The High Dragon's attack continues.
　Four of its necks unleashed water strikes, and the remaining five would extend their necks.
　They began to share the attack.
　The water strikes narrowed their retreat, and they used their necks and fangs to catch up with their smaller prey.
　The hierarchy trembled as the nine-headed dragon simply moved.
　The rock face was scraped away and stalactites fell from the ceiling.

　In addition to attacking from nine directions, I had to be careful with the placement of the debris and stalactites.

　Still, I was calm.

　[Appraisal]

　Activate the magic and read the High Dragon's attacks.
　That's what I'm making Sarasa do thoroughly now.
　There's no reason why I, the master, can't do it.

　It looks like I'm being pushed to the edge, but I just barely avoid it.

　But the High Dragon grins at me.
　It must feel like I'm chasing a small rat.
　He had a somewhat triumphant expression, even though he was a demonic beast's habit.

　Bastard.........

　I stopped cooing.
　It's finally time to bring out the winning method.

　I hold up my hand.
　I quickly activated my 【Mage(Wizard)】 magic.

　【Water grain bullet】.

　It's the same magic I used in the Seahorn battle.
　It's an elementary spell that releases waterborne debris.
　Just like that time, I shoot at the ceiling.
　The water bullets land on the ice pillar hanging from the ceiling.
　It's an ice pillar that I made beforehand with magic while I was running away.

　When it hits the root of the ice pillar, it cracks.
　As it was, it fell directly on top of the high dragon as if it was sucked in.

''Giaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

　The demonic beast's scream made the air in the hierarchy tremble.
　A huge icicle fell onto the High Dragon's torso.
　It didn't come close to piercing through, but it was that huge mass.
　It was enough damage to frighten the nine-headed dragon.

　I raised my magic (I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get it to work).

　I continued forward.
　There was no attack from the High Dragon.
　Ducking into its pocket, I aimed at the torso where the magic circuitry accumulated.

　But--!

　The dragon head attacked me directly above me.
　It opens a large jaw gate.
　It catches me completely.

　Bugger!

　It's got me.

　The High Dragon wanted me to--
　No, no.

　The High Dragon thought it was me and then the High Dragon ate me and then the High Dragon ate me and then the High Dragon ate me and then the High Dragon ate me and then the High Dragon ate me and then the High Dragon ate me.

　That's what the High Dragon (I'm not sure I want to be a part of it), the High Dragon (I'm not sure I want to be a part of it).

　One head swallowed another head whole.
　It spits out a deadly poison and begins to digest its own head.

　Not just one.
　Heads are cannibalizing each other.
　It was happening all over the place.
　One head swallowed the other's head, the other's swallowed.
　The smell of rotting digestive juices filled the area, and it was like hell.

　I stare at it.
　I continued to watch as the high dragon ate me.

　[Scholar (Professor)] magic.

　[Forced Recognition].

　It's a spell that replaces an opponent's perception with another perception.
　The weakness of the High Dragon is that it has nine heads, or heads.
　All of them have brains, enabling them to move independently.

　The large capacity of the brains directly expands the scope of the effects of mental magic.

　In layman's terms........


　It's a weakness of mental system magic like [Compulsory Recognition].


　The nine heads had already been turned into one.
　The jaw gate, which was wet with his own blood, opened wide.
　The fangs that had eaten through the dragon scales were already tattered.
　But the dragon, which had become one, did not stop.
　The dragon began to devour the body.
　It ripped through flesh, crushed bone, and sprayed blood splatters all around it.
　ただただ竜が肉を食う音だけが、静かにダンジョンに響き渡った。

　そして、その残酷な共食いは終わる。
　１つ残った竜首が、城の尖塔のように倒れた。
　赤黒い瞳から光は失われ、かすかに動いていた顎門がピタリと止まる。

　ハイドラゴンは死んだ。

　スキルポイントが入ってくる。
　７２０００ポイント……。

　よし！

　俺は手を掲げる。
　これで次のステージに勧める。

　小さく口角を上げるのだった。


　◆◇◆◇◆


　俺は次層へ降りる階段を見つける。
　吹き上がってくる空気が、こことは違う。
　おそらくまた地形が変わるのだろう。

　残りの魔力から考えれば、あと１層ぐらいなら問題はないだろう。

　だが、ここのダンジョンの特性は『試練』だ。
　冒険者を試すように、魔獣が配置されている。
　今のところ、俺は最適解を選んでいるが、次層でも実践できる保証はない。

「帰るか」

　俺はここにセーフポイントを設置する。

　【転送】の魔宝石を使って、移動しようと思ったが、俺はふと思い出した。

　王から探索権をもらっているが、国から依頼されていることは間違いない。
　国の許可を得て探索しているのだから、何らかの成果が要求されるだろう。
　それがなければ、次につながらないかもしれない。

「成果か……」

　かといって、宝石やお宝が転がっている様子はない。
　この層では珍しい鉱石の類もないようだ。

　となると……。

　俺は振り返った。

　魔法を起動すると、それを(ヽヽヽ)収納する。
　そして自分の魔力を辿り、自らの魔法で以て【転送】した。