Shigure's pov
I stood on the cold, dark stone floor of the dungeon, my party walking silently behind me, careful not to alert any nearby monsters. I groaned, gripping my sword tighter, when a wolf-like creature lunged at me from the shadows. I stepped forward and slashed cleanly, severing its head in one swift motion.
"When will this be over?!" I yelled, irritation spilling out.
A hand signal stopped me.
Our leader stood ahead—Arata, a tall demon with long white hair. Black armor clung to his frame, matching the long boots on his feet. His presence alone commanded silence.
"Alright," he said, his voice deep and firm. "We'll set up camp here. We can't stay long."
For a moment, his gaze flicked toward me—something unreadable passed through his eyes before he looked away.
The dwarf in our party hefted his hammer onto his shoulder. Of course he did. He wore standard adventurer clothes, though his armor was noticeably more ornate.
I mean, his beard already covers half his body. What's the point of armor?
I smirked at my own thought.
"Oy," he said, his thick accent unmistakable. "That was one hell of a walk. Oi, Shigure! Prepare the tea, will ya?"
"Yeah, on it," I replied.
I pulled out a kettle and ignited a small magic flame beneath it. Once the tea was ready, I poured cups for him and Arata.
"Here you go, Mr. Balrik," I said with a small giggle before sitting down with my own cup.
---
Next was Elisia, our elf archer. Green attire, long flowing hair—your typical fantasy elf. She asked for tea.
"Comiiing riiiight up!" I dragged the word playfully as I handed her the cup.
"Careful," I said with a grin. "Your hands are precious."
She looked at me with a mix of disgust and shame—but wiped it away almost instantly.
I sighed and returned to my spot. No one else asked for tea.
There were two more of us.
Luca, a bear beastfolk—our tank. His massive frame was clad in heavy armor, every inch protected except his head. He chuckled softly.
"I'll pass on the tea. Thank you."
His expression shifted for just a moment… then returned to normal.
My stomach tightened.
Something's off.
I moved slightly farther away from the group.
Then there was Serakth, the draconian. Black scales covered his body like natural armor. His claws were sharp, his wings folded neatly behind him. He didn't wear armor—he didn't need it.
He looked at me.
Not with hatred.
With pity.
That unsettled me more than anything else.
I scooted even farther away.
I need to get out of here. Something's wrong.
Suddenly, my arm went numb.
I didn't feel it anymore.
Color drained from my vision.
"Ah… so that's why," I mutterd
Pain exploded through my chest.
Arata's blade burst through me from behind.
"This dumbass human," he snarled. "Did you really think foul, lowly humans were worth the same as us?"
He shoved the blade deeper.
Blood poured from my mouth as I collapsed, my vision darkening until only black remained.
But then—
Something inside me clicked.
Something that had always been there.
Something resonated.
My body moved on its own.
I grabbed Arata's sword and yanked it free.
He staggered back, eyes wide—then laughed.
"Don't struggle, you shitty human! You can't do anything!"
Elisia scoffed.
"Disgusting. I can't believe I had to endure six years of this."
An arrow struck my back—debuff magic surged through me. I dropped to one knee.
Balrik laughed loudly.
"Man, this is good old-fashioned fun. I'll miss you slaving away for us."
Luca slammed his shield into me, crushing me into the ground.
"It's about time we got rid of you," he growled. "Useless garbage."
My body screamed. My mind faded.
This was the end.
---
I closed my eyes.
With everything I had left, I raised a trembling hand.
"T… teleport."
The word barely escaped my lips.
Serakth turned away, shaking his head, unable to watch.
"SHIT—HE'S GETTING AWAY!" Elisia screamed.
Arata stopped her.
"Don't bother. The only place he can go is the Below. With wounds like that, he won't last a minute."
They turned away.
I vanished.
I woke hours later.
A chime echoed.
A blue screen appeared before me.
"System has acknowle—"
"Fuck. Off."
The screen vanished.
I sat up.
My body was fully healed—covered in strange markings. Heavy golden wristbands wrapped around my arms. My clothes were unfamiliar: a black high-neck compression shirt, sleeveless, with a dark-gold outer layer. Baggy black pants. Golden boots.
I stared at the wristbands.
One word was engraved into them.
Shigure.
I stood, using a rock for support.
"You've obtained new hevanl—"
"DIDNT YOU HEAR I SAID FUCK OFF?" I shouted into the darkness.
"I don't want cheat skills. I'll get my revenge with my own hard work and my own two hands!"
Silence.
I grabbed the ornate sword beside me and walked toward the faint light ahead.
"I'll show them all."