Jack Of All Trades: Chapter 24 – Oath

　The space echoing with joyous laughter turns silent.

　At this inconceivable situation, my head goes blank, but my body that has overcome numerous battles instinctively moves. 

(I can’t see anything except the back but those shiny black scales and this pressure, there’s no doubt. This is the 92nd Floor Boss, the Black Dragon. Why did it appear!? This suddenly. –wait, this isn’t the time to be thinking about these things!)

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　My thoughts catch up to my actions.

　Beyond the Black Dragon, there’s everyone from “Night Sky’s Silver Rabbit”.

　The Black Dragon is already prepared to attack them.

　Evidence being the flames leaking out from its mouth. 

　I try to circle around the Black Dragon to rush in front of everyone –but I realise the Black Dragon will be faster.

　Change strategy, instantly build a formula. 

“Officers! Prepare to protect the beginners with your lives on the lineee!!”

　While screaming, I activate [Vitality Up] and [Resistance Up] on Anson and Bernard, as well as [Durability Up] and [Weight Up] on their armour and shields.

　The Officers react to my voice.

　Anson and Bernard step forward, lower their centre of gravity and raise their shields. 

　Selma and Kathy deploy a magical barrier in front of the Defenders.

　They should still be in the midst of confusion. 

　Even so, they can instantly move.

　This is only possible for these advanced explorers nominated for this guided exploration.

　The Black Dragon opens its mouth wide, a huge flame bullet shoots out. 

　Anticipating the flame bullet hitting that deployed magic barrier, just before it makes contact, I activate [Impact] on the barrier, increasing its durability to the utmost limit.

　The flame bullet hits the magical barrier and explodes, the members of “Night Sky’s Silver Rabbit” are covered in smoke.

　　◇

　The smoke clears after a while.

　Fortunately, there are no dead. Somehow the beginners have been protected.

　However, the two Defenders are covered in wounds.

　It’s a situation where Kathy has to immediately treat them, but her body is trembling and she can’t move. 

　Not only the beginners, even Selma has a pale face.

　Then I finally notice.

　The size of this Boss Area has more than doubled from earlier. 

(To suit the Black Dragon? Even though it should be an irregular occurence for the Black Dragon to be here, what’s the mechanism behind this?)

　Maybe I myself am still confused, I end up constantly thinking of unnecessary things.

　Currently, none of the members from “Night Sky’s Silver Rabbit” will be useful.

　There are two options I can take.

　The first is to leave them to die and quickly head towards the 51st floor. 

　Since the Crab has already been defeated, the path to the 51st floor is open. 

　The Black Dragon will likely notice my existence, but demonic beasts have the tendency to target areas with more people. 

　If it’s just me alone, I can probably move to the 51st floor. 

　The second, to fight the Black Dragon.

　However, those guys can’t be counted on to contribute. 

　There are many of them weak at the knees and unable to move. 

　If we fight, I should be prepared to throw away half-hearted ideas of trying to just buy time for everyone to escape to the 51st floor. 

　To save everyone, I can do nothing except win. 

(Shit! Why am I recalling that right now?)

　　◆◆◆

　I was born and raised in a poor village that wasn’t even marked on maps.

　Oliver and I were popular in the village.

　Since we were born, the two of us had excellent memory and physical abilities, we learnt the sword from my grandfather, and at the age of eight, we possessed abilities that were by no means inferior to B Rank explorers. 

　For us to strive higher and succeed as explorers in the future, our daily routine was to train deep in the mountains near our village. 

　One day, an incident happened.

　The village was attacked by bandits..

　By the time we returned, it was already too late. 

　Houses were burnt, all the people who had been lively in the morning were now corpses, scattered everywhere. 

　When we got a grasp on the situation, we cried until our voices could no longer come out. 

　And by the time we stopped crying, the sun had already risen.

“Oliver, if everyone stays like this, they’ll be sad. Let’s properly bury them.”

“That’s true.”

　Whether fortunately or unfortunately, as we were clever for our age, we soon realised what we needed to be doing, and took action. 

　We silently dug a hole and carefully put the corpses in.

　After placing all the corpses within, we set fire in the hole.

“Orn, I’m going to be stronger! So that nothing can be taken from me anymore, I’ll be much more stronger! I’ll be so strong that just by hearing my name, they won’t have the guts to do such ridiculous things!!”

“I’ll also be stronger! Even when things get unfair, I won’t lose anything! No matter what happens, I’ll become strong enough to protect the things important to me!”

　Tears that should have already dried up started shedding again, we swore an oath while the image of our family in the village burning was seared into our eyes. 

　After the burial was over, we left the place of the village and became explorers in Tutril, where the Southern Great Labyrinth was. 

　　◆◆◆

　Unfair things are abundant in this world. 　

　The current situation is just one such example.

　In order to not just only cry in frustration when unfair things happened, I became an explorer in search of power and knowledge. 

　Hasn’t my answer already been decided from the beginning?

　Right now, my role is to bring along these beginners who had just become explorers to the 51st floor. 

　And what’s necessary to achieve that is — to cross over this unfairness that was right before my eyes. 

“It’s nothing difficult. You only need to defeat the enemy in front of you….!”

　If I muster all the things I’ve cultivated since becoming an explorer, this isn’t an opponent I can’t win against. 

　There is a chance of winning.

　Now, let the subjugation commence!

　　◇

　I take out a spare sword from my storage magic tool and activate [Strength Up] and [Dexterity Up]. 

　The entire body of the Black Dragon is covered with hard scales, but as long as it’s a living thing, there will be places a blade can cut. 

　I aim the spare sword at the eyes of the Black Dragon and throw with all my might. 

　The reaction of the Black Dragon is faster than the speed of the sword approaching its eyes. 

　The sword I release is blocked by the stiff eyelids of the Black Dragon. 

　For the first time, the Black Dragon turns its head towards where I am. 

　――But, unfortunately, I am no longer there. 

　I’ve already moved to above the Black Dragon.

　While spinning in the air, I put all my strength into swinging my sword. 

　My attack is a surprise hit and combined with the effect of enchanting my sword with [Impact], the Black Dragon that receives my attack roars as its face is slammed into the ground.