The poison, a status ailment, was steadily draining my stamina.
About fifteen minutes after starting to use Dimension, I encountered a battle with a Rank 1 monster. I had been avoiding monsters the whole time, but I accidentally discovered one that wasn’t moving. It was Rank 1 and, from its appearance, seemed to be sleeping.
Beneath some rubble, invisible without using Dimension, was a large frog that didn’t twitch. Its name was simply Big Frog, so I thought there was no danger and that I could gain some experience points by defeating it. I then crushed it with my sword.
And as I crushed it, its body fluid splattered.
Big Frog perished with that one strike, but its body fluid adhered to my body. What’s important here is that my body was in terrible condition, with wounds all over. Thus, the body fluid that entered my wounds caused me to fall victim to the poison status ailment.
Seeing “Poison” on my status, I turned pale and immediately used an antidote from my items. But the poison was not dispelled.
I checked the details of the remaining antidote and realized the gravity of the situation.
[Antidote]
A common over-the-counter antidote. It is formulated to treat the poison attacks of Poison Bees.
For other poisons, there is a 5% chance of successful detoxification.
Suddenly, my breathing became difficult.
According to the “Display,” there seem to be different types of antidotes. This means I only have a 5% chance of dispelling this poison right now. As expected, I didn’t hit that 5% and used up all my antidotes—
“—Oh, no. No, no, no.”
I was no longer in control.
Heavy sweating and my depleting stamina. I was replenishing my moisture by holding ice from the Magic [Ice] in my mouth, but there was no way to restore my HP on the system level.
I couldn’t help but check my status.
[Status]
Name: Aikawa Uzunami HP 17/51 MP 61/72
Level 1
Strength 1.12, Stamina 1.01, Dexterity 1.03, Speed 2.02, Intelligence 4.00, Magic Power 2.01, Aptitude 7.00
Conditions:
Confusion 1.09, Bleeding 0.21, Poison 1.00
HP 17/51. My HP, which had naturally recovered to nearly 30 at one point, was now 17. The poison, depleting by 1 every few minutes, was eroding not just my physical stamina but also my sanity with anxiety.
“Hah, hah, hah—!”
My breath grew ragged, and my vision began to blur.
If this continues, I will die.
In the back of my mind, I considered solutions. However, while I had several ideas, their success rates were all low. I selected a few of them—and decided to use my remaining MP to cast Dimension with greater intensity.
I had confirmed this method while hydrating with [Ice]. It seemed that even with the same magic, the effect varied depending on the conditions, and it could be strengthened by controlling the power of the magic or the amount of MP consumed.
“—Di, Dimension!!”
My perception range expanded manifold. Amidst the abundance of distinctive monsters, I focused only on things that could lead to a solution.
And when my perception range expanded to about fifty times its original size, I found a significant difference in the corridor.
That corridor was well-maintained. The floor was somewhat flattened and coated with something else. Lights were installed at regular intervals, like an artificial path.
I expanded my senses further, focusing on that area. Then, I realized that several groups of people were walking on that well-maintained path.
I immediately stopped Dimension. My remaining MP had dwindled to a single digit.
[Status]
HP 16/51 MP 9/72
“Phew! Hah, hah, hah…”
I found people. And, remarkably, they were passing by other groups without any conflict.
I suspect… it’s because that path is different from the one I am currently on.
I recalled the conversation from when I was attacked. That man had said, “A labyrinth, and moreover, outside the ‘managed domain’—”. In other words, the path I am on now is outside the managed domain, which is why conflict arises, and that path is inside, which is why conflict doesn’t. I predicted that this was highly likely. More than that, I had no choice but to bet on this possibility.
“With minimal Dimension, I’ll get over there at once…!!”
I walked towards the maintained path with all my might. I stopped checking my depleting HP and just walked, looking for people.
I obtained the antidote from a corpse. If I were to receive it or take it, I’d first have to meet someone.
My eyes bloodshot, I continued to move my legs, trying not to lose consciousness. And then—
◆◆◆◆◆
“—Shall we aim for the tenth floor today?”
“Good idea. My luck has been good lately. We’ll make more profit if we go that far.”
“I agree.”
I eavesdropped on the conversation of these men from behind some cover. From their conversation, it seemed these three men made a living in the labyrinth. However, their appearance suggested they weren’t ordinary people. In my world, they looked like yakuza.
It was the right decision to use my meager MP to pick up their conversation with a stronger Dimension.
Incidentally, my remaining MP was now 4.
I continued to think from behind some cover, near the maintained path.
Ideally, I would prefer to speak with someone one-on-one. Furthermore, someone younger, female, or who appeared kind—preferably someone who met at least one of these conditions. But I couldn’t afford to be picky. My HP was still decreasing due to the poison.
“…—Magic [Dimension].”
I used my last MP (though I was hesitant to deplete it to zero, so I left 1 MP), and began searching for someone who met the conditions with Dimension.
I scanned an area of about 200 meters around and found four parties. First, the trio of men from earlier. Next, a five-person group in mismatched attire, and a four-person group clad in silver armor, both of mixed gender. Lastly, a pair of women.
I decided on the pair of women immediately. Their demeanor was quiet and gentle, so perhaps they would help me depending on our conversation.
However, since there were the five-person group and the silver-armored group between me and them, I decided to wait in hiding. I held my breath and intended to let them pass—but…
“—Hey. You there, hiding, come out.”
I was spotted by the silver-armored group. The five-person group in mismatched attire hadn’t noticed me, but for some reason, this group could see me even from my blind spot. My heart pounded. However, this group was my second priority. I regained my composure and formulated a conversation in my mind. Then, leaving my one-handed sword in hiding, I slowly emerged onto the maintained path.
“Hmph. Just a thief?”
One of the men in silver armor asked casually. The four men in silver armor looked much wealthier than the people I had met so far. However, among the four, one was a girl, and she was incredibly striking.
She was about my age, and her height was similar. And she was terrifyingly—yes, terrifyingly beautiful, a word fitting for her appearance. Her long hair flowed like spun gold, and her perfectly sculpted face seemed impossible to replicate even in a doll.
I quickly averted my eyes from the girl. The girl’s unreal aura seemed to steal away my sense of reality.
Reluctantly, I focused on the tallest and seemingly most honest man and spoke to him.
“Uh, I am not a thief… I was resting because I wasn’t feeling well.”
“In that case, you should have rested on the ‘Seidō.’ Don’t lie so easily.”
My explanation was immediately denied by the man. I could sense a hint of anger in his voice. Apparently, this maintained path was called ‘Seidō’ and was suitable for resting. My caution in not entering the maintained path had backfired.
I had made a mistake from the start, and my blood ran cold.
“There were reasons why I couldn’t rest on the ‘Seidō’… I have no ill intentions. Please believe me.”
Judging that lies would be counterproductive, I decided to appeal sincerely. The man in front of me seemed upset that I had lied. If he was as honest as he looked, I should act accordingly.
“…Hmph. Indeed, if you were going to ambush, you’d need at least one accomplice.”
The man’s expression softened slightly. The other men agreed with his assessment.
“Just a child. It’s no problem, whatever the reason.”
“Most likely, they got lost, or foolishly challenged something. Or perhaps, the party they were helping as a porter was wiped out, and they were the only survivor.”
The men interpreted the situation to their own convenient advantage. After all, a single, battered person like me was not considered a significant threat. I watched the scene unfold, hoping to avoid making a bigger issue of it.
“Don’t scare the child too much, Hein. It goes against our chivalry.”
“…I know. But shouldn’t we exercise extreme caution?”
A playful atmosphere emerged among the companions. Hearing the words “chivalry,” I had hope that these were the kind of people who would be easy to persuade. Their wealthy appearance also suggested they had disposable income. If I was going to take a gamble, now might be the time.
Resolved, I was about to ask for advice about the poison—
“Ah, um—”
“You’re interesting.”
My words were cut off by the girl nearby.
The girl had approached me without me noticing. And her enchanting golden eyes fixed on me. Her eyes, so beautiful, seemed to strip away various things from me.
The men were surprised by the girl’s sudden action and called out to her.
“Uh, Your Ladyship… Do you have any requests…?”
“Ah, my apologies. It’s nothing major.”
Even as she said that, the girl moved closer to me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to shout at her not to come near me. But my throat was dry and stuck, preventing me from speaking.
“W-Wait a moment…! Please refrain from interacting with other adventurers!”
One of the men raised his voice.
“This is fine, isn’t it? You don’t let me touch anything else, so just a little chat.”
“That is true, but…”
The men seemed to find some merit in the girl’s words, and their objections ceased. Thus, the girl approached until she was within arm’s reach of me.
“You’re truly interesting—”
She whispered, only for me to hear.
“Interesting. Envious, even. Truly… Truly, to the point of jealousy…”
Her whisper could only be heard by me. I glanced at the girl’s face. Her expression was distorted. I could see she was genuinely jealous of me. From this angle, only I could confirm it. Therefore, the men simply watched.
“Nice… Nice, nice, nice…”
And then, as if cursing, the girl continued to whisper. I could only endure the curses that spilled from her goddess-like lips.
“Is… something the matter? Or did you see something with ‘those eyes’?”
The man, growing impatient, asked. Seizing the opportunity, the girl’s face instantly switched to a blank expression. The girl smiled and turned towards the men.
“Yes, something like that.”
The girl let out a cheerful voice, as if her previous curses were a lie.
“Oh, is that so? And do you perhaps possess any interesting skills?”
“No, it’s not that. It seems this person… is poisoned and low on health. I was thinking of casting a healing spell on them.”
“Eh?” I let out a sound. My frozen body felt as if it were illuminated by the sun, and blood began to flow.
“I see. So that’s how it is.”
“Then, I, being extremely kind, will help this person—”
Saying that, the girl turned back towards me and began to chant her magic.
“—’Sing to the caressing sunlight’ ‘The water that combs does not return to illusion’ ‘Veil the heavens and the earth’—”
Pure white light spilled from the girl’s hands and enveloped my body. Along with it, the lethargy and pain that had clung to me began to ease. As if everything that had happened before was a lie, my body started to feel lighter.
I could only watch. Given that she said she was casting a healing spell, I had no reason to resist.
“—Magic [Cure Cool]. There, finished.”
The girl stopped the outpouring of light and smiled at me. Her expression showed no trace of the jealousy I had seen earlier. And then, the girl, looking me over further, said, “Let’s see.”
“Hmm, heh, ho. That ‘Confusion’ isn’t a bad status, is it? Interesting. Ah, and the burn… it seems the treatment was a bit late, so a scar will remain.”
The girl nodded with admiration. She mentioned “Confusion.” If her words were true, then I—
[Status]
Name: Aikawa Uzunami HP 51/51 MP 1/72
Level 1
Strength 1.12, Stamina 1.03, Dexterity 1.03, Speed 2.02, Intelligence 4.00, Magic Power 2.01, Aptitude 7.00
Conditions: Confusion 1.00
The word “Confusion” remained. And was the girl also seeing this “Display”? Perhaps not the same thing, but she seemed to perceive it in some way. Seeing my reaction, the girl gave a faint smile and spoke softly, so only I could hear.
“Let’s meet again, Kanami Aikawa. My name is Rustiara.”
“…Your Ladyship? Did something happen?”
The knights, having confirmed that the healing magic was finished, rejoined us.
“No, nothing. Ah, it feels good to help someone. Now, let’s go further in. We’re running out of time.”
The girl, who called herself Rustiara, moved away from me, as if she had nothing more to do. On impulse, I managed to squeeze out a voice.
“Th-Thank you…”
“It’s nothing. I’ll get it back soon enough.”
Rustiara replied with a smile that resembled a predator eyeing its prey. Of course, it was at an angle only I could see.
“Well then, kid, see ya. Be careful.”
“You should go straight back.”
“Indeed.”
The other men also chuckled softly. However, I didn’t sense any malice from them, unlike Rustiara. It was likely a smile of relief and accomplishment for protecting the weak.
I didn’t mind the knights. However, I wanted to get away from this Rustiara as quickly as possible.
“Yes, thank you for your help. Well then, everyone, see you again—”
Saying this, I proceeded along the maintained path—’Seidō’—in the opposite direction of the girl’s group. This should be the way to the exit. The men waving me off showed no doubt. I responded with a polite smile and parted ways with the group.
