Episode 8 vs Ogre

It's been a week since then.

In this past week... various things happened.

Unfortunately, strange things, and so on.

It's been quite an exhausting week, I think to myself as I walk home.

"I'm glad today is Friday."

First, the unfortunate things.

Despite the students surrounding me so much, as the days passed, they all drifted away. Even when I try to converse, all I can manage is a forced smile, and I can't say anything interesting. Despite being surrounded by everyone for just three days, now no one comes near me anymore. It's entirely my lack of social skills.

As a result, I'm back to being alone.

Everyone surrounded me for only three days.

I enjoyed my brief moment of popularity for three days, but now I'm back to eating alone in the bathroom. Even though everyone surrounded me, I could eat with them... It's painful to see such a sharp decline.

"Even though I've become this handsome, without social skills, I can't make friends. In this era, there are plenty of guys more handsome than me on social media, and without any other strengths besides looks, it's hopeless."

I sigh.

I'm amazed at my own misfortune.

While my level has somewhat improved this week, my social skills are still stuck at level 1.

Next, the strange things.

Since yesterday, Mamoto and his lackeys, and some members of the otaku group, haven't shown up for school. It wouldn't be concerning if only one or two were absent, but nearly ten people all being absent at once is worrying.

"Some members of the otaku group were being bullied by Mamoto and his crew, but I wonder if there's any connection. I hope they haven't gotten involved in some incident, but I'm a little worried."

Although I wasn't closely connected with the otaku group, I'm a bit worried out of classmate concern. All I can do is pray that they're safe.

The major events are these two, and the rest are just minor things. New additions to the Dungeon Survive explanation section, a "Bulletin Board" for interacting with other players, and a "Monster Encyclopedia" for detailed information on monsters. There were many such trivial things.

"Even with a completely anonymous bulletin board, I can't even have a proper conversation. My social ineptitude is deeply ingrained. Haa... I really need to do something about it."

As I mutter to myself while walking home, a strange scene unfolds before my eyes.

"Two high school girls..."

Ahead, I see two high school girls wearing our school uniform, Yamayu High School.

One has brown hair, a typical high school girl.

She seems to be about 165 centimeters tall.

I can't be sure since it's from behind, but there's something familiar about her appearance, though I can't recall it.

The other has long black hair... and is a large woman.

She seems to be about 195 centimeters tall.

In addition to her height, various other features are large, and it looks like she's wearing thick clothing as the uniform is bulging around her. I can't be sure since it's from behind, but presumably... her fat is pushing up the uniform.

"The girls in front of the high school... are they monsters!?"

Facing the high school girls are... a monstrous ogre.

About 3 meters tall, with brown skin.

In its right hand, it holds a club, and around its waist, there's a tattered cloth scrap. Other than that, there are no other equipments, but judging by its muscular physique, it probably doesn't need any armor.

According to the Monster Encyclopedia, that creature is apparently called an Ogre. It's as strong as it looks, capable of tearing apart iron plates with its strength. However, it has a simple mind, possessing only the intelligence of a two-year-old human.

No, that's not important.

Why is there a monster outside the dungeon?

I'm puzzled. I can't understand any of this.

But... there's one thing I can do.

I need to help those high school girls.

As I try to run towards them, a strange black halo appears in the hand of the black-haired high school girl. Though the color is different, that halo is strikingly similar to my ice attribute. And... she fires a pitch-black sphere.

The released pitch-black sphere hits the ogre's abdomen, but it doesn't seem to cause any damage. It remains completely unharmed, and the ogre sneers.

"Could it be, those two... are players?"

There's some distance between us, so I can't hear the two girls' voices well. But... it's just the right distance to observe them. If things go wrong, I can always go help.

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

I closed the distance a little.

Just because I want to hear the players' voices firsthand.

"Da... Dark Arrow!"

"Ogaaaah!"

The black-haired high school girl fires a dark arrow.

But her attack doesn't seem to have much effect.

The ogre's sturdy skin seems to render the black-haired high school girl's magic almost ineffective.

"As expected of an ogre... it's a formidable enemy."

"W... What should we do, Uta-chan!?"

"It's obvious... we have to defeat it!!"

The first time I recognized the ogre, I thought it might be a movie shoot... but from the two high school girls, I can feel genuine magical power, so that's unlikely.

The fact that there's an ogre here, and the two players are fighting... so many things are happening at once, and I can't keep up.

But there's one thing I can understand.

That is... the two of them are struggling more than I thought.

"...Dark Bullet!"

"Ogaaaah!"

"...Dark Arrow!"

"Ogaaaah!"

"...Dark Blade!"

"Ogaaaah!"

The black-haired high school girl's magic doesn't seem to work on the ogre at all.

The dark bullets are deflected by the ogre's sturdy skin.

The dark arrows can't pierce the ogre's tough skin.

The dark blades can't even scratch the ogre's skin.

Perhaps the black-haired high school girl's rank is equivalent to F class. Judging from the fact that her magic doesn't work on the E-class ogre, I deduced that.

"Magic doesn't work... then..."

The brown-haired high school girl dashes like a rabbit and dives into the ogre's chest. And...

"Twin Tiger Strike!"

"Ogaaaah!"

"Twin Tiger Kick!"

"Ogaaaah!"

"Twin Tiger Slash!"

"Ogaaaah!"

Consecutive punches, kicks, chops.

She relentlessly delivers powerful consecutive attacks.

"Ogaaaah!"

The ogre roars.

But its body shows no signs of injury.

It's completely unharmed.

"...This is bad."

"What... what should we do, Uta-chan!?"

"...Let's use a combination attack, Amari!"

"T-That's right... let's combine our strength!!"

So the two of them took different stances.

The brown-haired high school girl seems to be deeply concentrating, taking deeper breaths than usual.

The black-haired high school girl, on the other hand, is taking deep breaths a little away from the brown-haired high school girl.

"I'm going to attack"

"Yeah, anytime is fine!!"

And then, the two finally started moving.

"Intermediate Dark Binding Abyss Armor!!"

"Ugh...!?"

The dark energy emitted by the black-haired high school girl wraps around the limbs of the brown-haired high school girl. Perhaps due to the effects of the dark attribute, it seems like the brown-haired high school girl is suffering.

"Are you alright!?"

"Yeah...!! Let's go!!"

And then the brown-haired high school girl ran.

Perhaps influenced by the dark energy she's wrapped in, she runs much faster than before. In an instant, she successfully slips into the ogre's embrace.

"Dark Tiger Strike!"

"Ogaaah!"

"Dark Tiger Kick!"

"Ogaaah!"

"Dark Tiger Slash!"

"Ogaaah!"

Consecutive punches, kicks, and chops enveloped in dark attributes. They continue to rain down powerful consecutive attacks with the erosion characteristic unique to the dark attribute.

"Ogaaah!!"

However, the ogre is unharmed.

None of the attacks penetrate the ogre.

The two high school girls also seem to be accumulating fatigue.

"...This is bad."

"W-w-what should we do...!?"

Seemingly exhausted, the two find it difficult to move. Perhaps their magical power is running low. Once their magical power runs out, they'll be hit with a strong sense of fatigue.

"...I guess it's time to go help."

I walked towards the ogre.

"Hey, are you a civilian!?"

"Ah, it's not a movie shoot!! Uh, please, stay away!!"

"I-I-It's alright... really."

And then, I smiled.

Towards the pitiful ogre.

And then, I aimed my right hand──

"Cold Lance of Intermediate Level Ice Spear!"

I fired a spear of ice.

The spear flew towards the ogre──

"Oga──!?"

It pierced the ogre's chest.

Without any struggling, the ogre turned into black particles and vanished. In other words──victory.

[You have leveled up]

A fanfare and mechanical voice resounded in my mind.

No matter how many times I hear it, this moment feels pleasant.

Dopamine floods my brain. It's a moment of bliss.

Nevertheless, I never expected to defeat an E-class monster in one blow. Even though my level has increased, I'm still only at E-class. Yet to defeat it in one blow... it's either because the attack happened to be a critical hit, or perhaps that ogre was immature and belonged to the lower ranks of the E-class.

"...Did you, help us?"

"T-Thank you..."

When I turned around, they expressed their gratitude.

But their demeanor clearly showed wariness.

It's natural for them to react that way since a player stronger than themselves appeared. They still don't know if I'm an ally or not.

For now, I need to ease their tension.

I have to convey that I'm not an enemy.

I don't want to fight here.

"Haha, w-well, I helped out."

With a bit of a stutter, the words came out.

The two──

"For now, want to talk?"

"D-Do... do you have time?"

For now, it seems like their guard has eased a bit.