Chapter 226 - Chapter 25: The Demon Lord's Cave ③
The tower connecting the layers was a mass of rock protruding from a cliff. It connected the top and bottom, and because there were windows here and there, they called it a tower, but in reality, it was probably hollowed out of the rock. Entering inside, there was a vast space.
There was a spiral staircase that seemed to cling to the wall, and when we traced it with light, the ceiling was at a considerably high position. It was twice the height of the Ghost Mansion, so about seven or eight stories high.
There was a strange odor.
It wasn't just the smell of blood. There was a smell like something rotting that made me feel nauseous.
When we illuminated it, cracks were everywhere on the floor, there were charred parts, and a pitch-black liquid and red... presumably, human blood was encrusted there.
The Medioland diversion was supposed to leave two people behind as caretakers, but unable to endure the gruesome situation, everyone had apparently gone out to explore.
Upon receiving the report of securing the base, the sight they saw when they jumped there via [Teleport] was, contrary to the good news, a scene like a battlefield where the seriously injured were groaning and prayers were being offered for the dying.
The ninth group, the main force, had fought a fierce battle with the Demon Race here.
If I recall, it was a joint unit of Gram and Northern Gram. As a result of an all-out battle including the second diversion group and the rearguard, two out of the seven main members and seven in total died, and while more than half suffered serious injuries, they somehow managed to strike it down.
We were unharmed because we set traps. However, I was reminded of how strong the Demon Race is when challenged head-on.
"That is the corpse."
Where the Medioland soldier pointed, the headless corpse of a Demon Race member, one size smaller than the monster we fought in the spider cave, was lying.
As I approached, not only the head but also both arms were gone, and the right leg from the knee down was missing.
Both of the horns on the rolling head had been cut off, the face was in tatters, and I couldn't even tell where the eyes were.
Illuminating here and there, both arms and the right leg were lying scattered, but as if connected by the black liquid.
It must have fought even while suffering deep wounds.
I gathered the arms, leg, and head and placed them by the body, and when I offered a funeral prayer, it turned to dust and vanished as if ash were crumbling.
Eleanor-sama said the first group could go home, but they insisted on staying and wouldn't listen.
Two hours have already passed. Normally, this is where they would hand over to the second group, but that second group has been participating from the start. Unable to refuse, it was decided to split up and explore.
I conveyed our location via the communication magic circle and joined everyone with the cowhide magic circle.
First, it was decided to cross the swamp, attach to the mountain that obstructed the view of the Medioland vanguard, and explore from there, centering on the north of the swamp.
"If we find the exit, are we going to the fourth layer?"
"No. Usually, there is a boss for that layer, so we will have the main force defeat it."
"By boss, do you mean a dragon or something?"
"No, an executive... I suppose..."
Um, I think we already defeated one...
Realizing this, Eleanor-sama froze.
Henry-sama and the Headmistress pointedly started talking about old stories, and seeing that, Harris-sama burst out laughing.
Apparently, there is a boss in each layer. They are beings that should be called the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Lord's army, and if we defeat the boss of the fourth layer, we can supposedly storm the temple where the Demon Lord lives, but...
"Could it be that the boss of the third layer is the third strongest, including the Demon Lord?"
"Th-That's right. That's how it works."
"Is it still there?"
"It should be. It definitely is."
She was sweating profusely.
There was an earthworm user, and they were also breeding spiders, though.
The first layer has snakes and lizards; the second layer has bipedal humanoid monsters like Orcs and Cyclopes; the third layer has forests, swamps, and insects; and the fourth layer has flying types like Griffons and Wyrms, plus magical beasts that use magic like Fenrir; it's roughly divided like that.
The fourth layer is supposedly a place like a temple with high, intricate walls, but it has no ceiling, and various magical beasts attack from the sky and the ground. If one storms in alone, it's easy to become exhausted from continuous battles.
When today's final tenth group storms in, they will rest for the night, and from early the next morning, as the second round, the first group and onwards will set out one after another without much interval to challenge the conquest. In other words, if the boss of the third layer isn't there, Roberts-sama and the others will end up with nothing to do. If they force their way in, there's a possibility they'll be exhausted by concentrated attacks.
The Headmistress and the others last time set out as the sixth group, participated from the boss battle of the second layer, and broke through the second layer. Next, they retreated without being able to conquer the third layer, and the seventh group and onwards somehow broke through the third layer. In the second round, they sent out the main forces of the next groups one after another regardless of day or night, and finally conquered the fourth layer with the Headmistress's group, and then stormed directly into the Demon Lord's temple.
"It's alright. We'll manage somehow."
Headmistress. In this case, "manage somehow" is a bit scary.
At any rate, we must break through the third layer.
Newly adding eight Medioland vanguards, we began the conquest for the third time with twenty-nine people.
Confirming the direction on the map and deciding the route, as we advanced while cutting down trees in the bowl, many insects flew toward us.
They seem to have recovered from the shock of the red ants' annihilation.
After all, we are illuminating everything with [Light]. If they know the approximate location, our whereabouts are probably easy to find.
Cockroaches, mantises, giant moths... The spiders were the same, but insects don't dislike light. Even if you aim for their eyes and illuminate them, they seem fine. On the contrary, they swarm toward it.
Whether called by the insects or not, bats also flew in.
Robinson-san manipulated the bats to launch a counterattack.
A fierce battle seems to be taking place, but this is no time to worry about it.
I sent out four Fireflies, had Flora hold two to illuminate the front, and I held two, illuminating the rear and above with an amplified version, and while having the bats repel them, we advanced further and further.
When passing through the swampy area, those crawling on the ground disappeared. I blinked the [Light] to signal the followers to stop and landed in the swamp as is. The bowl floats on water, so it's just right. When we stayed quiet on top of the mud, the flying insects also disappeared.
"We managed to shake them off somehow."
Eleanor-sama, who had been cutting down trees with [Wind Cutter], took a breath.
We all shared the honey wine from our canteens.
It's a preparation I'm proud of, which even the Dryad praised.
"We are truly struggling with the monsters here. This time too, we've done nothing but run."
We should have come on foot instead of forcing a breakthrough, but then we wouldn't have enough time.
At any rate, they want to break through the third layer.
Wait? Hold on a second.
"Um. Insect-type monsters are weaker than magical beasts, right?"
"That's right. But like the red ants, there are many of them. Even though they are weak, using magic consumes one's strength."
"I have a good idea..."
"[Light]!"
I directed the four Fireflies in all directions.
Insects gradually gathered, but since we were in a medium-sized bowl with a lid, it was safe.
The bats are also doing their best.
"I see. Gathering insects with [Light] and repelling them with bats. You've thought this through."
"I just want to make things as easy as possible."
"No, no, preventing damage to allies while inflicting damage on the enemy is the ideal of tactics."
It's a "moths to a flame" strategy. Although, it's the bats, not fire, that defeat the insects.
By now, the exploration teams should be searching for the exit on foot in separate groups. There's more than an hour. I'm sure they'll find it.
Moths are no problem. Many of them gathered and were just pointlessly fluttering and circling, scattering powder, but it had no effect. They were just becoming good food for the bats.
A giant mantis came. It's slender, but the position of its head is higher than a second-story window. It's brandishing a scythe longer than a sword held by a human. I was worried that if it poked us with that, it would put a hole in the bowl, but it pounced on a moth from behind and pinned it down.
I heard they were left to roam free, but they're no different from wild animals. Demon Lord, are you okay?
This time, a giant centipede crawled up onto the lid of the bowl. Its face is scary. It's glaring with triangular red eyes that look angry. It gnawed with two giant fangs with a clacking sound. Fiona, who had been averting her eyes from the insects the whole time, retreated into the crystal.
Despite being manipulated, the bats didn't attack very aggressively either.
However, suddenly, it started a scuffle with the mantis. Apparently, it won, and it started munching on the mantis.
"Is the Arachne the strongest among the insect types?"
"Excluding the exceptional Arachne and slugs, this area is probably the strongest among the insect types, isn't it?"
Spiders came swarming and peered in with many red eyes.
No matter how much we illuminated them with [Light], they seemed fine and didn't flinch at all.
Eventually, Robinson-san gave up on the passive bats, manipulated the centipede, and began an attack on the spiders.
The spiders were no match for the centipede's huge fangs; they were bitten several times, stopped moving, and were eaten just like that.
To be honest, I didn't want to see this series of eating scenes. It's fine that they don't attack the bowl, but it's not a pleasant sight.
"Hmm. I thought it would be a good match, but it ended surprisingly easily."
I can't believe Eleanor-sama, who is watching intently.
"Now, another main contender has come."
Where she pointed gleefully, something like a black-shining shrimp with its back arched came walking on long spider-like legs. At the tip of its arched tail, a curved stinger like a hook was growing.
"Wh-What is that?"
"A Scorpion. Originally, there are no scorpions in this area, so there aren't many chances to see them. As expected of the Demon Lord. This time, it should show us a good match. Jeanne, which one do you think will win? I think the Scorpion has the advantage."
Eleanor-sama asked excitedly. I think she's misunderstanding something.
The Scorpion also seemed greedy and started picking up the spiders the centipede had defeated with its pincers and carrying them to its mouth.
The centipede attacked fiercely.
Once the fight started, she was noisy, saying "Right! Left! There! Sting with the tail!"
Eventually, she even started demanding we illuminate it more with [Light] because it was hard to see.
While Wilson-san and I were fed up, the Scorpion successfully defeated the centipede, and Eleanor-sama made a victory pose.
However, the ending of the championship match came all too suddenly.
Just as I thought a huge shadow crossed from the side, it swallowed the Scorpion whole from the head.
It's a frog. It has a mud-like color. It must have come up from the swamp. I'm glad we used a medium-sized bowl. If it were a small bowl, we might have been swallowed whole.
The stinger at the tip of the Scorpion's tail apparently has poison, but the frog is sitting there with only that tail sticking out of its mouth.
It's looking at us with an expressionless face. I felt somewhat annoyed, so when I illuminated it with all my might with [Light], it spat out the Scorpion and ran away.
"As expected. The frog that swallowed the Scorpion, which I thought was the champion, left a tribute for Jeanne and ran away."
She's pointing at the Scorpion, whose surface is melting, saying "Look, look."
"Jeanne. That Scorpion is yours."
Wilson-san is chuckling.
I don't want it!
A single magic flare was fired up.
Apparently, they found the exit.
I temporarily turned off the Fireflies and drove away the insects that had swarmed us regardless of the championship match's result by ramming them.
I started up and moved over the swamp, and when the insects were gone, I dropped one decoy Firefly into the swamp and illuminated it with full power.
While watching the insects swarm the Firefly, I moved to the shore and waited, and then I heard the voices of Paul-san and Priest Williams.
"Did you find it?"
"Yes. Henry-sama and Bishop Catherine also confirmed it, so I don't think there's any mistake."
"Currently, Marcelo and Angelica are drawing a magic circle to connect with the base."
Finally, it's time for Roberts-sama and the others to appear.
Eleanor-sama swallowed hard.
"So, how is the boss..."
We arrived at the entrance of the tower extending to the lower layer. The boss is supposedly inside the tower.
"There was no reaction. Perhaps we defeated it?"
At Priest Williams' words, Eleanor-sama's shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"Do not mind it, Mother. We came to defeat the Demon Lord. Does an executive of the third layer even matter?"
Roberts-sama, who jumped here via [Teleport] and received a general report, said brightly, but...
"I am sorry. I wanted you to fight an executive before the Demon Lord to gain experience."
Eleanor-sama, having shrunk, was dejected.
"So, we just have to defeat the executive of the fourth layer, right? We can gain plenty of experience there."
The eight main members said it quite simply.
"What are you saying? If it is the same as last time, the fourth layer should have many magical beasts and flying types. No matter how strong you are, it is not something you can reach so easily through battle after battle. Even if you could reach it, do you think you would be fine fighting the executive of the fourth layer in an exhausted state?"
After all, it's a Demon Race member second only to the Demon Lord. And it's not necessarily the only strong one.
"Then, we just shouldn't fight continuous battles, right? Can we not break through stealthily with the combination of [Camouflage] and [Magic Reflection] discovered by our country's Jaegers?"
"Even if you say that, large monsters are occupying the narrow passages. You can only use projectiles and holy magic. If the arrows or Harrison's mana run out, it's over, isn't it?"
"It's alright, Mother. We have Jeanne, the decoy attribute mage, with us."
"Eh? Me?"
I reflexively pointed at my own face.
Apparently, it means I should be a decoy just like with the insects.
Fortunately, there are multiple people who use [Magic Barrier]. There are also users of [Camouflage], [Magic Reflection], and high-level or above holy magic.
We will combine the Headmistress's barrier to gather monsters, hide ourselves, and intercept them. We might as well call the rearguard, stage a grand final battle, and perform a big show. The seven main members seem to intend to infiltrate the place where the executive is in the meantime.
"If it comes to it, please escape with [Teleport]. Since you were kind enough to defeat the executive nesting in this tower, we should make this the retreat base. Please rest assured. We shall surely defeat the executive of the fourth layer and, with the same momentum, slay the Demon Lord."
At Roberts-sama's words, James-sama, Gladys-sama, Evans-sama, Hughes-sama, Bishop Phillips, and Bishop Harrison—the main hero candidates—nodded powerfully.