The volcano we are currently investigating at the waterfall is arguably the biggest challenge in the second stratum, second only to volcanoes of rock and lava.
It’s been nearly two hours since we started climbing, but the surrounding walls of water are so clear that the sunlight-like rays reflecting off them are blinding. The humidity is incredibly high, and the temperature is rising.
Well, the Crest Defender Coat is enchanted with magic to block sunlight, so we’re managing that aspect, but the humidity is the real problem.
The temperature is also adjusted to be reasonably comfortable, but it still gets hot when we move vigorously.
Furthermore, with so much water around and the volcanic area generating heat, it’s muggy and incredibly humid, just like a Japanese summer.
“I’m grossed out by how much I’m sweating.”
“But if we take off our coats, it’ll probably be even worse.”
Mana and Rika also look fed up with the high discomfort index, and I really understand how they feel.
There’s a Supplication Magic called Washing, which, simply put, is magic to clean oneself.
It only affects the human body, so there’s no worry about clothes getting wet, but even so, you have to use it every few dozen minutes to avoid feeling gross from sweat.
However, no matter how little MP it consumes for Supplication Magic, continuous use will lead to MP depletion, so even for High Class individuals, it might be a tough choice depending on their race.
“Wow, the temperature has exceeded 40 degrees. I don’t know about the humidity, but it’s really like midsummer in Japan…”
“Seriously…?”
Mako murmured as she looked at the temperature gauge app on her Engraving Tool. I never imagined the temperature would exceed 40 degrees.
It’s incredibly humid and stuffy, truly like midsummer in Japan.
“It seems the Defender Coat is helping with the humidity too, but we might need to consider other humidity countermeasures.”
“Yes. Wait, it’s because of the Defender Coat?”
Everyone, including myself, tilted our heads at Mako’s statement.
The magic I had enchanted the Crest Defender Coat with had several effects beyond adjusting the ambient temperature and direct sunlight, but I was sure there was no specific setting for humidity.
“It’s better because of the cooling effect it has. If you take it off, you’ll know.”
Mako explained simply, saying that when the temperature is lowered, the moisture in the air turns into liquid, and by expelling that moisture, the humidity is reduced.
“So, if I wanted to make a dehumidifier, I would collect water from the air and then discard it?”
“I’m not familiar with the principles, so I think using Barrier Magic would be a better approach.”
That’s true.
In fact, the Mirror Room of the Tenju Manufacturing Beast Carriage is sealed from the outside air, so we can stay comfortable despite the high humidity.
The deck and observation seats are currently not using the Barrier Tenma Stone, so they are directly steaming, but we should have used it beforehand.
No, the Barrier Tenma Stone is also enchanted with magic to block, or rather, adjust the ambient temperature, so perhaps we should use it now.
“Ah, it’s getting cooler.”
“It really is.”
After activating the Barrier Tenma Stone for a while, the deck and observation seats also cooled down, and we could feel the humidity decreasing.
That’s a relief.
“While this problem is solved, that problem is another story.”
“That problem… here they come again.”
No matter how comfortable the Tenju Manufacturing Beast Carriage is, it means nothing to monsters.
Even as we speak, monsters are swimming towards the Beast Carriage.
Those shadows are Sahagins.
The monsters inhabiting this waterfall volcano, like those in other volcanoes, consisted of one Demi-human species and four monster species.
The Demi-human were C-N rank Sahagins and B-U rank Coral Sahagins. The monsters were S-N rank Water Spiders, G-U rank Lance Marlins, S-N rank Thunder Squids, G-U rank Chain Squids, and S-N rank Mosasaurs.
Sahagins are the familiar half-fish, half-human creatures from novels, with blue scales. The higher-ranked Coral Sahagins had pearl-like or wart-like protrusions on their hands and around their necks.
However, as they are Demi-humans, the pearls growing from their bodies are worthless.
Water Spiders are spiders that inhabit underwater and spit silk from their mouths.
The silk they spit is highly water-repellent and in high demand for use in awnings and the like. Surprisingly, their legs are edible.
I don’t particularly care to eat them, though.
Lance Marlins resembled marlin, with elongated upper jaws longer and larger than their bodies.
Their upper jaws are valuable materials for spears, and their red meat, along with their bones, can be used to make broth, making them a delicious monster, as are the S-N rank Spear Marlins.
Thunder Squids are squid that manipulate lightning magic, which we encountered on the ship when heading to Valentia. Chain Squids are their higher-ranked counterparts, wielding not only lightning magic but also water magic.
Mosasaurs, as the name suggests, are of the Saur species, resembling crocodiles and said to inhabit south of Valentia.
Aquatic monsters typically drop one rank in threat level when they come ashore, but some monsters do not, and the Mosasaur species is among them.
Their ecology is one of the most mysterious among the Saur species. There are rumors of them landing on islands within their habitat, leading to speculation that they can function normally on land.
Low-ranked Saur species do not breathe out a breath attack, but Mosasaurs do, which makes them troublesome.
Their materials include fangs, claws, scales, and skin. Their bones are also sturdy and have high utility value, ranking among the top in total purchase price even among S-rank monsters.
“Is that all of them? By the way, where do these Sahagins make their settlements?”
“That’s true.”
“Isn’t that it?”
Rika and Mana, who had easily defeated the Coral Sahagins, asked such questions. But indeed, that’s a good point.
Demi-humans, even in labyrinths, build settlements and live there.
In fact, the Demi-humans inhabiting other volcanoes had proper settlements.
However, here, there’s only mountain path-like land, so I couldn’t imagine even water-dwelling Sahagins being able to form a settlement.
I was thinking that, but Flam seemed to have found something.
“That… does look like a settlement.”
“I see, so they built their settlement at the bottom of the water, or rather, the bottom of the mountain.”
So that’s it.
This is a labyrinth, so there must be a limit to its depth.
Although I don’t know how deep it is, I can see some bubbles resembling air, and what look like crude buildings at the bottom.
While Physicallering could enhance my vision, thanks to my evolution into an Ancient Human, I can see for hundreds of meters without issue, so I’m fairly certain.
“On other volcanoes, monster territories were clearly defined, but here it’s vague.”
“Indeed, it is. Well, there are no obstacles, and given the location, that’s probably unavoidable, isn’t it?”
“Perhaps. Oh, this looks like a Mosasaurus now.”
“No, that’s a Tyranosaurus.”
This time, it’s a G-U rank monster.
The Tyranosaurus, the higher-ranked species of the Mosasaurus, is about one size larger than the Mosasaurus, with a body length of about 7 meters.
However, its fangs are sharper, and its canine teeth extend from its upper jaw like a saber-toothed tiger, giving it a more ferocious appearance.
“Damn, one of my fangs broke.”
“Did you make the Sterling Piaster too big?”
However, that Tyranosaurus was easily killed when Mana thrust her Sterling Piaster into its mouth.
That Sterling Piaster was quite large, and the impact of it being thrust into its mouth caused the left fang to break midway. I suppose this is something I’ll just have to get used to.
“The goal this time is investigation, so you don’t need to worry too much about it.”
“Perhaps, but as a Hunter, I must reflect on my actions.”
As expected of someone with the epithet “Princess of Hunters,” Mana began to consider improvements to her Sterling Piaster.
I heard that Mana’s Unique Magic also utilizes the magic power of her contracted summon, so her own MP consumption is low, allowing her to focus on control.
However, this time, it seems she made a mistake in that control.
“This mountain is really difficult to navigate.”
“It really is. But it’s about the same as other mountains, so the summit should be appearing soon, shouldn’t it?”
“Yes… Ah, I see it now.”
Oh, it seems we’ve reached the summit.
I imagine a volcano having a crater with boiling lava, but since this volcano is shaped like a mountain of water, I have no idea what the crater is like.
“That’s the Safe Area. Oh, and there’s a Stratum Transfer Circle.”
“You’re right. So, this is the entrance to the third stratum.”
A Stratum Transfer Circle, as the name suggests, is a Magic Circle for moving between strata.
Its presence implies that we can move to either the stratum above or below.
However, we won’t know if it’s above or below until we actually use it. Stratum Transfer Circles are used to travel between corresponding circles, so knowing the appearance of the stratum makes it easier to determine whether to go up or down.
There are two Stratum Transfer Circles on the first stratum, and their corresponding circles have been identified, so there’s no doubt that this Stratum Transfer Circle leads to the third stratum.
“We still have time since it’s only 3 o’clock, but we should decide what to do after seeing the state of the third stratum.”
“That would be the most sensible approach. Before that, shall we take a short break?”
“I agree.”
It is indeed an awkward time.
There are still some unexplored areas in the second stratum, but there’s no guarantee that the next volcano will have a Stratum Transfer Circle. I also want to get a feel for the third stratum.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to decide on our next steps during a break.
The Safe Area was an area where the mountain path widened, but it was away from the crater, and no mountain path leading to the crater was visible.
Water was pouring out of the crater from all sides with great force, so that was unavoidable.
“The area above the Safe Area is also covered in water.”
“That’s why we couldn’t tell where it was at all.”
“It’s a fantastical sight, with water covering the surroundings and even above us.”
“Yes, it’s beautiful.”
Although there’s water above me too, it’s bleak, so it can’t really be called an Aqua Garden.
If anything, perhaps an Aqua Space?
Oh well, it doesn’t really matter.
Marisa, Viola, Eos, and Mirei are serving tea on the deck and observation seats, and the women are marveling at a sight they don’t usually see.
I can understand their feelings, but from my perspective, it’s just a good opportunity to observe monsters safely. I can’t help but feel that our viewpoints are different from the women’s.
“Regarding what to do next, we can either head straight to the third stratum or continue our investigation of the second stratum. What do you think?”
“Since we’ve investigated nearly 80% of the second stratum, I think it’s fine to go to the third stratum.”
“I agree with Ludia. While the investigation of the second stratum isn’t complete, the Saber’s Guild has confirmed it’s a volcanic area, and we’ve also found a Stratum Transfer Circle to the third stratum. So, I believe we should at least get a feel for it.”
Everyone nodded in agreement with Ludia and Meena’s opinions.
Indeed, I’m curious about what kind of stratum the third stratum will be, and we plan to end our investigation at noon tomorrow. It might be better to proceed.
“There might be other Stratum Transfer Circles to the third stratum, but the difficulty is likely similar to this one, so unless there’s a rush, Hunters won’t be entering anytime soon, will they?”
“Not only are there Saur species not found in Torencia, but this is a high-difficulty labyrinth where P-R rank monsters appear even in the second stratum. So, you’d need at least a few High Class individuals with Alloy equipment, or you wouldn’t be able to proceed.”
“If they were to enter, it would likely be High Class individuals participating in an expedition. Of course, I have no intention of setting restrictions.”
Yeah, I agree with Prim, Mana, and Hilde.
I feel bad for Hilde, but the Hunters of Torencia are not accustomed to fighting high-ranking monsters.
Even among the High Class participants in the expedition, there were Hunters who fought G-rank monsters for the first time during the Solemne invasion.
Those Hunters have obtained Alloy weapons, but Alloy weapons are not yet sold in Torencia. Even the first stratum, where the White Fang appeared, would be difficult to break through.
“Trade with Amister will resume in the spring, and at that time, we will implement restrictions for Alloy and above High Class individuals, with the intention of selling them. Even so, given the location, I don’t expect many Hunters to come here.”
Hilde is probably right.
However, it is a Hunter’s choice whether to enter the labyrinth or not, and it is done at their own risk. Even the country cannot force them.
Hunters do not serve the country, so if they were to force them, they would simply leave the country.
“We don’t have the luxury of time either, so this labyrinth will likely remain as it is for a while.”
“Indeed. However, if a Labyrinth Flood were to occur, the damage would be catastrophic, so we want to conquer it as quickly as possible.”
“It depends on Retisencia’s actions. Well, the Guild has withdrawn, and even the remaining Trader’s Guild has reportedly scaled back its operations. I doubt they can mobilize the military.”
“I agree.”
In a few days, I have to go to Solemne, and in the spring, there might be a military conflict with Retisencia.
Therefore, conquering the Krater Labyrinth, whose number of strata is unknown, is somewhat difficult for us as well.
If Traveling were usable, it would solve some of the problems, but it cannot be used within the labyrinth. Once we leave, we have to start over from the first stratum.
However, if a labyrinth that spawns P-R rank monsters from the second stratum were to cause a Labyrinth Flood, the damage could potentially be greater than that caused by the Slume Lord.
But we cannot neglect Solemne and Retisencia, so it is a very difficult problem.
It could be said that things will happen as they will, but if possible, I would like to conquer it sooner rather than later.
