“Ah, wait, wait. The child is going with us today too.”
The Lord stopped us as we were about to head outside. Surprisingly, in the short time I spoke with Rainer, he had devoured all the dishes on the table.
“Are you coming too, Lord?”
“Because you’re going to fight there, right? If it’s just Kanamin, the wind mage, you might die.”
He stated my impending death with a very casual demeanor. Is the place called the 66th floor really that dangerous?
Rainer responded to the Lord’s offer to accompany us with a displeased expression.
“I’ll send Christ. You don’t need to come.”
“Send…?”
Such alarming words were exchanged, so I shot a questioning glance at both of them.
“The 66th floor is ‘sky,’ you see. No walls, no maze, just ‘sky’.”
“The dragons in that ‘sky’ are troublesome. I’ve fought them many times, but I can’t see any way to clear them. That’s why I was waiting for Christ.”
“It’s the ‘Wind Dragon Elfenries,’ isn’t it? Hmm, nostalgic.”
It seems there is a dragon in the sky of the 66th floor. Furthermore, it’s a dragon that even Rainer admits he “can’t see any way to clear.”
“Let’s go, Christ. The two of us will hunt the dragon.”
“A dragon, huh… Leave it to me. I’m apparently called the ‘Dragon Slayer,’ you know.”
Rainer extended his hand for a handshake, which I firmly clasped.
[Party]
Rainer Helvirshine has joined.
Then, “[Display]” appeared in my vision. I suddenly felt embarrassed, thinking that I was the one who conceived and created this system. I could picture myself, with a grin, diligently developing the “[Display]” magic. “Primordial Kanami” really loved those game-like presentations… However, this “[Display]” was undeniably efficient. I’d been saved many times thanks to it.
And, while I was at it, I checked Rainer’s status.
[Status]
Name: Rainer Helvirshine HP 369/369 MP 102/246 Class: Knight
Level 25
Strength 12.24 Stamina 9.21 Dexterity 10.56 Speed 15.34 Intelligence 12.00 Magic 9.89 Aptitude 3.87
[Skills]
Innate Skill: Wind Magic 2.01
Acquired Skills: Divine Magic 1.25 Swordsmanship 2.34 Blood Magic 1.00 Optimal Action 1.22 Tenacity 1.02
Through a true Level Up, Rainer had evolved into someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Rustiara and the others. Perhaps thanks to absorbing Hairi’s magic and soul, his stats had increased significantly. He was blessed with talent, and his personality was (compared to the other companions) decent. Above all, being a reliable male companion was the best. Finally, it felt like I had gained a proper companion.
Leaving the Guardian behind, who was clamoring “The child is a companion too! The child is a companion too!” in the back, I stepped out of the dining hall, inwardly moved.
We were apparently heading to the Labyrinth from the edge of the town, so we crossed through the town. On the way, I checked my own status.
[Status]
Name: Aikawa Uzunami HP 293/293 MP 945/945 Class: Explorer
Level 22
Strength 12.55 Stamina 14.11 Dexterity 18.57 Speed 22.96 Intelligence 18.67 Magic 38.34 Aptitude 6.21
[Skills]
Innate Skill: Swordsmanship 3.79
Acquired Skills: Martial Arts 1.56 Dimensional Magic 5.27+0.10 Sensation 3.56 Knitting 1.07 Deception 1.34 Magic Combat 0.73 Blacksmithing 0.69
The status that had been garbled when fighting Palinkron had returned to normal. It seemed that the “[Display]” had finally caught up now that the battle was over and things had calmed down. Then, I reconfirmed the effects of Hidaki’s magic stone being removed. The skills were unchanged from the last time I checked. However, there were fluctuations in other numbers. First, I noticed that the Aptitude, which should absolutely not have changed, had been slightly reduced. Consequently, the Magic value had also decreased. However, if this was the effect of Hidaki’s magic stone being removed, it felt too small. I tried to think of a reason, but I couldn’t come up with anything. It wasn’t a bad thing, so I shouldn’t be pessimistic, but honestly, I couldn’t be happy about it either.
Finally, I confirmed that my level had also increased. When I subtly asked Rainer, he said that it had been completed while I was sleeping, as part of my treatment. It seemed the Lord had advised against leaving me in a state where I could Level Up, as it was dangerous. As we confirmed the current situation, we arrived at our destination. And then, I was stunned by the utterly surreal landscape.
The edge of the town – the edge of the land gave way, becoming a cliff. It was terrifying even from a distance, but even more so up close. Peering down, I saw an abyss of black darkness stretching out endlessly. A single stone was dropped, but it was immediately swallowed by the darkness without a sound. Not a single echo returned. Understanding that it was a bottomless chasm, a chill ran down my spine. The cliff stretched in a circle around the town. Perhaps, from a distance, the town must look like it was floating in a black sky.
And then, we spotted a solitary purple “[Connection]” standing just before the cliff. The completion of that “[Connection]” was abnormal. The density was clearly different from the doors I create. There was not the slightest hint of fragility, as if it would disappear if touched, and it offered a sense of security like a towering mountain. It appeared to be high-level Dimensional Magic with even higher-level Dimensional Magic layered on top. I understood, as a Dimensional Mage, that it was probably fixed in space by some magic. This door would never break.
“Let’s go, Christ—”
Passing through that “[Connection]”, the three of us infiltrated the infamous 66th floor. We leaped through dimensions from the back of the Labyrinth to the front, returning to a familiar Labyrinth. What awaited us on the other side of the door was a vast expanse of grasslands. Despite being inside a Labyrinth, the wind blew fiercely, rustling the short grass. It was a bit dim, but it was a floor with such an open feeling that it could be mistaken for the surface. There were no obstacles obstructing my view—or so I thought. In the middle of the grassland stood a tall, slender spiral staircase. A staircase that was perhaps only there to give it the minimal appearance of a Labyrinth.
“This is the 66th floor… There’s nothing here…”
“Ah, look up. You’ll see.”
Prompted by Rainer, I looked up at the sky. For a moment, I didn’t know what I was supposed to be looking at. It was simply too immense. It took time to grasp the entirety of it. I initially mistook the yellowish-green ceiling for the Labyrinth’s ceiling. But I quickly realized it was different. That yellowish-green ceiling was moving. As if it were alive.
“Eh, could it be…?”
“Yeah, that’s the dragon blocking the path to the 65th floor. ‘Elfenries’.”
A creature larger than the clouds was flying leisurely. Even though it was flying far away, I had to move my head significantly to spot its wings. I gasped for breath. Not long ago, I had killed a dragon named Dravdragon. I still remembered how we had defeated it, with what I now considered a perfect lineup of Snow, Rowen, and Reaper, though it had been a close call. However, compared to the formidable Dravdragon, this dragon was on a completely different scale.
[Monster] Elfenries: Rank 67
Its rank was more than double that of Dravdragon. And its length was more than ten times… no, perhaps closer to fifty times. Unlike Dravdragon, whose subjugation seemed plausible, I couldn’t even imagine defeating this Elfenries. It felt like I was facing a natural disaster, like a storm or an earthquake.
“As you can see. A body too big, magic power too immense. Since it’s a wind dragon, aerial combat is its specialty. Furthermore, it also uses wind magic, so its speed and perception abilities are top-class. It’s intelligent and understands combat tactics. On top of that, it never becomes complacent. Such a monster guards the stairs to the 65th floor.”
“I-I see…”
It was just a boss room. No one said that only Guardians were bosses. There were bound to be such floors in the long hundred floors of the Labyrinth.
“Let me gather some information first. —[Dimension]”
First, I used Dimensional Magic to grasp the entire floor. As my magic filled the space of the 66th floor, I was able to quickly comprehend the whole picture. A grassland with a diameter of twenty kilometers spread out, surrounded by stone walls and a ceiling. The height was probably around one kilometer. Consequently, the length of the spiral staircase would also be about that. And holes leading to each floor were located above and below the central spiral staircase. The only entrances and exits to this closed space were those two holes and the “[Connection]” behind us.
“Can we go to the 67th floor from here?”
“Yeah, there’s no obstacle going down. But if you go down, there are just two even bigger dragons waiting.”
“I-I see.”
There was no benefit to going down now. Unlike usual, we weren’t aiming for the “[Deepest Part]”, but for the “[Ground]”.
“Um, well… Shall we try approaching it for now?”
“Be careful, it will attack as we climb.”
Rainer looked at me with anticipation. Could he possibly expect me to defeat that dragon single-handedly? Of course, this was just a reconnaissance mission. We proceeded under the sky that seemed to emit a rumbling sound effect due to the dragon, and reached the somewhat unreliable stone staircase. We immediately began climbing the stairs. I held “[Crescent Pectoral Azure’s Straight Sword]”, while Rainer held “[Aris Family’s Treasure Sword Rowen]” and “[Ruf Bringer]”, ready to intercept at any moment. Incidentally, the Lord was climbing with his bare hands. Raining prompts Rainer to initiate combat.
“Christ, it’s coming soon—!”
I knew it too, with “[Dimension]”. The giant dragon floating in the sky twisted its body, turning its head towards us. Two eyes, resembling the sun, reflected our figures. At the same time, I sensed that the dragon was constructing a powerful magic. However, while I could sense it with “[Dimension]”, I couldn’t use “[Magic Nullification]”. This was because I couldn’t generate the ice attribute magic necessary for that. First, the Elfenries’ wings moved slowly. Just that alone created a storm infused with magical power. The “[Dragon’s Wind]”, which was difficult even to interfere with, attacked us, immobilizing our movements. And then came the main attack, a follow-up strike.
“—Agaagaaaggaa!!”
The dragon, larger than a mountain, charged at us with terrifying speed. A simple physical attack. A common offensive maneuver for low-floor monsters. However, by the time it reached the 66th floor, the scale was completely different. It was a crude attack if used by an ordinary monster, but when the opponent was a colossal being larger than a mountain, it was a different story. It became an unavoidable, merciless force. Without time to react, the dragon’s colossal body slammed directly into the staircase. Of course, “[Dragon’s Wind]” continued to be generated from its wings. The wind swept out like an explosive shell, dismantling the staircase as if crushing meringue. Attacked by the wind and losing our footing, we were sent flying into the air. For an ordinary person, this would be a situation where they would prepare for death, but the three here calmly moved to their next actions.
Clinging to the collapsing rubble, Rainer secured a foothold. The Lord flew with his wings spread. After confirming everyone’s safety, I went on the offensive. Kicking off the fragments of the falling staircase, I soared through the sky. As long as I had “[Dimension – Decisive Calculation]”, I wouldn’t misstep or lose my balance. I ran through the sky as if on the ground, closing in on the dragon. My speed was such that it felt like I was faster than the wind. It was that kind of physical ability I possessed. Maintaining that speed, I cut through the dragon’s line of sight and entered its blind spot. However, I didn’t have enough leeway to aim for a vital point. I roughly thrust my sword into the dragon’s back.
“—Tch!?”
However, only a shrill metallic sound echoed. My full-power thrust could not pierce the Elfenries’ scales. Rather, I was the one who took damage. My hand went numb from the recoil. Realizing that my sword was completely ineffective, I soared through the sky once more. I found Rainer amidst the falling debris and called out to him.
“Rainer! Swap swords with me for a bit!!”
As if anticipating this development, Rainer threw “[Aris Family’s Treasure Sword Rowen]” without hesitation. In return, I threw back “[Crescent Pectoral Azure’s Straight Sword]”, completing the equipment swap. Then, I repeated the same procedure once more, attempting to break through the Elfenries’ scales—but it was no use. Like a rewound movie, I was repelled again.
“It’s too ha-hard! Time out! Let’s retreat for now!!”
My available offensive options were limited. Either sword attacks or Ice Magic attacks. Only two. Since Dimensional Magic lacked direct offensive capabilities, my attack variations were inevitably fewer compared to my companions. And right now, I couldn’t use Ice Magic. If slashing with Rowen didn’t work, I had no choice but to flee. Realizing I had no effective means of attack, I chose to escape. However, the Elfenries unleashed its magic at my back. Countless orbs of wind were released from the dragon’s maw. It was likely a basic Wind Attribute magic. The magic, which should have been the size of a basketball, rained down from the sky like meteorites.
“Agaagaaaggaa—!!”
“—Wind Magic ‘[Wine] Wing’!!”
Rainer responded with magic. Abandoning his position clinging to the rubble, he leaped into the sky, enveloped in wind. While it didn’t literally sprout wings from his back, the cloak of wind surrounding him began to defy gravity. It seemed less like flying and more like a magic that utilized jumping power. Rainer grabbed my hand and flew. While dodging the incoming wind orbs, we soared towards the ground. Then, as the falling rubble landed, we returned to the ground, and the Lord, who had been flitting about at a safe distance, returned. He waited for my impressions with a grin. I indulged his anticipation and frankly expressed my weakness.
“I knew it would be strong based on its rank, but I didn’t expect it to be this strong… There’s no way we can win…”
I looked up at the sky, my face pale. The Elfenries was leisurely swimming in the sky. Apparently, only those who approached the sky were considered enemies; it had no interest in those who fell to the ground.
“Hey, Christ. Can’t you bring it down with your ice magic?”
However, Rainer still seemed to have expectations of me. Indeed, my Ice Snake magic seemed effective against flying enemies. If I could still use it, I would have tried it immediately.
“Um, well, it’s a bit difficult to say…”
“What’s wrong? I thought if you had the ice magic you used against Palinkron, bringing that thing down to the ground would be easy.”
“I can’t use it.”
“Eh?”
There was no point in beating around the bush, so I confessed honestly. “My Ice Magic was taken by my sister, so right now, I can only use Dimensional Magic…”
“You can only use Dimensional Magic…? Then, what can you do now?”
“S-Sensing and teleportation, perhaps?”
Currently, the only things I could confidently use were “[Dimension]”, “[Form]”, and “[Connection]”. Frankly, they had zero offensive power. Hearing this, Rainer’s expectant eyes turned to disappointment. “That’s just for reconnaissance, isn’t it…”
“I-I’m sorry. Even I’m surprised. Without my sister, my abilities are this peaceful, huh…”
I could tell I had become a support-specialized mage. Or perhaps a non-combatant for production. If I hadn’t trained my Swordsmanship skill through my practice with Rowen, I would truly be just a scout. Well, thinking about it, it was only natural. Each person’s innate talents often reflected their personality. It made sense that if I were a single ‘soul,’ I wouldn’t have combat-oriented skills. And it also made sense that Hidaki was an extremely aggressive talent.
“I-I see… I thought you’d be able to handle it, Christ…”
Rainer didn’t blame me. He seemed to believe that peaceful abilities should be praised, not blamed. However, he couldn’t hide his disappointment.
“N-No, wait! I admit we can’t defeat that dragon right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get past it. I’m good at causing confusion. Yeah. We don’t need to defeat the dragon; as long as we can get through, it’ll be fine. Leave it to me, Rainer!”
I desperately tried to sell my usefulness. For some reason, I felt compelled to appear reliable in front of Rainer and put on a show.
“No… that Wind Dragon is precisely the opponent that makes ‘just getting through’ the most difficult. Even I, who am confident in my speed, see no path to victory. As long as I’m in the wind, I’m detected, and its flight speed is faster than mine despite its massive size…!”
“Faster than Rainer…?”
“Yeah. In the exchange just now, the Wind Dragon didn’t even get serious. It was probably like swatting a fly.”
He wasn’t lying. The dragon possessed that much power, making me believe so. After all, my sword hadn’t left even a scratch. I had no choice but to admit defeat for now.
“I-indeed, it seems a bit beyond our capabilities at the moment… But well, we’ll be able to defeat it someday—”
No matter how powerful the enemy, it could be defeated someday. I knew the Labyrinth was built that way. After all, I was the one who built it. However, in contrast to my optimism, Rainer’s face darkened.
“It’s not that, Christ. The most troublesome thing is that we can’t train to beat it… The 66th and 67th floors only have that Wind Dragon. There aren’t any other monsters. Yet, we can’t steadily gain levels on the lower floors.”
The Labyrinth was designed to guide challengers to the “[Deepest Part]”. But that was only if one proceeded from top to bottom. It didn’t account for people like us, trying to go from bottom to top. I understood this, precisely because I built it. My understanding was quick because I understood. At this desperate dead end—
“We are completely trapped on the 66th floor. That’s why I was relying on your recovery, Christ…”
We were forbidden from accumulating experience points, forced to break through with our current levels. Yet, we had just been told that breaking through with our current levels was impossible. My face darkened, just like Rainer’s. Seeing this, the Lord beamed.
“Heheh. Take your time and enjoy your stay. We welcome permanent residents, you know.”
The Lord was also convinced. That the two of us alone couldn’t break through the 66th floor right now.
“W-What is this…”
It felt like being stuck in a dungeon in an RPG, having saved right before a point of no return. No, it was like being thrown into a town right before the final dungeon at the start of the game. In any case, one thing was certain: there was no way out of ‘here’.
