ALL NOVEL The Strongest Solo Gamer with Terrible Social Skills Reincarnates as a Hated NPC in a VRMMO Chapter 69
69 Floor Master: Demon God Ifrit①
――SIDE: Shizuria――
I think there are very few people who can recognize abnormalities as abnormalities. Those who can make calm judgments in such situations are rare. Even though I sensed something was off in the depths of my psyche, I didn’t think this situation was a problem.
A violent normality bias.
As I felt the intense heat of the raging flames on my skin, I wondered why I was in this place.
It might be a form of reality escape. To maintain my calm, I tried to organize the inexplicable events in a particular order.
…But no answer came.
“Ah, ah, ah…”
Before my eyes, a monstrous beast appeared.
Its fluttering mane resembled a lion’s. The beast, with its dark brown skin and massive body twice the size of a human, had large twin horns on its head and flames wrapped around its limbs as it roamed freely.
This must be the territory of that demonic beast.
Ancient monuments stood around, like relics of some ruins. Long vines had invaded the area, and the moss-covered walls showed signs of long abandonment.
A place where human hands couldn’t reach…
In other words, it was hopeless to expect any help.
“GUooo!!”
I trembled at the beast’s thunderous roar.
I still haven’t been discovered. But that’s just a matter of time. I secretly wished to remain unnoticed by the demon beast while hiding behind the tall monolith.
…I only remember being spoken to by someone at the transfer area’s reception desk. But I can’t recall anything after that. Why am I alone in this place!? Judging from the situation, I can infer that this is somewhere in ABYSS. But my memories are disconnected. I just can’t understand why I’m in this predicament.
I want to become an explorer—
There’s no lie in that thought.
But—
“That’s… impossible…!”
No matter how hard I try to resist, I feel like I’ll never make it. The difference in power is too overwhelming! It’s futile to try and confront it!!
Let’s escape, escape.
Let’s hide, hide.
But eventually, I’ll be found—
And I’ll be devoured by that beast.
“…Scary”
I should have never come to ABYSS… If only I were back home now, sipping tea with the maids and waiting for my sister’s return.
…If I die here… I won’t be able to do anything… Regret has no end.
Every time I look back, my eyes well up with tears.
Anyone would be fine.
Just anyone, please help me.
I don’t want to die yet. I don’t want to disappear in this place, unknown to anyone.
I don’t want it to end…!
“…?”
When I came to, the surroundings had fallen silent.
I, filled with doubts, lifted my face, which had been bowed, and opened my tear-swollen eyelids—only to freeze.
“Rrgh…!”
“Ah!? Ah, ahhh!”
My eyes met the demon beast’s.
When did it sneak up on me!? Completely caught off guard, I tried to flee the scene, but—
“Gwwwwwwwwwwww!!”
“—”
The demon beast’s roar brought my movement to a halt.
The overwhelming sense of oppression.
Just feeling that it was directed at me made me feel like I was going insane.
“Ah…”
A cold sweat trickled down my thigh. I no longer cared about being embarrassed. If I could be spared by showing my pitiful state, I’d do it a thousand times.
Getting my underwear and shoes wet, I crouched down in a small puddle of water.
Even if I escaped, I’d only be caught again.
So, I might as well—
“!”
The demon beast charged towards me, its eyes fixed on its prey. I couldn’t help but contort my face in terror.
…Impossible. Impossible, impossible, impossible!!
No way, this is impossible!!
I couldn’t bring myself to accept the resolve to die. While pretending to give up, I was still wishing to live in my heart.
As if the golden shackles had been released, my feet suddenly started moving. But the demonic beast was closing in on me right until the end――
“Kyaаааааа――!!”
I involuntarily closed my eyes and let out a despairing scream. The pain of being devoured didn’t come immediately, and the passing seconds only fueled my terror.
10 seconds… 20 seconds went by…
……I realized something was off.
“…Ah…?”
I timidly opened my eyes to find a familiar male figure standing with his back to me.
This is… an illusion?
Am I going crazy, seeing his face at the brink of death?
……But the illusion didn’t disappear no matter how long I waited. The illusion of Shinma standing right in front of me.
“…What’s with that face? You came to rescue me, so can’t you at least look a little happier?”
“――”
――It’s not an illusion.
Shinma, with a scowl on his face, looked displeased. The words that were hopelessly bad at comforting people were undoubtedly spoken by the real “Ishiro Shinma” himself!
And why was he half-naked? Why was he in this place? Various questions swirled in my head, but I couldn’t put them into words, only managing to stammer.
――Wait, what about the demonic beast!?
The demonic beast was gazing at me from a distance. Why was it in that place?――I thought, and then I saw a slender sword stuck between the demonic beast and us.
Could it be that Shinma threw it…?
The answer came from the man himself.
“No wonder, you’re the floor master. That’s the demon god, Eefreet, right? Its reaction is on a whole different level from other demons. My level of throwing wouldn’t even graze it.”
“M-ma…?”
I parroted back, unfamiliar with the term.
I knew that such a thing existed in ABYSS, but I never thought the demonic beast in front of me was that powerful.
Floor master――that means this is at least the 10th floor, right? Why am I in a place like this…!?
My head was getting more and more confused…
“Why is Shinma here…!?! Where’s Onee-sama?! Isn’t Blue-neechan with her?!”
I looked around, but there was no sign of anyone…
“Unfortunately, it’s just me.”
“Just one person…”
I was plunged into despair once again with those words.
I had been hoping for anyone to show up, but this was just making things worse.
The crisis situation was unchanged.
“We have to escape quickly…!”
In contrast to my frantic state, Shinma remained calm and composed, even in this situation.
“Where are we going to escape to? The floor master battle doesn’t allow us to use the portal’s emergency escape function, you know?”
“――!!”
Shinma was right.
On my terminal, the emergency escape function was also unavailable. I thought it was a malfunction or something, but if the one in front of me was the floor master, then that made sense…
“The emergency escape [緊急脱出] of the magical crystal terminal (Portal) can only be used by borrowing the power of the transfer stone located somewhere in the hierarchy. In principle, the transfer stone is sealed in the area where the hierarchy lord resides. In other words, once you set foot in, you can neither advance nor retreat until you defeat him.”
“Th-then we’re going to die…?”
I couldn’t help but let out a weak voice.
“…That’s why I’m here, to prevent that from happening, tー…!!”
“Whoa?!”
Shouma slowly lifted my body. Before I could protest, he kicked the ground.
The giant body of the demon god grazed past us immediately after.
Shouma avoided the thrusting attack, which included a thin sword, with ease, as if he had anticipated it. He caught the flying sword in mid-air while sliding on the ground. It seemed he had taken weapon recovery into consideration.
I inadvertently held my breath at his calm and composed movements.
…What is this sense of security?
As I thought about it, I was thrown aside.
“W-what…?!”
I was suddenly tossed to the side and rolled on the ground, screaming.
As I hurriedly regained my composure, I saw Shouma standing tall, facing the demon god.
…What a suicidal act!!
It was too late to stop him. The flames released by the demon god were already burning the nearby ground.
If I didn’t get away, I’d be in danger too…!
“――Shoumaaa!!”
I realized I was screaming.
Shouma, who was fearlessly fighting the demon god on the other side of the mirage. I prayed for his safety, watching his figure with bated breath.