Chapter 153: Keep Up
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 153: Keep Up
“Clear. Moving out.”
“Okay, let’s head in.”
“Yes, sir.”
The 2nd Stratum was proving to be much easier than expected. The reason was Father’s Portal skill.
All the traps have been destroyed.
His claim that he could open a portal anywhere within 300 meters hadn't been an exaggeration. Whenever Gerick plucked his lute to scout the area ahead and discovered traps hidden inside walls or beneath the floor...
“Is there anything to throw around here?”
“Here, take this.”
—Clatter...
Boom!
“Let’s go.”
He would either destroy the traps from the inside or trigger them before we even stepped near them, neutralizing every single one.
“Ugh, this is boring! I like to run full tilt!”
“I agree. This is why I hate the 2nd Stratum.”
Bontes nodded in agreement with Father’s complaint. Of course, in terms of pure speed, our pace was incomparable to that of ordinary explorers. Only about four hours had passed, yet we were already nearing the 19th Floor Base.
“Young man! Let’s eat! Maybe it’s because it’s been a while since I’ve been in a labyrinth, but I’m working up an appetite fast.”
“Understood.”
As I pulled a wild boar carcass from my fingertips, Gadel prepared the fire and utensils while Father butchered the meat. Their professional efficiency was staggering. They tried to hand me utensils, but I already had my own.
“Ah, I have my own set.”
“Is that so? You’re well-prepared.”
—Sizzle...
As the campfire grew, Gadel extinguished the Light magic he had been maintaining. He had kept that spell active for four hours straight. Gadel was undoubtedly a powerful mage.
“That’s a magnificent skill. Being able to carry a whole wild boar carcass around.”
“Gah, this tastes great! Minotaurs aren't fit for eating. Between the smell and the toughness, they’re just dreadful creatures!”
It was an excellent party with clearly defined roles.
—Eek! Th-those people are weird...!
—Shit...! Don't make eye contact, just look down...!
It would be nice if their appearances were a bit less... unique. Still, covering the distance from the surface to the 18th Floor in just over five hours—their Cobalt-grade status certainly wasn't for show.
“You’re quite the talent. It doesn't seem like any rot has set in; is that an effect of the skill?”
“Yes. It stays exactly as it was the moment I caught it.”
“How long does the preservation last?”
“As long as it’s stored within my skill, there should be no effect at all. There’s no cost for storage, either. But why do you ask?”
Bontes toyed with his Pringles-like mustache as he continued.
“There’s a creature called the Bear Fish that lives in the river crossing the 3rd Stratum. They’re large and delicious. However, they’re hard to catch, and like most fish, they spoil quickly.”
“Can’t they be made into jerky?”
“Fresh meat tastes best when grilled. Besides, they’re too fatty to dry easily, and there’s nowhere in the 3rd Stratum to hang meat out to dry anyway. Giant flying insects would catch the scent from hundreds of meters away and snatch it.”
“I see.”
“That’s why if you want to find it on the surface, you can only get it occasionally at expensive restaurants in the Northwest.”
I remembered a fish dish being served at the place I went to with Theodora. I wondered if that was it.
“If possible, try taking some to the surface. It might be a huge hit if you sell it at the inn.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
The inn was already crowded with guests, but hearing it was delicious made me want to let Auntie, Sera, and Tresha try it.
“I’d like to catch one if I get the chance.”
“Oh, that’s the spirit.”
“Haha! Does this mean I get to taste it on the surface too? I’m looking forward to it!”
* * *
After a leisurely thirty-minute meal, we resumed our trek toward the 20th Floor. The 19th Floor Base was already close, and we reached the 20th Floor without any major incidents.
So this is the 20th Floor.
The eerie chill in the air grew denser. This was likely the Lich’s mana. From the 20th Floor onward, Evil Eyes would occasionally appear, and the strength of the skeletons encountered throughout the area would be significantly enhanced.
Not that it posed any real threat to Father’s party.
—Tring!
“There’s something on the floor below. A Minotaur.”
“Shall we head down?”
“Sounds good.”
Gerick placed his lute on the ground and plucked a string, sensing the Minotaur below. That ability alone was impressive, but I wondered how they planned to get down there.
“Here we go. Watch your step!”
The answer lay in Bontes’s overwhelming physical strength. He swung a heavy halberd with his massive forearms.
—Whoosh!!
The blade of the halberd slammed into the stone tiles of unknown composition. The floor cracked with a loud creak, the ground gave way, and we plummeted to the floor below in an instant.
Rumble—!!
“That muscle is a sight to behold, as always.”
The Minotaur was 1.5 times larger than the hulking Bontes. Its human-like body, packed with muscle, was covered in a hide of short, beastly brown fur, and its head was that of a bull. Its legs ended in cloven hooves.
—Roaaaaar!!
It held a massive greatsword that an ordinary person couldn't even lift, but its opponent was Bontes, a Cobalt-grade explorer.
“Hup!”
With a surprisingly cute grunt that didn't match his physique, Bontes swung his halberd in a full-moon arc, cleanly severing the Minotaur’s neck.
The Minotaur faltered for a moment as a spray of red blood erupted from its neck. Its massive head fell with a heavy thud!
“Young man. Come here.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Rock, paper, scissors!”
A sudden game of rock-paper-scissors began among the five of us. I didn't know the purpose or the reason, but I joined in for now.
“Bwahaha! Roland, you brat! You’ve been lounging around the inn so much you’ve even lost your touch at rock-paper-scissors!”
“Aaaagh!! Noooo!!!”
Father wailed in despair as he lost the game. I didn't have the slightest clue what was going on. Why play rock-paper-scissors right after killing a Minotaur...?
“Mr. Gadel, what was that game for?”
“Eating Minotaur testicles.”
“Ah.”
It was a traditional game for this party—a way to make the tedious 2nd Stratum more entertaining.
“But you guys! Can’t you see my face?! I’m young! I’m a girl! I’m this cute?!”
Father, who had turned into a primary school girl after his last labyrinth trip, tried to appeal with his cuteness. Certainly, seeing Father in his current form crunching down on those as a penalty might cause... various issues.
He pouted, his large, clear eyes welling up to evoke sympathy.
“Roland, you brat! Trying to dodge the penalty now, are we?”
“Ah, Roland. You are 『disqualified』 from our WWE.”
“Uh... Mr. Gerick? What is WWE...?”
Gerick looked at me with a surprised expression. Bontes and Gadel, standing beside him, shared the same look. When Gerick scolded Father for not telling me the party’s name yet, Father pouted again, saying he hadn't had the chance.
“Our party’s name is the Western Wild Elites.”
“WWE for short.”
“...I see.”
Truly legendary.
“Sigh... Young man. Could you eat this for me...?”
“Father, that’s crossing a line.”
Bontes had roughly torn off the fur-covered leather pouch. Inside were two testicles the size of a man’s fist. Just looking at them was horrifying.
I might help with other things, but I wasn't about to "take the hit" for this.
“Aww, don't be like that...”
“Hmph. You little squirt. I’ll let you off with just one.”
“Right, since your body got smaller, we’ll count one as enough.”
Testicles are naturally different sizes. Bontes picked the larger one from the leather pouch and handed it to Father...
Ugh, that is just wrong.
It looked even more gruesome out in the open.
“Uuu... you guys are crazy...”
Held in Father’s small hands, the size felt even more exaggerated. Just as Father, his mouth drooping in despair, seemed to make up his mind and scrunched his face to bite into the Minotaur’s masculinity—
“Hey, something’s coming.”
“Okay. I felt it.”
At the end of the long T-shaped corridor, a giant eyeball monster was glaring at us.
“An Evil Eye...!”
A pale purple ray was fired at high speed.
—Zzzzt!!
“Get down!”
I quickly rolled to the side to dodge the ray and fired a Fireball from my Skeleton Mage toward the Evil Eye.
—Boom!!
The dark purple fireball, shaped like a sphere, flew across the distance in an instant and detonated the Evil Eye, leaving nothing behind.
And then.
:: Usurper of the price... pay with your death...! ::
“The Lich’s voice? What is it saying?”
“Price? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Father, I think it’s talking about me.”
“Huh? Did you do something again, young man?”
I briefly explained what had happened before—about consuming the Skeleton Mage’s left ulna and usurping the Lich’s magic.
“Hah! Tampering with the Contract of the Dead? I like you, young man! Join the WWE!”
“I appreciate the offer... but I don't think now is the time.”
Enhanced skeleton soldiers began swarming in.
—Whoosh..!
Far down the corridor, several Skeleton Mages were casting Fireballs.
“Young man, whatever you do, don't make eye contact.”
Three more Evil Eyes appeared, ready to paralyze us.
“We’re breaking through them to the Great Hall at the bottom. The Lich will be there.”
“Yes, sir.”
Unless we took down the Lich, these things would keep pouring out endlessly. And the Lich itself was on the very bottom floor...!
“Young man, keep up so you don't get left behind.”
“...Understood.”