The next morning, Dia and I were gathered in front of the labyrinth.
We had already finished our pre-exploration shopping. Since we had some money to spare, we bought not only necessities for the labyrinth but also weapons and armor.
Currently, I had a cheap gauntlet equipped on my left hand, and a spare sword was stored in my `Inventory`.
Also, I bought and gifted Dia a light chestplate. He was hesitant at first, but I insisted that Dia’s `Defensive power` was absolutely necessary, and somehow he accepted it.
This means that our `Status` now is vastly different from yesterday.
“Christ! The priest told me I’m Level 6! Me!”
“That’s great, Dia. I was Level 6 too.”
Dia was incredibly excited that the results of our exploration were starting to show in tangible form.
I watched his endearing sight and checked the `Status` of myself and others.
【Status】
Name: Aikawa Uzunami HP 189/197 MP 262/262 Class:
Level 6
Strength 4.12 Stamina 4.21 Dexterity 5.11 Speed 7.24 Intelligence 7.23 Magic Power 11.43 Aptitude 7.00
Condition: Confusion 5.31
Experience Points: 1094/3200
Equipment: Iron One-handed Sword
Otherworldly Clothes
Oversized Coat
Otherworldly Shoes
Leather Gauntlets
【Status】
Name: Diablo Sis HP 98/112 MP 631/631 Class: Swordsman
Level 6
Strength 3.62 Stamina 3.43 Dexterity 2.14 Speed 2.08 Intelligence 5.67 Magic Power 34.35 Aptitude 5.00
Condition: Blessing 1.00
Experience Points: 321/3200
Equipment: Aris Family’s Treasure Sword
High Quality Cloth Clothes
Leather Chestplate
Coat
Leather Shoes
Both Dia and I had our levels rapidly increase, and all our `Status` increased by nearly double.
By the way, I put all the bonus points into MP to increase our sustained combat capability.
Surprisingly, Dia’s Strength and Stamina grew well. I was relieved, as I had thought he might be a Magic Power-focused type who might never see improvement in those areas.
The only thing that made me uneasy was the `Class` field.
Mine remained blank, while Dia was a Swordsman.
Perhaps Dia’s Strength and Stamina were increasing due to the benefits of his `Class`. If there were `Class` bonuses upon `Level Up`, I would have wasted the `Class` bonuses up to Level 6. This is an issue I need to resolve urgently.
However, there was still no hint of a `Solution` for the `Class` field.
It wasn’t mentioned in any books, and when I asked at the tavern, they just asked if I meant profession. Dia insisted he was a Swordsman, but when asked how he became one, he simply replied, “If you hold a sword, you’re a Swordsman.” T_T
I could see a trend in what kind of people become what `Class`, but I couldn’t grasp the clear conditions.
While I was frowning and pondering about `Class`, an excited Dia made a suggestion.
“Hey! If we’re Level 6, we should be able to go pretty deep, right!? Let’s explore deep inside today!”
“…Yeah. That might be good too. I have the day off today.”
“Oh, Christ. You have the day off from your tavern job?”
“Apparently, I get three days off in a row. They told me I get holidays off.”
Holiday.
I assumed this corresponded to the days of the week in my world.
“I see. Then, let’s take the whole day and go as far as we can!”
“Let’s do that.”
I didn’t object.
I had a plan to be able to fight up to the 10th floor.
Normally, our current levels would be far below the appropriate levels for the 10th floor. However, our abnormal growth in stats and skills had resolved all the problems.
At Level 6, we had reached the `Status` of a Level 10 `Adventurer`.
I suspected that the `Aptitude` stat was involved in this. After all, many people other than Dia and I didn’t even reach 1.00 in `Aptitude`. In contrast, mine was 7.00, and Dia’s was 5.00.
“Alright! Here we go, to the labyrinth!”
With that, Dia eagerly charged into the labyrinth.
Since we would be using the `Seidō` that had already been cleared by the country today, it was fine for Dia to take the lead. I followed behind Dia, as if watching over a mischievous younger brother or sister.
***
“The third floor!”
About an hour later, we reached the third floor with surprising ease.
Perhaps it was due to the increase in `Stamina`, but I didn’t feel tired yet.
Next to me, Dia was excitedly exclaiming that we were on the third floor, while I cautiously scanned for enemies.
Honestly, `Monsters` rarely appear on the `Seidō`.
This is because the country had created a `Barrier` for humans using `Magic Stones`. I had learned the details from the people at the tavern after having a bad experience on the `Seidō` before.
In this labyrinth, the shortest distance from the entrance of one floor to the next has become `Seidō`. In other words, by following this path, one can easily reach the next floor.
By the way, the `Seidō` currently extends to the 23rd floor. This was achieved thanks to the exploits of an `Explorer` called Glen Walker, considered the strongest human.
However, the expansion of `Seidō` has reportedly stagnated in recent years.
Reportedly, the level of enemies from the 20th floor onward is on a completely different level. Furthermore, even though the `Seidō` was expanded up to the 23rd floor, not all of those floors have been completely cleared. It is a well-known story among explorers that `Strongest` explorer Glen could not even damage the boss on the 20th floor and has been postponing its `Subjugation`.
“Dia, it’s all right to go further. According to my plan, we’re going to the 10th floor today.”
“The 10th floor too!? R-really!?”
“We’re just taking the ‘Seidō’, so there’s no problem. We can usually tell the monster’s Level after one battle per floor.”
“…Understood. If Christ says so, I believe you.”
For some reason, Dia’s trust in me is abnormally high.
It’s very helpful for me, so I proceed with the conversation without paying it any particular mind.
“I’ll take the lead from now on. Even the ‘Seidō’ isn’t entirely free of monsters. In case of an emergency, I’ll have to be the shield.”
“–! No, Christ, you can still rest! You’ve reached Level 6, so I think it’s about time I show off my sword techniques. So, that’s why—”
“Ah, up to the 5th floor is fine.”
“I know that’s not allowed! I know, but still, I’ll use my sword— What!? I-is it really okay…?”
“It’s fine. Up to the 5th floor.”
I had anticipated Dia’s request and prepared an answer.
Looking at Dia’s Status at Level 6, a match should be possible up to the 5th floor with my support.
Dia’s Strength is already close to 4.
Unlike when it wasn’t even 1, attacks should not fail to connect. According to information obtained at the tavern, warriors with Strength between 3 and 5 can fight up to the 5th floor.
Furthermore, Dia gaining melee combat experience should be advantageous later on.
If you consider it an investment in the future, it’s not a bad thing at all.
“Christ! Thank you!”
“No, I just judged that Dia can handle it up to the 5th floor, it’s not that… — Hey, don’t hug me! You’re too close!”
Dia practically glomped me, grabbed my hand, and shook it vigorously.
I hastily broke free from her grasp. Although Dia cut her hair short and claims to be a man, her face is that of a fair and beautiful girl. More importantly, being this close makes me aware of things I’ve been trying to ignore.
— This kind of interaction reminds me of my Sister.
That is currently the biggest taboo for me.
If I recall my original world, I lose focus.
If I think about my family, I feel like I’m going insane.
Right now, I feel like challenging myself to the 100th floor of the Labyrinth without eating or drinking.
That won’t do.
For now, one floor a day is enough.
Reaching the 100th floor within three hundred and sixty-five days is an excellent goal.
Losing my composure and wasting ‘???’ or undertaking reckless challenges that lead to serious injury would be pointless.
Until I reach the end, do not think deeply about my Sister.
The Aikawa Uzunami from my previous world doesn’t need to appear.
At least, I don’t need it for another year.
What I’m thinking about now is the Deepest Part of the Labyrinth.
Only the Deepest Part is enough.
I repeat this in my mind, calming myself down.
“Haha! Alright! Then, let’s stray a little from the ‘Seidō’ and fight some monsters!”
“Huh? Going off-track a bit… It feels like a waste of time—”
“What if no enemies appear until the 5th floor!”
“Hmm… I guess we have no choice then…”
Judging that it would take more time to persuade the excited Dia, I reluctantly agreed.
“Here we go—!”
Dia leaves the ‘Seidō’ and goes to find monsters.
I follow closely behind her and conduct an area search with Dimension.
After a few minutes, I detect a single, isolated monster.
It’s a large fish with wings swimming in the air. The 3rd floor has many lakes and rivers, so water-dwelling monsters appear frequently. Among them, this monster, the Skyfish, appears particularly often. If I found one in my world, it would probably make the news.
“Dia. There’s a monster around the next corner. Its name is Skyfish. It’s a fish that swims in the air, so be careful of bites.”
“Ah, understood.”
With just this prior information, the battle is almost decided. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that most battles are decided by the presence or absence of information. I recall something like that being written in Sun Tzu’s… whatever book, and reconfirm the unfairness of Dimension.
“—Deii!”
Dia rounds the corner and immediately closes the distance, slashing at the monster. However, perhaps due to overexertion, her One Cut is evaded. The Skyfish begins to move to bite the sudden attacker. Dia blocks it with the flat of her sword. It seems she can see the Skyfish’s movements without issue. Thinking it’s not a problem if she gets injured since it isn’t me, I start to chant an attack magic, with a slightly callous thought.
“—Applied Magic: Ice, Rapid Arrow.”
I chant a spell to create ice at my hand, concentrating all my nerves. It’s an application of the magic Ice, which was useless before, just falling like ice. However, the magic power density is different now. At that time, my Level was low, but more importantly, I lacked imagination. The mages at the tavern told me that imagination is important. When creating ice, I imagine something with a sharp, pointed tip. It’s long like an arrow, with an arrowhead of ice at its tip.
A few seconds later, perfect ice arrows had formed at my fingertips.
However, I couldn’t shoot them like in a game. If I could, they would truly become “Ice Arrows,” not just “Ice – Rapid Formation Arrows.” The dot inside was important.
I took the ice arrows and called out to the vanguard.
“Dia! I’m going to throw some ice arrows, so take half a step back!”
“Huh…? O-Okay!”
Dia stepped back slightly. With Dia’s Spatial Grasp within my Dimension, I hurled the ice arrows.
“—Hit!!”
My throws, empowered by my Level 6 Strength and Dexterity, struck the Skyfish with terrifying speed and accuracy.
However, the Skyfish was a Level 3 monster, not a Level 1. It noticed the incoming ice arrows, twisted its body, and tried to dodge.
*Tsk*, the ice arrows only grazed the Skyfish’s wings. But that alone caused the Skyfish to lose its balance significantly. Dia, not missing the opening, swung her sword—
Dia’s sword bisected the Skyfish perfectly.
For Dia, whose Strength had increased, the Skyfish was a one-strike kill.
Facing the enemy that dissolved into light, Dia murmured, trembling.
“I did it… I defeated it…”
She stared at the bisected monster and her sword, as if she couldn’t believe it. Soon, the Skyfish completely vanished into light.
“Congratulations, Dia.”
“Ah… Thank you, Christ. It’s… I don’t know, it’s quite profound. I’ve dreamed of this since I was a child. Defeating monsters with this sword…”
As she said that, Dia gripped the sword in her hand tightly. It seemed she had some strong feelings about that sword. Looking at its well-worn appearance, it was clearly a fine weapon.
【Aris Family’s Treasure Sword】
Attack Power 5
Adds 20% of the wielder’s Dexterity to Attack Power
“Well then, shall we continue defeating enemies like this?”
“Yeah!”
Dia responded with a face that seemed to have shed all her doubts. While I didn’t want her to get too addicted to sword fighting, I was also happy to see her like that.
And so, our third dungeon exploration continued. As I predicted, we weren’t outmatched by the Level 3 monsters. Although it took some effort, they were all monsters Dia could handle from the vanguard. We cleared floors 3 and 4 without any issues and proceeded to floor 5—
◆◆◆◆◆
During the conquest of floor 5.
“—Watch out! Dia!”
“Wha—Sorry!”
I instinctively jumped in front of Dia and blocked the monster’s attack with my sword. Dia, who had nearly taken a direct hit, hastily retreated backward.
Seeing Dia safely out of danger, I switched my Dimension from “Dimension” to “Dimension – Decisive Calculation” and attacked the monster with all my might.
Assuming Dia couldn’t provide support, I shifted from defense to offense. Instead of blocking the enemy’s attack with my sword, I dodged with my body and thrust my sword towards the monster’s weak point. My sword pierced deep into the enemy’s vital spot, and it vanished into light.
“…Whew. That was close, too close.”
“You saved me… Thank you, Christ…”
Dia looked at my face tentatively, offering her thanks. She must have thought I was in danger too during that exchange.
“No, it’s fine. I’m okay.”
“But, because of me, Christ was in danger—”
Just as Dia was about to finish her sentence.
“Hey, hey! Hahaha, you looked like you were just about to die!”
A gruff male voice interrupted our conversation. Dia reacted to it faster than I did.
“—Tt! You are—!”
“Yo. Ain’t you the Level 1 brat from back then? Just as I thought, you were almost dying in a place beyond your abilities!”
A man wielding a greatsword appeared from the depths of the corridor. Around him were three explorers, presumably his party members.
Actually, I had sensed their approach with my magic, so I wasn’t surprised. I hadn’t paid them much attention, assuming that people of their Level in this floor wouldn’t cause trouble.
This man, if I recall correctly… was the one who had mocked the Level 1 Dia at the tavern before.
“Be quiet! I wasn’t about to die! I was just careless for a moment!”
“Hahaha, you crack me up! ‘Just careless for a moment’ in the labyrinth? Honestly, you’re a kid with no sense of tension. You could die at any moment!”
The man wasn’t wrong, but his words were unnecessarily sharp. It seemed he and Dia didn’t get along well. They were now bickering, leaving me alone.
By the way, upon checking the man’s details—his name was Alken, and he was a Level 9 swordsman. His companions were similar, with no particular outstanding talents. Confident that I could handle this party alone if a conflict arose, I observed their argument.
“You bastard! Are you picking a fight with me?!”
“A fight? I don’t intend to. After all, if things got serious, it would just be bullying the weak. This area is close to ‘Seidō,’ so disputes between explorers are found out immediately. We don’t want to get caught yet.”
Alken said that fighting in “Seidō” would get them discovered.
As expected, “Seidō” seems to have such a role.
“I’m not weak! Even if I fought you guys, I wouldn’t lose!!”
“Whoa, whoa, aren’t you the one picking a fight… Sorry, but we don’t have time to deal with brats like you. We’re in the middle of a quest commissioned by the Guild.”
Alken shrugged as he said that.
Indeed, Dia was the one picking a fight. Despite having abilities that were clearly not suited for interpersonal combat, he was quite assertive. His unwavering conviction from yesterday seemed to be manifesting in a negative way.
However, what I was more concerned about were the words “a quest commissioned by the Guild.”
Guild.
It’s a community where Explorers with common interests gather and cooperate.
From the information I have, there are various types of Guilds, ranging from those established by the country to gatherings of beginners. A Guild that can commission quests must be affiliated with a large one.
Guild quests…
As someone who likes games, that’s a very appealing phrase.
“Don’t compare me from before to me now! Hey, are you running away from me!?”
“…Running away? If you ask me if I’m running, it’s not something I can easily back down from. …You know what? How about we have a little competition with our quests?”
Alken contorted his face as if he had thought of something interesting.
“A quest competition…?”
“Yeah. We’ve been asked to subjugate a troublesome Monster. The country periodically asks skilled Explorers to cull Monsters.”
“Hmph. You guys are skilled Explorers?”
“Don’t be so aggressive. So, if you’re not weak, how about we compete on the number of Monsters we subjugate? It’s easy to understand and sounds fun, right? It’ll clearly show the difference in our abilities.”
“Fine. I’ll take you up on that.”
Dia readily agreed as he was told.
I didn’t intervene in that entire exchange. Honestly, the fact that an event like this was happening felt fresh and seemed fun.
“So, what are we betting?”
Alken distorted his face even further.
To me, that one sentence alone was unacceptable.
A “heat” ignited throughout my body.
“I’ll bet anything…!”
“We’ll prepare anything you desire. But, we don’t have anything to take from you… Normally, we’d bet money, but I doubt you have that kind of余裕.”
“Hmph…! Certainly, I don’t have money…!”
“In that case, if you lose, we’ll have you make money even if you have to sell yourself. You’re rough and uncouth, but you have good looks. If you sell yourself where you can, you’ll fetch a high price. Haha.”
“Fine. If I lose, do as you please. But if you guys lose, you’ll cry, apologize, and leave all your money behind.”
“Alright. It’s a deal—”
I had intended to respect Dia’s wishes as much as possible, but I really couldn’t stand it anymore. It’s fine to bet intangible things like pride or dignity, but I couldn’t allow something that could cause actual harm.
“Dia! …It’s not okay to bet. That changes things.”
“Huh? What is it, you? This is a contest between me and that kid over there?”
“That’s right. I don’t intend to trouble Christ. This is a contest between him and me alone.”
Alken glared, clearly displeased.
And Dia, with blood rushing to his head, couldn’t see me.
If it’s just a competition that arises from a quarrel, I wouldn’t stop it.
As long as no one dies, it’s a peaceful matter.
It would just be a change-of-pace event.
However, I could not allow such a bet.
—Dia belongs to me.
Becoming food for someone named Alken is something I absolutely cannot permit.
“…First, Dia. These guys have prepared for that quest and are here now, right? And they’re all four of them fully prepared. Just from that, there’s a huge difference. Above all, fundamentally, Dia can’t win in terms of ability. It’s not just about suitability, it’s experience. The Guild chose them as the suitable candidates, so it’s a given that they’re good at this method of competition. And yet, you’re betting even your own body… You’re an idiot. A real idiot.”
To prevent him from being taken, I tried to persuade him quickly.
“Ugh…”
Dia faltered upon hearing the harshness of the conditions I laid out.
I was relieved that he accepted my words without getting angry.
Perhaps my recent successes have translated into trust, as he didn’t seem able to ignore my advice.
“What’s more idiotic is why you didn’t consult me… When you can’t even win without involving me.”
And then, I seized the opportunity to promote myself.
“…Alright. I understand your point of view. We’re not saying it has to be one against four; let’s say two against two. What other conditions do you want?”
The man, seeing that I wanted to participate, proposed a two-on-two match.
However, I rejected it.
“No, it’s not like that. I just think it’s better not to have this kind of competition. We have no chance of winning.”
“What! Christ, that—!”
Dia tried to retort to my low posture, but I stopped him with a gesture. Then, I pulled Dia closer and whispered so only he could hear.
“—Dia. Are you perhaps thinking of showing everything we have and competing? …To be blunt, these guys aren’t worth it. Even if we win, the next topic will be ‘How did we, who were low-leveled until recently, win?’ Our unique skills should be kept secret as much as possible. If this triggers troublesome problems, it’ll be too foolish.”
“But…! Even so, I want to thoroughly crush them… I want to get them back. You might think it’s childish, but for me, ‘making them acknowledge me’ is more important than anything else…!”
Dia pressed on, his voice small but strained. “Making them acknowledge me.” That seemed to be something Dia couldn’t compromise on, even at the cost of his life.
“Haa…” I sighed. I should back down. It would be best to ignore them and win with results later. But Dia wouldn’t accept that. Having known him for a long time, I understood. Dia wouldn’t be satisfied unless he was acknowledged today, right here and now.
“…Haa, fine. Fine. Maybe that’s an option. Let’s do it.”
“Really!? Christ!”
I gave in to Dia’s passion. It wasn’t that I was swayed by Dia’s face, looking like a beautiful girl on the verge of tears with his eyes wide. …Or at least, I wanted to believe that. I was also stressed to some extent. So, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to incur a favor from Dia and show these men named Alken their place by unleashing our strength here. Truly.
“Hey! What are you guys going to do in the end!? Are you going to turn tail and run, or are you going to fight!?” Alken shouted, losing patience. I signaled Dia with my eyes, conveying that he should leave the negotiation to me. Dia immediately nodded.
“—Sorry. We’ll do it after all.”
“If you weren’t going to— Wait, you are? You looked clever, so this is surprising.”
Alken seemed taken aback. More than anything, he observed me well. It was as expected of someone who led a party in this life-threatening labyrinth.
“In that case, let’s decide the rules of the competition.” I smiled and continued. At that moment, I noticed Alken and his companions subtly gulp.
“…Fine. Then, the outcome will be—”
“Let’s decide the outcome solely by the number of subjugations. If you could tell us the characteristics of the monster in question, that would be enough for us.”
“You mean it? That would be like having no handicap at all.”
“Ah, please give us a handicap. Just one. Let us decide the time limit. We’d like an hour.”
“Hey… In that case, neither of us might be able to defeat even one.”
“No, you guys can probably defeat one in an hour, right? How about a match where we see if we can defeat one in that time? Time is something to be saved.”
Based on my past experiences and the flow of the conversation, I proposed the most advantageous terms for us. If one were to simply search for a specific type of monster, defeating one after running around for an hour would be reasonable. They likely possessed information about the monster’s habitat distribution, so they would surely find at least one. Then, using their assumption that my partner and I wouldn’t be able to defeat even one, I pushed for a short match. They also wouldn’t want to spend too much time on this dispute. It was unlikely that the quest commissioned by that Guild had no time limit.
“Ah, right… Time is indeed precious. Fine, as you propose. So, what are you betting? You seem like the type to meticulously decide.” Alken seemed wary of my calm composure as I laid out the terms.
“Rather than that, if you lose, will you truly pay the price? I feel like if the stronger side loses, they can just brush it off and it would be over.”
“Ah. You’re from Fanian, a distant country, so you don’t know. In large countries, if you swear a duel on the Magic Stone Line, it’s recorded by the country. Because of that, it’s almost impossible to deny, and even if you run away, a duel violator becomes a great sinner. It’s fine to use the Magic Stone Line on the Seidō in the labyrinth.” Alken explained it clearly to me.
The fact that he knew I was from Fanian meant he had probably noticed I was a staff member at the tavern. The story of a burned staff member who came to this country from Fanian for a quick fortune and got hurt was famous at that tavern. And as I was processing his explanation, I harbored doubts about the system of duels and oaths. –But I had no intention of pursuing it now.
“I see. Allied Nations are convenient, aren’t they? Then, for the bet, let’s see…”
“The bet?”
“How about we bet all our money? As for our deficit, the method I mentioned earlier is fine.”
What I needed to do now was to bring Dia the greatest victory with all my might. Therefore, with a broad smile, I proposed to the men that we should “bet everything.”
