By adding a reasonable handicap, I was able to adjust to a level similar to Helena’s. We were enjoying a tense, close match when suddenly, the slimes, which had been blindly charging at us, all hesitated at once.
Good times always come to an end. Was this the beginning of that end?
As their numbers dwindled past a certain point, the slimes felt a sense of crisis and began to merge into one.
Squirm.
Instead of rushing at me or Helena, they started merging with each other, swelling up.
“Brother? Are you just going to watch? It might be better to attack while they’re merging.”
“That’s such a lackluster… No, attacking now would be more bothersome. Look closely inside.”
Not just their body fluids, but also their dark red cores were merging into one.
“Since the merging isn’t complete yet, it’s like separate slimes sticking together. If we attack now, we might just make them slightly smaller, but we won’t be able to kill them.”“To think we have to just watch these things, which look like phlegm spat out by an Evil God, right in front of us…”
Helena seemed genuinely disappointed. Even if they merged, they would only become a giant slime, making it not that hard to defeat.
Despite this, she was so regretful because, as she said, she hated having to stand idle with monsters right before her eyes.
Helena sighed deeply, and I continued, scratching my cheek.
“Well…no matter what we do, they have to watch us just the same. So we can just wipe them out with a wide-area spell.”
“Whoa! Brother! Hurry up and…! Please blast those piles of debris with a big and beautiful spell!”
“Then my victory in the bet will be confirmed, are you okay with that?”
“Killing the monster is more important than the bet!”
Helena, sticky with slime fluids, looked at me with desperate eyes.
Hmm… If it were the beginning of the semester, she would have rushed in to reduce their size, even slightly.
Her skills and self-control have grown a lot compared to the Helena I knew from around this time.
Probably because she experienced an attack in the practice dungeon, unlike in H&A.
She was definitely the type to put in more effort when stimulated.
With Helena twitching as if she wanted to charge right in, I smiled and nodded.
“Alright. Ah, I know I just said this, but… let’s not count this one in the bet tally. It seems more fun that way.”
Since only I could take it down, it was impossible to have a fair competition. This had to be done right.
I adjusted my grip on the staff, holding it long again, and raised it.
I glanced at Carla, who had already finished her part and was idly chatting. In other words, defeating this slime would be the end of it.
Since it was the last battle, it wouldn’t hurt to end it with a bang.
Thump.
As I drew out all the mana I had been holding back, my heart started racing wildly.
Listening to the noisy hum of the surrounding mana resonating, I slowly opened my mouth.
“『Righteous anger. Noble goodwill. You are like the sun in the sky.』”
A light-attribute spell that Helena would like. I even added a slightly religious tone to the chant on purpose.
This should definitely please Helena.
As the vast mana moved, the wind swirled around me naturally. Ignoring the flapping of my robes, I spread my arms wide.
Then, in the coolest voice I could muster, I recited the best catchphrase I knew.
“『Let there be light. Shining Judgment.』”
As soon as the incantation echoed, a line of light shimmered and flickered above the slimes. Then…
Whooooosh!!
A giant pillar of light rose along that line.
With an overwhelming brightness that seemed to illuminate the entire dungeon, Helena’s mouth gaped open.
Hmm. I knew she’d like it.
In fact… Shining Judgment wasn’t a spell I used very often.
It was powerful, and its light attribute gave it an advantage in many battlefields, but…
The mana consumption was too high.
How high? It consumed about 2.5 times the mana of Star Light Rain, which was also a mid-level light spell.
Star Light Rain was specialized for dealing with minor mobs, so it consumed relatively less mana, but even so, 2.5 times was too much.
But this spell had its advantages. In large-scale battles, launching Shining Judgment as a first strike significantly boosted our morale.
It was something like feeling the presence of light together… I finally understood what that meant.
It simply meant it was incredibly cool.
Standing next to Helena, who was also staring up at the pillar of light with her mouth wide open, I admired the scene.
Even knowing that I created the spell and received a 25% bonus from the blessing of the Sun God… it still filled me with awe.
I had truly grown stronger.
To be able to cast such powerful mid-level spells just after reaching the rank of Junior Magician.
I wondered how great my spells would become when I started combining elements.
This pleasant daydream continued until a gate appeared in front of us, signaling the dungeon’s clearance.
Ding!
“Huh?”
After we cleared the dungeon and stepped outside, an alert appeared even though we hadn’t touched the floating reward that was still in the form of a light cluster.
What was this?
【Dungeon Cleared!】
You have cleared a hidden dungeon!
Such commendable progress!
The Righteous Radiance is overjoyed by your spell, rolling on the ground in delight.
Other gods, taken aback by this sight, bless you.
Trait: The Blessing of All Gods (B) grows slightly.
Ah. So it was this.
A growth-type blessing that could be gradually enhanced by clearing dungeons or hunting cultists.
This insignificant dungeon wouldn’t contribute much to its growth.
However, isn’t it said that even dust can pile up into a mountain? Clearing them bit by bit would eventually lead to growth.
Though it seemed like the Righteous Radiance was up to something strange again….
But right now, it was time for the dungeon’s reward. The rewards here were quite good for the dungeon’s difficulty.
Perhaps it was because the preliminary quest was annoying?
“Alright.”
I reached out to the floating cluster of light before me. There was a solid sensation in the empty air.
As the slowly dimming light completely faded, I found a large medallion in my hand.
【Roaring Lion Medallion】
A large medallion carved in the shape of a roaring lion.
It has lost its original brilliance from long neglect, but something still remains.
A warm sensation that reassures the holder. And whose traces are the faint bloodstains?
Remember this.
In the most desperate moments, people tend to cling to something.
…Even if it's a prayer that goes unanswered.
-Can recharge divine power (Current charge 1%).
-When health drops below 5%, automatically uses the charged divine power to heal the wearer.
-Increases divine power efficiency by 10%.
-Once a week, can release all stored divine power at once to cause a divine explosion.
“Oh.”
If I were a paladin or a combat priest, I would have used this as much as the Shining Lion Dagger in the early stages.
It’s well-made equipment that not only aids survivability but also compensates for the offensive power that priests lack with the divine explosion.
Unfortunately, later on, when you have enough money to buy potions, and you become adept at healing with divine magic as a priest, its usefulness diminishes.
The divine explosion remained useful, but… the divine power charge limit was awkward, making it less practical over time.
Well, it was a piece of jewelry, not a weapon, so it could be quite useful until the mid-game.
Equipment that increased divine power efficiency was rare.
I only smiled satisfactorily at the medallion that looked and performed just like I remembered.
“Ah? Ah…?”
Helena trembled, unable to take her eyes off the medallion in my hand.
It made sense. As the name suggested, it was one of the holy relics of the Righteous Radiance.
“Brother? This is….”
“I’m giving it to you.”
“…What?”
Helena froze, unable to believe that I would give it to her.
While the medallion was good equipment, it was useless for us.
Healing? We had plenty of potions. Divine explosion? Magic was our best offense.
We were already in the inefficient phase, so there was no need to covet this item.
Moreover, it required divine power to be recharged, and having to ask someone to do it every time was a hassle. The divine power efficiency option was meaningless to us as magicians.
Although it was a holy relic, we could use it as a bargaining chip with the Church of Righteous Radiance to get something, but…
Who am I?
An unofficial apostle of the Righteous Radiance.
I already had maximum favor with the church. They would grant most of my requests without needing to trade a holy relic.
So, giving it to Helena, who could use it well and whom I intended to recruit as a party member, was the best option.
It would also help to soften the negative image she had of me.
“Ah, uh, um… I didn’t mean to ask for it… but a holy relic… ugh….”
“Why are you feeling so burdened? I’m not just giving it to you for free.”
“Eh?”
“Just promise to help me with a few requests later. I’m giving it to you on that condition.”
“C-could you please wait a moment, Brother? What kind of requests are you talking about….?”
“Eh.”
I placed the medallion around Helena’s neck, who was creaking like she was broken.
“There! Now that I’ve given it to you, it’s a promise, right?”
“…!!”
Hah! Didn’t I look pretty cool just now?
Feeling proud, I looked at Helena with satisfaction.
For some reason, Helena had a look on her face like someone who had been forced to buy dozens of jade mattresses from an acquaintance.
What? Why is she looking at me like that?
I couldn’t understand at all.
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