When I used the Teleportation Circle to return to Floor 1, my ears registered the situation before my eyes did.
Before I could even process my surroundings, an unnatural cacophony of screams and shouting echoed through the air.
"—Waaaaaaaahhh!!?"
"H-Help me!!"
"It's no use!! There's too many of them!!"
"We’re finished!!"
"R-Run!!"
"We don't even have time to run!?"
The sight that burst into view following those frantic cries was unbelievable.
This was Floor 1 of Shinjuku Dungeon, the Staircase Plaza leading back to the surface.
Usually, this area—where the Teleportation Circle and the Black Obelisk sit—is filled with explorers resting against the walls and chatting with one another. Since HP and MP barely recover on the surface, explorers typically use the relatively safe Floor 1 as a waypoint to recuperate.
But the place that should have been a sanctuary was currently a war zone.
"What is this...?"
"No way...!!"
『Whoa, whoa, whoa!! What the hell is going on!?』
『Wha?! There are way too many Goblins!!』
『Isn't this Floor 1?!』
『This is bad!! This is really bad!!』
Dozens—no, scores of Goblins had swarmed the Staircase Plaza and were locked in combat with the explorers who had likely been resting there.
Perhaps because most of them were Floor 1 Goblins, it didn't look like any explorers had been killed yet. However, there were simply too many of them.
It wasn't just the Goblins already in the plaza; fresh waves were pouring out from the two passages leading deeper into the dungeon. There was no end to them.
Even if they were only Floor 1 Goblins, against these numbers, it was only a matter of time before people started dying. They were being overwhelmed by sheer quantity, making it impossible to even reach the nearby stairs. The moment someone turned their back to flee, they would be hit by a concentrated attack or tackled and pinned down.
In fact, several people were already taking hits from the Goblins.
I glanced to my side and saw Hinata-san. She was frozen in place, her face deathly pale.
...This was not good.
"Gugyaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
"—Hah!!"
I dropped the eco-bags filled with magic stones, drew my sword from its sheath, and stepped forward. I cut down the Goblin that had noticed me and charged in a single, fluid strike.
Then, I barked an order to Hinata-san.
"Hinata-san! Get behind me!!"
"—! A-Ah, right!!"
Snapping out of her shock, Hinata-san scrambled behind me. Once I confirmed she was in position, I took a sharp breath.
Then I let out a roar, activating 《Taunt》.
"—You stubby little Goblins!!! Over here! Come and get some!!!!!"
For a heartbeat, my overwhelming shout plunged the plaza—previously a cacophony of screams—into total silence.
A second later, every Goblin in the room turned toward me at once.
"Gugyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
Bellowing in rage, the Goblins throughout the plaza surged toward me like a green avalanche.
Of course, I couldn't pull every single bit of aggro; a few Goblins stayed glued to the nearby explorers. But if I drew the vast majority away, the others could probably handle the stragglers. They were explorers, after all.
I planted my feet and swung my sword at the approaching tide.
It was a Flying Blade made of 《Sword Aura》.
I chose not to use 《Mighty Blade》, nor did I put too much power into it, as that would risk hitting the other explorers. I limited the HP I poured into the skill to about 3 or 5, unleashing a moderately sized projectile.
It's not that the destructive power itself increases with more HP, but pouring a massive amount of health into the blade makes it physically larger and, as a byproduct, much sturdier. If I went all out, the blade would pierce through the low-level swarm and slam into the explorers lining the walls.
I had to fight with a degree of restraint.
Even so—
"Hnuuuuuuuuugh!!! —Alright! That’s the first batch cleared out...!!"
They were just trash Goblins, after all. They were nothing compared to the beefy variants on the lower floors.
I quickly succeeded in wiping out most of the Goblins in the plaza. A few were still engaged with other explorers or leaping at me, but I cut them down with one hand while shouting to the people in the plaza.
"Everyone!! Get to the surface while you have the chance!!"
More monsters were still funneling in from the passages. We didn't have time to hesitate. I figured I would have to stay behind and act as the rear guard to hold the line... or so I thought.
"Ah, well..."
"Leveling Junkie Bro!?"
"I mean, we want to go out more than anything, but...!!"
For some reason, the explorers hesitated, showing no sign of heading for the stairs.
This made zero sense. Everyone should have realized by now that staying in the dungeon was a death trap.
"What’s the matter?! The monsters are still coming!! It’s dangerous if you don’t leave now!!"
Even as I spoke, more Goblins were spilling into the plaza. I continued to harvest them one after another while trying to get the others to move.
In a life-or-death situation, their refusal to flee was baffling. I raised my voice, urging them more forcefully. One of the female explorers looked like she was about to burst into tears at my tone, but she still didn't run.
Just as I was about to lose my patience, another explorer yelled out the reason.
"N-No, you don’t understand, Leveling Junkie Bro!! The surface is dangerous too!!"
"—Huh? What? What are you talking about?"
"Some crazy terrorist middle-aged man caused an explosion up at the Dungeon Gate!!"
"A terrorist?"
I blanked for a moment, still cutting down Goblins as the word registered.
Japan's public safety had hit a rough patch years ago, but I’d seen news reports saying that the economic boom from the dungeons had fixed most people's financial anxieties and restored order. Of course, the safety inside the dungeons was a different story—people like Kanzaki existed, after all—but the surface was supposed to be peaceful.
For most Japanese people, a terrorist was a more abstract concept than a monster.
"That's not all!! The first swarm of monsters that hit this place ignored us and ran straight out to the surface!!!"
"—What?"
Did I mishear him? Was this some kind of sick joke?
I looked at the man who had spoken, but his expression was dead serious—cornered, desperate, and utterly sincere.
"No way... how could that...?" Hinata-san whispered, her face turning even paler.
I couldn't believe it either. Monsters never willingly go to the surface because they dissolve into nothingness within seconds of leaving the dungeon’s atmosphere.
But if this guy was telling the truth... these people hadn't just failed to escape. They had been staying here to try and stop the monsters from reaching the outside.
Or maybe it was a mix of everything—fleeing a terrorist on the surface only to get trapped by a monster surge, eventually being forced into a desperate defensive battle.
Argh, forget it! The situation is a total mess!!
The only thing that mattered was our next move. I let my "IQ 200" brain spin at full speed, thought for exactly two seconds, and reached a conclusion.
"I understand everything!!"
"Eh!?"
"No way!?"
"Really!?"
"You're joking, right!?"
The explorers all looked at me with shock.
I wanted to spend an hour grilling them on what exactly those reactions were supposed to mean... but I'd save that for Hinata-san, who had also let out an "Eh!?" of disbelief. Regardless!!
"Staying here to fight monsters is far more dangerous!! We're going to the surface!!"
"B-But what about the terrorist!? We’re just normal civilians on the surface!?"
"Even as civilians, we have the numbers! We’ll just surround the terrorist and beat him to death!!"
Though, if I’m the one to finish him off, my 《Pleasure Killer》 trait might cause problems even on the surface, so I’ll have to let someone else land the final blow...!!
"Eeeh!? No, but is that—"
"It's fine!! It's legitimate self-defense!!"
I know the law!!
"I'm almost certain it doesn't work like that..."
"B-But he's right, the monsters will definitely kill us if we stay here..."
"Is it really better to go back up?"
"Our odds are probably better against one crazy old man than an endless swarm of monsters...!!"
The explorers finally seemed convinced.
Besides, it was just one terrorist? This would be a walk in the park. Gahaha!
Now that everyone was on the same page, it was time to move. I quickly cleared out the remaining Goblins in the plaza and asked Hinata-san to prep her magic.
"Hinata-san! I’m going to fire off a big one!! Get a High Heal ready!!"
"Y-Yeah! I’m on it!!"
Still fending off the Goblins, I turned toward one of the two tunnels leading deeper into the dungeon.
Squinting into the darkness, I could see a massive secondary wave of Goblins approaching. If I kept trying to pick them off individually, we’d be swamped again in no time.
Fortunately, no explorers were currently in that tunnel. I didn't have to worry about collateral damage.
"——Hnuuuuuuuuuugh!!!!!"
I unleashed a massive horizontal swing toward the tunnel.
A Great Flying Blade, bolstered by 15 HP, screamed through the air. I didn't even use 《Mighty Blade》, yet the arc of aura was enormous. It tore through the tunnel, bisecting the Goblins in its path one after another.
Without waiting to see the result, I spun toward the other passage and unleashed an identical Great Flying Blade.
The result was a foregone conclusion. That would buy us enough time to climb the stairs without worrying about an attack from the rear.
"—High Heal!"
Hinata-san restored my spent HP... wait, since Status doesn't function on the surface, I didn't actually need the heal, did I? I'd asked for it out of habit.
Well, Hinata-san’s head probably wasn't on straight either given the emergency, so she didn't question it. It was fine. We had a terrorist to deal with, so let's just call it topping off my stamina just in case.
"S-So strong..."
"All those Goblins, gone in a blink..."
"This is the Leveling Junkie Bro’s true power...!!"
"He's on a completely different level than us...!!"
I turned back to see the men and women staring in awe, likely because they were still low level. I appreciated the praise, but we didn't have time to bask in it.
"Come on! Let’s get to the surface while the path is clear!!"
"O-Oh!!"
"Yes!!"
As one, we sprinted up the long staircase leading out of the dungeon.
—Ah.
The magic stones in the eco-bags. I left them back in the plaza.
There was no time to go back for them now. It was a waste, but it couldn't be helped.
...Given the circumstances, Mito-san won't be angry with me later, right?