Chapter 5

Before taking Alyusha outside, there was something I had to do first.

It was to prepare her defenses.

Alyusha is just a little girl, about five years old.

I don't intend to engage in combat, but the thought of being attacked by beasts and dragged into a fight makes even opening the door terrifying.

So, I was rummaging through my equipment to strengthen her...

"Hmm, most of it is for third-class jobs."

A third-class job refers to the highest-level classes, such as a Magic Knight.

In Midgar's Online, you start as a Novice, a beginner class, where you learn the basics, and then you can change to a basic class based on your preferences.

- Swordsmen and Thieves who engage in close combat.

- Mages who wield magic.

- Clerics who take on healing and support roles.

- Archers who are essential for ranged attacks.

- Merchants who can trade.

- And even Gunners and Ninjas.

Despite being called basic classes, a wide variety of options are available.

As you advance to a second-class job, the tendencies become more specialized, and with a third-class job, the specialized abilities become even more refined.

At the final stage, the third-class job, the level and ability caps are lifted, and the specialized abilities become even more advanced, allowing you to solo area bosses.

Even Ymir, a class once considered weak, can easily take down bosses, so the combat power is evident.

Of course, the equipment is also specialized, with many items having class and level restrictions.

I, too, prioritized such equipment when preparing for the Infinite Ice Cave, where I would have to fight bosses consecutively.

"Oh, this might work?"

I took out a pair of Great Angel Wings from my item inventory. It's a shoulder armor that mimics angel wings.

This can be equipped from the initial class and provides a decent HP increase.

Moreover, the one I have even has a 10% attack speed enhancement.

The HP increase, while minimal for me, is a significant boost for a Novice.

"Alyusha, put this on."

"Hmm, okay... what is it?"

"Oh..."

A naked little angel girl descended here. Alyusha is a real angel!

"Man, I'm about to nosebleed."

"Big sister, does your nose hurt?"

"N-no, it's fine... it's still fine."

Hang in there, my sanity!

By the way, she wasn't wearing any clothes when I found her.

She's too young to be sexually exciting, but she's incredibly adorable and I want to hug and pet her.

"First, we need clothes and shoes... by the way, what class will Alyusha be? Probably a Novice, right?"

"Hmm?"

"No, I mean, try this on."

"Okay."

I took out a shirt made from dragon skin, which increases agility.

This can be equipped from level one but has a restriction for higher classes.

If she could wear this, it would mean she's a higher class. But she probably can't.

"Big sister, it's heavy, I can't wear it."

"Ah, as expected. It can't be helped. Just wear this for now."

I gave her the torso armor I had used as a towel. It was already dry.

For me, it barely covered my crotch, but it should be the right size for Alyusha.

I removed the wings, put on the torso armor, and then re-equipped the wings.

Next, I put on glass-decorated shoes.

Sure enough, as magical equipment, they automatically adjusted to her size the moment she put them on. I didn't realize such a feature existed in the game.

These shoes not only slightly increase magic defense but also boost HP by 10%.

With this, Alyusha should have nearly ten times the HP of a newly created character.

"How does it look?"

"Okay, I'm fine."

There are also weapons and shields, but I didn't bring any that would fit Alyusha.

Just being more durable is a good start.

I put the Crown of the Holy Flame on her head. It can also serve as a backup light source.

This equipment has no level or class restrictions, so Alyusha can wear it too.

"Does that mean Alyusha can use Fireball too?"

"Really? Can I do a big boom too?"

"Probably not yet."

"Aww..."

Alyusha can probably use Fireball, but she likely doesn't have enough MP.

There are also items that increase MP, but I can't let a child use dangerous equipment, so she'll have to wait.

"Are you ready? Let's go."

"Okay!"

I resolved myself and pushed open the door.

The red light from my magic sword and the flame from the Crown of the Holy Flame illuminated the dark corridor.

The crown, in particular, provided better lighting than expected, and there was no worry about the ground.

"Is this where we are...?"

"Alyusha, have you seen this corridor before?"

"---No."

So, she must have wandered in without using the corridor and was sealed away?

How could she do that...

While thinking about where she came from and why she was captured, I failed to notice the approaching wing sounds.

"! Wing sounds?"

"What?"

Alyusha, who didn't understand the situation, had a puzzled look on her face.

She's completely defenseless in a place where dangerous creatures might exist.

I quickly checked the surroundings, but unfortunately, it was a straight path. We had passed the last fork a while ago.

I could run back to the room with Alyusha, but if they were waiting at the entrance, we'd be trapped.

We wouldn't need to worry about food for a while, but I'd be sealed away just like her.

The map shows that the path ahead leads to a staircase to a lower level.

There's no way to bypass and head back to the entrance.

"Damn, we only have two choices: run or fight."

In dungeon games, the deeper you go, the stronger the monsters become.

While this real-life labyrinth might not follow that rule, the risk is still too high.

We could hole up in a small room and wait it out.

The food, fish, and rice cakes, should last two months. There's also water from the fountain.

But with Alyusha, it's different.

She's curious and might leave the room if I'm not watching.

I can't stay awake to watch her all the time.

"Let's fight... Alyusha, stay back. But don't leave me, okay?"

"---Okay, I understand."

She must have sensed my tension. She tightened her expression and nodded.

The wing sounds were already about ten meters away.

I quickly touched my sternum to bring up the keyboard and operated the shortcut keys.

Even though the path is wide, it's still an underground cave.

The magic sword 'Purple Flame' I'm currently equipped with automatically casts 'Meteor Crash' and 'Mist Freeze'.

'Meteor Crash' summons meteorites from the sky to rain down.

'Mist Freeze' spreads a freezing mist around me to attack.

Both are area-of-effect spells, which are difficult to use with Alyusha nearby.

In the game, I never accidentally hit my allies, but I don't know if that's the case here. If 'Meteor Crash' causes a cave-in, it would be disastrous.

"Let's use a weapon that doesn't have area-of-effect... prioritize speed for now..."

Thanks to the familiar game interface, I quickly switched my equipment.

For my safety, I wanted to prioritize HP increase and damage reduction, but the wing sounds were coming from multiple directions.

If they surround us, Alyusha could be attacked.

To maintain a high kill rate without area-of-effect spells...

"Mana Blade... let's see how it goes with fire attribute."

I equipped a two-handed sword with mechanical mechanisms.

This sword has a slot for cards at the hilt, and by inserting certain cards, it can automatically cast single-target spells.

The spell level is low, but it has a magic attack power increase, so it should be comparable to the 'Purple Flame'.

I switched to equipment that prioritizes attack speed, maintaining the maximum speed.

I'm a bit worried about my durability, but I'll trust the Magic Knight's resilience.

"Kekekekekekekekeke!"

As I finished switching equipment, the source of the wing sounds approached.

The creatures illuminated by Alyusha's Crown of the Holy Flame were three large, brightly colored birds, about 1.5 meters long.

They had their tongues hanging out and bloodshot eyes, ready to attack.

They didn't look friendly at all... but...

"...Are they slow?"

Their speed was obviously slow.

They moved so slowly it was like flies landing, and I could easily see their movements.

Their appearance was fierce, but their pace was leisurely.

"Um... hey!"

There was no need to take a hit I could easily avoid.

I took the initiative and beheaded one of the approaching birds.

The neck cut like butter with a heated knife, and I easily decapitated it.

The next two birds were also easily dispatched with a swing of the sword to the left and right.

The battle ended before the auto-cast randomization could even occur.

"...Well, it's a relief that the opponents were weak, right?"

"Wow, big sister is so strong!"

"R-really?"

Despite the gory scene of beheading birds, which isn't good for a child's education, Alyusha was very excited.

Maybe this kid is a big catch?

"Is this bird tasty?"

"Yeah, but I've never prepared a bird before..."

"I know! I can do it."

"Really? That's amazing... where did you learn that?"

"...I forgot."

Her expression suddenly changed to a sad one. Children's expressive faces are cute.

"But handling knives is dangerous, so if you can teach me, I'll do it."

"Okay!"

Eating fish and rice cakes all the time would lead to a lack of nutrition and boredom. Learning how to prepare birds wouldn't be bad.

I opened the item inventory and tapped the dead bird to store it.

I was worried if the dead bird could be stored, but it worked without any issues. This function is better than I expected.

However, the blood stains remained.

"The smell of blood might attract other beasts, so let's leave quickly."

"Okay, let's hurry."

Alyusha accepted my reasoning and hurried towards the exit.

I'll post the continuation tomorrow.