Chapter 29, I Won’t Accept It!!

Translator: Lizz

 

Leveling up meant that a living being’s level increased by one.

 

When a living being defeated a monster powerful relative to themselves, their mana suddenly increased, and the body was remade. There was no room for the being’s will to intervene.

 

Most endured the sudden heat and pain and safely rose in level.

 

But sometimes, failures happened.

 

The body could not withstand it, and the magic went rampant.

 

Generally, the phenomenon called ‘rampage during level up’ meant that reason completely vanished, and the living being kept attacking everything around until their mana was exhausted.

 

The chance of recovery was about 50%. One could only leave it to luck.

 

“Ahhhhhhh!!”

 

Rika let out a shrill scream that shattered eardrums.

 

Her eyes did not focus. She hunched her back, breathed roughly, and bared her teeth as she glared at Masato like a beast.

 

“No way, rampage really happened…”

 

Rampage during level up had an extremely low occurrence rate. It was well-known, but almost never experienced first hand. Naturally, Masato knew of its existence, but he never imagined it would happen to a party member.

 

He had no choice but to restrain her bodily until she exhausted her mana. Masato steeled himself.

 

Even though she was rampaging, she still possessed abilities equal to a Level 2, so there was no room for complacency.

 

Masato had already used up his mana with the earlier fireball and could not use any skills, including Physical Enhancement.

 

They were nearly equal under the current conditions. Or perhaps, since Rika was freed from reason and could draw out her full strength, she was slightly more advantageous. That fact accelerated Masato’s inner anxiety.

 

“I will handle this. Please don’t interfere.”

 

Even so, Masato had no intention of leaving this to anyone else.

 

There was the thought that the level difference would make others a burden, but more than that, he simply wanted to be the one to help her.

 

Rika, who had helped him and deepened their bond, was in trouble. He could not allow himself not to help. He did not want anyone else’s hand involved. It was not possessiveness but responsibility, or perhaps repayment. Those feelings ruled Masato.

 

“Grrrr…”

 

“Rika-san…”

 

He called her name in a voice that sounded like he was about to cry.

 

That became the trigger, and Rika leapt at Masato.

 

“Gwah!!”

 

Masato spun on his right foot and grabbed her from behind, but he could not stop her momentum. They lost balance and both fell. Rika, lying on her back, struggled desperately to escape, but Masato firmly pinned her arms and legs to stop her movements.

 

In pure strength, Masato was superior, so she could not break free.

 

Unable to move her limbs, Rika used the only part she could—her head—and bit into Masato’s arm.

 

“Ow!!”

 

He reflexively loosened his grip, and in that instant she escaped. Worse, she mounted him while he was still on his back, taking the dominant position.

 

He barely retained freedom of his arms, but his body was firmly pinned by her thighs, and twisting did not let him escape.

 

“C-calm dow—ugh!”

 

His cheek was struck, swelling red.

 

His calm voice did not reach Rika, who had lost her reason.

 

The second punch, Masato blocked with his hand. He did the same with the one after. Their hands tangled, and a contest of strength began.

 

“Hah, hah, huh…”

 

Her rough breathing reached Masato’s ears. Drool spilled from Rika’s mouth and dripped onto his reddened cheek.

 

Her face suddenly closed in. A headbutt.

 

Masato barely dodged by moving his neck, and a loud ‘thud’ rang beside him. Rika had slammed her forehead into the dungeon floor. When she raised her face, blood flowed from her brow.

 

But such a wound did not stop her movements. As if to say that if one strike missed, she would simply keep going until it landed, she leaned back, gathered momentum, and tried another headbutt.

 

“If you hurt your face any more, it’s no good!!”

 

The moment her weight shifted backward, Masato lifted his hips, twisted, and shoved her off, escaping from the mounted position.

 

This time Masato tried to mount her, lunging at the fallen Rika, but her resistance was fierce. They grappled, rolling together across the floor. At last, they crashed into the wall and stopped.

 

“Onee-chan, let’s go!”

 

“Eh, y-yes!”

 

Hinata had been told by Masato to just watch, but she was not the patient type. When the two stopped in the midst of their grapple, she rushed in to help. A step behind, Reika also ran forward, pushed by the momentum.

 

“We’ll hold her legs together!!”

 

Hinata grabbed the left leg, while Reika held the right.

 

Even with the level difference, if it was just one leg each, they could manage. The twins’ synchronized teamwork greatly reduced Masato’s burden.

 

“What should we do next!?”

 

“Just wait until she exhausts herself!!”

 

“H-how long will that take?”

 

“I don’t know!!”

 

Masato’s answer left Reika stunned.

 

She was using all her strength just to hold one leg. If her grip weakened even for a moment, Rika would immediately break free. It was a tense situation with no end in sight. One minute, maybe they could endure. But five minutes, ten minutes? Impossible. Neither stamina nor willpower would last.

 

When Reika looked at Hinata, her cheeks were twitching. She clearly felt the same way.

 

“Ahhhhhh!!”

 

Rika’s scream grew louder, and her movements became more violent.

 

The restraints her unconsciousness placed on her body broke, and her strength surged as her muscles pulled and tore with unpleasant tearing sounds. No one could stop her anymore. Masato was grabbed and hurled like a ball. He bounced twice, rolled, and lay sprawled on the ground.

 

Just by swinging her leg, Rika sent Reika and Hinata flying as well.

 

The only one still unharmed was Seiji, but cold sweat ran down his whole body, and his legs trembled so badly he could not move.

 

He had bravely challenged the ogre, but when he saw Rika transformed into a beast, that courage was nowhere to be found.

 

He had dreamed of leveling up for so long, but he feared this reality of it. What if he, too, would end up the same way? That thought bound him.

 

Rika lifted the corners of her mouth in a thin smile and stepped closer, one step, then another.

 

She looked as if she rejoiced at seeing a defenseless prey.

 

“D-don’t come any closer!”

 

With trembling hands, he nocked an arrow. It rattled as he shook, unable to aim properly.

 

“Seiji-kun! Don’t!”

 

Holding his head, Masato stood up. But his voice did not reach Seiji.

 

Seiji drew the string, ready to release at any moment.

 

“Don’t… come any closer!!”

 

“Who do you think you’re aiming that arrow at? Calm down!”

 

“I am calm!! I don’t believe leveling up is like this! She must be cursed by the ogre!!”

 

For explorers, leveling up was a dream.

 

It was not only about gaining overwhelming strength, but also being recognized for overcoming trials, raising one’s status and influence in the industry. Like Domyoji Hayato, Japan’s record holder who had reached Level 4, one would surely be popular with women, and there would be nothing beyond reach.

 

Seiji admired Hayato’s overwhelming strength and the confidence backed by it, so he had stronger feelings about leveling up than anyone else.

 

“I will never accept it! That leveling up could turn into something like this!!”

 

His anger surpassed his fear. The trembling in his hands stopped.

 

The bowstring was pulled to its limit and creaked under the strain.

 

The faint trace of reason left in him shifted his aim from her head to her abdomen.

 

“Idiot!! I told you to stop!!”

 

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!!!”

 

Seiji drowned out Masato’s restraint with his own voice, and finally released the arrow.

 

It flew like a bullet, straight and fast, piercing exactly through the center of Rika’s abdomen and passing out the other side.

 

Rika noticed the change in her body only afterward. She placed her hand on the hole in her stomach, and it turned red as if painted. Then the burning pain spread through her whole body, and light of reason returned to her eyes.

 

“Ah… ahh…”

 

Understanding everything, Rika smiled at Seiji.

 

Then she collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.