Chapter 518: One-to-One (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 518: One-to-One (1)
Hipramajent.
The chief had given it a rank of two. It had three confirmed active skills, and while either of its other two abilities would be fine with me...
A rank-two monster with Giantization...?
How could I pass this up? What mattered wasn't any of its other active skills, but the passive that came with it. If its passive was something useful for me too...
I could replace the Orc Hero essence with this one instead.
Unfortunately for me, the book didn't say anything about the monster's passive skill. That made sense, considering the entry mentioned they hadn't been able to kill it and instead ran away. It would have been difficult for them to figure it out.
That woke me right back up.
As I thought through the possibilities and allowed myself to hope, I was suddenly struck by a different thought.
But... what happens if you try to take the same skill twice? Does only one work? Or can you just not absorb the second essence at all?
Hm, for some reason... I suspected it would be the former. Still, it would be pretty cool if I could use both of them at once. It wouldn't do to get my hopes up too high, though, so I entertained some worst-case scenarios instead.
There was one big problem, and it trumped even the probable strength of a rank-two monster.
I have no way of knowing if this guy will even cough up an essence.
This floor was unique in that it seemed to be home to two different types of monsters: regular monsters that dropped mana stones and essences when you beat them, and another type whose bodies didn't disappear even after they died. According to the chief's notes, these two different types of monsters also had a tendency to fight to the death whenever they saw each other. Thanks to this behavior, the number of monsters on the island decreased dramatically in the three days after the rainy season.
And the whole place turns into a field of mana stones, or so they say.
Collecting those mana stones and turning them into Life Water they could drink was how these people survived.
Ah, I'm getting sidetracked again.
I postponed puzzling over Hipramajent for later and refocused on the book I was reading.
I didn't expect to see so many new types of monsters in here.
The monsters I had seen up to this point were only the tip of the iceberg. In addition to the monsters that appeared during the "rainy season," many were washed up onto the island by the ocean.
I should write this all down somewhere after I'm done reading, in case I forget.
And so, I sat at the desk for a long while, committing the chief's books to memory. At some point, I sensed a presence near the door.
"Bjorn..."
"Missha? Didn't you head out with Emily?"
"We're done for the day and got back a little while ago..."
I checked the time, noticing it had gotten quite late. "Really? Then why didn't you call me? If I knew you were back, I would've closed the book and come out to talk to you."
"That woman...told me to leave you alone. To not disturb you since you're busy..."
"Emily?"
"...Yeah." Missha nodded, and I noticed her hesitate for a moment before she said, "If you don't mind, could we... have a chat?"
"Of course." I left the book open on the desk and turned to talk to her. If a member of my clan wanted to talk to me alone, there had to be a reason. "Is something wrong?"
"...Nothing like that."
"Hm? Then what is it?"
"Just... it's been a while since we reunited, and I don't think we've had a proper conversation yet..."
My mouth fell open. "Ah..."
"I can't even talk to you nowadays without you asking why," Missha murmured, her voice equal parts quiet and pained.
I felt a strange pang lance through my chest, but that didn't stop me from pointing out the facts. "That day, you were the one who said we should only be teammates." And when we finally reunited after so many years, Missha had made a point of redrawing that line in the sand. That was why I was making a concerted effort to not cross it. We needed time to bridge the large gap in our relationship.
"Yeah... I did..."
Her words settled between us, and we didn't talk for a while. A suffocating silence filled the room.
I was the one who ended up breaking it. "...Is anything on your mind?"
At my cue to change the subject, Missha forced some cheer into her voice. "Ah, no... I'm just a little amazed by all this..."
I completely understood where she was coming from. Lost items drifting on a silver ocean, monsters that called themselves humans, and monsters raining down from the sky... And that list didn't even include the companion of the Great Sage we'd found who had somehow ended up trapped in the labyrinth. This was an entirely new floor full of countless mysteries, so of course she would be amazed—
"Here I am... in the labyrinth with you again."
Ah...so we're still on that?
Despite thinking that, I didn't say the words aloud.
"So... don't worry too much about me. I'm just really blown away that this is happening... so I haven't gotten used to it all yet. Just a few months ago, I wouldn't have been able to even imagine something like this..." she admitted, glancing at me.
I smirked as I responded, "Don't worry, I'm not worried about you."
Missha's lips quirked reflexively. "What is that supposed to mean...?"
"I'm not just saying this, so trust me when I say it's true. You've got nothing on Erwen."
Yeah, how could anyone compare to Erwen's level of intensity back then? And though things had improved between us as well, basically every encounter I had with Amelia during the first few months of our acquaintance had ended in combat.
"So don't tiptoe around me and do whatever you want. Fighting brings people together. Really, the amount of times I've fought with Amelia and Erwen—"
"By the way, what's that book?"
I wanted to steer the conversation toward Erwen and Amelia, but I ended up getting cut off. "Huh? Oh, this is... It's a book the chief wrote. It's a record of all the monsters he's encountered while living on this island."
"Ah, really? That's good. I'm sure it'll be helpful on our expedition."
Although she'd abruptly changed the subject mid-conversation, I wasn't all that bothered. We went on to talk about the island, whether Chief Bruingrid really was the ancient hero in all the history books and other casual, comfortable topics along the same vein. It was a genuinely relaxing conversation, the kind I hadn't had in a long while. As I sat there talking to her, it really felt just like the old days.
"Of course." I left the book open on the desk and turned to talk to her. If a member of my clan wanted to talk to me alone, there had to be a reason. "Is something wrong?"
"...Nothing like that."
"Hm? Then what is it?"
"Just... it's been a while since we reunited, and I don't think we've had a proper conversation yet..."
My mouth fell open. "Ah..."
"I can't even talk to you nowadays without you asking why," Missha murmured, her voice equal parts quiet and pained.
I felt a strange pang lance through my chest, but that didn't stop me from pointing out the facts. "That day, you were the one who said we should only be teammates." And when we finally reunited after so many years, Missha had made a point of redrawing that line in the sand. That was why I was making a concerted effort to not cross it. We needed time to bridge the large gap in our relationship.
"Yeah... I did..."
Her words settled between us, and we didn't talk for a while. A suffocating silence filled the room.
I was the one who ended up breaking it. "...Is anything on your mind?"
At my cue to change the subject, Missha forced some cheer into her voice. "Ah, no... I'm just a little amazed by all this..."
I completely understood where she was coming from. Lost items drifting on a silver ocean, monsters that called themselves humans, and monsters raining down from the sky... And that list didn't even include the companion of the Great Sage we'd found who had somehow ended up trapped in the labyrinth. This was an entirely new floor full of countless mysteries, so of course she would be amazed—
"Here I am... in the labyrinth with you again."
Ah...so we're still on that?
Despite thinking that, I didn't say the words aloud.
"So... don't worry too much about me. I'm just really blown away that this is happening... so I haven't gotten used to it all yet. Just a few months ago, I wouldn't have been able to even imagine something like this..." she admitted, glancing at me.
I smirked as I responded, "Don't worry, I'm not worried about you."
Missha's lips quirked reflexively. "What is that supposed to mean...?"
"I'm not just saying this, so trust me when I say it's true. You've got nothing on Erwen."
Yeah, how could anyone compare to Erwen's level of intensity back then? And though things had improved between us as well, basically every encounter I had with Amelia during the first few months of our acquaintance had ended in combat.
"So don't tiptoe around me and do whatever you want. Fighting brings people together. Really, the amount of times I've fought with Amelia and Erwen—"
"By the way, what's that book?"
I wanted to steer the conversation toward Erwen and Amelia, but I ended up getting cut off. "Huh? Oh, this is... It's a book the chief wrote. It's a record of all the monsters he's encountered while living on this island."
"Ah, really? That's good. I'm sure it'll be helpful on our expedition."
Although she'd abruptly changed the subject mid-conversation, I wasn't all that bothered. We went on to talk about the island, whether Chief Bruingrid really was the ancient hero in all the history books and other casual, comfortable topics along the same vein. It was a genuinely relaxing conversation, the kind I hadn't had in a long while. As I sat there talking to her, it really felt just like the old days.
But...
"Yandel, are you still busy? We want to have a meeting to share the info we gathered today."
Amelia knocked on the door, and Missha took that as her cue to leave.
Someone told me that you're a traitor. What's that about?
As a result, I ended up not being able to ask that question today either.
***
One day, two days, three days...
Time flew by in the days after our arrival.
During that time, we all stuck to a simple routine. I would talk to the chief or read the books he wrote to gather information. Amelia would walk around the village with Erwen to see if there were any hidden buildings or areas. Versyl whisked Auyen and Missha away to people-watch and learn more about the monsters, their culture, their institutions, and their warriors. And Ainar...
"Then I'll be going!"
Ainar ran around town like a kid who just got off school for break.
"Where are you going today?"
"I have a spar with Itapia in the morning. Then after that, I'm going to visit the forge since they told me I can watch them make weapons. And then I'm going to meet up with Kagudidi and go visit the underground cellars. They said that whatever's down there is going to blow my mind. I'm looking forward to it!"
I couldn't understand how she had made so many friends in such a short amount of time.
"Ms. Fenelin... you're incredible. Even though they look different and there's a language barrier, you've already grown so close to all of them."
"Haha, you're too much! And why should languages matter? Warriors like us can talk to each other with just gestures!"
"I-Is that so? Still, planning such a complex itinerary with charades alone seems impossible..."
"That's because you're not being sincere enough! Wizard, you can't sit around reading books all day! Try looking into someone's eyes and focusing on what they're really saying! Then you will hear their truth!"
"Ah, I see..."
It was bizarre to watch a barbarian lecture a wizard.
Still, since making friends without using words was something only Ainar could do, I left her to it.
"Agh, I'm late! Okay, I'm going!"
"Sure, just don't get into any trouble. And when you come back, tell me what you saw in the underground cellars!"
"Got it!"
Ainar was the first one to leave early in the morning, and the others gradually made their way out over the course of the next few hours to do their own thing. When afternoon came, we all gathered in the house given to us by the village chief to share what we'd learned that day.
"I discovered a peculiar place today. It's about fifteen minutes from the chief's house. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary home, but there's lots of security around it. I think I can get in without them noticing, but I wanted to hear your thoughts first."
"Don't do anything too hasty, Emily. We need to play nice at least until the rainy season is over."
"I went to visit the Silver Lion Clan. They're much more unstable than I expected. The relationship between those who escaped and those who were left behind are fracturing more and more as time goes by."
"I guess it'd be difficult to go exploring with them after the rainy season ends... Thanks for the update, Versyl. Auyen, do you have anything to add?"
"I just— It's... I've felt this way for a while now, but... He... Bruingrid... They call him the chief of this village, but he's no different than their king."
But...
"Yandel, are you still busy? We want to have a meeting to share the info we gathered today."
Amelia knocked on the door, and Missha took that as her cue to leave.
Someone told me that you're a traitor. What's that about?
As a result, I ended up not being able to ask that question today either.
***
One day, two days, three days...
Time flew by in the days after our arrival.
During that time, we all stuck to a simple routine. I would talk to the chief or read the books he wrote to gather information. Amelia would walk around the village with Erwen to see if there were any hidden buildings or areas. Versyl whisked Auyen and Missha away to people-watch and learn more about the monsters, their culture, their institutions, and their warriors. And Ainar...
"Then I'll be going!"
Ainar ran around town like a kid who just got off school for break.
"Where are you going today?"
"I have a spar with Itapia in the morning. Then after that, I'm going to visit the forge since they told me I can watch them make weapons. And then I'm going to meet up with Kagudidi and go visit the underground cellars. They said that whatever's down there is going to blow my mind. I'm looking forward to it!"
I couldn't understand how she had made so many friends in such a short amount of time.
"Ms. Fenelin... you're incredible. Even though they look different and there's a language barrier, you've already grown so close to all of them."
"Haha, you're too much! And why should languages matter? Warriors like us can talk to each other with just gestures!"
"I-Is that so? Still, planning such a complex itinerary with charades alone seems impossible..."
"That's because you're not being sincere enough! Wizard, you can't sit around reading books all day! Try looking into someone's eyes and focusing on what they're really saying! Then you will hear their truth!"
"Ah, I see..."
It was bizarre to watch a barbarian lecture a wizard.
Still, since making friends without using words was something only Ainar could do, I left her to it.
"Agh, I'm late! Okay, I'm going!"
"Sure, just don't get into any trouble. And when you come back, tell me what you saw in the underground cellars!"
"Got it!"
Ainar was the first one to leave early in the morning, and the others gradually made their way out over the course of the next few hours to do their own thing. When afternoon came, we all gathered in the house given to us by the village chief to share what we'd learned that day.
"I discovered a peculiar place today. It's about fifteen minutes from the chief's house. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary home, but there's lots of security around it. I think I can get in without them noticing, but I wanted to hear your thoughts first."
"Don't do anything too hasty, Emily. We need to play nice at least until the rainy season is over."
"I went to visit the Silver Lion Clan. They're much more unstable than I expected. The relationship between those who escaped and those who were left behind are fracturing more and more as time goes by."
"I guess it'd be difficult to go exploring with them after the rainy season ends... Thanks for the update, Versyl. Auyen, do you have anything to add?"
"I just— It's... I've felt this way for a while now, but... He... Bruingrid... They call him the chief of this village, but he's no different than their king."
"I would wager that he's seen as more of a god than a king. When the chief decrees something, everyone follows his orders without question."
"Let's end our meeting there."
Once our meeting for the day came to an end, everyone returned to their respective rooms to sleep. That had been our routine for the past few days.
Of course, routines were always liable to change, if only in small ways. As such, on the fourth day of the rainy season...
I had finally finished reading all the books the chief wrote in his free time, so I left my room to explore the village like the rest of my clan. We couldn't really afford to have me, the only one of us able to actually converse in the ancient language, holed up in a room forever.
As I was strolling around the village, I ended up crossing paths with the monster kid, Marupichichi, for the first time in a while. Most of the natives here avoided any conversation with me, but thankfully, this guy was different.
During our chat, he mentioned a sort of legend local to the village.
"Did you know? A long time ago, a huge dragon used to live on the island!"
A huge dragon, huh...
Day five rolled around.
I followed Ainar and was introduced to her friends, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to get along with them as well as Ainar had. They all seemed hesitant to warm up to me even though they were close enough with Ainar to exchange playful punches.
Did the chief give them some sort of order not to talk to me?
Even though I repeatedly questioned them in an attempt to find out if that was the case, I failed to get a clear answer.
Day Six.
In the morning, the captain of the Silver Lion Clan came up to me to ask if they could join our expedition, and I refused.
In the afternoon, the other half of the clan came to me and asked for the same thing.
I refused them as well.
Day Seven.
Our investigation of the village was done, and we stayed in our house on the final day to begin preparations for our expedition.
Tomorrow, the rainy season would finally come to an end.
As we started to prepare, the chief called on us. He didn't say much, though, and just wished us the best of luck tomorrow.
Day Eight.
No, actually, if we were going not by rainy season but by the start of our adventure, it was Day Twenty-One.
On that day, we left the now-familiar village and headed up to the surface.
The island looked beautiful, even with all the grotesque corpses littering the ground. Mostly because everywhere we looked, we could see mana stones. If they didn't disappear after thirty minutes, then this place would have been full of essences as well.
The chief told us a patrol group would be by later to pick up the mana stones and that we should leave them be but, hey, the early bird got the worm. We took as many as we thought wouldn't be missed.
Day Twenty-Two.
The island was still riddled with monsters, so we used the village as our home base and started venturing into the surrounding area.
While wandering, we picked up an essence.
It wasn't from a fight—we genuinely just picked one up. It seemed to have been left behind after a battle between monsters. I didn't know which monster it was from, but considering they'd still been alive after the rainy season, they were probably decently strong.
"I would wager that he's seen as more of a god than a king. When the chief decrees something, everyone follows his orders without question."
"Let's end our meeting there."
Once our meeting for the day came to an end, everyone returned to their respective rooms to sleep. That had been our routine for the past few days.
Of course, routines were always liable to change, if only in small ways. As such, on the fourth day of the rainy season...
I had finally finished reading all the books the chief wrote in his free time, so I left my room to explore the village like the rest of my clan. We couldn't really afford to have me, the only one of us able to actually converse in the ancient language, holed up in a room forever.
As I was strolling around the village, I ended up crossing paths with the monster kid, Marupichichi, for the first time in a while. Most of the natives here avoided any conversation with me, but thankfully, this guy was different.
During our chat, he mentioned a sort of legend local to the village.
"Did you know? A long time ago, a huge dragon used to live on the island!"
A huge dragon, huh...
Day five rolled around.
I followed Ainar and was introduced to her friends, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to get along with them as well as Ainar had. They all seemed hesitant to warm up to me even though they were close enough with Ainar to exchange playful punches.
Did the chief give them some sort of order not to talk to me?
Even though I repeatedly questioned them in an attempt to find out if that was the case, I failed to get a clear answer.
Day Six.
In the morning, the captain of the Silver Lion Clan came up to me to ask if they could join our expedition, and I refused.
In the afternoon, the other half of the clan came to me and asked for the same thing.
I refused them as well.
Day Seven.
Our investigation of the village was done, and we stayed in our house on the final day to begin preparations for our expedition.
Tomorrow, the rainy season would finally come to an end.
As we started to prepare, the chief called on us. He didn't say much, though, and just wished us the best of luck tomorrow.
Day Eight.
No, actually, if we were going not by rainy season but by the start of our adventure, it was Day Twenty-One.
On that day, we left the now-familiar village and headed up to the surface.
The island looked beautiful, even with all the grotesque corpses littering the ground. Mostly because everywhere we looked, we could see mana stones. If they didn't disappear after thirty minutes, then this place would have been full of essences as well.
The chief told us a patrol group would be by later to pick up the mana stones and that we should leave them be but, hey, the early bird got the worm. We took as many as we thought wouldn't be missed.
Day Twenty-Two.
The island was still riddled with monsters, so we used the village as our home base and started venturing into the surrounding area.
While wandering, we picked up an essence.
It wasn't from a fight—we genuinely just picked one up. It seemed to have been left behind after a battle between monsters. I didn't know which monster it was from, but considering they'd still been alive after the rainy season, they were probably decently strong.
I kept it in a magic vial for now.
Halfway through the day, we ran into the Silver Lion Clan, who had left the village as well. They didn't look too good.
Day Twenty-Three.
We went back to the village to get some rest for the night and headed back up to the island's surface as soon as the day broke. The Silver Lion Clan decided to stay in the village for the day.
I think they said someone died yesterday?
It seemed they were going to stay in the village until things around the island cleared up a bit.
Our clan, on the other hand, widened our radius and went further and further from the village.
Day Twenty-Four.
The village sent out their patrol to pick up the mana stones littered around the island. I watched them with barely disguised envy.
How much money was that?
Day Twenty-Five.
The island finally returned to the state it was usually in before the rainy season, so it looked like it had when we first arrived.
We'd been diligently searching since the day after the rainy season ended, but I unfortunately hadn't been able to find a Hipramajent. Was it killed in a fight against another monster?
I asked the chief and was surprised to learn that many monsters chose to leave the island by sea.
Day Twenty-Six.
Since there wasn't much else to do on the island, we headed off to sea and began sailing again.
Day Twenty-Seven.
Before sunset, we found another island.
Can we even call this an island, though?
Sitting atop a wide expanse of silvery ocean water was a single, massive tree breaking surface. It was even wider than Human Island. Incredibly tall as well.
I wondered if all the islands around here were like this.
Day Twenty-Eight.
After spending the night on our boat, we visited the tree island.
As soon as we docked and tied our boat to the trunk of the tree, vines grew from the bark and monsters began to emerge. It was a new type of monster that hadn't been listed in the village chief's books.
We held a vote to decide their name, and we ended up going with Nanari.
Day Twenty-Nine.
After spending an entire day traversing the roots, we found a knothole bigger than a decently-sized cave. When we entered it, we saw that the hole was deep and seemed to lead somewhere.
Was this some sort of path?
I had no idea, but we proceeded down it with caution and continued to encounter new monsters. The fights were decently challenging. We recovered quickly thanks to potions, though Ainar sustained major injuries during one of our battles.
Day Thirty.
As we continued to explore the area, I began to seriously consider the issue of our return to the city.
Basement Floor One, the Records Archives—when was this floor's closing date?
Was I going to be stuck here forever like the chief?
If so, that would be a huge problem. We couldn't survive off of mana water like them. We needed meat we could chew and swallow.
...Did we need to start rationing our food more?
Day Thirty-Five.
About six days after we first ventured into the winding caves, we found an exit that connected to the outside. When we emerged, we were in a place not too different from the roots we had been traveling through.
To use a human for comparison, we were about halfway up this tree's calf. There was no telling how long it would take for us to get to the top.
In any case, although I called it an 'exit,' the crack we found was more like a window that we could use to peer outside, so we ventured back into the maze of roots to look for a different way out.
Unfortunately, we weren't able to find another one that day. Since everyone looked tired, we set up camp, and I passed out the second my head hit my bedroll.
And then...
I woke up with a start, eyes flying wide open as if from a deep sleep.
[Your soul has resonated and is being drawn to a different world.]
For some reason, I was in Hansu Lee's room.
"Wait, why the hell am I here?"
I was genuinely dumbstruck.
I kept it in a magic vial for now.
Halfway through the day, we ran into the Silver Lion Clan, who had left the village as well. They didn't look too good.
Day Twenty-Three.
We went back to the village to get some rest for the night and headed back up to the island's surface as soon as the day broke. The Silver Lion Clan decided to stay in the village for the day.
I think they said someone died yesterday?
It seemed they were going to stay in the village until things around the island cleared up a bit.
Our clan, on the other hand, widened our radius and went further and further from the village.
Day Twenty-Four.
The village sent out their patrol to pick up the mana stones littered around the island. I watched them with barely disguised envy.
How much money was that?
Day Twenty-Five.
The island finally returned to the state it was usually in before the rainy season, so it looked like it had when we first arrived.
We'd been diligently searching since the day after the rainy season ended, but I unfortunately hadn't been able to find a Hipramajent. Was it killed in a fight against another monster?
I asked the chief and was surprised to learn that many monsters chose to leave the island by sea.
Day Twenty-Six.
Since there wasn't much else to do on the island, we headed off to sea and began sailing again.
Day Twenty-Seven.
Before sunset, we found another island.
Can we even call this an island, though?
Sitting atop a wide expanse of silvery ocean water was a single, massive tree breaking surface. It was even wider than Human Island. Incredibly tall as well.
I wondered if all the islands around here were like this.
Day Twenty-Eight.
After spending the night on our boat, we visited the tree island.
As soon as we docked and tied our boat to the trunk of the tree, vines grew from the bark and monsters began to emerge. It was a new type of monster that hadn't been listed in the village chief's books.
We held a vote to decide their name, and we ended up going with Nanari.
Day Twenty-Nine.
After spending an entire day traversing the roots, we found a knothole bigger than a decently-sized cave. When we entered it, we saw that the hole was deep and seemed to lead somewhere.
Was this some sort of path?
I had no idea, but we proceeded down it with caution and continued to encounter new monsters. The fights were decently challenging. We recovered quickly thanks to potions, though Ainar sustained major injuries during one of our battles.
Day Thirty.
As we continued to explore the area, I began to seriously consider the issue of our return to the city.
Basement Floor One, the Records Archives—when was this floor's closing date?
Was I going to be stuck here forever like the chief?
If so, that would be a huge problem. We couldn't survive off of mana water like them. We needed meat we could chew and swallow.
...Did we need to start rationing our food more?
Day Thirty-Five.
About six days after we first ventured into the winding caves, we found an exit that connected to the outside. When we emerged, we were in a place not too different from the roots we had been traveling through.
To use a human for comparison, we were about halfway up this tree's calf. There was no telling how long it would take for us to get to the top.
In any case, although I called it an 'exit,' the crack we found was more like a window that we could use to peer outside, so we ventured back into the maze of roots to look for a different way out.
Unfortunately, we weren't able to find another one that day. Since everyone looked tired, we set up camp, and I passed out the second my head hit my bedroll.
And then...
I woke up with a start, eyes flying wide open as if from a deep sleep.
[Your soul has resonated and is being drawn to a different world.]
For some reason, I was in Hansu Lee's room.
"Wait, why the hell am I here?"
I was genuinely dumbstruck.