Ask anyone in Aingurna who the city's greatest adventurer is, and you’ll hear several names. They are all talented individuals, and choosing just one is no easy task. But ask which party is the best, and the answer is almost always the same: the Great Busters.
The party consists entirely of A-Rank adventurers, each boasting exceptional combat prowess. But beyond their individual strength, their coordination is nothing short of magnificent. Among the elites tasked with exploring the front lines of the Aingurna Dungeon, they stand a cut above the rest.
They had just finished their exploration of the thirty-first floor and were on their way back to Aingurna as planned.
"It’s definitely a bit rough without Rache around," one of them remarked.
"Yeah. Our clearing speed has taken a hit. It's putting a lot more pressure on us in the vanguard."
"It’s not just the front line. I can't focus on my incantations properly without her watching our backs."
"Rache-san always followed up on the little things, despite her... personality. Being out here without her makes me realize just how easy we had it."
The subject of their conversation was their fellow member, Rache. Since she had been appointed as the acting Guild Master, she had been forced to remain behind. This expedition was their first time pushing the front lines since her departure.
"Well, even so, we managed to find the stairs down. At least we won't have to deal with her taunting us with that smug look of hers," another said.
"Ahaha! True. If we’d come back empty-handed, she definitely would’ve said, 'See? You guys are hopeless without me, nya!'"
"Hehe... you’re probably right."
"...If things had actually gotten that bad, Rache-san would probably have just told me to swap places with her."
They were currently moving through the thirtieth floor. Though it wasn't a place where they could afford to be truly careless, it was familiar territory for them. They remained alert to their surroundings, but they had enough composure to enjoy a bit of lighthearted banter.
"Heads up, monster incoming."
"Is that... a Rockmadillo?"
That was when it happened. They encountered a special individual Rockmadillo. Back in Aingurna, strict orders had been issued to avoid special individuals to prevent being targeted by the "Voice of Gurnalava," but the Great Busters had been on a long-term expedition and were unaware of the warning. They defeated it without difficulty, but as a result, their leader, Zahha, became possessed by the voice.
As a high-level adventurer, Zahha possessed formidable mental resistance. He didn’t succumb to brainwashing easily; he fought the voice every step of the way. Nevertheless, they judged it reckless to continue through the dungeon in such a state and decided to rest on that floor. Although they had a Return Crystal, it was a precious item that—for some reason—could not be obtained within the Aingurna Dungeon. Since Zahha’s resistance was high and his symptoms didn't seem particularly dire to the rest of the party, they decided it wasn't worth using the crystal just yet.
"What? Another special individual?"
"Stay sharp! They might have some strange attacks!"
"I’m trying, but... there’s too many of them!"
In the end, their judgment proved to be a fatal mistake. A swarm of special individuals fell upon them while they were resting. To survive, they had to fight. Consequently, every single member of the party ended up possessed by the voice.
No matter how powerful an adventurer might be, resisting the voice of a god indefinitely is an impossible task. Their minds were slowly eroded. Several days later, they could no longer move their bodies of their own volition. Their sense of self had blurred into nothingness; they were reduced to dolls, blankly staring at the world as it drifted past.
Bring trials to the world. For that, we need monster materials!
The voice shrieked inside their heads. Their bodies obeyed, hunting monsters without a moment's rest. Perhaps it was the voice’s desire to keep its tools functional for as long as possible, or perhaps it was sheer instinct, but despite being dominated by a frenzied madness, they avoided lethal danger and hunted with cold efficiency. Yet, even with superhuman physical abilities, there is a limit to how long a body can move without sleep or rest.
As a swarm of bees descended upon them, Zahha felt the cold touch of death through his fading consciousness. There was no anger. There was no sadness. Those emotions had been worn away long ago. If he could die while still holding onto the last shreds of his ego, it wouldn't be a bad end.
That was what he was thinking when, without any warning, a group of unidentified figures appeared. They were humanoid shapes, translucent and glowing with a faint blue light. Zahha wondered if they were a new species of ghost. However, the mysterious entities ignored the adventurers and unleashed a barrage of attacks on the bees.
Was it the "voice" or Zahha himself that was confused by this incomprehensible turn of events? Either way, Zahha felt his consciousness, which had been sinking into the depths of the voice's dominance, surface just a little.
Next to appear was a mysterious boy. Just like the strange ghost-like beings, the boy arrived suddenly. He shouted something before joining the fray against the bees. With his consciousness so frayed, Zahha couldn't quite make out the words, but one name stuck in his head: "Rache." Her annoying, taunting face flickered in his mind, and he felt his awareness sharpen further.
And then—
"Don't you guys go getting spineless on me, nya! Now that I'm here, everything's going to be fine, nya! Get your act together, nya!"
It was that voice that forcibly hauled his consciousness back from the brink of the abyss. He still had no control over his body, but Zahha was now wide awake. He found the strength to resist the dominance of the "voice" once more—the same dominance he had previously given up on fighting. The "voice" seemed to shift its target, screaming for him to kill the mysterious boy, but Zahha and his companions held firm.
However, that was their final stand. Their spirits, ground down by the long-term possession of the "voice," were utterly exhausted. Even if they could momentarily repel its influence, they couldn't break free.
At the very least, I have to explain the situation to Rache... and then ask her to finish us off.
Just as Zahha steeled his heart for that tragic resolution, a dazzling light enveloped him. Perhaps it was the Evil-Dispelling Light. The "voice" that had been so deafening gave one last shriek and fell forever silent.