Dungeons.
They are mysterious structures that appear randomly around the world.
Nobody knows when or where one will appear—whether in the middle of a forest, in a city, inside an abandoned mansion, or underground. There are many varieties of them.
But that's not what I'm about to talk about.
It's their designations.
For example, this dungeon is labeled as a "Beginner Dungeon" of level 1.
Levels range from 1 to 10 and dictate the linear difficulty of that type. For Beginner difficulty, it was quite straightforward.
Monsters would be equivalent to at most five times the level of the dungeon in basic fighting skill levels.
"Ah, there are three more coming from the right. Be careful!"
But for Intermediate and Advanced dungeons, this changes drastically.
The level indication becomes the "baseline" instead of the "limit."
For example, a level 1 Intermediate Dungeon means the monsters would at least be equivalent to a knight with level 5 swordsmanship. Then, the monsters would grow stronger the deeper you go. At level 10, they would reach at most level 100 swordsmanship.
The scaling depends on the difficulty, with Intermediate having a slow increase, Hard a steady increase, and Hell being such a drastic increase in strength that it was deemed impossible to clear.
Roughly speaking, a level 10 Beginner is equivalent to a level 5 Intermediate Dungeon.
A level 10 Intermediate is equivalent to a level 2 Hard.
And finally, a level 10 Hard is equivalent to a level 1 Hell.
Honestly, this arrangement felt so game-like that I wondered why there were no personal levels at all. If there were, I would've tried to reach counter-stop early and act as an Eminence in the Shad—no, never mind.
"Oh, that one's still alive. Be careful!"
Anyway, where was I…
Right, dungeon difficulty.
Long story short, even for me, a level 1 Intermediate is the most I could hope to conquer. There's no way I could clear the Hell Level 8 dungeon in the capital in my current state. Heck, I might even lose my life just stepping into it.
"Ah…"
While I was distracted, an ant that had been playing dead managed to strike Miranda's leg, inflicting damage. It was a flesh wound, bleeding quite profusely.
"Dominator's Hand!"
Without waiting for her response, I squashed the ant in one go.
Then I rushed to her side and checked her wound.
"S-Sorry, Master…" Miranda squeezed the words out, gritting her teeth in pain. "I let my guard down…"
"Well, you've been awake for forty-seven hours straight now, so making mistakes is normal." I smiled, reassuring her.
"This is just a small cut. It should heal with a simple potion. You brought one with you, right?"
"Y-Yes, but—"
"No buts! Drink one! This is an order!"
This girl… she must've been saving her potion in case I got injured, wasn't she? Although I appreciate the sentiment, I'm able to heal myself, so I don't need one!
Rather, I regret rushing here without preparation. To think I didn't even bring potions… Next time, I'll make sure not to forget!
After drinking the contents of the thumb-sized vial—which tasted like bitter medicine—the wound on her leg healed, returning to its pristine, unblemished state.
I touched the surface just to confirm, but apart from the bloodstains, there was no sign of her small injury.
"Good." I nodded, satisfied. "It'd be heartbreaking if you got scarred, after all."
"Master…"
Miranda's cheeks blushed lightly as I continued patting her leg. Of course, I did that intentionally, so I didn't plan to stop anytime soon.
"…!"
However, a presence suddenly appeared behind me. It was moving fast, aiming for either my neck or Miranda's.
In panic, I turned around and used Dominator's Hand, grabbing and squishing whatever it was in one go. Thankfully, I caught it inches away from my face, a close call!
I let out a sigh while reading the appraisal.
[Ant Assassin]
And I was shocked.
"This… is a variety I haven't encountered before."
With the number of times I've been here, I'm confident I've seen everything this dungeon could throw at me. But this time, that confidence broke.
A new type. A powerful, rare enemy!
"M-Master!"
A second later, Miranda's face paled.
She rushed to my side, pulling my face close to hers, and let out a shrill scream. "Oh no! Master, you've been injured!"
"H-Huh?"
I carefully touched my cheek and checked my hand, only to see it painted red with my blood. "Ah, true…" I sighed.
To think I'd lower my guard and get injured… And here I was trying to do a no-damage run. Guess that's out the window now.
"What to do, what to do, what to do?!" Despite my calm, Miranda panicked. "I don't have any more potions… I knew I shouldn't have used it! I fail as Master's slave…!"
Looking at her current, disheveled state, I couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Ah, it's fine, it's fine," I said, pushing her slightly away. "It's just a surface wound. It should heal fast if I lick it." I joked casually.
Dogs and cats lick their wounds, after all. I wonder if that's to heal it or to clean the wound? Either way, with my magic, I could heal it in a jiffy. No need to do something so unsanitary.
Just as I planned to cast a water-element healing spell, Miranda moved.
"…!"
She pulled my face closer and started licking the cut across my cheek!
The rough texture of her tongue, its warmth, and her sticky saliva overloaded my senses, making my mind overheat. This… is a kiss, isn't it?!
N-No, it's not like I'm panicking after being kissed by a little girl. But still, that caught me off guard!
After a while, Miranda stopped and moved her face away from mine.
With a feverish gaze, she whispered, "I shall lick your wound until it heals, then, Master…"
Her lips and tongue were painted red with my blood, making it look weirdly erotic…
Wait, she's just a kid…! This is illegal...! Ah, and I'm even more of a kid?! Will the police catch her or me?! In the first place, do the laws of Earth apply in an isekai?! Shit, my mind's in chaos right now!
In the end, the situation lasted five minutes.
That was how long it took me to decide to use a healing spell to erase my wound, risking discovery.
Any longer than that and… I don't think I could have held on.
And no, I don't mean sexually. I'm just four, after all.
I meant my heart would've exploded if that went on any longer.
Anyway, after pushing away the disappointed Miranda, we continued our exploration.
There's still the mystery of a new variant to solve.
I just hope my worst fears don't come true.