When I came to, my viewpoint was much higher. I saw Yuuno, Noelle, and my own body on the ground.
I didn't know what the monsters in the dungeon perceived, but somehow they instinctively treated me as an enemy even when I had swapped into their own kin. Even the monster that now inhabited my body didn't falter. He immediately charged at me with my longsword.
I roared and swung my axe like a madman. Ignoring the monster currently inside my body. I needed that body back.
The monster's one-handed axe smashed into the skull of one orc, killing it instantly.
The others hammered me with their clubs. Since it didn't hit the head, I ignored them. The more this orc's body was wounded, the better. I ignored the pain surging through my back as I pulled my axe free and charged the second orc. With a sweeping strike, I cut down both the orc and the hobgoblin that had been harassing us with its spear. The hobgoblin was cleaved clean in two.
I then charged the remaining orcs.
The battle was brutal. I was bleeding all over because of that hobgoblin's spear. My left hand was broken after tanking the clubs and I couldn't feel my back.
Another orc rushed toward me with its sword. My vision blurred as blood filled my eyes, but in the end, I was the only one left standing.
"Return," I tried to say as I threw the axe away. Wondering whether I could return, as this body could only let out a growl.
Now, if the orc regained its body, it wouldn't have a weapon. Yuuno could kill him easily.
My vision went dark as I returned to my own body.
The pain and dizziness I had suffered as the orc disappeared, but phantom pain lingered. My body throbbed. I went down on my knees as I coughed hard. The experience was harrowing.
The orc I had possessed staggered back to its feet and roared in fury. It was already on its last breath, but I was still stunned. paralyzed as the phantom pain of my broken arm lingered.
Just a little more—
"Makoto!"
Yuuno dashed forward. She drove her sword upward, piercing the orc through the neck. Green blood burst from the wound like a fountain before a white glow enveloped the monster.
When the light faded, only an arcane stone remained.
"Thanks! That was dangerous." I stood up as a notification from the system flashed before my eyes.
[Target has expired. Please choose another target.
Any mission related to the target will be removed.
Please pay 30 Essence Shards to choose a new target.]
I stared at the screen and smiled.
I had wondered what would happen if the target died. I thought I wouldn't be able to choose another target because I couldn't swap out Sakura, but apparently I was wrong. Sure, I had to pay a surprise fee, but this was better than nothing. Thirty Essence Shards was manageable.
"Why did you suddenly curl up like that? Wait… was the weird behavior of that monster just now your skill?" Yuuno asked.
She had connected the dots. Her face lit up with excitement.
"That was amazing! You have a skill to control monsters? That's totally a top-tier ability! Why did you stay silent about it? Any guild would welcome you as a rearguard!"
"That was amazing, Makoto! I didn't know you had a skill like that! If it wasn't for your ability, we would have died," Noelle said as she walked over. Her right arm hung limply because of that orc's strike, but her face was bright.
"I'd prefer if you keep it a secret. That skill was only for emergencies. I don't really want to use it," I replied. "Please act as if I don't have it from now on."
"I see. So you are that type of character, huh. Acting your chuuni fantasy? I see. I'm jealous. Does it have some kind of drawback? Or maybe a requirement? Now that I think about it, you were acting a bit strange earlier," Yuuno said.
"Please keep it a secret."
"Ah, is this that kind of game? Trying to become a secret hero, huh?" Yuuno smirked. "I get it. I had those fantasies back in the day, too. Too bad my skills are nothing special."
"Well… keep it a secret, alright?" I turned away. The phantom pain had disappeared. Now all that's left was embarrassment.
"Well, we got away safely, and we owe you our lives. I guess keeping it secret is best. I don't want other guilds or adventurers snatching you from the team. What about you, Noelle?"
"Y-y-yes. I will keep it a secret. I owe you my life, after all." She turned away, hiding her face in the robe I had given her.
I was glad she liked the robe. I hope her brother won't mind we partied for a while longer.
"So, should we head back? What about your wounds?" I asked. I could keep going, but Yuuno and Noelle had both taken hits from the orcs earlier.
"I could keep going, but Noelle broke her arm. I guess we should call it a day," Yuuno said.
"Sorry…" Noelle bowed.
"Don't worry. People mess up sometimes. It can happen to anyone," Yuuno said.
"Wow. That orc also hit you, but you're okay? I guess you really are a tanker, huh? I can't tell with that thin body of yours," I muttered.
She wasn't as thin and petite as Nijima, but Yuuno was still fairly slender for a girl. Earlier, she had been sent flying just like Noelle.
"Well, it was just a bruise. This is normal for adventurers. This is what I call real skill—not something given by the system, alright? I'm a senior adventurer, after all!" Yuuno removed her buckler and inspected her wrist. Just as she said, it was only bruised.
"As expected from a senior adventurer. You also saved me from that hobgoblin's knife."
"Amazing!" Noelle said. "I still have so much to learn."
"Alright… Hmm… I really want to check the corridor those three orcs came from… But should we pull back?" Yuuno asked.
"I have a potion. It's from my brother though… We should keep going!" Noelle said, trying to encourage herself.
"Makoto. Does your skill have a cooldown?"
"Yes, it does. And don't rely on it, Yuuno. I don't want to use it. It had severe drawback." I retorted when Yuuna began asking for my abilities. I don't have unlimited shards.
"Hm… This potion is a high-grade potion worth about 250,000 dollars. We shouldn't use it unless it's an emergency. We should scout the corridor. If we find monsters inside, we retreat. Can you run, Noelle?"
My eyes nearly popped out of my head at that price. Noelle was filthy rich—or rather, her brother was! Damn. 250,000 dollars? No wonder Yuuno was hesitant to use it.
"Yes." Noelle nodded. "Only my right arm hurts."
"Good. Once we return to the surface, you can have a healer look at it. That will be cheaper. Healing a broken arm or deep cuts usually costs between 500 and 1,000 dollars. But if we get surrounded again, use the potion immediately. Actually, you should use it the moment you get thrown and injured by that club, Noelle."
"I see… sorry."
"This is a high-grade potion, but nothing can buy your life. There is no such thing as a resurrection potion, after all." Yuuno said as she returned Noelle's potion.
We inspected the corridor and found nothing. It was a dead end. I was expecting at least a treasure chest after such hardship, but times like this do exist. We are just unlucky today.
"Hah… let's return." Yuuno sighed. "At least we got four orc stones and a hobgoblin stone."
"Is the orc stone different from the goblin's? I don't think I see any difference…"
"Well, you would need a loupe or a magnifying glass to identify it. But I heard the grains inside the stones are different. Other monsters also have different colors."
"Ah, elemental arcane stones, right?"
"Once we start meeting monsters that can cast magic, it will be a whole different world in terms of the arcane stones dropped, money, and difficulty. Ah… I need colored stones to upgrade my skills too. Damn… we need to progress more!"
"Curb your greed, girl. We almost died there." I warned her.
"Yes, yes. Somehow, I knew you would come in a clutch." Yuuno sighed. We all chuckled.
"We've totally become adventurers now, right? My brother said killing an orc is something like a graduation ceremony!" Noelle said excitedly. We all nodded.
"The money from orc stones is also a magnitude larger than goblin stones. I can't wait." Yuuno smirked.
The path back was peaceful. I was surprised when we reached the exchange counter. These stones were worth almost 500 dollars each. Since we had four orc stones, one hobgoblin stone, and several goblin stones from the first to the third floor, my portion came to nearly 600 dollars.
The salary increase was amazing. No wonder people say being an adventurer is like a dream job.
But when I looked at this money and remembered the hardship we endured to defeat those four orcs, my heart faltered.
"Um… is there a mage's clinic?" Noelle asked the receptionist.
"Of course! That would cost 100 dollars for minor abrasions and scratches, 500 dollars for a broken limb or dislocated joint, five thousand to reattach a limb, and ten thousand to regrow a limb."
"I broke my arm…" Noelle said. As she opened her robe, I could see her arm bent in different directions. Whoa, that looked incredibly painful. Did she endure that injury for 3 hours on our path back? This job really was risky.
"Right this way, ma'am."
In barely ten minutes, Noelle came back, swinging her once-broken arm. I needed to save money as well. I might need this service one day. She did say she could regrow limbs.
"Want something to eat? My treat. Let's go to a family restaurant."
"Erm… can we do it tomorrow? I have a curfew. My brother would get worried if I came home late," Noelle said.
"Yeah. I also need to fix and maintain this buckler at the guild," Yuuno said as she inspected her shield. It still looked good, but I saw a small dent in it.
"Alright. Tomorrow it is then. We should party once in a while. After all, we beat four orcs! We're proper adventurers now!" I cocked my hips, feeling the excitement of killing orcs.
"Yes. Alright. Tomorrow is a rest day then!" Yuuno nodded.
We all waved goodbye. Noelle skipped toward her butler, who had been waiting beside her Mercedes. Even with such thick robes, I could still see her melons bouncing slightly through the fabric. Damn, it really was a distraction.
Maybe I should buy a thicker robe next time. But then it would be too hot to wear. I should buy a looser robe instead.
When I came home, I found Sakura lounging on the sofa while playing with her phone. A pleasant aroma wafted from the dining table behind her. There was fried rice, fried chicken, and stir-fried vegetables. She looked like a housewife despite the simple dishes.
"Makoto! Welcome back! Here! I cooked something for you. Have you eaten dinner already?"
"Ah, I haven't. Thanks. Didn't you go home? Your uncle and aunt must be worried."
"Don't worry about it. I messaged them. I'll go back once we finish dinner," Sakura said.
We ate dinner in silence. When I looked at Sakura, my mind drifted back to Yuuno's story. I had to tell her.
This might just be a hunch, but at the very least, I had to make sure she consulted my father's lawyer. Otherwise, she might get scammed.
"Sakura, there's something I need to tell you," I said once we were done eating.