Chapter 416: Uphill Road (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 416: Uphill Road (3)
Hah.
Exhale.
Hah.
Inhale.
Each time I did this, my breath puffed out like I was smoking a cigarette.
Drip.
Beads of sweat fell to the ground in the form of ice droplets. My muscles screamed and my vision blurred. But, so what?
Step, step.
One step, and then another. I focused on my breathing more than ever as I trudged forward. I was in front of the two connected sleds, clinging onto the rope tightly so as not to drop it.
Step, step.
I was dragging the sleds forward without pause. The reason was simple. The troll summoner who was in charge of the sleds had fallen.
"How's Milburn Naria doing?"
"...She won't last long."
"I see..."
Grit.
My jaw involuntarily clenched as I recalled the battle just a while ago. It hadn't been so bad at first.
[You have cast Giantization.]
I used Giantization to block the path like a boulder.
"Teirun Sheardiem." The wizards used mana shields.
[Jun Arshen has cast Light of Protection.]
[Periton Eriaboti has cast Divine Skin.]
[Benjamin Orman has cast Damage Reduction.]
Priests assisted me with various shields and buffs, concentrating a medley of divine magic on me. This strategy could otherwise be described as "all-in." And the strategy had worked.
[All healing and recovery effects are reversed.]
Where one hit could turn fatal, the enemy could no longer land a decisive hit on me. Leveraging that, we used our uphill advantage to bombard the enemy with every last firepower we had. Skills weren't enough so we even used healing potions. In between benevolently plying them with the best modern medicine had to offer, we grabbed the enemy by the neck and threw them down the cliff whenever we got the chance.
[Status effect Whisper of Immortality is now active. In the event of death, the character will be resurrected as an Undead.]
Deceased enemy soldiers turned into Undead and attacked their allies, and we continued our offensive while maintaining a strong formation.
"There's no doubt... he would have been a difficult opponent for you to handle alone, Regal Vagos."
But once they entered the battle, things changed.
[Manua Repeles has cast Iron Fist.]
[Ricky Aymond has cast Walk of Punishment.]
[Puran Cullen has cast Possession.]
There were about fifteen adventurers on Noark's side, armed with high-ranking essences acquired from the eighth floor and above. The moment those guys entered the battle, the front line collapsed.
"Schuitz, Rayothers has run out of mana!"
The wizards who were supplying me with mana shields gave out one by one, and as if that wasn't enough, the enemies jumped over me into the middle of our squadron's formation. There were three paladins on the main tank line, two knights acting as secondary tanks, and one warrior from Team Three. Close-range damagers like Amelia and Ravien did their best to work together and drive them out, but even that wasn't enough.
"W-We must retreat!"
The entire unit, including me, sensed our impending defeat. The fact of the matter was that they were much more powerful than us. If we continued and fought to the death, our opponents would suffer considerable damage as well, but that was all I could say. Ultimately, it'd end in a total team kill.
We have to give up on killing all of these bastards here.
I immediately implemented Plan B. The key to Plan B was the summoner from Team Two, Milburn Naria. This woman was a long-range nuker summoner who commanded three Ice Troll sorcerers.
[Milburn Naria has cast Cruel Command.]
[Milburn Naria has cast Beast Training.]
[Milburn Naria has cast Latent Instinct.]
[Milburn Naria has cast Stability.]
She cast buffs on her summoned beasts as soon as I gave the order.
[Summoned Beast Pippi has cast Avalanche.]
[Summoned Beast Poppy has cast Avalanche.]
[Summoned Beast Yeppi has cast Avalanche.]
The Ice Trolls, stacked with buffs that made them a dozen times stronger, simultaneously used the same active, buying us time to retreat.
"Kyaaa!"
Naria was injured in the process. She had gone out to the front lines with the Trolls to keep them within range of Stability, which increased the range of the summoned beasts' skills by three times. She ended up getting hit. Thankfully, she had doled out commands to her summoned beasts even as she was injured, and we had been able to retreat successfully. Which was how we reached the present.
"Schuitz, are you okay...?"
"Don't talk to me."
After Naria lost consciousness, the entire unit took to carrying the backpacks and food, but that accounted for only one sled.
Slide, slide.
I climbed uphill while pulling the other two. I'd have to switch with the other warriors once it got too difficult, but I still had strength left in me.
While I cleared my head and kept moving, Naria regained consciousness on the sled. "Ugh..." Covered in several layers of thick fur clothing filled with insulating stones, the first thing she said was, "I-I'm cold..."
"Just hold on a little longer. That's because your body is in bad shape. You'll feel better once you get a heal up there."
"Y-You think so...?"
Cough!
"...Yeah, I'm sure of it."
There was no answer. Judging from the sound of her breathing, it seemed she'd lost consciousness again.
Boom.
It was like a cannonball had hit my heart, a feeling so suffocating that I felt like I was going to lose it.
What do you mean 'I'm sure of it...?'
I hoped this woman wouldn't die. That was the truth. But I knew all too well that, despite my best wishes, that outcome was impossible in reality.
No, this woman is probably the one who knows that best...
Her body was as cold as ice. Death was slowly approaching.
"Home..." Just then, I heard her voice behind me again. "I want to... go home..."
I gritted my teeth and forced out a lie in response to her weak muttering. "You'll go home. I'm sure of it."
"W-We must retreat!"
The entire unit, including me, sensed our impending defeat. The fact of the matter was that they were much more powerful than us. If we continued and fought to the death, our opponents would suffer considerable damage as well, but that was all I could say. Ultimately, it'd end in a total team kill.
We have to give up on killing all of these bastards here.
I immediately implemented Plan B. The key to Plan B was the summoner from Team Two, Milburn Naria. This woman was a long-range nuker summoner who commanded three Ice Troll sorcerers.
[Milburn Naria has cast Cruel Command.]
[Milburn Naria has cast Beast Training.]
[Milburn Naria has cast Latent Instinct.]
[Milburn Naria has cast Stability.]
She cast buffs on her summoned beasts as soon as I gave the order.
[Summoned Beast Pippi has cast Avalanche.]
[Summoned Beast Poppy has cast Avalanche.]
[Summoned Beast Yeppi has cast Avalanche.]
The Ice Trolls, stacked with buffs that made them a dozen times stronger, simultaneously used the same active, buying us time to retreat.
"Kyaaa!"
Naria was injured in the process. She had gone out to the front lines with the Trolls to keep them within range of Stability, which increased the range of the summoned beasts' skills by three times. She ended up getting hit. Thankfully, she had doled out commands to her summoned beasts even as she was injured, and we had been able to retreat successfully. Which was how we reached the present.
"Schuitz, are you okay...?"
"Don't talk to me."
After Naria lost consciousness, the entire unit took to carrying the backpacks and food, but that accounted for only one sled.
Slide, slide.
I climbed uphill while pulling the other two. I'd have to switch with the other warriors once it got too difficult, but I still had strength left in me.
While I cleared my head and kept moving, Naria regained consciousness on the sled. "Ugh..." Covered in several layers of thick fur clothing filled with insulating stones, the first thing she said was, "I-I'm cold..."
"Just hold on a little longer. That's because your body is in bad shape. You'll feel better once you get a heal up there."
"Y-You think so...?"
Cough!
"...Yeah, I'm sure of it."
There was no answer. Judging from the sound of her breathing, it seemed she'd lost consciousness again.
Boom.
It was like a cannonball had hit my heart, a feeling so suffocating that I felt like I was going to lose it.
What do you mean 'I'm sure of it...?'
I hoped this woman wouldn't die. That was the truth. But I knew all too well that, despite my best wishes, that outcome was impossible in reality.
No, this woman is probably the one who knows that best...
Her body was as cold as ice. Death was slowly approaching.
"Home..." Just then, I heard her voice behind me again. "I want to... go home..."
I gritted my teeth and forced out a lie in response to her weak muttering. "You'll go home. I'm sure of it."
"Do you... think so?"
"Yes. If you can hold on."
Naria went quiet after that. It was only a long time later that she spoke again. "Mr. Schuitz... Please, leave me here."
"What are you talking about?"
"That will be... better for you all. That's how... this place is..."
I didn't answer, but not because I didn't understand what she was saying. Whisper of Immortality was a terrible effect that resurrected you as an Undead several times stronger than your original self upon death. She wanted to help us by staying in the enemy's path.
Silence fell.
"Please... answer me."
With that, I ended up accepting it. Continued hypocrisy wasn't going to help this woman.
Yeah, so instead of that...
Squeeze.
I clenched my fists and just barely managed to part my lips. "Okay. I'll respect your wishes. Is there someone in the city you want to send a message to?"
It took a long while for her to answer. "...No. You can't."
"What do you mean I can't?"
"I-I don't deserve..." Her voice was shaky, and her words incoherent. This was a behavioral change often seen right before a person died. "Ahh... I'm so sorry... I didn't want... to fool... I didn't want to either... I-I-If I... instead...!"
Sob.
Naria began to cry.
I didn't dig deep, figuring this woman must have had her own burdens to bear. I just wordlessly listened to her sorrows as they tumbled out of her, continuing my march forward for who knows how long until—
"Please, let me down now..." Her pronunciation was clearer now.
"Damn it." At this, the warrior beside me cursed.
The paladin closed his eyes and made the sign of the cross. "May the warm light embrace your soul." As someone who had witnessed countless deaths, he had noticed the last of her embers were burning out.
"Miss Naria... You did a good job." Her team leader, Akurava, smoothed back her disheveled hair. She carefully lifted Naria's body and began to lower it.
"Thank you, Ms. Akurava..."
"Thank me? That's..." Akurava gnawed on her lip as if physically biting something back. Then she laid Naria's body down on the fur clothes the other members of our squadron had spread out on the floor for her.
"...Go. Don't look at me like that." Despite Naria's words, we were having trouble leaving. "It isn't safe. I'm fine, so... Go."
Fuck.
Grit.
Something hot filled my chest, but my head knew to face the facts.
"Schuitz, she's right. We have to go now."
I forced myself to take a step and started walking again, dragging the sled.
"I'm... not scared..." Naria closed her eyes weakly. "I'm going home now..." The more I walked, the more distant her muttering became. "My real home... that smells like coffee... in the morning..."
Damn it.
"Well, I'm regretting it now. There's no way the archbishop would really have tried to kill me. Hahaha..."
"Do you... think so?"
"Yes. If you can hold on."
Naria went quiet after that. It was only a long time later that she spoke again. "Mr. Schuitz... Please, leave me here."
"What are you talking about?"
"That will be... better for you all. That's how... this place is..."
I didn't answer, but not because I didn't understand what she was saying. Whisper of Immortality was a terrible effect that resurrected you as an Undead several times stronger than your original self upon death. She wanted to help us by staying in the enemy's path.
Silence fell.
"Please... answer me."
With that, I ended up accepting it. Continued hypocrisy wasn't going to help this woman.
Yeah, so instead of that...
Squeeze.
I clenched my fists and just barely managed to part my lips. "Okay. I'll respect your wishes. Is there someone in the city you want to send a message to?"
It took a long while for her to answer. "...No. You can't."
"What do you mean I can't?"
"I-I don't deserve..." Her voice was shaky, and her words incoherent. This was a behavioral change often seen right before a person died. "Ahh... I'm so sorry... I didn't want... to fool... I didn't want to either... I-I-If I... instead...!"
Sob.
Naria began to cry.
I didn't dig deep, figuring this woman must have had her own burdens to bear. I just wordlessly listened to her sorrows as they tumbled out of her, continuing my march forward for who knows how long until—
"Please, let me down now..." Her pronunciation was clearer now.
"Damn it." At this, the warrior beside me cursed.
The paladin closed his eyes and made the sign of the cross. "May the warm light embrace your soul." As someone who had witnessed countless deaths, he had noticed the last of her embers were burning out.
"Miss Naria... You did a good job." Her team leader, Akurava, smoothed back her disheveled hair. She carefully lifted Naria's body and began to lower it.
"Thank you, Ms. Akurava..."
"Thank me? That's..." Akurava gnawed on her lip as if physically biting something back. Then she laid Naria's body down on the fur clothes the other members of our squadron had spread out on the floor for her.
"...Go. Don't look at me like that." Despite Naria's words, we were having trouble leaving. "It isn't safe. I'm fine, so... Go."
Fuck.
Grit.
Something hot filled my chest, but my head knew to face the facts.
"Schuitz, she's right. We have to go now."
I forced myself to take a step and started walking again, dragging the sled.
"I'm... not scared..." Naria closed her eyes weakly. "I'm going home now..." The more I walked, the more distant her muttering became. "My real home... that smells like coffee... in the morning..."
Damn it.
"Well, I'm regretting it now. There's no way the archbishop would really have tried to kill me. Hahaha..."
I finally figured out the nature of that discomfort.
***
With twenty-four survivors, the unit of what was originally thirty people advanced forward, carrying with us a discomfort that was hard to shake even when our lives were at stake.
"What Miss Naria said earlier..."
"Home... must be that place, right?"
Adventurers experienced a variety of things during their countless years in the labyrinth. So many of them knew, of course, what the earnest final wish of a dying evil spirit sounded like.
"Then Miss Naria was an evil spirit...?"
"Shh! Be quiet. We don't know that for sure yet."
Suspicion spread among the crew. Some were angered by the question itself.
"Are all of you out of your minds? She was injured trying to save us and tried to help us even as she was dying! She chose to die a lonely death for us! Evil spirit? Even if she is, what does that matter?"
This was a bad sign.
"No, we were just... it's weird! Why would an evil spirit do that for us...?"
"You fucking bastard! If you really don't know, I'll show you myself, personally!"
What a shitshow.
"Stop!" Before a rift could form between the crew, Kaislan intervened with a shout. "Have you all lost it? We need to keep going as one unit!"
I didn't bother to stop his tirade. This incident was making me realize that leading a group sometimes required total domination.
"If anyone utters another useless word, I will be the first to carry out their prompt execution under the kingdom's martial law! Got it?"
It was a forceful command that was closer to a desperate attempt at dressing a gaping wound than anything. It seemed to snap everyone to their senses, and they returned to attention. Well, not everyone.
"...Try it," someone muttered, bringing the silence to an end. The owner of the voice was Futa Rickerburn, the close-range damage dealer from Team Two who served as a scout.
"...Try it?"
"Don't you all know? We're already done for!"
"You...!"
"P-Please stop, Sir Kaislan!"
Kaislan immediately raised his sword but was stopped by the knights around him.
Rickerburn's voice grew even louder at that. "Didn't you see those people earlier? They're much stronger than us! And there are more of them, too! What difference would running make? They're going to catch up with us soon, anyway."
"...Let go. That's an order." The knights restraining him sighed and stepped back at Kaislan's command.
Yikes, we'll really see bloodshed within the team at this rate.
"Kaislan, move." I had no choice but to stop the sled and head to the center where the commotion was.
Squeeze.
I stomped over and grabbed the guy by the collar.
"Ugh!"
"So, what are you trying to say? Everything's hopeless, so you're just going to give up and die? Is that what you really want? If that's the case, I can kill you before they do."
Cough!
The guy I grabbed choked, but the defiant fire in his glare persisted. "Try it, if you can." I was taken aback by the look in his eyes. He truly didn't care if he lived or died.
"...What?" I subconsciously loosened my grip, and he dropped back to the ground.
"What difference will it make if we somehow miraculously get rid of those bastards?" he shouted, the sound verging on a wail of despair. "What, are you picturing a future of laughing and joking around back in the city? Do you really think a future like that exists for us?"
I have to shut this asshole up even if it means killing him.
The thought came a second too late—he had already blurted out everything I didn't want him to voice aloud. "Don't you know why the main unit didn't come to save us? We were abandoned! It wasn't because something happened, either—that was their plan from the very beginning!"
"...W-What are you talking about? What do you mean that was their plan from the beginning?"
"N-Nonsense! The palace has no reason to throw away all these people!"
"Yeah! I thought so too! Because each one of us is accomplished and influential! But that was the trap!"
"...Trap?"
It was already far too late for me to fix this. I just sighed and decided to watch the train wreck unfold.
"I, Futa Rickerburn, belong to the Kealunus Dukedom! I ended up owing a big debt to the duke, so I did his dirty work as his hitman! When I finally got fed up and told him I wanted to retire, the last thing he asked me for was this expedition! Don't you see? I was thrown away! There were too many eyes to just kill me himself so he was kind enough to gift me a title before throwing me in the trash!" He looked around at the faces of the people around him and laughed. "Hahaha! Looks like I'm not the only one who got screwed. Don't you all have similar stories?"
He finished talking, and for a moment, a silence heavier than I'd ever experienced settled over the unit. It was like the calm before a storm.
"Th-the company abandoned me...? N-No. No way. They said they'd forgive my embezzlement if I carried out this job..." someone muttered in a state of panic. As a result, all eyes turned to their neighbors.
Are you in the same boat? their gazes seemed to ask.
It was the team leaders who received the bulk of the looks. They had the most prestige of all of us. Everyone probably wanted them to come forward and say that there was no way that was the case.
"...Perhaps we really were abandoned," said Akurava. Reality was cruel. "I, Titana Akurava, continuously raised questions about a potential dimensional collapse of the palace and demanded strict management of the portal. Perhaps that put me in their bad books."
Second to speak was James Calla, vice captain of the Sawtooth Clan. "Recently, I noticed the clan's captain seemed to be trying to undermine my authority more often. But just because of that..."
"Hah... if I had to choose something, I'd say my case is similar to Calla's. I'm not interested in my family's title, but perhaps my older brother felt threatened. That's why I joined the military when I was young, too..." said Kaislan.
Finally, Jun's confession. "I was the Inquisitor for the Church of Tovera. Our mission was to hunt down and execute members of Karui's cult living in the city... But I grew disillusioned and resigned once I saw political opponents who had nothing to do with Karui being falsely accused and executed. It turns out there are quite a few bishops who want their secrets kept hidden."
Each time one of the team leaders spoke, the faces of the unit grew more and more despairing. But it seemed they hadn't given up hope yet, because they redirected their attention to a new target.
"Schuitz, what about you?"
"Not only were you recommended by the marquess himself, but you got the position of leader of this expedition."
"Are you really just like us?"
The crew turned to me.
Well, there's no reason to hide it now.
After a moment's thought, I spoke. There was no need to give a whole detailed explanation like those before me. One sentence was enough.
"...I am Bjorn Yandel."
I finally figured out the nature of that discomfort.
***
With twenty-four survivors, the unit of what was originally thirty people advanced forward, carrying with us a discomfort that was hard to shake even when our lives were at stake.
"What Miss Naria said earlier..."
"Home... must be that place, right?"
Adventurers experienced a variety of things during their countless years in the labyrinth. So many of them knew, of course, what the earnest final wish of a dying evil spirit sounded like.
"Then Miss Naria was an evil spirit...?"
"Shh! Be quiet. We don't know that for sure yet."
Suspicion spread among the crew. Some were angered by the question itself.
"Are all of you out of your minds? She was injured trying to save us and tried to help us even as she was dying! She chose to die a lonely death for us! Evil spirit? Even if she is, what does that matter?"
This was a bad sign.
"No, we were just... it's weird! Why would an evil spirit do that for us...?"
"You fucking bastard! If you really don't know, I'll show you myself, personally!"
What a shitshow.
"Stop!" Before a rift could form between the crew, Kaislan intervened with a shout. "Have you all lost it? We need to keep going as one unit!"
I didn't bother to stop his tirade. This incident was making me realize that leading a group sometimes required total domination.
"If anyone utters another useless word, I will be the first to carry out their prompt execution under the kingdom's martial law! Got it?"
It was a forceful command that was closer to a desperate attempt at dressing a gaping wound than anything. It seemed to snap everyone to their senses, and they returned to attention. Well, not everyone.
"...Try it," someone muttered, bringing the silence to an end. The owner of the voice was Futa Rickerburn, the close-range damage dealer from Team Two who served as a scout.
"...Try it?"
"Don't you all know? We're already done for!"
"You...!"
"P-Please stop, Sir Kaislan!"
Kaislan immediately raised his sword but was stopped by the knights around him.
Rickerburn's voice grew even louder at that. "Didn't you see those people earlier? They're much stronger than us! And there are more of them, too! What difference would running make? They're going to catch up with us soon, anyway."
"...Let go. That's an order." The knights restraining him sighed and stepped back at Kaislan's command.
Yikes, we'll really see bloodshed within the team at this rate.
"Kaislan, move." I had no choice but to stop the sled and head to the center where the commotion was.
Squeeze.
I stomped over and grabbed the guy by the collar.
"Ugh!"
"So, what are you trying to say? Everything's hopeless, so you're just going to give up and die? Is that what you really want? If that's the case, I can kill you before they do."
Cough!
The guy I grabbed choked, but the defiant fire in his glare persisted. "Try it, if you can." I was taken aback by the look in his eyes. He truly didn't care if he lived or died.
"...What?" I subconsciously loosened my grip, and he dropped back to the ground.
"What difference will it make if we somehow miraculously get rid of those bastards?" he shouted, the sound verging on a wail of despair. "What, are you picturing a future of laughing and joking around back in the city? Do you really think a future like that exists for us?"
I have to shut this asshole up even if it means killing him.
The thought came a second too late—he had already blurted out everything I didn't want him to voice aloud. "Don't you know why the main unit didn't come to save us? We were abandoned! It wasn't because something happened, either—that was their plan from the very beginning!"
"...W-What are you talking about? What do you mean that was their plan from the beginning?"
"N-Nonsense! The palace has no reason to throw away all these people!"
"Yeah! I thought so too! Because each one of us is accomplished and influential! But that was the trap!"
"...Trap?"
It was already far too late for me to fix this. I just sighed and decided to watch the train wreck unfold.
"I, Futa Rickerburn, belong to the Kealunus Dukedom! I ended up owing a big debt to the duke, so I did his dirty work as his hitman! When I finally got fed up and told him I wanted to retire, the last thing he asked me for was this expedition! Don't you see? I was thrown away! There were too many eyes to just kill me himself so he was kind enough to gift me a title before throwing me in the trash!" He looked around at the faces of the people around him and laughed. "Hahaha! Looks like I'm not the only one who got screwed. Don't you all have similar stories?"
He finished talking, and for a moment, a silence heavier than I'd ever experienced settled over the unit. It was like the calm before a storm.
"Th-the company abandoned me...? N-No. No way. They said they'd forgive my embezzlement if I carried out this job..." someone muttered in a state of panic. As a result, all eyes turned to their neighbors.
Are you in the same boat? their gazes seemed to ask.
It was the team leaders who received the bulk of the looks. They had the most prestige of all of us. Everyone probably wanted them to come forward and say that there was no way that was the case.
"...Perhaps we really were abandoned," said Akurava. Reality was cruel. "I, Titana Akurava, continuously raised questions about a potential dimensional collapse of the palace and demanded strict management of the portal. Perhaps that put me in their bad books."
Second to speak was James Calla, vice captain of the Sawtooth Clan. "Recently, I noticed the clan's captain seemed to be trying to undermine my authority more often. But just because of that..."
"Hah... if I had to choose something, I'd say my case is similar to Calla's. I'm not interested in my family's title, but perhaps my older brother felt threatened. That's why I joined the military when I was young, too..." said Kaislan.
Finally, Jun's confession. "I was the Inquisitor for the Church of Tovera. Our mission was to hunt down and execute members of Karui's cult living in the city... But I grew disillusioned and resigned once I saw political opponents who had nothing to do with Karui being falsely accused and executed. It turns out there are quite a few bishops who want their secrets kept hidden."
Each time one of the team leaders spoke, the faces of the unit grew more and more despairing. But it seemed they hadn't given up hope yet, because they redirected their attention to a new target.
"Schuitz, what about you?"
"Not only were you recommended by the marquess himself, but you got the position of leader of this expedition."
"Are you really just like us?"
The crew turned to me.
Well, there's no reason to hide it now.
After a moment's thought, I spoke. There was no need to give a whole detailed explanation like those before me. One sentence was enough.
"...I am Bjorn Yandel."