The Crimson Night Plains
The first floor of any maze is pretty much the same everywhere. Damp caves, musty dirt, and dime-a-dozen monsters. Even if the layout changes due to rearrangement, the essence stays the same. It's just a boring filter to weed out the riffraff.
But things get different starting from the second floor. That's when the maze starts showing its true colors. Each layer builds its own ecosystem and bizarre phenomena that flip common sense on its head.
Flash!
When the light faded and I opened my eyes, a cool, crisp night breeze greeted us first.
"...Whoa."
Evel let out an awed murmur beside me. The ground underfoot was soft and spongy—a far cry from the rough stone of the first floor. Tall grass reaching our waists rustled against our legs with every gust of wind.
I slowly widened my gaze. The claustrophobic cave walls that had hemmed us in were gone. In their place stretched an endless, vast plain that filled our vision to the horizon.
"...Night?"
The sky was a deep, subtle navy. It was definitely night. Moist air brushed our skin, and dawn dew on the grass tips sparkled as the wind shook them. But this was no ordinary night.
I looked up. A single blood-red moon hung there, casting its glow below.
The East Maze's second floor had been a desert. This time, an ominous night plain.
'Better than a desert, at least?' No risk of baking to death while walking, anyway.
That's what I thought, but Siegurd apparently disagreed. He grumbled right away.
"Tch! I don't like this second floor one bit!"
"Why? It's pretty refreshing, isn't it?"
"Foolish talk! Look around!"
Siegurd pointed at the surrounding grass like it was obvious. "Picking up mana stones is gonna be a pain in the ass!"
Ah, that reason? Now that he mentioned it, yeah.
Refreshing or not, this terrain was the worst for loot recovery. On the first floor's smooth stone, mana stones stood out the moment they dropped. Here, you'd have to bend over and rummage through the grass every time.
"Yeah, fair point."
I nodded. Mana stones were a big deal.
Whoosh...
The grass, bathed in red moonlight, rippled like waves following the wind's path.
I turned to the party and spoke. "Let's get moving, then."
I'd told that lunatic to catch up in ten minutes. We needed to be out of here by then.
Rustle, rustle.
We pushed through the grass, stepping forward. An endless plain with no visible end. No landmarks, no signposts. Just straight ahead on instinct.
Our goal: the cradles on the second floor.
Under the blood-red moonlight—like a butcher shop lamp—our shadows stretched long across the grass, lending an eerie vibe.
Over the faint chirp of night bugs, our voices carried.
"So, what kinda cradles are on the second floor?"
"There are several, but the most famous are two: the Silent Forest and the Abandoned Knight's Tomb."
"Why're they famous?"
"The rewards are pricey."
"You heard that, everyone? Our target is one of those two, no exceptions."
Pricey rewards? Hell yeah. They're ours.
"Do you know specifics on the rewards?"
Heinrich answered concisely while keeping pace. "The Silent Forest drops rare alchemy ingredients, and the Abandoned Knight's Tomb yields rare artifacts, from what I've heard."
Artifacts. My eyes sharpened at that.
"Any ancient artifacts?"
"I'm not sure about that..."
Heinrich trailed off apologetically. I hadn't expected much anyway. On just the second floor, the odds of finding an ancient artifact that interferes with the inner image were slim to none.
Whatever. Pricey stuff was pricey stuff. Time to make bank. Live like nobility, get revenge on that golden lion bastard.
I quickened my pace and scanned around again. Nothing but grass to the horizon. No big features hinting at a forest or tomb in sight.
No way the entrances are buried underground, right? That'd jack up the discovery difficulty way too much.
As I tutted inwardly and kept watch, my eyes met Cassandra's. She was staring right at me.
"...What?"
"......"
Cassandra stayed silent, as if choosing her words.
Come to think of it, during the gatekeeper fight, she'd seen not just the flame formula, but the barrier and life formulas too.
Whisper, whisper...
"The lady says she's deeply impressed by Miss Iris's magic."
I inwardly cheered. 'Hook, line, and sinker.' Looked like I'd eased her suspicions about me.
No surprise. A geometric formula unfolding like a kaleidoscope in a barrier spell? Those patterns resembled church stained glass. Bound to leave an impression.
Whisper, whisper... haah...
But... something felt off. For mere "impression," her voice was way too husky. Hot, ragged breaths mixed in, and her shoulders trembled visibly under the veil.
"Wh-what?"
Heinrich's face grew subtly awkward as he relayed her damp whisper. He cleared his throat a few times, scratched his cheek awkwardly, and spoke.
"Ahem. The lady says... Miss Iris's magic is so neat and... um, very alluring."
"...Yeah?"
"Yes. It's a bit different from existing magic systems or conventions... free-spirited, with formula entanglements that warmly embrace everything, and she felt a profound soul-shaking thrill from it..."
He was smiling and sugarcoating, but the word choice felt deliberately vague.
Well... Zepeto's magic did have that vibe. His warm, tidy formula structures must've stirred them up. Fanatics or not, their actions suggested they pursued the righteous path.
I looked at Cassandra. Her gaze stuck like glue. Kinda creepy, but at least no interrogation or suspicion. Good enough.
Sexual thrill or religious ecstasy? Not my problem. Lunatics' sensibilities defy normal logic anyway.
Under her sticky stare, we pressed on across the plain.
How long had we walked? We'd strayed far from the safe zone by now...
Time for that, huh?
What's that? Dice time, obviously.
I beckoned Doal lightly. "This far out, time to roll! Your moment to shine, Doal!"
"Heh heh heh...! The time has come at last...!"
"Indeed, Doal! The hour is upon us! Gold calls our name!"
At my and Siegurd's urging, Doal stepped forward.
A vast plain with no forks in sight. No pro guide, no sharp eyes for hidden terrain. When in doubt, trust to luck.
"Heh heh heh! For the starving kids in some alley right now...!"
Doal shouted and scattered his two dice.
A familiar motion by now. The party's eyes followed the arcing dice.
Whir, thunk, rustle.
The dice spun through the air and softly landed in the grass.
"......"
"......"
We froze mid-bend as we checked the results.
Two dice thrown. One showed '2'. The other...
"...Huh? Where's the other one?"
One die had rolled into the grass somewhere, out of sight.
"Damn it! I knew it! Why'd you throw 'em so high, you idiot!"
Siegurd glared daggers. Doal, flustered, dropped to his knees and patted the grass.
"H-heh heh... No worries... I'll find it in no time..."
The thick grass swallowed our lower halves. We all bent down, rummaging underneath.
Damn. Nothing.
It had to be nearby, but no matter how I searched, nada. Sweat beaded cold.
So, what now? Hold? Invalid? Solo '2'? Or had the missing number already been factored in, hidden in the grass, without us seeing?
As I mulled that over while parting grass—
Whoosh!
A fierce gust swept through. The dense grass bent uniformly in the wind's direction, parting like a curtain.
In that revealed gap, we saw them.
Dozens of red eyes, lying flat on the ground, encircling us.
I froze for a split second. 'Encircling us? When the hell did that happen?'
Under the glaring blood moon, their grotesque forms were laid bare.
Pale, sleek skin. Abnormally elongated limbs. Clusters of crimson eyes glinting from blank, clay-like faces. Jagged, saw-like teeth bared in vertically slit mouths from jaw to crown.
Grrrrr...
As the wind died and grass began to rise again, the lurking things unleashed their bloodlust and sprang up all at once.
"Shit—everyone, battle stations! Siegurd, punch through the front! Barrier up!"
I yelled urgently at the party.