novelraw Chapter 76 : Standing on Her Own
Chapter 76 : Standing on Her Own
The passage was narrow and steep, its damp, cold stone walls pressing inward.
Rozelite hurried downward along the sloping path.
After about a hundred meters, the terrain suddenly opened up.
A vast underground cavern unfolded before her eyes.
The ceiling soared high, vanishing into thick darkness. Only scattered stones embedded in the jagged walls glimmered faintly with a sickly green light, barely sketching the vague outline of the enormous space.
As expected of an S-rank super-labyrinth. It wasn’t remotely comparable to the Swamp Labyrinth she had experienced before. The scale of just this first floor already far exceeded it.
Confirming that no one else was around, a tentacle extended from Rozelite’s back, lighting up above her head and casting light across the darkness.
【Light Magic v4】
Russell suspected this spell might have other applications.
But for now, it could only serve as a makeshift lamp.
Chrrrk... chrrrk...
A faint scraping noise echoed from the rocky wall ahead on the left.
Something was approaching in the shadows where the light did not yet reach.
Rozelite’s eyes narrowed.
“Mr. Slime...”
“Mm. Fight.”
The transformed tentacle coiled around Rozelite’s eye, sharing its connection through her optic nerve—granting Russell the same vision.
An Iron Beetle clung tightly to the rough stone surface, scuttling forward.
About half a meter in size, its body was coated in heavy, black armor, like crudely forged iron. Beneath it, countless tiny legs wriggled, producing an unsettling sound.
【Name: Iron Beetle】
【Race: Insect】
【Level: 8】
【HP: 155/155】
【MP: 20/20】
【Status: Metallization】
【Skills: Metallization v2, Charge lv2】
A plain set of stats—yet for a low-level monster, quite formidable.
And more importantly—
The gamble had paid off.
It did indeed carry the skill 【Metallization】.
“Kill it,” Russell commanded.
Without a trace of hesitation, Rozelite tapped her toes against the ground and shot forward like an arrow, closing in on the rock wall in an instant.
Her fingertip brushed against the astral silver ring on her left pinky. A simple one-handed sword materialized in her palm.
【Godspeed Sword v2】
【Quick Movement lv4】
In the next instant, her blade gleamed as she flashed past.
The Iron Beetle froze mid-motion. Its heavy body slipped from the rock wall and crashed onto the gravel below with a dull thud, unmoving.
Dark green ichor oozed slowly from the gash.
A pale-blue tentacle reached out from Rozelite’s back, wrapping around the corpse.
【Insatiable Iv∞】
The skill activated.
The beetle’s body dissolved within the slime.
【MP: 1000000 → 1000175↑】
【Metallization lv3 → lv4↑】
【Charge lv5 → lv6↑】
A modest stat increase. The skills had also grown, though the experience gained wasn’t yet enough for another level up.
“Keep moving forward. There’s still a long road ahead,” Russell said.
“Got it.”
Rozelite turned and continued deeper into the cavern.
At this point, such monsters were no more than trifles—she didn’t even need Russell’s help anymore.
Suddenly, the sound of countless legs crawling filled the air, swelling like a rising tide. From the shadows ahead and to the sides, more Iron Beetles emerged, crawling out from cracks in the rock and depressions in the ground, closing in around Rozelite. Their heavy black shells scraped against each other, echoing harshly through the cavern.
And behind the beetles came several skeletons.
Pale bones rattled as ghostly green flames flickered in their eye sockets. They carried rusted, chipped swords and axes, clad in tattered armor. Each joint creaked unnervingly as they shambled forward, slow and clumsy—but their hollow gazes locked unerringly onto the only living figure in the cavern—Rozelite.
Two types of monsters, fighting in tandem.
Rozelite’s stride didn’t falter. She kept advancing.
The distance closed rapidly. Then her legs tensed, and she leapt, vaulting clean over the leading beetle.
The skeletons seized the chance, swinging their corroded blades down at her as she landed.
Rozelite slid aside, dodging the strike, and her sword flickered forward like lightning. It stabbed precisely into the wrist joint of a skeleton wielding an axe.
A sharp crack rang out—the bone shattered, the axe clattering to the ground.
Her blade swept upward, slicing through another skeleton’s shinbone.
The fragile frame collapsed in pieces.
From the flank, more beetles lunged.
Rozelite twisted her wrist, slashing diagonally to knock one beetle aside. Using the momentum, she spun and drove her sword straight into the weak point between another beetle’s compound eyes.
Her movements never slowed, weaving nimbly through the encirclement of beetles and skeletons. Each swing of her sword was followed by the sound of shell cracking or bone breaking.
One skeleton raised its axe to strike her from behind—
Rozelite didn’t even glance back. She lifted her gauntleted wrist, catching the axe in mid-swing, then countered with a backhanded punch that shattered the skeleton instantly.
The battle had erupted suddenly—and ended just as quickly.
Soon, only fragments of shell and scattered bones lay at Rozelite’s feet.
Dark green fluids seeped slowly across the ground.
She flicked her blade to clear the filth, her demeanor calm and unruffled—she hadn’t even broken a sweat.
Russell nodded inwardly.
After her series of special training sessions, Rozelite’s current strength was remarkable.
Against humans, she might still lack experience, but against monsters, she had no problems at all.
Just then—
The scattered bones of the skeletons began to dissipate, turning into mist and vanishing, along with their rusted weapons and tattered armor. Only the beetle corpses remained.
Russell blinked, then remembered: undead monsters vanished automatically after being defeated.
So, there was no way to use 【Insatiable】 on skeletons...
Well, no matter.
From the beginning, his target had only been the beetles anyway.
The pale-blue tentacles swept up the remaining corpses. Russell’s stats and skills rose again.
【MP: 1000175 → 1002085↑】
【Metallization lv4 → lv5↑】
【Charge lv6 → lv7↑】
Russell exhaled.
Finally, another upgrade.
Though the monsters’ low level made the process inefficient, with enough accumulation, the growth would still be significant.
“Mr. Slime.”
Rozelite’s voice cut in.
She glanced down the now-empty passageway and frowned.
“Is it just me... or are these monsters too weak? This is supposed to be an S-rank labyrinth, but it feels easier than that C-rank one before.”
“Of course it feels that way—because you’ve gotten stronger.”
Russell chuckled.
Since the Swamp Labyrinth, Rozelite’s stats had soared under his repeated enhancements. Even without skills, she was tough enough that these monsters could hack at her for half an hour without breaking through her defense.
And her combat experience had grown vastly as well.
Thinking of this, Russell said:
“For this exploration, unless absolutely necessary, I won’t step in. You’ll take the lead. What do you say?”
“I’m fine with that.”
Rozelite’s eyes lit up with excitement rather than worry.
“Mr. Slime, does that mean I can finally stand on my own now? That I really have gotten stronger?”
“In my eyes, you’ve always been strong... in more ways than one.”
“Hehe. Then if I do well this time, can Mr. Slime give me a reward when we get back?”
“I suppose I could... but what kind of reward do you want?”
“I’ll tell you then...”
Their figures faded into the distance as they pressed deeper along the rugged passage.