You're in for a World of Pain

"What!?"

Vane cried out in disbelief:

"Boss, you actually played dirty! You opposed it the hardest when Number Two suggested it before, so why are you being such a hypocrite now that it's your turn?"

[...Be serious. You should have noticed something about Number Two's condition too.]

"Indeed..." Gorth spoke up, his voice tinged with concern. "Ever since we came to this world, Number Two's emotions have been somewhat unstable."

"I originally thought it was because her body hadn't adapted, or because she was uneasy in an unfamiliar environment, but now it seems..."

"Huh? Is she on her peri—pfft!"

After physically silencing a certain troublesome vampire, Gregor turned to Gorth.

[You noticed it too.]

"Mm... I thought her mood had settled down somewhat after Boss talked her through it."

"But lately... that underlying irritability of hers seems to be getting more obvious."

"Come to think of it, Number Two's been staying in that hellhole called Kazdel these past few days,"

Vane said as he climbed up from the ground, his tone becoming a little more serious.

"Fighting and killing all day long—who wouldn't be in a bad mood? Isn't it normal to feel that way?"

[That's exactly what I'm worried about...] Gregor sighed, spitting out a few sparks.

[Her safety is actually the least of my concerns. With her abilities, she has more than enough power to protect herself.]

[What worries me more now is her mental state... Madness can be contagious.]

[I'm worried that staying there for too long will assimilate her, or... force her into some kind of breakdown.]

"Boss, you're overthinking it~"

Vane tried to ease the atmosphere with a casual tone.

"What major problem could Number Two possibly have? She's the most rational one among us!"

[Rational...]

Gregor gave no comment, turning his gaze toward Ifrit, who was still sleeping peacefully in the hall.

[Forget it... What do you think of my proposal?]

"I'm watching while seated... Cough, cough!"

Vane reflexively ran his mouth, but immediately changed his tune when he felt the heat coming from Gregor.

"I mean, I'm in favor! Boss, speedrun the dungeon. If you don't finish, come back; if you do, give Number Two a surprise!"

But Gorth shook his head.

"I wouldn't recommend doing that. And if Number Two finds out we acted without—"

"Then just don't let her find out."

Vane jumped up and slung an arm over Gorth's shoulder.

"Number Three, you worry too much. Number Two won't be back until tonight."

"That's plenty of time for Boss to solo the dungeon once! With Boss's strength, a quick battle shouldn't be a problem!"

"But she'll find out sooner or later..." Gorth remained concerned.

"So what if she does? I don't want to put it this way... but we're doing this for her own good."

Gorth fell silent, the candle flames on his horns flickering uncertainly.

"Fine... But I'm going with Boss."

[I don't need—]

"What if you get lost?"

[...I'll try them one by one.]

"What if you go berserk?"

[...]

"See? You don't know what to do either."

Without waiting for Gregor's answer, Gorth walked straight toward the hall.

"With me there, I can absorb some of your energy to keep it suppressed, and besides..."

Gorth stopped and looked back at the two of them.

"I'm strong now. I can help, so... stop always trying to leave me out."

[...Sigh.]

No expression could be seen on Gregor's face, but his heavy sigh revealed the complexity of his feelings.

[I'd rather... never need you to help with something like this...]

Gregor did not object again and followed Gorth.

"Huh? What about me?"

Only then did Vane, who had been left to the side, react and point at himself.

[You stay here,] Gregor instructed without looking back. [Take care of Ifrit, and... handle Number Two for us. Don't let her get suspicious.]

Before his words had even faded, Gregor and Gorth stepped into the portal one after the other.

"What the hell..."

Vane watched the portal gradually settle down and could only lower his hand resentfully.

"You're all like this. I want to go on an adventure too..."

Complaints aside, he still sighed in resignation.

"Forget it. I'll take care of the little fire dragon first... I haven't even made breakfast yet."

He turned to head into the kitchen and make something to eat, but the moment he turned around, he came face-to-face with Ifrit, who was quietly watching him.

Vane: "..."

Ifrit blinked. Vane hurriedly forced out a smile, trying to bluff his way through it.

"You're awake? Hungry? Big brother will go make you—"

"I'm telling Big Sis."

"No! My little ancestor! Lady Ifrit! You absolutely can't tell her!"

In the end, Ifrit agreed to keep quiet on two conditions: Vane had to help her eat her vegetables for the next few days, and he was not allowed to limit her gaming time.

However...

The contract ended as soon as it began.

Now, inside the dungeon—

It was hard to imagine that such a vibrant patch of greenery could exist inside a dungeon.

Not only that, but within this dim, lightless enclosed space grew many towering trees. The largest of them was actually twenty-five meters tall.

What was this tree doing?

"Boom—!"

It was beating people up.

The wildly thrashing giant tree lashed fiercely at the energy blasts shooting through the air.

Astonishingly, the latter were the tree's actual method of attack.

Smack—!

The energy blast exploded instantly, while the giant tree lost only a bit of bark.

"This is troublesome..."

Gorth stood at the edge of the battlefield, his massive claws constantly scratching at his skull with a teeth-grating creak.

"Why did she come back early? We only came down here a little while ago!"

[Bad timing...]

Gregor's voice carried an obvious headache.

At the thought of facing Vera's interrogation when they returned, his gaze toward the Christmas Tree Monster—the dungeon boss—grew even more vicious.

If this thing had not suddenly launched an attack, it might not have aroused Vera's suspicion.

Boom—!

Another crimson energy blast came flying over, only to be intercepted again by a giant tree summoned by Gorth.

Gregor glanced at the distracted Gorth beside him and said gravely:

[How about I take over? You've had enough practice, haven't you?]

Gorth had originally agreed with Gregor that he would take the lead in order to train his real combat abilities.

But now that their secret had been exposed, he had long since lost any interest in practicing.

"...Boss, do it."

Gorth took two steps back and summoned mutated giant trees to coil around Gregor.

"Let's finish this quickly and get back to face reality..."

[Fine.]

Gregor did not resist the vines wrapping around him. This was precisely what he wanted.

They were not there to assist in battle, but to prevent him from going berserk. Gorth's giant trees stood ready at any moment to absorb any overflowing energy.

Ahead, the giant trees blocking the way rapidly parted under Gorth's control. The Christmas Tree Monster froze for a moment when its target suddenly appeared.

Its four wooden hammer limbs shot up and smashed heavily into the ground.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Tangible shockwaves rippled outward in overlapping rings, sweeping toward Gregor.

[Sorry... I'm not in a very good mood right now.]

Facing the oncoming shockwaves, Gregor neither dodged nor retreated.

Domain Expansion!

Damage Absorption!!

Energy Conversion!!!

"Roar—!"

Gregor's body began to grow. In the blink of an eye, an even more ferocious lava giant had taken shape.

Just as his height was about to break thirty meters, the giant trees wrapped around him began drawing away the excess energy inside him.

In the end, Gregor's body stabilized at twenty-three meters. Though shorter than the anticipated limit, the concentrated pressure he exuded surpassed anything before.

Gregor raised a hand, spreading his five fingers. A massive lava battle axe appeared in his grasp.

[So... you might be in for a world of pain.]

As if enraged by the provocation, the colored lights across the Christmas Tree Monster's trunk began flashing madly.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!!

The next moment, a dense barrage of energy blasts shot toward Gregor.

Gregor did not dodge. He merely swept his giant axe sideways—

A massive arc of lava sword energy erupted along the axe blade's path.

Everywhere it passed, the dense energy blasts vanished the instant they touched the sword energy, like splashes striking a reef.

The lava sword energy continued onward without losing momentum, chopping viciously into the Christmas Tree Monster's trunk.

Riiip—!!!

A screeching tearing sound rang out. An enormous gash nearly split the monster in half, and burning fragments scattered everywhere!

"Buzz—!!!"

Severely wounded, the Christmas Tree Monster entered a berserk state, its wooden hammers crazily pounding the ground.

Apparently realizing that ranged attacks were ineffective, the Christmas Tree Monster made a movement utterly at odds with its cumbersome appearance—

It violently drove its four hammer limbs into the ground, and its enormous body suddenly tipped sideways.

Then, at a terrifying speed utterly disproportionate to its size, it charged straight at Gregor.

This desperate strike, gathering all of its mass and speed, possessed enough force to easily smash through a skyscraper's foundation pillars!

But...

Facing the terrifying charge, Gregor calmly raised a hand, spread his fingers, and met the charging tip head-on—

"..."

Nothing happened.

All kinetic energy was devoured the instant it made contact. The Christmas Tree Monster's charge came to an abrupt halt, its tip held in Gregor's single hand as it hung frozen in midair.

Christmas Tree Monster: "..."

Gregor's burning eyes looked down upon the stiff wooden creature in his hand. His cold voice sounded like a death sentence:

[Die.]

Buzz—!

The space behind him twisted, and two even larger giant arms emerged.

Together with his original pair of arms, all four hands gripped the lava battle axe, the flowing magma like boiling blood!

The next moment, all four arms swung.

There were no flashy techniques—only the purest, most brutal hacking!

The lava battle axe became a storm of destruction, completely engulfing the Christmas Tree Monster.

The battle ended abruptly in less than two seconds.

When Gregor stopped moving, all that remained before him was a field of still-burning charcoal.

Dungeon boss, Christmas Tree Monster, dead.

With a rumble from the ground, a treasure chest and two portals appeared once more.

[You've taken enough food and weapons, right?]

"Yeah, luckily it's a woodland map. There are plenty of wild boars, so we won't be short on food for a long time."

"As for weapons, we took all the firearms, bows, and crossbows the goblins had."

As Gorth spoke, he opened the treasure chest and stored everything inside it in his shadow.

Gregor nodded and walked toward the dark portal.

[Then let's go. On to the next floor.]