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#537 The Trio’s Hardship-Sequel’s Sequel
🕑 Added 2022-10-03 17:04:03 +0000 UTC“Thank you, Lord Alexander!”
“We feel energized thanks to you, Lord Alexander!”
“Because of you, I can continue being the Prime Minister!”
After cheering up Lord Alexander, we headed to the next area, leaving one “golden” idiot behind after beating him to a pulp.
Now, there are only three of us left.
“Looks like this’ll be the final lineup.”
“We will make it to the end, but if we don’t, we’ll all be eliminated at once.”
True.
Our unity seems to have solidified after passing Lord Alexander’s area.
All of us have never met each other before, but we don’t feel as if we are strangers!
“Enough about being together till the end. Does anyone have any idea how far this dungeon goes? Any longer than this, and I don’t think I’ll last another minute.”
Zoth Syra has a point.
The one most challenging thing about conquering a dungeon is not being able to see the goal.
Everything else is easy if the distance to the final point is clear and the pace is well distributed.
However, such a situation is rare.
We, too, have no choice but to keep crawling, finding our way through the darkness, which could end at any moment.
“Don’t worry! You’ve already reached the final stage!”
Who dares interrupt our conversation this time?!
A girl?
I was already tired enough not to bother wondering why there was a girl so far in this dungeon, but it soon became apparent that I’d seen her before.
“It’s the dragon who was with Lord Saint!”
“Bingo! Congrats on making it this far, you lot! This is the new Dragon Emperor’s Castle’s final test!”
Meaning...?!
“This area, created by me, Grinzel Dragon Veil, is the final stage! If you make it through here, you will head to the throne room where Ardheg awaits you!”
That’s great news!
The end is in sight, and, go figure, strength is returning to my body!
“We’re almost there! The end...The end is finally in sight!”
“Knowing that, I feel like I can persist a little longer...!”
Inspired, my companions also forget about their fatigue for a moment.
Now is the time to exert our last ounce of strength!
We can do it! We can make it through any dungeon, no matter how impregnable, when we are united!
“Hehehe! You may be brave, but this trap-filled area that Master Veil has devised is tough, you know? Don’t come to me if you cry and whine!”
“Nope! A strong bond binds us together through the hardships we’ve faced! Racial barriers between humans, demons, and mermaids, are no more! That will be the norm of the whole world from now on!”
“Well said! Then step into the area I have designed! The trap I’ve designed...”
Let’s go, guys!
If we work together, there is no hurdle we can’t overcome.
“...has hundreds of muscular machos that will mob you.”
On second thought, maybe not.
* * *
And so, we struggled onward.
We were separated from the countless number of machos crammed into the room.
I wondered where the girl had brought so many machos from.
They’re pushing and shoving each other in the enclosed space.
The temperature, humidity, and pressure increase.
We advance through such a sweltering hell.
Pectoral muscles press against my face.
Did my hand just touch someone’s macho butt?!
Guohhhhhh!
This is tough!
Why are we going through all this suffering?!
Uh-oh, I’m starting to question my own motive.
Mamoru! Zoth Syra!
Are you all right?
Ah, they’re not! They’re being swept away by the waves of macho flesh!!!
A macho rip current!
If we ride that current, we’ll be swept out of the castle!
Stay strong, everyone!
We can’t lose!
We can’t lose to the macho pressureeeeeeeeeee!
* * *
“We finally made it through...!”
“I thought we were done for...!”
“I’d still be happy even if I didn’t make it through...! I felt like throwing up!”
After much struggle, we finally overcame all the obstacles, and here we are!
The throne room of the Geyser Dragon!
At the far back, there sits a giant dragon!
“Well done coming this far!!!”
It’s the Dragon Emperor—guardian of this dungeon and the one who stands at the top of all dragons!
We saw him at the entrance, too!
“I have watched your every struggle: losing your comrades, cooperating with the remaining contestants, helping each other, and getting mobbed by the machos to get here.”
“Stop! Please don’t bring it up!”
I want to forget that as soon as possible!
“...The rules for this competition were to reach the deepest part. Its significance was void when you cooperated and proceeded as one party.”
Urk, that’s true...
“But that does not matter now. What is wonderful is that you three have come this far by trusting each other, irrespective of the race you belong to! That trust and cooperation are what is worth commending!”
Oh, okay...?
Is this dragon perhaps similar to Lord Alexander?
“No longer does the winner or loser matter in this battle! Everyone is a winner! I give you my compliments as the Dragon Emperor for making it this far! You have done it! Congratulations!”
Getting such unreserved praise is making me grasp the reality of this situation better by the second.
Did we really make it?
We have successfully overcome this difficult dungeon ruled by the Dragon Emperor!
And beyond the petty concerns of winning and losing, we had gained something much more important, something we could work together on.
“Thank you, guys! Thanks to you, I learned something important!”
“And so did I! What a worthwhile battle!”
“I found kindred spirits like me who had a lot to bear! I was not alone!”
Each one of us expressed our heartfelt bliss.
I’m always being pushed around by my comrades, and every day all the burden is shifted on me, but...!
I now understand I wasn’t the only one going through the same kind of hardship!
There are others out there who are experiencing the same!
Just thinking about that can keep me going. There are others who face the same struggle as me!
“This world will be revolutionized, starting from you three. To honor you and your cooperative efforts that transcend racial boundaries, I would like to present you with a title.”
A title?
“Yes, a title given by the Geyser Dragon himself that only the three of you can use for all eternity. A reason to be proud in front of all beings on earth.”
Wow!
Being given a title by a dragon sounds more magnificent than being praised by a feudal lord or a demon king!
And not to mention, from the top dragon—the Dragon Emperor!
I’ve worked so hard all my life, but I never thought I’d be rewarded like this!
“I feel like my hard work has paid off this moment!”
“You know what they say—if you work hard and do good, it’ll come back to you one day!”
Mamoru and Zoth Syra look delighted too!
“Very well. From this day forward, the three of you will be referred to collectively as...”
As...?!
“The Selfless Workaholics.”
“CAN YOU PLEASE NOT?!”
Thus the three of us...
are now world-renowned as workaholics.
