Legend

About 30 minutes after you start to take down three skeletons where there are three parting paths and take the middle passage leading to the staircase leading to the basement 17th floor. Although they were then raided several times by skeletons and zombies, one line of Rays, who was proceeding while defeating them without any particular struggle, was once again coming before the parting path.

"You're on the left."

Elaine whines briefly as she retrieves the map.

Following those words, the Rays proceed to the left aisle without a moment of hesitation.

"If we keep going, we'll go out to a place like the hall. If we get there, we won't be far to the next tier."

"Heh, you're close enough. Then you could have gone straight to the next tier when you helped Teevia and the others.

To Ray's words like that, Elaine shows Ray the map she had with a small shake of her head.

There, it did draw an almost straight path, but there was no doubt that the passage was quite long.

"I see. It's a straight line, but is that a long distance"

"Mm-hmm. And the way we came was we were defeating monsters, so we didn't have a problem, but if we headed this way, we'd probably have been attacked by enemy monsters who hadn't defeated us yet."

Nodding as Ray was convinced by Elaine's words, he goes straight down the aisle.

They do have quite a distance, as depicted on the map, and if you keep walking for nearly two hours, you can finally see the entrance to the hall of interest.

A few times along the way, monsters attacked him, but most of them were only skeletons and zombies, and the former, while unexpectedly frowning at the latter's rotten odor, incinerated him without obtaining demonic stones or materials with the magic of the flames emitted by Ray or the firebraces emitted by Seto.

And...

"Ugh!"

Ray groans almost reflexively the moment he sees the entrance to the hall.

That's the same with Elaine, who rubs her nose with tears in her eyes as she leads to a five senses sharper ceto than those two, and Yellow holds her nose against Ceto's back.

"Gru......"

"Cu"

The stench drifts so intensely.

……

Ray and Elaine talk to each other with their eyes.

I don't want to go into this hall if I can, and I don't want to look inside.

But still, there's no way you're not going into this hall, which leads to the stairs, more than going to the basement 17th floor.

Eventually Ray comes forward and peeks softly into the hall, as she lost Elaine's gaze.

What came into that gaze was a herd of more than 20 zombies. However, when it comes to herds, they're not gathered under any will, they're simply there.

(What's with all these zombies?

It was Ray exploring what was going on in the hall while frowning at the intensely drifting rotten odor, but eventually I notice that only one of the zombies has a different color.

All the other zombies have a rotten odor, walking around the hall pointlessly or standing up as meat and bones rot and things like eyes and guts fall and drag away.

That in itself is the same for the zombie Ray turned his gaze on. But its appearance was clearly different.

Of course I can smell rot from that body. Unlike other zombies, however, it gives the skin a sense of luminosity. There are several other things floating around like green and purple spots, and the speed of movement is smooth compared to normal zombies.

Such a presence existed in the deepest rear of the zombies.

(Top species of zombies...... sure, that was gool. I didn't know you'd be here till this happens)

There's too much information on Ghoul in the back of his brain.

Unlike normal zombies, in good condition - fresh and less damaged - when a corpse becomes a zombie and undergoes even higher concentrations of magic than normal for a period of time, the corpse comes back as a ghoul, which is also the superior species of zombies.

The ability itself feels like zombie superior compatibility, with some lifetime wisdom remaining to poke at the opponent's weaknesses, or to command zombies.

(I see. Is that why the zombies are gathering in this hall? That's why he's under the command of that ghoul. Trouble again. No, isn't it? It's a pain in the ass, but if you think you're going to get Ghoul's magic stone, that's not such a bad story.)

Ray quickly summed up his thoughts inside and went straight back to where Elaine and the others were once.

"How'd it go?

"As expected, there's a bunch of zombies in there. Just one unexpected thing. Zombie superior species, confirmed Ghoul's appearance."

Elaine frowns reluctantly after hearing Ray's report.

Of course I'm not the one who can't fight and win. But you wouldn't normally want to like to fight someone who has an intense rotten odor that even here in a remote place stinks.

"How about sweeping away with Ceto's firebraces and Ray's magic?

"Sure, that may be the quickest thing to do, but the zombies want Ghoul's Demon Stone anyway"

"Gru!?

Unexpectedly Seto leaks the squeal.

For Seto to absorb the Demon Stone, he naturally has to drink that Demon Stone. But there was resistance, even to ceto, if it was in the rotten body and he asked me if I could resist swallowing the demonic stones painted on the rotten odor.

The worms are a fine, mouth-watering ceto, but it seems to be a different story when it comes to just being a demonic stone that was wrapped in rotten meat like zombies and ghouls.

So a startling squeal Ceto, but Ray opens his mouth as he gently strokes its head.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to let Seto absorb Ghoul's demon stones. Like a skeleton, absorbed in death size"

"Grrrrrrrr......"

I guess I was somewhat relieved by the words coming out of Ray's mouth. Seto exhales in relief in unexpected ways.

"As for Ghoul, I understand. By the way, can I have one ghoul?

"Oh, not from what I've seen in the hall."

"Right.... but I think we should stop the firebraces. It wouldn't make sense to burn them all by mistake."

I hear such Elaine's words, and I'm convinced that does make sense, Ray.

But the next moment I shake my neck sideways.

"No, I don't want to go through too much trouble here. Fortunately, Ghoul is in the back of the hall. So if Seto uses a firebrace and incinerates it from a zombie near the entrance, and if Ghoul approaches, stop the firebrace, there should be no problem.... Can you do that?

"Gru!"

I'll take care of it, and Seto rattles his throat.

For Ceto, the firebrace is frequently used and I can say that I am used to it. That's why it was a ringing noise when I decided I could meet Ray's demands as well.

"Well, let's just say I'll be covered by the magic of the wind from behind.... Honestly, I don't want to attack a zombie with a serial sword. Except, of course, if you have to."

I open my mouth to such Elaine's words, convinced not even by the thought of Ray I was hearing.

"I guess. I don't want to attack zombies in Death Size either.... Well, I can't help but absorb Ghoul's Demon Stone"

Exhale small, switch consciousness and Ray turns his gaze toward Seto.

"Seto, please"

"Grrrrrrrrrr!"

He roars at Ray's voice, straight to the entrance and exit of the hall, opening the couch and spitting out the firebrace.

"Vo......"

"Uh... uhh..."

Zombies approaching Seto with such a voice.

Every time I hear rotten meat like Becha, Bicha, hitting cobblestones or dragging rotten guts like cheats to the ground.

But the firebraces unleashed against such zombies are prioritized by their approaching counterparts, burning up rotten meat.

A few minutes after Seto's firebrace was released from the entrance and exit of the hall. Brighten the surroundings abruptly...... and the firebraces that were wrapped in enthusiasm extinguish its flames.

Most of the zombies in the hall were already burned to the ground in a literal sense.

All that's left are a few zombies and a ghoul, which is also Ray's purpose.

"Gru?"

Is this it? and I'm going to tilt my little neck and ask him, and I'm going to stroke Seto's head, Ray.

"Oh, it's the result of nothing more. Thanks to you, we have fewer enemies. Well, then I'll be knocking down Ghoul soon, so Seto's gonna have to wait here."

"Grrrrrrrrrr!"

Good luck and take a step toward Ghoul, who, with the sounding Seto's voice on his back, is somewhat capable of thinking unlike zombies and is watching near the entrance and exit behind him.

Next to such a ray, Elaine lines up.

"Leave the zombies around you to me. I didn't have to cover Seto."

"Okay, I'll take care of it."

Because we trust the other person's power, we were left to not have to talk to each other about details.

Realizing what was thought that way, and smiling small, Elaine offers her right hand toward the zombie as she leans closer toward Ray, who took one step.

Nothing is held in that hand. But instead, magic was gathering.

"Come on, I'm the guy! Don't think it's easy to get close to Ray!

Zombies were changing the direction of their legs from Ray to Elaine, whether the screams echoed around them or even their rotten brains felt something in their voices.

"Uh... uhh..."

Ray keeps going through the hall as he sideways checks on the zombies that were closing in on him.

Ghoul, who was also the goal, was just stopping in the back of the hall and gazing at Ray.

I don't see anything particularly like will in those eyes, but I still creepily gaze at Ray.

Purple and green spots emerged, showing the luminosity of the skin on a few steps compared to zombies, while still only the corpse, the right rib was peeled out.

Ray turns his gaze to that body and approaches it as if to explore weaknesses.

And approached a distance of about 5m, at that time.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

With a loud scream, Ghoul kicks the ground and runs toward Ray.

Its speed is overwhelmingly fast compared to zombies. So much so that I wondered what it was like to walk wandering through the hall.

But that's only a story compared to regular zombies, and compared to the monsters Ray has fought so many times before, I could even say it's Ning Ro slow.

"Ahhh!

Ghoul waving his arms up with a roaring voice.

He has some tense skin compared to regular zombies, but still has teared skin and visible meat in several places, some of which are peeled out to the bone.

Determining that a fragment of rotten meat is likely to splash around him if he takes it at Death Size, Ray takes a step back to dodge Ghoul's attack.

The swinging arm cuts the sky as-is... but at the next moment, Ghoul's swinging right arm approaches Ray's face, which he should have dodged with sufficient leeway for some reason.

"Become!?

Surprised by the unexpected development, he spun the Death Size pattern around his wrist to strike Ghoul's wrist, slightly frowning at the feel of beating the vicious rotten meat coming from the Death Size.

I kept my distance from Ghoul and finally understood what had happened.

Ghoul's arm is stretched out.

No, you would be right to say that bones such as shoulders, elbows and wrists have been removed to be precise and the result is a wider range of attack for Ghoul......

It was a unique way of attacking the undead without pain.

"Also a nasty way to attack."

He was a slightly frowning ray, but then he made it look like he would take one step just because he had a way to do it, swinging his death-size down where Ghoul shook up his arm again trying to intercept Ray.

Flying slaughter!

Flying slaughter at close range, unleashed to intercept that method of attack, which was carried out as one sees fit.

That slash released from Death Size slashes Ghoul's swinging right arm off at the next moment.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!

I guess I didn't even notice my own arm was gone. Ghoul, who tried to wave down his arm, which should not exist as it was, fell out of balance and onto the cobblestone...

Slash!

There is no way Ray would miss such a large gap, and a death-sized blade wielded from the bottom through magic cuts both legs from the knee and the remaining left hand from both arms with a blade that also returns.

"Sleep in peace!

The last blow that is waved to Ghoul, who has lost his limbs and is only able to crouch on the cobblestone.

That blow, which amputates Ghoul's chest, simultaneously amputates the demonic stone that was present in his left chest...

"Even the top zombie species do not acquire skills,"

As the word goes, Ray couldn't master his skills, so he punched one tongue.

Looking around afterwards, Elaine had already cleaned up the rest of the zombies, and she had nothing to gain in particular - because she didn't want to dismantle the zombies - the Rays would continue straight past the hall and move on... and then pass some divides and find a staircase to the basement 17th floor.