Chapter 127: B-Rank Labyrinth — Tower of Trials (3)
On the third floor of [Tower of Trials].
“You’re getting better and better.”
The pig beastman swordsman holding a greatsword grinned.
He was an enemy they had grown quite familiar with over the course of the last 178 attempts.
He was still not easy to face, but after so many repeated challenges, they were now at least able to fight him on roughly equal footing.
“Come at me again!”
The pig beastman swordsman radiated fierce momentum as he drove his greatsword into the ground.
Like a true powerhouse, he was yielding the first move.
“We’re going again.”
Unlike usual, Bartimir spoke in a calm voice.
“Blackie and I will take him head-on and hold him there, Marlin will watch for openings and interfere whenever she can, and Sleepyhead will support us. Any questions?”
“I have one.”
Marlin raised her hand while gripping the dagger [First Breath].
“You give everyone else nicknames, so why am I the only one you call ‘Marlin’?”
“That’s because you’re Marlin.”
“That means there’s no real reason, right? Give me a nickname too.”
“You really are a fussy child.”
“You even say the exact same things Kar does….”
Pressing down on the head of the laughing Marlin, Bartimir gestured.
“Blackie, let’s go!”
“Understood!”
Pendrick and Bartimir dashed forward at the same time.
“Come on!”
Bartimir reached him first and struck the pig beastman’s torso with his fist.
Boom!
It sounded as though he had punched a boulder.
The pig beastman swordsman’s expression twisted slightly.
“That’s no ordinary martial art!”
It was [Rock Shattering Art], the martial art he had learned from Dilmor, the gnome vice guild master of the Ashen Wolf Guild.
Because his proficiency, once clumsy, had risen astonishingly through all their repeated attempts, its power was now far beyond what it had been before entering the labyrinth.
“I’m going too!”
Pendrick followed by swinging his single-edged sword.
Clang, clang!
The single-edged sword and the greatsword began colliding head-on in rapid succession.
The tier of a martial Mystery followed its owner’s level.
And Pendrick’s trait, [Master of the Sword], raised the tier of all sword-related Mysteries by 2.
In other words, the [Fierce Gale Swordsmanship] wielded by the current Level-4 Pendrick was displaying the power of a Sixth-Tier Mystery.
Slash!
Pendrick’s swift and lively sword struck the enemy’s thick wrist and carved a wound into it.
“You really are remarkable!”
Now no longer at ease, the pig beastman warrior spoke with clear delight.
“You’re improving endlessly in real time. What tremendous talent!”
“Thank you for the compliment!”
Even in Bartimir’s eyes, Pendrick’s skill was improving at a frightening pace.
It was because of the homework Kar had assigned him.
He really is finding his own path now, since he’s no longer relying on an overwhelmingly powerful weapon.
Pendrick’s homework:
Reach the tenth floor using only [Fierce Gale Swordsmanship], without any help from Astrimia.
“Hup!”
When the swordsman swept his greatsword horizontally, Pendrick quickly blocked the attack.
Then the pig beastman launched into a fierce onslaught.
Pendrick, who had looked like he was pressing the enemy back, was instantly forced onto the defensive.
“Pendrick!”
At that moment, Marlin, moving under [Brites Stealth Art], appeared beside the pig beastman.
“Not so fast!”
Without even looking at Marlin, the seasoned warrior shoved her aside with his body.
“…Hm?”
The tiger beastman girl who had been shoved away vanished, and a hidden dagger came flying at the back of his head.
Thunk!
Thanks to the stealth-oriented [Brites Throwing Dagger Art], the surprise attack succeeded cleanly.
“…That stings!”
But because the difference in Soul Rank was so great, the pig beastman only felt a little pain and did not so much as flinch.
Even so, whenever an opportunity arose, Marlin used the martial Mystery [Rabbit Division], which she had learned from Yallen, together with her hidden daggers to keep distracting the enemy.
Her potential is considerable too.
Marlin’s homework:
Get used to using [Rabbit Division], [Brites Stealth Art], and [Brites Footsteps] simultaneously.
At first she could not even control the clone properly, but now they moved almost like twins.
At this rate, by the time she reached around the fifth floor, she would probably become a fully seasoned thief.
“It seems there’s hardly any opening for me to step in.”
Lucius, who had been observing the situation while holding his bell, smiled awkwardly.
Bartimir, who had stepped back for a moment, thumped the sleepy-eyed priest on the back.
“Then at least cheer us on. Dance the dance of faith like a bard who mastered performance Mysteries.”
“…That would be a little much.”
“Then at least give me a strength-enhancing blessing.”
“Understood.”
Ding.
As the sound of the bell spread out, considerable power began to fill Bartimir’s body.
“I’m going in too. Heal me immediately if it looks dangerous.”
The demon who collected disasters charged forward without even waiting for a response.
He had just caught a perfect opening.
“Marlin, right thigh! Blackie, roll!”
Thunk!
A hidden dagger lodged in the pig beastman’s thigh, and Pendrick, pretending to confront the enemy’s attack, quickly rolled to the side and avoided it.
“…Ugh?”
For an instant, the pig beastman warrior’s body tilted slightly, unable to fully control its strength.
At last, a chance had come to land a decisive blow.
“Hraaah!”
With a deliberately loud battle cry, Bartimir thrust forward his right hand wrapped in hardened demonic energy from [Flow Condensation Syndrome].
Under the effect of the curse [Scattering Bankruptcy], the stiffened demonic energy blasted violently forward.
Kwaaaaaa!!
The pig beastman’s body was flung backward after being hit dead-on by the demonic energy.
Its chest, the point of impact, was left tattered and torn.
“Yes!”
After successfully landing his finishing strike, Bartimir shot one hand high into the air.
Bartimir’s homework:
Properly fuse [Rock Shattering Art] with his original fighting style.
“…Impressive!”
The pig beastman slowly got back up, but his condition was far from good.
The tough swordsman soon turned into smoke and vanished into the air.
“Excellent! I will send you to the fourth floor!”
At last, they were able to challenge the next floor.
It was an achievement earned through repeated training over the last six days.
“Fourth floor! Keep it up!”
Soon, the team members’ bodies were moved to the middle of a tall rocky hill.
“Grrrrr!”
This time the enemy was a large white wolf.
“A snowfield wolf? That’s nothing.”
Acting squad leader Bartimir patted each of the team members on the shoulder.
“You’re all doing well, so just keep going like this. Then you’ll finish your homework safely and succeed in clearing it too!”
“Yes!”
“We can do it!”
Even though they had just finished a battle and were still breathing hard, the team members did not lose the smiles hanging at the corners of their mouths.
“Let’s go!”
There was no room for worry at all.
Kar, the most knowledgeable cultist of all, had sent them in with trust and without a single warning that they might die.
“O Arteine!”
Blessed by Lucius, the team members continued the fight with vigorous movements.
“Yessss!”
Their momentum was truly unstoppable.
Like bamboo splitting under force.
That was the single phrase that best described our momentum as we cleared [Trial Sewers].
“Wahahaha!”
The troll ranger that appeared as an enemy fired arrows.
Ting ting ting!
A barrage of arrows ricocheted wildly off the ceiling, walls, and floor as they rushed toward us.
It was [Rapid Ricochet Shot], a Hunter-class Mystery.
“Welcome!”
I leapt forward and caught every single arrow with my body, becoming a living quiver.
So none of the attacks would reach my companions.
“Splendid! This is the spirit of the Northern Continent!”
While the troll admired this quintessential Northern Continent style of “defense,” Rosalia rose from behind him like a shadow and launched a kick.
Crunch!
The troll, hit by the roundhouse kick, rolled across the ground with a twisted face before springing backward.
“You’re both excellent!”
The troll showered us with praise, then fired a single arrow carrying power on an entirely different level from before.
[Powerful Shot], containing more than three times the force of a normal arrow.
Its target was Rosalia’s head.
“Hup.”
I immediately jumped and blocked the arrow.
The arrow struck directly into my abdomen.
Along with the agony of feeling as though my insides had been destroyed, it gave the assassin a precious opening to attack.
“……”
Rosalia, who had already been charging at the troll, launched a roundhouse kick toward his head.
The troll, like the seasoned hunter he was, dodged lightly and was about to attack the assassin with his bow.
Crackle!
At maximum output, black lightning shot forward aggressively, as if it intended to swallow both Rosalia and the troll whole.
“…Krrgh!”
While the hunter trembled after being roasted by the lightning, Rosalia turned into a shadow, escaped leisurely, and rose back up beside me.
The troll, standing there despite his skin being burned all over, asked me,
“So that elf’s approach was a feint. How are your movements together so perfectly synchronized?”
“That would be because we are as close as true brother and sister.”
“……”
Rosalia stared fixedly at me, so I smiled brightly.
Not with my mouth, but with my mind.
Why are you looking at me like that, Noona?
Telepathy exchanged through [Yippee Yippee, Friends Friends!].
With just this, the two of us could become the strongest duo, one defending and one attacking.
Shall we keep fighting?
Just the two of us were enough to clear [Trial Sewers].
Crack!
At last, Rosalia’s rising kick shattered the troll’s jaw.
The troll’s body, now headless, turned to smoke and vanished.
《The nineteenth enemy has been defeated!》
《Enemies remaining until clear success: 1!》
“You worked hard. That was truly impressive.”
I applauded and glanced down at Abel.
Receiving my look, Abel immediately spoke.
“That was truly astonishing. How do you manage to surprise me in every single battle? I want to become an explorer like Lady Rosalia in the future.”
Flattery worthy of a child from the slums.
It was such excellent social tact that I had no need to teach him anything.
“……”
Rosalia calmly accepted the adoration, then lightly tapped my wrist.
Then she pointed toward the darkness deeper down the corridor.
“You mean we should hurry up and go beat down the enemy? Understood. Let’s move.”
We started advancing through the sewers again.
“Now only the last one remains.”
The path gradually sloped downward, and the farther we walked, the more moisture gathered in the air.
A foul stench of dirty water also began to drift faintly through it.
“…The stench is getting stronger and stronger.”
After walking a little farther, Abel’s face twisted badly.
“Here, endure it with this for now.”
I took the strongly fragrant herb we had bought at the market out of subspace.
Tear Mint.
It was a plant notable for its blue leaves that looked like tears, famous for its extremely refreshing scent.
Rub, rub.
I gently rubbed Tear Mint around Abel’s nose.
This blocked the smell and also slowed the rate at which Mental Energy declined.
“That’s much better. Thank you.”
“Would you like some too, Noona?”
“…A little.”
So we kept walking together in warm harmony while applying herbs to each other.
As we descended deeper and deeper, the foul smell that had gradually worsened now felt as though it had practically taken up residence inside our noses.
Splash, splash.
On top of that, underground water now flowed over the ground.
That meant we were almost there.
“Sponsor.”
As we walked briskly, Abel spoke carefully.
“Even though we are on an expedition, you somehow don’t seem very happy. Are you hurt somewhere?”
“…Was it obvious?”
This expedition did not leave much of an impression on me.
[Trial Sewers] already had a simple strategy to begin with, and I had already experienced labyrinths that produced extreme hardship.
[Nightmare World], where we struggled with a very small number of people.
[Sanctuary of Restful Purification], where I had lost one arm.
[Battlefield of Sun and Moon], where I had fought explorers with more experience than myself.
They were all so wonderful….
The problem was that my body had now become one that could no longer be satisfied with the level of difficulty of a mere small-scale labyrinth.
“To be honest, I feel a little sleepy and like yawning.”
Long-lasting peace was poison and punishment to me.
If I were locked in the underground prison of District Three, I would probably go mad in just a few days.
“Still, this labyrinth focused on the team members’ growth, so I must endure it. Isn’t it admirable of me to think of the group’s benefit over my own? Doesn’t it make you want to rub my head a lot?”
“……”
Abel only moved his lips slightly, then suddenly looked ahead.
“I think we’ve arrived.”
“I see.”
Straight ahead was a lake formed by water pooling in great quantity.
A space created by the influence of past changes in the terrain.
Unlike the previously straight corridor, the walls here were rough and uneven like a natural cave.
“Stop right there!”
I spread my arms to both sides and halted the team members.
“If we take one more step, the next enemy will appear. But we’re starting to want a rest now, aren’t we? Right, Noona?”
“……”
Rosalia shook her head.
Since she could not show weakness in front of her younger siblings, I could interpret that in reverse.
“Understood. We’ll rest here for a while.”
“……”
The cold assassin smacked my back with her palm, then looked back along the corridor we had come through.
“That’s right. It should be about time.”
Before long, Pierre would arrive leading the outlaws.
“We’ll welcome them here. The outlaws who will comfort my dejected heart.”