The Heavenly Demon is Looting (3)
The labyrinth that Enri led me to didn’t look as if it had formed naturally. The softly glowing ores embedded in the ceiling, the deliberate shapes of the walls, and above all the numerous devices clearly designed to twist a person’s sense of direction made the creator’s intent glaringly obvious. Any ordinary human who wandered in here would forget even the path they had taken and become hopelessly lost. Enri, however, brimmed with confidence.
“Enri. Are you familiar with this place?”
“Of course! Do you know how long I’ve explored this labyrinth? I could navigate it with my eyes closed!”
According to Enri, she had practically lived inside this labyrinth a year ago. Hearing her claim that she had not only spent time here but had researched, studied, and become an expert on the place only heightened my unease. Usually, whenever Enri overflowed with this much confidence, she tended to trip over her own feet. Yet my anxiety did not last long. The instant Enri stepped on something, the sound of a mechanism activating reached my ears.
I grabbed the back of her neck and yanked her backward. An arrow whistled through the exact spot her head had occupied a heartbeat earlier. Had I done nothing, that arrow would have pierced her skull and ended her life on the spot.
Enri stared at the arrow now embedded in the wall with trembling eyes, then spoke in a shaking voice.
“Th-thank you…”
“Didn’t you say you knew this labyrinth well?”
“I… I did. Wait, was this trap here a year ago too?”
Enri. When you respond like that, it is only natural that words such as “unreliable” would slip from my lips.
When I let out a sigh meant for her to hear, Enri panicked and flailed her hands up and down.
“No, that’s not it! It must be because it’s been so long—I got confused! I’ll focus completely from now on, so nothing like this will happen again!”
“Does focusing change the meaning of the word ‘ignorance’?”
It might have sounded rather cold, but no amount of concentration could turn the unknown into knowledge. If ignorance could transform into wisdom so simply, why would martial artists spend all day leafing through secret manuals and sighing in frustration?
“I just let my guard down that time! I really have it all memorized!”
“Sure. Sure.”
Truly. In the real world she was endlessly dependable, yet the moment she stepped into a game she became a child I had to babysit. Was it because of the stream? Had she adopted this concept purely for entertainment value?
“No! It’s not like that! I’m being serious!”
I ignored Enri’s desperate plea to trust her and turned my attention elsewhere. I had sensed a presence coming from deeper within the labyrinth path. The footsteps were not deliberately silenced, yet they were impossibly light. I could hear the clack of armor against bone, but there was no feeling of life behind it.
It was an entity I had encountered while playing Sky’s End. At the time, the others had called them skeletons.
They appeared to be heading our way after hearing the noise we had made.
“Enri.”
“That’s why I—”
“Step back for a moment.”
“…Is something there?”
“Yes.”
I might not need any equipment, but she certainly did. If the opponent swung a blade, she would clearly be cut, scream, and roll across the floor. Therefore she should stay quietly behind me.
Before long the sources of the presence revealed themselves. Three armed skeletons. One carried a shield and sword, another a spear, and the last held a staff in the rear. Vanguard, mid-line, and rear support. For mindless monsters, it was a surprisingly proper formation.
“You’re saying people have already formed proper parties and entered this labyrinth? Just how much have players ground in the past year?”
“Hm? What do you mean? Are these skeletons not enemies that naturally spawn within the labyrinth?”
“They are, but when a user dies here they turn into a skeleton. So someone must have entered with that exact party setup and died.”
That explained why the formation was solid and the equipment looked high-quality.
Perhaps they could no longer tolerate our leisurely conversation. The shield-bearing skeleton charged straight at me, intending to knock me down. Once my movements were sealed, its allies in the rear would finish the job. The judgment itself was understandable, yet far too obvious. Was this the limit of a creature without intellect?
I lightly twisted my body to evade the charge, then swept its legs out from under it. The instant it fell, a spear tip flew toward my flank, but it never reached me. My hand had already seized the shaft.
I lifted the entire spear—skeleton still attached—and hurled it into the wall. The bones, held together only by mysterious power, shattered and scattered across the floor. I then kicked the head of the one struggling to rise, transforming it into something suitable to throw to a dog.
Now only the staff-wielding skeleton remained. While its comrades fell, it had been preparing its magic. Above its head shimmered a brilliant flame that dyed the gloomy labyrinth in vivid red. I was no expert, but it looked hot enough to burn a person alive.
“HwaRyeong! It’s dangerous!”
As I waited for the spell to fire, Enri’s cry came from behind me.
Enri. We have known each other for quite some time, yet you worry for me in a situation like this?
Watch closely. This is not even a minor threat.
The spell inscribed in the Place of Gu was invoked. The energies stirring the world vanished without trace, and the fierce flames flying toward me disappeared along with them.
Not only that. The ores that had illuminated the labyrinth lost their light, and at the same time the mysterious force animating the skeletons vanished as well.
With nothing more than the deployment of Taoist magic, I had claimed victory.
Hmm. I had not aimed for this outcome, but depriving a being that sustained itself through mysterious power of that same power produced such a result. An interesting application. This art may be far more versatile than I had imagined.
Before long light returned to the world, and Enri stared at me with an expression of utter disbelief.
What is it? Why are you looking at me with those eyes?
From the perspective of those who did not understand that I had used Taoist magic, it must have looked as if the lights simply went out and everything was resolved when they came back on.
I pondered how to explain it, then realized I had conducted all my research and training for this art without turning on the stream. If I explained it now, the viewers would set the chat on fire again. These were the same people who posted punishment game lists on my forum and begged me to make more mistakes. I had no desire to give them fresh ammunition.
“It is the law of the world that the lowly cannot perceive the realm of the exalted.”
When I squared my shoulders and spoke, the chat reluctantly accepted my words. Since I had already shattered their common sense more than once or twice, they seemed to accept it without deep thought. Perhaps one’s usual demeanor truly mattered.
“Enri. Let us continue.”
“Ah, wait a moment. I need to farm.”
That was right. Our purpose in coming here had been to gather equipment and materials after all.
“These skeleton bones can later be ground into powder for scroll crafting materials, and the other drops…”
Enri excitedly explained everything she knew as if delighted to show off her knowledge. From what I could gather, it seemed I simply needed to collect anything that looked expensive.
We continued exploring the dungeon with Enri, who was delighted to have already acquired a usable spear. The process was far from smooth. Countless traps activated; I nearly fell into a pit, nearly got skewered by a spear, and we were surrounded by enemies more than once. There was even an incident where Enri approached what she thought was a treasure chest, only for the mimic to attack her. Had I not obtained a potion midway, I would likely be exploring this dungeon alone by now.
And now a massive boulder was rolling toward us from afar.
“Enri. How many times has this been?”
“I’m sorry!”
At first Enri had remained confident despite her repeated mistakes, but after so many blunders she now honestly bowed her head. Even she must have found it difficult to keep a straight face. Enri, you should be grateful that I am by your side.
I looked at the oncoming boulder and stamped the ground. The body I currently possessed was closer to that of an ordinary person than a martial artist, so I could not shatter it without taking any damage. If I offered my right arm, the exchange rate might be acceptable.
I stepped firmly, channeling the force into my fist, and struck the boulder. The rock that had been rumbling loudly suddenly stopped. Cracks spread from the point of impact, and soon the boulder shattered into pieces that scattered across the floor.
In exchange, my arm now dangled limply, but considering it had saved my life, the price was not bad. Besides, this was ultimately a game. Drinking a potion would instantly heal such an injury.
Once my arm had returned to normal, I clenched and opened my fist. Enri kept bowing to me repeatedly, so I stopped her.
“It is fine. Many things must have been added to this labyrinth over the past year.”
“…It seems so. It’s very different from what I remember.”
“It is all right. No matter how many traps there are, if one can overcome them it is no different from there being none at all. The important thing is that you know the way.”
Had it been any other time I would have teased her more, but since her repeated failures had already crushed her spirit, I simply patted her shoulder instead.
“Thank you, HwaRyeong. Um… the bag is full now, so shall we head back?”
“Let us do that.”
There seemed to be no further benefit in wandering around here.
“Why is there a wall here…”
Only then did I realize the fact I had been unconsciously ignoring. The labyrinth’s interior had changed greatly in a year, which could mean the dungeon’s layout itself had been altered.
In other words, Enri’s knowledge might have become completely useless.
The place she had led me to, claiming it was the exit, held nothing but a gray wall.