The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

---

The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 328: Retreat!

Upon passing through the gate, a different lava zone stretched out before us, this time with magma gushing from the ground and pools of magma scattered everywhere.

“Wow, we really made it to the next layer.”

“What, did you doubt it?”

“Well, about twenty percent.”

“Huh? You only believed twenty percent?”

“No, I mean I believed only about twenty percent.”

“What the heck does that mean?”

“Haha. Just joking. So don’t make that grumpy face.”

Olga said that, chuckling happily, and then gave my back a hard slap, throwing an arm around my shoulder as if to brush it off.

“Ugh. Well, fine. So what’s next? Should we split into two groups from the start?”

“No, first let’s move as one group, just like the first layer. We don’t know what kind of monsters will show up, so we’ll decide our next actions based on the situation.”

“Got it. Alright, let’s get moving.”

“Yeah.”

With that, our strategy was set. Just like in the first layer, Olga and the others formed ranks and moved forward, while we supported them from the back as we explored the second layer.

“Monsters incoming. Prepare for battle!”

After a while, as we moved, Olga sensed the presence of monsters and issued a command. The frontline readied their shields and weapons while the rear guard readied their bows and began chanting spells.

“Grrr!!!”

“A Red Ogre, huh?”

Amidst the brewing tension, what appeared was a group of B-rank Red Ogres we’d encountered several times in the first layer, charging at us with clubs in hand and letting out roars.

“Frontline! Hold your formation and defend against the Red Ogres’ attacks! Rear guard, attack when you see an opening!”

“Understood!”

In response, Olga directed the frontline to maintain their formation. The frontline utilized body enhancement to defend against the Red Ogres’ attacks with their shields and swords, while the rear guard attacked using magic and arrows.

At a glance, their defense seemed adequate, but…

“Gah! What the heck is with these guys! They’re stronger than the last ones!”

“What an overwhelming force!!”

“This isn’t good! Their hide is too tough for normal magic to deal any damage!!”

The frontline, blocking the Red Ogres’ blows, groaned under the weight of their attacks, while the rear guard’s magicians shouted that their spells weren’t causing any damage.

“El. Those guys are stronger than the Red Ogres we faced earlier.”

“Yeah. They look the same, but for some reason, their strength is totally different. With the way we’re holding back to avoid damaging our allies, it makes sense that we’re not dealing any damage.”

The magicians in the rear guard were holding back on using large-scale magic to avoid hitting their frontline comrades, which was why they weren’t able to deal sufficient damage to the Red Ogres.

No, normally a regular Red Ogre should take some damage from that, but saying they weren’t doing any damage this time would be more accurate.

Moreover, their attack power was higher than a typical Red Ogre, and while they weren’t using species magic, their strength and defense were comparable to A-rank monsters.

“Something feels off. Iris, Shuvina, cover everyone!”

“Got it!”

“Leave it to me!”

Following my orders, Shuvina and Iris wove their respective magics and combat energy into arrows, swiftly taking out the Red Ogres, and in no time, the battle drew to a close.

“Good job!”

“Hehe. Of course!”

“I’m really happy to be praised by Lord Lewis.”

Shuvina’s arrows and Iris’s magic were on par with what the members of the Black Lion’s Judgment used, but their accuracy and power were incomparable. They hit every shot without missing and took down only the monsters without harming their allies.

As a result, the members of our clan, seeing their capabilities as fellow magicians and archers, gazed at them with admiration.

“Thanks for the help!”

“Don’t mention it. Besides, it was Iris and the others who helped, so you should thank them.”

“Yeah. Shuvina, Iris, thank you for the assistance.”

As Olga said this, other members gathered to express their gratitude to the two, quickly surrounding them.

“Hey, Olga.”

“What is it?”

“How was the fight with the Red Ogres just now?”

“Hm, let’s see…”

Olga seemed to ponder my question for a moment, recalling the earlier battle as he slowly opened his mouth.

“To be honest, they were tough. Of course, I could win if I went all out, but that’s not what I’m talking about.”

“You’re saying they were stronger compared to the same type of monster?”

“Exactly.”

“Just as I thought.”

As it should be, just as Fiera had mentioned, the Red Ogres in this layer seemed significantly stronger than the usual ones, and since Olga had actually fought them, there was no doubt about it.

“Is there some cause behind this?”

“Who knows. I can’t make a judgment yet, but this dungeon might be different than normal.”

“Haha. It’s a bit late to realize that. We already knew this dungeon was odd from the first layer.”

“That’s true, but it feels like there’s something else going on.”

This was just a hunch of mine, but since the moment we changed layers, a sense of nostalgia washed over me, reminiscent of experiences from my past life.

“Could it be… the presence of death?”

The presence of death.

It was like a sixth sense gained from my repeated experiences with death, allowing me to sense situations endangering my life.

“El. Something wrong?”

“No, nothing at all.”

“I see.”

However, the death presence I felt now was still faint. I probably wouldn’t encounter a critical situation unless we went down to the lowest layer.

Despite that, the fact I sensed death means this dungeon is undoubtedly a dangerous place. Moreover, it meant that for the members of the Black Lion’s Judgment, facing death at any moment was entirely possible.

“For now, we should assess the situation after moving a bit further.”

We still didn’t know what lay beyond, but our current plan was to reach the third layer, and even if we aimed for a complete攻略 at some point, the priority was to explore thoroughly and gather as much information as possible.

After that, we continued our exploration of the second layer, battling Red Ogres and ordinary Ogres, along with A-rank monsters that appeared sporadically.

As a result, before splitting into two groups, we discovered a quest leading to the next layer. We swiftly completed it and spent some time discussing the second layer while taking a break.

“We haven’t explored everything in this layer, but so far we haven’t found any traps.”

“Yeah. Plus, the quests, like gathering fifty ordinary Ogre magic stones, were simple, so there doesn’t seem to be a need to investigate this layer further.”

“Eir is right. The problem is that this dungeon has ordinary Ogres that are as strong as A-rank monsters.”

Indeed. Just as Olga pointed out, the ordinary Ogres we encountered during our exploration were just as strong as or even stronger than the Red Ogres, despite not being able to use species magic.

“Perhaps, in this dungeon, the lower-ranked monsters are actually stronger than usual?”

“Huh? Is that even possible?”

“I don’t know. But looking at the trends so far, that seems very likely.”

“What does that even mean? This dungeon is packed with too much nonsense!”

This was still just a hypothesis, but perhaps in this dungeon, the monsters typically considered lower-ranked and weak were instead stronger than they normally would be.

If this were true, it would explain why the ordinary Ogres and Red Ogres were powerful, and it would clarify why the ordinary Ogres that hadn’t appeared in the first layer showed up in this one.

Moreover, now that I think about it, the magma in the first layer flowed up from the bottom instead of down from above, which could indicate that the monsters’ strength might be reversed.

“If Eir’s theory is correct, then…”

“Monsters will likely attack us even more. And in packs.”

“Seriously?!”

Ordinarily, lower-ranked monsters tend to move in packs to protect themselves, which is easily understood when thinking about Goblins, Orcs, or Wolves.

So, if my prediction is correct, the further we go into the next layer, the more enhanced lower-ranked monsters we’ll encounter, and we’ll have to brace ourselves for combat against large groups.

“Olga. This is a warning too, but it’s going to be tough to keep proceeding together with everyone.”

It might sound a bit harsh, but the members of our clan had already exhausted themselves quite a bit by the time they got here, and fatigue was evident in their expressions.

And to be honest, with their current state, they didn’t have the strength or numbers to take on this dungeon. If we went any further, we’d have to be prepared for death.

“That’s true. You’re right. But I still want to scout at least the third layer to confirm if Eir’s assumptions are correct.”

“I get that. So how about we only send us former noble group?”

“Heh. I figured you’d say that.”

“Of course. I can’t just overlook such an interesting dungeon.”

I proposed this, thinking Olga would understand my feelings, and it seemed he truly grasped my essence, grinning in response.

“Then let’s proceed with just us from here on.”

“Yeah. So, Fiera…”

“Mm. No problem.”

“Okay. And Shuvina…”

“Leave it to me. We’ll make sure everyone gets out of the dungeon safely.”

“Thanks.”

Fiera and the others listened carefully and understood their roles without needing much explanation, nodding firmly as if to say they would take care of the rest.

“Alright. So, Olga, Fiera, and I will head directly to explore the third layer. Shuvina, Iris, Miria, Sonia, and Dōna will protect the others and exit the dungeon. Got it?”

“Understood.”

Thus, although our plans shifted drastically, our former noble group parted ways with Shuvina and the others and dove into the gate leading to the third layer.