126. It's Skiri
126. It's Skiri
......
""...""
"Wow."
"How is it? These are our regular knights! Strong, right?"
-Kwang! Swiiiiiik! Seogeogeok!
I looked at the knights who had given me a high-speed bus ride to the 20th floor and answered.
"Yeah. It's insane. You mean these guys just finished their training?"
Selana crossed her arms and boasted.
"Yeah! With just these two, they could turn an Ogre into bloody water. Maybe even solo it?"
"I've heard of the Duchy's knight order, but..."
"Each and every one. Truly warriors."
I wondered if I wouldn't get any stronger doing this, but...
[Hilda. Isn't this too much of a bus... no. Isn't this overkill?]
I remembered what Hilda said, shaking her head.
[Of course it's overkill. But I personally select the Raid Members. Everyone is worth it.]
[I'm glad I became a... Raid Member.]
-Pishik
[Adventurers who go to the 10th floor can make a living. Adventurers who go to the 20th floor live comfortably. The 30th floor? They live with their heads held high, living in luxury. That's what the Labyrinth is.]
[Hm? Suddenly...]
[The people I've selected. For Raid Members, the 30th floor is the starting point.]
[......]
[They are people born with a different starting line. Talent. Effort. Luck. A complex tangle of various elements, each and every one... they are all, without exception, miraculous personnel.]
I had stared with my mouth open at Hilda's confident gaze.
[Wow...]
[To raise one Raid Member, it takes the resources of 30 Duchy knights. This support is just drawing a line at their starting point.]
Hilda had come up to me and stroked my cheek.
[And the greatest masterpiece I've discovered is you, Jang Ryu-o. Thank you for catching my eye. And thank you. For loving me... Now, wait! We should enjoy this good atmosphere a little... Eek! Ugh... that I would scream like this... Ugh?!!? Chureureureup♥ Uuuuup?!!]
'Is a crazy lewd devil possessing me?'
I shook my head, shaking off the happy memory along with it.
I almost made a fool of myself in the Labyrinth. No matter how much of a bus ride I'm getting, I shouldn't lose my focus.
The 20th-floor boss. The Lizard Great Chieftain lost its head before it could even lift the staff in its hand.
-Pugeoeok!
The knights removed the small fry with blank expressions and asked for my opinion.
"Shall we depart once the cleanup is finished?"
"Haha... We didn't really do much, so we still have energy. Are you knights okay?"
The female knight in front of me squeezed her eyes shut and blushed.
"We... Hm. Excuse me. We are fine."
Then, it would be good to leave plenty of time before the dungeon resets.
"We'll depart right away."
"We will depart immediately after collecting the loot."
While the knights were gathering the loot, I secretly cut the 21st-floor portal.
A knight who saw me doing that shouted.
"Ryu, Ryu-o-nim! You can't! All together...!!!"
"It's not like that. Don't worry, I'm not going alone."
"...?? Ah? Yes..."
The knight tilted his head and started cleaning up again.
-Heulgeum-heulgeum
No, it's not like I'm a child left by the water, why are you staring like that...
I was going to sweep through every floor, but at this rate, I'll just take the 25th and 31st-floor portals.
I checked my inventory to confirm the number of portals.
'Tsk... I really do need to take more.'
The stockpile of return portals was quite low, but including the knights, everyone could move at least once.
Well, anyway, I won't have to use a portal this time.
'Surely, a situation where I have to use all the portals... Ah. Let's not say that.'
Watch out for flags.
We finished cleaning up and headed to the 21st floor.
-Hwi-ooooo...
I didn't know the difference between hearing about it and seeing it in person would be this big.
My colleagues and I blankly looked up at the stone mountain rising in the distance.
"Oppa... that..."
"Yeah. It looks higher than the Labyrinth."
"I, in reality, it might just look like that because it's hidden by clouds."
"The God of Earth and Wind... Huk! I'm sorry, Main God..."
The 21st to 30th floors are the stone mountain zone. Most exploration reviews were short.
Climb it. It just means go mountain climbing.
The 21st floor is the journey toward that stone mountain over there, and the 22nd to 25th floors are cliffs.
You really have to climb cliffs.
I'm fine, of course. I have an ability specialized for wall climbing.
However...
"Oppa... carry me... No! I, I'm not weak! I'm fine!!"
"I am weaker than the Lady..."
"...... We have to go anyway. We have to go anyway... We have to..."
Tsk... Help? No. Even if I help, I'll only help Jenin a little, the rest seem fine.
I glanced at the knights standing with blank expressions and said.
"Come on! We have to go! Are you going to show such pathetic appearances?"
"""Ugh... Yes!!!"""
Enough with the banter. We stepped ahead of the knights and walked.
Since this is a section we've come to for the first time, help will be minimized.
Still, seeing the reliable knights, I feel like I've gained extra lives.
Before I die, those knights will definitely help.
As I was walking while looking at the Adventurer's Badge, I discovered a pack of Rock Wolves.
There were 6 of them.
"Everyone. Prepare for battle."
-Kkeudeok
When I pointed at the biggest wolf, Jenin quietly chanted a spell.
'Wind Cutter...'
-Huuung...!
When the Rock Wolf pack, sensing an unusual airflow, saw us and barked, it was already...
-Swaeek!! Puhwaak!!
"Kkaeng! Kkaegaegaeng!!"
The giant one was sliced diagonally, and the Rock Wolf behind it had its left front and hind legs blown off.
As two of their comrades were taken out in an instant, they started running at us, drooling.
"Keong-keong! Keureureureu!!!"
Selana glared at the wolves and slammed her shield into the ground.
-Kuung!
Golden wings spread from the shield, gathering the rushing wolves into one spot.
Magna cast Holy Law, summoning a formation on the ground...
"Great... Goddess!"
-Jjaenggeurang! Kkaddeuk! Gadeuk!
Sh, she broke the formation?
The broken formation scattered like glass and embedded itself between the struggling wolves.
"Kkaeng!! Kkaegaegaeng!!!"
I approached the ones spraying blood and slit their throats.
Squeezing between the vital points hidden by the rocks. One by one.
-Puk! Puk! Puk!
"Kkaeeeng!!"
-Puk!
The battle ended in a click.
I blinked and looked at Magna.
"Magna... how did you do that?"
Magna made the sign of the cross and nodded.
"Sometimes when I make a mistake while praying, it happens like that. Other priests can't do it. Only I can. I feel sorry for the Goddess, so I don't do it often. But, the merciful Goddess will forgive me."
You didn't do it because it was disrespectful, but you're saying you're going to use it in earnest?
Well... at our first meeting, you flipped the Holy Law like flipping a dining table.
"Oppa! What about me! Me!! How was the Guardian?"
Selana was also amazing. A tank with mob-gathering skills?
"The best. So reliable."
"Hehe~♥"
Glass cannon Jenin also wanted to join in, so she smiled brightly and said.
"Lady~ How was I?"
"Tsk... You did well."
"Ah~ Hahahaha!!"
The knights who were staring at us blankly started clapping.
-Jjak... Jjakjjak... Jjakjjakjjakjjak!
'Ah.'
What are we doing in the Labyrinth... The clapping actually makes me snap back to reality.
The other colleagues seemed the same, gathering their wits again.
"Ahem!! It's fine that the atmosphere is good, but let's go without letting our guard down."
"""Yes!!!"""
We moved on, and there was nothing particularly difficult.
The really hard part is from the next floor.
We quickly arrived at the 22nd floor and, swallowing a sigh, put on our climbing gear.
Except for me.
-Jeolgeureok-jeolgeureok
"""...... I'm jealous."""
I turned my gaze and looked at the towering cliff.
From here to the 25th floor, we have to climb a stone mountain that is about 60 degrees.
Which means it's almost the same as a cliff.
Something... I feel malice.
On the 21st floor, showing 'Well, that's where you have to go up.' And from the 22nd floor, it seems like they're trying to break our spirits with a steep slope...
"Oppa! I'm ready!"
The colleagues and knights had finished their climbing preparations before I knew it.
Holding hooks in both hands, with specially made ropes on their shoulders.
The knights were just blinking at me.
It was as if they were saying, 'Why isn't he wearing it?'
I planted my feet on the slope, climbed up, and said.
-Puuk~
"Then let's go."
"""Oh!!!"""
"""""????????"""""
If they weren't knights, they would have rushed over and asked immediately.
The knights were dazed, muttering.
"... Uh... that is...?"
"The Captain sometimes... uh..."
"...... Is it a dream?"
I shouted toward the knights.
"We're going first!"
"W, wait a minute... Ryu-o-nim! You can't!!"
"Everyone!! Climb for now!!"
"Hot! This is not the time for..."
There's no need to explain, right?
Even if I explain, they can't follow.
Peacefully, as I climbed the wall, I heard heavy breathing from behind.
"Heo-eok! Hu... Hu..."
-Pak!
"Keuieuk!!!"
It seems Jenin is having a very hard time.
I went down and asked Jenin.
-Jeobeok-jeobeok-jeobeok
"Heo-heo..."
"Shall I help you?"
Jenin, sweating, shook her head.
"Every time... this happens... if I get help... I shouldn't!"
Oh... an unexpected answer.
Well. Even if she's picky, she's someone who does it when it counts.
Jenin stretched out her arm, drove a hook into a crack in the rock, and shouted.
"Ryu-o-nim!!"
Seeing Jenin's burning eyes, I also gained a little strength.
"Hm! Yeah!!"
"That's not it, thinking about it, this means it's like this until the 25th floor, at the 23rd... no, at the 24th floor, help...!!!! Heo-eok!! Heo-eo-eok... Hu!!!"
Ah... right.
"Th... That's right..."
"Yes!"
-Pak!
"Keueueuk!!!"
She's trying hard...
As a mage, that's excellent.
The other colleagues are following well.
The knights don't even look out of breath.
I adjusted my speed and climbed again...
-Kkiaaaaaak!!!
I discovered blade eagles flying from far away.
3 in total.
Blade Eagle. A monster that cuts adventurers with sharp feathers.
The enemy of melee types whose two legs are not free.
They aren't strong monsters, but the environment was poor.
The colleagues firmly fixed the ropes with hooks to the rocks and prepared for battle.
I said to my colleagues.
"Just climb! I'll handle it!"
The colleagues smiled and nodded.
"Yeah!"
"Kya!!!"
"Hm!!"
I took an iron ball out of my inventory, threw it with all my might into the Supply skill...
-Pung! Hudeudeuk!!
"""??!?!?!??"""
I turned the monsters into a red mural.
To the knights' eyes, it must have looked like the monsters suddenly exploded when I waved my hand.
-Pungpung! Peuhwaak!
Selana's eyes sparkled as she shouted.
"Oppa! What is that?!? A new technique???"
"I'll explain later! Let's go!"
"Oppa is the best~♥"
I shouted again toward the knights who were dazed on the cliff.
"Stop being surprised! Come up!!!"
"...... Huh? Ah! Yes!!!"
"D, didn't you... see?"
"Captain... urgent..."
"R, really? Only the 21st floor..."
It's not like that. It's a skill.