The girl who called herself Ageha was incomprehensibly strong.
Summoning a sword from the void, she tore through A-Rank monsters as if they were nothing. If I stayed by her side, I might actually stand a chance at conquering this dungeon.
"Hey, Kiska. Am I strong?"
"Yeah. You're plenty strong."
"Right?"
She wore a look of pure pride. She was so efficient at slaughtering everything in our path that she had more than enough breath for casual conversation.
"So, where exactly are we?" I asked.
"Let’s see... I’d say we’re around the 45th Floor."
The 45th Floor. I had ended up much deeper in the depths than I’d realized.
"Which way are we heading now?"
"Toward the Dungeon Boss," she replied nonchalantly.
"Wouldn't it be better to head for the entrance?"
"Unfortunately, once you've descended this far, there’s no way to return to the surface the way you came."
"...I see."
If that was the case, then pushing forward to the room containing the exit—and the Dungeon Boss—was our only option.
"Are you anxious?"
"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."
"You don't need to worry. I'll protect you."
"Right."
True to her word, she continued to cut down every monster that dared to cross our path. Whenever she dismantled a fallen foe, she made the remains vanish into thin air.
"You’ve been making things appear and disappear for a while now. How are you doing that?"
"Oh, this? It’s a skill called <Item Box>. Convenient, isn't it?"
I remembered seeing <Item Box> on the list of skills obtainable through a <Crystal of Wisdom>. It made sense; if she was storing everything in a localized sub-dimension, that explained where her equipment went. From that point on, she continued to harvest materials and Magic Stones from the monsters we encountered, stowing them away in her <Item Box>.
"Umm, Ageha-san..."
"Just call me Ageha. No honorifics. I look younger than you, anyway."
"Alright. Ageha... why were you sealed in a place like that?"
"Ah, that. I was imprisoned a long time ago because I was betrayed by someone I trusted."
Betrayal. We shared a common history, it seemed.
"And the skill I got from you... do I need to give it back?"
"You mean <Save & Reset>? Once a skill is given, it can't be returned so easily. It belongs to you now."
"Is that how it works?"
"Besides, I'm just glad you finally reached me. I'm truly grateful to you, Kiska."
"Really?"
"Yes. If you hadn't come along, I would have been sealed in that barrier forever. That makes you my life saver."
"Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"
"Not at all."
"Well, I'm only standing here because your skill kept me alive. I’d say we’re even."
"Fufu, I suppose so."
Our progress through the dungeon was incredibly smooth—so smooth it was almost unsettling. Though, admittedly, I hadn't actually done much of anything yet.
"This is it. The mid-boss room," Ageha said, coming to a halt before a massive door.
"What’s waiting inside?"
"I'm not entirely sure. But don't worry—I'll protect you, Kiska."
"Yeah... thanks."
Truthfully, having a girl tell me she’d protect me felt a little pathetic. But given the gap in our strength, there wasn't much room for pride. We pushed the doors open and entered.
"A Golem. An S-Rank monster."
Standing before us was a massive construct of stone, a literal walking building that easily exceeded ten meters in height.
"Stay back, Kiska."
"Got it."
The battle between Ageha and the Golem broke out instantly. Gripping her greatsword, she charged the titan with fearless aggression. Her movements were a blur of agility and raw power; she didn't show even a flicker of hesitation against the S-Rank threat.
"Amazing..."
At this rate, she might actually bring it down with ease.
"Agh!"
The thought had barely crossed my mind when the Golem’s massive limb connected. Unable to fully parry the blow, Ageha was sent flying across the room.
This was bad. The Golem was already winding up for a follow-up strike while Ageha was still struggling to regain her footing.
"Hey! Look over here!"
Without thinking, I triggered my <Provocation> skill. The Golem’s massive head swiveled instantly toward me.
"No, Kiska! Get away!" Ageha screamed.
I couldn't just let her do all the work. The Golem brought its colossal fist down toward me with crushing force.
"Fortunately, dodging is the one thing I'm good at."
I had countless hours of experience avoiding the lethal strikes of the Bugbears. Compared to their relentless speed, the Golem’s movements were sluggish and predictable.
"Come on! Is that all you've got?!"
I taunted it further, drawing its focus entirely away from Ageha. The construct unleashed a flurry of strikes, but I stayed one step ahead. As long as I observed its patterns, avoiding the attacks was simple enough. I just needed to buy enough time for Ageha to recover.
"Thank you, Kiska. I can end it now."
Ageha stood ready, her greatsword wreathed in a brilliant, blinding light. While I had been acting as a distraction, she had been channeling her mana into a high-output technique.
"Dragon-Slaying Slash!"
With a single, thunderous swing of her greatsword, the Golem was cleaved perfectly in two. The massive stone entity collapsed, defeated.
"Kiska!"
Ageha practically flew into my arms, burying her face in my chest. I caught her, startled by the sudden contact.
"We did it!"
"Yeah. We did."
I nodded, looking down at her. Everything was going perfectly—or so I believed at the time.