[Lucky Overpowered] — I Became a Background Character Meant to Die in the Game’s Opening, But Now I’m Overpowered and Fighting to Save My All-Time Favorite Alchemist Heroine - Episode 26

“We cleared the 20th floor! Time to drink!”

“Um, I’d like some rabbit meat, please…”

“Lots of requests for rabbit meat lately.”

“Ta-da!”

“Hey, did you hear? The ‘Heroes of the Dawn’—”

“—no one’s waking up, right?”

“The reason I gathered you all here today is simple. One of you is a traitor… and that person is me.”

““““It’s YOU!?””””

After lunch, I left Lise at the inn and headed to the Adventurers’ Guild. The place was bustling as usual, filled with adventurers and merchants here for supplies. No matter when I visit, it’s always lively in here.

“Hey! There they are.”

Amidst the diners in the guild’s tavern, I spotted the members of Fang of the Wolf. I quickly made my way over to them.

“Yo!”

“Long time no see.”

“Well, if it isn’t Gee! Everything settled on your end?”

“Must’ve been tough.”

After a round of casual greetings, Isabelle and the others welcomed me as if nothing had changed. I hadn’t shown up in a while because of the whole event with Clemence, but there wasn’t a trace of resentment on their faces. That was a relief.

“Sorry I couldn’t check in sooner. Things are fine now.”

“No worries. Losing a friend would’ve ruined our day anyway. But listen to this—while you and Lise were out, we were grinding on the ninth floor. But man, without you around, the item drop rate was crap. Barely made anything.”

“Sorry about that. But here’s the good news—Lise still needs some time, but I’m back in action starting today. Actually… how about we take on the tenth floor together?”

Gilles and the others looked at me, surprised.

“Are you sure?”

“We were planning to clear the tenth floor with you and Lise, you know.”

“You don’t mind us finishing it first?”

“Yeah. There’s an item I really need that only drops there. I’d like to run it a few times to farm it. You in?”

“Fine by me.”

“What are you after?”

“It’s a fragrant wood called Revenant Incense. I want at least five.”

The others gave me puzzled looks.

“What’s that?”

“If I remember right, it’s a boss drop from the tenth floor. Doesn’t sell for much though, so I guess it’s fine. Of course, that means you’ll get a smaller share of the loot.”

“Naturally.”

“Alright then, it’s settled. Let’s head to the dungeon.”

Isabelle stood up briskly, the very picture of decisiveness.

“I’m the party leader, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go already.”

“Haha…”

Gilles pushed back against Isabelle as usual, and Gustave just smiled wryly. Business as usual.

◇

And so, we made our way to the tenth floor of Babel Tower. The dungeon corridors stretched endlessly in smooth, seamless white stone. The passageways emitted a faint glow, so lighting wasn’t an issue. It really felt like I’d returned home.

“We’re counting on you, Gee.”

“Got it.”

I raised a hand in acknowledgment and took the lead, scouting ahead of the party. My job was to disable traps and check for monster formations.

Monsters could appear at any time in the dungeon, and unlike in games, there was no guarantee that others wouldn’t interfere during a fight. My role was to make sure the area was safe enough to engage.

As I moved forward quietly, I spotted a group of monsters.

“Ugh…”

A groan slipped from my lips when I saw them. Skeletons and zombies, huh?

The skeletons looked like animated anatomical models from some school ghost story—yellowed white bones wielding rusted weapons.

But it was the zombies that really got to me. Walking corpses, basically. Unarmed, but grotesque in appearance and, worst of all, they stank. Weak, but easily the most hated type of monster.

Three zombies, two skeletons.

I’d like to avoid fighting them if I can, but they’re right in the path we need to take.

“Sigh…”

I let out a quiet breath, then drew two arrows from the quiver on my back. I nocked one to my longbow, took aim, and steadied my breath.

Thwap! The string hummed as it cut through the air, followed by a shattering crack—like breaking porcelain. My arrow had crushed a skeleton’s skull, reducing it to a puff of white smoke. One down.

I quickly nocked the second arrow.

Both the skeletons and zombies had noticed me now. They were about twenty meters away. I had time for one more shot.

I aimed at the faster-moving skeleton.

Thwap! My bow let out another sharp twang, and the second skeleton’s head exploded just like the first.