Blazing Sands of the Second Layer
The moment I opened my eyes, my vision was filled with a vast desert. Blistering sunlight beat down from above.
...Sunlight?
I looked up. In the middle of a cloudless blue sky hung a scorching sun.
...Portal malfunction?
No, that couldn't be. I took a deep breath. The mana density was something I'd never felt in the outside world. This was definitely inside the labyrinth.
"Surprised, right? All the rookies coming down to the second layer for the first time stare up at the sky like that. Thinking it's the real sun."
"So it's fake?"
"Yup! It's all just an illusion conjured by the labyrinth's magic. The light and heat are real enough to burn your skin, though."
Kal pointed dramatically at the sky with an exaggerated grimace.
"That's why they call it a treasure trove of mysteries. The first layer's just like a dug-out cave, but from the second layer on, it's got its own fully built ecosystems. And they rearrange every time there's a reset."
I scanned our surroundings carefully. Endless desert terrain. Murderous heat from the fake sun, sand dunes that sank underfoot with every step. Behind us stood a massive rectangular return stone, just like the safe zone in the first layer. So the portal drop point served as a kind of midway base. If you had the energy, keep exploring; otherwise, head back to the city via the stone. Worst case, I could push to the third layer and return. There'd be another stone right away.
"Let's go for now."
At my words, Kal's group shouldered their heavy sacks and took the lead. But unlike their bold start, their steps soon grew heavy. Trudging through the desert with sacks full of dirt and moss would do that.
"Huff, huff. M-Mage... this is way hotter than I thought. They're trying to bake us alive..."
Kal wiped sweat from his brow with his sleeve, grumbling. I felt beads forming on my own forehead.
We'll tire out from the heat before we even hunt.
No monsters in sight yet. As I debated coming back after the reset to avoid heatstroke, a voice piped up beside me.
"Iris. Hot?"
Evel, walking quietly at my side, looked up. Her face was pristine, not a drop of sweat. Standing close, even the air around her felt refreshingly cool.
"A bit."
"Then I'll cool you off."
She grabbed my hand tight. In that instant—
Shoooo—
A pleasant chill radiated from her body, spreading gently everywhere. In seconds, the area around me for several meters turned into perfect autumn weather.
"Whoa."
An exclamation slipped out. She was a human air conditioner.
"M-Mage...! C-Can we stick a little closer too...?"
Kal hunched his massive frame, pleading with desperate eyes. His sweat-soaked face and heaving breaths triggered my gag reflex.
"No."
"B-But...!"
Kal's face crumpled. Obviously. I had zero desire to rub shoulders with three burly, sweat-stinking uncles.
But I couldn't just let them collapse from heat exhaustion. I turned to Evel.
"Evel."
"Yeah?"
"Can you widen this chill? Just enough to reach those guys."
She eyed the distance to Kal's group and nodded easily.
"Yeah. That's easy."
No sooner said than the chill expanded. The cool aura stretched refreshingly to them.
Shoooo—
"Haaah...! W-We live...!"
"Thank you, Lady Evel!"
Lady? Have some shame. Nothing creepier than bearded middle-aged dudes calling a 15-year-old girl "lady." Look, even Evel was frowning in disgust... huh?
"Ahem. You're welcome."
Why's she smiling? A closer look: her lips twitched, shoulders shrugging proudly. She clearly loved the mercenaries fawning over her.
...Am I the weird one?
Or maybe Evel enjoyed the authority more than I thought. Whatever, if she liked it, no point raining on her parade.
"Now that we've basked in Lady Evel's grace, we gotta earn our keep with our lives! Over that dune ahead, we'll start seeing monsters! This way!"
The mercenaries shot Evel oddly loyal glances. We crossed the desert leisurely under their guidance. After ten-odd minutes up the sloping dune, we crested the top.
"Oh."
"Wow."
The endless wasteland stretched to the horizon. We savored the view briefly.
"Those must be the monsters."
Evel pointed curiously below. On the flat sand plain at the dune's base were the beasts we'd been hunting. Rough, yellowish fur matted with mud and sand—like a hyena dunked in a sandpit. Kal, glued behind me, clutched his sack and gulped.
"Mage. Those mangy dogs zipping around are Desert Hounds. And see those deep sand pits?"
His finger pointed to antlion-like depressions scattered across the dunes.
"Sand Scorpions the size of a man lurk in there. Real pains in the ass."
"Strong?"
"Tougher than first-layer trash from the get-go. Especially the scorpions—their shells are so hard, most stuff won't even scratch 'em."
"Hm..."
Was it that big a deal? Either way, perfect lab rats for testing.
"Let's head down."
I slid slowly down the slope. Evel stuck close; the mercenaries followed with uneasy faces. Near the bottom, an outer Desert Hound sniffed, then whipped its head toward us.
-Grrrr!
At its growl, a dozen prowling hounds fixed on us.
"W-We’re spotted!"
"Uncles. Turn around, close your eyes, plug your ears."
"Huh!? What do you—"
"Do it!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Evel's cute bark made them flinch and huddle, hands over ears. Why was she like this? She really got off on it. Three big guys crouched comically, but no time to laugh.
-Kyaaah!
The pack charged. I unwound my left arm's bandages and murmured low.
"Dusty, come out."
Swoooosh—
Darkness swallowed everything. Even the midday fake sun paled before the pitch black. Scritch-scritch—sounds gnawed the air, eyes bloomed. The charging hounds halted.
I watched closely.
...Not scared much?
They stopped, sure. But only because sudden darkness blinded them.
Something's off.
I tilted my head. Blunt as it sounded from me, Dusty's power was pure horror. Any rational being should instinctively recoil in terror. But these showed no sign.
-Grrrrr...
They growled low, baring teeth at the black. Far from frightened, they grew fiercer—as if fear didn't exist.
"Dusty, chains."
Clank-rattle!
Geometric chains shot out, binding four or five hounds tight. Heavy resistance traveled back. Kal wasn't exaggerating; their strength dwarfed forest mana beasts.
"Snap them."
Crack-crunch.
The chains wrung necks at my command, snapping mercilessly. Sickening pops and dying yelps echoed briefly. Bound hounds slumped lifeless into the sand.
Staring, I confirmed my hunch.
Wasn't imagining it.
Since Dusty devoured the estate's mana stones, its presence felt stronger. Testing on labyrinth monsters proved it: resistance through chains, crushing speed—all enhanced beyond the red-beard fight.
Grew from eating mana stones?
I knew they powered magic tools or fueled alchemy. But growth from eating them? News to me.
Shhh—
Soon, the broken bodies crumbled like ash in wind, scattering traceless into the air. Tiny mana stones alone remained on the sand.
"......Huh?"
I blinked.
...What? Why do the bodies vanish? No eyeballs for Dusty now.
Dusty seemed baffled too, eyes blinking in midair.
"Hey, Kal. Is this normal?"
No answer. Right—they were blind and deaf from Dusty. They huddled flat, hands clamped over ears. I'd have peeked from anxiety, but they obeyed well.
"Dusty, back."
I recalled it to my arm. Half the pack remained. Dusty's test done; time for Zepeto's right-hand formula.
-Kyaaah!
Darkness lifted; survivors charged with bloodshot eyes. No hesitation despite comrades' ashing.
Snap.
Flicking my fingers sparked a tiny flame above my right hand. One of Zepeto's four formulas: elemental magic—fire. Of his gifts, only this aided combat.
"If bodies don't stay even when killed..."
No need to delicately control firepower to save hides or meat. I poured heart-stored mana freely into the flickering orb.
Whoosh!
The spark ballooned house-sized. Overwhelming heat outdid the desert ground's blaze. But brute size lacked elegance. A true mage infuses grace into spells.
I compressed the swelling inferno, shaping, spinning it.
Vreeee—!
It stretched into three or four massive, razor-tipped spears. Dusty's exclusion, my strongest attack now. If it shredded second-layer beasts easily, straight to third.
I thrust my hand at the charging pack.
And—
"Fire."
BOOM!