The Boy Who Fell to the Lowest Level of the Dungeon, Becoming the Strongest and Returns to the Surface After 10 Years~He Just Wants to Live a Quiet Life, but His Childhood Friends Who Have Risen to Prominence Won’t Leave Him Alone~ - Chapter 31: Conflicted Feelings

(I’ll never give up on Mother…!)

With those feelings, the memories of his childhood with Elta and the others come flooding back.

────

One day, ten years ago.

“El-kun! Here, take it!”

Celia feeds Elta a piece of omelette.

Leone and Tina reacted to that.

“I-I’ll give it to you!”

“It’s my job to give it to big brother!”

“Ah, ahaha…”

Seeing the three omelets sticking out at the same time, Elta gives a wry smile.

It’s a heartwarming scene at noon.

Callum was calmly watching the scene from the sidelines.

“Here we go again, Elta is so popular.”

“””…!”””

With a casual remark, the three of them blush.

“””N-no, that’s not it!”””

“Hmm!?”

In their panic, the three of them threw the omelet into the altar.

Startled by that, they hurriedly ran over to Elta.

“El-kun, I’m sorry!”

“I-I’m sorry!”

“Are you okay, big brother!?”

For a moment, Elta was in pain, but then he waved his hand sideways.

“It’s okay, I’m okay. Hahaha…”

From this time, it seems that Elta was already in high demand.

Jura calls out to Callum, who is being aloof.

“Hmm, so Callum wanted to be fed too.”

“Th-that’s not it!”

Everyone turned to Elta, and Jura was concerned about Callum.

It seems that such scenes were commonplace.

However, from Callum’s perspective, it was obvious that Jura also liked Elta.

(Jura-nee also wants to go over there, doesn’t she?)

He is grateful, but it seems that way.

Still, Callum and Elta are best friends.

“Then, I’ll feed Callum.”

“Huh!? S-stop it!”

“””Ahahaha!”””

Elta is a good guy and hard to hate.

He felt a bit regretful about losing the person he was interested in, but at that time, he thought it was unavoidable.

(Haa. Well, never mind.)

However, the jealousy that builds up daily can turn into hatred due to a certain trigger.

It’s about everyone calling her “Mother,” and what happened after Callum’s real mother died.

Their Mother passed away suddenly about a week ago.

“Everyone, what are you all doing…?”

Callum inquires about the orphanage garden with no energy.

There were four girls swinging wooden swords.

“I will train!”

“I’ll do my best too!”

“Just like Mother, it’s too late to regret later!”

“I’ll catch up with the three of you!”

They separated with Elta about two weeks ago.

Misfortunes kept happening one after another with their mother.

Even so, the girls stood up, determined not to lose the only hope that Elta still lived.

“May everyone live healthily and happily.”

With the words their mother has always said in his heart.

However, Callum was the only one who couldn’t recover.

(What are these guys saying, Elta this, Elta that…)

Callum had been feeling self-destructive as he had been reading nothing but suspicious books for the past week.

Methods for reviving people, methods for resurrecting the dead, and other such unrealistic things.

He had completely succumbed to it.

(Mother, are you really going to give up so easily? Everyone looked up to you!)

And as a last resort, he ended up believing in a number of dubious books.

He was convinced that there was a way to bring their mother back to life.

As a result, the girls who turn towards Elta begin to head in a completely different direction.

(I won’t give up on Mother!)

After that, Callum stops talking to the girls.

For a while, they stayed in the same orphanage, but they started going out often.

Blindly believing in suspicious powers.

And so, in the pursuit of the unreal, Callum ended up encountering it.

To a dark organization called “Scar.”

“Missing your mother, kid?”

“…!”

The still young Callum was easily led astray.

“If you want to see us again, come with us.”

“…Yeah, I’ll do that.”

Of course, “Scar” doesn’t have that kind of power.

At that time, they just wanted test subjects.

“See you later, childhood friends.”

Even so, Callum ended up following.

Leaving behind his childhood friend, who could only see Elta and the others, Callum went missing.

To revive their mother.

To achieve that goal.

After that, Callum, while becoming a test subject, builds a position within the cult with his strong and resilient spirit.

The reason for joining the coup in the royal capital was to monopolize many resources and spend them on research for resurrecting the dead.

Thus, Callum has come to this point.

────

Callum glares at Elta and the others after having reaffirmed his resolve.

“I haven’t given up on Mother yet! Unlike you guys!”

“””…!”””

The heartfelt cry could be heard by the girls behind as well.

However, Elta answers that.

“I’m sad that my Mother passed away too. Everyone feels the same way.”

“Huh!?”

“But──”

Elta glares with piercing eyes.

“The one who is not following Mother’s words the most is you!”

“…!”

Their Mother often mentioned it.

“May everyone live healthily.”

Their Mother wished for them to live a straight and healthy life, both in mind and body.

With those words in his heart, Elta also raised his voice.

“Is this chaotic capital city really what Mother wanted?!”

“…!”

Elta’s tone is rough.

They saw him, anything like this.

So strong were Elta’s feelings for their Mother.

And at the same time, the emptiness of not being able to see the end.

And above all, Callum thought he was following their stepmother’s wishes just like everyone else.

“Shut up!”

However, the rampaging Callum won’t stop.

As if to say, “There’s no way I can back down now.”

“Get out of the way, Elta…!”

“I won’t move, Callum…!”

Then, Elta and Callum once again took their time to prepare.

Feeling the intense aura of each other clashing, to the point where the surrounding rubble seems to float.

Due to the disadvantages of Callum, this will probably be the final confrontation.

They both sensed it.

Callum summons a part of ten types of monsters.

“[Full Release Unleashed].”

He intends to use all his strength and deliver the final blow.

In response, Elta also confronts head-on.

“The Strongest Race Series, Part Two──[Fist of the Fierce God].”

A stance with knees bent and fists drawn back.

It’s a stance for the most powerful, decisive blow in its unique form.

“””…!”””

The girls who were apart also entered a stance of endurance.

They sensed that an unprecedented shock was about to occur.

“Disappear here!”

“I won’t let you!”

The two techniques clash.

“Aauoooooohhhhhh!”

“Aaoooooohhhhhh!”

With a massive explosion sound, a tremendous shockwave reverberates throughout the area.

It was fortunate that it was destroyed by Schuma.

To such an extent, shockwaves that engulf the surroundings are propagating.

──However, the balance was soon shattered.

“What!?”

The power of the ten S-rank monsters is being pushed back by Elta.

The momentum that showed signs of unraveling is unstoppable.

“Ugh!”

The two techniques cancel each other out, and the remaining wind pressure lifts Callum into the air.

Elta looked straight at Callum again.

“Don’t go back to ‘Scar’.”

“…!”

“Your place is with us!”

With a firm push from his legs, Elta jumped high into the air.

“The Strongest Race Series, Part One──[Claw of the Divine Wolf].”

That movement was truly like “divine speed.”

With a speed that the eye could barely catch, he leaped high into the sky.

At the same time, Jura raised her voice after understanding his intentions.

“El! From here, head straight towards the sun!”

After a prolonged battle, the royal capital had already welcomed dawn.

Jura conveyed that there is “Scar’s base” underground, straight towards that sun.

It is a desolate wasteland on the outskirts of the royal capital.

Nodding slightly, Elta then crossed his arms.

“Part Three── [The Barrier of the Phoenix’s Blessing].”

He took an invincible defensive stance in space.

The girls had an intuition about that.

Elta is saying, “I will carry everyone’s feelings.”

“””…!”””

They knew after having seen him once in the arena.

[The Barrier of the Phoenix’s Blessing] has a downside. It temporarily affects the body.

However, at the same time, it is equivalent to gaining temporary power.

“El-kun!”

“Elta!”

“El!”

“Big brother!”

Ice, wind, fire.

With the enhancement of Tina added to the three attributes, the four attributes of thought are carried to Elta.

Having temporarily gained it through [The Barrier of the Phoenix’s Blessing], Elta pulls back his fist once more.

“Receive everyone’s feelings, Callum.”

“…!”

“You are such a complete idiot!”

He pushed that fist out all at once.

“Part Two, Revised── [Fist of Bonds, Everyone’s Punch]…!!”

“…Ugh!!”

With a thunderous roar, the strongest wind pressure ever recorded is unleashed.

There, the four attributes intertwine in a spiral and collide with Callum.

Destroy the underground base of Scar that lies beyond.

“Guwaaaaaaah!”

Amidst the storm that threatens to destroy the base, Callum suddenly comes to his senses.

It’s the last thought before consciousness fades away.

(You really are amazing.)

Now and in the past, he has always acknowledged Elta.

That’s why he was acting under the assumption that Schuma would be defeated.

In the end, he was determined to win, but it didn’t happen after all.

(I wonder when the gap started to form.)

Like a revolving lantern, memories from his childhood swirl in his mind.

However, Callum could only smile faintly.

(No, is it from the very beginning?)

What he remembered was when he stepped into the Asterla Dungeon.

At that time, even the word “dungeon” was new and not very well recognized.

Amidst all this, driven by their youthful curiosity, the six of them jumped into the cave that had been discovered recently.

However, as soon as they entered, a mysterious trap emerged.

(You pushed everyone out early, right?)

Elta suddenly pushed the five who were bewildered by the unexpected situation.

This is the truth behind why only Elta fell to the lowest level.

(I don’t know where you fell, but you wouldn’t have survived without someone.)

Even during the orphanage days, at that time, and after returning to the surface.

In the end, Callum’s jealousy never went away.

If he were to lose to someone like Elta, he would be satisfied.

Rather, he wants Elta to stop him from going on a rampage.

Maybe deep down, he thought that way.

(It was a complete defeat.)

The wind pressure from Elta and the girls pierced through the wasteland along with the underground Scar’s base──.