TERNLF Vol. 1 Chapter 2 Part 4

Full title: The Exiled Reincarnated Noble Lives Freely

Note: If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.

Translator: Canon

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Why was I here?

The only light illuminating the area was from a small torch, accompanied by the occasional clash of blades and the resulting bursts of sparks.

In that darkness, I—Grassa—sat crouched with my back pressed against the wall, clutching my head, trembling.

Even when I covered my ears, hoping to shut out reality, the brutal sounds of battle still pierced through.

I was terrified.

Terrified.

Terrified, terrified, terrified, terrified.

“Ugh, there's no end to them!!”

A voice brimming with desperation echoed through the cave.

It was the voice of the brave woman fighting to protect me.

I should have been fighting beside her, but my legs had given out, and I couldn't move an inch.

“Ugh…”

Tears spilled out uncontrollably.

I knew this wasn't the time to cry.

But I couldn’t move.

My body simply wouldn’t respond.

“Grassa! Do not move from there!”

I clung to her words as justification.

It was the only way I could excuse my paralysis.

Why had I done that?

I had admired adventurers. I’d been elated just to become one myself.

When Nikka—the friend who had left the village with me—was the only one invited to join a party, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

But I laughed it off, telling myself there was no use comparing a healer like Nikka to a pseudo-swordswoman like me, who barely had any experience fighting monsters.

“I’ve got a lead of my own.”

That was a lie.

If not for the chaos at the Guild, I probably would have failed the adventurer exam outright.

That’s why I convinced myself it couldn’t be helped, and wandered the Guild alone even after seeing Nikka off with her new party.

“Wait, are you… Grassa?”

It was Edra who called out to me then.

She’d once been a regular customer at my father’s shop back when he still did business in the royal capital.

Even back then, despite being a fledgling adventurer, she had already earned a reputation as a future powerhouse; a formidable woman whose name inspired fear among her peers.

But I had known her true nature: beneath her intimidating presence, she was a kind soul who adored children.

“Edra! Why are you here?”

Back when my father’s business collapsed—thanks to a trap laid by a rival—he was forced to flee the capital and move us to a remote backwater village. Around that time, Edra and her party were said to be close to ranking up to D-rank.

I had assumed she’d long since moved on from the capital, which offered little more than low-level jobs.

“I had a bit of dull business to take care of. I’ve been back in the capital for a little while. But more importantly, what are you doing here?”

I told her everything that had happened since we last met.

How my father’s business had failed due to sabotage. How we’d escaped in disgrace to a cold rural village. How, despite the poverty, I’d enjoyed life there and met Nikka. How the two of us had returned to the capital to become adventurers. How Nikka had been recruited into a party while I’d been left behind with no prospects.

Edra listened quietly as I recounted my troubles, even the whiny, self-pitying parts.

Then, placing her large hand on my shoulder, she gave me a smile just like she used to and said:

“Then it’s perfect. Come goblin hunting with us.”

Overjoyed, I accepted without a second thought.

Looking back now, I wish I had declined.

If I had, I wouldn’t have dragged kind Edra into this hell with me.

“Gah—”

Her pained cry echoed in the darkness, lit only by our lone torch.

We were inside a dungeon.

A newly formed one, not yet registered with the Guild.

Which meant the only ones inside were me, Edra, and the swarm of goblins nesting within.

“We’re gonna be fine! The others will be back with reinforcements soon! Just focus on staying alive until then!”

At the entrance of the dungeon’s narrow passage, Edra stood firm like a guardian statue, fending off the oncoming goblins as she shouted words of encouragement.

I couldn’t even look at her back, I was too afraid. I squeezed my eyes shut.

Tears pushed from my lids dripped to the ground, soaking into the dirt.

And then—

“Gwah!!”

Her scream rang out, followed by the sound of her collapsing to the floor—

In that moment, I resigned myself to death.

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“A new dungeon, huh.”

Although Opos and Az had initially tried to stop us, they finally began to speak once I, Toa, demonstrated my strength.

The whole incident had started when they discovered a new dungeon.

Dungeons—also known as labyrinths—appeared suddenly in this world. They typically emerged in areas dense with mana, and monsters living nearby would take up residence inside, causing the dungeon to grow.

Yes, grow.

Dungeons in this world were not inanimate. The dungeon itself was a colossal, living creature. It lured monsters, humans, and animals into its interior, feeding on the energy generated by their life activities in order to grow.

The interior of a dungeon was usually a space where mana was heavily concentrated. For monsters, it offered far more mana than the outside world—a source of strength—making it an ideal habitat.

In other words, dungeons and the creatures that lived within them existed in a kind of symbiotic relationship.

For humans and demi-humans, however, dungeons served as a treasure trove of rare resources that couldn’t be found elsewhere. Since dungeons rooted themselves deep underground, they naturally accumulated valuable materials in the process. The deeper one delved, the more likely they were to find rare metals; resources so precious that even a small quantity could fund a year of leisure.

That was why, even with the threat of deadly monsters, adventurers continued to brave the depths, chasing the dream of striking it rich.

Perhaps the dungeon itself had learned this over time, and manipulated humans by tempting them with such rewards.

As I pondered that, Opos continued his explanation.

“Redroal stumbled upon it while we were clearing out goblins.”

Redroal was a member of Windfang, mainly responsible for healing and support. He had discovered a newly formed dungeon entrance a short distance from their goblin hunting grounds.

“We were too careless.”

The goblin horde had been devastated by Windfang, and the last surviving one had fled. It was in the direction of the dungeon.

“I’ll finish it off!”

Grassa, who had grown more confident with each battle and started to believe she could handle herself, dashed toward the dungeon to finish off the goblin.

She had one standout trait among the Windfang members: her speed.

Through repeated combat, Edra had recognized Grassa’s unique hit-and-run fighting style; she would dash in, land a blow, and then retreat immediately. The rest of the party would intercept the goblin that chased her. It was a highly effective tactic, particularly against goblins who lacked complex thinking.

But that success had gone to her head. She had grown overconfident, thinking she could finish off the fleeing goblin on her own.

“We should have taught her better, not to pursue so recklessly…”

“The way that goblin moved was clearly suspicious. That’s why we realized something was wrong.”

Normally, a goblin fleeing to a dungeon would make a direct line for the entrance. But the one Grassa chased had swerved near the entrance, as if avoiding something, before diving in.

Edra had sensed something was off and shouted after her, “Don’t chase it any farther!”

But just as Grassa stopped and turned back, Edra caught up to her—

“It was already too late.”

Opos spoke with frustration in his voice.

“A hole suddenly opened in front of the dungeon, and both Grassa and Edra were swallowed up.”

The dungeon had used its entrance as bait, luring in prey and then absorbing them. Some newly formed dungeons reportedly used this aggressive method to feed in their early stages of growth.

Unfortunately for them, that was exactly the kind of dungeon they had encountered.

“Normally, a brand-new dungeon wouldn’t be that deep. We figured we could pull them back out easily.”

“But when we looked down into the hole, we couldn’t even see the bottom... and no one answered when we shouted.”

If it had just been Grassa, silence might have been expected. But to get no response from Edra either, that was a bad sign. Knowing Edra’s strength, they realized something was very wrong.

“At first, we thought about climbing down to rescue them ourselves.”

But after discussing it, they decided to request reinforcements from the guild instead.

After all, a newly emerged dungeon meant there was no information to go on. They had also been taught that dungeons like this—ones that forcibly consumed people—were especially dangerous.

Without Edra, their strongest fighter, they concluded that diving into the dungeon would likely lead to their annihilation. Windfang, aside from Edra, wasn’t a particularly strong party.

Aware of their limitations, they left Redroal behind to keep watch and set out to seek help.

After listening that far, I finally spoke.

“I get the picture. But we won’t be joining you to call for reinforcements.”

“Huh?”

It was Nikka who voiced her surprise first.

She looked up at me with a troubled expression, her eyes asking, “Why?”

The other two Windfang members looked just as confused.

“They didn’t fall in that long ago, right?”

“Yeah, not much time’s passed.”

“Then it’ll be faster for us to go and rescue them ourselves. If we waste time heading to the guild and coming back with help, we might be too late.”

“B-But you could all be killed! You said you just became adventurers, didn’t you? Then you don’t understand how terrifying dungeons really are!”

Opos had a valid point.

From their perspective, we probably looked like reckless greenhorns acting on emotion. That was understandable.

But I wasn’t your average adventurer.

For me, clearing a newly spawned dungeon near the royal capital—a place considered one of the safest areas—was no more difficult than a walk in the park.

“Regardless, we’re heading to the dungeon now. If you want reinforcements, go get them.”

As the two stood speechless, I scooped up Nikka, who had been watching silently by my side.

“Eeeh?!”

“Bear with it for a bit.”

Then I sprinted down the trail toward the dungeon at full speed.

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Thud.

A heavy sound echoed dully through the darkness of the dungeon, accompanied by a scream.

Moments later, Edra collapsed before my eyes.

“Edra!”

I called out, but she showed no sign of response. Her ragged breathing was audible, so she likely wasn’t dead. Yet her body, illuminated by the flickering torchlight, was marred with numerous wounds. Her armor was cracked and broken in several places, hanging in tatters.

But what stood out the most—

“Her arm…”

Edra’s dominant right arm bent grotesquely from the shoulder in a direction it should never move. And worse still, everything from her wrist down—the very hand that had gripped her sword—had been crushed and obliterated beyond recognition.

“—”

I couldn’t even scream. Frozen in place, I could do nothing but stare at Edra, who now lay unconscious in front of me.

Just moments ago, she had been holding off a horde of goblins. She had driven them back with overwhelming force, never faltering.

So how had she ended up in this state?

She had sustained minor injuries, sure—but a goblin shouldn’t have been capable of inflicting such devastating damage.

The realization that dawned on me chilled me to the bone.

No… it can’t be. This dungeon was supposed to be newly formed—

Gafuuuh.

As if to mock my denial, an eerie, unfamiliar voice echoed from deep within the darkness.

Now that I thought about it, the boisterous clamor of goblins had ceased entirely.

Gafuuuh.

Thud.

Along with the second bestial grunt, I felt a tremor ripple through the ground—something that shouldn’t have moved. Then, emerging into the reach of the torchlight, came a colossal foot.

It was certainly not a goblin’s.

“Eek…”

I didn’t want to look. But my eyes were drawn toward it, compelled by fear.

“Hh!!”

The monster took another step forward.

The torch’s meager flame couldn’t reveal its entire form. But just the outline of its massive frame was enough for me to realize what it was.

“No… no way…”

Something warm trickled down my legs.

A towering beast, larger than the corridor itself, hunched awkwardly as it stepped into view.

Its body was a grotesque mountain of muscle, almost humanoid in shape—but clearly not human. In one hand, it gripped a bloodied club the size of my torso.

“A Taurus…? You’ve got to be kidding me…”

The bull-like head, the hooved legs, and the lower body covered in needle-like hair—there was no mistaking it.

A monster classified as B-rank, yet even A-rank adventuring parties were said to be wiped out if they underestimated it.

This was a Taurus.

These creatures typically dwelled in high-difficulty dungeons dense with mana. There had never been a single sighting near the royal capital, where the mana density was low.

Yet now, standing before me, was unmistakably the very same Taurus that appeared in the epic ballads sung by bards.

My gaze drifted from the terrifying monster to Edra, desperate for some form of help.

But Edra, the one I relied on most, remained unconscious. If anything, her labored breathing had grown even weaker, likely due to the blood loss from her crushed wrist.

GROAAAR!!

Rrrrkrrrkrrrk!

With a bestial roar, the Taurus scraped its massive club along the dungeon wall, stone peeling off in its wake.

Its next target wasn’t Edra—who lay prone on the ground—but me.

“Someone! Please! Help me!!”

I screamed at the top of my lungs, hunching over and shielding my head with both arms as the club came swinging down.

I knew it was futile.

No help was coming.

—Or so I thought.

“I’ve got you!! 【Blessing Earth】!!”

A voice echoed through the dungeon, answering my cry for help, followed by a thunderous impact that shook the very walls.

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