The Second Shadow Enhancement

The site of the A-Rank Dungeon【Blue Orchid Lake】, which Sid Ranorus had left behind.

S-Rank Adventurer Almugard, after turning the still-unconscious Hero party onto their backs and tending to them, took up the elixir the dark-haired youth had given her—Windine’s Tear.

“Sid Ranorus… he wore a strange aura from the first time I met him at the Adventurer’s Guild, but to become that strong in such a short time… I can’t afford to be complacent anymore. Still, I have to thank him.”

Almugard set a hand to her ebony-colored armor and exposed her head.

The sinking sunset—on Almugard—made her long hair glitter and reflect the light.

“I hope this lifts my curse.”

By removing the armor that had a magical voice-altering function, her true beautiful voice leaked out.

Almugard slowly drained Windine’s Tear.

The strongest in humanity.

The only existing S-Rank Adventurer.

No one knew that Almugard Eldorado’s true identity was that of an unparalleled beauty.

＊＊＊

A haunted mansion located on the outskirts of the royal capital.

I arrived at the Sid Ranorus residence.

“Dullahan, Goblin Lord, was there any change?”

“Grrr!”

“――――”

On the bed, the slave girl was still repeating shallow breaths with a pained expression.

“I can’t tell whether anything changed or not…”

Shadows understand my words, so they don’t misinterpret orders.

However, conversely, with only monster vocalizations and body language you can’t achieve complete communication, so full mutual understanding with a Shadow is difficult.

It would be nice if there were a monster that could speak human language.

Or—turn a human into a Shadow.

“Speaking on behalf of the Shadow that did its job faithfully, some thieves got in while Sid was fighting Windine.”

“Seriously?”

“Grrr!”

An affirmative tone.

Ekarraat had been manipulating animals like rats and bats and seemed to have been looking out for the girl.

“The thieves turned out to be the slave trader who owned the little girl. He seemed furious about Sid landing a hit on him and came back for revenge.”

But they were ambushed and repelled by the Goblin Lord and Dullahan—so it seems.

Judging by the lack of bloodshed or corpses, it seems they didn’t kill anyone.

Even if my blood rises and I become violent, I don’t intend to cause a murder in the royal capital.

“Both of you did well. Best job.”

“――――!”

Dullahan, looking as if to say he was honored, knelt on one knee and lowered his head.

Though he doesn’t have a neck.

“Then let’s get these wounds healed right away. Come—Windine.”

“――――”

I stored Dullahan and the Goblin Lord in shadow and summoned Windine.

Windine is about four meters long, so even if she shrinks her body, the room immediately becomes cramped.

“Windine, heal this girl’s wounds—or rather, every bad thing about her body.”

“~~~~~~♪♪”

Windine relayed a pleasant sound, and the girl’s body glowed faintly.

The girl’s pained face softened into peace, and her breathing seemed to stabilize.

“Ekarraat, how is she?”

“Let’s see.”

Ekarraat examined the girl.

“No discoloration of the skin, no clouding of the eyes. The gash in her leg has completely vanished and she has the clean skin typical of a child. The small scrapes and old bruises are gone too, all clean. Now just give her proper nutrition and wash her dirty hair and body and she’ll be fine.”

“…That’s a relief.”

Indeed, looking closely again, the dirt in her hair and on her body was terrible.

Her previous owner must have made her work outside, because her body was quite sunburned.

“Well, she’s over the worst. No need to rush.”

I returned Windine into the shadows and let out a breath myself.

“Come to think of it, I also got the A-rank dungeon’s Dungeon Core.”

I took out the Dungeon Core that had been stored in Vanargand.

I remembered the【Shadow Enhancement】I learned when I reached Level 80.

It’s an A-rank Dungeon Core.

It should hold enough power to strengthen even leader-class Shadows.

So, it’s time for the second enhancement while the girl wakes up.

“Now, who to enhance after Minotaur?”

Arranging my Shadows by Overall Combat Power――

Below them, countless lower-grade Shadows.

“Windine can use offensive magic but I want to use her for rear support and she’s already strong enough. That means I’ll enhance Dullahan.”

Master Dullahan’s raw combat skills, which don’t rely on stats, are also exceptional.

He’s about on par with the Goblin Lord, but that guy’s fighting style is just swinging weapons around powered by brute strength, so considering room to grow, I should strengthen Dullahan.

“Dullahan, come—【Shadow Enhancement】.”

The Dungeon Core was absorbed into Dullahan’s body.

“Oh. He’s now on par in Overall Combat Power with Windine and the initial Minotaur.”

My forces are steadily growing.

From this duel, I also realized I already have a gap in ability sufficient to overwhelm the Hero party.

Then the rest is――

“Specifically, what brutal way to take revenge… that’s the question.”

Blinding one eye, breaking a nose, making them wet themselves won’t be enough to clear out all the pent-up anger so far, after all.