Chapter 406: Inevitability (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 406: Inevitability (2)
Once the draw was over, the winners gathered together and formed a Bind. Then everyone gathered up and headed to the monument in the center.
Whooom!
When I placed my hand on top, the portal opened with a brilliant, rainbow burst of light.
"Oh, how fascinating. It's clear how the mana flows but there's a distinct difference from the flow of typical space-time mana."
"Is this your first time seeing a portal open?"
"Yes. Wizards have no reason to obsess over feats like that, right?"
While the crew watched the portal open and gave idle commentary, the light clusters spreading in all directions soon glommed together to form a distinct shape.
[You are the first to open this portal. EXP +2]
I always thought this, but it really was unfair that opening the eighth-floor portal was worth the same as opening the first-floor portal.
Whooom!
The cluster of rainbow-colored lights transformed into a disk and shimmered. When I turned around, everyone was staring at me without a word. So, they wanted me to be the one to open it and the first to go in too?
"In formation!" In case someone was on the other side of the portal, we took up our formation, and I stepped through the portal first.
Flash!
White light filled my field of vision. Before long, the fragmented pieces of the world beyond it came into focus.
[You have entered the Land of Dawn on the eighth floor.]
These were the depths of the labyrinth referred to in the game as the Land of Dawn.
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Condition: Reach the eighth floor.]
[Reward: Your Soul Power has permanently increased by +50.]
Just like when I first entered the Great Demon Realm on the fifth floor, an achievement was reached and I could feel my soul expand. These guys called this a baptism, I think? This was a mysterious phenomenon where the labyrinth granted an adventurer a blessing when they accomplished certain tasks.
Whooom!
I went in first and took in my surroundings. The squad followed suit.
"There... are no enemies."
"That's a relief. I was worried the enemy would be waiting for us like during the battle of the Goblin Forest."
"I finally get to see the eighth floor."
"This alone makes my participation in this mission worth it."
About half the crew got baptized, indicating this was their first time here. No, since the wizards and priests were excluded, it was safe to say it was more than half. Well, that was to be expected—the eighth floor was classified as a deep floor.
"What a fascinating place..." It looked like this was Erwen's first time on the eighth floor too. The most experienced among us would be Amelia or Ravien.
"Enemy or not, let's eat!"
"Woohoo!"
"Injuries first! Please, someone, treat this quickly! It started noticeably festering yesterday and now I can't feel my fingertips!"
It seemed a riot would ensue at any moment, so a break was quickly ordered. The food on the sleds had run out, but everything we had stored in sub-space was still fine.
As soon as permission was given, everyone on the crew took out food from their sub-spaces and stuffed their mouths. Those whose injuries were classified as minor gnawed on beef jerky as they looked around for a priest.
"Mister, we should eat too."
"Yeah." I was starving just as much so I quickly pulled out the food and ate with my teammates.
"I've only ever heard about it, but I didn't know this was such a peaceful place."
"You mean the Land of Dawn?"
"Yes. Since it's called a deep floor, I thought it would be much scarier..."
Well, the sentiment had merit. We were on a towering green hill. The only thing that surrounded us was a vast meadow, and a warm breeze brushed our skin. Just a moment ago we were wearing thick fur clothes and trembling from the cold, so the difference was stark.
"You guys rest over here. I'm going to go look around for a moment." Once my stomach was somewhat full, I walked away from the group. A leader had duties to attend to, right? I could eat beef jerky while I walked.
Shoving five pieces of jerky into my mouth at once, a luxury greater than any I could have dreamed up a few hours ago, I chewed as I wandered around. But my heart was too heavy for pure happiness. That was the reason why I wasn't able to stay put and was instead roaming around.
I don't see a rift...
The Land of Dawn was a very small place. In terms of area, it was probably the smallest of all the floors in the labyrinth. There were no monsters here, either; at least, not until you went into the rift.
In that case... it would be safe to assume someone went in first.
The eighth floor always had one rift open. It was randomly generated, and when the rift was completely cleared, two portals opened for your choosing. You could head up to the ninth floor, or return to the eighth floor. Whichever option you chose, the moment it was cleared, another rift regenerated on the eighth floor and that cycle continued.
The problem here is... The people inside that rift right now have to be from Noark.
Would those guys head to the ninth floor? Or would they return to the eighth and choose to hunt in a different type of rift? If they went for the latter, even resting here right now was a considerable risk. If they were active on the eighth floor it meant they'd be in squadron-sized units, with a skill level similar to ours.
Anyway, I see why the palace was in a hurry...
Now that I'd come to the eighth floor myself, it hit me that the palace had lost many high-ranking adventurers throughout this two-year war. Of course, thanks to plenty of political support, a supply of stockpiled essences, and the return of many retired adventurers, their forces had been restored to some extent.
But if things continue like this, it'll only get worse.
Noark was basically using a cheat code. Starting on the seventh floor from the first day? They could go straight to the eighth floor to scour it for the highest-ranking essences. If this continued for even a few more years, the gap between Noark and Rafdonia's top adventurers would widen exponentially.
...But since they can't erase essences, they could end up with bad combinations.
That would be the case for most of them, actually. I hadn't met anyone in this world who planned their essence combos as meticulously as I did. Ninety percent of them would have random specs. But, as always, there would be exceptions.
...In any case, that isn't something to worry about right now.
I tried to let go of my anxiety about the distant future. I may have been working for the palace right now, but it wasn't like I planned to sacrifice my life out of loyalty to the king. While I was in the labyrinth, even focusing on everything I had on what was in front of me wasn't enough.
As soon as permission was given, everyone on the crew took out food from their sub-spaces and stuffed their mouths. Those whose injuries were classified as minor gnawed on beef jerky as they looked around for a priest.
"Mister, we should eat too."
"Yeah." I was starving just as much so I quickly pulled out the food and ate with my teammates.
"I've only ever heard about it, but I didn't know this was such a peaceful place."
"You mean the Land of Dawn?"
"Yes. Since it's called a deep floor, I thought it would be much scarier..."
Well, the sentiment had merit. We were on a towering green hill. The only thing that surrounded us was a vast meadow, and a warm breeze brushed our skin. Just a moment ago we were wearing thick fur clothes and trembling from the cold, so the difference was stark.
"You guys rest over here. I'm going to go look around for a moment." Once my stomach was somewhat full, I walked away from the group. A leader had duties to attend to, right? I could eat beef jerky while I walked.
Shoving five pieces of jerky into my mouth at once, a luxury greater than any I could have dreamed up a few hours ago, I chewed as I wandered around. But my heart was too heavy for pure happiness. That was the reason why I wasn't able to stay put and was instead roaming around.
I don't see a rift...
The Land of Dawn was a very small place. In terms of area, it was probably the smallest of all the floors in the labyrinth. There were no monsters here, either; at least, not until you went into the rift.
In that case... it would be safe to assume someone went in first.
The eighth floor always had one rift open. It was randomly generated, and when the rift was completely cleared, two portals opened for your choosing. You could head up to the ninth floor, or return to the eighth floor. Whichever option you chose, the moment it was cleared, another rift regenerated on the eighth floor and that cycle continued.
The problem here is... The people inside that rift right now have to be from Noark.
Would those guys head to the ninth floor? Or would they return to the eighth and choose to hunt in a different type of rift? If they went for the latter, even resting here right now was a considerable risk. If they were active on the eighth floor it meant they'd be in squadron-sized units, with a skill level similar to ours.
Anyway, I see why the palace was in a hurry...
Now that I'd come to the eighth floor myself, it hit me that the palace had lost many high-ranking adventurers throughout this two-year war. Of course, thanks to plenty of political support, a supply of stockpiled essences, and the return of many retired adventurers, their forces had been restored to some extent.
But if things continue like this, it'll only get worse.
Noark was basically using a cheat code. Starting on the seventh floor from the first day? They could go straight to the eighth floor to scour it for the highest-ranking essences. If this continued for even a few more years, the gap between Noark and Rafdonia's top adventurers would widen exponentially.
...But since they can't erase essences, they could end up with bad combinations.
That would be the case for most of them, actually. I hadn't met anyone in this world who planned their essence combos as meticulously as I did. Ninety percent of them would have random specs. But, as always, there would be exceptions.
...In any case, that isn't something to worry about right now.
I tried to let go of my anxiety about the distant future. I may have been working for the palace right now, but it wasn't like I planned to sacrifice my life out of loyalty to the king. While I was in the labyrinth, even focusing on everything I had on what was in front of me wasn't enough.
"We're leaving in five minutes, so get ready!"
Our long-awaited break came to an end. We were going to enter the middle of enemy territory, and it wasn't a good idea to relax too much.
"Goodbye to this horrible sled!"
Sleds and supply boxes were placed in sub-space, and the potions, scrolls, and various battle consumables that had been sealed in boxes until now were distributed to each team appropriately. With that, we were ready to resume our journey.
When it came time to leave, everyone lined up in their positions. At first, we had looked like a bunch of misfits, but now we looked more like a proper, elite fighting force.
"Depart!"
The process of going from the eighth floor down to the Dark Continent was uneventful. That was because as long as you didn't go into a rift, the eighth floor had no monsters and was a safe zone, and the portal itself was close enough to be visible from the hill.
Step, step.
We arrived at our destination after walking for about thirty minutes.
"Once we walk through, we'll be in the Dark Continent, right?"
I confirmed it from a distance with my naked eye, but even up close, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the portal. This was a relief. If Noark hadn't opened the eighth-floor portal and instead left it alone, we would have been stuck here twiddling our thumbs.
Well, even if they hadn't come up to the eighth floor to hunt, I considered the possibility someone would open it on the seventh just for the XP.
Maintaining formation, I walked over to the portal first and everyone gulped. It looked like everyone had a mild case of the jitters now that Noark's territory was right in front of us.
"Schuitz." Just as I was about to enter, Kaislan spoke up. "Why don't you say a word or two before we go? Coming from you, it should boost the squad's morale."
Hmm, I don't really feel like it. It's a waste of time too.
When I looked indifferent, Kaislan blinked and quickly added, "Th-think carefully. This is a historic moment. If this mission succeeds and we play an important role in winning the war... whatever you say here will be recorded for generations to come."
I didn't know about "historic." But given the way his eyes were burning with an obvious desire for glory, I could tell this guy was jealous out of his mind.
If I don't say anything, he'll probably keep whining about it... It would be better to say something quick.
"Ahem-hem."
When I cleared my throat, Kaislan straightened his back like a guard and yelled to get the group's attention, his voice full of gravitas. "Troops, listen! We now stand at a great crossroads. Success or failure! Will we lose it all, or gain it all? I'm sure some of you are anxiously wondering the same thing! However! I, Melend Kaislan, have no doubt we will go down in history as the victors!"
"Ooooooh!"
While Kaislan's teammates cheered, the others wore sour expressions. Why is he saying all this? That was what they seemed to be asking.
I guessed Kaislan intuitively picked up on that as well. "On that note! Everyone, listen carefully! I'm sure Sir Schuitz will have something to say before we execute this grand mission bestowed on us by the palace!"
Kaislan passed the baton to me in a flash. It was ridiculous.
What the—? I thought you wanted me to do it, so why are you handing me the mic after saying whatever you wanted? I guess he wants to be recorded in history somehow too.
I couldn't understand what was running through his head at all, but everyone had different motivations. Turning my back to the portal connecting to the Dark Continent, I looked at the crew. Everyone seemed curious about what I would say, unlike Kaislan. I wondered if this was why that American CEO was always trolling on social media. People at least paid attention that way, wondering what kind of trouble he was going to cause.
Anyway, I have more important things to focus on right now.
"Ahem..." I cleared my throat and scanned the crowd. Before me I could see the faces of the crew, faces I was now very well acquainted with after going through hardships day and night together. Was that why? At that moment, I thought of something I wanted to say. "I won't speak for long this time, either!"
Yeah. Since I already said "Let's kill a lot and earn a lot" back then, this should suffice for today:
"Let's come back with as many alive as possible!"
***
[You have entered the Dark Continent on the seventh floor.]
Dragon Pit was one of the later stages of the Dark Continent. Almost as if we had entered a museum, the skeletons of huge vertebrae were scattered all around the ruins, and the ground was full of skulls and bone fragments.
Rattle, rattle.
We moved forward, making as little noise as possible. No one spoke.
Rattle.
There wasn't a single light illuminating our surroundings. Of course, that wasn't a major hurdle to securing visibility. The issue of darkness was solved with magic.
[Riard Ashed has cast the rank-five support spell Insight.]
Using this too often consumed significant mana, but it was unavoidable. We were in the middle of enemy territory, after all. We had to move as carefully as possible.
Clack.
Amelia, who had taken the position in front of me once we reached the seventh floor, suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Whip, whip.
She sent urgent hand signals my way. The enemy was nearby. The team leaders following behind joined me at the forefront and immediately activated a team communication spell so we could all speak without Noark hearing us.
"How many enemies?"
"Fifteen."
Hmm, only the size of a small clan. Well, you need to operate with at least that many people in a place like this.
"What's your plan? Battling them?" asked Akurava.
"Isn't that obvious?" said Kaislan. "Those people are enemies threatening our kingdom. Let's attack them right away!"
"I agree with Sir Kaislan. War achievements are great, but it's also safer to gradually reduce their numbers as much as possible starting now."
The leaders came to a unanimous agreement and it was decided we would ambush the enemy. As the commander, I didn't disagree.
"Okay, let's attack them quickly."
"Wait. We need to prepare more if we're going to pull off a surprise attack. If the wizards and special ability users release their firepower in one concentrated burst, this battle will be much easier," said Akurava.
"Oh, that's true. Since this is the first battle, we'll lead," said Kaislan.
What are these guys talking so seriously about?
"Do you guys know what an ambush is?"
When I poured cold water on their discussion, the team leaders tilted their heads at me.
Jeez, all of them seemed so experienced at killing. I guess they've never looted anyone before?
"Wizard or not, the first thing we'll do is wait."
"Wait for what?" asked Kaislan.
Isn't that obvious?
"When they start fighting monsters, we'll attack them from behind."
These were the basics of Player Killing.
"We're leaving in five minutes, so get ready!"
Our long-awaited break came to an end. We were going to enter the middle of enemy territory, and it wasn't a good idea to relax too much.
"Goodbye to this horrible sled!"
Sleds and supply boxes were placed in sub-space, and the potions, scrolls, and various battle consumables that had been sealed in boxes until now were distributed to each team appropriately. With that, we were ready to resume our journey.
When it came time to leave, everyone lined up in their positions. At first, we had looked like a bunch of misfits, but now we looked more like a proper, elite fighting force.
"Depart!"
The process of going from the eighth floor down to the Dark Continent was uneventful. That was because as long as you didn't go into a rift, the eighth floor had no monsters and was a safe zone, and the portal itself was close enough to be visible from the hill.
Step, step.
We arrived at our destination after walking for about thirty minutes.
"Once we walk through, we'll be in the Dark Continent, right?"
I confirmed it from a distance with my naked eye, but even up close, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the portal. This was a relief. If Noark hadn't opened the eighth-floor portal and instead left it alone, we would have been stuck here twiddling our thumbs.
Well, even if they hadn't come up to the eighth floor to hunt, I considered the possibility someone would open it on the seventh just for the XP.
Maintaining formation, I walked over to the portal first and everyone gulped. It looked like everyone had a mild case of the jitters now that Noark's territory was right in front of us.
"Schuitz." Just as I was about to enter, Kaislan spoke up. "Why don't you say a word or two before we go? Coming from you, it should boost the squad's morale."
Hmm, I don't really feel like it. It's a waste of time too.
When I looked indifferent, Kaislan blinked and quickly added, "Th-think carefully. This is a historic moment. If this mission succeeds and we play an important role in winning the war... whatever you say here will be recorded for generations to come."
I didn't know about "historic." But given the way his eyes were burning with an obvious desire for glory, I could tell this guy was jealous out of his mind.
If I don't say anything, he'll probably keep whining about it... It would be better to say something quick.
"Ahem-hem."
When I cleared my throat, Kaislan straightened his back like a guard and yelled to get the group's attention, his voice full of gravitas. "Troops, listen! We now stand at a great crossroads. Success or failure! Will we lose it all, or gain it all? I'm sure some of you are anxiously wondering the same thing! However! I, Melend Kaislan, have no doubt we will go down in history as the victors!"
"Ooooooh!"
While Kaislan's teammates cheered, the others wore sour expressions. Why is he saying all this? That was what they seemed to be asking.
I guessed Kaislan intuitively picked up on that as well. "On that note! Everyone, listen carefully! I'm sure Sir Schuitz will have something to say before we execute this grand mission bestowed on us by the palace!"
Kaislan passed the baton to me in a flash. It was ridiculous.
What the—? I thought you wanted me to do it, so why are you handing me the mic after saying whatever you wanted? I guess he wants to be recorded in history somehow too.
I couldn't understand what was running through his head at all, but everyone had different motivations. Turning my back to the portal connecting to the Dark Continent, I looked at the crew. Everyone seemed curious about what I would say, unlike Kaislan. I wondered if this was why that American CEO was always trolling on social media. People at least paid attention that way, wondering what kind of trouble he was going to cause.
Anyway, I have more important things to focus on right now.
"Ahem..." I cleared my throat and scanned the crowd. Before me I could see the faces of the crew, faces I was now very well acquainted with after going through hardships day and night together. Was that why? At that moment, I thought of something I wanted to say. "I won't speak for long this time, either!"
Yeah. Since I already said "Let's kill a lot and earn a lot" back then, this should suffice for today:
"Let's come back with as many alive as possible!"
***
[You have entered the Dark Continent on the seventh floor.]
Dragon Pit was one of the later stages of the Dark Continent. Almost as if we had entered a museum, the skeletons of huge vertebrae were scattered all around the ruins, and the ground was full of skulls and bone fragments.
Rattle, rattle.
We moved forward, making as little noise as possible. No one spoke.
Rattle.
There wasn't a single light illuminating our surroundings. Of course, that wasn't a major hurdle to securing visibility. The issue of darkness was solved with magic.
[Riard Ashed has cast the rank-five support spell Insight.]
Using this too often consumed significant mana, but it was unavoidable. We were in the middle of enemy territory, after all. We had to move as carefully as possible.
Clack.
Amelia, who had taken the position in front of me once we reached the seventh floor, suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Whip, whip.
She sent urgent hand signals my way. The enemy was nearby. The team leaders following behind joined me at the forefront and immediately activated a team communication spell so we could all speak without Noark hearing us.
"How many enemies?"
"Fifteen."
Hmm, only the size of a small clan. Well, you need to operate with at least that many people in a place like this.
"What's your plan? Battling them?" asked Akurava.
"Isn't that obvious?" said Kaislan. "Those people are enemies threatening our kingdom. Let's attack them right away!"
"I agree with Sir Kaislan. War achievements are great, but it's also safer to gradually reduce their numbers as much as possible starting now."
The leaders came to a unanimous agreement and it was decided we would ambush the enemy. As the commander, I didn't disagree.
"Okay, let's attack them quickly."
"Wait. We need to prepare more if we're going to pull off a surprise attack. If the wizards and special ability users release their firepower in one concentrated burst, this battle will be much easier," said Akurava.
"Oh, that's true. Since this is the first battle, we'll lead," said Kaislan.
What are these guys talking so seriously about?
"Do you guys know what an ambush is?"
When I poured cold water on their discussion, the team leaders tilted their heads at me.
Jeez, all of them seemed so experienced at killing. I guess they've never looted anyone before?
"Wizard or not, the first thing we'll do is wait."
"Wait for what?" asked Kaislan.
Isn't that obvious?
"When they start fighting monsters, we'll attack them from behind."
These were the basics of Player Killing.