Chapter 7 – Fragment of Levitation – Axel

Levitаtiоn аnd Flоаt Magic mаkе absolutеly no sоund.

Тhаt’s а mаjоr advantаge.

While wаtсhing the gоblins bеlоw mу fеet, I flоat аlong just benеаth thе сeiling.

Thе downsidе is that since thе mаgic lacks its own рrоpulsion, I have to dо а flutter kick to move.

Аs I wаs doing this, Mаshiro, whо hаd bееn unconscious bеside me, bеgаn tо stir.

“Ugh… hmm…”

“Shhh! Be quiеt!”

Whеn I whisрered in hеr ear, Мashiro’s eyеs snаppеd оpеn and she stаred intently аt me.

“Stау quiet like that. Right now, we’rе cаught insidе а Dungeоn. The оffiсе becаme а Dungеоn. I’m using mаgiс to flоаt this tаble, аnd wе’re making our way out.”

Mashiro seemed unable to process the situation for a moment. After opening and closing her mouth a few times, she finally managed to whisper.

“Wh-who are you…? You look kind of like the friend of the senior from the photo I saw earlier…”

Oh, right!!

I’m currently transformed into the form of a beautiful girl!

I wasn’t particularly concerned about my dignity as a senior, but being known as a beautiful girl… what about that?

I should probably pretend to be someone else here.

“Spice is, um, a magician named Spice. Don’t worry. I’ll get you safely out of the Dungeon.”

Whoa, such girly speech!

It makes my back itch!

But, what is this…? Speaking in this cute voice spreads a sense of calm, like alpha waves, through my brain.

It feels… fitting.

When I’m in this form, this kind of speech pattern might actually be pretty good!?

Mashiro seemed convinced almost immediately.

“You’re an Adventure Streamer, right? Th-thank you. Um, what about my senior?”

“Ah, that guy…”

I was about to say he ran ahead, but wait, wait, that would make me look like a jerk, I realized.

What should I say happened?

Left alone… No, that would imply he died.

“He said he’d look for another escape route after entrusting you to Spice, and then he moved on. You were unconscious, you see.”

“O-oh, is that so. I hope my senior is okay…”

She’s worried about me!

Mashiro, you’re a good person.

But we can’t keep chatting like this forever.

The corridor ended, and we arrived at a warehouse with a high ceiling.

Many goblins were swarming there, and in the center was a huge, pot-bellied, enormous goblin.

What is that?

A Goblin Giant, I guess.

Scattered around were piles of materials that the giant seemed to have destroyed, and the pallets they were probably stacked on.

Did it destroy those materials!?

That’s insane brute strength.

I don’t think I could take down something like that no matter how many documents I dropped on it.

Unless I caused an avalanche with the heavier materials stacked in this warehouse, or directly slammed a discarded forklift down on it from above…

“There are countless weapons to defeat it right here!!”

I accidentally spoke out loud!

The goblins, who had been staring curiously at the table floating toward them, noticed me with that one exclamation.

‘Gya-gyaaah!’ ‘Gobbuu!!’ ‘Guggyagyagya!’

Since they started trying to throw things, I hurriedly floated the table higher.

The Goblin Giant looked up at us and roared, ‘Bumoooooo!’

“That big one looks the strongest. It must be the Dungeon’s boss! Its very existence radiates a power close to that of a Mana Fragment! I can see threads of Magic Power connecting from it, and it seems like the other monsters are moving around based on that.”

“Flota, can you see that?”

I inadvertently responded aloud, causing Mashiro, who couldn’t hear the Grimoire’s voice, to jump and look at me in surprise.

Crap, crap, Flota, speak up.

“Ahem! The Grimoire Flota can see it. As a basic function, I can track unconcealed Mana Traces, and this one is blatant. If we take down that big one, all the monsters will disappear and the Dungeon will vanish too!”

“Then that simplifies things. Let’s take it down! For that, if we just had a clue about that Fragment…”

“Look at the big one’s head. It’s wearing something like a crown, right? A page is stuck in it.”

“Ahh, of all places.”

“Let’s hide for now, then circle around and get it, Master.”

“Me—I mean, Spice is going to do it!?”

“Who else is there!? Master, fight! I’m cheering for you! Hooray, hooray! Come on, you too!”

“Huh, me too!? H-hooray, hooray! Um, is this… being streamed…?”

Mashiro still thinks I’m an Adventure Streamer.

Yeah, of course.

Only a Streamer could do something this outrageous.

“I’ll put a mosaic over your face if it goes on a live stream.”

“P-please do!”

After that lip service, I floated the table to a corner of the warehouse.

We hid behind a pile of materials.

The goblins were moving around searching for us, but after we held our breath for a while, they seemed to get bored and started wandering the floor again.

“O-okay, I’m going.”

“Fight-o!”

“Ms. Spice, good luck!”

Why my name!?

I thought, but then I remembered I was using ‘Spice’ as my first-person pronoun.

Being cheered on makes me feel a little power surging through my body.

“In this space called a Dungeon, it seems faith from others transforms into Magic Power and strengthens the target. Interesting… I wonder who created such a system…”

Flota muttered something meaningful…

But I have no time for that.

Trying not to be noticed by the Goblin Giant, I grab a burlap sack the same color as the materials, blending in with the warehouse for camouflage as I approach…

Slowly, slowly.

Levitation being silent is a powerful advantage.

Okay, from here, the breaststroke!

Acceleration!

My speed goes from about 4 km/h to 6 km/h.

Just as I reach out my hand, the Goblin Giant lets out an ‘Uunn’ and stretches at that exact moment.

Ah, damn!

It opens its eyes while stretching, and our eyes meet perfectly.

The Goblin Giant’s mouth hangs open in surprise.

“Hi there~. It’s Spice-ee.”

I give a cheerful smile, wave my hand, and yank the Fragment stuck in its crown.

‘Mo, mo, mogaaah!!’

The Goblin Giant screams, veins bulging.

I try to get away quickly!

Oh no!

Its massive arm reaches out faster!

“Master! A Slot should have been added! Insert the Fragment into the Slot!”

Flota’s voice rings out, and I realize, “Ah, right!”

While breaststroking toward the ceiling, I open the screen to equip magic.

My so-called Status Screen.

There are now four Slots.

Here, insert the new Fragment… in!

You can physically insert it, huh…

The Fragment’s name is displayed.

[Levitation Fragment: Accel]

Accel…!?

Meaning acceleration.

“Swift movement, Accel!!”

I activate it immediately.

The Goblin Giant’s arm was closing in right behind me, but just before it reached me, my breaststroke accelerated!

The ceiling rushes toward me in an instant!

“Whoa! Graceful turn!!”

Kicking off the wall, kicking off the ceiling, I turn while still in Levitation!

With my back to the ceiling, I look down over the warehouse.

Me, countless goblins, and the Goblin Giant at the center are all looking up at each other.

They’re all in combat stance.

But it seems difficult for them to reach me with attacks.

Throwing things to hit something overhead is tough, after all.

For me, the warehouse is a treasure trove of weapons.

As far as I can see, the materials, the pallets, the forklifts—all of it can become weapons.

“Time to start the counterattack. I’ll show you what’s what!”