Chapter 436 - Third Story: Labyrinth Exploration
The first is the scout Bonnie. She has one Firefly. The second are Roberts-sama and Gladys-sama. The third is me, the lighting person. I'm illuminating the surroundings with Light from the tip of my staff. The fourth are Beatrix and Mary, who are also making a map of the cave. The last is Will.
"Labyrinthum, he said."
"Yeah, he did say that."
"For now, shall we try walking around while scouting?"
"Right, let's do that. Ah, Bonnie, let's try going right."
There's a rumor that Gladys-sama gave birth to the princess and has become like Roberts-sama. I wondered if it was true, but it seems so.
"I wonder if it's okay?"
"I don't know."
Beatrix asked me secretly.
"It's amazing. They really have good chemistry. What a wonderful couple."
Isn't it Mary, who doesn't waver at all, who is truly amazing?
"Do you two know what Labyrinthum means?"
Will asked from behind.
"I don't know."
"Me neither. A word from the continent?"
Beatrix and I both shook our heads.
"Yes, it's a word from the continent. In short, it's a maze. This underground passage is a maze."
Mary has recently started studying the language of the continent.
"A maze? If we walk around randomly in a maze, we'll definitely get lost."
That's true. At worst, we might not be able to return to the original place.
"It's not random. That's why those two are amazing."
Eh?
"It's as Mary says. There's a way to never get lost in a maze. Look at Roberts-sama's right hand."
When I looked at Roberts-sama as Will told me, he was putting his right hand on the wall. Occasionally, he draws a circle with chalk. It's rare for him to carelessly put his hand on a wall. Even though it's after Bonnie checked, just in case, there might be an oversight and a trap might activate.
"By doing that, putting your right hand on the wall and walking along the right-hand wall all the way, you'll never get lost. By actually touching the wall, you can also prevent Illusions and Camouflage."
The left hand is also fine, but now Gladys-sama is on the left and Roberts-sama is on the right. In other words, even if a trap activates, Roberts-sama can protect Gladys-sama.
"Surely, so that the scout Bonnie doesn't have to put her hand on the right wall, he's casually doing that. It's wonderful."
Mary is clasping her hands in front of her chest, being a maiden.
"You knew that well."
"Well, you know. Since I'm going here and there for trade, there are kind people who teach me various things."
Hmm. I learned another thing.
After walking along the right-hand wall for about half an hour, Bonnie knelt on one knee, stopped, and raised her right hand. It's a monster.
"Something strange is there. It doesn't run away even from the light of the Firefly."
I try making it full power.
"It's the same. It's looking this way."
Strange. There's no way such a thing could happen.
Overtaking the front guard and going to Bonnie's place, indeed, there is some humanoid thing in front of the door at the dead end. At first glance, it's a small girl in a luxurious outfit. Just like a princess or a young lady, but of course, it wouldn't be human.
"Is it a doll?"
"Seems so."
Gladys-sama and Roberts-sama are pointing their spears.
Even when illuminated with the full light of the staff, it doesn't blink once.
That doll beckoned. Scary...
I can't believe Roberts-sama is approaching normally.
Moreover, he's having some kind of exchange.
"Hey, is that a monster? Or a Demon Race?"
"I don't know."
Beatrix is asking. It's probably not a ghost. It might be something ritualistic. In Primordia, a golem moved. I think they called it a Puppet.
"It seems we're going to fight the monsters in the room beyond the door."
Roberts-sama came back with some parchment in hand.
"Look, that doll gave me the instruction manual."
A doll? It's seriously scary.
According to the instruction manual given by the suspicious doll, we can't proceed unless we defeat the monsters beyond the door.
For each opponent, each person can attack once, and up to three people can attack. In other words, any method is fine, so defeating the monster ahead is the condition for winning the battle. However, an attack method once used cannot be used twice. Those who violate the rules will be immediately disqualified. Since there are many monsters ahead, we have to fight while making a plan and thinking about attack methods.
"Even if you say think, we don't know the opponent's strength."
Beatrix jabs at Gladys-sama, who is reading out the instruction manual.
"Mice."
"Mice?"
"Yes, apparently there are mice beyond this door. Probably, from the second one onward, they will gradually become stronger."
I see. So this is what the game is.
"If the first is an F-rank mouse, after this, they'll gradually go up in rank, and at the end, it might be S-rank... on par with the Demon Lord."
Roberts-sama, who defeated the actual Demon Lord, says lightheartedly. Where does that composure come from...
"The Earth Dragon said it's a 'game'. There won't be anything like taking our lives. Besides, it seems we can withdraw if we apply to that guide doll. If it's impossible, we'll run."
"That's right. Let's think of it as a test of strength and enjoy it."
He and Gladys-sama laughed 鹰扬ly.
"What a great composure. Wonderful..."
Mary? You're fighting too, you know.
Now, the opponent to face is a mouse. Since we can't carry over the remaining two moves even if we defeat it in one move, we have to defeat it with one light blow. To avoid being counted as an attack, I canceled the Light. It's unreliable with only torches, but it's not to the extent of causing a hindrance.
"Shall we use Holy? Even basic can defeat a mouse."
"No. Holy originally has no rank. Keep it for the eight simultaneous shots."
Is that how it is? When I looked at Gladys-sama, she nodded after looking at the instruction manual. In that case, there's almost no turn for me.
"Since there are three moves, it would also be possible to cast support magic on allies. There will be times when we have to attack with a sword or spear against a tough or fast opponent. There are plenty of turns."
Hmm. In that case, the strongest attack would be Cocytus enhanced with Holy, or Roberts-sama's spear with increased speed from Increase Agility. We could also involve the eight simultaneous shots. Is my turn in the latter half?
"Right, so leave the weak opponents to the mages."
Saying that, Beatrix, who fired a Fire Ball, easily defeated the mouse. The mouse tumbled and became a stone or wood. Truly nothing remains.
"Alright! Next, let's go!"
She's completely into it.
After the mouse was another mouse.
Mary froze it with Freeze.
"Just how many times are we going to fight?"
"The number of times isn't written. I wonder how many."
Beatrix and Gladys-sama are looking at the instruction manual, but they don't seem to know.
In short, is it that? A strategy to make us exterminate mice many times and exhaust our attack methods? Well, I'll admit it's effective.
"Until we find stairs to go up or something, it might be nothing but mice."
"It can't be helped. Until we find a way to go up, let's continue the exploration."
"Yes. I'll follow you anywhere."
I wonder how many we have to exterminate.
The third was also a mouse.
"How about it? Shall we practice handling weapons against a mouse?"
Roberts-sama said something reckless.
"Look, even with this, you can defeat a mouse, right?"
So saying, he's pulling out the knife at his waist. It's made of silver.
"Suppose the opponent on the next floor is E-rank, wolves or bears might come out. This is the only time we can do such things."
That's true.
"Then, I'll do it."
It's Bonnie. She's used to handling knives. Since the opponent is fast, she finally defeated it after slashing it with the knife several times.
The fourth is Mary. I don't know when she learned it, but she's quite adept. She has her left foot forward in a half-stance, holding the knife in her right hand and her left hand out in front to gauge the distance. She dodged the mouse that jumped at her with light steps—left foot, then right foot—and stabbed it with the knife as she passed. Or so Will told me.
"Aren't you amazing?"
"Ufufu, it's a lady's accomplishment."
Is it?
Probably, Eleanor-sama taught her.
The fifth is Beatrix's challenge. However, using my staff.
"It's silver, so it's fine as long as it hits, right?"
"That's right, but don't hit the wall and damage it. If the star is taken, I can't do the eight simultaneous shots."
"I'll hold it the other way, so it's fine."
She went toward the mouse while saying that. No matter how you look at it, her knees are weak. However, since she's thrusting the long silver staff toward the mouse, the opponent is also intimidated and doesn't come at her. It became a war of attrition as they moved left and right.
"Pull it back once!"
"Eh?"
At Roberts-sama's words, she pulled back in a hurry.
"Thrust!"
"Eeeee!"
This time, when she thrust out in a hurry, it hit the mouse's face just as it jumped at her, and it flipped over. Although it was a coincidence, she succeeded in dealing a brilliant fatal blow. As it was, she struck its head with a 'gwan' and delivered the finishing blow, and it successfully became wood and stone.
"Roberts-sama, thank you!"
Beatrix says her thanks.
"Even though it was a coincidence, it went well."
"I-Is it a coincidence?"
Seeing him nodding, it seems it really was a coincidence.
"The point is the distance."
He's laughing 鹰扬ly. Gladys-sama is clapping. In any case, she defeated it.
"I managed to do it, the next one is your turn if it's a mouse too."
Next, let's have Will do it.
Without fighting a sixth mouse, we successfully found the stairs to go up.
On the second floor, we are still following the right-hand wall, but since there shouldn't be any malicious traps, Bonnie is putting her right hand on the wall. However, the map-making became Beatrix's job.
"Next is E-rank? It's wolves, right? If it's bears, it'll be tough."
"Even if it's wolves, what shall we do?"
It's as Beatrix says. Thinking about it now, we should have fought the mouse with the staff. If the opponent is a wolf, I don't feel like I can win. Even a mouse is dangerous.
"My Freeze is left, so after I stop it with that, you defeat it with the staff."
"I-I see. We just have to defeat it with two people."
"I think you know, but if it's E-rank, you can't defeat it with one shot of basic magic, so you have to do it with two or three people."
That's true. The attack power of the two heroes must be saved for the Demon Lord-class.
"Roberts, let's make a plan for a bit."
"Right. Attacks with weapons, including unarmed combat, can be used in six types: spear, sword, knife, the staff borrowed from Jeanne, and the bow borrowed from Bonnie, by me, Gladys, and Will. In addition, there are Bonnie's staff, stone-throwing, bow, one-handed sword, and Will's throwing knives. That's twenty-three times. There are seven ranks... floors left, and if we fight five times on one floor, we'll fight thirty-five times."
"Roberts, we don't have the luxury of fighting five times against a Demon Lord-class. Also, I think there are four types of dragons."
We'll definitely be wiped out on the first try for both. Seven heroes fought the Demon Lord.
"Now that you mention it, that's true. Then, assuming the Demon Lord is once and the dragons are four times, we just have to win thirty more times."
"That's how it is."
The two of them are planning to defeat them...
"Magic that can be used for direct attack is two super-advanced for Mary, and six advanced including mine, seven or eight mid-level, and one basic left. And Jeanne's eight simultaneous shots."
In other words, nineteen times. Combining support magic and Light's diversion, from here, we'll combine those thirty-eight attack methods to fight.
"That's how it is. This floor is at most bears, and the next floor will be spiders. In that case, we'll defeat them with a combination of mid-level magic barrages and unfamiliar weapons for this floor and the next."
As expected of the strongest warrior in history. He made a plan easily. Moreover, it's realistic.
"Then, you also have a chance to use the staff."
If possible, please knock it out with Lightning or something.
The first was a wolf. The room is also wider. Accordingly, I feel the walking distance has become shorter. As planned, Beatrix froze it with four consecutive shots of Freeze. Since her magic control power is also for one mid-level spell, it's just right.
The second, after paralyzing it with Beatrix's Energy Bolt, I hit it with the staff and defeated it. I finally managed to participate too.
The third, the two heroes defeated it with unarmed combat. It's proceeding quite smoothly.
"It's the same place as before."
Bonnie is pointing to the white chalk line on the wall.
"We were walking along the right wall, right?"
"Well, yes, but since we started following it from the middle after going up the stairs, not from the exit of the first floor, such things happen. How about it? Are you drawing the map?"
"I'm drawing it. Mary and I are drawing separately, and the results are the same, so it should be fine."
Hmm-hmm, he's looking at the map.
"Here. Let's go up to here and switch to the left wall. How about it? Gladys."
"I don't think it's bad."
"Then, it's decided."
So saying, he's pointing to the map. I don't really know, but well, I'll leave it to them.
The policy is decided, and action begins.
"It seems it's bears this time."
Gladys-sama, who heard from the doll, turned around and said.
"B-Bears!"
Unintentionally, I looked at Beatrix.
"That's not what we talked about."
Exactly! Wait, eh?
"No one said it would be only wolves. Wolves and bears, their defense and magic defense aren't that different. It's just the difference between being fast or having strong power."
"Is that so?"
I didn't know. Is that how it is?
"After all, it's the same E-rank. You can defeat it with a steel weapon if you aim for the vitals, and with silver, you can deal great damage even if it's not the vitals. Stop its movement with magic and aim for the head or heart with a silver weapon."
As expected of the captain of the Eastern Plains Corps who does magic beast extermination daily. He's much more knowledgeable than us monster hunters.
The first bear, after stopping its movement by knocking it down with Beatrix's high-speed Water shots, Mary delivered the finishing blow with the staff.
The second bear, after knocking it out with Mary's high-speed Water shots, Bonnie delivered the finishing blow with a silver knife.
The third bear, Will, who made a defensive wall in front of her body with my full-power Shield, challenged it with the staff, and as a result, won brilliantly. To be precise, it was a development where it was unclear which one was the monster, as Will cornered and defeated the bear that was backing away in fear of the silver staff, but winning is all that matters.
The fourth, while walking and thinking about whose turn it was, we found the stairs to go up.
In order, the next is D-rank. Since it's inside a cave, there won't be Wyverns that fly in the sky or large sharks that appear in the sea, but spiders might come out. If Light's diversion can't be used, it'll be a hassle.
"We might have to use mid-level magic soon. Even with that, it's dangerous if it's a Fenrir or something."
Beatrix says. I see, Fenrir was also D-rank. It uses advanced lightning magic, but there are three people equipped with Eleanor armor and helmets. That said, it's a waste to use the attack power of those three. How to attack, then.