Lily's Observatory

“I will not test the waters! I shall fight at full power from the start!” Vladgaria immediately cloaks herself in fighting spirit and abyssal magic, preparing to battle with everything she has. “I agree.” I, too, activate the skills necessary to fight at full strength. The accursed skills, beginning with « Calamity ». As I inflict severe debuffs upon my opponent, I stand ready. “What is this?!” Vladgaria falters in confusion. Yet perhaps unable to ease her assault, she charges straight at me regardless. Truly worthy of being called Demon King. Even while afflicted with debuffs, her physical abilities still surpass Kanehama before his « Limit Break ». Unfortunately for her, I have no intention of receiving that attack. “No thanks.” “What—?!” I redirect Vladgaria’s strike with a smooth, natural flow, then use the very momentum of her attack to launch a counter. Caught off guard by a level of martial technique she had not anticipated, she is sent flying, her face frozen in astonishment. I...

The hunters who had ambushed me in front of the dungeon entrance and attacked without a word were annihilated… save for a lucky handful who survived. The plaza before the dungeon, which had become a battlefield, was left with nothing but a large circular scorch mark. The hunters’ equipment, belongings, and even their flesh and blood had been reduced to ashes without leaving a single fragment behind. To extract information about this assault, I rushed over to the survivors, whose faces were dyed in terror, and bound them using【Debuff Magic】. I had thought it might be troublesome if they resisted or tried to flee, but their expressions shifted from fear to despair. Their shoulders slumped, and they submitted to being restrained without resistance. As I led them along in search of the person I needed, I spotted Jin running toward me, shouting my name. “Hunter Matsubara! Are you unharmed?” (E/N: There are blind people, then there is this rat smh 😮‍💨) “Yes, as you can see, I’m fine. Were ...

Leaving behind Mimori’s “ Nnhooo~! ” as she begged to smell me at parting, we finally make our way to the final gate. If this gate is breached, we lose. Otogi Trading Company would suffer damage severe enough to call it devastation. Conversely, if we win here, I can proceed as originally planned. I had anticipated as much, but it seems the final checkpoint will indeed decide everything. When we open the door to the final gate, a single woman is waiting inside. “I’ve been waiting, Yūichi.” Yes. One of my beloved wives. Arisa. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Arisa.” “Nope. I was watching everything on the monitors. The calculator’s all set, too.” “Thank you.” I say that and kiss Arisa on the cheek. Turning back toward the members of the Demon King’s Army, who are watching us with exasperated expressions, I address them. “Well then, everyone. This is the final checkpoint.” “The one over there is the opponent for this battle?” “No. She is Arisa, my wife. Here, she is merely the witness oversee...

Even though this area was technically within the city, albeit with no civilians or residential buildings nearby, the hunters showed no hesitation in unleashing their magic in front of the dungeon entrance. Facing the barrage of spells rushing in from above and ahead, I crossed my arms over my head and took a defensive stance. The moment the spells struck, a thunderous roar erupted, and thick clouds of dust billowed up, a brief silence dominating the scene. The result, I was unscathed. Among the attacks were spells cast by those B-Rank and below. Between my various magic resistances and the effects of〘 Transcendent 〙, they were nullified. Not a single attack managed to damage me. Leaping out from the swirling dust, I used【Earth Magic】to generate a throwing spear in my hand. Midair, I hurled it with【Throwing】at the swordsman standing at the front of the group. With a tremendous whistling sound, the spear shot forward like a meteor, obliterating the swordsman’s head before slamming into t...

“Yoūta, I’m counting on you!” “Yeah!” At Kanehama’s call, only Toudou charges forward. “ UoooOOO! ” “Naive!” Vladgaria catches Toudou’s sword strike between two fingers and, with added force, snaps it cleanly in half. Then, as if following up, she drives a strike with her other hand into his solar plexus. “Gah!” “Do not worry. I pulled the blow short.” Even though she stopped just short of full impact, Toudou is sent flying. The difference in sheer destructive power leaves no room for words. However, thanks to the time Toudou bought, Kanehama is able to activate his trump card skill. “« Limit Break »!” It is one of the skills contained within the [ Hero ] skill. In exchange for an enormous consumption of magic power, it greatly amplifies one’s status. “Haaaaaa!” “Kuhaha! Impressive!” Kanehama raises his already SSSS status several times over and charges at Vladgaria. He swings his sword repeatedly; Vladgaria catches and deflects each strike. Their exchange continues at a speed too fast...

After defeating Surtr, the Flame Giant King who commanded ten Muspels, I placed my hand on the treasure chest that appeared before me. Inside was the boss’s magic stone, and a greatsword with a blade bearing violently blazing flames. ━━━━━━━━━━ 《 Lævateinn 》 ・Type: Greatsword ・Effects: 　① Generates and emits flames that remain unextinguishable until the target is reduced to ashes; 　② Indestructible; 　③ Strength +80 , Dexterity +80 ・Rank: Mythical ━━━━━━━━━━ I immediately checked the details with【Appraisal】, but effect ① is outrageous. Flames that won’t disappear until the target is burned to ashes? If you’re hit by that, it’s basically certain death. If I ever face someone wielding this type of weapon, I absolutely must avoid close combat and maintain distance, attacking relentlessly from afar. Still, depending on the abilities of Mythical-class equipment or Unique Skills of equal tier, would it be possible to resist them? It’s far too risky to test on myself, but if there’s a conveni...

They likely had not expected that inflicting a single scratch would be the extent of it. The four stare at Vladgaria, unable to hide their shock. “You have entertained me this much! As a reward, I shall reveal to you my overwhelming status!” Vladgaria declares grandly. “Behold! This is my status!” The moment she says so, her status board appears in large, unmistakable display for all to see. ━━━━━━━━━━ 【Name】Vladgaria von Eldorant 【Level】285 【Strength】SSSS 【Magic】SSSS+ 【Stamina】SSSS 【Speed】SSSS 【Attributes】Dark • Abyss • Space • Battle Aura 【Skill】« Demonic Eye of Mana Gluttony » ━━━━━━━━━━ A status that surpasses even Kanehama, the [Hero]. Her magic is SSSS+. This notation signifies that she stands just below the next stage, the legendary realm said to be Five S. As status evaluations rise, actual strength increases exponentially. Moreover, the higher the evaluation, the greater the gap to the next rank becomes. In other words, the difference between SSSS and SSSS+ is not a matter of ...

Perhaps they thought I was easy prey since I was clearing the dungeon solo— multiple parties attacked me. I was surprised when they brought out an item that nullified【Stealth】, but at this point, I’m not someone who would struggle against mere A-rank hunters. I didn’t bother going through their equipment or belongings and left them as they were. After all, it would be better if their deaths were attributed to monsters. The lantern that nullified【Stealth】did pique my interest, but since I have【Vital Sense】, there’s no need to rely on such an item. Resuming the conquest, after defeating the tenth Muspel, I discovered the entrance leading to the boss room. Advancing down the long corridor illuminated by evenly spaced torches, I placed my hand on the heavy door of the boss room. The boss room was also a field akin to sea of flames. When I advanced to the center, eleven spheres of light descended from above. When all the spheres shone even brighter, ten Muspels appeared, along with a monste...

At my signal, Kanehama and Toudou dash forward. “I’ll support you!” Mimori casts support magic toward the two of them. Their already tremendous physical abilities rise even further. “Hm.” Facing the approaching Kanehama and Toudou, Vladgaria wears a composed expression. Kanehama reaches her first and swings his sword… only for Vladgaria to catch it with one hand. “What?!” “Support magic is meaningless against me.” Kanehama’s blade was wreathed in light magic, further enhanced by Mimori’s support. Yet Vladgaria dispels it effortlessly. The result is nothing more than an ordinary sword strike, insufficient to pierce through her magical power and stamina. “Then I’ll-!” From the side where Kanehama and Vladgaria face off, Toudou cuts in. Though his support magic has likewise been dispelled, he attacks with a sword strike that relies not on magic but on pure technique and strength. But even that fails to break through. “Still not enough!” Vladgaria brushes aside Toudou’s strike with her fre...

Just like the others, I defeated the third Flame Giant, Muspel, using the combo of【Water Magic】,【Riptide】, and【Ki Martial Arts】. After picking up the magic stone and storing it in my《 Magic Pouch 》, I stepped forward to proceed… and at that very moment, I detected mana rapidly approaching from behind. Tilting my head, I narrowly avoided the mana closing in on the back of my head and turned around. “…So they were hunters after all.” The attackers were hunters from this country. Judging by their numbers, there seemed to be three parties. “No matter the country, there are always a certain number of these types…” (E/N: Yare yare daze… 😮‍💨) 「 Ha! Ha! Ha! To dodge that surprise attack, even if you’re from a weak nation, S-Rank is still S-Rank. … But you’re nothing more than a frog in a well. You’re no match for us, who clash with countless rivals every single day! 」 “…I have no idea what you’re saying.” 「 You bastards, the bounty goes to whoever gets him first! 」 “““““ WOOOOOOO! ””””” “So...

On the way to the sixth checkpoint, I heard many things from Shuri-kun. First, that he had been the Great Sage from a thousand years ago. That in order to master magic, he had transferred his soul into human-like homunculus bodies he created himself, extending his life across the centuries. Incidentally, by applying that same technology, he made possible Matsuriya’s body modification and Joan’s gender transformation. With those matters about Shuri-kun explained so casually, we finally arrived at the sixth gate. This area was even wider and sturdier than the previous ones, built to withstand far more intense combat. Waiting there were four young men and women. “It’s finally time, Otogi-san.” The first to speak was the leader-like figure among them, Kanehama, the [ Hero ]. Standing alongside him were one man, one woman, and a man who looked entirely like a woman. They were respectively Toudou, the [ Sword Saint ], Mimori, the [ Saint ], and Matsuriya, the [ Sage ]. “Yes. Thank you for wa...

After arriving at the hotel where I would be staying, I followed Jin through the lavish, dazzling lobby and took the elevator up to the higher floors. “This will be your room, Matsubara-sama.” Jin opened the door and gestured for me to enter. The room was impeccably maintained, just as extravagantly luxurious as the lobby. “Jin, thank you for preparing such a splendid room. By the way, how much is the accommodation fee?” “The Chairman arranged this room, so if you have another opportunity to meet him, please convey your thanks directly. As for the lodging fee, there is no need.” “…Is that really alright?” “It is not a problem. More importantly, we hope you will fully enjoy our country.” “Thank you.” Jin’s expression remained unreadable, making it impossible to gauge his true intentions. Still, there’s always a catch behind generous offers. My caution heightened further, but I kept it from showing on my face as I inspected the room. There was nothing suspicious within sight, but just to...

As Vladgaria says, this is hardly the time to be flirting with Shuri-kun. There are many things I would like to confirm, but those can wait. For now, let us continue with the fifth gate. “Honestly, don’t you think I can just lose here? That’s what I’m thinking.” “What are you saying? Why give up before we even fight?” A sudden declaration of defeat from Shuri-kun followed by Vladgaria admonishing him. An oddly reversed situation. “Because, you know. I can ‘ see ’ it. That’s how I know.” “I have no idea what you mean.” The two exchange words that even I cannot fully grasp. It seems Shuri-kun is seeing something that I cannot. And from that, he has already concluded that he has no chance of winning against Vladgaria. “Well then, let’s just get this over with quickly and call it a day~! Come on, Otogin, the signal~!” “Ah… yes. Then, fifth checkpoint, second round, begin.” Urged on by Shuri-kun, I give the signal. Instantly, he draws a magic circle and activates it. A massive fireball hurt...

While I was making preparations and waiting to head to China, the Guildmaster Ogawa called. “Permission has been granted from the Hunter Guild over there. Be extremely careful,” he said. “I understand,” I replied, ending the call. I did one last check to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. Taking the Guildmaster’s warning to heart and tightening my resolve, I left home and headed for Haneda Airport. After about four hours, I arrived at Shanghai Airport. Waiting to greet me after I finished immigration procedures was a group of reporters lined up on both sides, furiously firing off camera flashes, and a sharp-eyed man guarded by escorts who appeared to be A to S-Rank level. As I wondered why I was being given such an extravagant reception, a man who seemed to be the chairman’s secretary hurried over and spoke to me in fluent Japanese. “Welcome to our country, Hunter Matsubara.” “Ah, yes.” Still confused, I gave a curt reply, but the secretary brushed it off with a polite smile and ge...

“To think that a great figure from a thousand years ago still lives even now.” Vladgaria mutters this while keeping a wary gaze fixed on Shuri-kun. Shuri-kun responds with a troubled expression. “When you say ‘ a thousand years ago ’, it makes me sound like some ridiculously ancient grandpa. I don’t like that, you know?” “But it is fact, is it not?” At Vladgaria’s question, Shuri-kun shakes his head. “For the record, I’ve only lived about a hundred and fifty years since awakening in ‘ this body ’. Don’t make it sound like I’ve been a frail old man living continuously for a thousand years.” “Oh? So that body of yours truly is something ‘ other than human ’.” Leaving everyone else behind, the two continue their exchange. I understand what they are saying, but I cannot hide my astonishment. “Ahaha, that’s right! Including the failed ones, this is my ‘ third ’ homunculus body! … After plenty of trial and error, I finally obtained this ideal vessel. Well, thanks to that, I can do things lik...

China. A hunter superpower alongside America and Russia. In a room within the massive Hunter Guild Headquarters building constructed in its capital, Beijing, the chairman and his secretary were speaking. “Chairman Li Wei. We’ve just received contact from the Japanese Hunter Guild.” “What was the message?” “It seems that the S-rank hunter, Yuito Matsubara, wishes to visit our country. Most likely, it is to conquer our dungeons.” “The reason a hunter visits another country would be obvious… or so I would like to say. But this time, that is not his only objective.” “You’re referring to the previous assault.” “Yes. After hearing from their guild master, he must already know that our country was behind the attack… Is he coming alone?” “That appears to be the case.” “Hm… I don’t understand his purpose. Knowing we are a hunter superpower, and an enemy nation… would he really come alone?” “There is no information that Yuito Matsubara has formed a party. It seems he is still acting solo. … One ...

——————————————————— Name : Matsubara Yuito Gender : Male Age : 18 Level : 100 ( MAX ) Hunter Rank : S Rank —————————————— Titles »〘 Lone Conqueror 〙   • A title granted to one who solo-defeats a C-rank dungeon boss;   • When fighting solo: all stats × 1.5 »〘 Giant Slayer 〙   • A title granted to one who solo-defeats a boss at least 10 levels higher than themselves;   • When fighting opponents (including non-monsters) with a level gap of 10 or more: all stats × 1.5 »〘 Serial Killer 〙   • A title granted to a person who has killed ten humans;   • Heightens sensitivity to murderous intent and triggers bloodlust;   • The bloodlust does not subside until the one who bears murderous intent is killed;   • When fighting humans: all stats × 1.2 »〘 Dragon Slayer 〙   • A title granted to those truly strong enough to solo defeat Dragons, the highest class of monsters as well as dragon-type monsters;   • When fighting dragon-type monsters: all stats ...