Chapter 37
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: A Web of Tension
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It was a predictable outcome, but the door on the right had been the correct choice.
Trian, who at first glance seemed to be wandering in circles through identical-looking dungeon rooms, quickly got the hang of it and began guiding us with practiced skill.
“We were lucky. If we had chosen the left door back there, we would have spent hours trying to find the path again.”
“…That’s a relief.”
I replied to Trian’s grim words with a hesitant voice.
I certainly didn’t have the stamina to walk through this labyrinth for hours. Trian’s casual remark may have been a simple relief to others, but not to me.
After that, we wound our way through nearly ten rooms before arriving at one where a mine was set.
As the door opened, a corroded floor came into view, along with a mana mine placed right next to the opposite door.
“…Wait, Rireu.”
Trian stopped Rireu, who, upon seeing the mana mine, rashly stepped forward to do her job.
Since someone had clearly passed through this room before, the probability of a hidden trap was low, but Trian was the cautious type, even for a ranger.
He carefully and meticulously searched the entire room, and only after confirming there were no other traps besides the mine did he signal to Rireu that it was okay to proceed.
Rireu skillfully disarmed the mine by shooting a few sparks of electricity from her fingertips. Circuits, whose function I couldn't even begin to guess, melted on the outside of the black cylindrical mine.
“Let’s move.”
Once Trian confirmed that Rireu had completely removed the mine, he immediately approached the door where the corrosion marks continued, as if there was no time to waste.
Pressing his ear against it to check for anything hiding on the other side, Trian waited for a few minutes before slowly opening the door.
“…It tended to its wounds here before moving on. The bloodstains have faded.”
In the middle of the next room, a deep pit had been dug. It seemed the injured Mazoku had sat there to quickly treat its wound.
“Can you track it?”
“It’s not difficult. I should be able to pick up the trail again soon.”
Although the trail of corrosion had ended, it seemed that to the eyes of a skilled ranger like Trian, there were still plenty of clues.
“It went this way.”
After carefully analyzing footprints and the presence of dust on doorknobs, Trian pointed out a new path before long.
“Oh, right. For your information, that door on the west wall is a fake. A mimic-type monster, I think… I’d rather not have anyone open it by mistake and get eaten.”
He issued the warning, pointing to a door just before we were about to leave the room.
Unlike ordinary mimics that disguised themselves as chests, the monsters in this forest zone could also disguise themselves as fake doors.
When a dungeon's level is high, it's only natural that the tricks of its monsters become more varied.
“It could probably swallow even an orc like you in one bite. So it’s best not to even get close.”
“…I will mark it, just in case.”
To prevent any of us from getting confused and opening the wrong door, Rex raised his axe high and gouged the floor right below the door.
In a place like a dungeon, where rooms are often interconnected, it was crucial to carefully mark any traps you discovered to avoid falling for them.
“Let’s move.”
We continued to cross from room to room under Trian’s guidance.
Then, at one point, he stopped dead in his tracks and stroked his chin, looking troubled.
“Did you find something?”
“There’s a mine in this room. But the problem is… I also sense the presence of a large monster.”
“…How is that possible?”
I asked, dumbfounded.
…Why are those two in the same room?
If a mine was set, it meant a Mazoku had passed through, and where a Mazoku had passed, there shouldn’t be any monsters, right?
“How should I know? Perhaps the monster settled in after the mine was planted. A mine doesn’t go off unless you step on it, so it's not entirely impossible.”
“No, but how can a monster settle in where there’s a mine? It’s strange for those two to coexist. Shouldn’t the monster have stepped on the mine and set it off?”
“I am not a detective or a prophet. How would I know why things got so twisted? What’s important right now is the fact that both a mine and a monster coexist in the room beyond this one.”
It seemed the circumstances of how this situation came to be were of little importance to Trian.
I stared at him blankly, wondering how he could remain so calm in such a nonsensical situation.
“When you’ve lived for about 1200 years, you experience things far more absurd than this.”
“Well, a dungeon is a place where things that defy common sense happen every hour. It would be best not to dwell too much on figuring out how this came to be.”
Rex said in a soothing tone, seeing my bewildered expression.
“…I’ll open the door to assess the situation, but there’s a chance a fight could break out. It’s also possible the stupid monster will spot us, rampage, step on the mine, and blow itself up. Whatever happens, you’d better be on your toes.”
At first, the latter sounded like an advantageous situation for us, but it was actually the worst possible thing that could happen.
Even in a level 40 dungeon, a party like ours could handle one or two mob monsters without much difficulty.
After all, we had a 4th-circle genius mage, an orc barbarian who would one day be called a hero, and a skilled ranger on one team.
The real problem was if the monster stepped on the mine and it exploded.
In that case, the massive explosion would echo throughout the entire dungeon, advertising our location to all, and it would summon the dungeon’s sleeping inhabitants to this spot.
“Stay alert. I’m opening it.”
After he finished speaking, Trian carefully pushed the doorknob and peeked his head through the crack.
I followed his lead, cautiously observing the scene beyond the gap in the door.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
And upon seeing the sight before me, I couldn’t help but mutter a curse under my breath.
Because I had never seen a more ridiculous situation.
A mine exuding a sinister mana was situated in the very center of the room. Surrounding the mine was a dense, sturdy spiderweb, and if you followed the web upwards with your eyes, you would be greeted by a giant spider so grotesque that the word alone was insufficient.
The massive spider, large enough to obscure the unknown mural on the ceiling, was asleep with its dozens of eyes closed. It was enormous enough to devour even a huge orc like Rex in a bite or two.
How on earth did the situation get like this? How did that Mazoku manage to install a mine in the center of a room where such a colossal monster was sleeping?
Or was it more likely that the monster snuck into the mined room and set up its nest? If so, had it managed to avoid stepping on it for all that time? And why on earth would it build a nest in a room with a mine?
We could only stare blankly and silently through the crack in the door at a scene whose cause and effect we couldn't begin to fathom.
Trian observed the room for a while longer, then carefully closed the door so as not to wake the spider.
“Let’s make a plan.”
“How could it be so perfectly…”
“I admit, it’s a strange and bewildering sight for me as well… but for now, focus only on resolving the immediate situation.”
As if proving he hadn't wasted his 1200 years, Trian alone remained largely unfazed by the sight.
“…Though the probability is low, it’s best to assume that a monster born in that room managed to safely build its nest without stepping on the mine. In any case, as Trian said, how this happened doesn't matter. What's important is the solution.”
Rex seemed to be thinking to himself that we were just terribly unlucky.
…I don't know why I suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
Could my disastrously low Luck stat of 1 have brought about even this unbelievable situation?
Damn it, it felt like there was no other way to explain this absurd scenario…
At this rate, because of my low Luck stat, an asteroid floating through space will suddenly change its trajectory and fall right where I'm standing.
And when that moment comes, I’ll look at the asteroid falling toward me and lament.
‘Shit, I should’ve just put one more point into that damn Luck stat…’ I’d say.
Realizing just how terrifying a stat Luck was, the strange thought began to creep in that it might have been better to put the 20 points I invested in Mana into Luck instead.
‘If I put 20 points in Luck, couldn’t I make a meteor fall on my enemy’s head instead of mine?’
What else is magic? If you can drop a meteor on someone’s head just by praying, that’s magic.
“From what I observed, the spiderweb wasn’t as dense as I thought. I don’t know why, but it looked like it was spun in a hurry. It’s too tight for someone of Rex’s build to get through, but there was enough space for one or two elves or humans to pass.”
While I was wasting time with useless regrets filling my head, Trian calmly began to propose a solution to this crisis.
“…”
Hearing Trian’s plan, Rireu’s face scrunched up as if she had a bad premonition, and she stared at him.
“The best option is for Rireu to weave through the gaps in the web, quietly disarm the trap without waking the spider, and come back.”
“What?”
Rireu stared at Trian with a look of disbelief, as if she had misheard him.
“…”
“…”
Trian answered her with only his expression, his lips sealed tight.
As if to say, ‘You heard me right.’
“Huh? M-… What, huh?!”
After a long moment of silence, Rireu finally seemed to understand what Trian was asking of her and began to flail her hands in the air in shock.
Her reaction was at least three beats too late… but well, that wasn’t what was important right now.
“…We can’t have this klutz do it, after all. Besides, no matter what anyone says, you are an elf. You were born with agility and flexibility, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
Trian said, looking at me.
…He was right. With this cursed body of mine, no matter how large the gaps were, it would be impossible for me to navigate all those webs, silently disarm the mine, and return to this room.
I would surely misstep or move my arm wrong, touch a web, and end up waking that giant spider monster.
Since minimizing noise was the key to this expedition, it was inevitable that Rireu, not I, would be chosen for this operation.
“A-Actually, I’m not an elf. I was just born with naturally long ears… a-a kind of mutation…”
“Rex, the kid, and I will prepare for battle in case Rireu fails. Remember, the worst-case scenario is the mine activating and drawing all the nearby monsters here. Under no circumstances can we let the mine explode. Rireu, even if a fight breaks out, you should avoid participating if possible and prioritize disarming the mine.”
Trian turned his head toward us, ignoring Rireu’s ridiculous excuse as if he hadn’t heard it, and continued to explain the plan.
“U-Umm, excuse me…”
“Do you have a better plan?”
Trian asked Rireu, who was making ghost-like whimpering sounds.
Frightened by Trian’s coercive expression, she managed only a small whisper of “No, it’s just…” before pulling her hat down and retreating into her shell like a turtle.
“…Doesn’t seem like it. Then we’ll proceed with this plan.”
“…”
Rireu cautiously lifted her hat and looked at me with her large, pleading eyes.
…Why does she always turn to me whenever trouble arises?
It really weakens my resolve.
I did my best to look away, feigning indifference to her gaze.
“U-Umm, Sir Bin. Sir Bin…?”
It was a blatant signal for help, but I couldn’t accept it.
Even I had to admit that Trian’s idea felt like the best possible course of action.
It wasn't as if there was another, better plan…
For me, this was just as unavoidable.
“Well… it’s been decided.”
* * *
Until now, I had assumed that circuses weren’t all that impressive as a form of entertainment in a medieval fantasy setting.
Acrobats balancing on a tightrope tens of meters high with only a pole, or lion tamers who could breathe fire from their mouths, wouldn’t be considered particularly amazing in this fantasy world.
In this world, there were mages who could create fire anywhere with a few snaps of their fingers, and monstrous warriors who could fall from cliffs hundreds of meters high without a single scratch.
So it was obvious that in a fantasy setting, a circus wouldn’t be a big deal.
…Or so I thought.
That was, until I saw Rireu performing a life-or-death acrobatic act, weaving through the hundreds of spiderweb strands before my very eyes.
“…Hk, ugh…!”
With a face that looked like it would burst into tears at any moment, she clenched her jaw and took one step, then another, toward the center of the room.
At one moment, she’d walk with her back bent as far as it could go, like she was doing the limbo, and at another, she’d move with one foot off the ground, her hands supporting her on the floor. Her movements were reminiscent of acrobatics you might see in an expensive circus performance.
Elves are born with naturally high agility stats. I’d heard it was because they were born in lush forests and spent their entire lives with trees and bushes as their companions…
But hadn’t Rireu spent her whole life in Alter Haindel’s mage tower, surrounded by books and quills?
Because of that, I hadn’t held high expectations for her performance as an elf.
But to my surprise?
She moved with far more agility than I had anticipated, flexibly dodging through the gaps in the spiderweb.
Is this what you’d call genetic memory?
Watching her display such innate movement, I was struck by an inexplicable sense of deprivation.
If I’d known, I would have been born an elf. Why did I have to pick human, aiming for some kind of high potential…
“…Hoh.”
Rex let out a small sound of admiration, quiet enough for only us to hear.
Indeed, Rireu was moving with such agility that our worries seemed foolish, swiftly approaching the center of the room.
…At least, she was.
Her movements came to a sudden halt.
I tilted my head, watching her abrupt stop.
Trian had meticulously planned her route to the center, and she, having been instructed several times, should have known it perfectly. There seemed to be no reason for her to suddenly stop…
“…Sweat.”
Trian swallowed a bitter laugh at the unexpected variable and quietly took the bow from his back.
He seemed to sense that the plan had failed. But watching him prepare for battle, I was once again filled with confusion.
Rireu had navigated the webs with her natural flexibility and had almost reached the center of the room without issue. Her posture wasn’t unstable, nor had she made any mistakes, so why did he sense that the plan had failed?
“Tsk.”
But Rex immediately understood his words and assumed a battle stance.
I squinted, staring at Rireu, who had frozen like a statue, trying to find the problem. And then, I finally noticed what was going wrong.
“…”
A large drop of sweat was dangling precariously from the tip of her chin, surrounded on all sides by the spiderweb.
It was proof that, in direct contrast to her fluidly bending body, her mind was completely frozen with terror.
The tension of knowing that a single mistake could cost her her life had caused cold sweat to bead on her cheeks.
Those tiny droplets had merged and merged again, forming a sizable drop at the tip of her chin.
“Hoo…”
Rireu must have been feeling that droplet, which had grown so large it looked like it would fall to the floor with the slightest breeze.
Spider-type monsters had incredibly sensitive nerves, able to detect even the most minute vibrations in their webs.
Her eyes darted around, searching for a safe place to let the sweat on her chin fall.
But gravity waited for no one. Before her search was complete, the large droplet fell from the tip of her slender chin.
Immediately after, the giant spider above her head began to unfurl its legs.