In the spacious corridor, countless beasts were packed in, filling every inch of space.
It was a “swarm” of monsters.
This was a sight I would absolutely never encounter as long as my detection abilities were functioning.
If attacked simultaneously by multiple monsters, even at an appropriate level, there’s a risk of losing one’s life. I had previously heard stories from the tavern about a terrible encounter with a monster swarm, and ever since, I had been careful to avoid such situations.
The basic principle of the labyrinth is to hunt one monster with multiple people.
At least, it’s one-on-one. This is a golden rule.
I’ve overlooked exceptions like boss battles, but honestly, dealing with multiple opponents often isn’t worth the effort.
“Fu, fufufu—, ahahahahahaha!!”
Within that monster “swarm,” Rustiara laughed and continued to fight alone.
She effortlessly handled the overwhelming numbers.
From a distance behind, I watched with Maria.
I observed Rustiara’s combat through “Dimension” magic.
Wearing a thin garment that seemed to offer no defense, she coolly dodged the beasts’ claws. Then, as she dodged, she struck with her sword. It was a repetitive action. Despite possessing high-level swordsmanship skills, her sword strokes were sloppy.
Occasionally, she unleashed a breathtaking slash, but more often than not, her swordplay was haphazard. Her movements gave the impression that she was more adept at handling her body than wielding a sword.
She could probably use magic, but there was no sign of her doing so.
While analyzing Rustiara’s tactics, I observed the other person.
“W-what is that person…?”
Maria stared at Rustiara’s fight in astonishment.
I activated “Display” on Maria’s Status and checked her experience point progression.
This is important information analysis.
You could say it’s more important than Rustiara’s tactical analysis.
It was our first time entering the labyrinth as a three-person party.
If this were a game, a change in party size would affect the experience point distribution. I needed to confirm whether this would be a penalty, a bonus, or perhaps result in a significant change in the distribution method.
With Rustiara handling the experience point acquisition, I continued to meticulously observe the experience point fluctuations for all three of us.
“Master, who is that person…?”
While performing analysis using “Display,” Maria posed a question to me.
I answered her question while performing parallel work.
“I don’t know her well either. But she’s definitely a special person. For now, you just need to know that she’s a knight girl who loves delving into labyrinths.”
“Is that so…?”
As Maria and I were talking, Rustiara seemed to have finished annihilating the monsters.
Wiping the blood from her sword, Rustiara calmly walked towards us. Incidentally, she was almost entirely unmarred by blood. She still seemed to have plenty of leeway.
“Haaah. Finally done. I’m a little tired.”
“That’s why I suggested we go around.”
“I hate going around, it’s too long. Let’s head deeper quickly.”
“Honestly…”
Rustiara disliked being in the lower floors and had single-handedly cleared the swarm of monsters blocking the shortest path.
I had proposed detouring, but this was helpful in its own way.
Having a constant stream of experience points was convenient for my analysis.
Thanks to this, provisionally, four rules were confirmed.
1. Even if only one person is fighting while the others rest, experience points are still properly distributed among all three.
2. The effective range of the party system doesn’t change much whether there are two or three people.
3. A slight penalty is applied when in a multi-person party.
4. The experience point distribution method remains the same as when there were two people, still divided equally.
I felt that I had grasped the general tendencies of the party system.
“Alright. Then, shall we head to the next floor?”
“Let’s go! I’ll take us there!”
With that, Rustiara once again took the lead, advancing through the labyrinth.
The fact that she was moving at a considerably fast pace was likely because she wanted to get deeper as soon as possible.
I followed Rustiara, feeling like a child heading straight for the toy aisle. Then, I suddenly thought of Maria.
Rustiara’s pace was quite fast. For an ordinary person, it would be enough to become breathless quickly. I was fine, but Maria’s Status might indicate accumulated fatigue.
Thinking this, I looked towards Maria, and her face had turned pale.
“W-what’s wrong? Maria…!”
Maria was walking immediately behind me, her hands almost reaching out to grab the hem of my clothes.
“Master… doesn’t that make you feel anything? Seeing Rustiara-san just now…”
It seemed she had developed a strong sense of fear from witnessing the previous battle.
Indeed, to someone with low combat ability, Rustiara might appear to be an overwhelming force of violence. I myself had felt an eerie, unsettling sense of dread towards Rustiara in the past.
“You’re right. Rustiara can be a bit scary. …But she’s also quite innocent in some ways, and she’s not a bad person.”
I thought to myself that the way I phrased it was a bit of a stretch.
She might not be a bad person, but she was certainly a troublesome one.
“It’s precisely because she’s innocent that she’s terrifying…”
Maria’s fear didn’t dissipate even after hearing my words.
She expressed that Rustiara’s innocence was precisely what made her terrifying. I too sensed that Rustiara was the type who would mindlessly step on a bug. I could understand her feelings.
“It’s okay. If anything happens, I’ll protect you, Maria. I believe I’m strong enough to protect you from Rustiara.”
“Eh? Master, can you win against that Rustiara-san…?”
“I wouldn’t say it’s a guaranteed win, but I believe I have a significant advantage. She seems to have many emotional vulnerabilities, and I don’t feel inferior to her in swordsmanship. So, it’s fine.”
To reassure Maria, I exaggerated my win rate and spoke gently.
Honestly, there wasn’t much of a difference between Rustiara and me.
The difference would arise from the situation.
It would be disadvantageous to fight while protecting Maria.
If I could fight freely on my own, it would be an even match.
Something like that.
In any case, I continued to act composed to reassure Maria.
“Even so… If anything, I should be the one protecting you, Master…”
For now, it seemed she believed that with me around, Rustiara would be fine. At least, her frightened expression had diminished.
…Or so I thought. Maria is good at putting up a front, so I wasn’t exactly confident.
Then, Maria began to worry about her own position.
Thinking it might turn into another discussion about being a slave or a friend, I quickly responded.
“No, that’s fine. If anything happens, just think about yourself, Maria.”
“That’s fine…? Does that mean—”
Hearing this, Maria’s face showed a look of realization.
However, she quickly erased the expression and shook her head.
“No, it’s nothing…”
I couldn’t read Maria’s mind.
At this point, I had no idea what she had decided.
Maria’s expression changed, and she spoke with a smile.
“In the end, it’s because my strength is insufficient… that’s all. Besides, if I think about it, I already knew that Rustiara-san isn’t a bad person. Rather, she’s a good person.”
“Eh? R-really?”
Even after stating herself that Rustiara wasn’t a bad person, I found it hard to accept her outright declaration that she was a good person.
“Last night, I talked with that innocent person in the same bed for ages. I think I know Rustiara-san’s character better than anyone. For some reason, she’s taken an excessive liking to me.”
“Indeed… she seems to like you quite a lot…”
Maria’s face brightened.
It seemed her steps had also become lighter. She moved ahead of me and started advancing through the labyrinth without hesitation.
“Well then, let’s go quickly. We’ll be left behind by Rustiara-san.”
“Ah, let’s go.”
Watching Maria’s back, I too advanced through the labyrinth.
Since I was walking behind her, I couldn’t see her face.
Well, with “Dimension,” I could easily confirm her expression. However, I would never see the emotions in her heart.
I wasn’t brave enough to force her to reveal her inner thoughts in this situation.
But, making a vow in my heart to protect Maria no matter what happened from here on, I walked on.
Towards the depths of the labyrinth—
◆◆◆◆◆
With each attempt at the labyrinth, I grew more accustomed to dealing with monsters.
I especially felt this as we approached the 20th Floor.
In the first place, the monsters that appeared were mostly ones I was familiar with.
For me, who had played many games in my original world, there weren’t many monsters that were completely new. At least, I’d seen similar ones somewhere.
Although I was initially taken aback by the sheerunreality of it all, now, even when a new monster appeared, I had the composure to think, “Ah, this one resembles a monster from that game.”
In contrast, Maria and Rustiara, standing beside me, were genuinely surprised by the monstrous appearance of every new monster they encountered.
Thus, while fighting a wide variety of monsters, we reached a deep floor where Maria would become a non-combatant.
I considered warning them that we were going too deep, but I couldn’t find the right moment to bring it up, and suddenly we were on the 19th Floor.
After all, any monsters that occasionally appeared were instantly annihilated by Rustiara. Furthermore, none of us, including Rustiara, had sustained any injuries. Even if I wanted to stop, I couldn’t think of any convincing words.
As the three of us walked along the “main path” of the 19th Floor, a massive monster appeared, completely blocking the corridor.
It stood on two legs with hooves, its lower body covered in dark brown fur, while its upper body was like a well-muscled human. Its head was that of a bull. Its eyes were fierce, and in its hands, it gripped a colossal axe.
A Minotaur…?
“Whoa. What is this? A weird monster.”
“G-gross… it’s huge…”
Rustiara and Maria were astonished by the monster they were seeing for the first time, while I silently gathered information using “Display.”
【Monster】Carmine Minotaur: Rank 20
As expected, it was a Minotaur…
Perhaps because the language is translated, the name is close to the original…
It felt a little strange that something familiar would appear in this unknown different world.
I conveyed the information I had obtained to Rustiara.
“It’s a Minotaur monster. I assume it’s a power-type, but who’s going?”
“This time, I think I’ll try protecting Maria-chan? I’m starting to feel a sense of crisis about Maria-chan’s declining favorability towards me.”
Surprisingly, Rustiara yielded the fight to me.
She would normally rush headfirst into fighting any monster she hadn’t seen before, but it seemed she was finally beginning to realize that her actions had caused Maria to distance herself.
Maria, hearing this, flatly refused.
“No, thank you. I’d rather be alone in that case.”
“Ugh! How did I become so disliked! We slept together yesterday!”
“That was a restraint.”
“Hmm. But when you act so tsundere, it makes me feel all tingly…”
Rustiara spoke to Maria as she approached, and finally hugged her.
“Whoa! Hey, why are you hugging me!? Think about the time and place!”
“Alright. Christ, I’ll leave this to you.”
That was Rustiara’s way of providing escort.
Having fun with companions in the labyrinth was also one of her goals. She seemed to enjoy it.
Rustiara restrained Maria with one arm while Maria struggled. Maria’s physical strength had become considerable, but she was still no match for Rustiara’s high stats. With this setup, it seemed unlikely Maria would mistakenly perceive me to be in danger and rush in.
Relieved, I turned back to the Minotaur.
The panting Minotaur was now very close.
Rank 20.
This was my first time facing an opponent of such high rank.
Based on past experience, the “Rank” usually represents the appropriate level. The appropriate level obtained from tavern information and the rank displayed by “Status” are usually close. This means this Minotaur is a monster that a Rank 20 Explorer would ordinarily face.
Although I had leveled up yesterday and was now Level 11, there was still a difference of 9 levels.
However, my stats were already comparable to those of a Level 20 person.
“—Magic “Dimension – Decisive Calculation”, Magic “Form”.”
The great axe, about three meters in size, was swung down towards my body.
While constructingDimensional Magic, I narrowly dodged it.
It wasn’t that I was intentionally aiming for a paper-thin margin and narrowly dodging. In these deeper floors, my leeway had become considerably reduced.
If I were alone, this would be an opponent I’d want to carefully level up against and face with 100% confidence. However, Rustiara was here this time.
If it became dangerous, Rustiara, who possessed power comparable to mine, would provide support. More importantly, Rustiara could use healing magic. She didn’t like magic and rarely used it, but the assurance that she could heal me if I got injured was significant.
Previously, if I sustained an injury, I had no choice but to return to the surface. But now, even with minor injuries, I could continue exploring. This meant I could afford to take on some risks.
I weaved through the Minotaur’s axe, avoiding any major injuries. In parallel, I attached a large amount of Magic “Form” to the enemy’s body.
I could afford this luxurious use of MP because Rustiara and I were sharing the combat. Parties are indeed useful.
Once the Minotaur’s body was coated with Magic “Form,” it was unlikely to ever catch me again. As the Magic bubbles attached, my spatial grasp ability would increase—this was confirmed in my fight with Sera Radiant yesterday.
After confirming that the Minotaur’s axe no longer posed a threat, I proceeded with my next magic experiment.
“—Magic “Form”, Magic “Freeze”.”
I created an exceptionally large bubble and confined magical cold within it. Previously, Magic “Freeze” had only been capable of lowering the room temperature, but with increased magic power and condensation within the bubble, it transformed into an incomparably potent cold.
While fighting, I finished constructing the magic.
Then, I let it drift amidst the other bubbles, slowly moving towards the Minotaur’s feet.
The Minotaur wasn’t paying attention to each of the countless bubbles. Without any issue, the new magic struck the Minotaur’s feet.
The imprisoned cold erupted, freezing the Minotaur’s feet and the ground to them. The Minotaur, suddenly immobilized, lost its balance significantly.
A combined technique of Magic “Form” and Magic “Freeze”—
“—Magic “Dimension Snow”.”
—That was it. I was glad it succeeded.
I had devised something similar as I was slightly regretful about failing to learn Ice Magic “Little Snow” the other day.
With this, all experiments were complete. I sprang towards the Minotaur, which had presented a large opening, and went to sever its neck.
My sword dug in until it was blocked by the bone in its neck. I had worried the blade wouldn’t penetrate due to the level difference, but it seemed to still be effective. Indeed, the power of the sword itself was significant.
I abandoned the idea of decapitating it and instead drew my sword as if cutting a blood vessel. With a snapping sensation as a tendon was severed, blood began to spurt from the Minotaur’s neck like a geyser.
Enraged by the attack, the Minotaur swung its great axe erratically. However, likely due to its rage, its attacks lacked precision. While powerful, its technique and speed had decreased.
This time, I deliberately dodged it by a hair’s breadth and crushed both of the Minotaur’s eyes.
This was a checkmate. Facing the Minotaur, which was losing a large amount of blood, I concentrated solely on dodging. Its movements were erratic due to its blinded state, so it was easy. Since I was at it, I made sure to avoid the splattering blood.
Thus, by consistently landing light attacks whenever an opening appeared, the Minotaur eventually succumbed to exhaustion. As usual, it dissolved into light, and a red magic stone dropped.
It wasn’t as effortless as Rustiara’s fights, but it was a decent result against a Rank 20 opponent.
I checked the experience points.
【Experience Points】
7122/25000
In deeper floors, even when divided among three people, we gain several hundred experience points per monster.
Next, I picked up the magic stone and checked its details.
【Near-Third Rank Fire Magic Stone】
A highly concentrated magic stone imbued with the power of flame.
Drops from fire-attribute monsters.
It harbors “Anger.”
If I drank it, I might be able to learn magic, but it was essentially raw.
It was too terrifying to consume.
As I admired the Near-Third Rank Fire Magic Stone, Rustiara and Maria, who had kept their distance, returned.
“Good work, Christ. You said the 20th Floor was fast, but you handled it with ease.”
“No, for me, that wasn’t easy. It was a good fight. I need to win more decisively…”
“Eh? More decisively than that… isn’t that like harvesting wheat?”
“That’s what I want.”
“Uwah…”
Reaching the “Deepest Part” of the labyrinth as easily as harvesting wheat.
Rustiara looked at me as if she couldn’t understand my ideal.
“I know my ideal doesn’t align with Rustiara’s. But… that’s precisely why we work well together.”
“No, if our way of thinking doesn’t align, then we don’t align.”
“When we explore the labyrinth together, I’ll leave all the dangerous parts to you. You’ll have more fun that way, right? I’ll steadily take the leftovers from the safe parts. See, no one is losing out.”
“W-well, that’s true… but, hmm, it’s just not quite what I expected…”
“Reality is often like that.”
“Ehhhhh.”
We made lighthearted banter as we regrouped and continued further down the labyrinth’s “main path.”
Maria, looking relieved, checked me for injuries.
Is she going to do that every time I fight? Maria…
“Maria, I’m not injured. You don’t need to worry about it every time.”
“N-no. It’s not that I’m worried…”
Even from my perspective, it was clear that Maria was excessively concerned about my well-being.
Perhaps she worried that if I died, her defensive barrier against Rustiara would disappear?
I patted Maria’s head and smiled, saying, “Don’t worry.”
Then, Maria’s face turned red, and she glared at me.
Perhaps she was angry at being treated like a child. I quickly pulled my hand away and turned my attention back to the depths of the labyrinth, speaking to Rustiara.
“Hey, are we nearing the 20th Floor soon?”
“We are. Just a little longer, a little longer.”
Rustiara had been leading the way all this time. It wasn’t just due to her temperament. Rustiara apparently had experience venturing alone up to the 23rd Floor, the limit of humanity. Of course, she primarily followed the “main path,” but monsters sometimes interrupted it as they did now. The deeper the floor, the more frequent this became. Nevertheless, her experience reaching the 23rd Floor was reassuring.
Maria and I walked, guided by Rustiara.
By the time we finished traversing the 19th Floor, we had encountered several monster ambushes.
However, they were all single individuals, so either I or Rustiara could handle them without issue.
After overcoming these few monster attacks, we finally reached the approach to the 20th Floor.
I deployed “Dimension” magic to be ready for anything that might happen.
We slowly descended to the 20th Floor.
