Chapter 506: Basement Floor One (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 506: Basement Floor One (2)
The Lord of the Abyss, Berzak, was a hidden boss who only appeared after the Lord of Terror was killed nine times.
I had a feeling this might happen... but to think it actually did.
I immediately grilled the adventurers gathered around the portal about the most important information. According to them, Berzak appeared around an hour ago. Because many of the adventurers on the first floor were worried this exact thing might happen, there thankfully weren't that many casualties. In fact, nearly all of them realized how dangerous things were getting by the fourth day and quickly headed to the second floor.
"But all the new adventurers wouldn't have had the skills to make it to the second floor alone."
"Yes, that's correct. Which is why we teamed up with ten other clans to find all the adventurers scattered around the first floor and help bring them to the second floor."
While there were some people out there willing to summon the Lord of the Floor without sparing a second thought for all the lives they were endangering, there were conversely always those out there who would do whatever they could to save those lives even when there was nothing to gain. The majority of the adventurers lingering around the portal turned out to be ones who had been in the middle of escorting people to the second floor when Berzak appeared.
"So there's no need to worry too much, Your Lordship. On the sixth day, we scoped out the entirety of the first floor and weren't able to find any stragglers."
So they had everything covered...
"Great work. I'm sure it wasn't easy."
"Easy or difficult, someone had to do it. And it's nothing compared to what you've accomplished, Your Lordship."
As he looked up at me, eyes full of respect, I felt my conscience start to eat away at me. After all, I wasn't that great a person. I myself had had a bad feeling that Berzak might show up, yet I still ran off to the third floor in pursuit of my own goal.
Suddenly, one of the adventurers spoke up. "But since you came from that direction, does that mean you weren't rescuing people like we were?"
Before I could answer him, the other adventurers burst into exclamations, quickly defending me.
"Hey, try using your brain! Why do you think he came from over there?!"
"Then... Not only did he help people get to the second floor, but he also personally guided them around to help them get used to it?"
"Unlike us, Baron Yandel doesn't need recognition from the Guild... To think he's still willing to go so far to help others."
"I'm embarrassed. Actually, I was secretly hoping that the guild would recognize us for helping the new adventurers when Berzak appeared."
Uh...
I just laughed awkwardly, keeping my mouth shut.
[Your Reputation has risen by +1.]
[Your Reputation has risen by +1.]
[Your Reputation has risen by +1.]
[Your Reputation has...]
I didn't really care about my Reputation stat rising, but at least this misunderstanding would help provide me an alibi.
Now if we head down to unlock the hidden area, there won't be many people questioning our whereabouts.
The feeling of guilt only grew worse, but I was able to push through it. After all, if I could bear the pain of pouring potions over my torn flesh, I could bear this.
"Well then," I hedged, "we have something to discuss amongst ourselves for a bit."
"Oh, of course! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask us!"
After explaining the situation to me, the group of adventurers then left us alone so we could have a team meeting. Given what was going on, I was curious what my party members were thinking. The first person I asked was Amelia, who was essentially our clan's anchor and voice of reason. "Emily, what do you think we should do now?"
"...It's dangerous to go any further. But at the same time, it would be a shame to give up like this."
"Then do you think we should still give it a shot?" It would take us a little more than an hour to sprint to the portal stone from the Goblin Forest's portal. Despite Berzak's presence, we still had time to make it there...
Amelia's voice sliced through my thoughts. "It depends on how certain you are that this will work. If you're confident that this method will open the hidden area, then it might be worth a try."
Her concerns were completely understandable. Even if we managed to make it there, if the portal to the new area didn't work, we would have to run all the way back if we wanted to keep exploring this month. And given that that meant we'd be running around on the first floor for twice as long, the chances of us encountering Berzak would increase proportionately.
"So you're saying that if I'm confident that this will open the portal, then you're in favor of giving it a shot."
"Yes, essentially."
Okay, so Amelia is tentatively in favor...
I then heard out everyone else.
"Even if it doesn't work, I still think it's worth a shot. We're not the same as we used to be."
"I agree with the elf. We only went to the third floor this time. It'd be a waste to give up now!"
"I feel the same. Whether it works or not, there is still value in using this opportunity to at least test the method out. If it doesn't work, we can avoid wasting time next month."
Erwen, Ainar, and Versyl were in favor.
"I-I... will follow your lead, Captain."
"I understand how you feel, but I want to hear your opinion. No one will judge you for it. You're a member of this clan too, right?"
It seemed calling him a proper clan member swayed him. Auyen, who hesitated at first, eventually opened his mouth to carefully voice his opinion.
"Then... Then I'm against it. Berzak... That monster has killed thousands... If you or any of your women were to get hurt, that would be a great loss for future generations—"
What the hell was he rambling on about?
"Then you're against it?" I pressed.
"Yes... that's right. That's just my opinion, though, so please take it with a grain of salt."
Then that was three yesses, one conditional yes, and one no. If we wanted to go by majority vote, there was no need to discuss this any further. However, since there was one last member who hadn't weighed in, I decided to ask her as well.
"Me? Um... I-I... So..." Missha, who had been acting strange this whole expedition, stuttered through her answer. I didn't know why, but she was talking like she used to in the old days. "U-um, I-I think anything is fine. I-It is dangerous, b-but... if the portal does open, th-then that would be g-good. And e-even if it d-doesn't, it would s-still be good that we tried... S-So what I-I'm saying is that either way is good? B-But, um... th-that's just how I feel..."
"Well then," I hedged, "we have something to discuss amongst ourselves for a bit."
"Oh, of course! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask us!"
After explaining the situation to me, the group of adventurers then left us alone so we could have a team meeting. Given what was going on, I was curious what my party members were thinking. The first person I asked was Amelia, who was essentially our clan's anchor and voice of reason. "Emily, what do you think we should do now?"
"...It's dangerous to go any further. But at the same time, it would be a shame to give up like this."
"Then do you think we should still give it a shot?" It would take us a little more than an hour to sprint to the portal stone from the Goblin Forest's portal. Despite Berzak's presence, we still had time to make it there...
Amelia's voice sliced through my thoughts. "It depends on how certain you are that this will work. If you're confident that this method will open the hidden area, then it might be worth a try."
Her concerns were completely understandable. Even if we managed to make it there, if the portal to the new area didn't work, we would have to run all the way back if we wanted to keep exploring this month. And given that that meant we'd be running around on the first floor for twice as long, the chances of us encountering Berzak would increase proportionately.
"So you're saying that if I'm confident that this will open the portal, then you're in favor of giving it a shot."
"Yes, essentially."
Okay, so Amelia is tentatively in favor...
I then heard out everyone else.
"Even if it doesn't work, I still think it's worth a shot. We're not the same as we used to be."
"I agree with the elf. We only went to the third floor this time. It'd be a waste to give up now!"
"I feel the same. Whether it works or not, there is still value in using this opportunity to at least test the method out. If it doesn't work, we can avoid wasting time next month."
Erwen, Ainar, and Versyl were in favor.
"I-I... will follow your lead, Captain."
"I understand how you feel, but I want to hear your opinion. No one will judge you for it. You're a member of this clan too, right?"
It seemed calling him a proper clan member swayed him. Auyen, who hesitated at first, eventually opened his mouth to carefully voice his opinion.
"Then... Then I'm against it. Berzak... That monster has killed thousands... If you or any of your women were to get hurt, that would be a great loss for future generations—"
What the hell was he rambling on about?
"Then you're against it?" I pressed.
"Yes... that's right. That's just my opinion, though, so please take it with a grain of salt."
Then that was three yesses, one conditional yes, and one no. If we wanted to go by majority vote, there was no need to discuss this any further. However, since there was one last member who hadn't weighed in, I decided to ask her as well.
"Me? Um... I-I... So..." Missha, who had been acting strange this whole expedition, stuttered through her answer. I didn't know why, but she was talking like she used to in the old days. "U-um, I-I think anything is fine. I-It is dangerous, b-but... if the portal does open, th-then that would be g-good. And e-even if it d-doesn't, it would s-still be good that we tried... S-So what I-I'm saying is that either way is good? B-But, um... th-that's just how I feel..."
What is she even trying to say? I just asked her to give me her opinion?
"Then does that mean you don't want to vote?"
"Th-that's not it..."
"Then what? You can be honest. I want to hear what you think."
When I told her to stop beating around the bush and tell me how she really felt, Missha avoided eye contact and finally voiced her opinion. "Th-then I think it would be better to try... a-as long as you're sure it will work..."
Simply put, Missha was also a conditional yes. Still, I didn't know why she kept glancing at Amelia while answering me.
...Is that really her own opinion?
For some reason, I doubted it was, but I decided not to push right now. After all, she probably needed some time to get used to all of us.
"All right. Since there are three votes in favor, it's decided."
"Huh? What about your vote, Mr. Yandel?"
"What the clan wants, I want."
On the other hand, that also meant that what I wanted was what the clan wanted. After all, the clan leader's vote was worth seven. Ah, though, when we only had six members my vote was only worth six. It was worth seven today because there were seven of us. Anyway, moving on...
"All right, then let's go."
Through that portal, a mysterious world full of treasure awaited us.
...Probably.
[You have entered the Crystal Cave on the first floor.]
In reality, on the other side of the portal was the Crystal Cave. Since we were in the dark zone, where the crystals didn't light up, nothing felt particularly different at first.
Fwoosh!
However, the moment I lit the torch attached to my helmet, we could all see a thick, dark fog surrounding us, a visual indication that something was wrong.
[Field Effect – Abyssal Fog has activated. All active skills have been disabled. Mana Efficiency has been reduced to 25%. Any monsters exposed to the Fog of the Abyss will evolve into superior beings.]
Ha, it's been a while since I've seen this fog. I even thought it would be my tomb at one point. I never imagined I would ever willingly step foot in it again.
"What are you doing? Stick close. I'll take care of the traps in the way, so make sure to stay behind me."
I ran straight forward, taking the lead. This was a tactic only I could use as both a tank and scout. I did the same that day as well, as it was impossible to detect an Abyssal Goblin's traps with the naked eye or with magic.
Snap.
A moment later, I heard the sound of something snapping as my foot hit the floor.
[You have stepped on a Random Trap.]
Once one of these traps was triggered, a random skill of rank-five or lower would activate.
Fwoosh!
Hm, judging by the damage and the type of attack, this must be the rank-six skill Tail Flame.
"Yandel, are you okay?"
To be honest, it stung quite a bit. Compared to back then, my overall stats were much higher. But there was one stat that had gotten lower.
Hah, I really need to raise my Mana Resistance soon.
What is she even trying to say? I just asked her to give me her opinion?
"Then does that mean you don't want to vote?"
"Th-that's not it..."
"Then what? You can be honest. I want to hear what you think."
When I told her to stop beating around the bush and tell me how she really felt, Missha avoided eye contact and finally voiced her opinion. "Th-then I think it would be better to try... a-as long as you're sure it will work..."
Simply put, Missha was also a conditional yes. Still, I didn't know why she kept glancing at Amelia while answering me.
...Is that really her own opinion?
For some reason, I doubted it was, but I decided not to push right now. After all, she probably needed some time to get used to all of us.
"All right. Since there are three votes in favor, it's decided."
"Huh? What about your vote, Mr. Yandel?"
"What the clan wants, I want."
On the other hand, that also meant that what I wanted was what the clan wanted. After all, the clan leader's vote was worth seven. Ah, though, when we only had six members my vote was only worth six. It was worth seven today because there were seven of us. Anyway, moving on...
"All right, then let's go."
Through that portal, a mysterious world full of treasure awaited us.
...Probably.
[You have entered the Crystal Cave on the first floor.]
In reality, on the other side of the portal was the Crystal Cave. Since we were in the dark zone, where the crystals didn't light up, nothing felt particularly different at first.
Fwoosh!
However, the moment I lit the torch attached to my helmet, we could all see a thick, dark fog surrounding us, a visual indication that something was wrong.
[Field Effect – Abyssal Fog has activated. All active skills have been disabled. Mana Efficiency has been reduced to 25%. Any monsters exposed to the Fog of the Abyss will evolve into superior beings.]
Ha, it's been a while since I've seen this fog. I even thought it would be my tomb at one point. I never imagined I would ever willingly step foot in it again.
"What are you doing? Stick close. I'll take care of the traps in the way, so make sure to stay behind me."
I ran straight forward, taking the lead. This was a tactic only I could use as both a tank and scout. I did the same that day as well, as it was impossible to detect an Abyssal Goblin's traps with the naked eye or with magic.
Snap.
A moment later, I heard the sound of something snapping as my foot hit the floor.
[You have stepped on a Random Trap.]
Once one of these traps was triggered, a random skill of rank-five or lower would activate.
Fwoosh!
Hm, judging by the damage and the type of attack, this must be the rank-six skill Tail Flame.
"Yandel, are you okay?"
To be honest, it stung quite a bit. Compared to back then, my overall stats were much higher. But there was one stat that had gotten lower.
Hah, I really need to raise my Mana Resistance soon.
When I erased the Manticore essence, I also lost a lot of my Mana Resistance. Giantization helped me make up for its absence, but I couldn't use it right now since my active skills were sealed by the fog.
"Don't worry about me. We're only an hour away."
I had no choice but to grin and bear it.
"Behel—aaaaaah!"
Invoking the protection of my ancestral god, I ran through the passageway full of hidden traps. If nothing else, there was one major improvement from last time.
Snap!
The traps that caused physical damage barely hurt at all. In fact, they did little more than tingle. Because of that, the only attacks that were actually painful and that I was wary of were the magic-related ones.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
I plowed forward, activating so many traps that I lost count. Even though I wasn't thirsty, I periodically made sure to chug down potions. However, unlike before, my body didn't miraculously recover. The higher your stats were, the less effective potions became.
[Your health has dropped below 50%.]
After about forty minutes, one of my passives kicked in.
[All Resistance and Resilience stats have increased due to the passive skill Path of Heroes.]
With my passive skill activated, it became a lot easier to handle the pain. Because of that, I could speed up even more. And as I did, I could hear my teammates' footsteps pick up behind me, along with quiet whispering.
"So on that day, he... I can see why he became so famous."
"I know. I've heard people talk about it, but... I didn't know it was like this..."
I could sense Amelia and Versyl, who had only experienced what I did that day through word of mouth, looking at me in utter awe and respect.
Well, I know it's a compliment, but...
To be honest, it was a bit embarrassing. Back then, I did what I did because it was my only hope of survival. More importantly, I knew I could do so.
"A-All of you have lost it! You think others will recognize you for this?! Huh? As heroes?"
"Goddamn it... I'm still going. After all, someone has to do it."
Unlike those who had stood on the front lines with me and died stepping on these traps, I knew from the start that I didn't have to worry about that possibility. It was only because I knew I had the skills and stats I needed as a tank to take those hits that I was able to run forward without hesitation—just as I was doing now.
[Your health has dropped below 40%.]
My head started to spin, but I forced my eyes open even though they were beginning to lose focus. After all, the Abyssal Goblins weren't the only things we had to look out for.
Berzak is... Fortunately, it seems to be somewhere far away from us.
We hadn't encountered a Watcher of the Abyss, a monster that acted as Berzak's eyes, yet. That meant he wasn't anywhere near us right now.
"Excuse me, but... why didn't we wait to come down here an hour before the labyrinth closed?" Versyl suddenly said, a thought abruptly occurring to her. "We could have left just enough time to test this method out, and then if it didn't work, we could have safely returned to the city when the labyrinth closed."
Her point was valid, but I had actually already considered it before we left the second floor. If we'd done that, we wouldn't have had to worry about potentially making a round trip. However...
"If we did that, things would have been even more difficult. At that point, there would be barely anyone left alive on the first floor, meaning we would undoubtedly run into Berzak. I'm sure Yandel considered that before making his decision."
So Amelia had figured it out too. I hadn't made the call to come down here without thinking at least that far ahead.
[Your health has dropped below 30%.]
[Your health has dropped below 20%. All of your Resistance and Resilience stats have maxed out due to the passive skill Path of Heroes.]
Eventually, my passive skill fully kicked in, allowing me to reap the maximum benefit. Thanks to that, we were able to safely make it to our destination after running for a little over an hour. I'd lost a lot of HP, but aside from that, there were no major hiccups. Best of all, we didn't run into Berzak, and—excluding myself—every member of our clan was, without exaggeration, in perfect condition.
Shit.
However smooth the process, though, there was no guarantee that the results would be as desired. For us, a new problem reared its ugly head the moment we arrived at our destination.
"...Hey, is that Baron Yandel?"
"...I-It's really him! He's here with his teammates!"
"Then did he find a way to open the door?"
What the hell? Why were there so many people here? At a glance, it seemed like there were dozens.
I'd run all the way here with near-absolute confidence that this place would be deserted. Of course, it was true that this spot had already been discovered by a smallish clan on day three, and I had smashed the wall open, making it even easier to find. I never expected that it would remain a secret or anything, but still, why were there so many people loitering here right now of all times?
What are they all doing down here when Berzak's on the loose?
I tried to hide my bafflement as I called out to the man closest to me. "You over there. The baldy."
"M-Me?"
"What are you all doing here?"
The man tilted his head, confused by the question. "We're waiting for this portal to open? We figured it might open if someone defeats the Lord of the Abyss, or maybe right before the labyrinth closes."
"...But what if Berzak comes here?"
"Well, of course we're all willing to take the risk! This is a new, unexplored area, after all!"
His plain, matter-of-fact answer rendered me speechless.
"Surely you feel the same way, Baron Yandel... Isn't this what being an adventurer is all about?"
For the first time in my new life, I was skeptical of my chosen profession. I knew there were plenty of adventurers out there with a few screws loose, of course, but...
"Anyway, if you don't mind us asking... did you happen to find a way to open the portal?"
I'd had no idea there were quite this many nutjobs.
When I erased the Manticore essence, I also lost a lot of my Mana Resistance. Giantization helped me make up for its absence, but I couldn't use it right now since my active skills were sealed by the fog.
"Don't worry about me. We're only an hour away."
I had no choice but to grin and bear it.
"Behel—aaaaaah!"
Invoking the protection of my ancestral god, I ran through the passageway full of hidden traps. If nothing else, there was one major improvement from last time.
Snap!
The traps that caused physical damage barely hurt at all. In fact, they did little more than tingle. Because of that, the only attacks that were actually painful and that I was wary of were the magic-related ones.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
I plowed forward, activating so many traps that I lost count. Even though I wasn't thirsty, I periodically made sure to chug down potions. However, unlike before, my body didn't miraculously recover. The higher your stats were, the less effective potions became.
[Your health has dropped below 50%.]
After about forty minutes, one of my passives kicked in.
[All Resistance and Resilience stats have increased due to the passive skill Path of Heroes.]
With my passive skill activated, it became a lot easier to handle the pain. Because of that, I could speed up even more. And as I did, I could hear my teammates' footsteps pick up behind me, along with quiet whispering.
"So on that day, he... I can see why he became so famous."
"I know. I've heard people talk about it, but... I didn't know it was like this..."
I could sense Amelia and Versyl, who had only experienced what I did that day through word of mouth, looking at me in utter awe and respect.
Well, I know it's a compliment, but...
To be honest, it was a bit embarrassing. Back then, I did what I did because it was my only hope of survival. More importantly, I knew I could do so.
"A-All of you have lost it! You think others will recognize you for this?! Huh? As heroes?"
"Goddamn it... I'm still going. After all, someone has to do it."
Unlike those who had stood on the front lines with me and died stepping on these traps, I knew from the start that I didn't have to worry about that possibility. It was only because I knew I had the skills and stats I needed as a tank to take those hits that I was able to run forward without hesitation—just as I was doing now.
[Your health has dropped below 40%.]
My head started to spin, but I forced my eyes open even though they were beginning to lose focus. After all, the Abyssal Goblins weren't the only things we had to look out for.
Berzak is... Fortunately, it seems to be somewhere far away from us.
We hadn't encountered a Watcher of the Abyss, a monster that acted as Berzak's eyes, yet. That meant he wasn't anywhere near us right now.
"Excuse me, but... why didn't we wait to come down here an hour before the labyrinth closed?" Versyl suddenly said, a thought abruptly occurring to her. "We could have left just enough time to test this method out, and then if it didn't work, we could have safely returned to the city when the labyrinth closed."
Her point was valid, but I had actually already considered it before we left the second floor. If we'd done that, we wouldn't have had to worry about potentially making a round trip. However...
"If we did that, things would have been even more difficult. At that point, there would be barely anyone left alive on the first floor, meaning we would undoubtedly run into Berzak. I'm sure Yandel considered that before making his decision."
So Amelia had figured it out too. I hadn't made the call to come down here without thinking at least that far ahead.
[Your health has dropped below 30%.]
[Your health has dropped below 20%. All of your Resistance and Resilience stats have maxed out due to the passive skill Path of Heroes.]
Eventually, my passive skill fully kicked in, allowing me to reap the maximum benefit. Thanks to that, we were able to safely make it to our destination after running for a little over an hour. I'd lost a lot of HP, but aside from that, there were no major hiccups. Best of all, we didn't run into Berzak, and—excluding myself—every member of our clan was, without exaggeration, in perfect condition.
Shit.
However smooth the process, though, there was no guarantee that the results would be as desired. For us, a new problem reared its ugly head the moment we arrived at our destination.
"...Hey, is that Baron Yandel?"
"...I-It's really him! He's here with his teammates!"
"Then did he find a way to open the door?"
What the hell? Why were there so many people here? At a glance, it seemed like there were dozens.
I'd run all the way here with near-absolute confidence that this place would be deserted. Of course, it was true that this spot had already been discovered by a smallish clan on day three, and I had smashed the wall open, making it even easier to find. I never expected that it would remain a secret or anything, but still, why were there so many people loitering here right now of all times?
What are they all doing down here when Berzak's on the loose?
I tried to hide my bafflement as I called out to the man closest to me. "You over there. The baldy."
"M-Me?"
"What are you all doing here?"
The man tilted his head, confused by the question. "We're waiting for this portal to open? We figured it might open if someone defeats the Lord of the Abyss, or maybe right before the labyrinth closes."
"...But what if Berzak comes here?"
"Well, of course we're all willing to take the risk! This is a new, unexplored area, after all!"
His plain, matter-of-fact answer rendered me speechless.
"Surely you feel the same way, Baron Yandel... Isn't this what being an adventurer is all about?"
For the first time in my new life, I was skeptical of my chosen profession. I knew there were plenty of adventurers out there with a few screws loose, of course, but...
"Anyway, if you don't mind us asking... did you happen to find a way to open the portal?"
I'd had no idea there were quite this many nutjobs.