Chapter 135: Orcules (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 135: Orcules (1)
Our assessment of the field effect, Guardian of Balance, was already complete. The abilities of those who entered the maze were distributed equally. All of our team members had agreed with the hypothesis Rotmiller, given various hints from me, had come up with, so unnecessary explanations weren't necessary.
"Perhaps other adventurers have entered this labyrinth."
"Other adventurers? But you can't encounter other adventurers in the Tower of Heavens," Hikurod muttered, clearly confused.
"Murad, you should know that our current situation is not normal."
The fourth floor's Tower of Heavens was an independent area. Unless several parties entered at the same time, no matter how much you wandered around, you would not come across another team. However, the place we were currently in was one that the outside world didn't know anything about.
"Anything could happen here."
The unknown, the not yet known, meant that all possibilities were plausible.
"I understand. But maybe our guesses are wrong. Maybe some other effect gets triggered when someone just enters this space—"
Dismissing another possibility from Hikurod, I said firmly, "That seems like too much of a stretch." Of course, this hidden level wasn't unknown to me. It would be better to quickly sort things out and move on to the next task without wasting time. "I think Rotmiller's guess is correct. Dwalkie, what about you?"
"...I also think that's more plausible."
"So you agree. Missha, you?"
"Uhh... I'm just going to stay quiet." Missha abstained. However, since we had already gotten the three votes needed for a majority, I didn't force her to choose.
"Okay, then we've reached a decision. For now, let's operate under the assumption that Rotmiller's hypothesis is true. If you have any complaints, speak up now."
"...There are none." After the puppet leader dwarf gave a sullen nod, I quickly settled the matter.
Another adventurer had entered the maze, and they were stronger than us. It felt like my stats had doubled, so I was sure it was an adventurer active on the sixth floor or higher—not with a clan, but in a team unit. If so, what should we do now? Our team's members each gave their opinions on the topic once I raised it, and I took advantage of the opportunity to fulfill the condition to summon the mini-boss.
[The devil in the labyrinth has detected blood.]
Okay, that just needs a little longer to work.
"Hmm, does it really matterrr? I think it would be better to join forces to find a way out ..."
"We don't know what kind of adventurers they are. Why don't we just stay here? There is no guarantee that we will be trapped once the labyrinth closes."
"Haha! My friend, what are you so worried about? Even if they are stronger than us, isn't this a special situation? Even if we run into each other, they won't be able to do anything to us so easily, so let's just proceed as we normally would."
"Um, but just in case, it would be best to avoid them as much as possible and find a way out."
I smiled cynically. I wondered if they would say something useful, so I listened carefully while I waited. As expected, their collective intelligence did not amount to much. Rotmiller was at least better, but while he may have been skilled at preparing for different possibilities, he didn't have the worst-case scenario in mind.
"Bjorn, what do you think?"
Eyes turned to me at that question. I finally gathered my thoughts and spoke. "I don't think this is a coincidence, either."
"What do you think it is, then?"
"An adventurering team with this much power on the fourth floor at this time? Wouldn't it make sense to assume that they were wandering around with a goal in mind?"
"You mean they could have been trying to reach this area from the start?"
"Yes. And if so, they must have noticed our presence by now."
Maybe they would see the marks we left behind and come after us. No, even if they didn't use those, there might be a way for them to track us.
Dwalkie was in denial. "Ah, no way, h-how can that be? To think they knew about this place already..."
The dwarf also laughed it off. "Haha, even so, you're talking as if they're plunderers already."
Rotmiller, for his part, just asked a serious question. "So what do you think is the best course of action?"
These people were unknowns—therefore, all possibilities were on the table. This could be good luck, or it could lead me to my death. Therefore, even if I seemed strange to my colleagues, I had to assume the worst. "We have to get out of here," I answered.
Thump!
Not ignoring the foreboding feeling in my heart was the secret to my survival.
***
[You have killed Baphomet. EXP +5.]
[Higher-rank mutant bonus. EXP +1]
We ran through the maze, not lost, but properly heading toward our destination.
"This way!"
Rotmiller, who followed close behind me, held a map in his hand. It wasn't the map he had been working hard on up until now, but a map that detailed the layout of the entire maze. Of course, the location of the boss room was also written on it since it was loot we had obtained by defeating Baphomet, the mini-boss.
I didn't expect to take it down that easily.
Baphomet had been summoned right when I finished talking. Normally, it would have been a close battle won by attacking his weak points, but it ended up taking less than a minute. It had been possible to just flatten him with pure damage. It didn't feel all that great to call this a good thing.
How strong are they usually?
We had unknown, uninvited guests. I had long since thrown out the idea that it could just be one person. No matter how strong an individual was, there were limits.
Sprint!
I cleared my mind and sped up. Since everyone seemed to be keeping pace, I thought that would be okay. In fact, when I peeked behind me, even Hikurod, who lacked endurance, was running fine with Dwalkie on his back. Deciding to stop worrying, I smashed the head of the Vaikundus that jumped out in front of us.
"Mehhg!"
Of course, it staggered heavily, but did not die in one hit. However, I passed the reeling monster without slowing down. Missha had decided to take care of the cannon fodder for us.
Slice!
Light flashed in tune with the pop of exploding flesh. However, there was no accompanying sound of a mana stone dropping. It seemed Missha had caught it in the air again.
"Bjorn, what do you think?"
Eyes turned to me at that question. I finally gathered my thoughts and spoke. "I don't think this is a coincidence, either."
"What do you think it is, then?"
"An adventurering team with this much power on the fourth floor at this time? Wouldn't it make sense to assume that they were wandering around with a goal in mind?"
"You mean they could have been trying to reach this area from the start?"
"Yes. And if so, they must have noticed our presence by now."
Maybe they would see the marks we left behind and come after us. No, even if they didn't use those, there might be a way for them to track us.
Dwalkie was in denial. "Ah, no way, h-how can that be? To think they knew about this place already..."
The dwarf also laughed it off. "Haha, even so, you're talking as if they're plunderers already."
Rotmiller, for his part, just asked a serious question. "So what do you think is the best course of action?"
These people were unknowns—therefore, all possibilities were on the table. This could be good luck, or it could lead me to my death. Therefore, even if I seemed strange to my colleagues, I had to assume the worst. "We have to get out of here," I answered.
Thump!
Not ignoring the foreboding feeling in my heart was the secret to my survival.
***
[You have killed Baphomet. EXP +5.]
[Higher-rank mutant bonus. EXP +1]
We ran through the maze, not lost, but properly heading toward our destination.
"This way!"
Rotmiller, who followed close behind me, held a map in his hand. It wasn't the map he had been working hard on up until now, but a map that detailed the layout of the entire maze. Of course, the location of the boss room was also written on it since it was loot we had obtained by defeating Baphomet, the mini-boss.
I didn't expect to take it down that easily.
Baphomet had been summoned right when I finished talking. Normally, it would have been a close battle won by attacking his weak points, but it ended up taking less than a minute. It had been possible to just flatten him with pure damage. It didn't feel all that great to call this a good thing.
How strong are they usually?
We had unknown, uninvited guests. I had long since thrown out the idea that it could just be one person. No matter how strong an individual was, there were limits.
Sprint!
I cleared my mind and sped up. Since everyone seemed to be keeping pace, I thought that would be okay. In fact, when I peeked behind me, even Hikurod, who lacked endurance, was running fine with Dwalkie on his back. Deciding to stop worrying, I smashed the head of the Vaikundus that jumped out in front of us.
"Mehhg!"
Of course, it staggered heavily, but did not die in one hit. However, I passed the reeling monster without slowing down. Missha had decided to take care of the cannon fodder for us.
Slice!
Light flashed in tune with the pop of exploding flesh. However, there was no accompanying sound of a mana stone dropping. It seemed Missha had caught it in the air again.
"Go left!"
I followed Rotmiller's instructions and turned. Then, I spotted four Vaikundus in the distance. To be honest, Missha, Rotmiller, and I could get rid of them ourselves now, but it would be nice to save even a second of time.
"Dwalkie!"
At my cry, Dwalkie got off the dwarf's back and cast a spell.
Shhhhhh!
Cold Storm—a rank-seven attack spell that dealt damage to a wide area instead of a single target. The spell was originally used against rank-eight or nine trash mobs or in the lead-up to a combo move from Missha.
"Meh... g?"
A blizzard of hailstones shot down the corridor, freezing the four Vaikundus. The rank-six monsters had received not only the Frostbite but the Frozen status with just one spell. However, they'd be released from that state in a few seconds.
Bam!
I quickly crushed them with my mace and we kept moving. Whenever we decided that we needed a break, we sprawled out in the passageway to catch our breaths. Time passed like that, and it was time to take a third break.
"Huff, huff... Bjorn, aren't we rushing too much? I don't think we have to be in such a hurry." Hikurod breathed in and out and carefully vented the displeasure he had been holding back. I had somewhat expected it.
My first-ever request had been this: "I keep getting that ominous feeling. So, please. Trust me, this once."
The others did their best to be accommodating.
"...Well, you have good instincts, anyway."
"I-I don't mind. And Bjorn, don't think I've repaid my debt with this. I intend to properly pay it back later."
As time passed, however, they began to question that decision.
"I-I also think this is good enough," Dwalkie was saying now. "It seems like a stretch to say that they knew about this maze in the first place too..."
Wasn't it more likely that they came here by accident like we did? And even if that weren't the case, could they really be plunderers? Wasn't believing they would deliberately hunt us down to harm us more of a stretch?
"If you are worried about the marks we left behind, we can start moving more slowly. Even if they are plunderers, they won't be able to find us in a place like this."
"To be honest, I'm not sure why you're so certain there's an exit here, either."
Above all, what was the guarantee that there would be a way to escape in a room that may or may not be the boss's lair?
"Mm, I have no complaints. You know that, rrright? I mean it. Hmm?"
These were all reasonable questions because they hadn't had the same experiences as me. Hidden levels weren't all that special. Just look at Jencia, whom we met in Glacier Cave not too long ago. She had opened the rift through a hidden element. In addition, in Ghostbusters, information was exchanged every month and knowledge of hidden elements spread.
"Bjorn, you are not acting like yourself today. Even if everything you say is true, why not fight back?" Hikurod said persuasively, but that was the biggest problem.
The fact that Guardian of Balance was active? That still changed nothing. A situation where we'd normally get fucking crushed was now just a situation where we'd get crushed a normal amount. That was it. Even if our stats were the same as our opponents', there was a difference in skill, ranks, and number of essences. With items, that gap would be even wider.
If we fight, we will definitely lose.
That was the source of my anxiety.
Thump!
A lion could afford not to care about a rabbit. But a rabbit, if it encountered a lion, had to run.
"There is no time for this. If you're done resting, let's go."
***
"The Labyrinth of Larcaz..." muttered the man standing in the middle of the stone chamber. The man took off the hood that covered his face and approached the wall, then carefully swept the stone. "We're finally here." The corners of his mouth twisted up, and his burn-scarred skin crinkled. Anyone could see that he was genuinely happy.
"Lord, why have you given wings to such an evil person?!" an old man in black, priestly robes lamented, closing his eyes. To ask if this was truly god's intention, throwing a meaningless question out into the air was the only thing he could do.
"Old man, do I need to pluck out your tongue?"
"How can I be afraid of you? Physical pain is—"
"Oh, of course, I meant your grandson's tongue."
As the old man shut his mouth, the burned man giggled and directed his gaze to the floor. His eyes landed on a middle-aged adventurer who was curled up on the ground like a shrimp. Cold sweat had broken out on his forehead, and his parted lips trembled as he let out a pained moan. "It's just an arm, don't exaggerate."
The man laughed at the adventurer's severed shoulder. Who would have known that there was a way to get inside the place that he had been searching for for an entire year?
"To show us the way just because it was offered the arm of a rank-five adventurer... that evil god is a funny guy."
"Isn't he...your teammate?"
"Teammate? I just brought him here because he's useful. Hey, get up. We're late, we don't have time."
As the burned man propped his foot on the adventurer's waist and shook him, deep creases formed between the old man's eyebrows. "Stop it. He has offered a body part to the evil god. The pain he is experiencing must be beyond imagination—"
"That's enough, old man."
The old man flinched at the burned man's cold voice. Unable to hide his anger, the old man's clenched fists shook, but that was all. He was disgusted by his own cowardice as he was forced to be a bystander to such an evil deed. However, the old man had things that he had to protect. Maybe this scout was the same.
"I am okay... high priest." The scout struggled to get up, grabbing his empty shoulder socket.
The other man nodded in satisfaction. However, something soon occurred to him, and he frowned and repeatedly opened and closed his hand.
Squeeze.
He knew about the Guardian of Balance effect. However, even taking that into account, the changes that had just taken place in his body did not make sense. "Old man, has anything changed? Like your divine power?"
"...It has decreased a bit."
"Decreased? Not increased? Are you sure?"
"I am sure."
The man turned his head to stare at the scout. "What about you?"
"Including S-Soul Power, overall, my ph-physique stats are lower..."
"I see." The man smiled ominously and stared down the passageway. A rank-five scout had lost some of his powers? "It looks like some rats got in first." His eyes, illuminated by the flickering torch, glowed with a cold light.
"Go left!"
I followed Rotmiller's instructions and turned. Then, I spotted four Vaikundus in the distance. To be honest, Missha, Rotmiller, and I could get rid of them ourselves now, but it would be nice to save even a second of time.
"Dwalkie!"
At my cry, Dwalkie got off the dwarf's back and cast a spell.
Shhhhhh!
Cold Storm—a rank-seven attack spell that dealt damage to a wide area instead of a single target. The spell was originally used against rank-eight or nine trash mobs or in the lead-up to a combo move from Missha.
"Meh... g?"
A blizzard of hailstones shot down the corridor, freezing the four Vaikundus. The rank-six monsters had received not only the Frostbite but the Frozen status with just one spell. However, they'd be released from that state in a few seconds.
Bam!
I quickly crushed them with my mace and we kept moving. Whenever we decided that we needed a break, we sprawled out in the passageway to catch our breaths. Time passed like that, and it was time to take a third break.
"Huff, huff... Bjorn, aren't we rushing too much? I don't think we have to be in such a hurry." Hikurod breathed in and out and carefully vented the displeasure he had been holding back. I had somewhat expected it.
My first-ever request had been this: "I keep getting that ominous feeling. So, please. Trust me, this once."
The others did their best to be accommodating.
"...Well, you have good instincts, anyway."
"I-I don't mind. And Bjorn, don't think I've repaid my debt with this. I intend to properly pay it back later."
As time passed, however, they began to question that decision.
"I-I also think this is good enough," Dwalkie was saying now. "It seems like a stretch to say that they knew about this maze in the first place too..."
Wasn't it more likely that they came here by accident like we did? And even if that weren't the case, could they really be plunderers? Wasn't believing they would deliberately hunt us down to harm us more of a stretch?
"If you are worried about the marks we left behind, we can start moving more slowly. Even if they are plunderers, they won't be able to find us in a place like this."
"To be honest, I'm not sure why you're so certain there's an exit here, either."
Above all, what was the guarantee that there would be a way to escape in a room that may or may not be the boss's lair?
"Mm, I have no complaints. You know that, rrright? I mean it. Hmm?"
These were all reasonable questions because they hadn't had the same experiences as me. Hidden levels weren't all that special. Just look at Jencia, whom we met in Glacier Cave not too long ago. She had opened the rift through a hidden element. In addition, in Ghostbusters, information was exchanged every month and knowledge of hidden elements spread.
"Bjorn, you are not acting like yourself today. Even if everything you say is true, why not fight back?" Hikurod said persuasively, but that was the biggest problem.
The fact that Guardian of Balance was active? That still changed nothing. A situation where we'd normally get fucking crushed was now just a situation where we'd get crushed a normal amount. That was it. Even if our stats were the same as our opponents', there was a difference in skill, ranks, and number of essences. With items, that gap would be even wider.
If we fight, we will definitely lose.
That was the source of my anxiety.
Thump!
A lion could afford not to care about a rabbit. But a rabbit, if it encountered a lion, had to run.
"There is no time for this. If you're done resting, let's go."
***
"The Labyrinth of Larcaz..." muttered the man standing in the middle of the stone chamber. The man took off the hood that covered his face and approached the wall, then carefully swept the stone. "We're finally here." The corners of his mouth twisted up, and his burn-scarred skin crinkled. Anyone could see that he was genuinely happy.
"Lord, why have you given wings to such an evil person?!" an old man in black, priestly robes lamented, closing his eyes. To ask if this was truly god's intention, throwing a meaningless question out into the air was the only thing he could do.
"Old man, do I need to pluck out your tongue?"
"How can I be afraid of you? Physical pain is—"
"Oh, of course, I meant your grandson's tongue."
As the old man shut his mouth, the burned man giggled and directed his gaze to the floor. His eyes landed on a middle-aged adventurer who was curled up on the ground like a shrimp. Cold sweat had broken out on his forehead, and his parted lips trembled as he let out a pained moan. "It's just an arm, don't exaggerate."
The man laughed at the adventurer's severed shoulder. Who would have known that there was a way to get inside the place that he had been searching for for an entire year?
"To show us the way just because it was offered the arm of a rank-five adventurer... that evil god is a funny guy."
"Isn't he...your teammate?"
"Teammate? I just brought him here because he's useful. Hey, get up. We're late, we don't have time."
As the burned man propped his foot on the adventurer's waist and shook him, deep creases formed between the old man's eyebrows. "Stop it. He has offered a body part to the evil god. The pain he is experiencing must be beyond imagination—"
"That's enough, old man."
The old man flinched at the burned man's cold voice. Unable to hide his anger, the old man's clenched fists shook, but that was all. He was disgusted by his own cowardice as he was forced to be a bystander to such an evil deed. However, the old man had things that he had to protect. Maybe this scout was the same.
"I am okay... high priest." The scout struggled to get up, grabbing his empty shoulder socket.
The other man nodded in satisfaction. However, something soon occurred to him, and he frowned and repeatedly opened and closed his hand.
Squeeze.
He knew about the Guardian of Balance effect. However, even taking that into account, the changes that had just taken place in his body did not make sense. "Old man, has anything changed? Like your divine power?"
"...It has decreased a bit."
"Decreased? Not increased? Are you sure?"
"I am sure."
The man turned his head to stare at the scout. "What about you?"
"Including S-Soul Power, overall, my ph-physique stats are lower..."
"I see." The man smiled ominously and stared down the passageway. A rank-five scout had lost some of his powers? "It looks like some rats got in first." His eyes, illuminated by the flickering torch, glowed with a cold light.