Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer

Chapter 14

"Run, run! Keep running until you die!"

The 24 survivors were inspired by Godo to keep running.

They never looked back but simply ran as fast as their strength and energy would allow.

Conveniently, no monsters had appeared so far.

Godo knew that the other monsters had fled from the first-class monster "Black Keroberos," but he was leading the way without daring to mention it.

The name "Black Keroberos" is in the Japanese explorer high school textbooks and even in ordinary junior high school textbooks.

Twenty-three years ago, during the first dungeon era, Black Keroberos appeared in Hokkaido, Japan, killing and devouring many people and causing people to fall into confusion.

At the time, no explorer could defeat the Black Keroberos, and it was the source of so much chaos in Japanese society that the area was off-limits. The Black Keroberos became known as a "cannibalistic" monster that even attacked other monsters.

Therefore, monsters lower in a grade other than the first grade have the habit of running away from Black Keroberos.

"Masaki! Please stop!"

"What's wrong? Ukiyo's not getting any ideas!"

"No, sir! It's Aika!"

Realizing that something had happened with those words, Godo stopped.

As he turned around, gasping for breath, he saw Asagiri being restrained by several adult explorers.

"Wait a minute! Tenji-Kun is gone! Tenji-kun is not here!"

"Aika, wait! You mustn't go back! Didn't you see that figure of Black Keroberos!"

"I know! But Tenji-Kun!"

Hearing Asagiri's words, Godo hurriedly began to count the number of people who had run away.

All of them are now on their feet. It was also because they had decided that the safest place to be was where Godou was.

[......23, 24. 24 people, huh? Indeed Tenji-Kun is not here. But I can't help it now; there's no time. Kitano put the girl to sleep.]

[Are you sure? Masaki-san.]

[If Tenji-Kun is being eaten, we're running out of time. Being stranded here is the worst possible move. Even if Miss-Asagiri will hate me later, I decided to increase the raid's survival rate now. Will you follow?]

[...... Okay, I understand. Please buy me an expensive drink when we survive.]

Godo instructed Kitano Kitahara, a regular member of the chariot, to use "command transmission" to avoid being noticed by Asagiri.

Kitano immediately took action.

He approached Asagiri, who was struggling to shake off the adult's control, and whispered quietly in her ear, 'Go to sleep.'

Immediately, Asagiri's strength suddenly drained from her body, and she fell down to lean limply against the adult explorer.

Then Godo approached.

"I'll take care of you, young lady," he said. "Come on, let's go for another run! The threat behind us is a small one compared to the one in front of us. Let's go!"

He used his "Language Inspiration" skill again, forcing everyone's bodies to activate.

And then they ran.

They ran for three days and three nights, taking advantage of the fact that no monsters appeared without taking any breaks.

Asagiri woke up after a day's sleep, then was persuaded by Godo to be relieved, and now decided to run away.

And then--.

They had finally succeeded in exiting the dungeon.

It was just after they had safely exited the dungeon and turned the corner of the first path.

"Masaki! You're alive!"

"Oh, oh? Is that my brother Flame?"

The 24 of them had met up with Inagaki Flame, a first-grade explorer who had gone out to rescue them.

But even more surprised than when they saw Inagaki Flame, Godo and the others looked at the person standing next to Flame.

"Oh, you're alive. I knew it! You've got a lot of luck!"

The person who said these words while scratching his head was the only zero-level explorer in Japan, Leon Hyakuse himself.

"Leon! I never thought that Leon would really come to rescue me......."

"Oh, I'm glad you're okay for now, but from the looks of it......, it looks like you got hit pretty hard. How many were hit?"

"Ten. Only 24 of us survived......."

"What happened back there?"

"We got...... black Kerberos."

"Oh, he's out. How did you survive? I've come all the way down here to help you. There is nothing to be afraid of anymore."

At these words of the grade zero explorer, all of them who had been running for their lives fell to their knees at once and let out a breath of relief.

Among them, only Asagiri continued to stand there with a strong will.

"Ohh, um!"

Asagiri shouted loudly, interrupting the conversation among the top explorers.

There was no sign of weakness in her expression.

"Oh? What's wrong?"

Leon was startled by the sudden loud voice and turned his attention to Asagiri.

"Tenji-kun! Please, can't you help Tenji-Kun?"

"Tenji?"

"Yes! Please help Tenji-Kun!"

Deciding that simply wishing would not get him anywhere, Godo slowly placed his hand on Asagiri's shoulder and looked at Leon.

"Tenji-Kun is a student at the same Explorer High School as her. It is possible that he was probably...... sacrificed to Black Keroberos. Leon, would you do her a favor, even though you know it's impossible?"

"Ah, so that's how it is. I'm not afraid of that kind of thing, even if it's a little scary. I'll take care of this Tenji guy for now."

"Thank you!"

"Don't worry about it. It is my job."

Leon answered casually and turned a severe look toward Godo.

"Is that the back dungeon after we turn there?"

'Ah, yes....... You knew it was back there, didn't you?"

"The dungeon is a very popular one. I can't think of anything else but the back. Well then, I'm going to go for a short while. I'll leave the rest to you, Flame."

"Yeah, I'll take care of this."

And so, Leon, a zero-level explorer, headed for the dungeon in the back.

Flame slowly looked around at the survivors and caught sight of one young man.

"Rui, you're alive."

"...... I could have been dead."

"Well, that's true too. I wouldn't want my child to die in this shithole."

It was a conversation that did not seem like a father-son relationship.

It was no wonder because the look Rui was giving his father at that time was filled with hatred.

"Now, let's go home. Instead of resting here, go home and sleep at home."

After saying these words, Flame quickly turned around and headed for the exit.

The survivors also rushed to their feet and followed their new leader, Flame Inagaki, a well-known first-grade explorer from Japan.

And so they returned from two weeks in hell.