say anything, I won’t know. What on earth is going on?
Whoosh—
In an instant, the undead floated in the air.
Meanwhile, Charlotte continued to stare directly at me.
“….”
“….”
Is she jealous of Éstizel?
Does she want me to praise her because she did better?
“You did well.”
“Thank you.”
Seeing her respond as if waiting for me to say that, I knew it for sure.
I hadn’t seen it before, but she has a surprisingly cute side.
In an instant, a surge of magical energy shot from the tip of Charlotte’s fingers.
The faint magic grew gradually more intense and soon formed a blizzard.
Crash—Inside the blizzard, electrical properties mixed, and a wide area was dominated by magic.
And yet, we were cleverly avoiding it.
“Wow….”
Honestly, I wanted to be awestruck like Éstizel.
She effortlessly unleashed 8th-circle magic, Blizzard Storm, and was handling each strand of magic freely.
Moreover, this wasn’t just simple 8th-circle magic; it was dual-attribute magic.
This was a technique that would be impossible without innate talent and a good sense.
She was a skilled artisan.
Eventually, Charlotte, having gathered her magical power, stared at me intensely.
To put it simply, I was at a loss for words.
If it weren’t for her gaze urging me for compliments, I would have stood there dumbfounded for a while.
“Amazing.”
The corners of Charlotte’s mouth twitched, even if only slightly.
Aside from that minor change, the green level fluctuated drastically.
Deepening into a pink beyond the limit.
Ah, another bone-headed witch.
*
I had a lot to think about in preparation for Cecilia’s unpredictable arrival.
Honestly, if she barged in like Wilhelm without any signal, I’d be dead before I could prepare.
Of course, having lost two heroes meant they would also be gearing up for a full-on assault.
At least, nothing unusual should happen until Carleon’s 9th Legion arrives.
“Intruders have arrived.”
“Gah!”
“Kiric?”
…Oh crap.
Charlotte, having gathered everyone on the 10th floor, got straight to the point.
As she pulled her hand from the depths of her robe, a crystal orb was in her grip.
Seeing the dungeon’s protective crystal vibrating sent a shiver down my spine.
I never expected Cecilia would arrive this soon.
It might not be her, but the sense of unease led me to think of the worst possible scenario.
“Everyone, please look at the crystal orb.”
Before I could finish my sentence, Balutak and Estizel leaned in.
They blocked my view completely.
“Kiric!”
Suddenly, Balutak was startled.
Then, without warning, he spread his wings and flew upstairs.
Just how many intruders were there?
As I looked at Balutak with confusion, I subtly shifted my gaze.
The intruders I saw through the crystal orb numbered about ten, and they were not even forming ranks, just rushing through.
They moved in perfect coordination, disregarding traps and barreling forward.
In the darkness, my focus shifted from their silhouettes to their eyes.
Every single one of them was glowing with a red light.
…Vampires?
“Charlotte, those aren’t intruders, are they?”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to scare you a bit.”
It was a little surprising. Was this her original character?
The more I got to know Charlotte, the more I realized she had a surprisingly human side.
Phew. Before I could revel in the welcome feeling, I clutched my pounding heart.
Honestly, I thought today might be my funeral day.
“Why? Who are they?”
Estizel, who was clueless, started looking around.
“It’s Isabella the vampire. She’s a former member of the dungeon I mentioned before.”
“Ah!”
Estizel recognized the name.
I didn’t expect her to drop by so abruptly, but nonetheless, I was glad to see her.
With light steps, I climbed the tiered stairs, and the other two followed closely behind me.
I was eager to catch up and find out how she had been doing.
My eagerness to untie everything grew stronger.
Did I unconsciously get attached? It hadn’t been long since we last met, yet I was this happy to see her.
On the other hand, thinking about Balutak rushing out to greet me, I guess my reaction was pretty normal.
As we reached the entrance of the Fourth Layer, dozens of pairs of glowing eyes emerged from the darkness.
I could also hear Balutak’s voice squeaking, “Kirik, kirik!”
“It’s the boss!”
As the glowing eyes drew closer, Isabella gracefully jumped forward.
In just one leap, she was standing right in front of me.
“I missed you! How have you been?”
“Kirik. I missed Boss too,” Balutak said.
Buzzing. For some reason, Balutak’s flapping was annoying.
In the moment I pushed him away, Charlotte was the first to speak up.
“Long time no see. Have you been well?”
“Yes, yes! I’ve been doing great! And you’re still the same, Second Commander! You all missed me a lot, right? Hmm? Oh, but who’s this?”
“Uh, n-nice to meet you…”
Estizel bowed deeply while Charlotte pointed at her.
“This is Estizel. She’s a new member of the Faithful Mausoleum.”
“Ohhh… So you’ve filled my empty spot?”
While those three were having a girls’ talk, I observed Isabella closely.
The atmosphere somehow felt different, and she seemed a bit taller.
Putting looks aside, she had developed a unique aura… or was it just my imagination?
“Hey, boss? Did you miss me?”
Isabella covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.
No matter how I looked at it, the overall vibe had definitely changed.
But I couldn’t quite grasp what it was.
Having only focused on her appearance until now, I suddenly glanced upward.
[Lv. 88]
…What?
The deep green color escaped my notice.
Only the number was engraved in my mind.
For a moment, I thought I must have misread it, but her level was unchangingly ’88’.
Even seeing it didn’t make it believable; by numbers alone, she resembled a mid-boss Carleon level in a castle.
Not Balutak, not Charlotte, but Isabella.
“Are you worried I’ll suck your blood again? I’m not that kind of mosquito anymore.”
Such growth couldn’t just come from training.
Then how?
“…Could it be you?”
One way and the current timeline overlapped.
Though I couldn’t believe it, I had no other choice.
Isabella’s gaze met mine, and she blinked, then smiled brightly.
“As expected of you, boss. You figured it out right away.”
With her hand resting over her heart, Isabella bowed slightly.
Her precise movements were nothing like the clumsy Isabella I remembered.
“I’ll officially introduce myself. I’m Isabella, the 8th rank of the 72nd Dungeon.”
She boldly raised both hands in a V shape.
“I’m the vampire here to repay my debt!”