Level Down 23 (Patreon)

Volume 1 Chapter 23 - Unique Monster

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A hanging tree is, as its name suggests, a monster that has ivy hanging from its branches that it can freely manipulate, and kills people by hanging them by their neck. Its ivy is so strong that it can’t be cut with an average sword, and what's more, its tree part is incomparably harder and thicker than a treant.

Unlike a treant, it can move on the ground at a considerable speed, which makes it a threat, but what makes this monster even more feared is its brutality.

In fact, hanging trees can use quite powerful earth magic. Their magic is powerful enough to instantly kill an adventurer on the level that comes to this floor. However, hanging trees don’t use this magic to kill people. At most, they’d aim at the feet of those fighting them and injure them.

And then, once its prey is weakened, a hanging tree would then entangle them with its ivy and hang them by the neck. It then would continue to stare at them as they struggle with a hideous smile on its face until they stop moving.

(Tch, I've heard about it, but this guy has a bad taste) (Allen)

Allen gritted his teeth when he saw blood trickling down from one of Iseria's legs.

Allen has never fought a hanging tree before. He has only heard about how it's an atrocious monster from high-ranking adventurers, and from the fact that those women had a hard time defeating it, it must have boasted quite a bit of strength, he guessed.

Seeing the Windcutter's wind blade, which he fired quite seriously, captured and cut off the vines that hung Iseria, Allen smiled a little, and then he used the stick he was holding to sharply thrust toward the trunk of the hanging tree that was approaching right in front of him.

The hanging tree was blown backward, making ‘mekya’ sound like something being crushed, and the other trees that were caught in the Windcutter that Allen had released fell over the top part of its trunk.

(Not yet. I’ve heard that it was the best in terms of durability, so I'll take Iseria and leave for now.) (Allen)

Allen immediately turned around and forcibly tore the ivy from Iseria's neck, then ran off to leave the area with Iseria in his arms.

Allen clicked his tongue as he looked at Iseria's body that seemed to have lost all of its strength, and at the red marks left on her neck.

(She isn’t breathing too. Damn it, I went all this way to save you, so don't die!) (Allen)

Allen increased his speed even more while hugging Iseria tightly. There is no point in treating her in the vicinity and having the hanging tree interfere with the treatment. Because treatment requires a certain amount of time.

After about a minute, having gained a considerable distance, Allen stopped in a place in the forest where the density of trees was a little thin and visibility was wide, and hurriedly lowered Iseria to the ground. He judged that he had bought some time here, and that he would be able to detect the attack of the hanging tree in advance.

Allen checked Iseria's pulse and breathing as she lay on the ground. And the result was the worst, as Allen had feared.

“Ah, damn it. I was seriously hurrying, damn it. Don't you dare die on your own!” (Allen)

While spewing curses that shouldn't even be heard, Allen used all his strength to tear off Iseria's equipment which seemed to be of good quality. It was so strong that it would have felt strange to a normal Allen, but to Allen who was desperate, it meant nothing at all.

What Iseria was wearing under her equipment was clothing made from high-quality monster material, but seemingly not noticing this, Allen readily placed his hand on the center of her chest, which was asserting its presence in its own way.

“I learned CPR at the Guild a long time ago.” (Allen)

Remembering the CPR he had learned in a guild class when he was an adventurer and still in his teens, Allen pushed on Iseria's chest. He stretched out his arms straight and pushed rhythmically, not with his whole palm, but just its base to move her heart, a method that could be described as ideal.

Allen then lifted Iseria's chin, held her nose, and carefully blew in two breaths while checking the movement of her chest.

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Hey, wake up now!” (Allen)

While repeating the pressure on her chest, Allen continued to complain to Iseria, who remained motionless with her eyes closed. Allen had prepared potions and other recovery items in case the worst happened, but he didn't know of any medicine that would work on the dead, so there was no way he had them.

Allen had heard rumors that it is possible to resurrect the dead with the church’s secret ritual, but this place is not a church but inside a dungeon. The only thing he could rely on was the CPR he learned a long time ago.

Allen single-mindedly repeated this over and over again. Even though it is called cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Allen knows from experience that it is only one of the many methods of resuscitation that has been accumulated. There is a limit to everything, and there are always lives that cannot be reached. And it was through this experience that Allen himself learned CPR.

Even if he single-mindedly repeated it over and over again, Iseria won't move. ‘But even so, even so...’ Allen didn't give up. He didn't know why, but Allen's intuition told him that he couldn't let Iseria die.

“Don't die. Iseria, come back!” (Allen)

A single drop of tear fell from Allen's eye. It ran down his Nera mask and onto Iseria's cheek. It was at that moment. A dazzling light enveloped Iseria.

Allen narrowed his eyes as he was hit by light so bright that it robbed him of his vision, and wind so strong that he felt as if he were about to be blown away. But, perhaps thanks to his mask, Allen was not completely robbed of his vision, and was able to see a fantastic sight of Iseria floating in the air as if being supported by someone he could not see.

“What the hell, is this─!!” (Allen)

As if in response to Allen's scream, Iseria emitted an even stronger light, but the next moment, the light disappeared, as if the scene up until now had been an illusion.

At the same time, Iseria, who had been floating at about Allen's chest height, began to fall freely. And Allen caught her in a panic.

Iseria's eyes remained closed in his arms, but her pained expression had changed to a calm one, and above all...

“Haha, she’s breathing.” (Allen)

Catching the sound of slow sleeping breath, Allen flopped to the ground, as though drained of all strength.

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(T/N: I just realized recently, I think Allen’s ‘stick’ is the size of a walking stick, I thought it was the size of a conductor’s baton.)

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