Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Tower of Tarros (3)
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Right after Ken leaped into the trap and was swallowed by the black liquid.
Siegfried finally released Rafne's arm once Ken's figure had completely vanished.
"Ke...en!!"
Rafne, now freed, immediately charged toward the bottom of the trap.
But the trap had already activated and fallen silent.
Once triggered, it wouldn't reactivate, and it took a full week to reset with a new one forming.
"No...! Ken, Keeeen!! Sniff, no, don't go, you said you'd stay by my side...!!"
Yet Rafne, unaware of this, pounded futilely at the floor.
"...Ken, ......Keeen."
Soon realizing there was no response, she bowed her head and soaked the trap's floor with her tears.
"First, I'll free the two of you."
Siegfried and Adrian watched her all the while.
Adrian approached Mary and Emily, holding the petrification magic tool Ken had left behind.
Standing before the two statues, he gripped the tool just as Ken had and aimed it at them.
Fwaaaah!
The tool emitted its signature light, bathing the statues.
Crack, clatter.
Chunks of petrification flaked off their stone-hardened bodies thanks to the tool's effect, and soon both were free again.
The curse of petrification lifted from the pair.
Emily immediately rushed at Adrian.
"Why...!! Why didn't you stop him!! Adrian!!"
Her eyes blazed with a ferocity she'd never shown her friends before.
She grabbed his collar, glaring at him with a face twisted in despair.
"Of course you should have stopped him...! But, ...why didn't you!"
"That's exactly why Ken petrified you all."
Emily's menacing demeanor shifted to bewilderment at Adrian's calm words.
To her speechless form, he continued with a troubled expression.
"If you'd heard Ken was jumping into a place like that, you'd have opposed it for sure. And if that didn't work, you'd have insisted on going together, throwing a fit."
"Th-Throwing a fit...? Of course we'd go together...!!"
"Exactly. That's why Ken decided to go alone, keeping it secret from you three."
"......"
Emily had no rebuttal. She simply stared at Adrian with trembling eyes.
Then, she finally hung her head.
Adrian was right—no, Ken's thinking was spot on.
They absolutely wouldn't have let him go alone.
No matter his plans or thoughts, heading into a place like that solo offered no guarantee he wouldn't die.
Even without Mary or Rafne's combat prowess, she would have begged to come along for her healing magic, clinging to the end.
Failing that, she'd have slipped in and jumped with him.
Having once endured his death, Emily couldn't tolerate him facing mortal danger again.
But.
Even so.
"...Why, ...why does Ken have to go to a dangerous place like that, sniff, all by himself."
In the end, tears streamed down Emily's cheeks, wetting the floor.
"It's precisely because it's so dangerous that he went alone."
Siegfried answered Emily's words.
He didn't want to send his junior, friend, and precious disciple into a hellish place alone, either.
But the resolve Ken had shown the night before, explaining the plan back at the inn...
That had to be respected.
"If he dies, only he dies. That's his mindset."
His words sounded indifferent, but Siegfried's fists were clenched tight, trembling as he spoke.
And amid this exchange, one person had remained silent.
Mary, who had stood still since being freed from petrification, finally spoke.
"So, ...what are we supposed to do?"
Everyone except Rafne turned to her at her quiet words.
Under their gazes, Mary pressed on with cold, sharp eyes.
"To help Ken... what do we do?"
He wouldn't have jumped in without a plan.
Even prioritizing their safety, there had to be a reason he went alone.
Which meant he'd surely relayed something to Adrian or Siegfried.
Her fists trembled with worry, anxiety, and anger, but Mary suppressed it all and asked for the method.
Adrian responded to her demeanor.
"We head to the 10th floor. There, we guard a certain stele until Ken's escape timing."
"......The 10th floor?"
A quiet voice echoed Adrian's explanation.
It came from Rafne, who had been slumped on the trap floor, weeping.
Having heard him, she staggered to her feet.
Then turned to face the group.
Adrian's face twisted for a moment at her gaze.
'...Eyes that could stop a heart cold.'
That was Adrian's impression of Rafne's stare.
Like a feral beast that had abandoned all thought of killing. Her hollow pupils brimmed with such menace.
Her presence made Adrian break into a cold sweat.
"Then we set out right now."
Rafne pointed her spear tip at Adrian, her gaze unwavering.
As if threatening to kill him if he refused.
Her spear carried the unmistakable aura of death.
"Calm down first, Rafne."
"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down━!!"
Everyone flinched at her roaring voice.
Like facing a beast poised to lunge.
They instinctively saw the Rafne before them as a threat.
Her eyes flashing murderously, Rafne pressed on.
"Ken's gone right now.... Ken, Ken's not by my side.... Ken, Ken should be by my side, Ken, Keeen, Ken... Ken...! Keeeen...!!"
Rafne's state grew increasingly unstable.
She ruffled her hair, her eyes quivering as she repeated the name of the one she longed to see.
Thud.
She dropped her spear, clutched her head, and collapsed to the floor again.
Adrian couldn't help but panic at her ominous state.
It hadn't even been an hour since he vanished.
'...This isn't what you said, Ken Fine Stein.'
Adrian recalled his resentful words.
'Rafne will be fine. She's been doing much better since we entered the tower.'
He wanted to show this sight to the smiling Ken who'd explained so brightly.
'How is this fine?'
Tears streaming, hollow eyes staring into void, voice like death as she called Ken's name.
Adrian realized.
Throughout their journey, her normalcy had always stemmed from his presence beside her.
And the instant he was gone, she unraveled like this.
But he couldn't just watch her deteriorate.
Ken had entrusted him with what came after.
He bore the responsibility to move forward.
"Rafne. ...We can meet Ken again in a week."
He skipped all other explanations, delivering only what might calm her now.
Then.
Rafne froze.
Tear-streaked hollow eyes and a blank face turned sharply on Adrian.
"......Explain."
Her quiet voice carried crushing pressure.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'I wonder what everyone's doing right now.'
I thought of my companions from inside a cave in the trap's world.
If I had to name it, [Tarros's Depths].
The cave was fairly cozy.
Of course, that was my take after nearly three months acclimating to this hell.
Still, it wasn't bad for living.
It hadn't started out livable, though.
The first few weeks, I constantly regretted entering.
I'd anticipated it from the game, but...
Food was weird plants and tasteless monster meat.
Drinking water came from filtering muddy swamp water with my Creation skill.
High-level monsters outnumbered low-level ones outside.
The temperature swings between day and night made travel and sleep miserable.
Now, though, I felt seasoned, managing just fine.
"...How much time has passed outside, I wonder."
A year was 365 days; a week, 7.
Rough math: about a day and a half.
Thinking it over, the time dilation was absurd.
I wondered what they were up to now.
A day since I vanished—they'd have heard the details from Adrian.
"...Hope they're handling it well."
I trusted my comrades, of course.
But stuck here for a year of game time to find the key...
If the outside team slipped up, it'd be another year wait.
I wanted out in one smooth go.
"Well, first I need to find that key myself."
Living solo meant more self-talk.
Maybe craft a volleyball Wilson?
"......Haa, it'll be fine."
Rest always brought worries about outside.
I wanted out fast.
'...Why'd they make the shortcut like this.'
I cursed the pervy devs most.
Shortcut.
A game mechanic for speedy passage through routes.
Tarros's Tower had one too.
The devs hadn't advertised it kindly.
I learned of it from a user's question.
[Why doesn't the 3rd-floor trap kill you?]
Normal traps drained HP or let you escape if non-instant death.
But this 3rd-floor hell trap differed.
Emily and crew just fell into [Tarros's Depths], facing endless fights and survival.
Fight to death or reload save.
Curious players probed the trap.
They found the escape in an unexpected spot.
A 50th-floor NPC.
Rescue S-rank ex-knight captain Gail from prison, trigger event.
'Figuring Gail's link to the trap was wild, but ...the first guy out wasn't sane either.'
Post-rescue: Free Gail on 50th, hit trap on 3rd, land in [Depths].
Survive a full game-year.
Who endured that first? Probably a survival game nut.
But his masochistic play revealed the escape.
After a year, a portal appears at the center.
Enter, exit at 10th-floor corner.
Scene: Monster corpses galore, Gail's body slumped against pillar by portal.
And a special-looking stele before it.
Players pieced together lore: Gail guarded the escape portal on 10th, knowing his savior Emily fell into the [Depths].
No rescue? Monsters destroy the stele, no portal.
"...But reaching 50th takes too long."
So I skipped rescuing Gail.
I had my team.
Plan: They guard 10th-floor stele post-drop.
I snag the shortcut key here, escape [Depths].
"...Please, everyone, pull it off safely."
I lay on my makeshift bed, praying to the dark cave ceiling.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Die, all of youuuu━!!!"
BOOM!!
Six days since Ken entered the trap.
Rafne's group headed to the 10th-floor portal site per his plan, guarding it.
Current floor: 5th.
Rafne led, roaring with rage and bloodlust.
Her spear extended freely, shredding charging monsters like a grinder.
"Rafne━!! Slow down a bit...!!"
"Shut up━!! Keep up!! I don't have time to wait for you━!!"
Adrian's shout chasing her drew a sharp snarl.
'How the hell did Ken handle that beast...?'
Adrian clicked his tongue inwardly.
Without Ken, Rafne was a starving predator.
Always on edge, ready to maul at a touch.
Inconceivable next to her tame, docile self with Ken.
Back to her freshman-year wildness in Adrian's memory.
At her uncontrollability, he considered cursing her.
Had she been milder, other options.
Thus, he inwardly marveled at Ken taming her like a kitten.
"Still, thanks to her, we're progressing fast."
Siegfried noted, running alongside.
True—their clear speed was insane.
Veteran adventurers who'd challenged long would gape.
Mary and Emily, equally desperate to save Ken quick, silently trailed Rafne's relentless pace.
Blasting through floors at breakneck speed, they hit the 10th half a day early.
"...Hah, huff."
They slew only blockers ahead, ignoring pursuers.
Straight to goal.
Thus, a vet party's 5-day trek in under one.
"...That, ...the stele?"
"...Yeah, looks like it."
Unlike the weary group, Rafne's unyielding aura persisted as she pointed her spear.
There: Ruins lit mystically like a spotlight.
Amid pillar clusters, blue grass, and vibrant flowers, stood a lone blue stele.
A mystical haven amid the 10th's violet, gloomy woods.
"...Ken, just hold on a bit."
Rafne stroked the stele, envisioning his face she yearned to see soon.