Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Tarros's Tower (2)
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“Nooooo!! I hate bugs!! I hate buuuugs!!”
The next day, our party smoothly cleared the first floor and entered the second.
The atmosphere had completely changed, even though we'd only gone up one floor from the first.
While the first floor had been a ruin-filled earthen zone, the second was a lush green jungle.
And true to the region's character, the types of monsters that appeared were different too.
For the record, the one screaming was Emily.
“Hmm, should I just burn them all?”
“W-Wait a second! Adrian! Fire is too dangerous! Please hold back on wide-area spells!”
As the locust-like monsters swarmed toward Emily, Adrian snapped his fingers and began gathering mana.
I panicked and blocked him.
It was only natural.
Using a massive fire spell in this grass-filled place would set the whole area ablaze.
No thanks to becoming roast pig.
Of course, I understood Adrian's reaction.
Just like on the first floor, hordes of monsters came at us because of our high stats.
Hundreds of winged bugs buzzing toward us—even I, a guy, got chills watching it.
So it was regrettable that our party's flamethrower was sealed.
Still, we had two professional mages in the group.
Even if Adrian's area attacks were blocked on this floor, we still had Mary.
━Kwaaang!!
A blast of mana-charged cold air enveloped the bugs, freezing them solid in an instant.
Kwaaaang!!
Then Siegfried and Rafne teamed up to shatter the ice chunks.
“Kyaa! Ken, bugs are so gross!”
Rafne, who had been boldly massacring the bugs up front just moments ago, let out a fragile whimper and clung to me.
Seeing that, Emily—who had actually collapsed to the ground—shouted.
“Don't make me laugh! You weren't scared at all!”
“Emily, your over-the-top fear is the real issue here.”
“B-But doesn't it gross you out? Even Mary must be scared!”
“Hmph. It doesn't faze me at all.”
Mary struck a pose with hands on her hips, but her shoulders were trembling as she said it.
Good effort.
“Then let's rest here a bit before pushing on.”
“Ughhh... How many more fights like this do we have ahead?”
“Who knows... Looking at the map, probably two more before we arrive.”
There was an entrance to the third floor not far from our current safe zone.
Once we reached it, we'd be done with these bug swarms.
Of course, we'd run into them again on the way back.
'Still, buying that map from the shop was a real stroke of luck.'
In the game, the minimap was always on screen, but without it in reality, this map was a huge help.
It wasn't as detailed as the game's minimap, but it showed the tower's general layout and our position.
Unfortunately, it only went up to the 42nd floor that the vanguard had cleared, so we'd have to go blind after that.
Luckily, our party didn't need maps beyond the tenth floor.
After resting, we pressed on through the second floor.
And after a few more battles, we reached the exit of the second floor—the entrance to the third.
A familiar face was sitting there.
“Oh, a group of young adventurers.”
An old man perched on a tree root near the third-floor entrance.
His hair and beard were white, his face lined with wrinkles, but his body was sturdy, and the scratches on his leather armor spoke of his experience.
He sat with his sword planted in the ground and greeted us as we approached.
This old man was one of the NPCs from the second floor in the game.
I hadn't expected him to be here in this real version, and seeing him in person felt strange.
“Are you heading up to the third floor now?”
The old man grabbed us as we passed and asked.
In the game lore, there was only one reason he sat there.
To give a single warning to players entering the third floor.
“Be careful on the third floor. There's a dangerous trap there that doesn't exist up to the second.”
“...A trap? What kind of trap?”
Mary asked seriously, taking his words to heart, and the old man chuckled as he explained.
“It's a different kind of dangerous trap from the usual ones. Once you fall in, you can never get out. You'll plunge straight into hell.”
“H-Hell?”
“They say you end up somewhere with twisted time and space. And escaping from there is supposedly impossible.”
Emily jumped in shock at his words, while Rafne gripped my hand tightly, looking anxious.
“Well, try not to die.”
Having fulfilled his role, the old man waved us off.
“Um, Ken... That trap the old man mentioned. Can you... find it like before?”
“It sounds extremely dangerous. Maybe we should head back for today and gather info...”
Emily and Mary, full of worry, said this at the stairs leading to the third floor.
But I smiled and reassured them.
“Don't worry. I know plenty about the third floor's trap.”
“R-Really? Well, it's you, Ken.”
Emily gave a small smile at my confident answer.
But Mary still looked uneasy.
“Hey... Ken. Is it really okay? I have a bad feeling.”
Even the usually quiet Rafne chimed in.
They must have sensed something off from the old man's ominous warning at the entrance.
I just smiled silently and stroked Rafne's head.
The third floor we entered was a vast ruined castle.
We were on the outer castle walls.
A wide vista stretched out, with an endless cliff dropping below the wall we stood on.
At the edge of the view loomed a castle outer wall of indeterminable size.
Unlike the first two floors, the field was formed by the castle's narrow paths, restricting combat.
Of course, it also funneled monsters, so pros and cons.
“It's awfully high. Is that bottom the hell the old man mentioned?”
Siegfried peered over the cliff-side parapet and said.
“Who knows. Falling in would probably send you to hell, though...”
I looked down too.
An endless darkness.
I'd never fallen in the game, but it looked seriously dangerous.
Unlike the game, in this reality, you'd freefall with no issues.
Staring down made my legs shake.
“Seriously! It's dangerous, Ken.”
Rafne grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
“I-I'm... just anxious, so don't do anything risky.”
Her expression lacked its usual playfulness; she looked genuinely worried.
The third floor's atmosphere probably amplified her unease.
“Yeah, I'll be careful.”
I smiled, feeling a twinge of guilt.
We proceeded cautiously, staying alert.
“...Enemies incoming! Skeletons!”
Mary's shout spotting distant monsters kicked off our first fight.
Combat on the castle walls.
The narrow passage meant fewer monsters than floors one or two, per the system.
But the tightness made team coordination harder.
I thought it'd be tough.
'...No worries here.'
━Kwagagagak!!
Even from the rear, I could see the airborne skeleton soldiers.
It was like wind scattering leaves—Rafne's work up front.
She seemed intent on clearing this creepy third floor fast, putting extra power into it.
Her fierce attacks felled the skeletons effortlessly.
We advanced without much trouble and reached the castle interior entrance.
“I'll take point from here. The trap the old man mentioned is inside the castle.”
Like in the ruins and jungle, I led, checking for traps.
When we found one, we'd detour or avoid it.
Sadly, game knowledge let me detect but not disarm them.
“...Ken, be careful.”
Rafne, who'd been leading, now followed me closely with a worried voice.
“It's easier to spot than I thought, so it's fine.”
I reassured her. It wasn't a lie.
Unlike floors one and two, the third floor's traps were designed to be obvious.
Not just the hell pit the old man warned about—arrow traps and mimics were easy to see too.
As I led, checking the map and path...
“...Hold up.”
I raised my hand, stopping the group.
“W-What's wrong? Something there?”
“There's a trap. Can't go this way.”
I answered Emily while inspecting the floor.
“Is it that one he mentioned...?”
Mary followed up. It was clearly bothering her most.
“No. Just a simple pitfall. No need to worry.”
“See? Told you Ken's got it!”
“Weren't you super anxious too, Emily?”
Relieved it wasn't serious, everyone finally smiled.
“Let's rest here a bit then.”
“Huh? Here? Right next to the trap?”
“Monsters don't spawn from traps. Safest spot actually.”
“...Mm, okay.”
They set down heavy gear, stretched, and sat.
Then began checking equipment.
“...Ken.”
As rest time hit, Rafne naturally sidled up beside me.
Unlike usual, no bright smile—just anxiety.
I gave her a gentle smile and stood.
Glanced at nearby Adrian and Siegfried.
They met my eyes.
Then I approached Mary and Emily, mid-chat.
“Huh, Ken? What's up? Need healing?”
“Are you hurt?”
Emily smiled welcomingly; Mary looked concerned.
I ignored their questions, rummaging in my pouch.
“You two remember this?”
I showed them what I'd pulled out.
“Huh? ...This is.”
“......That's from before.”
Before Emily and Mary could recall what it was in my hand,
I activated the magic tool.
━Paaat!
Unlike me, who'd experienced petrification firsthand, the two—who'd never seen it—couldn't dodge and froze solid.
“W-Wait...! Ken...?”
“Ke-Ken...! Why...!”
Before they could finish, the petrification tool locked their bodies completely.
I bowed to them—their sight and hearing still intact.
“Sorry about this, both of you. I'll release you soon.”
With that, I turned.
“Ke-Ken... What are you doing?”
Rafne, locking eyes with me, trembled in confusion at the unfolding scene.
It hurt seeing her like that, but
I had to follow through.
“Senior!”
Siegfried responded instantly.
“W-Wait! What are you doing!!”
On my signal, he grabbed Rafne from behind.
“Ken! Keeeenn!! Why are you doing this!!”
Realizing her anxious premonition was true, Rafne screamed.
The worry on her face wasn't for herself.
It was purely for my safety.
Even restrained, she fretted over me. I gave her a soft smile.
“Sorry, Rafne. But don't worry. I'll come back safe for sure.”
“N-No...! Ken, no! Don't! There has to be another way...!!”
Tears welling, she shook her head, struggling to convince me.
But she couldn't break free from Siegfried's superior strength.
I approached and gently stroked her head.
“Trust me. ...And sorry for restraining you like this.”
“Ke-Keeen...! Hic, Keeeenn...!”
“Rafne's pendant blocks petrification, right? So just bear with it this once.”
“Don't do iiiit...! Please, please don't! If it's climbing the tower, I'll work harder!! So...!!”
“This is the best way.”
We didn't have time to leisurely climb nearly 100 floors.
That long, and the demon king's army would catch on.
We needed to ascend as fast as possible.
I turned to Adrian.
“Then, as explained, I'll leave the rest to you.”
“Yeah, don't worry.”
Not his usual smirk—a serious nod.
I passed Rafne and headed to the pit I'd scouted.
“Ken...!! Keeeenn!!”
Her calls from behind weighed on my steps, but
I kept walking.
Finally, before the target spot.
“Ken.”
Siegfried's voice from behind.
I turned; he continued without looking back.
“Come back alive. No matter what.”
I grinned and replied.
“Don't worry. Take care, everyone!”
Mary and Emily watching and hearing all this.
Siegfried and Adrian to carry out the plan.
Rafne crying out for me.
Loud enough for all, I turned back.
One final step.
I placed my foot forward.
...━Chwaaaak!
Black liquid oozed from the seemingly normal floor,
swallowing me whole.
...
When I opened my eyes after darkness enveloped me and a bizarre sensation washed over,
I was in a place worthy of the name hell.
“......A year here, huh.”
I'd steeled myself, but feeling it firsthand brought a sense of dread.
“...Hah, how'd it come to this.”
But no choice.
This was the only way to keep Rafne safe.
Purple, barren earth.
Bare, leafless dead trees.
A dark sky choked with black clouds.
And hordes of monsters visible in the distance.
From now on, I had to survive here.
'First, secure water and food before supplies run out. Set up a tent near water...'
I pondered next steps and moved forward.
Then suddenly,
'Keeen...! Hic, Keeeen━!!'
Rafne's final anguished cries echoed in my mind.
Her sorrowful wails ached in my chest.
I looked to the sky.
Only cloudy darkness met my eyes, but hoping it reached her,
“Wait just one week, Rafne. ...I'll be back soon.”
One week for those waiting, one year for me surviving.
The timers for our missions had begun ticking.