Chapter 264 - Bug (3)

We walk through a shaking rift, with me at the front and Iron Bear, our wannabe tank, bringing up the rear. Everyone else stays clustered in the middle.

[SCREEEEEECH!]

With every step, we hear spectral monsters wailing beyond the darkness. It is a defining feature of Revenant Rift, one of the four routes leading to the sixth floor.

「Your character has entered a special area.」

「Field Effect - Revenant Rift has been applied.」

The ground shakes violently every few minutes. The revenants provide an eerie soundtrack. And...

「Status effect [Earthbound Spirit] has been applied.」

「Dark Resistance and Physical Resistance decrease by -100.」

There is also this unpleasant sensation, as though my skin has somehow grown thinner.

'It feels even creepier without any explorers around.'

A whole day has passed since we entered Revenant Rift, yet we have not met anyone else in our line of work. Only monsters.

「You have defeated a Cursestone. EXP +4」

「You have defeated a Corrupted Creation. EXP +2」

「You have defeated a Blood Grudge Ghost. EXP +5」

「You have defeated a Dakirion. EXP +5」

「You have defeated an Ancient Ground Spider...」

Well, that is actually more of an advantage. This single expedition has netted us most of the EXP available on this route.

'One more trip through here to pick off the ones we missed should do it...'

"Be careful not to fall."

Other than pausing whenever the ground shakes, we spend all our time fighting and traveling. Our only rest comes when we camp. It is a pretty grueling schedule, but we built up a decent reserve of stamina on the fourth floor. We should be fine for a few days.

"I'm a little surprised. I thought Frost Rift would be our next area."

"We weren't ready for the sixth floor back then. This is the shortest route there."

"Hmm, that's what I've heard... But if that's your reason, wouldn't it have been better to go through Hellfire Rift, which we know, rather than somewhere we've never been?"

"But we've already collected all the merit score there, haven't we?"

I gave Raven various reasons for coming here, but my real reason for choosing this route is something else.

'We already have the Essence we needed from Frost Rift.'

I obtained the Essence I had originally intended for Misha through the royal family's reward. More importantly...

'That thing spawns here.'

A monster I absolutely need to kill before entering the sixth floor appears along this route. Of course, I could not tell them it was my objective. Then I would have to answer how I planned to find it, and I had no good excuse. As always, the best approach is to chalk it up to luck—

"Mister."

Huh?

"We need to go this way now."

I snap out of my thoughts and look ahead to find a three-way fork blocking our path. Though calling it a three-way fork is a bit of a stretch.

"It's a fair distance to the other side this time. I'll go first and throw you a rope."

Using [Leap], I clear more than thirty meters in one bound and throw the rope I prepared to the opposite cliff. This is one of the interesting things about the fifth floor, the Great Demon Realm. The routes available to you increase depending on your character's abilities.

"It's secured! We're coming over now!"

Once the rope is set up, my teammates cross to my side one by one. Thanks to the slope, there is no need for any sweaty hauling. They simply hook onto the rope and slide down.

"I'll head back over, then."

After everyone crosses, I use [Leap] again to retrieve the rope from the other side. Obviously, we cannot just use it once and throw it away. A custom-made rope this long costs a fortune.

"Erwin, how far down have we come?"

"About a seventh of the way."

"So we can reach the sixth floor in a week."

"Yes. As long as we maintain this pace."

We continue our rapid descent with Erwin guiding us. Her method of navigation differs from mine, so she does not draw maps, but she never once wanders around in circles, either.

"Our young elf really knows her way around."

"I've never made it to the sixth floor, but I did experience all four routes while I was with my clan. And you tell me which direction the portal is in, Mr. Avman. It would be embarrassing if I couldn't even manage this!"

"No need to flatter me. What good is knowing where the portal is on the fifth floor? You could stand to have a little more confidence."

It is not as though they ever thought poorly of her, but as Erwin proves her abilities, our companions come to regard her even more favorably. She seems to be getting along quite well with Misha lately, too.

"Misha! Come a little farther in. It might be dangerous out on the edge..."

"Okay, thanks, nyah."

Anyway, as we follow Erwin along the shortest route, it soon becomes time to find a campsite and rest.

"This should do."

I choose a spot beside a cliff. We only need to watch one direction, and if anything goes wrong, we can simply jump to the neighboring path about five meters away. Not that our watch rotation matters much.

"Bjorn, wake up, nyah."

"Monsters again?"

Monsters appear every twenty minutes on average, forcing us to wake and take up our weapons. Raven, with her limited stamina, is no exception. We try to handle small groups without waking her, but when dozens come pouring in, we have no choice.

"... Yawn. I'm going back to sleep."

"All right. Good work."

"..."

Raven gives no reply, only a soft snore. It is a little funny to watch. She really has become a proper explorer.

"Heh, ordinary noises don't even wake her anymore, nyah."

"No, I think she does wake up whenever she hears something. She just goes straight back to sleep if it doesn't seem serious."

"That's pretty amazing, nyah. That's actually the hardest part."

"Hard or not, it's about time she got used to it."

"Yeah, true... You get used to anything if you keep doing it, nyah..."

It is rather like my relationship with Misha. Things remained awkward for a while even after we entered the Labyrinth, but now we can talk without much discomfort. Given time, you get used to everything.

"Anyway, get some sleep. I'll take watch."

"But you've still got a few minutes before your turn, nyah."

"Going back to sleep just to wake up again is more trouble."

"Hmm, I still feel bad, though, nyah..."

What is there to feel bad about? I will be waking her to fight again in twenty minutes anyway.

* * *

Our expedition continues, and before we know it, ten days have passed since we entered the fifth floor. We are still there, however.

"How much farther to the sixth floor?"

"I think about a day."

"At our current pace?"

"Yes."

"Then we'd better allow two days."

Unfortunately, our pace has gradually slowed as the expedition goes on. Our stamina is approaching its limits. Then again, it would be stranger if we were fine after fighting all day without proper sleep. Explorers are not superhuman. They are simply far more capable than ordinary people.

'Still, at least we killed that thing yesterday.'

We are behind schedule, but we have accomplished one of this expedition's secondary objectives: the rank-five rare variety, Soul Eater. It is an incredibly unique monster in several ways. For one, only a single one appears each time the Labyrinth opens, but...

「You have defeated a Soul Eater. EXP +177」

The EXP alone is absurd. When I first saw the EXP log, I thought it was a bug. How could I have known there was a monster that randomly awarded anywhere from 100 to 200 EXP on your first kill?

'I wonder how much I got?'

I can no longer calculate my exact EXP, but I have no regrets. This finally got me to Level 6.

「Your character's Level has increased.」

「Magic Power increases by +30.」

「Maximum absorbable Essences increases by +1.」

Corpse Golem, Orc Hero, Ogre, Manticore, and now the Bayon Essence from the royal reward. Those five Essences filled every slot, but this was why I entered the Labyrinth without removing Corpse Golem. After all the EXP duplication I had done, I figured killing this monster would be enough to level up.

"Even with so few explorers around, I never thought we'd run into that thing. We really were lucky."

"Hehe, haven't I told you over and over? This team has luck on its side."

Luck, my ass. You have no idea how hard I worked to fulfill its spawn conditions without you noticing.

"Aruru, we're a clan now, not a team!"

"Oh, yes... Right, right."

"Enough chitchat. Focus."

As team leader—no, clan leader now—I keep us moving while making sure no one loses too much focus. Other than the delays, the expedition seems to be going smoothly, but we have had our share of close calls. Thanks to the royal reward, our combat strength exceeds fifth-floor standards, but since when has this world been a place where stats solve everything?

"Misha, you'll need to get your armor repaired as soon as we're out."

"Oh, yeah... Ugh, I only just bought it. What a waste, nyah."

Misha took a direct hit from the spear of a spirit cavalryman summoned by the Soul Eater. She was not injured, of course. But...

"Misha, what exactly was wasted? You would've died yesterday without it."

The spearhead pierced deep into her armor, right over her heart. Another finger joint's worth and her life could have been in danger. Even now, the thought makes my blood run cold. If she had still been wearing the stage-two leather armor we got from killing Jenssia, my first PK opponent, it would never have held out that well.

'Thank God she spent the extra money on tier-five leather armor instead of tier-four this time—'

"I know, but it's still a waste..."

Seriously, she still does not get it.

"Enough. Don't even think about skimping on equipment from now on."

"Okay, nyah..."

This is the problem with people who have low Physical Resistance. I can never stop worrying about them.

"Ahem. This is lovely to see, but shouldn't we get moving?"

"..."

After the brief awkwardness of my lecture to Misha, we resume our expedition. Almost a day later, we finish descending Revenant Rift and reach the bottom. Another half day's journey brings us to the portal.

"Wow, it really is the sixth floor, nyah..."

"This is my first time coming this far, too."

"I'm oddly excited. I've heard so much about this place."

As befits the moment before entering a new floor, everyone voices their own impressions. Of course, the moment holds a special significance for me as well.

'I finally made it to the sixth floor.'

The day I first saw tax defaulters being executed in the plaza, I thought to myself: to live in a house with a kitchen, get treatment when I was sick, and retire at fifty with enough to comfortably keep three dogs or so, I would need to reach at least the sixth floor. Even then, I would have to save like mad until retirement. So... I would give serious thought to finding a way home only after that.

'... Though I never imagined I'd get here in less than two years.'

At least three years earlier than expected. Still, I do not want to call it luck. It has already been sixteen months since I woke up in this body. A short time, perhaps, but so much has happened to me.

I fought desperately to survive. Even so, I lost someone. And through what he left behind, I grew into who I am today.

"Bjorn."

"Oh, I was just thinking about something."

"You go in first. You're the one who brought us this far."

Mister Bear pats my shoulder.

"Yes, exactly. I wouldn't even be entering the Labyrinth if it weren't for you, Mr. Jandel."

Raven pokes my waist with her staff. Such impatience.

"Let's go in, then."

I step toward the portal.

「You have entered the sixth floor, the Great Ocean.」

Yes. We really have come this far.

* * *

「Bjorn Jandel」

Level: 6 (New +1)

Physical: 607.62 / Mental: 502.19 / Ability: 2,214.55 (New +39)

Item Level: 4,627

Overall Combat Index: 4,481.11 (New +39)

Obtained Essences: Corpse Golem - Rank 7 / Orc Hero - Rank 5 / Ogre - Rank 3 / Manticore - Rank 5 / Bayon - Rank 3

* * *

A blue sky and a blazing sun. The salty smell carried on the breeze. And the sound of rolling waves.

SHHHHH!

As I steady myself in midair and land, the first thing I see is a vast beach. The sand is almost white, and beyond the waterlogged mud stretches an emerald sea.

"Wow..."

Everyone is mesmerized by the sight. I am not much different. It is that beautiful, and it moves me in a different way from those seeing the sea for the first time.

"..."

We stand there in a daze, gazing endlessly beyond the horizon as though we have forgotten time. In truth, I came to my senses a while ago, but...

'No need to spoil this moment.'

I turn my eyes from the sea and take some time to inspect our surroundings. Raimia, the Island of Beginnings, is the sixth floor's starting point. In the game, it was always packed with people, but now there is no one.

'Well, by this time, they would all have set sail already.'

I turn back toward the sea and approach Misha.

"Misha."

Simply calling her name is enough.

"Oh, yes. Right. We should do that first, nyah..."

Understanding what I mean, Misha takes out an item she has treasured all this time. Raven tilts her head.

"What's that in the glass bottle? It looks like an explorer tag..."

"It is."

"Oh, don't tell me..."

"Yes. It belonged to Dwalki."

We burned most of Dwalki's possessions during the modest funeral we held among ourselves, but we kept this. The dwarf had asked us to.

["They say it's a truly wondrous place, with its own passage of time and even seasons, despite being inside the Labyrinth. Please, do this for me. I'm sure he'd be grateful."]

["... But he's never even been there."]

["That's precisely why he'd like it. Knowing him, I'm certain of it."]

Would he really? I cannot be sure, but I have come.

"Could you give us a moment?"

"As long as you need. Go ahead."

Without further comment, Raven steps back with the others to give us some space.

"Misha."

"Yeah, nyah."

Together, we cross the sand toward the water.

SHHHHH!

At the water's edge, the waves rise and recede like a beating heart. Misha bends down and dips her fingers into the sea.

"It's colder than I expected, nyah..."

"It is."

"I wish he could've come with us, nyah..."

"Yeah."

It truly would have been wonderful. He was as delighted as a little child when we first reached the third floor.

["... I think I finally understand what explorers mean when they say the world is vast."]

Just a little. If he had spent just a little longer with us, he could have seen a real, open night sky instead of the Milky Way spread across an enclosed ceiling.

"Give it here."

"Huh? But, nyah..."

"If we release it here, it'll just wash back in."

"Oh, I guess it would, nyah..."

There is no need for a scientific explanation. One look at the waves tells Misha what I mean. I take the specially made glass bottle from her and wade into the sea. The shallow water gradually deepens as I move as far from the island as I can.

"... This should do."

Even with [Gigantification] active, the water reaches the base of my neck. I throw the bottle as far as I can.

SPLASH!

Soon, the bottle bobs back to the surface and begins riding the waves away from the island. Okay, got it on the first try. If it had not worked, I was going to do it later from a boat.

"Anyway, I tried to make things work with Misha, but it didn't happen."

I speak as I watch the bottle drift away, then let out a small, bemused laugh. What am I even doing?

"Rest well."

Thinking he cannot hear me anyway, I swallow everything else I want to say and turn away.

Even so, I wonder. What would Dwalki think if he could see me now?

'He would've been happy for me.'

Even if this is something we do for those left behind, he would have smiled. No, he would have liked it all the more precisely because it was for us. That was simply who he was.

SHHHHH!

Feeling the waves push against my back, I turn to look once more and offer a brief prayer. I do not know where that bottle will drift.

SHHHHH!

But may these rolling waves carry him wherever he wishes to go.