Volume 5 Chapter 40: Miss Slave and Junior Adventurers
(Melon)
In the corridor, more than a dozen square-shaped core-like fire elemental organisms emitted clanging roars, and dozens of fireballs raised the already hot corridor by several degrees in an instant.
As the fireballs approached, a graceful figure fearlessly confronted them.
The rhythm of the figure footsteps was strange, and for a moment, the narrow corridor seemed to lose the concept of gravity. The graceful figure, at almost impossible angles, crashed into the group of monsters.
The sound of shattering echoed continuously, and the chaotic flames flickered.
A few seconds later, Melon looked coldly at her feet. The only remaining [Blaze] struggled to freeze its body, and then, she stepped on it, shattering it.
Ignoring the golden sticks scattered on the ground, Melon took a few steps forward and opened the seemingly simple treasure chest.
"..." Melon glanced at the contents, frowned, and her expression became somewhat frustrated. She waved her hand behind her a few times and then sat down on the side.
Master... it's been three days since I lost contact with you. Where are you? Are the others with you?
...The team inexplicably disbanded... Is it because of the anomaly... or is it that you no longer want me?
Thinking of this, Melon couldn't help shaking her head.
No, that's not possible. Master wouldn't abandon me. It must be because of the labyrinth. I've never fought in a real labyrinth before. The game I played during the celebration in the royal city didn't count.
This is the labyrinth... full of unresolved mysteries... thinking this way, she felt a little relieved.
Master, no one is around... Even though I've been telling myself not to be as helpless as before, to become useless when you're not around, but... I'm really worried and anxious.
No, the more this happens, the more you need to stay calm, find a way to leave this place. Focus on the present.
"Sister Melon, do you really not need to drink some water?" Just when Melon was feeling bothered by the tricky situation, a female voice came from the side.
Wearing a simple robe patched with patches, a wizard hat, and a very ordinary wooden staff, a girl with curly chestnut hair had a clear face. Hanging around her neck was the wooden plate representing the D-rank entry-level adventurer, engraved with the name "Mona."
"Yeah, Sister Melon, you gave us all the resources on the way just now. That... I'm okay for now, but– at least drink some water, okay?"
Standing beside Mona was a boy who looked like he was wearing second-hand goods. The inscription on his wooden plate read "Wesley."
However, his situation was obviously much worse than Mona's. The second-hand plate armor was not only ragged, but the sword hanging from his waist was only half left– In fact, a while ago, the conditions of these two were very bad. Not only were their equipment in tatters, but they were also seriously injured. If they hadn't met Melon, these two new adventurers, who had just turned fifteen not long ago, would have perished in this labyrinth.
"...No, I still have supplies on me." Melon calmed down a bit because of their words and patted her waist pouch.
After rescuing Mona and Wesley, Melon, apart from leading the way and clearing the path, had been trying to search for the traces of the others– but in the end, she couldn't find any clues in this corridor that seemed endless.
Yes— although finding the master is crucial, now she must focus on other things. Without her, these two wouldn't survive.
The recruitment conditions for this adventurer exploration team required members to be official adventurers with a rank of B or above or recommended by the Adventurer Guild. She didn't know how these two newbies managed to get in...
But when she thought about it, there wasn't much to think about. After all, Melon herself was not an official adventurer member. Everyone managed to get into the team thanks to Alice's connections. These two might have paid some price as well.
...The result was that they almost lost their lives.
"The [Inferno Gold] in the box is also for you. Go and make some good equipment." Melon looked at the remaining palm-sized metal block in the box, casually picked it up, and threw it into Wesley's hands.
Both Mona and Wesley widened their eyes in unison. This– what came out of the previous chests was just the ordinary [Inferno Iron], but what appeared now was a much superior [Inferno Copper]!
"Sister Melon, is this really okay? We've already taken quite a bit, and we've relied on you to take care of us all the way..."
"I don't need it. You two sit down, rest, and we'll continue on later. I want to find my master as soon as possible." Melon said.
"If there's something really unusual, I would undoubtedly bring it back to offer to my master. However, the items in this box are things I've seen my master casually produce back in our secret base. After following my master for over seven years, I know the value of things, and at least these are things my master wouldn't even glance at. If you want them, take them."
Considering Wesley and Mona's stamina, the impromptu trio took a break.
"Um, Sister Melon..." Perhaps due to the excessively hot environment making it difficult to concentrate, Mona, attempting meditation, failed and glanced at Wesley, who was drinking water and catching his breath. Mona then shifted her attention to the Lizardkin who had saved them.
Mona and Wesley were childhood friends from a rural area, and driven by their admiration for strength, they came to the city immediately upon reaching adulthood and formed a team for adventuring, which had been going on for several months. Due to their impoverished background, their income as D-rank adventurers barely balanced their daily expenses, and they could hardly afford any decent equipment.
Hearing about [Inferno Gold], after careful consideration, they decided to take a gamble. They bribed and arranged things, bought a recommendation letter from the Adventurer Guild, and thus gained the qualification to enter the labyrinth.
The result was that they were almost killed by a few random monsters. In that desperate moment, the Lizardkin girl known as Melon suddenly appeared and saved them.
Based on Mona's knowledge of mixed-race lizardmen, the Lizardkin's age shouldn't be much older than her own. However, the extraordinary strength she possessed was exceptional. Engaging in combat without any weapons, relying only on fists and kicks, that clean, neat, simple yet brutal power left a deep impression.
It's simply unheard of— Even though she had just become an adult and had only been a novice adventurer for a few months, she had still heard of the names of powerful adventurers. Bloodblade Victor, Tiger's Arrow, Iron Hammer of War, and the like. But, was there a Lizardkin who didn't use any weapons among them?
Mona had naturally seen a few of those people, and at the time, she felt only admiration. However, when looking at the Lizardkin sister in front of her...
The lizardkin has no arrogance, her speech was refined, her demeanor was generous, and her personality was reserved. It turned out that this was the true attitude a powerful person should have. Those people in the city were not worth mentioning.
"Hmm?" Melon responded.
"Well, Sister Melon... The master you mentioned, what kind of person is he?"
Most unexpectedly, this Melon sister seemed to be a slave.
When Mona vaguely saw the necklace-shaped reward collar, she thought she was mistaken. After looking at it several times, the style was exactly the standard design often displayed in the showcase of the slave market.
"Why do you ask?" Melon's gaze became somewhat vigilant.
"Ah, no, no, it's okay if you don't want to say... I just thought that to have such a powerful sister like Melon as a slave, he must be amazing." Mona realized she was being impolite and quickly waved her hand.
What kind of person would allow Melon sister to willingly serve as her master and willingly be a slave?
"Yeah, he must be that kind of super powerful person– With just a swing of a sword, creating a huge pit in the floor with a single stroke, that kind of all-powerful man!" Wesley also joined the conversation.
In his imagination, only such groundbreaking figures could become Melon's master.
"..." Melon thought for a moment and couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, my master is the most powerful man I've ever seen."
Indeed, the most formidable.
The figure that blocked the flames of the Mountain King was still vivid in her memory.
"Mona, I'll become that kind of man in the future too! Wait for me!" Somehow, Wesley unexpectedly declared with a firm gaze.
"W-What are you suddenly saying..." Wesley's words made Mona's face blush.
"..." Melon looked at the magnetic field of these two strangers who seemed to be a couple and cooperatively restored silence.
These two sure get along well... Her emotions that had just stabilized were now rippling again.
I want to see my master.
... Well, it's time to continue walking.
Melon stood up, about to call the two, but a sudden magical fluctuation made her suddenly aware.
A magic teleportation array appeared in front of the three.
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