I, Who Was Criticized as the World's Weakest S-Rank Explorer, Am Actually the World's Strongest Explorer - Episode 63

Episode 63

When I arrived at the entrance to the dungeon that Rin had gone to, I let out a deep breath. 

The entrance to the dungeon was in a state like a swirling black vortex. 

A dungeon that has been cleared becomes a white vortex. And after a while, the dungeon completely disappears. 

This meant that Rin was either still in the process of clearing it, or heading there now to start clearing. 

I tried contacting Rin, but there was no connection. 

……….Should I go in? 

There’s a possibility we might miss each other. But if that happens, then it happens. 

I passed through the black vortex and entered the first floor of the dungeon. 

The interior had a cave-like structure. 

I proceeded through the damp, cold air. 

The old stone pavement underfoot and the mysterious patterns on the walls—this dungeon had a gloomy atmosphere. And with night approaching, it was quite dark. 

Relying on the light from my smartphone, I moved forward and soon saw a staircase. 

For now, I reinforced my hearing and senses using physical enhancement. I was checking the situation around me as I entered each floor. 

…Using the wind’s path, I gauged the general location leading to the next floor. 

I also searched for any sign of Rin. 

So far, there didn’t appear to be any explorers on the floors I had checked. 

As I descended, I could feel the surrounding air change. 

I remained vigilant. I sharpened my senses to detect any presence of monsters as I continued down to the next floor. 

When I reached the twentieth floor, it happened. 

A growl that shattered the silence—a sound of combat. Was it an explorer? No, it seemed like someone was acting alone. 

……It’s rare for someone to solo the depths of a dungeon. 

A high-ranking explorer… Naturally, Rin’s face came to mind. 

The moment I considered that possibility, my pace quickened. Moving like I was running, what entered my view was— 

“Rin!” 

She had collapsed, and a General Wolf was about to sink its fangs into her. 

It was the worst possible situation. 

Rin was gazing at the General Wolf with a dazed, hollow expression. 

I immediately dashed forward, drawing my Bullet Sword. 

The General Wolf, which had been staring at Rin, turned its gaze toward me as it noticed my approach. 

Rin’s gaze followed. It was now directed at me. She looked surprised and fearful. 

Her expression was heartbreaking. There were many things I wanted to say. But for now, I had to get rid of the threat. 

“Graah!” 

The General Wolf roared and charged toward me. 

Its speed was incredible, but I could see its movements. 

As the monster’s massive body approached, I timed it and—just as I leapt back, I swung my sword. 

I focused my magical energy into the Bullet Sword and drove its tip into the General Wolf’s throat. 

The sword pierced through, and the beast’s massive body collapsed to the ground. 

Once the silence returned, I immediately rushed to Rin’s side. 

“Rin, are you okay!?” 

She faintly nodded, but exhaustion and despair were evident in her eyes. 

“…Haruto, why are you here…?” 

She asked, but immediately averted her gaze. She was looking apologetic. 

Her faint voice prompted me to answer with resolve. 

“Why? Because I was worried about you. You must’ve been going through a lot, right? I tried contacting you, but I couldn’t reach you at all. So I was really worried.” 

Hearing this, Rin flinched, her shoulders jerking slightly. Then, she started shaking. She looked at me with wide eyes. 

“…But it’s… my fault… because I’m weak…” 

“…Don’t worry about the stuff online. People who don’t know anything are just saying random things about what they see.” 

…The reason she was so frightened was probably because of the heartless criticisms she saw on the internet. 

For now, I needed to speak gently and offer her comfort. 

Rin held back her tears, biting her lip tightly. 

I understood her pain well. As for me, I often expressed my frustrations outwardly. But with her serious personality, she was likely keeping everything bottled up inside. 

“…Haruto… I…” 

“Yuna was worried about you too, you know? Let’s move to a safer place for now. Can you stand?” 

I had to calm her down. 

Rin weakly nodded, though there was still a tremble in her voice. 

“…Yeah.” 

Despite her words, she still trembled. As I supported her, she leaned on me, unsteadily. 

The lightness and coldness of her body made my chest tighten. 

“Don’t push yourself. Take it slow.” 

“…Thank you…” 

Rin’s eyes were slightly teary. We carefully started moving. 

“Haruto, I… I’m always causing trouble… I’m sorry.” 

“I don’t think you’re a bother at all. Don’t worry about it.” 

“But… I… someone like me… I should be dead…”

“I want to do this. We’re going to go food walking together, right? For now, let’s go somewhere we can relax.” 

“…Yeah.” 

I firmly held her hand and moved forward. 

Finally, the stairs leading to a safe zone came into view. 

The faint light filtering through felt unusually bright in the dark dungeon. 

“Just a little more. Hang in there a bit longer.” 

“…Yeah.” 

As we reached the stairs leading to the 21st floor, we sat down there. We used the steps as makeshift chairs. 

Rin let out a deep sigh, then rubbed her eyes. 

“Rin, what are you going to do now?” 

When I asked her, she looked at me with a tired expression. 

“……….For now, I have to keep clearing the dungeon.” 

“Yeah, but what about after that? If you keep pushing yourself with these reckless dungeon runs, your body won’t hold up.” 

“…But I have to… if I don’t, people will keep talking about me… and Haruto, you’ve been talked about because of me, too…” 

Rin’s reason for continuing to clear the dungeon was out of kindness for others. It made my chest ache. 

I had turned down the promotion to S-rank because of my frustration with the Association……. Because of that, Rin’s workload increased, and it eventually led to this situation where she was being blamed. 

Maybe it’s my fault, but… it’s all because of the Association’s unreasonable requests. 

…Damn it. 

I had thought I didn’t care anymore if I distanced myself from the Association. But… it seems I can’t just be indifferent. 

If I stay indifferent, they’ll just do whatever they want. 

……..In that case—let’s make up my mind and sever ties with them.