“As enthusiastic as ever.” (Shuuya)
Passing the announcement booth with their voices resounding nearby, I advance through the place where street stalls are placed disorderly beside one another.
It’s a chaotic situation with both vendors and adventurers crowding around.
— I will work as a porter for those who don’t possess an item box. Please, someone hire me!
— I’m a big shield bearer. If you employ me, you don’t have to fear something like monsters!
— I’m selling maps with the traps from the first to the third floor recorded.
Should I go and see a map seller just in case?
I head to the location where the map vendors have gathered.
Just when I draw near to that place, I am addressed by a robed, scaled person who is present there.
“Lad, you want a map?”
“I don’t know whether I will buy one, but what kind of maps do you have?” (Shuuya)
The appearance of this vendor is that of the race called Karamnian, if I remember correctly.
“How about something like this? Trap locations, monster rooms and various routes to the transfer locations from the first floor to the second are drawn on it.”
“How much?” (Shuuya)
“It costs 35 gold coins.”
I feel like it’s slightly expensive by estimation, but the map on the leather cloth shown by the vendor is properly drawn.
Let’s remember this price.
“I see. For the time being I’m fine without it. I guess I might buy it next time then.” (Shuuya)
“Is that so?”
Parting from the Karamnian merchant who peeks out from his robe’s hood with a disappointed expression, I walk while checking the other street stalls.
At that moment, the nice smell of food drifts over.
Come to think of it, I had planned to get my breakfast here.
“Nya, nya~n.”
Rollo on my shoulder moves her muzzle with a *sniff sniff* and reacts to that smell.
“Should we dive into the labyrinth after eating over there?” (Shuuya)
“Nyao.”
She purrs encouragingly and licks my cheek with her tongue.
“— Hyaa, Rollo, I got it, so stop licking me. It tickles! I’m not food, okay?” (Shuuya)
I don’t know whether she’s fooling around or demanding food, but I hurry to the shop where the fragrant smell was coming from with the excited Rollo.
I arrive at the storefront where they are grilling meat which is the source of the smell.
Is it a shop doing a cooking performance?
Thick meat was hung up in a net that was set up above. Meat juices are dripping from the big, well-done meat. The pro-wrestler, or rather macho-like swarthy shopkeeper applies an oblong, jagged blade against the well-done meat, lowers the blade vertically and thinly cuts off slices of meat.
Plenty of meat juice is drooping from the cut point.
Shit, it looks incredibly delicious…
I’m not Rollo, but my throat instinctively makes a sound of gulping down saliva.
It’s a meat dish just like Brazilian barbecue.
“… Looks delicious.” (Shuuya)
Saliva naturally overflows from my tongue as I mutter those words.
“Nya~.”
Rollo seems to agree with me as well.
The shopkeeper’s name and “Totora’s Butcher Branch Store”, specialised on the large deerKasebu raised in the great prairie, was carved on a small signboard below the store.
Kasebu, huh?
If it’s meat with that name, I have already heard of it.
It was on the grilled-meat-skewer I bought in Hekatrail.
That in itself was delicious, but this one has a fragrance that stimulates one’s appetite.
There’s the following written on a price list:
Big-sized meat – One large copper coin
Medium-sized meat – Five small copper coins
Small-sized meat – One small copper coin
It’s cheap. Should I ask for a big-sized meat and a medium-sized meat?
I immediately called out to the swarthy shopkeeper.
“One big and one medium-sized piece of the grilled meat, please.” (Shuuya)
“Yes! It’ll be one large copper coin and five small copper coins.”
I take out the copper coins from my item box and hand them over.
“— Thank you for your patronage. I will now apply the sauce, okay?”
The macho-like shopkeeper smoothly piles up the cut meat on a plate, scoops up sauce with a small ladle from a jar that was next to him and quickly pours the sauce over the meat.
As finishing touch he sprinkled a vegetable similar to spring onion and a red spice similar to chili pepper on the dish.
“It’s done, yes!”
The shopkeeper puts out the meat dish.
“Thank you.” (Shuuya)
Steam rises from the roast-colored meat that had a little tinge of violet. It’s a simple dish blended with a black sauce, an onion vegetable and spices.
Rollo raised the big-sized meat and vigorously clung to it.
I will eat as well.
Since there’s no fork, I stab the tender-looking meat with a dagger and lift it to my mouth.
At first it’s crispy, and then it has just the right texture while being chewed.
Shifting the meat to my back teeth, I gnawed through the soft meat and a large amount of thick meat juice flooded my mouth from within the meat.
The meat is gone after two bites.
This one’s more delicious than the grilled-meat-skewer in Hekatrail.
The diced steak of Lunga Cow was delicious as well, but I don’t think that this Kasebu meat loses out either.
The method of maturing it with seasoning that soaked into it and this black sauce.
The sauce has a taste close to Bull-Do○ medium-thick sauce. (T/N: It’s a sauce you can buy here: https://www.bulldog.co.jp/products/home/item0102_500ml.html)
The hot taste of the red spice stimulates my tongue.
This resembles chili pepper.
Speaking of spices, I should still have some Selieu Powder left.
Master and Raglen often put it on their meat.
Since the spices I bought in Hekatrail are stored within the item box, the meat dish might become even more delicious if I used them.
I eat the tasty meat while remembering such things.
Other adventurers and guests were also stuffing their cheeks with the tasty roasted meat by stabbing the meat with daggers or holding it with their bare hands.
Rollo greedily devours her meat.
In the middle of it she grew into her panther medium-sized mode and started to eat again while growling. I tell you, no one is going to take your meat away…
Due to her distinctive growl, we gather the attention of the other guests who asked “What’s going on? What’s up?”
It’s because a black panther is close-by now, isn’t it…?
While putting up with the inquisitive gazes, I shove the tasty roasted meat into my mouth until nothing’s left.
Once Rollo finishes eating, she transforms back into the small black cat form.
She repeatedly cleaned her face while having a satisfied expression.
I’m troubled whether I shouldn’t stock this delicious meat in my item box.
But, since the food I stocked up in 【Hekatrail】 is still in there, I guess it’s fine this time.
Alright, I filled my stomach, so I will challenge the labyrinth next.
When I tried to walk towards the small tower which serves as entrance to the labyrinth, from the neighborhood of the short tower,
“Do you want any medicinal plants?”
It’s the white-eyed girl I saw the other day.
Commendably holding a big basket in her thinly-dressed, small hands, her appearance of carrying a large quantity of medicinal plant bundles is the same as before.
That girl is selling those again?
“Rollo, let’s go.” (Shuuya)
Carrying Rollo on my shoulder, I approach the herb-selling girl and address her,
“Yo, I wonder whether you will let me buy some medicinal plants?” (Shuuya)
“T-Thank you— Ah, from the other day?”
Is she able to see a bit?
Is she judging by my voice?
“You remember? You are correct. It will save me trouble if you let me buy them once again.” (Shuuya)
“Yes! With pleasure. Here you go. That makes five small copper coins.”
Receiving the medicinal plants, I take out a large copper coin from my item box and hand it over to her.
“… Again a large copper. With this you get two times as much medicinal plants.”
Mmh, this child makes sure by touching the surface of the coin several times with her small hands.
She identifies it with her fingertips.
As a matter of fact she might not be able to see, despite appearing otherwise.
I wonder, is it simply because her hearing is great?
Well, even if I make such guesses, there’s no meaning to it.
“Accept it without minding it. See you.” (Shuuya)
“Ah—”
Without letting her consent or disagree, I lightly raise my arm and bid her farewell.
I hurry towards the labyrinth’s entrance.
The basket that girl’s holding is always full of medicinal plants… I guess they don’t sell well.
Though it would be great if she could sell a lot more medicinal plants from now on.
While sympathising with her, I show my adventurer’s card to the sentries without hesitation and enter the building with a feeling of being let through for being well-known.
There was an adventurer group gathering at the crystal in the middle.
The leader-like person says a mysterious password and all of them vanish.
Well then, I will go as well.
Standing in front of the crystal, I recite 「Warp」 while touching it.
The warp to the crystal on the first floor ends.
There are magic-crest-like geometrical patterns on the ceiling which function as bright light sources.
Just like the other day, the height of the ceiling hasn’t changed.
The octagonal-shaped room and there being arched exits on the left, right, front, back is the same as well.
However, the color of the wall and ceiling is slightly blacker?
Well, I guess I will suitably advance without minding it.
“Rollo, let’s go.” (Shuuya)
“Nya.”
I pick the passage in front.
Once I proceed through the passage, a room becomes visible ahead.
And, alongside magic sources, sounds of battle are reverberating.
It looks like a party is fighting inside the room.
Sorry for the intrusion. I enter the room that has a small rocky area spreading out.
The ones fighting against a crowd of big rats are a party of three adventurers.
The small goblins, Brandel, were there in addition as well.
They have been surrounded, but the adventurers are superior in the battle.
The three adventurers display skilled coordination and defeat a big rat.
In order to not disturb them, I went along the wall and left the room, which has exits in all four directions, through the passage on the right side.
I walk through the empty passage for a bit. After a while the passage’s height changes to ten meters in total and the width becomes smaller as well.
At that moment I discover a stairway.
Once I descend the stairs in a trot, the temperature falls and a cold wind blows past my body from behind.
It’s the same as the last time I came here, isn’t it?
Descending the stairs while feeling the wind, I came out at a passage that parted left and right.
Which way should I go? Things I learned such as Murphy’s Law, Fleming’s left-hand rule, power, magnetic field and electric current cross my mind.
There’s no meaning to it, but associating forked paths with left, I pick the left passage.
I advance straight ahead through the passage while I study the geometrical patterned light sources, which can be found on the narrow left and right walls, with my eyes.
These light patterns have a common design in this labyrinth, don’t they?
The ones here had a design resembling the ones on the ceiling in the special room where the crystal is enshrined.
As I’m pondering about such things, I sense magic source responses ahead.
It’s small magic sources. Big rats, three of them.
— Should I finish them off? No sooner than I think that, Rollo is already dashing ahead.
She transforms into her black panther mode while running.
She’s not a frilled lizard, but the tentacles that are growing out from around her neck look as if she expanded a black umbrella.
Huh? Different from usual, her tentacles are converging in one place as if closing the umbrella.
Before long they turned into one thick, black tentacle.
Even the silver ivory bone sword which slithered out of the thick, black tentacles, have turned into a thick, long-flyer-sized, big bone sword. It pushed through the air while rotating in a spiral.
Oh… the big rats seem pitiable.
Sure enough the big bone sword bisected the belly of the big rat it directly hit in an instant and pieces of meat were scattered in all directions.
Amazing, what overkill.
Furthermore, Rollo contracts the tentacles that transformed into their original size towards the bottom of her neck without a hitch and displays panther-like movements of trying to seize its prey.
While knocking the rats over, she clung with both sharp claws that are growing on her forepaws at their neck as if hanging over them, cut them up and bit them several times over.
“— Rollo, nice.” (Shuuya)
“Nn, nyao.”
Rollo-san looks triumphant even while blood drips down her muzzle.
“You did well.” Saying that, I gently caress her head.
Let’s collect the small magic stone from the big rats for the time being.
“Rollo, just in case, watch the surroundings, okay?” (Shuuya)
Since I’ve got Grasping Perception, I’m not worried, but for caution’s sake I entrust the lookout to Rollo.
During that time I loot the magic stones from the big rats’ corpses.
I have to get used to this work as well.
After finishing the collection of the magic stones I put them into my item box and once again start to advance through the passage.
Once more I arrive at a room that has arched exits on the left, right and front.
There are several magic source responses in the room.
When I was wondering whether it’s just monster responses, I discovered the figures of adventurers.
In order to not disturb the party’s battle, I choose the passage on the right side.
As I proceeded through the passage, big rats appear again, but they were quickly cleaned up by Rollo.
I collect the magic stones from their corpses and we continue advancing through the passage.
Next I come out at a pathway that seems to simultaneously split into two passages that fork in the shape of a Y character.
Four diagonal passages.
Based on the route I took until now, I assume that the left side heads into the inner part of the floor.
I proceed through the furthest left passage.
Once I do, the height and width narrowed.
It transforms into a zig-zag passage with no forks.
Following it for around ten minutes, I sense magic source responses.
I could see small goblins ahead.
It’s a crowd of Brandel. Five of them are gathered in one spot.
“Rollo, this time I will deal with them.” (Shuuya)
“— Nn.”
Rollo, who was about to run ahead, stops after hearing my words.
There’s no one in the vicinity.
It’s a magic experiment with the small fries close-by as guinea pigs.
I will test crest magic.
While running towards the Brandel—
I chant 《Frozen Blade NetFreezing Splash》.
At that moment, a beautiful, light blue magic crest extends in front of my eyes.
Countless ice blades with my body’s size appear from the magic crest that is floating in midair, overlap with each other while rotating horizontally as if creating a stitch of ice blades and fly towards the targeted location.
The Brandel are caught by the sharp, glistening stitch just like fish that are caught in a net. Having stitch wounds created all over their bodies, they were cut into pieces in an instant and reduced into small pieces of meat.
Even after subjugating the monsters, the Frozen Blade Net doesn’t lose any of its momentum and clashes into the labyrinth’s floor.
Once I look at the impact site, it had linear stitch cuts as if creating ravines.
This has an amazing power as well, hasn’t it?
I can’t believe it. For it to damage even the labyrinth itself…
Since the cuts have only been created in the direction where the Brandel were, it has a certain degree of directionality, but if I had friends with me, it would be far too scary to use this magic.
Though I might get used to it after casting it several times.
I guess I will test a different spell next…
While making such a plan, I search for the magic stones.
The magic stones dropped in the vicinity where a lot of meat chunks that have been scattered around.
I wash my hands with the water of life magic and also rinse the blood off the magic stones.
The dropped, small magic stones have each a different shape, but many of them are diamond-shaped.
The colors of the magic stones were green and yellow.
Goblin types have such a hue? The color of the big rats’ magic stones was colorless.
I pick up a magic stone and peer into it.
Rather than a stone, this looks like a gem.
A diamond-shaped stone, huh…? Do I put it away? Hmm, ah, this, maybe it’s… I was suddenly hit by an idea and remembered the item box’ diamond-shaped mark ◆.
I will offer them as Elenium stones.
Maybe I can re-use it with magic stones…
Let’s try it out.
Touching the sun mark located on the item box’ bracelet’s surface, I say 「Open」 and operate the item box.
Opening the window, the usual menu screen is displayed.
I touch the diamond-shaped mark ◆ lining up inside the menu with my index finger with a *button-press*.
The window changes in the same manner as the other day.
◆： Total stored quantity of Elenium: 0
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Necessary Elenium stones: 50 – incomplete
Reward: Storage +15: Release of Memory Storage
Necessary Elenium stones: 100 – incomplete
Reward: Storage +20: Release of Kaleidoscope
Necessary Elenium stones: 200 – incomplete
Reward: Storage +25: Loading Dimension Scan Function
？？？？？？
？？？？？？
？？？？？？
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――
I drop the green small magic stone into the large diamond-shaped mark on the left side.
Thereupon characters are displayed below the diamond-shaped mark that’s shown in the window.
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Detecting unknown stone… magic source compatibility 50%.
80% and below will be rejected.
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Once the displayed message ended, the small green magic stone I put in dropped out of the lower part of the window.
I pick up the fallen magic stone.
50% was displayed with this small green magic stone.
That means it might exceed 80% if it’s a medium-sized magic stone.
It’s no good if I don’t collect the request’s share of medium magic stones, but…
Once I obtain the next medium magic stone, I will try dropping it into the diamond-shaped mark again and check what kind of response it will trigger.
If the medium-sized magic stone is recognized as an Elenium stone, I will be happy.
If I’m lucky and it gets recognized, being able to receive the rewards will be connected to the strengthening of my item box.
While I’m at it, I guess I should try the other magic stones as well just in case.
All of the other four small green magic stones had 50%.
On the other hand, the colorless, small magic stones dropped by the big rats has a slightly higher percentage of 60%.
Is that because the color of the magic stone is colorless and transparent?
However, it doesn’t reach 80% either way.
I suppose the next time will be after I get my hands on a medium-sized magic stone.
That means I have to switch over my way of thinking.
Erasing the window, I start advancing through the labyrinth.
Once I proceed through the zig-zag passage, I came out a T-shaped pathway.
This time I will go right. The passage that bent as if drawing a curve has become wide.
Walking straightforward along the curving passage, I am able to confirm that the brightness vanishes ahead of the passage.
The light sources on the walls and ceiling are gone.
It’s pitch black in front. Is it a trap or something like that?
I activate <Night Vision>.
『Helme, lend me your field of vision just in case.』 (Shuuya)
『Yes!』 (Helme)
I imagine seizing Helme, who appeared in my field of vision, with my gaze.
Spirit Sight was activated.
『Ahn!』 (Helme)
Disregarding Helme’s small voice, I examine the passage.
I also release <Chain> — and check the distant floor with it.
I carefully walk ahead while hitting the nearby floor and walls with my Magic Halberd.
Thereupon I was able to sense several small magic source responses ahead in the darkness.
I stare at the magic sources and check them.
The thermography of the Spirit Sight also reacts to heat.
The figures of bats are clearly reflected in red.
The small responses are bat monsters, huh?
Erasing the Spirit Sight, I confirm them with just Magic Observation, too.
It looked as if the light of magic sources is disseminating on the ceiling.
It’s a swarm of several dozens.
Their number is big, but they haven’t noticed me.
“Rollo, move back since I will finish them off.” (Shuuya)
“Nya.”
Rollo retreats as instructed.
Alright, let’s get a head start here.
Elementary class: Water attribute, Frozen Bullet.
Elementary class: Water attribute, Frozen Sword.
Intermediate class: Water attribute, Frozen Arrow.
Next I will shoot these three one after the other to test them.
First is 《Frozen Bullet》.
The ice bullet directly hits the head of a bat monster that was staying at the ceiling.
Having a hole in its head, the target falls to the ground.
Thereupon the other bat monsters took off all at once and rushed towards me.
Man, I made a mistake with the shooting magic, didn’t I?
Even though they would have been annihilated in an instant if I had tested wide-range magic.
I furrow my eyebrows with a slight frustration within the deep darkness.
Without caring about my circumstances at all, the bats leap onto me while displaying the sharp-looking fangs in their mouth.
Seemingly able to precisely pinpoint my location through ultrasonic waves even in the darkness, they close in on me.
But, I don’t have any intention to let them approach me that easily.
I move my left hand as if swinging it and shoot <Chain>.
Treating the chain like a whip, I make it twist vigorously and flexibly. I knock down several of the flying bats at the same time.
Let’s test my spells at the same time.
I activate Intermediate class: Water attribute spell, Frozen Arrow.
Different from the ice ball, this spell generated a thick ice arrow with a size of around a human’s arm.
Looking at the size of the arrowhead which is whitely shining at the tip, it looks just like a spear.
The shining arrowhead flew as if piercing through the darkness.
The bat monsters are swiftly flying through the air, but the ice arrow easily seizes a bat monster.
Piercing through the belly of the first bat, it stabs through the head of the next bat. Hitting the wing of a third bat, the arrowhead splinters after crashing into the ceiling, injuring several bats in the process.
This can be used quite well, too.
However, there’s still many more bat monsters left.
Apparently thinking that the magic attacks have ceased, the bat monsters that were flying around me swooped down on me all at once.
I rotate sideways on the spot using my toes as axis and avoid the nose dive attack of the bats who are opening their muzzles in order to bite me.
At the same time I casted the Elementary class: Water attribute spell 《Frozen Sword》 in my mind.
I invoke it while swinging my arm as if cutting them with my hand.
In a style of countering the approaching bats, the longsword-sized ice sword collided head-on with them and their bodies were cut right in half as if bisecting paper.
Next I cast 《Frozen Bullet》.
Immediately following I activate <Chain Spear of the Ray SystemShining Chain Lance>.
At the moment the ice bullet seizes the belly of a bat and shot it down, the Chain Spear of the Ray SystemShining Chain Lance, which is a flash of light, drew an arc in the air, homes in on the other bat monsters and stabbed their bellies and wings.
The chain technique of magic and skill is a success.
Using <Chain>, I knock down one bat monster after the other.
The sound of corpses falling to the ground continues for a while and then the passage becomes silent.
Before long the air was filled with a perfect tranquility befitting the darkness.
At the end I tried testing the continuous use of magic and skill, it went unexpectedly well.
A chain technique I can only use because of no-chant.
The skill <Chain Spear of the Ray SystemShining Chain Lance> looks like magic.
But, because it’s actually not a spell, it has a brutal efficiency.
The skill <Chain Spear of the Ray SystemShining Chain Lance> appears to be a Light Spear. Seeing it for the first time, one will definitely misunderstand it as a spell.
Mmh? Why is there such magic although such skill exists!? And it seems to be widely spread.
Well then, let’s finish collecting the magic stones.
I begin dismantling the bats with a dagger. I pry the bats’ corpses open, take out the magic stones, clean them and collect them.
It’s black tinged and red tinged magic stones.
Once I add the big rats and the Brandel, I have already thirty stones gathered in total.
Even small magic stones will turn into money.
But, since it’s insignificant, it might be fine to ignore them when possible, I guess?
“Rollo, you can come back now.” (Shuuya)
“Nnn, nya.”
Rollo-san walks ahead while releasing a slightly dissatisfied, throaty voice.
Since the dark passage still continues ahead, I use <Night Vision> and Spirit Sight.
I advance while checking that there’s no traps on the floor.
I proceed for a few hours while defeating monsters such as big rats and small goblins that suddenly appear in the passage.
I discover something that seems to be a trap in the passage.
The trap has already been triggered? More than half of the floor had caved in.
— A pitfall, huh?
Once I peek below, I can see countless needles at the bottom.
Since there are no signs that someone got caught in the trap visible on the needles, it seems there’s no person that was deceived by this trap.
Rollo returns to her original size and settles on her usual place.
Given that there’s a small space between the trap and the wall, I advance forward slowly and carefully by making sure to place my feet near the wall.
In that manner I was able to cross to the other side safely.
Although I passed this trap without harm, there might be another pitfall again.
Therefore I check the middle of the floor from along the wall.
There’s no response. It looks fine.
Timidly stepping forward, I move into the middle of the passage.
I walk slightly ahead from there.
For caution’s sake I check the floor ahead by extending a chain.
— At that moment there was a response.
The floor reveals a double door by widely opening it.
How scary! There was another trap just right ahead.
Its depth is around twenty meters?
Needles and sharp stakes are visible at the bottom. However, the hole’s vertical width isn’t even ten meters.
It seems that I can jump over it.
But, let’s not do that.
It would be bad if there was yet another trap ahead after passing this one.
Since there’s a slightly free space along the side wall just like before, I proceed along the narrow side there.
Will a spear jump out from the side wall in the middle of crossing it? I had bad imaginations such as this, but it was alright.
I carefully cross it and once again return to the centre of the dark passage.
I advance while checking for traps.
Once I proceed through this dark passage for a bit, I could see light ahead.
It’s a room with light sources installed. I deactivate <Night Vision> and Spirit Sight.
It took time, but it seems that I succeeded in safely coming out of the dark passage with its traps.
I head towards the room, from where light is leaking out, at a quick pace.
I check the room. At the same time there were also magic source responses of monsters.
There are arched passage exits in front, left and right. It’s a common monster room.
Defeating the small goblins swarming the room with my peerless spearmanship, I advance for around thirty minutes through the front passage after collecting the magic stones. And then I hit a dead end.
It’s a labyrinth, so such things will happen as well.
I run from the dead end and return to the monster room. Next I choose the left side.
The left side continues with a zig-zag passage.
Once I advance through it for a while, big, descending stairs with a wide width come in sight.
Mmh? The brightness of the walls located in the vicinity of the stairway increased.
It gives the whole scene some atmosphere, doesn’t it?
The wide stairs continued downwards for a long time.
I descend the stairs with quick ninja-like running steps.
I can see a spacious room spreading out ahead of the stairs’ end.
Based on these stairs, the room’s different from the rest…
Therefore I immediately anticipate it to be a special room.
I enter that room. it’s a spacious, eight-sided room.
There’s not much wind, but even though it’s not damp, it’s not dry either.
A distinctively thick crystal is enshrined in the centre.
Since there are arched entrances on the left, right, front and rear side of this room, I guess there are passages ahead in the same manner as the ones through which I advanced.
But, is this place the end of the first floor?
I wonder, am I already on the second floor?
Thinking that I can return to the surface through the crystal…
If it’s according to what Rebecca has said, if I touch this crystal and say “second level” or “second floor”, I should be randomly warped to a different second floor spot of the labyrinth.
It’s easy to understand from the dungeon’s wall. This place is the second floor. It would be easy if it was carved in, but there’s no reason for such convenient mark to exist.
But, I wonder, it being an octagon-shaped space and a special room, where a crystal is enshrined, with a ceiling height of around twenty meters doesn’t change anywhere?
While thinking about such trivial issues, I approach the crystal sitting in the centre and stretch out my hand.
Characters surface once I touch the crystal with my fingers.
“Second level* area” in blue and violet characters. (T/N: The author has been using different kanji for the level/floor/layer thing, since I’m not sure yet if it has any significance, I will keep those apart)
They manifest while flashing.
This is the second floor after all.
Should I try it at once?
“Second floor.” (Shuuya)
My field of vision is blurred for not even an instant— the warp is complete.
The characters “second floor” that I recited are flashing on the surface of the crystal.
Huh? The shape is different? The shape of the crystal is different, isn’t it?
Before warping it had a splendid, small but quite wide shape, but the crystal in front of my eyes changed into a slim, rectangular, vertically high shape.
It’s not quite an obelisk, but it has an unexpected shape.
Though it’s not completely rectangular since it possesses roughness.
Taking my eyes off the crystal… I check the interior of the new room into which I warped.
The octagon shape hasn’t changed.
The ceiling’s height is slightly low. The lines of the light sources’ geometrical patterns increased? I feel like that’s the case.
The floor has a purely cream color.
Since it was grey until just a while ago, it feels bright due to the light sources.
The walls are close to cream colored as well, but grey is mixed into it.
The exits of the room are only located on the left side and behind.
The arched exits on the left, right, front and back from before didn’t exist.
“Nyaa.”
『It’s shown by Rollo-sama.』 (Helme)
I think it’s by chance, but Rollo points her tail and tentacles to the left.
『Should I follow Rollo?』 (Shuuya)
『Yes.』 (Helme)
While talking with Helme, I choose the left passage.
The passage’s width is twenty meters in total.
Since it’s not like I can measure it precisely, it’s completely a measurement done by eye, but…
Once I walk while looking around restlessly, Rollo gets off my shoulder onto the floor, turns into her medium-sized black panther mode and walks slightly ahead of me.
I wonder whether she’s sensing signs of battle? I guess it’s her wild perception from her hunting time.
It’s a milky white, short, second-floor passage.
Almost all of the monster subjugations requests have only monsters that appear on the second floor and below.
The requests I accepted are on the second floor, too.
Therefore you can say that the labyrinth’s main stage is from here on out.
I wonder how frequently the requested monsters appear…?
I nervously and excitedly walk through the passage.
I continue my observation of the surroundings through Grasping Perception and Magic Observation.
I check whether the floor is safe or not by hitting the surroundings with my Magic Halberd.
Releasing the chain into the distance as well, I check whether the floor would react while advancing.
It seems there are no traps.
— The instant I thought that, spears suddenly rushed out from the sides.
— I evade them in a hurry with a toe rotation and Rollo nimbly avoids them by jumping.
Once I felt relieved, these spears all of a sudden!?
In revenge for surprising me, I strike the red-brown, rusted spears that jumped out of holes on the left and right wall and destroy them.
However, it seems like there was no indication of a trap anywhere…
Thinking that, once I properly look below my feet, my right foot stepped into a depressed spot on the ground.
This is a weight sensor?
It looks like it didn’t react to the chain’s weight.
Even if I check the floor with my Magic Halberd, it’s not like I can check all of it, right?
If you say that I was careless, that’s all there is to it, but advancing while seeing through all traps on my own is somewhat troublesome…
Well, even if I’m caught in a trap, I can still force my way out of it.
I dislike the pain though.
“As enthusiastic as ever.” (Shuuya)
Passing the announcement booth with their voices resounding nearby, I advance through the place where street stalls are placed disorderly beside one another.
It’s a chaotic situation with both vendors and adventurers crowding around.
— I will work as a porter for those who don’t possess an item box. Please, someone hire me!
— I’m a big shield bearer. If you employ me, you don’t have to fear something like monsters!
— I’m selling maps with the traps from the first to the third floor recorded.
Should I go and see a map seller just in case?
I head to the location where the map vendors have gathered.
Just when I draw near to that place, I am addressed by a robed, scaled person who is present there.
“Lad, you want a map?”
“I don’t know whether I will buy one, but what kind of maps do you have?” (Shuuya)
The appearance of this vendor is that of the race called Karamnian, if I remember correctly.
“How about something like this? Trap locations, monster rooms and various routes to the transfer locations from the first floor to the second are drawn on it.”
“How much?” (Shuuya)
“It costs 35 gold coins.”
I feel like it’s slightly expensive by estimation, but the map on the leather cloth shown by the vendor is properly drawn.
Let’s remember this price.
“I see. For the time being I’m fine without it. I guess I might buy it next time then.” (Shuuya)
“Is that so?”
Parting from the Karamnian merchant who peeks out from his robe’s hood with a disappointed expression, I walk while checking the other street stalls.
At that moment, the nice smell of food drifts over.
Come to think of it, I had planned to get my breakfast here.
“Nya, nya~n.”
Rollo on my shoulder moves her muzzle with a *sniff sniff* and reacts to that smell.
“Should we dive into the labyrinth after eating over there?” (Shuuya)
“Nyao.”
She purrs encouragingly and licks my cheek with her tongue.
“— Hyaa, Rollo, I got it, so stop licking me. It tickles! I’m not food, okay?” (Shuuya)
I don’t know whether she’s fooling around or demanding food, but I hurry to the shop where the fragrant smell was coming from with the excited Rollo.
I arrive at the storefront where they are grilling meat which is the source of the smell.
Is it a shop doing a cooking performance?
Thick meat was hung up in a net that was set up above. Meat juices are dripping from the big, well-done meat. The pro-wrestler, or rather macho-like swarthy shopkeeper applies an oblong, jagged blade against the well-done meat, lowers the blade vertically and thinly cuts off slices of meat.
Plenty of meat juice is drooping from the cut point.
Shit, it looks incredibly delicious…
I’m not Rollo, but my throat instinctively makes a sound of gulping down saliva.
It’s a meat dish just like Brazilian barbecue.
“… Looks delicious.” (Shuuya)
Saliva naturally overflows from my tongue as I mutter those words.
“Nya~.”
Rollo seems to agree with me as well.
The shopkeeper’s name and “Totora’s Butcher Branch Store”, specialised on the large deerKasebu raised in the great prairie, was carved on a small signboard below the store.
Kasebu, huh?
If it’s meat with that name, I have already heard of it.
It was on the grilled-meat-skewer I bought in Hekatrail.
That in itself was delicious, but this one has a fragrance that stimulates one’s appetite.
There’s the following written on a price list:
Big-sized meat – One large copper coin
Medium-sized meat – Five small copper coins
Small-sized meat – One small copper coin
It’s cheap. Should I ask for a big-sized meat and a medium-sized meat?
I immediately called out to the swarthy shopkeeper.
“One big and one medium-sized piece of the grilled meat, please.” (Shuuya)
“Yes! It’ll be one large copper coin and five small copper coins.”
I take out the copper coins from my item box and hand them over.
“— Thank you for your patronage. I will now apply the sauce, okay?”
The macho-like shopkeeper smoothly piles up the cut meat on a plate, scoops up sauce with a small ladle from a jar that was next to him and quickly pours the sauce over the meat.
As finishing touch he sprinkled a vegetable similar to spring onion and a red spice similar to chili pepper on the dish.
“It’s done, yes!”
The shopkeeper puts out the meat dish.
“Thank you.” (Shuuya)
Steam rises from the roast-colored meat that had a little tinge of violet. It’s a simple dish blended with a black sauce, an onion vegetable and spices.
Rollo raised the big-sized meat and vigorously clung to it.
I will eat as well.
Since there’s no fork, I stab the tender-looking meat with a dagger and lift it to my mouth.
At first it’s crispy, and then it has just the right texture while being chewed.
Shifting the meat to my back teeth, I gnawed through the soft meat and a large amount of thick meat juice flooded my mouth from within the meat.
The meat is gone after two bites.
This one’s more delicious than the grilled-meat-skewer in Hekatrail.
The diced steak of Lunga Cow was delicious as well, but I don’t think that this Kasebu meat loses out either.
The method of maturing it with seasoning that soaked into it and this black sauce.
The sauce has a taste close to Bull-Do○ medium-thick sauce. (T/N: It’s a sauce you can buy here: https://www.bulldog.co.jp/products/home/item0102_500ml.html)
The hot taste of the red spice stimulates my tongue.
This resembles chili pepper.
Speaking of spices, I should still have some Selieu Powder left.
Master and Raglen often put it on their meat.
Since the spices I bought in Hekatrail are stored within the item box, the meat dish might become even more delicious if I used them.
I eat the tasty meat while remembering such things.
Other adventurers and guests were also stuffing their cheeks with the tasty roasted meat by stabbing the meat with daggers or holding it with their bare hands.
Rollo greedily devours her meat.
In the middle of it she grew into her panther medium-sized mode and started to eat again while growling. I tell you, no one is going to take your meat away…
Due to her distinctive growl, we gather the attention of the other guests who asked “What’s going on? What’s up?”
It’s because a black panther is close-by now, isn’t it…?
While putting up with the inquisitive gazes, I shove the tasty roasted meat into my mouth until nothing’s left.
Once Rollo finishes eating, she transforms back into the small black cat form.
She repeatedly cleaned her face while having a satisfied expression.
I’m troubled whether I shouldn’t stock this delicious meat in my item box.
But, since the food I stocked up in 【Hekatrail】 is still in there, I guess it’s fine this time.
Alright, I filled my stomach, so I will challenge the labyrinth next.
When I tried to walk towards the small tower which serves as entrance to the labyrinth, from the neighborhood of the short tower,
“Do you want any medicinal plants?”
It’s the white-eyed girl I saw the other day.
Commendably holding a big basket in her thinly-dressed, small hands, her appearance of carrying a large quantity of medicinal plant bundles is the same as before.
That girl is selling those again?
“Rollo, let’s go.” (Shuuya)
Carrying Rollo on my shoulder, I approach the herb-selling girl and address her,
“Yo, I wonder whether you will let me buy some medicinal plants?” (Shuuya)
“T-Thank you— Ah, from the other day?”
Is she able to see a bit?
Is she judging by my voice?
“You remember? You are correct. It will save me trouble if you let me buy them once again.” (Shuuya)
“Yes! With pleasure. Here you go. That makes five small copper coins.”
Receiving the medicinal plants, I take out a large copper coin from my item box and hand it over to her.
“… Again a large copper. With this you get two times as much medicinal plants.”
Mmh, this child makes sure by touching the surface of the coin several times with her small hands.
She identifies it with her fingertips.
As a matter of fact she might not be able to see, despite appearing otherwise.
I wonder, is it simply because her hearing is great?
Well, even if I make such guesses, there’s no meaning to it.
“Accept it without minding it. See you.” (Shuuya)
“Ah—”
Without letting her consent or disagree, I lightly raise my arm and bid her farewell.
I hurry towards the labyrinth’s entrance.
The basket that girl’s holding is always full of medicinal plants… I guess they don’t sell well.
Though it would be great if she could sell a lot more medicinal plants from now on.
While sympathising with her, I show my adventurer’s card to the sentries without hesitation and enter the building with a feeling of being let through for being well-known.
There was an adventurer group gathering at the crystal in the middle.
The leader-like person says a mysterious password and all of them vanish.
Well then, I will go as well.
Standing in front of the crystal, I recite 「Warp」 while touching it.
The warp to the crystal on the first floor ends.
There are magic-crest-like geometrical patterns on the ceiling which function as bright light sources.
Just like the other day, the height of the ceiling hasn’t changed.
The octagonal-shaped room and there being arched exits on the left, right, front, back is the same as well.
However, the color of the wall and ceiling is slightly blacker?
Well, I guess I will suitably advance without minding it.
“Rollo, let’s go.” (Shuuya)
“Nya.”
I pick the passage in front.
Once I proceed through the passage, a room becomes visible ahead.
And, alongside magic sources, sounds of battle are reverberating.
It looks like a party is fighting inside the room.
Sorry for the intrusion. I enter the room that has a small rocky area spreading out.
The ones fighting against a crowd of big rats are a party of three adventurers.
The small goblins, Brandel, were there in addition as well.
They have been surrounded, but the adventurers are superior in the battle.
The three adventurers display skilled coordination and defeat a big rat.
In order to not disturb them, I went along the wall and left the room, which has exits in all four directions, through the passage on the right side.
I walk through the empty passage for a bit. After a while the passage’s height changes to ten meters in total and the width becomes smaller as well.
At that moment I discover a stairway.
Once I descend the stairs in a trot, the temperature falls and a cold wind blows past my body from behind.
It’s the same as the last time I came here, isn’t it?
Descending the stairs while feeling the wind, I came out at a passage that parted left and right.
Which way should I go? Things I learned such as Murphy’s Law, Fleming’s left-hand rule, power, magnetic field and electric current cross my mind.
There’s no meaning to it, but associating forked paths with left, I pick the left passage.
I advance straight ahead through the passage while I study the geometrical patterned light sources, which can be found on the narrow left and right walls, with my eyes.
These light patterns have a common design in this labyrinth, don’t they?
The ones here had a design resembling the ones on the ceiling in the special room where the crystal is enshrined.
As I’m pondering about such things, I sense magic source responses ahead.
It’s small magic sources. Big rats, three of them.
— Should I finish them off? No sooner than I think that, Rollo is already dashing ahead.
She transforms into her black panther mode while running.
She’s not a frilled lizard, but the tentacles that are growing out from around her neck look as if she expanded a black umbrella.
Huh? Different from usual, her tentacles are converging in one place as if closing the umbrella.
Before long they turned into one thick, black tentacle.
Even the silver ivory bone sword which slithered out of the thick, black tentacles, have turned into a thick, long-flyer-sized, big bone sword. It pushed through the air while rotating in a spiral.
Oh… the big rats seem pitiable.
Sure enough the big bone sword bisected the belly of the big rat it directly hit in an instant and pieces of meat were scattered in all directions.
Amazing, what overkill.
Furthermore, Rollo contracts the tentacles that transformed into their original size towards the bottom of her neck without a hitch and displays panther-like movements of trying to seize its prey.
While knocking the rats over, she clung with both sharp claws that are growing on her forepaws at their neck as if hanging over them, cut them up and bit them several times over.
“— Rollo, nice.” (Shuuya)
“Nn, nyao.”
Rollo-san looks triumphant even while blood drips down her muzzle.
“You did well.” Saying that, I gently caress her head.
Let’s collect the small magic stone from the big rats for the time being.
“Rollo, just in case, watch the surroundings, okay?” (Shuuya)
Since I’ve got Grasping Perception, I’m not worried, but for caution’s sake I entrust the lookout to Rollo.
During that time I loot the magic stones from the big rats’ corpses.
I have to get used to this work as well.
After finishing the collection of the magic stones I put them into my item box and once again start to advance through the passage.
Once more I arrive at a room that has arched exits on the left, right and front.
There are several magic source responses in the room.
When I was wondering whether it’s just monster responses, I discovered the figures of adventurers.
In order to not disturb the party’s battle, I choose the passage on the right side.
As I proceeded through the passage, big rats appear again, but they were quickly cleaned up by Rollo.
I collect the magic stones from their corpses and we continue advancing through the passage.
Next I come out at a pathway that seems to simultaneously split into two passages that fork in the shape of a Y character.
Four diagonal passages.
Based on the route I took until now, I assume that the left side heads into the inner part of the floor.
I proceed through the furthest left passage.
Once I do, the height and width narrowed.
It transforms into a zig-zag passage with no forks.
Following it for around ten minutes, I sense magic source responses.
I could see small goblins ahead.
It’s a crowd of Brandel. Five of them are gathered in one spot.
“Rollo, this time I will deal with them.” (Shuuya)
“— Nn.”
Rollo, who was about to run ahead, stops after hearing my words.
There’s no one in the vicinity.
It’s a magic experiment with the small fries close-by as guinea pigs.
I will test crest magic.
While running towards the Brandel—
I chant 《Frozen Blade NetFreezing Splash》.
At that moment, a beautiful, light blue magic crest extends in front of my eyes.
Countless ice blades with my body’s size appear from the magic crest that is floating in midair, overlap with each other while rotating horizontally as if creating a stitch of ice blades and fly towards the targeted location.
The Brandel are caught by the sharp, glistening stitch just like fish that are caught in a net. Having stitch wounds created all over their bodies, they were cut into pieces in an instant and reduced into small pieces of meat.
Even after subjugating the monsters, the Frozen Blade Net doesn’t lose any of its momentum and clashes into the labyrinth’s floor.
Once I look at the impact site, it had linear stitch cuts as if creating ravines.
This has an amazing power as well, hasn’t it?
I can’t believe it. For it to damage even the labyrinth itself…
Since the cuts have only been created in the direction where the Brandel were, it has a certain degree of directionality, but if I had friends with me, it would be far too scary to use this magic.
Though I might get used to it after casting it several times.
I guess I will test a different spell next…
While making such a plan, I search for the magic stones.
The magic stones dropped in the vicinity where a lot of meat chunks that have been scattered around.
I wash my hands with the water of life magic and also rinse the blood off the magic stones.
The dropped, small magic stones have each a different shape, but many of them are diamond-shaped.
The colors of the magic stones were green and yellow.
Goblin types have such a hue? The color of the big rats’ magic stones was colorless.
I pick up a magic stone and peer into it.
Rather than a stone, this looks like a gem.
A diamond-shaped stone, huh…? Do I put it away? Hmm, ah, this, maybe it’s… I was suddenly hit by an idea and remembered the item box’ diamond-shaped mark ◆.
I will offer them as Elenium stones.
Maybe I can re-use it with magic stones…
Let’s try it out.
Touching the sun mark located on the item box’ bracelet’s surface, I say 「Open」 and operate the item box.
Opening the window, the usual menu screen is displayed.
I touch the diamond-shaped mark ◆ lining up inside the menu with my index finger with a *button-press*.
The window changes in the same manner as the other day.
◆： Total stored quantity of Elenium: 0
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Necessary Elenium stones: 50 – incomplete
Reward: Storage +15: Release of Memory Storage
Necessary Elenium stones: 100 – incomplete
Reward: Storage +20: Release of Kaleidoscope
Necessary Elenium stones: 200 – incomplete
Reward: Storage +25: Loading Dimension Scan Function
？？？？？？
？？？？？？
？？？？？？
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――
I drop the green small magic stone into the large diamond-shaped mark on the left side.
Thereupon characters are displayed below the diamond-shaped mark that’s shown in the window.
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Detecting unknown stone… magic source compatibility 50%.
80% and below will be rejected.
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Once the displayed message ended, the small green magic stone I put in dropped out of the lower part of the window.
I pick up the fallen magic stone.
50% was displayed with this small green magic stone.
That means it might exceed 80% if it’s a medium-sized magic stone.
It’s no good if I don’t collect the request’s share of medium magic stones, but…
Once I obtain the next medium magic stone, I will try dropping it into the diamond-shaped mark again and check what kind of response it will trigger.
If the medium-sized magic stone is recognized as an Elenium stone, I will be happy.
If I’m lucky and it gets recognized, being able to receive the rewards will be connected to the strengthening of my item box.
While I’m at it, I guess I should try the other magic stones as well just in case.
All of the other four small green magic stones had 50%.
On the other hand, the colorless, small magic stones dropped by the big rats has a slightly higher percentage of 60%.
Is that because the color of the magic stone is colorless and transparent?
However, it doesn’t reach 80% either way.
I suppose the next time will be after I get my hands on a medium-sized magic stone.
That means I have to switch over my way of thinking.
Erasing the window, I start advancing through the labyrinth.
Once I proceed through the zig-zag passage, I came out a T-shaped pathway.
This time I will go right. The passage that bent as if drawing a curve has become wide.
Walking straightforward along the curving passage, I am able to confirm that the brightness vanishes ahead of the passage.
The light sources on the walls and ceiling are gone.
It’s pitch black in front. Is it a trap or something like that?
I activate <Night Vision>.
『Helme, lend me your field of vision just in case.』 (Shuuya)
『Yes!』 (Helme)
I imagine seizing Helme, who appeared in my field of vision, with my gaze.
Spirit Sight was activated.
『Ahn!』 (Helme)
Disregarding Helme’s small voice, I examine the passage.
I also release <Chain> — and check the distant floor with it.
I carefully walk ahead while hitting the nearby floor and walls with my Magic Halberd.
Thereupon I was able to sense several small magic source responses ahead in the darkness.
I stare at the magic sources and check them.
The thermography of the Spirit Sight also reacts to heat.
The figures of bats are clearly reflected in red.
The small responses are bat monsters, huh?
Erasing the Spirit Sight, I confirm them with just Magic Observation, too.
It looked as if the light of magic sources is disseminating on the ceiling.
It’s a swarm of several dozens.
Their number is big, but they haven’t noticed me.
“Rollo, move back since I will finish them off.” (Shuuya)
“Nya.”
Rollo retreats as instructed.
Alright, let’s get a head start here.
Elementary class: Water attribute, Frozen Bullet.
Elementary class: Water attribute, Frozen Sword.
Intermediate class: Water attribute, Frozen Arrow.
Next I will shoot these three one after the other to test them.
First is 《Frozen Bullet》.
The ice bullet directly hits the head of a bat monster that was staying at the ceiling.
Having a hole in its head, the target falls to the ground.
Thereupon the other bat monsters took off all at once and rushed towards me.
Man, I made a mistake with the shooting magic, didn’t I?
Even though they would have been annihilated in an instant if I had tested wide-range magic.
I furrow my eyebrows with a slight frustration within the deep darkness.
Without caring about my circumstances at all, the bats leap onto me while displaying the sharp-looking fangs in their mouth.
Seemingly able to precisely pinpoint my location through ultrasonic waves even in the darkness, they close in on me.
But, I don’t have any intention to let them approach me that easily.
I move my left hand as if swinging it and shoot <Chain>.
Treating the chain like a whip, I make it twist vigorously and flexibly. I knock down several of the flying bats at the same time.
Let’s test my spells at the same time.
I activate Intermediate class: Water attribute spell, Frozen Arrow.
Different from the ice ball, this spell generated a thick ice arrow with a size of around a human’s arm.
Looking at the size of the arrowhead which is whitely shining at the tip, it looks just like a spear.
The shining arrowhead flew as if piercing through the darkness.
The bat monsters are swiftly flying through the air, but the ice arrow easily seizes a bat monster.
Piercing through the belly of the first bat, it stabs through the head of the next bat. Hitting the wing of a third bat, the arrowhead splinters after crashing into the ceiling, injuring several bats in the process.
This can be used quite well, too.
However, there’s still many more bat monsters left.
Apparently thinking that the magic attacks have ceased, the bat monsters that were flying around me swooped down on me all at once.
I rotate sideways on the spot using my toes as axis and avoid the nose dive attack of the bats who are opening their muzzles in order to bite me.
At the same time I casted the Elementary class: Water attribute spell 《Frozen Sword》 in my mind.
I invoke it while swinging my arm as if cutting them with my hand.
In a style of countering the approaching bats, the longsword-sized ice sword collided head-on with them and their bodies were cut right in half as if bisecting paper.
Next I cast 《Frozen Bullet》.
Immediately following I activate <Chain Spear of the Ray SystemShining Chain Lance>.
At the moment the ice bullet seizes the belly of a bat and shot it down, the Chain Spear of the Ray SystemShining Chain Lance, which is a flash of light, drew an arc in the air, homes in on the other bat monsters and stabbed their bellies and wings.
The chain technique of magic and skill is a success.
Using <Chain>, I knock down one bat monster after the other.
The sound of corpses falling to the ground continues for a while and then the passage becomes silent.
Before long the air was filled with a perfect tranquility befitting the darkness.
At the end I tried testing the continuous use of magic and skill, it went unexpectedly well.
A chain technique I can only use because of no-chant.
The skill <Chain Spear of the Ray SystemShining Chain Lance> looks like magic.
But, because it’s actually not a spell, it has a brutal efficiency.
The skill <Chain Spear of the Ray SystemShining Chain Lance> appears to be a Light Spear. Seeing it for the first time, one will definitely misunderstand it as a spell.
Mmh? Why is there such magic although such skill exists!? And it seems to be widely spread.
Well then, let’s finish collecting the magic stones.
I begin dismantling the bats with a dagger. I pry the bats’ corpses open, take out the magic stones, clean them and collect them.
It’s black tinged and red tinged magic stones.
Once I add the big rats and the Brandel, I have already thirty stones gathered in total.
Even small magic stones will turn into money.
But, since it’s insignificant, it might be fine to ignore them when possible, I guess?
“Rollo, you can come back now.” (Shuuya)
“Nnn, nya.”
Rollo-san walks ahead while releasing a slightly dissatisfied, throaty voice.
Since the dark passage still continues ahead, I use <Night Vision> and Spirit Sight.
I advance while checking that there’s no traps on the floor.
I proceed for a few hours while defeating monsters such as big rats and small goblins that suddenly appear in the passage.
I discover something that seems to be a trap in the passage.
The trap has already been triggered? More than half of the floor had caved in.
— A pitfall, huh?
Once I peek below, I can see countless needles at the bottom.
Since there are no signs that someone got caught in the trap visible on the needles, it seems there’s no person that was deceived by this trap.
Rollo returns to her original size and settles on her usual place.
Given that there’s a small space between the trap and the wall, I advance forward slowly and carefully by making sure to place my feet near the wall.
In that manner I was able to cross to the other side safely.
Although I passed this trap without harm, there might be another pitfall again.
Therefore I check the middle of the floor from along the wall.
There’s no response. It looks fine.
Timidly stepping forward, I move into the middle of the passage.
I walk slightly ahead from there.
For caution’s sake I check the floor ahead by extending a chain.
— At that moment there was a response.
The floor reveals a double door by widely opening it.
How scary! There was another trap just right ahead.
Its depth is around twenty meters?
Needles and sharp stakes are visible at the bottom. However, the hole’s vertical width isn’t even ten meters.
It seems that I can jump over it.
But, let’s not do that.
It would be bad if there was yet another trap ahead after passing this one.
Since there’s a slightly free space along the side wall just like before, I proceed along the narrow side there.
Will a spear jump out from the side wall in the middle of crossing it? I had bad imaginations such as this, but it was alright.
I carefully cross it and once again return to the centre of the dark passage.
I advance while checking for traps.
Once I proceed through this dark passage for a bit, I could see light ahead.
It’s a room with light sources installed. I deactivate <Night Vision> and Spirit Sight.
It took time, but it seems that I succeeded in safely coming out of the dark passage with its traps.
I head towards the room, from where light is leaking out, at a quick pace.
I check the room. At the same time there were also magic source responses of monsters.
There are arched passage exits in front, left and right. It’s a common monster room.
Defeating the small goblins swarming the room with my peerless spearmanship, I advance for around thirty minutes through the front passage after collecting the magic stones. And then I hit a dead end.
It’s a labyrinth, so such things will happen as well.
I run from the dead end and return to the monster room. Next I choose the left side.
The left side continues with a zig-zag passage.
Once I advance through it for a while, big, descending stairs with a wide width come in sight.
Mmh? The brightness of the walls located in the vicinity of the stairway increased.
It gives the whole scene some atmosphere, doesn’t it?
The wide stairs continued downwards for a long time.
I descend the stairs with quick ninja-like running steps.
I can see a spacious room spreading out ahead of the stairs’ end.
Based on these stairs, the room’s different from the rest…
Therefore I immediately anticipate it to be a special room.
I enter that room. it’s a spacious, eight-sided room.
There’s not much wind, but even though it’s not damp, it’s not dry either.
A distinctively thick crystal is enshrined in the centre.
Since there are arched entrances on the left, right, front and rear side of this room, I guess there are passages ahead in the same manner as the ones through which I advanced.
But, is this place the end of the first floor?
I wonder, am I already on the second floor?
Thinking that I can return to the surface through the crystal…
If it’s according to what Rebecca has said, if I touch this crystal and say “second level” or “second floor”, I should be randomly warped to a different second floor spot of the labyrinth.
It’s easy to understand from the dungeon’s wall. This place is the second floor. It would be easy if it was carved in, but there’s no reason for such convenient mark to exist.
But, I wonder, it being an octagon-shaped space and a special room, where a crystal is enshrined, with a ceiling height of around twenty meters doesn’t change anywhere?
While thinking about such trivial issues, I approach the crystal sitting in the centre and stretch out my hand.
Characters surface once I touch the crystal with my fingers.
“Second level* area” in blue and violet characters. (T/N: The author has been using different kanji for the level/floor/layer thing, since I’m not sure yet if it has any significance, I will keep those apart)
They manifest while flashing.
This is the second floor after all.
Should I try it at once?
“Second floor.” (Shuuya)
My field of vision is blurred for not even an instant— the warp is complete.
The characters “second floor” that I recited are flashing on the surface of the crystal.
Huh? The shape is different? The shape of the crystal is different, isn’t it?
Before warping it had a splendid, small but quite wide shape, but the crystal in front of my eyes changed into a slim, rectangular, vertically high shape.
It’s not quite an obelisk, but it has an unexpected shape.
Though it’s not completely rectangular since it possesses roughness.
Taking my eyes off the crystal… I check the interior of the new room into which I warped.
The octagon shape hasn’t changed.
The ceiling’s height is slightly low. The lines of the light sources’ geometrical patterns increased? I feel like that’s the case.
The floor has a purely cream color.
Since it was grey until just a while ago, it feels bright due to the light sources.
The walls are close to cream colored as well, but grey is mixed into it.
The exits of the room are only located on the left side and behind.
The arched exits on the left, right, front and back from before didn’t exist.
“Nyaa.”
『It’s shown by Rollo-sama.』 (Helme)
I think it’s by chance, but Rollo points her tail and tentacles to the left.
『Should I follow Rollo?』 (Shuuya)
『Yes.』 (Helme)
While talking with Helme, I choose the left passage.
The passage’s width is twenty meters in total.
Since it’s not like I can measure it precisely, it’s completely a measurement done by eye, but…
Once I walk while looking around restlessly, Rollo gets off my shoulder onto the floor, turns into her medium-sized black panther mode and walks slightly ahead of me.
I wonder whether she’s sensing signs of battle? I guess it’s her wild perception from her hunting time.
It’s a milky white, short, second-floor passage.
Almost all of the monster subjugations requests have only monsters that appear on the second floor and below.
The requests I accepted are on the second floor, too.
Therefore you can say that the labyrinth’s main stage is from here on out.
I wonder how frequently the requested monsters appear…?
I nervously and excitedly walk through the passage.
I continue my observation of the surroundings through Grasping Perception and Magic Observation.
I check whether the floor is safe or not by hitting the surroundings with my Magic Halberd.
Releasing the chain into the distance as well, I check whether the floor would react while advancing.
It seems there are no traps.
— The instant I thought that, spears suddenly rushed out from the sides.
— I evade them in a hurry with a toe rotation and Rollo nimbly avoids them by jumping.
Once I felt relieved, these spears all of a sudden!?
In revenge for surprising me, I strike the red-brown, rusted spears that jumped out of holes on the left and right wall and destroy them.
However, it seems like there was no indication of a trap anywhere…
Thinking that, once I properly look below my feet, my right foot stepped into a depressed spot on the ground.
This is a weight sensor?
It looks like it didn’t react to the chain’s weight.
Even if I check the floor with my Magic Halberd, it’s not like I can check all of it, right?
If you say that I was careless, that’s all there is to it, but advancing while seeing through all traps on my own is somewhat troublesome…
Well, even if I’m caught in a trap, I can still force my way out of it.
I dislike the pain though.
